Quran 2:249 — Al-Baqara, verse 249
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
When Talut set out with his forces, he said to them, ‘God will test you with a river. Anyone who drinks from it will not belong with me, but anyone who refrains from tasting it will belong with me; if he scoops up just one handful [he will be excused].’ But they all drank [deep] from it, except for a few. When he crossed it with those who had kept faith, they said, ‘We have no strength today against Goliath and his warriors.’ But those who knew that they were going to meet their Lord said, ‘How often a small force has defeated a large army with God’s permission! God is with those who are steadfast.’
فَلَمَّا فَصَلَ طَالُوتُ بِالْجُنُودِ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مُبْتَلِيكُمْ بِنَهَرٍ فَمَنْ شَرِبَ مِنْهُ فَلَيْسَ مِنِّي وَمَنْ لَمْ يَطْعَمْهُ فَإِنَّهُ مِنِّي إِلَّا مَنِ اغْتَرَفَ غُرْفَةً بِيَدِهِ ۚ فَشَرِبُوا مِنْهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِنْهُمْ ۚ فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَهُ هُوَ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ قَالُوا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا الْيَوْمَ بِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِ ۚ قَالَ الَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُمْ مُلَاقُو اللَّهِ كَمْ مِنْ فِئَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةً كَثِيرَةً بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ
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
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And when Saul went forth with the hosts he said, 'God will try you with a river; whosoever drinks of it is not of me, and whoso tastes it flot, he is of me, saving him who scoops up with his hand.' But they drank of it, except a few of them; and when he crossed it, and those who believed with him, they said, 'We have no power today against Goliath and his hosts.' Said those who reckoned they should meet God, 'How often a little company has overcome a numerous company, by God's leave! And God is with the patient.'
- Muhammad Asad
- And when Saul set out with his forces, he said: "Behold, God will now try you by a river: he who shall drink of it will not belong to me, whereas he who shall refrain from tasting it - he, indeed, will belong to me; but forgiven shall be he who shall scoop up but a single handful." However, save for a few of them, they all drank [their fill] of it. And as soon as he and those who had kept faith with him had crossed the river, the others said: "No strength have we today [to stand up] against Goliath and his forces!" [Yet] those who knew with certainty that they were destined to meet God, replied: "How often has a small host overcome a great host by God's leave! For God is with those who are patient in adversity."
- Sahih International
- 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."
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | فَلَمَّاfalammā | Then when | — |
| 2 | فَصَلَfaṣala | set out | فصل |
| 3 | طَالُوتُṭālūtu | Talut | — |
| 4 | بِٱلْجُنُودِbil-junūdi | with the forces | جند |
| 5 | قَالَqāla | he said | قول |
| 6 | إِنَّinna | Indeed | — |
| 7 | ٱللَّهَl-laha | Allah | أله |
| 8 | مُبْتَلِيكُمmub'talīkum | will test you | بلو |
| 9 | بِنَهَرٍۢbinaharin | with a river | نهر |
| 10 | فَمَنfaman | So whoever | — |
| 11 | شَرِبَshariba | drinks | شرب |
| 12 | مِنْهُmin'hu | from it | — |
| 13 | فَلَيْسَfalaysa | then he is not | ليس |
| 14 | مِنِّىminnī | from me | — |
| 15 | وَمَنwaman | and whoever | — |
| 16 | لَّمْlam | (does) not | — |
| 17 | يَطْعَمْهُyaṭʿamhu | taste it | طعم |
| 18 | فَإِنَّهُۥfa-innahu | then indeed, he | — |
| 19 | مِنِّىٓminnī | (is) from me | — |
| 20 | إِلَّاillā | except | — |
| 21 | مَنِmani | whoever | — |
| 22 | ٱغْتَرَفَigh'tarafa | takes | غرف |
| 23 | غُرْفَةًۢghur'fatan | (in the) hollow | غرف |
| 24 | بِيَدِهِۦ ۚbiyadihi | (of) his hand | يدي |
| 25 | فَشَرِبُوا۟fasharibū | Then they drank | شرب |
| 26 | مِنْهُmin'hu | from it | — |
| 27 | إِلَّاillā | except | — |
| 28 | قَلِيلًۭاqalīlan | a few | قلل |
| 29 | مِّنْهُمْ ۚmin'hum | of them | — |
| 30 | فَلَمَّاfalammā | Then when | — |
| 31 | جَاوَزَهُۥjāwazahu | he crossed it | جوز |
| 32 | هُوَhuwa | he | — |
| 33 | وَٱلَّذِينَwa-alladhīna | and those who | — |
| 34 | ءَامَنُوا۟āmanū | believed | أمن |
| 35 | مَعَهُۥmaʿahu | with him | — |
| 36 | قَالُوا۟qālū | they said | قول |
| 37 | لَاlā | No | — |
| 38 | طَاقَةَṭāqata | strength | طوق |
| 39 | لَنَاlanā | for us | — |
| 40 | ٱلْيَوْمَl-yawma | today | يوم |
| 41 | بِجَالُوتَbijālūta | against Jalut | — |
| 42 | وَجُنُودِهِۦ ۚwajunūdihi | and his troops | جند |
| 43 | قَالَqāla | Said | قول |
| 44 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | those who | — |
| 45 | يَظُنُّونَyaẓunnūna | were certain | ظنن |
| 46 | أَنَّهُمannahum | that they | — |
| 47 | مُّلَـٰقُوا۟mulāqū | (would) meet | لقي |
| 48 | ٱللَّهِl-lahi | Allah | أله |
| 49 | كَمkam | How many | — |
| 50 | مِّنmin | of | — |
| 51 | فِئَةٍۢfi-atin | a company | فأي |
| 52 | قَلِيلَةٍqalīlatin | small | قلل |
| 53 | غَلَبَتْghalabat | overcame | غلب |
| 54 | فِئَةًۭfi-atan | a company | فأي |
| 55 | كَثِيرَةًۢkathīratan | large | كثر |
| 56 | بِإِذْنِbi-idh'ni | by (the) permission | أذن |
| 57 | ٱللَّهِ ۗl-lahi | (of) Allah | أله |
| 58 | وَٱللَّهُwal-lahu | And Allah | أله |
| 59 | مَعَmaʿa | (is) with | — |
| 60 | ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَl-ṣābirīna | the patient ones | صبر |