Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:248-249

Surah Al-Baqarah (2:248-249)

[2:248] And their Prophet said to them, "Indeed, Allah has appointed Talut as your king."

[2:249] They said, "How can he have kingship over us when we are more worthy of kingship than he, and he has not been given ample wealth?" He said, "Indeed, Allah has chosen him over you and has increased him in stature and knowledge." And Allah gives His sovereignty to whom He wills. And Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.

The Prophet's Confirmation and the Sign of Kingship

The apparent meaning of the preceding verses suggests that the people acknowledged the prophethood of the messenger sent to them, as indicated by their request: "Send us a king." When the Prophet announced that Allah had appointed Talut as king, this served as a decisive proof of Talut's authority.

Out of His immense mercy, Allah added another sign to confirm the Prophet's truthfulness and to establish that Talut was divinely appointed. Multiplying signs is permissible for Allah, as seen with Moses and Muhammad (peace be upon them). Thus, Allah stated:

"And their Prophet said to them, 'Indeed, the sign of his kingship is that the Ark will come to you...'"

Issues Discussed:

Issue 1: The Nature of the Ark (Al-Tabut) and its Arrival

The arrival of the Ark must have been a miraculous event (a khāriq li-l-ʿāda) to serve as a sign from Allah confirming the Prophet's claim.

Narration 1 (The Ark inherited and lost): It is narrated that Allah revealed an Ark to Adam (peace be upon him) containing images of the prophets among his descendants. This Ark was inherited until it reached Jacob (peace be upon him). The Israelites possessed it, and when they disagreed on a matter, it would speak and judge between them. Before battle, they would place it before them to seek victory. Angels would carry it above their army, and upon hearing a cry from the Ark, they were certain of victory. When they disobeyed and became corrupt, Allah subjected them to the Amalekites, who defeated them and seized the Ark. When they asked their Prophet for proof of Talut's kingship, he said the sign would be finding the Ark in his house.

The disbelievers who stole the Ark had placed it in a place of impurity (where urine and feces were deposited). The Prophet prayed against them, and Allah afflicted them with hemorrhoids (piles) for every act of urination or defecation near it. Realizing this was due to their disrespect, the disbelievers removed the Ark and placed it on two bulls. Allah appointed four angels to drive the bulls, which proceeded until they reached Talut's house. Seeing the Ark with Talut confirmed to the people that he was their king.

The phrase "that the Ark will come to you" is used metaphorically (majāz), attributing the action of coming to the Prophet because it arrived during his time, similar to saying, "The dirhams profited me," or "The trade resulted in loss."

Narration 2 (The Ark descending from heaven): The Ark was a chest in which Moses (peace be upon him) kept the Torah. It was made of wood and was known to them. Allah raised it after Moses' passing due to His displeasure with the Israelites. The Prophet of that time said the sign of Talut's kingship is that "the Ark will come to you from the sky." In this account, the Ark was not carried by angels or bulls but descended directly from heaven to earth, guarded by angels, while the people watched until it settled near Talut. This is the view of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him). Here, the arrival is literal, and attributing the carrying to angels in both accounts is permissible because whoever guards something on a journey can be described as having carried it, even if another physically transported it.

Possibility of the Miracle: The arrival of the Ark was made a miracle, but there are two possibilities:

1. The Ark itself is the miracle: This is what was discussed above.
2. What is inside the Ark is the miracle: The people see the Ark empty. The Prophet locks it in a room in their presence. He then claims Allah has created something inside that proves their current situation. When they open the door, they find a writing indicating Talut is their king and that Allah will grant them victory. This would be a decisive miracle. The Quranic wording supports this, as "...the Ark, wherein is tranquility from your Lord..." could mean they find this miraculous item that settles their hearts and assures them.

Issue 2: Etymology of "Al-Tabut" (The Ark)

Al-Kashshaf suggests the word Tabut is either on the pattern faʿlūt or fāʿūl. The latter is weak because Arabic rarely has a word where the first and third root letters are the same (like salasa or qalqa). Thus, Tabut must be derived from Tawb (returning) on the pattern faʿlūt, as it is a container where things are placed and deposited, to which they return when taken out, and the owner returns to it for what he has deposited.

Issue 3: Recitations of "Al-Tabut"

The majority read it as Al-Tabūt (with a tāʾ). Abi and Zayd ibn Thabit read it as Al-Tabūh (with a hāʾ), which is a dialect of the Ansar (Medinans).

Issue 4: Was Talut a Prophet?

Some argue Talut was a Prophet because a decisive miracle occurred through him. This cannot be merely a karāmah (saintly wonder) because a karāmah is not issued as a challenge (taḥaddī), whereas this was a challenge, thus it must be a miracle (muʿjiza).

