Verses 244–252

Chapter 2: Al-Baqarah (The Cow) · Printed edition: Volume 4, pp. 76–109

وَقَاتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ٢٤٤ مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ أَضْعَافًا كَثِيرَةً ۚ وَاللَّهُ يَقْبِضُ وَيَبْسُطُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ٢٤٥ أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الْمَلَإِ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مُوسَىٰ إِذْ قَالُوا لِنَبِيٍّ لَهُمُ ابْعَثْ لَنَا مَلِكًا نُقَاتِلْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ هَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِنْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ أَلَّا تُقَاتِلُوا ۖ قَالُوا وَمَا لَنَا أَلَّا نُقَاتِلَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَقَدْ أُخْرِجْنَا مِنْ دِيَارِنَا وَأَبْنَائِنَا ۖ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوْا إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِنْهُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ ٢٤٦ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ بَعَثَ لَكُمْ طَالُوتَ مَلِكًا ۚ قَالُوا أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِالْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَةً مِنَ الْمَالِ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَاهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَزَادَهُ بَسْطَةً فِي الْعِلْمِ وَالْجِسْمِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ يُؤْتِي مُلْكَهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ ٢٤٧ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ آيَةَ مُلْكِهِ أَنْ يَأْتِيَكُمُ التَّابُوتُ فِيهِ سَكِينَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَبَقِيَّةٌ مِمَّا تَرَكَ آلُ مُوسَىٰ وَآلُ هَارُونَ تَحْمِلُهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ ٢٤٨ فَلَمَّا فَصَلَ طَالُوتُ بِالْجُنُودِ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مُبْتَلِيكُمْ بِنَهَرٍ فَمَنْ شَرِبَ مِنْهُ فَلَيْسَ مِنِّي وَمَنْ لَمْ يَطْعَمْهُ فَإِنَّهُ مِنِّي إِلَّا مَنِ اغْتَرَفَ غُرْفَةً بِيَدِهِ ۚ فَشَرِبُوا مِنْهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِنْهُمْ ۚ فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَهُ هُوَ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ قَالُوا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا الْيَوْمَ بِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِ ۚ قَالَ الَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُمْ مُلَاقُو اللَّهِ كَمْ مِنْ فِئَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةً كَثِيرَةً بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ ٢٤٩ وَلَمَّا بَرَزُوا لِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ ٢٥٠ فَهَزَمُوهُمْ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَقَتَلَ دَاوُودُ جَالُوتَ وَآتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَهُ مِمَّا يَشَاءُ ۗ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لَفَسَدَتِ الْأَرْضُ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ ٢٥١ تِلْكَ آيَاتُ اللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِالْحَقِّ ۚ وَإِنَّكَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ٢٥٢

244. And fight in the way of Allah, and know that Allah is Hearing, Knowing.
245. Who is it that will lend to Allah a goodly loan, so He will multiply it for him manifold, and Allah holds and extends and to Him you shall be returned.
246. Did you not see the chiefs of the children of Israel after Moses, when they said to a prophet of theirs. Raise up for us a king [that] we may fight in the way of Allah. He said: May it not be that if fighting is ordained for you, would you not fight? They said: “And what reason have we that we should not fight in the way of Allah, and we have indeed been turned out of our homes and our children. But when fighting was ordained for them, they turned back, except a few of them, and Allah knows the unjust.
247. And their prophet said to them: Surely Allah has raised Ṭālūt to be a king over you. They said: How can he hold kingship over us while we have a greater right to kingship than he, and he has not been granted an abundance of wealth? He said: Surely Allah has chosen him over you, and He has increased him abundantly in knowledge and physique, and Allah grants His Kingdom to whom He pleases, and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing.
248. And their prophet said to them: Surely the sign of his kingship is, that there shall come to you the Ark in which there is tranquillity from your Lord and residue of the relics of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron have left, the angels bearing it, most surely there is a sign in this for those who believe.
249. So when Ṭālūt departed with the forces, he said: Surely Allah will try you with a stream; whoever then drinks from it, he is not of me, and whoever does not taste of it, he is surely of me, except he who takes with his hand as much [of it] as fills his hand; but with the exception of a few of them they drank from it. So when he had crossed it, he and those who believed with him, they said: We have today no power against Goliath and his forces. Those who thought that they would meet their Lord said: How often has a small party vanquished a numerous host by Allah’s permission, and Allah is with the patient ones.
250. And when they went out against Goliath and his forces they said: Our Lord, pour down upon us patience, and make out feet firm and help us against the unbelieving people.
251. So they routed them by Allah’s permission and David slew Goliath, and Allah gave him kingship and wisdom, and taught him of what He pleased. And were it not for Allah’s repelling some men with others, the earth would certainly be in a state of disorder; but Allah is Gracious to the creatures.
252. These are the signs of Allah: We recite them to you with truth; and most surely you are [one] of the apostles.

