Al-Baqarah: (247) And their Prophet said to them...
It should be known that after the previous verse established that the Prophet had agreed to their request [for a king], this verse explains that their first act of turning away was their denial of Saul's (Talut's) authority. This is because they had asked their Prophet to request that God appoint a king for them, and the Prophet responded that God had already appointed Talut as their king.
The author of Al-Kashshaf states: Talut is a non-Arabic name, like Jalut and Dawud. It is only prevented from being diptote (not taking tanwin) due to its foreignness and proper noun status. Some claimed it derived from ṭūl (tallness) because of his physical stature. If it were derived from ṭūl, its weight would be faʿlūt, and its origin ṭūlūt. However, its non-diptote nature argues against this derivation, unless one argues that it is a Hebrew name that coincidentally matches an Arabic word, just as ḥiṭṭah matched ḥinṭah. Under this assumption, the foreignness (being Hebrew) would be one reason for its non-diptote status.
When God appointed him as their king, they showed aversion to obeying him and turned away from his judgment, saying: {How can he have authority over us?} They strongly doubted that he could be their king.
The exegetes state that the reason for this doubt was that prophethood was specific to a certain tribe among the Children of Israel—the tribe of Levi, son of Jacob (from whom Moses and Aaron descended)—and the kingship was specific to the tribe of Judah (from whom David and Solomon descended). Talut was not from either of these two tribes; rather, he was from the offspring of Benjamin. For this reason, they rejected his kingship and claimed they were more deserving of the kingship than him.
Furthermore, they reinforced this suspicion with another objection: {and he has not been given abundance of wealth}, indicating that he was poor. There are differing opinions on this: Wahb said he was a leather-worker, Al-Suddi said he was a carter, and others said he was a water-carrier.
If it is asked: What is the difference between the two wāws in the statement: {And we are more deserving} and in the statement: {and he has not been given}?
We reply: The first wāw indicates a circumstantial clause (ḥāl), and the second wāw connects the clause to the preceding circumstantial clause. The meaning is: How can he rule over us when the circumstance is that he is not deserving of rule because there is someone more deserving of the kingship, and he is poor, whereas kingship necessitates wealth to support it?
Then, God Almighty answered their suspicions in several ways.
The first way is His statement: {Indeed, God has chosen him over you}. This contains several issues:
Issue 1: Meaning of the Verse
The meaning is that God singled him out for the kingship and authority. Since the people acknowledged the prophethood of that Prophet, his report from God that He made Talut king over them is conclusive proof of Talut's kingship. This is because allowing the possibility of falsehood in prophets would undermine confidence in their words, which damages the establishment of their prophethood and message. If the truthfulness of the reporter is established, then it is established that God Almighty singled him out for the kingship. Once this is established, he becomes a king whose obedience is obligatory, and their objections are nullified.
Issue 2: The Meaning of "Chosen" (*Iṣṭafāhu*)
**{He has chosen him}** means God took the kingship from others, purifying it for him. *Iṣṭafāhu* and *istṣfāhu* carry the meaning of selection (*istikhlāṣ*), which is taking something purely for oneself. Al-Zajjaj said it is derived from *ṣafwah* (the best part). The original form was *iṣtafā* (with a *tā’*), but the *tā’* was changed to a *ṭā’* to facilitate pronunciation after the *ṣād*. Regardless of the etymology, the intended meaning is what we mentioned: God singled him out for the kingship and authority. On this basis, God describes Himself as having chosen the Messengers, and describes them as **"the chosen, the best,"** and describes the Prophet [Muhammad] as **"the Chosen One"** (*al-Muṣṭafā*).
Issue 3: Proof Against Hereditary Imamate
This verse proves the invalidity of the view that the Imamate (leadership) is inherited. When the Children of Israel objected that their king should not be from outside the royal house, God informed them that this notion is baseless. The one deserving of it is the one whom God has singled out for it. This is analogous to His statement: **{You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will}** (Al 'Imran: 26).
The second way of answering this suspicion is God's statement: {and He increased him in stature in knowledge and body}.
