Surah Al-Baqarah 249-253

فَلَمَّا فَصَلَ طَالُوۡتُ بِالۡجُـنُوۡدِۙ قَالَ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ مُبۡتَلِيۡکُمۡ بِنَهَرٍ​ۚ فَمَنۡ شَرِبَ مِنۡهُ فَلَيۡسَ مِنِّىۡ​ۚ وَمَنۡ لَّمۡ يَطۡعَمۡهُ فَاِنَّهٗ مِنِّىۡٓ اِلَّا مَنِ اغۡتَرَفَ غُرۡفَةً ۢ بِيَدِهٖ​​ۚ فَشَرِبُوۡا مِنۡهُ اِلَّا قَلِيۡلًا مِّنۡهُمۡ​ؕ فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَهٗ هُوَ وَالَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مَعَهٗ ۙ قَالُوۡا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا الۡيَوۡمَ بِجَالُوۡتَ وَجُنُوۡدِهٖ​ؕ قَالَ الَّذِيۡنَ يَظُنُّوۡنَ اَنَّهُمۡ مُّلٰقُوا اللّٰهِۙ کَمۡ مِّنۡ فِئَةٍ قَلِيۡلَةٍ غَلَبَتۡ فِئَةً کَثِيۡرَةً ۢ بِاِذۡنِ اللّٰهِ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ مَعَ الصّٰبِرِيۡنَ‏ 

(2:249) When Saul (Talut) set out with his forces he said: “Allah will try you with a river, and whoever drinks of it does not belong to me; he who refrains from tasting it – unless it be just a palmful – he indeed belongs to me.” Then all, except a few of them, drank their fill at the river.²⁷¹

But as soon as Saul (Talut) and the believers with him went forth across the river, they said: “Today we have no strength to face Goliath (Jalut) and his forces.”²⁷² But those who believed that they were bound to meet their Lord said: “How often has a small party prevailed against a large party by the leave of Allah.” Allah is with those who remain steadfast.

271. This may refer either to the river Jordan or to some other river or stream in that region. Saul wanted to take the Israelite army across the river. He was aware, however, that there was little moral discipline and restraint left in them. Hence he hit upon this device to distinguish the worthy from the worthyless. Those who could not endure thirst even for a short while, would not be expected to remain steadfast in their confrontation with an enemy at whose hands they had already taken a beating.

272. These were presumable the people who had shown their impatience on the bank of the river. (See the preceding note - Ed.)

وَلَمَّا بَرَزُوۡا لِجَـالُوۡتَ وَجُنُوۡدِهٖ قَالُوۡا رَبَّنَآ اَفۡرِغۡ عَلَيۡنَا صَبۡرًا وَّثَبِّتۡ اَقۡدَامَنَا وَانۡصُرۡنَا عَلَى الۡقَوۡمِ الۡکٰفِرِيۡنَؕ‏ 

(2:250) And when they went forth against Goliath (Jalut) and his forces, they prayed: “Our Lord! Shower us with patience, and set our feet firm, and grant us victory over this unbelieving people.”

فَهَزَمُوۡهُمۡ بِاِذۡنِ اللّٰهِ ۙ وَقَتَلَ دَاوٗدُ جَالُوۡتَ وَاٰتٰٮهُ اللّٰهُ الۡمُلۡكَ وَالۡحِکۡمَةَ وَعَلَّمَهٗ مِمَّا يَشَآءُ ​ؕ وَلَوۡلَا دَفۡعُ اللّٰهِ النَّاسَ بَعۡضَهُمۡ بِبَعۡضٍ لَّفَسَدَتِ الۡاَرۡضُ وَلٰـکِنَّ اللّٰهَ ذُوۡ فَضۡلٍ عَلَى الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ‏ 

(2:251) Thereupon by Allah’s leave they put the unbelievers to flight, and David killed Goliath,²⁷³ and Allah granted him dominion and wisdom, and imparted to him the knowledge of whatever He willed. And were it not that Allah repelled some people with another, the earth would surely be overlaid with mischief.²⁷⁴ But Allah is Bounteous to the people of the world (and thus extirpates mischief).