Introduction

All these verses were obviously revealed together. The connection between the obligation of fighting, the exhortation of a goodly loan to God and the moral of the story of Ṭālūt, David and Goliath needs no explanation. The import of the verses is to show how fighting in the way of God strengthens the collective life, what the spirit is by which a nation goes forward in its worldly and religious life, and what gives it its real happiness and felicity. God declares that jihād is obligatory for the Muslims, calls them to spend in His way, by contributing in preparation for war so that their military power increases and they are ready for their enemies. This spending has been called “lending to God” because it is done in His way. Also, it very forcefully exhorts the hearers to spend in His way to gain nearness to Him. Then comes the story of Ṭālūt, David and Goliath, so that the believers who are told to fight should take lessons from it. The moral is that the kingdom and victory belong to faith and piety, even if its adherents be small in number; and defeat and destruction is the fare of hypocrisy and sin, even if its followers be numerous. See how the Israelites lived in disgrace and servitude as long as they remained inert and idle, and were too lazy to do anything to improve their condition. But when they stood up to fight in the way of God and sought help from the word of truth, God helped them to vanquish their enemy, even though only a few of them were really truthful. Look at the majority of them turning back when fighting was prescribed for them, and objecting to the appointment of Ṭālūt, and drinking from the stream, and saying that they had no strength to fight against Goliath and his armies. In spite of all these shortcomings God made them victorious; they vanquished their enemy by the permission of God; David slew Goliath and kingdom was established in them. They were given a new life and their power and sovereignty came back to them. It was not but because of a word which faith and piety made them utter when they stood before Goliath and his forces: “Our Lord, pour down upon us patience and make our feet firm and help us against the unbelieving people.” Thus should the believers follow in the footsteps of the good people of previous nations, because they shall have the upper hand if they are believers.

Commentary

وَقَاتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ٢٤٤

(2:244) And fight in the way of Allah. And know that Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

It makes fighting obligatory and compulsory. Here and everywhere in the Qur’an, the order of fighting has the stipulation, “in the way of God.” It is to forestall any possible misunderstanding that this important religious duty was ordained to establish the worldly domination of the Muslims over other nations and to spread the kingdom of the Muslim’s—as many modern Muslim scholars think. The proviso, “in the way of God,” shows that this order was given to spread the domination of religion, by which the people could prosper in both worlds.

And know that Allah is Hearing, Knowing: It is a warning to the believers—they should not utter a single word against any order given by God and His apostle, nor should they dislike in their hearts any such order as the hypocrites do. They should not be like the Israelites when they first objected about Ṭālūt, saying, “How can he hold kingship over us …,” and then said, “We have today no power against Goliath and his forces,” and retreated and turned away when fighting was prescribed for them, and drank from the stream after Ṭālūt had forbidden them to do so.

مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ أَضْعَافًا كَثِيرَةً ۚ وَاللَّهُ يَقْبِضُ وَيَبْسُطُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ٢٤٥

(2:245) Who is it that will lend to Allah a goodly loan, so He will multiply it for him manifold, and Allah holds and extends and to Him you shall be returned.

The meaning of loan is well known. God has named what is spent in His way as a loan to Himself, to exhort people to spend, and because it is done in His way, and also because it will surely be returned to them manifold.

The style has been changed from the imperative mood of previous verse (And fight in the way of Allah) to the interrogative here (Who is it that will lend?) to refresh and enliven the mind of the audience—an order is always received with a feeling of helplessness, but not so an invitation and exhortation.

And Allah holds and extends and to Him you shall be returned: al-Qabḍ is to hold a thing towards oneself. al-basṭ is its opposite.

This sentence mentions three attributes of God: He holds, He extends and to Him all are to return. It is to remind the Muslims that whatever they spend, lending it to Him shall not be in vain, nor should they be surprised at how it will be increased manifold. Because God holds and extends—He decreases whatever He pleases and increases whatever He pleases; and they are to return to Him, and then He will repay them the said loan a goodly repayment.

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الْمَلَإِ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مُوسَىٰ إِذْ قَالُوا لِنَبِيٍّ لَهُمُ ابْعَثْ لَنَا مَلِكًا نُقَاتِلْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ هَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِنْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ أَلَّا تُقَاتِلُوا ۖ قَالُوا وَمَا لَنَا أَلَّا نُقَاتِلَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَقَدْ أُخْرِجْنَا مِنْ دِيَارِنَا وَأَبْنَائِنَا ۖ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوْا إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِنْهُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ ٢٤٦

(2:246) Did you not see the chiefs of the children of Israel after Moses, when they said to a prophet of theirs. Raise up for us a king [that] we may fight in the way of Allah. He said: May it not be that if fighting is ordained for you, would you not fight? They said: And what reason have we that we should not fight in the way of Allah, and we have indeed been turned out of our homes and our children. But when fighting was ordained for them, they turned back, except a few of them, and Allah knows the unjust.

al Malaʾ is said to mean a group of people having the same opinion. It is derived from al-malʾ to fill, because it fills the eyes by its greatness and prestige.

The request, Raise up for us a king [that] we may fight in the way of Allah, implies that the king, Goliath by name, had subjugated them and treated them so badly that they had lost all traces of a free life, like their homes and children. It happened after God had saved them from the people of Pharaoh by raising among them Moses and making him their head, and after the rule of the successors of Moses had come to an end. Then the hardship increased to such an extent that their slumbering self-respect was awakened by the shock of it, and their elders went to a prophet of theirs asking him to raise for them a king to remove their internal differences and unite their power which had became ineffective because of disunity, so that they could fight under his command, in the way of God.

He said: May it not be that if fighting is ordained for you, would you not fight? The Israelites had asked their prophet to raise for them a king, so that they could fight under him in the way of God. But it was not in the power of the prophet; it was the prerogative of God. That is why the prophet attributed the appointment and the order of fighting to God. But he did not mention the divine name clearly. In their reply he questioned them about their possible disobedience, and he knew by divine revelation that they would surely disobey. Therefore, he did not mention the name of God clearly, but only indicated that the authority is from Him and of Him only. How did he indicate it? By using the word “written” (literally: “if fighting is written on you”); and writing, in the meaning of ordaining, is done only by God.