The explanation of this answer is that they attacked his qualification for kingship based on two things: first, that he was not from the royal lineage; and second, that he was poor. God Almighty clarified that he was qualified for kingship by establishing two attributes for him: knowledge and power. These two attributes are much more relevant to deserving kingship than the first two attributes.
The reasons why knowledge and power are superior are manifold:
- Knowledge and power are true perfections, whereas wealth and status are not.
- Knowledge and power are perfections inherent in the essence of the human soul, while wealth and status are external matters separate from the person's being.
- Knowledge and power cannot be stripped from a person, whereas wealth and status can be taken away.
- Knowledge of warfare and physical strength are more beneficial for preserving the welfare of the country and repelling enemies than a noble, wealthy man who lacks knowledge of managing affairs and the power to repel enemies. Thus, what we have mentioned proves that attributing kingship to the knowledgeable and powerful is more appropriate than attributing it to the noble and wealthy.
Here are some related issues:
Issue 1: Divine Creation of Actions
Our scholars used the phrase **{and He increased him in stature in knowledge and body}** as evidence in the debate regarding the creation of actions. This indicates that the knowledge acquired by creatures is only obtained through God's creation and origination. The Mu'tazila argue that this attribution is only because God provides the intellect and establishes the proofs. Our scholars respond that the basis for attribution is direct causation, not mediation.
Issue 2: Meaning of "Stature in Body" (*Basṭah fī al-Jism*)
Some said that "stature in body" means tallness, such that his head and shoulders surpassed the people. He was named Talut because of his height. Others said it means beauty; he was the most handsome of the Children of Israel. Another view is that it means strength. This latter view, in my opinion, is the soundest, because strength and might are what benefit in repelling enemies, not height or beauty.
Issue 3: Prioritizing Knowledge
God Almighty mentioned the stature in knowledge before the stature in body. This is a sign from Him that the spiritual virtues are higher, nobler, and more complete than the bodily virtues.
The third way of answering the suspicion is God's statement: {And God gives His sovereignty to whom He wills}.
The explanation is that kingship belongs to God, and the servants belong to God. Therefore, He grants His sovereignty to whomever He wills, and no one has the right to object to His action, because when an owner acts concerning his property, no one has the right to object to his action.
The fourth way of answering is God's statement: {And God is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing} (Wāsiʿ ʿAlīm). This contains three opinions:
- All-Encompassing (Wāsiʿ) means vast in grace, provision, and mercy. His mercy encompasses everything. The implication is: You objected to Talut because he was poor. God is vast in grace and mercy. If He entrusts the kingship to him, and if He knows that the kingship cannot function without wealth, then God will open the door of provision and abundance of wealth for him.
- All-Encompassing (Wāsiʿ) means one who expands, i.e., He expands His favors upon whomever He wills, relating to the preceding statement as mentioned above.
- All-Encompassing (Wāsiʿ) means possessor of abundance (dhū siʿah). The fāʿil form can mean "possessor of," as in {a pleasing life} (ʿayshatan rāḍiyah), meaning a life possessing pleasure, and nāṣib meaning one possessing naṣb (effort/erection).
Then He clarified with {All-Knowing (ʿAlīm)} that God, despite His power to enrich the poor, knows the measure of what is needed for managing the kingdom, and knows the state of that king in the present and future. Thus, He chooses, based on His knowledge of all consequences, what is most beneficial for him in carrying out the affairs of the kingdom.
247 < { And their Prophet said to them, "Indeed, the sign of his kingship is that the Ark will come to you, wherein is tranquility from your Lord and a remnant of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron left, carried by the angels. Indeed, in that is a sign for you if you should be believers." *Then when Talut set out with the soldiers, he said, "Indeed, God will test you with a river. So whoever drinks from it is not of me, and whoever does not taste it - indeed, he is of me, except for one who scoops [some] with his hand." But they drank from it, except for a few of them. Then when Talut and those who believed with him crossed it, they said, "We have no ability today against Goliath and his soldiers." But those who were certain of meeting God said, "How many a small company has overcome a large company by the permission of God! And God is with the patient." } >**
