Quran Universe
38:26

يَٰدَاوُۥدُ إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَٰكَ خَلِيفَةٗ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱحۡكُم بَيۡنَ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰ فَيُضِلَّكَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَضِلُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٞ شَدِيدُۢ بِمَا نَسُواْ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡحِسَابِ

Ya dawoodu inna jaAAalnaka khaleefatan fee alardi faohkum bayna alnnasi bialhaqqi wala tattabiAAi alhawa fayudillaka AAan sabeeli Allahi inna allatheena yadilloona AAan sabeeli Allahi lahum AAathabun shadeedun bima nasoo yawma alhisabi

[We said], "O David, indeed We have made you a successor upon the earth, so judge between the people in truth and do not follow [your own] desire, as it will lead you astray from the way of Allah." Indeed, those who go astray from the way of Allah will have a severe punishment for having forgotten the Day of Account.

Word by word
  1. يَٰدَاوُۥدُO Dawood
  2. إِنَّاIndeed,We
  3. جَعَلۡنَٰكَ[We] have made you
  4. خَلِيفَةٗa vicegerent
  5. فِيin
  6. ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe earth
  7. فَٱحۡكُمso judge
  8. بَيۡنَbetween
  9. ٱلنَّاسِ[the] men
  10. بِٱلۡحَقِّin truth
  11. وَلَاand (do) not
  12. تَتَّبِعِfollow
  13. ٱلۡهَوَىٰthe desire
  14. فَيُضِلَّكَfor it will lead you astray
  15. عَنfrom
  16. سَبِيلِ(the) way
  17. ٱللَّهِۚ(of) Allah
  18. إِنَّIndeed
  19. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  20. يَضِلُّونَgo astray
  21. عَنfrom
  22. سَبِيلِ(the) way
  23. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  24. لَهُمۡfor them
  25. عَذَابٞ(is) a punishment
  26. شَدِيدُۢsevere
  27. بِمَاbecause
  28. نَسُواْthey forgot
  29. يَوۡمَ(the) Day
  30. ٱلۡحِسَابِ(of) Account
Sad · 38:26Makkah

Judge with truth and do not follow your desire.

Advice to anyone given authority

The command to Dawud
a successoron the earth
so
judge with truthbetween people
not desireit leads astray
What steers the decision
what I wantmy side, my mood
what is trueremembering the Reckoning

Ibn Kathir calls this advice to rulers and leaders. A scholar once reminded a Khalifah: are you dearer to Allah than Dawud? Allah gave Dawud prophethood and rule, and still warned him not to follow desire. As-Suddi said the punishment comes for what they neglected to do for the Day of Reckoning.

You are the parent deciding who gets the car, the manager writing reviews, the class rep. You like one person more. Desire whispers the answer before the facts arrive. Remember who will review your decision.

My judgement is fair because I am a fair person.

Anyone can be pulled by desire, even a prophet was warned, so I check myself.

Try this

Before one decision today, ask: would I decide the same if I disliked this person?

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

O Dawud! Verily, We have placed you as a successor on the earth; so judge you between men in truth (and justice) and follow not your desire – for it will mislead you from the path of Allah. Verily, those who wander astray from the path of Allah (shall) have a severe torment, because they forgot the Day of Reckoni (26)

Advice to Rulers and Leaders

This is advice from Allah, may He be exalted, to those who are in positions of authority. They should rule according to the truth and justice revealed from Him, they should not turn away from it and be led astray from the path of Allah. Allah has issued a stern warning of a severe punishment to those who go astray from His path and forget the Day of Resurrection.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibrahim Abu Zur'ah, who read the Scripture, reported that Al-Walid bin 'Abd Al-Malik said to him: "Does anyone have the right to question the Khalifah? You have read the first Scripture and the Qur'an, and you have understood them." He replied, "May I speak, O Commander of the faithful?" He said, "Speak, for you are under the protection of Allah." I said, "O Commander of the faithful, are you more dear to Allah, or Dawud, peace be upon him For Allah gave him both prophethood and rulership, then He warned him in His Book:

يَا دَاوُودُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاكَ خَلِيفَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ الْهَوَىٰ فَيُضِلَّكَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۚ 

(O Dawud ! Verily, We have placed you as a successor on the earth; so judge you between men in truth (and justice) and follow not your desire – for it will mislead you from the path of Allah)." 'Ikrimah said:

لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ بِمَا نَسُوا يَوْمَ الْحِسَابِ

((Those shall) have a severe torment, because they forgot the Day of Reckoning.) "They will have a severe punishment on the Day of Reckoning because of what they forgot. " As-Suddi said, "They will have a severe punishment because of what they neglected to do for the sake of the Day of Reckoning." This interpretation is more in accordance with the apparent meaning of the Ayah. And Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, is the Guide to the Truth.