Although, the prophet knew that they would not obey the command of God, he put this matter in the form of a question, so that the proof might be completed against them by their protests of sincerity, as their reply showed.

They said: And what reason have we that we should not fight in the way of Allah, and we have indeed been turned out of our homes and our children: Their dispersal from their homes meant that they could not manage their affairs, as they had been sent away from their ancestral abode. Thus, “turned out of our homes” alludes to their inability to look after their homes and to benefit from them. It is this meaning that justifies the use of this verb, “turned out of” in connection with children.

But when fighting was ordained for them, they turned back, except a few of them, and Allah knows the unjust: It is an offshoot of their prophet’s question (May it not be that … you would not fight?) and their reply (And what reason have we that we should not fight?). The words, “And God knows the unjust,” show that the question of the prophet was based on divine revelation that they would surely turn away from fighting.

وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ بَعَثَ لَكُمْ طَالُوتَ مَلِكًا ۚ قَالُوا أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِالْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَةً مِنَ الْمَالِ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَاهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَزَادَهُ بَسْطَةً فِي الْعِلْمِ وَالْجِسْمِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ يُؤْتِي مُلْكَهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ ٢٤٧

(2:247) And their prophet said to them: Surely Allah has raised Ṭālūt to be a king over you. They said: How can he hold kingship over us while we have a greater right to kingship than he, and he has not been granted an abundance of wealth? He said: Surely Allah has chosen him over you, and He has increased him abundantly in knowledge and physique, and Allah grants His Kingdom to whom He pleases, and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing.

The announcement, “God has raised” was a reminder to them that they were mistaken in asking the prophet to raise a king for them so that they would fight. The prophet attributed this raising to God to teach them that it was a prerogative of God.

The declaration about Ṭālūt prompted them to protest. In their eyes, Ṭālūt had two defects, which made him unfit for kingship. The first “disqualification” was alluded to in their words narrated by God: “How can he hold kingship over us while we have a greater right to kingship than he.” They did not think it necessary to elaborate why they were more deserving; it means that it was an obvious thing. The fact is that the house of prophethood and the house of kingship were well-known among the Israelites—the two houses were highly respected because of these two graces of God. And Ṭālūt was from neither. That is why they objected that they—the people of the house of kingship or both kingship and prophethood—had a greater right to kingship than Ṭālūt; God had put kingship in their family, how could they accept its transfer to someone else?

This objection was a result of their belief that God cannot abrogate or change any of His orders; they said: the hand of God is tied up. (Their hands be shackled!) Their prophet replied to this objection when he said: “Surely God has chosen him over you.”

The second “disqualification” is described in their words, “and he has not been granted an abundance of wealth.” Ṭālūt was a poor man. Their prophet replied to it by saying: “and He has increased him abundantly in knowledge and physique.”

He said: Surely Allah has chosen him over you, and He has increased him abundantly in knowledge and physique: al-Iṣṭifāʾ and al-istiṣfāʾ means to choose. Its root is aṣ-ṣafw (clearness, choice); al-basṭah is expansion and power. These sentences are the replies to their objections:

Objection 1: They had a greater right of kingship than Ṭālūt because they were from the chosen family.

Reply: It was a distinction given to their family by God. Now that God has chosen someone else, he has a greater right than they; and now his family will have precedence over theirs and he has become nobler and higher in rank than they. The superiority follows the choice of God.

Objection 2: “and he has not been granted an abundance of wealth.”

Reply: Kingship is establishment of supreme authority over a group of people. Its only purpose is to unite the people under one will and join them together by creating a relationship with all of them. Everyone shall progress on the road of perfection without colliding with one another. No one shall be given preference without justice; no one shall be kept behind without justice. In short, kingship was created so that the ruler should manage the society in such a way that every member might reach his deserved perfection. To achieve that object, the king must have two qualities: (1) Knowledge of all that is good for his people and all that is bad; (2) Physical strength to implement and enforce what he thinks is good for the people.

God points this out in the words, “and He has increased him abundantly in knowledge and physique.” So far as wealth is concerned, to count it among the necessities of kingship is foolishness.

Then He concisely put all these arguments in one sentence: “and God grants His Kingdom to whom He pleases.” The kingdom belongs to God alone; nobody has any right in it, except what God bestows from it on any one. Even then it really belong to God only—see how the word “kingdom” is qualified here by possessive pronoun “His.” When you keep this reality in view, you will know that God has full authority to do in His kingdom as He pleases and as He wills. Nobody has any right to say ‘why’ or ‘how.’ One cannot ask why God did this or that, because He is the Real cause; nor can one enquire how and by which means He did it, because God is the Perfect cause and He does not need any supplementary causes. Therefore, the Israelites should not have asked why He transferred the kingdom from one family to another, or why He gave it to someone who had neither a big family nor abundant wealth.

It is true that God bestows His bounty and grace as He wishes and upon whom He pleases. Still, it is not done at random or without reason. When we say, “God does what He wishes and gives His kingdom to whom He pleases” we do not mean that God does not have any object in view in His actions. Nor do we say that He acts haphazardly; that if there occurs any benefit from it, well and good, and if not, then what does it matter —after all, the kingdom is His, He may do whatever He pleases. What we actually mean is this: God is the final and real cause of every creation, with matter and without matter. Benefit and usefulness also, like all other things, are His creation. In view of this, God, in His actions, cannot be governed by any aim and object, as we are; when He does a work (and whatever He does is good) or creates a thing (and whatever He creates is beautiful), His action is beneficial to His creatures. But He is not subservient to any benefit.