Response: It is not impossible that this was a miracle for the Prophet of that time, and while being a miracle for the Prophet, it was also a decisive sign of Talut's kingship.

Regarding the phrase: "The Ark, wherein is tranquility (Sakīnah) from your Lord..."

Issue 1: Meaning of Sakīnah

Sakīnah is derived from sukūn (stillness), the opposite of motion. It is a verbal noun used as a noun, like al-qaḍiyyah (the decree) or al-ʿazīmah (determination).

Issue 2: The Nature of the Sakīnah

We categorize the views on Sakīnah into two types: something that was physically present in the Ark, or something else.

Type 2 (Not physically present): The view of Abu Bakr al-Aṣamm: The Ark coming signifies that they will find tranquility upon its arrival, they will submit to his rule, and their aversion to him will cease, as witnessing such a heavenly event would naturally calm their hearts.

Type 1 (Physically present in the Ark):

1. Abu Muslim's view: It contained glad tidings from the divine books revealed to Moses, Aaron, and subsequent prophets, assuring them of victory over the enemy.
2. Ali's (may Allah be pleased with him) view: It had a face resembling a human face and a fluttering breeze.
3. Ibn Abbas's (may Allah be pleased with him) view: It was an image made of emerald or ruby, with the head and tail of a cat. When it cried like a cat, the Ark would move toward the enemy, and the army would follow. When it stopped, they stopped, and victory was assured.
4. Amr ibn Ubayd's view: It was something whose nature is unknown.

Scholarly Synthesis: Sakīnah means steadfastness and security, similar to the verse about the cave: "Then Allah sent down His tranquility upon His Messenger and the believers" (48:26). Thus, "wherein is tranquility from your Lord" means security and calm.

Arguments for Physical Presence:

1. The phrase "wherein is" (fīhi) indicates the Ark was a container for the Sakīnah.
2. It is followed by "and a remainder of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron left behind," implying that just as the Ark contained the remainder, it must also contain the Sakīnah.

Rebuttal to Argument 1: The preposition fī (in) can indicate causality, as in the Prophet's saying: "In the faithful soul are one hundred camels," meaning because of the faithful soul. Thus, "wherein is Sakīnah" means because of it, tranquility is obtained.

Rebuttal to Argument 2: The "remainder" could refer to the remaining aspects of the religion and law of Moses and Aaron. The meaning would be that this Ark helps organize what remains of their religious law.

Those who argue for physical presence also state the "remainder" was: Fragments of the Tablets, Moses' staff, his clothes, some of the Torah, and a basket of the manna that descended upon them.

Regarding the phrase: "...and a remainder of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron left behind."

Issue 1:

1. Interpretation 1: "The family of Moses and Aaron" refers to Moses and Aaron themselves. Evidence: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to Abu Musa al-Ash'ari: "You have been given a melody from the melodies of the family of David," meaning David himself, as no one in his family matched his beautiful voice.
2. Interpretation 2 (Al-Qaffal): The Ark was passed down through generations after them until Talut's time. The contents were inherited by the scholars among the followers of Moses and Aaron; thus, Al (family) refers to the followers, as in the verse: "The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and evening" (40:46).

Regarding: "The angels carry it..." (This was discussed previously.)

Regarding: "Indeed, in that is a sign for you, if you are believers." This means the event is a manifest miracle, a sign of the claimant's truthfulness, provided you are among those who believe in the evidence provided by miracles.

"When Talut set out with the troops..."

Issue 1: Connection and Meaning of Faṣala

The connection to the previous verse is established by assuming an omitted context: After the sign of the Ark was shown, they submitted to him and agreed to march under his banner.

"When Talut set out with the troops" means he departed from the boundary of his city, cutting himself off from it. Faṣl means separation or cutting off. A decisive statement qaul faṣl cuts between truth and falsehood. Separating flesh from bone is faṣl. Weaning a child is faṣl because it cuts off nursing. Departing from a place is faṣl because it involves crossing beyond it, as in: "And when the caravan departed" (12:94).

Al-Kashshaf notes that faṣala ʿan (departed from) originally meant he separated himself, but the object was omitted due to frequent use, making the verb function intransitively, like infaṣala (separated). Al-Junūd (troops) is the plural of jund (soldier/host). Every distinct group of creation is called a jund, such as a large swarm of locusts being called "the soldiers of Allah."

Issue 2: The Selection of Troops

It is narrated that Talut told his people that no one should march with him who was building a structure not yet finished, a merchant preoccupied with trade, a newly married man who had not consummated his marriage, or anyone except a vigorous, unattached youth. Eighty thousand men gathered who met his criteria.

