[Pooya/Ali Commentary 34:13] A colossal musjid is said to be one of the structures erected by both men and jinn. It is said that Allah revealed knowledge to Dawud, saying: "I had covenanted with your father (ancestor) Ibrahim that I would bless his seed, (see Baqarah: 124) and multiply it, and make it a great nation, for he (Ibrahim) had offered the sacrifice of his son at My command. I have fulfilled my promise to him, but his seed has turned ungrateful to My grace and bounties and I shall send a chastisement on them." Allah then afflicted them with a plague, which was withdrawn when Dawud invoked Allah to spare them. Allah said: O Dawud, tell my servants to offer their gratitude for the prayer I answered, by building a masjid where your progeny and other future generations may also pray to Me." The construction of the masjid was commenced and the righteous Israelites and Dawud himself laboured to build it, carrying heavy stones and mud on their backs. When the walls of the masjid rose to a man's height, Dawud was informed by Allah that his share in the building of the masjid was complete, because the remaining work had been designated to his son Sulayman. Dawud died in the one hundred and fortieth year of his age and Sulayman succeeded his father to the throne in the thirteenth year of his age, and completed the construction of the masjid. The Holy Prophet, like Dawud and Sulayman, laboured to construct the first masjid in Madina, at Quba. Maharib are the houses of defence during warfare, fortresses. The concluding words of admonition to the children of Dawud to work, is a general injunction to every nation, and to the Muslims in particular indicating that if a people desire the blessings of Allah on them to be sustained, they must labour in the way of Allah for righteousness. Only a few adhered to the command while the remainder fell into luxury and ease, and suffered the natural consequences of their degradation and a miserable, ignominious life. Aqa Mahdi Puya says: Maharib means huge temples, altars, arches, vast halls. Some of the jurists refer to the word tamathil (statues) in favour of the permissibility of making images, restricting the prohibitory traditions to those images which are meant for worship. For details refer to the books of fiqh. Some critics attempt to slander the followers of the Ahlul Bayt by saying that they have borrowed their views about the Ahl ul Bayt from the adoration of the family of Dawud by the Jews. In reply, firstly the Quran itself has given the exceptionally distinguished status to the Ahl ul Bayt, excluding all others (see Ali Imran: 61 and Ahzab: 33). Secondly, Nur: 55 expressly says that the method of the caliphate after the Holy Prophet will be the same as before. Thirdly, the Quran asserts that the families of Ibrahim and Imran are chosen by Allah to hold the book, the Wisdom and the authority (Ali Imran: 33 and 34)