The above explanation serves to resolve the apparent contradiction in this verse: The authoritative declaration, “God grants His kingdom to whom He pleases,” seemingly cannot be reconciled with the reasons given earlier, “He has increased him abundantly in knowledge and physique.” Had there been any discordance between His absolute power to do as He pleases, and His actions being full of benefit and reason, the two arguments could not be advanced side by side, let alone be complementary to each other.

The last sentence of the verse, “and God is Ample-giving, Knowing,” makes it even more clear. “Ample-giving” shows that He cannot be restricted by anyone or anything in bestowing His bounties or in any other action. “Knowing” shows that all His actions are done by His true knowledge which is never wrong. In other words, He does whatever He pleases, and He never does but what is beneficial.

Wāsiʿ (translated here as “ample-giving”) is the active participle of al-wusʿah and as-saʿah which is the capacity of a body to accommodate another body, like the capacity of a water-pot to hold water, that of a box for things packed in it, and that of a house to accommodate its residents. Then it was borrowed for riches: but not for every wealth and not in all conditions; it is used for riches when the possibility of spending and giving is taken into consideration. It is as though the wealth has the capacity to be spent and given. It is this meaning in which God is called al-wāsiʿ, that is, the Possessor of wealth who has power to give whatever He pleases.

وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ آيَةَ مُلْكِهِ أَنْ يَأْتِيَكُمُ التَّابُوتُ فِيهِ سَكِينَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَبَقِيَّةٌ مِمَّا تَرَكَ آلُ مُوسَىٰ وَآلُ هَارُونَ تَحْمِلُهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ ٢٤٨

(2:248) And their prophet said to them: Surely the sign of his kingship is, that there shall come to you the Ark (Tābūt) in which there is tranquillity (Sakīnah) from your Lord and residue of the relics of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron have left, the angels bearing it, most surely there is a sign in this for those who believe.

al-Tābūt (translated here as “the Ark”) means chest. It is on the paradigm of faʿlūt from al-tawb (to return ). A chest is given this name because man returns to it every now and then.

Discourse

The discussion “Meaning of al-Sakīnah” appears here in the printed volume. Read it in the Al-Mizan App.

فَلَمَّا فَصَلَ طَالُوتُ بِالْجُنُودِ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مُبْتَلِيكُمْ بِنَهَرٍ فَمَنْ شَرِبَ مِنْهُ فَلَيْسَ مِنِّي وَمَنْ لَمْ يَطْعَمْهُ فَإِنَّهُ مِنِّي إِلَّا مَنِ اغْتَرَفَ غُرْفَةً بِيَدِهِ ۚ فَشَرِبُوا مِنْهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِنْهُمْ ۚ فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَهُ هُوَ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ قَالُوا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا الْيَوْمَ بِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِ ۚ قَالَ الَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُمْ مُلَاقُو اللَّهِ كَمْ مِنْ فِئَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةً كَثِيرَةً بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ ٢٤٩

(2:249) So when Ṭālūt departed (faṣala) with the forces (junudi), he said: Surely Allah will try you with a stream; whoever then drinks from it, he is not of me, and whoever does not taste of it, he is surely of me, except he who takes with his hand as much [of it] as fills his hand; but with the exception of a few of them they drank from it. So when he had crossed it, he and those who believed with him, they said: “We have today no power against Goliath and his forces. Those who thought that they would meet their Lord said: “How often has a small party vanquished a numerous host by Allah’s permission, and Allah is with the patient ones.

al-Faṣl here means to depart from a place: the same is the meaning of the word in , “And when the caravan had departed.” Sometimes it means “to cut,” that is, to separate two things, as God says: And He is the best of separators (between truth and falsehood) (). Thus, the verb is used sometimes transitively and at other times intransitively.

The word al-jund signifies a dense concentration of something. The army is called al-jund, because people are densely concentrated in it. In this verse, the word is used in plural, and it shows that their number was very great—and this was after the people had “turned back except a few of them” ().

The whole talk is a comment on the condition of the Israelites and how they “fulfilled” the covenant made with God. All together they pleaded that a king be raised for them, and made a very strong covenant to fight under him; and they were so numerous that when they all turned back except a few of them, those few were “forces”; and those forces also were of no avail because they drank from the stream; thus, what was left, was a residue of the residue, and among them were also those who had taken a handful of water, and as a result were overcome by cowardice and hypocrisy. And then God declares how a handful of believers, who were forbearing in the way of God, were given victory over the huge armies of Goliath.

al-Ibtilāʾ is to test; al-nahar is the place in which a stream flows; al-ightirāf and al-gharf is to raise a thing in the hand and get it, for example, raising water in the hand to drink it.

The position of the exceptional clause in this verse requires special attention: God will try you with a stream; whoever then drinks from it, he is not of me, and whoever does not taste of it, he is surely of me, except he who takes with his hand as much (of it) as fills the hand. It would appear at the first glance that the words, “except he who takes with his hand …” should have come after the sentence, “whoever then drinks from it, he is not of me.” But the fact is that this is not related at all with those who would drink from the stream. The Qur’an mentions that those who would drink were not from Ṭālūt, and that is that. Then it changes the word “drink” to “taste” and says, “and whoever does not taste of it, he is surely of me.” Only then comes the exceptional clause. Had this clause been put after the first sentence, “whoever then drinks from it, he is not of me,” it would have signified that he who took only a handful of water was of Ṭālūt. This in its turn would have meant that the whole army from the beginning was of Ṭālūt, and then those who drank from the stream were cut off from him. But the present sequence, in which two categories have been mentioned—one of those who would drink and the other of those who would not drink—shows that the real position of the soldiers of the army was at that time undecided and unknown. It was only after the test of the stream that the reality was to be known. Those who would drink from it would be known to be not of Ṭālūt; and those who would not even taste of it would be known to be of Ṭālūt. After these two separate sentences comes the exceptional clause, which removes those who would take a handful of water from the first group—but it does not put them in the second one. If there were only the first sentence, the exceptional clause would have given the meaning that by taking a handful of water one would not be cut off from Ṭālūt, that is, would remain of him. But now that two separate categories have expressly been mentioned, removal from one group does not automatically mean inclusion in the other. In short, the position of the exceptional clause shows the existence of three groups: those who were not of Ṭālūt, those who were of him, and the takers of handful of water. After crossing the stream, two later groups remained with Ṭālūt. That is why there appeared so much difference in their states; one group was forbearing, the other was restless; one had full confidence in God, the other was perturbed and troubled.

