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Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 249 (2:249)

ٱلْبَقَرَة

فَلَمَّا فَصَلَ طَالُوتُ بِٱلْجُنُودِ قَالَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُبْتَلِيكُم بِنَهَرٍ فَمَن شَرِبَ مِنْهُ …

Quran 2:249 is ayah 249 of Surah Al-Baqarah (“The Cow”), a Medinan surah of 286 ayahs. It is in Juz 2, on page 41 of the Madani Mushaf.

2:249
فَلَمَّافَصَلَطَالُوتُبِٱلْجُنُودِقَالَإِنَّٱللَّهَمُبْتَلِيكُمبِنَهَرٍفَمَنشَرِبَمِنْهُفَلَيْسَمِنِّىوَمَنلَّمْيَطْعَمْهُفَإِنَّهُۥمِنِّىٓإِلَّامَنِٱغْتَرَفَغُرْفَةًۢبِيَدِهِۦ ۚفَشَرِبُوا۟مِنْهُإِلَّاقَلِيلًامِّنْهُمْ ۚفَلَمَّاجَاوَزَهُۥهُوَوَٱلَّذِينَءَامَنُوا۟مَعَهُۥقَالُوا۟لَاطَاقَةَلَنَاٱلْيَوْمَبِجَالُوتَوَجُنُودِهِۦ ۚقَالَٱلَّذِينَيَظُنُّونَأَنَّهُممُّلَٰقُوا۟ٱللَّهِكَممِّنفِئَةٍقَلِيلَةٍغَلَبَتْفِئَةًكَثِيرَةًۢبِإِذْنِٱللَّهِ ۗوَٱللَّهُمَعَٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ٢٤٩
falammā faṣala ṭālūtu bil-junūdi qāla inna l-laha mub'talīkum binaharin faman shariba min'hu falaysa minnī waman lam yaṭʿamhu fa-innahu minnī illā mani igh'tarafa ghur'fatan biyadihi fasharibū min'hu illā qalīlan min'hum falammā jāwazahu huwa wa-alladhīna āmanū maʿahu qālū lā ṭāqata lanā l-yawma bijālūta wajunūdihi qāla alladhīna yaẓunnūna annahum mulāqū l-lahi kam min fi-atin qalīlatin ghalabat fi-atan kathīratan bi-idh'ni l-lahi wal-lahu maʿa l-ṣābirīna

And when Saul went forth with the soldiers, he said, "Indeed, Allāh will be testing you with a river. So whoever drinks from it is not of me, and whoever does not taste it is indeed of me, excepting one who takes [from it] in the hollow of his hand." But they drank from it, except a [very] few of them. Then when he had crossed it along with those who believed with him, they said, "There is no power for us today against Goliath and his soldiers." But those who were certain that they would meet Allāh said, "How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allāh. And Allāh is with the patient."(249)

