يَا دَاوُودُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاكَ خَلِيفَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ فَاحْكُم بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ الْهَوَىٰ فَيُضِلَّكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَضِلُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ بِمَا نَسُوا يَوْمَ الْحِسَابِ

This verse addresses Prophet David as a ruler, establishing principles for just leadership. Allah appointed him as a "khalifah" (successor/steward) on earth, meaning a representative responsible for implementing divine justice. The command to "judge with truth" means making decisions based on justice and divine guidance, not personal preferences or biases. The warning against following desires (hawa) emphasizes that personal inclinations can lead even good leaders astray from Allah's path. The severe punishment mentioned is for those who forget the Day of Judgment and thus make decisions without considering their accountability to Allah. This teaches that leadership is a trust from Allah requiring justice and righteousness, that personal desires are dangerous for those in authority, that all decisions should be made with awareness of divine accountability, and that forgetting the afterlife leads to corruption and injustice. These principles apply to all forms of leadership and authority.