So when he had crossed it … Allah is with the patient ones: al-Fiʾah means a group of people. A glance at the verses is sufficient to show that those who said, “We have today no power against Goliath and his forces,” were those who had taken a handful of water; and those who replied them were those who had not tasted of it. “Those who thought that they would meet their Lord”: The “thought” here means “certainty,” that is, “those who were sure ….” Also, it may be an allegorical style to show that in their humility they did not believe themselves worthy of meeting their Lord. They did not say, “It is possible for a small party to vanquish a numerous host.” Instead they said, “How often has a small party vanquished ….” Thus they put forward a fact as their argument (instead of a theoretical possibility) to make the reply more convincing.

وَلَمَّا بَرَزُوا لِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ ٢٥٠

(2:250) And when they went out (barazū) against Goliath and his forces they said: Our Lord, pour down (afrigh) upon us patience, and make out feet firm and help us against the unbelieving people.

al-Burūz is to appear. From it is derived al-barāz which means to appear or set forth for battle. al-Ifrāgh means to pour a liquid material in a mould. In this invocation, they beg God to pour down upon them patience according to their capacity. It is a very fine allegory. “Make our feet firm” is another allegorical expression which signifies determination, steadiness and firmness in front of the enemy, so that they do not flee from him.

فَهَزَمُوهُمْ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَقَتَلَ دَاوُودُ جَالُوتَ وَآتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَهُ مِمَّا يَشَاءُ ۗ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لَفَسَدَتِ الْأَرْضُ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ ٢٥١

(2:251) So they routed (hazamū) them by Allah’s permission and David slew Goliath, and Allah gave him kingship and wisdom, and taught him of what He pleased. And were it not for Allah’s repelling some men with others, the earth would certainly be in a state of disorder; but Allah is Gracious to the creatures.

al-Hazm means to repel, to drive back.

It is obvious that the disorder of the earth means the disorder among those who are on the earth, that is, the disorder in human society. If society’s disorder brings in its wake disorder on the earth’s surface, it would also have to be included in the meaning of this verse, not because of itself but because of its being a result of society’s disorder.

This verse hints at a philosophical reality, which is as follows:

The felicity and good of the human species is incomplete if there is no society and no mutual assistance. This factor depends on unity, to a certain degree, in society, so that various individuals may join together to form a single group. The group together becomes a single unit; metaphorically speaking, it becomes as though it has a single body and a single soul. It acts and reacts like a single individual. Social unity, and the place in which it occurs, that is, the assembly of human individuals, is just like unity in creation, and the place in which it occurs, that is, the universe. We know that unity in this system of creation results from the action and reaction occurring in the components of the universe. The various creative causes struggle with each other, repel, or are repelled by opposing forces, and it is as a result of this constant action and reaction that various parts of this system remain connected with each other. Otherwise, the universe would have ceased to exist.

Likewise, the system of human society is based on action and reaction, on repulsion and overpowering; otherwise the various members of society could not remain bound with each other, and society would have ceased to exist; in short the felicity of the species would have vanished. If we suppose that there is no repelling each other, in this meaning, (that is, overpowering others and making them obey the victor’s will), every individual member will do what he thinks fit, even if it goes against the interest of the other members (whether those interests are lawful is not our concern at this juncture); and those other members will have no means to prevent him from that course of action. Thus the unity of the members will cease to exist and society will be finished. We have described this subject fully under verse ; where it was explained that the basic factor upon which society is founded is the human instinct of subjugating others for one’s own benefit; and mutual assistance and civilization is a side product of this instinct, it is a secondary cause.

This repulsion and overpowering is an overwhelming factor in human society. Man tries to make others do what he wants, and to repel them from what he does not like. It is seen in war as well as in peace, in comfort as well as in discomfort, in ease as well as in hardship. Man does it instinctively; he becomes conscious of it only when someone opposes his will, and then he begins the process of the said repulsion as he thinks necessary. That repulsion has degrees of strength and weakness. War is one of those degrees.

This natural instinct is seen in action when a believer repulses his oppressor in defence of his lawful rights; and it is also seen when someone uses it to protect his unlawful gains. Nature bestows its bounties on the believers and the unbelievers alike. It is not that a believer has a nature separate from that of the unbeliever. If this trait of repelling and overpowering were not present in human nature, no body would have defended anything, whether it be a lawful right or an unlawful gain.

It is this natural trait from which man gains so many benefits—first, society is founded on it, then he makes others follow his own will, and through it he keeps what he has gained, lawfully or otherwise; and it is through it that he tries to get back what has been taken from him unjustly; and lastly it is through this trait that he makes the truth live after it has died, and tries to keep society on the path of eternal bliss. In short, it is a natural factor from which man derives many more benefits than harm.