Word by word

  1. فَلَمَّاfalammāThen when
  2. فَصَلَfaṣalaset out
  3. طَالُوتُṭālūtuTalut
  4. بِٱلْجُنُودِbil-junūdiwith the forces
  5. قَالَqālahe said
  6. إِنَّinnaIndeed
  7. ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
  8. مُبْتَلِيكُمmub'talīkumwill test you
  9. بِنَهَرٍbinaharinwith a river
  10. فَمَنfamanSo whoever
  11. شَرِبَsharibadrinks
  12. مِنْهُmin'hufrom it
  13. فَلَيْسَfalaysathen he is not
  14. مِنِّىminnīfrom me
  15. وَمَنwamanand whoever
  16. لَّمْlam(does) not
  17. يَطْعَمْهُyaṭʿamhutaste it
  18. فَإِنَّهُۥfa-innahuthen indeed, he
  19. مِنِّىٓminnī(is) from me
  20. إِلَّاillāexcept
  21. مَنِmaniwhoever
  22. ٱغْتَرَفَigh'tarafatakes
  23. غُرْفَةًۢghur'fatan(in the) hollow
  24. بِيَدِهِۦ ۚbiyadihi(of) his hand
  25. فَشَرِبُوا۟fasharibūThen they drank
  26. مِنْهُmin'hufrom it
  27. إِلَّاillāexcept
  28. قَلِيلًاqalīlana few
  29. مِّنْهُمْ ۚmin'humof them
  30. فَلَمَّاfalammāThen when
  31. جَاوَزَهُۥjāwazahuhe crossed it
  32. هُوَhuwahe
  33. وَٱلَّذِينَwa-alladhīnaand those who
  34. ءَامَنُوا۟āmanūbelieved
  35. مَعَهُۥmaʿahuwith him
  36. قَالُوا۟qālūthey said
  37. لَاlāNo
  38. طَاقَةَṭāqatastrength
  39. لَنَاlanāfor us
  40. ٱلْيَوْمَl-yawmatoday
  41. بِجَالُوتَbijālūtaagainst Jalut
  42. وَجُنُودِهِۦ ۚwajunūdihiand his troops
  43. قَالَqālaSaid
  44. ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
  45. يَظُنُّونَyaẓunnūnawere certain
  46. أَنَّهُمannahumthat they
  47. مُّلَٰقُوا۟mulāqū(would) meet
  48. ٱللَّهِl-lahiAllah
  49. كَمkamHow many
  50. مِّنminof
  51. فِئَةٍfi-atina company
  52. قَلِيلَةٍqalīlatinsmall
  53. غَلَبَتْghalabatovercame
  54. فِئَةًfi-atana company
  55. كَثِيرَةًۢkathīratanlarge
  56. بِإِذْنِbi-idh'niby (the) permission
  57. ٱللَّهِ ۗl-lahi(of) Allah
  58. وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuAnd Allah
  59. مَعَmaʿa(is) with
  60. ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَl-ṣābirīnathe patient ones

Tafsir (commentary) of 2:249

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Allah states that Talut, the king of the Children of Israel, marched forth with his soldiers and the Israelites who obeyed him. His army was of eighty thousand then, according to As-Suddi, but Allah knows best. Talut said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ مُبْتَلِيكُم

(Verily, Allah will try you) meaning, He will test you with a river, which flowed between Jordan and Palestine, i.e. , the Shari`ah river, according to Ibn `Abbas and others. He continued,

فَمَن شَرِبَ مِنْهُ فَلَيْسَ مِنِّي

(So whoever drinks thereof, he is not of me;) meaning, shall not accompany me today,

لَّمْ يَطْعَمْهُ فَإِنَّهُ مِنِّى إِلاَّ مَنِ اغْتَرَفَ غُرْفَةً بِيَدِهِ

(and whoever tastes it not, he is of me, except him who takes (thereof) in the hollow of his hand.) meaning, there is no harm in this case. Allah then said:

فَشَرِبُواْ مِنْهُ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً مِّنْهُمْ

(Yet, they drank thereof, all, except a few of them.)

Ibn Jurayj stated that Ibn `Abbas commented, "Whoever took some of it (the river's water) in the hollow of his hand, quenched his thirst; as for those who drank freely from it, their thirst was not quenched."

Ibn Jarir reported that Al-Bara' bin `Azib said, "We used to say that the Companions of Muhammad who accompanied him on the battle of Badr were more than three hundred and ten, just as many as the soldiers who crossed the river with Talut. Only those who believed crossed the river with him." Al-Bukhari also reported this.

This is why Allah said:

فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَهُ هُوَ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُ قَالُواْ لاَ طَاقَةَ لَنَا الْيَوْمَ بِجَالُوتَ وَجُنودِهِ

(So when he had crossed it (the river), he and those who believed with him, they said: "We have no power this day against Jalut (Goliath) and his hosts.")

This Ayah indicates that the Israelites (who remained with Saul) thought that they were few in the face of their enemy who were many then. So, their knowledgeable scholars strengthened their resolve by stating that Allah's promise is true and that triumph comes from Allah Alone, not from the large numbers or the adequacy of the supplies. They said to them:

كَم مِّن فِئَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةٍ كَثِيرَةً بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ مَعَ الصَّـبِرِينَ

("How often has a small group overcome a mighty host by Allah's leave" And Allah is with As-Sabirin (the patient).)

Read the full Surah Al-Baqarah