273. David was then in the early years of his youth. By chance he joined the army of Saul just when the mighty champion of the Philistine army had challenged the Israelite army to combat. None of the Israelites had the courage to take up the challenge. On seeing this, David took on Goliath in a duel and slew him. From then on, David could do no wrong in the eyes of the Israelites. Saul gave him the hand of his daughter in marriage and ultimately he became the ruler of the Israelites. (For details see 1 Samuel, chapters 17 and I8.)

274. This enunciates the principle according to which God treats the nations as a part of the Divine system governing the world. He allows various nations to attain power and strength within certain limits. But when any nation begins to commit wrongs and exceed reasonable limits. God brings forth another nation as a counterweight, Were the dominion of one nation or party to endure for ever, and were its capacity to perpetrate wrongs granted in perpetuity, God's earth would become full of corruption and wickedness.

تِلۡكَ اٰيٰتُ اللّٰهِ نَـتۡلُوۡهَا عَلَيۡكَ بِالۡحَـقِّ​ؕ وَاِنَّكَ لَمِنَ الۡمُرۡسَلِيۡنَ‏ 

(2:252) These are the Signs of Allah which We recite to you in Truth, for indeed you are one of those entrusted with the Message.

تِلۡكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلۡنَا بَعۡضَهُمۡ عَلٰى بَعۡضٍ​ۘ مِنۡهُمۡ مَّنۡ كَلَّمَ اللّٰهُ​ وَرَفَعَ بَعۡضَهُمۡ دَرَجٰتٍ​ؕ وَاٰتَيۡنَا عِيۡسَى ابۡنَ مَرۡيَمَ الۡبَيِّنٰتِ وَاَيَّدۡنٰهُ بِرُوۡحِ الۡقُدُسِ​ؕ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ مَا اقۡتَتَلَ الَّذِيۡنَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَتۡهُمُ الۡبَيِّنٰتُ وَلٰـكِنِ اخۡتَلَفُوۡا فَمِنۡهُمۡ مَّنۡ اٰمَنَ وَمِنۡهُمۡ مَّنۡ كَفَرَ​ؕ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ مَا اقۡتَتَلُوۡا وَلٰـكِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَفۡعَلُ مَا يُرِيۡدُ‏ 

(2:253) And these Messengers (who have been designated to guide people), We have exalted some of them above the others. Among them are such as were spoken to by Allah Himself, and some He exalted in other respects. And We granted Jesus, son of Mary, Clear Signs and supported him with the spirit of holiness. Had He willed, those who had seen these Clear Signs would not have fought one another thereafter. But (it was not the will of Allah to prevent people from disagreement by compulsion, hence) they differed among themselves whereby some attained faith and others denied the Truth. Yet had Allah so willed they would not have fought one another. Allah does whatever He wills.²⁷⁵

275. The main cause of the differences which arose after people had received true knowledge through the Prophets, and which were even aggravated into feuds and wars, is not that God was helpless, and lacked the power to put an end to the fighting. Had He willed so, no one would have had the power to defy the teachings of the Prophets, to take the course of disbelief and rebellion against Him, and to spread mischief and corruption in His world. But it was not His will to deprive human beings of their free-will and choice, and to compel them to follow a particular course. He has created human beings on earth in order to test them and hence endowed them with the freedom to choose from the various alternative courses of belief and action.

God did not appoint the Prophets as policemen to force people to faith and obedience. He sent them, instead, with reasonable arguments and clear signs in order to invite people to righteousness. Hence the cause of all the differences and wranglings and fighting which took place was that people, in exercising the free-will granted to them by God, followed divergent courses. In short, people follow divergent ways precisely because of God's omnipotent will that men should have a choice. It would be a grave misunderstanding to hold that people follow different paths because God failed to persuade people to follow the path which He wanted them to choose.