“Perhaps” it is these things which are referred to in this sentence: And were it not for Allah’s repelling some men with others, the earth would certainly be in a state of disorder. The next sentence supports this interpretation: And Allah is Gracious to the creatures.

There are some interpretations which are not so appropriate.

Some commentators have said:

The repulsion mentioned here means the repelling of the unbelievers by the believers, as the context shows. Also, another verse may be quoted in its support: And had there not been Allah’s repelling some people by others, certainly there would have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques in which Allah’s name is much remembered ().

Comment: The meaning in itself is correct as far as it goes; but it is not the whole meaning. What the verse means by the good of the earth, is a comprehensive and continuous good which keeps society alive; not any particular good which appears for a short time and then disappears, like in the story of Ṭālūt and in some other events.

Others have said: This verse refers to the fact that God saves the sinner from perdition and destruction, because of the righteous one. Many traditions from both Sunni and Shiite chains of narrators mention this fact: A tradition of Jābir is recorded in Majmaʿ al-bayān and al-Durr al-manthūr, that he said: “The Apostle of God said: ‘Verily God, because of the good of a Muslim man, makes good his child and the child of his child, and the people of his house, and of the houses around it; and they remain in the protection of God so long as he remains in them.’ ”

Another tradition, in al-Kāfī and al-Tafsīr of al-ʿAyyāshī, quotes Imam al-Ṣādiq as saying:

“Verily God, repels (the misfortune) from that of our Shias who does not pray, because of the one who prays, and if they all unite on neglecting the prayer, all of them would perish. And verily, God repels from that of our Shias who does not pay zakāt, because of the one who pays it, and if they all unite on its non-payment, all would perish. And verily, God repels from that of our Shias who does not perform hajj, because of the one who performs it, and if they all unite on neglecting the hajj, all would perish.”

Comment: The two verses mentioned earlier obviously do not fit the meaning of these two traditions; although it may be said that these traditions give examples as to how God repels some people by some others.

Someone has said:

The verse means that God repels the oppressors with other oppressors.

Comment: Its absurdity is too obvious.

تِلْكَ آيَاتُ اللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِالْحَقِّ ۚ وَإِنَّكَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ٢٥٢

(2:252) These are the signs of Allah: We recite them to you with truth; and most surely you are (one) of the apostles.

This verse is a sort of epilogue to conclude the story. Also the last sentence, “and most surely you are (one) of the apostles,” creates a clear connection with the next verse.

Examining Narrations

1. ʿAbd al-Razzāq and Ibn Jarīr have narrated from Zayd b. Aslam that he said: “When the verse was revealed: Who is it that will lend to Allah a goodly loan, so He will multiply it … , Abu al-Daḥdāḥ came to the Prophet and said: ‘O Prophet of God! Do I not see our Lord asking a loan from us from the same which He has given us for ourselves?! And verily I have two plots of lands, one in the higher region, and the other in the lower one; and verily I dedicate the better one as ṣadaqah (alms).’ And the Prophet used to say: ‘How many pampered clusters of dates Abu al-Daḥdāḥ has got in the Garden!’ ” (al-Durr al-manthūr)

Author’s comments: This tradition has been narrated through numerous chains.

2. Imam al-Ṣādiq said: “When the verse was revealed: Whoever brings good deed, he shall have better than it (), the Messenger of God said: ‘O God! Increase for me.’ So, God sent down the verse: Whoever brings a good deed, he shall have ten like it (). The Messenger of God (again) said: ‘O God! Increase for me.’ Then God revealed, Who is it that will lend to Allah a goodly loan, so He will multiply it for him manifold. Thereupon, the Messenger of God knew that “many” from God cannot be counted and has no limit. (al-Maʿānī )

Author’s comments: al-Ṭabarsī in Majmaʿ al-bayān and al-ʿAyyāshī in his al-Tafsīr have narrated a similar tradition. And a tradition nearly like it has been narrated from Sunni chains also.

The words of the Imam, “Thereupon, the Messenger of God knew” : The end of the verse hints at it, “and God holds and extends,” because no limit can be put on the bounty of God; He has said: And the bounty of your Lord is not confined ().

3. A tradition of Abu al-Ḥasan recorded in al-Tafsīr of al-ʿAyyāshī says that this verse is about the gift for the Imam.

Author’s comments: A similar tradition is narrated from Imam al-Ṣādiq in al-Kāfī; it gives an example of a general rule.

4. Majmaʿ al-bayān says about the words of God, “when they said to a prophet of theirs” that the prophet was Ushmuʾīl who is Ismāʿīl in Arabic.

Author’s comments: Sunni traditions also confirm it. And Ushmuʾīl is Samuel of the Bible.