Regarding: "He said, 'Indeed, Allah will test you with a river...'"

Issue 1: Who spoke these words?

1. The Majority View: It was Talut. This is most apparent because the statement must refer back to a previously mentioned person, who is Talut. Under this view, Talut might have been speaking under inspiration from the Prophet of the time, meaning he didn't have to be a Prophet himself. Alternatively, if it was from himself, it required divine revelation, implying Talut was a Prophet alongside being a king.
2. The Second View: The speaker was the Prophet mentioned earlier (who is Samuel, peace be upon him). The structure would be: "When Talut set out with the troops, their Prophet said to them: 'Indeed, Allah will test you with a river.'"

Issue 2: The Wisdom of this Test

1. Al-Qadi's View: The Israelites were known for contradicting prophets and kings despite clear miracles. Allah wanted a sign before meeting the enemy to distinguish the patient from the impatient. Retreating before battle is less damaging than retreating during the actual confrontation. Since this was beneficial before fighting the enemy, He said: "Indeed, Allah will test you with a river."
2. Second View: Allah tested them so they would become accustomed to patience in hardship.

Issue 3: The River

1. Qatadah and Al-Rabi's View: It was a river between Jordan and Palestine.
2. Ibn Abbas and Al-Saddi's View: It was the river of Palestine. (Al-Qadi reconciled these by noting a river flowing from one region might be attributed to either neighboring region.)
3. Al-Kashshaf's View: The weather was extremely hot, and they were crossing a desert. They asked Allah to make a river flow for them, and Allah replied: "Indeed, Allah will test you with what you requested—the river."

Issue 4: Meaning of "Test" (Ibtilāʾ) It means testing them with a trial, like: "Indeed, We created man from a sperm-drop mixture that We may test him" (76:2). Since tests among people occur to reveal something (as Allah already knows), and He does not punish based on His prior knowledge, but rather based on revealed actions, this testing is synonymous with religious obligation (taklīf). There are two linguistic forms: balā yablū and ibtalā yubtalī.

Issue 5: Pronunciation of "River" (Nahar) Nahar (with a sukūn on the hāʾ) and Nahār (with a fatḥa on the hāʾ) are both valid. Any three-letter word whose middle letter is a guttural sound can take these two forms, like ṣakhr and ṣakhr, shaʿr and shaʿr, and baḥr and baḥr.

Regarding: "So whoever drinks from it, he is not of me, and whoever does not taste it—then indeed, he is of me..."

Issue 1: Meaning of "He is not of me" (Falayṣa minnī) This is a strong reprimand, meaning he is not among the people of my religion and obedience. This is analogous to the verse about believers being allies to one another, and hypocrites being allies to one another. It is also like the Prophet's saying: "He is not one of us who does not show mercy to our young and respect our old."

Issue 2: Meaning of "Does not taste it" (Lam yaṭʿamhu) Linguistically, ṭaʿama means to taste, applying to both food and drink. I believe this word was chosen for two benefits:

1. When someone is extremely thirsty and drinks water, they describe it using pleasant tastes (like jallāb or honey). The phrase "and whoever does not taste it" means even if the water reaches his mouth and seems like a delicious treat, he must still refrain from drinking it.
2. If someone puts water in his mouth and rinses with it (tamadmaḍa), he has tasted it but not truly drunk it. If the prohibition had been "whoever does not drink it," the restriction would only apply to swallowing. By saying "whoever does not taste it," the prohibition covers both swallowing and rinsing, which is a harder obligation, as rinsing provides some relief to one forbidden from drinking.

Issue 3: Linguistic Discrepancy and Juristic Implication The verse starts: "So whoever drinks from it, he is not of me," and then says: "and whoever does not taste it—then indeed, he is of me." It should ideally have said, "whoever does not taste from it." This variation was chosen for a legal subtlety: Jurists differed on whether someone who swore an oath not to drink from the river violates the oath if he scoops water with a cup and drinks it.

• Abu Hanifa: He only violates the oath if he drinks directly from the river (karaʿa), as drinking from something implies the initial contact is with the source itself.
• The Rest of the Jurists: If he scoops water with a cup and drinks it, he violates the oath, as this is a known metaphorical use of "drinking from."

By stating "So whoever drinks from it, he is not of me," the prohibition seems limited to drinking directly from the river. The second phrase, "and whoever does not taste it—then indeed, he is of me," removes this ambiguity by attributing tasting/drinking to the water itself, not the river source, thus covering all forms of consumption.

