banner image

Home ≫ en ≫ Surah Al Baqarah ≫ ayat 249 ≫ Translation ≫ Tafsir

Prev Aayaat Prev

اَلْبَقَرَة

Al Baqarah

HR Background
Next Aayaat Next

فَلَمَّا فَصَلَ طَالُوْتُ بِالْجُنُوْدِۙ-قَالَ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ مُبْتَلِیْكُمْ بِنَهَرٍۚ-فَمَنْ شَرِبَ مِنْهُ فَلَیْسَ مِنِّیْۚ-وَ مَنْ لَّمْ یَطْعَمْهُ فَاِنَّهٗ مِنِّیْۤ اِلَّا مَنِ اغْتَرَفَ غُرْفَةًۢ بِیَدِهٖۚ-فَشَرِبُوْا مِنْهُ اِلَّا قَلِیْلًا مِّنْهُمْؕ-فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَهٗ هُوَ وَ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا مَعَهٗۙ-قَالُوْا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا الْیَوْمَ بِجَالُوْتَ وَ جُنُوْدِهٖؕ-قَالَ الَّذِیْنَ یَظُنُّوْنَ اَنَّهُمْ مُّلٰقُوا اللّٰهِۙ- كَمْ مِّنْ فِئَةٍ قَلِیْلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةً كَثِیْرَةًۢ بِاِذْنِ اللّٰهِؕ-وَ اللّٰهُ مَعَ الصّٰبِرِیْنَ(249)

English translation of Kanz-ul-Irfan

So when Ṭālūt set off from the city with the armies,[1] he said, “Indeed, Allah will test you with a stream; so whosoever drinks from it is not with me; and whosoever does not drink from it is with me, except he who fills a handful (is excused),” then, apart from a few among them, all drank from it. So when he (Ṭālūt) and the believers with him crossed it, they (the disobedient majority) said, “We do not possess the strength on this day to face Jālūt and his armies.” However, those who were certain that they would meet Allah said, “On many occasions, the small group has overpowered the large group with the command of Allah.[2] And Allah is with the patient.”

Commentary

[1]

This account reveals how it is better to test people before Jihad as any retreat or cowardice amid the battle could be catastrophic. Rigorous training in times of peace aids battle preparation and overcoming smaller obstacles before a major test strengthens one’s fortitude.

[2]

Sincerity, enthusiasm, and resilience are means to attaining the aid of Allah Almighty. In Islamic history, there are many examples of small groups overpowering large groups, like in the Expedition of Badr, where 313 Muslims defeated a large group of almost one thousand disbelievers. In the Expedition of Yarmūk, approximately 50,000 Muslims defeated an army of one million.

Prev Aayaat Prev
Next Aayaat Next
Reading Option
Translation
Tafseer
Listen and Download Option