5. al-Qummī narrated from his father from an-Naḍr b. Suwayd from Yaḥyā al-Ḥalabī from Ḥarūn b. Khārijah from Abū Jaʿfar saying: “Verily, the Israelites, after the death of Moses, indulged in sins, and changed the religion of God, and acted arrogantly against the commandments of God; and there was a prophet among them, who ordered them (to do good) and forbade them (evil), but they did not obey him. (And it is narrated that he was the prophet, Armiah—may the peace of God be upon our prophet and him!) Thereupon, God gave Goliath mastery over them; and he was a Coptic. He humiliated them, and killed their men, and turned them out of their homes and their properties, and kept their women as slave-girls. Therefore, they resorted to their prophet and said: ‘Ask God to raise up for us a king, so that we may fight in the way of Allah.’ And there was the prophethood in one house of the children of Israel and kingship and rulership in another house. And God had not kept the prophethood and kingship in one house; that is why they asked their prophet to ‘raise for us a king, so that we may fight in the way of God.’ Thereupon their prophet said to them: May it not be that if fighting is ordained for you, you would not fight? They said: And what reasons have we that we should not fight in the way of Allah, and we have indeed been turned out of our homes and our children. And it happened as God said: But when fighting was ordained for them, they turned back, except a few of them; and Allah knows the unjust. And their prophet said to them: Surely Allah has raised Ṭālūt to be a king over you. Then they were enraged by this (appointment), and said: How can he hold kingship over us, while we have a greater right to kingship then he and he has not been granted an abundance of wealth? And the prophethood was in the house of Lāwi, and the kingship in the house of Joseph; and Ṭālūt was from the house of Benyāmīn, the full brother of Joseph, and was, thus, from neither the house of prophethood nor from that of kingship. Then their prophet said to them: Surely, Allah has chosen him over you, and He has increased him abundantly in knowledge and physique, and Allah grants His Kingdom to whom He pleases, and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing. And Ṭālūt was the greatest of them in physique, the most powerful and knowledgeable of them all, but he was a poor man. So, they vilified him because of his poverty, and said that he had not been given an abundance of wealth. Thereupon, their prophet said to them: Surely the sign of his kingship is that there shall come to you the Ark in which there is tranquillity from your Lord and residue of the relics of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron have left, the angels bearing it. And it was the chest which was sent by God and Moses’ mother put him in it and threw it in the river; and it was among the Israelites and they sought blessings through it. When Moses was about to die, he put inside it in the tablets, and his coat of mail and whatever signs of prophethood he had, and gave it in trust to his successor, Yūshaʿ. And the Ark remained in them until they made slight of it, and the children played with it in the streets. Thus, the Israelites remained with honour and dignity as long as the Ark was with them, but when they committed sins and profaned the Ark, God took it away from them. When they asked their prophet, God raised Ṭālūt as king over them, and he let them in the fight then God returned the Ark to them, as he said: Surely the sign of his kingship is that there shall come to you the Ark in which their is tranquillity from your Lord and residue of the relics of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron have left, the angels bearing it.” And he (Abū Jaʿfar) said: “The residue is the children of the prophets.” (al-Tafsīr, al-Qummī)

Author’s comments: The sentence, “And it is narrated that he was the prophet, Armiah” is another tradition, parenthetically inserted in this tradition.

“And it happened as God said”: It means that a majority of them turned back and only a small minority of them obeyed the order to fight. And some traditions say that this minority was sixty thousand souls. It has been narrated by al-Qummī in his al-Tafsīr (al-Qummī narrated from his father from al-Ḥusayn b. Khālid from al-Riḍā,) and by al-ʿAyyāshī in his al-Tafsīr from al-Bāqir.

“And the prophethood was in the house of Lāwī and the kingship in the house of Joseph.” Some people say that the kingship was in the house of Yahūdhā. But there is an objection on it: There was no king among the Israelites before Ṭālūt, David and Solomon. So how can it be said that “before Ṭālūt” kingship was in the house of Judah? This objection is strengthened by the traditions of the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt that the kingship was in the house of Joseph, because the kingship of Joseph is accepted by all.

“The residue is the children of the Prophets”: This sentence is a conjecture of the narrator. The Imam explained the words, “the family of Moses and the family of Aaron” with the words, “the children of the prophets”; and the narrator fancied that it was the explanation of the word, “residue.” And this view is supported by the tradition recorded in the al-Tafsīr of al-ʿAyyāshī that Imam al-Ṣādiq was asked about the words of God, “and residue of the relics of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron have left, the angels bearing it,” and he replied: “The children of the prophets.”

6. Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā narrated from Muḥammad b. Aḥmad from Muḥammad b. Khālid and al-Ḥusayn b. Saʿīd from al-Naṣr b. Suwayd from Yaḥyā al-Ḥalabī from Ḥarūn b. Khārijah from Abū Baṣīr from Abū Jaʿfar saying in a tradition, inter alia: “And God reports the words of Ṭālūt: Surely Allah will try you with a stream; whoever then drinks from it, he is not of me, and whoever does not taste of it, he is surely of me. But all of them drank from it, except three hundred and thirteen men, among them were those who took a handful of water as well as those who did not drink at all. When they went out against Goliath, those who had taken handful of water said: We have today no power against Goliath and his forces; and those who had not taken it said: How often has a small party vanquished a numerous host by Allah’s permission, and Allah is with the patient ones.” (al-Kāfī)

Author’s comments: That there remained with Ṭālūt only three hundred and thirteen men (equal in number to the Muslim “army” in the battle of Badr) is mentioned in numerous traditions from Shia and Sunni chains. The details that those who said: “We have today no power …” were those who had taken a handful of water, and those who said, “How often a small party …” were those who had not tasted it at all, may be inferred from the position of the exceptional clause in the verse, as we have already explained.

7. al-Kulaynī narrated through his chains from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad from al-Ḥusayn b. Saʿīd from Faḍālah b. Ayyūb from Yaḥyā al-Ḥalabī from ʿAbdullāh b. Sulaymān from Abū Jaʿfar who said about the words of God: surely the sign of his kingdom … the angels bearing it: “They bore it in the shape of a cow.” (al-Kāfī)

Author’s comments: It will have been noted that we have quoted the complete chain of narrators of this tradition, although generally we do not do so in this book. We omit the chains where the traditions are in conformity with the Qur’an, because then there is no need to mention the chains of narrators. But where the tradition mentions a thing which is not in the Qur’an, and which cannot be inferred from it, then it is necessary to quote the complete chain. Still, we write in this book only those traditions which are correct according to the chains of the narrators, or are supported by the context or other associations.