Regarding: "...except one who scoops a single handful with his hand."

Issue 1: Recitations of Ghurfah Ibn Kathir, Nafi', Abu Amr, Ya'qub, and Khalaf read it as ghurfah (with a fatḥa on the ghayn). 'Asim, Ibn 'Amir, Hamzah, and Al-Kisā'ī read it as ghurfah (with a ḍammah on the ghayn).

• With ḍammah (ghurfah): The small amount gathered in the palm.
• With fatḥa (gharfah): The act of scooping once. (Similar to aklah [the act] vs. uklah [a small amount]).

Issue 2: The Exception This is an exception to the prohibition: "So whoever drinks from it, he is not of me." The clause is contextually connected to the exception, though mentioned earlier for emphasis.

Issue 3: Ibn Abbas's View The handful was for him, his animals, and his servants to drink from, and to carry with him.

My Analysis (Two Possibilities):

1. He was permitted to take as much water as he wished in one scoop, enough for himself, his animals, and his servants, and to carry with him.
2. He took only a small amount, but Allah blessed it to suffice all those needs, which would be a miracle for the Prophet of that time, similar to how Allah provided for the large gathering during the time of Muhammad (peace be upon him) with little water.

Regarding: "So they drank from it, except a few of them."

Issue 1: Recitation of "A few" (Qalīl) Abi and Al-A'mash read it as "except a few" (illā qalīl). Al-Kashshaf explains this is due to prioritizing meaning over literal wording, as "they drank from it" implies disobedience; thus, it is treated as if it said, "They disobeyed, except a few of them."

Issue 2: The Purpose of the Test and the Distinction The goal of the test was to distinguish the truthful from the hypocritical, and the obedient from the disobedient. Since only those who did not drink were permitted for the coming battle, and those who drank were excluded, the majority, feeling intense aversion to the impending fight, proceeded to drink. This separated the obedient from the disobedient.

It is narrated that when Talut's men reached the river after severe thirst, most fell into the river and drank excessively. A small group obeyed Allah's command, taking only a scoop. Those who drank and disobeyed had their lips blackened, were overcome by thirst, remained unsatisfied, and became cowardly toward the enemy. Those who obeyed were strengthened in heart, their faith solidified, and they crossed the river safely.

Issue 3: The Number of the Few It is said they were four thousand. The famous view, attributed to Al-Hasan, is that they were the same number as the companions of Badr: 300-plus men. Evidence: The Prophet (peace be upon him) told his companions on the day of Badr: "Today you are the number of Talut's companions when they crossed the river, and none crossed with him except a believer." Al-Bara' ibn 'Azib said: "We were three hundred and thirteen men that day."

Regarding: "When Talut set out with the troops, he said, 'Indeed, Allah will test you with a river...'"

Issue 1: The Return of the Disobedient There is no dispute among commentators that those who disobeyed by drinking returned to their land and did not proceed with Talut to face the enemy, except those who obeyed regarding the drinking. The difference lies in whether their return happened before or after crossing the river.

1. View 1: Only the Obedient Crossed.
   • Argument 1: The verse states: "When Talut set out with the troops, he said... 'Those who believed with him'..." This implies that only those who agreed with that specific obedience (not drinking) crossed.
   • Argument 2: Talut said: "So whoever drinks from it, he is not of me," meaning, "He is not among my companions on this journey." The drinking was a means for them to justify their return due to their corrupt faith and hearts.
   • Argument 3: The purpose of the test was to distinguish the obedient from the rebellious before meeting the enemy, so they would turn back before the confrontation. It is logical they were prevented from crossing the river.

2. View 2: All Troops Crossed, and the Disobedient Spoke After Crossing.
   • They rely on the statement of Talut's people after crossing: "They said, 'We have no strength today against Goliath and his armies.'" This statement seems unfitting for a true believer obedient to his Lord; it sounds like the speech of a hypocrite or a transgressor.
   • Weakness of this Argument:
     • It can be argued that when Talut decided to cross and the majority lagged behind, the stragglers said this as their excuse for not crossing: "We have no strength today against Goliath."
     • The word fa (then) in "When he crossed over them..." suggests their statement occurred after the crossing. However, it can be argued that the crossing was imminent, and the river was not so wide as to prevent communication between those who crossed and those who remained.

Second Rebuttal to View 2: The believers who crossed were of two types:

• Those who desired life and feared death. They were overcome by fear and said: "We have no strength today..."
• Those who were brave and strong-hearted, unconcerned with death in obedience to Allah. They responded: "How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allah."

Third Rebuttal to View 2: The first group of believers, seeing their small numbers, said: "We have no strength today..." meaning they resigned themselves to martyrdom, as there was no escape from Allah's decree. The second group said they would rely on Allah for victory and triumph. Thus, neither view contradicts the other.

Issue 2: Meaning of Ṭāqah Ṭāqah is a verbal noun, like iṭāqah (ability). It is similar to aṭāʿa (to obey) leading to ṭāʿah (obedience).

Regarding: "Those who were certain that they would meet Allah said..."

Question: Why did Allah describe them as "those who were certain" (yaẓunnūna) rather than "those who were firm/convinced" (yaqīnūn)?

Answer (Several Reasons):

1. Qatadah's View: Meeting Allah means death. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him." Since these believers resigned themselves to death, it was likely that death would meet them, so they were described as "those who were certain they would meet Allah."
2. The Second View (Abu Muslim): They were certain they would meet the reward of Allah due to this obedience. Since no one knows the outcome of their deeds except by divine report, one must remain hopeful, even in the highest state of obedience.
3. The Third View: They believed they would meet Allah's acceptance (ṭāʿat Allah). A person cannot be absolutely certain that their action is truly obedience, as it might contain elements of showing off (riyāʾ). Thus, they could only think or assume they performed it with sincerity.
4. The Fourth View (Related to the Ark): If the Sakīnah contained writings promising victory, those writings did not specify if victory would come in the first encounter or later. Thus, "those who were certain they would meet Allah" meant those who were certain they would meet Allah's promise of victory, but its timing was based on good assumption (ḥusn al-ẓann), not absolute certainty.
5. The Fifth View (Many Commentators): They did know and were certain, but the word ẓann (assumption/supposition) was used metaphorically to mean certainty due to the similarity between the confirmed belief (ẓann) and certainty (yaqīn).

Regarding: "How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allah."

Issue 1: Purpose and Meaning This was meant to strengthen the hearts of those who said, "We have no strength today against Goliath." The meaning is that the number of troops is irrelevant; what matters is divine support and heavenly aid. When divine decree comes, smallness and humiliation cause no harm, and when tribulation comes, large numbers and equipment offer no benefit.

Issue 2: Meaning of Fi'ah It means a group (jamāʿah), because some members have turned (fāʾa) toward others to form a group. Al-Zajjaj suggests its root is from faʾtu raʾsahu (I struck his head), meaning to cut off. Thus, fi'ah is a division of people, as if they are a piece cut from the whole.

Issue 3: Grammatical Status of Fi'ah Al-Farra' stated that if min were omitted here, fi'ah could take nominative, accusative, or genitive case:

• Accusative: Because kam (how many) acts like a number (e.g., ʿishrūn rajulan - twenty men).
• Genitive: By assuming the preposition min is present.
• Nominative: By intending the verb to precede it, as if saying: "How many times did a company overcome..."

Regarding: "And Allah is with the patient." This undoubtedly means assistance and support. It could be the statement of those who said, "How many a small company..." but it is more likely a statement from Allah.

[2:250] And when they went forth to [face] Goliath and his troops, they said, "Our Lord, pour down upon us patience and make our feet firm and give us victory over the disbelieving people."

[2:251] So they defeated them by the permission of Allah, and David killed Goliath, and Allah gave him kingship and wisdom and taught him of that which He willed. And if it were not for Allah checking some people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted, but Allah is full of bounty to the worlds.

"And when they went forth to [face] Goliath and his troops..."

Issue 1: The Statement of the Believers This is the speech of the small group who remained steadfast. They prayed for three things:

1. Pour down upon us patience (afrigh ʿalaynā ṣabran): To endure the hardship of battle.
2. Make our feet firm (thabbit aqdāmanā): To prevent retreat or wavering.
3. Give us victory over the disbelieving people (wa-nṣurnā ʿalā al-qawm al-kāfirīn).

Regarding: "And David killed Goliath..."

Issue 1: The Meaning of Dhānnūn The word dhānnūn is used here, which is an attribute of David (peace be upon him). (The text seems to skip the detailed discussion on the attribute Dhānnūn here, referring back to previous discussions, likely related to the Ark or the nature of their certainty.)

Issue 2: The Meaning of "Kingship and Wisdom" Allah granted David kingship (political authority) and wisdom (prophetic insight or sound judgment).

Issue 3: "And if it were not for Allah checking some people by means of others..." This is a fundamental principle of divine order. If Allah did not use some people to repel others, the earth would become corrupt due to the dominance of evil and tyranny. Allah is bountiful to all worlds (creation).

(The excerpt ends here, concluding the discussion on the verses related to Talut and the battle against Goliath.)