8. al-ʿAyyāshī writes in his al-Tafsīr a tradition from Muḥammad al-Ḥalabī that Imam al-Ṣādiq said: “David had four brothers; and their father was an old-aged man; and David had remained behind to look after the sheep of his father. Ṭālūt departed with his forces. David’s father called him (and he was the youngest) and said: ‘O my son! Take to your brothers this (food) which we have prepared for them, so that they may get strength to overcome their enemy.’ And he (David) was short of stature, dark, with very little hair, but pure of heart. So, he went away, and (by that time) the two forces had reached near to each other.”
9. At this juncture, another tradition of Abū Baṣīr says that he heard the Imam saying: “Then David passed by a stone, and it said: ‘O David! Take me and kill Goliath with me, because, verily, I have been created to kill him.’ So he took it and put it in his bag in which he kept the stones for his sling which he used in the herding of his sheep. On entering the army camp, he heard them greatly magnifying the affair of Goliath. So he said to them: ‘Why are you so overwhelmed by his affair? By God! If I see him I will kill him.’ Thereupon, they started talking with each other about it till he was brought before Ṭālūt. Ṭālūt asked him: ‘O young man! How much strength do you have? And what experience have you of yourself?’ David said: ‘It happens that if a lion attacks a goat of my herd and catches it; then I overtake him, catch his head, open his jaws and rescue the goat from his mouth.’ (Hearing this) Ṭālūt said: ‘Bring me a full-size coat of mail.’ It was brought unto him and he put it in David’s neck, and lo! His body filled it completely. Thereupon, Ṭālūt and those Israelites who were present there were awe-struck by him; and Ṭālūt said: ‘By God! Most probably God will kill him (Goliath) by him.’

“When the morning came and people gathered around Ṭālūt, and the people (of the two forces) stood against each other, David said: ‘Show me Goliath.’ When he saw him, he took the stone, and putting it in his sling, threw it towards him, and it hit him between his eyes, reaching to his brain; and (Goliath) fell down from his stead; and people cried: ‘David has killed Goliath.’ Then the people made him their king until nobody was heard talking about Ṭālūt. And the Israelites gathered around David; and God sent down Psalms to him, and taught him the handicraft of iron, making it soft for him; and ordered the mountains and the birds to join him in glorifying God.” The Imam said: “And nobody was given a voice like him. Thereupon David lived among the Israelites, hidden from them; and he was given strength to worship (God).”

Author’s comments: The Shia and Sunni traditions unanimously say that David killed Goliath by a sling.

10. [Imam] ʿAlī said: “The tranquillity which was in the Ark, was a pleasant breeze from the Garden; it had a face like that of a human being.” (Majmaʿ al-bayān)

Author’s comments: This meaning has been narrated in al-Durr al-manthūr—from Sufyān b. ʿUyaynah and Ibn Jarīr, through the chain of Salmān b. Kuhayl from ʿAlī;—and from ʿAbd al-Razzāq and Abū ʿUbayd and ʿAbd b. Ḥamīd and Ibn Jarīr and Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn Abī Ḥātim and al-Ḥākim (and he has said that the tradition is “correct”), and Ibn ʿAsākir and al-Bayhaqī (in his al-Dalāʾil), through the chain of Abū al-Aḥwaṣ from ʿAlī.

11. al-Qummī narrated from his father from ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn b. Khālid from [Imam] al-Riḍā saying: “The tranquillity is a breeze from the Garden, it has a face like that of a human being.” (al-Tafsīr)

Author’s comments: The same meaning has been narrated by Imam al-Ṣādiq in Maʿānī ʾl-akhbār and by al-ʿAyyāshī in his al-Tafsīr from [Imam] al-Riḍā.

These traditions explaining the meaning of al-sakīnah (tranquillity) are not mutawātir; yet, if they are accepted as correct, they may be interpreted in the following way, so as to fit the meaning of the verse of the Qur’an:

“The tranquillity has a face like that of a human being.” It means that it is one of the stages of spiritual perfection. At that stage, the soul remains tranquil and at peace with the commands and decrees of God. Such expressions, explaining a reality in an allegorical way, are found in many traditions of the Imams.’ According to this interpretation, tranquillity would mean the spirit of faith, and that is the meaning we have given to it earlier. And it is in this light that the following tradition of Abu al-Ḥasan, mentioned in Maʿānī al-akhbār, should be seen and interpreted:

“(Tranquillity) is the spirit of God, which speaks; when they differed among themselves on any matter, it spoke up and informed them (of truth). . .” Obviously, it means that it is the spirit of faith and it guides the believer to the truth about which the people differ.

Discourse

The discussions “A Philosophical and Social Discussion about the Struggle for Existence and the Survival of the Fittest”; “History and how much the Qur'an is Concerned with it” appear here in the printed volume. Read them in the Al-Mizan App.

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1. King Saul in the Bible. (Ed.) ↩︎

2. al-Baṣṭ is a rendering of al-basṭ—‘S’ of which has been changed to ‘Ṣ’ (because it is joined to ‘Ṭ’) which is pronounced with a full voice, and Ṣ also has a full voice. (Auth.) ↩︎

3. Jeremiah, in the Bible. ↩︎

4. Goliath was a Philistine. The area had political connection with Egypt. Perhaps it is in this sense that he has been called a Coptic. ↩︎

5. Levi, in the Bible. ↩︎

6. Benjamin, in the Bible. ↩︎

7. Joshua, in the Bible. ↩︎

8. As mentioned in a previous tradition, the prophet was Samuel, and not Jeremiah. ↩︎

9. Judah, in the Bible. ↩︎