Quran 2:251 — Al-Baqara, verse 251
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
and so with God’s permission they defeated them. David killed Goliath, and God gave him sovereignty and wisdom and taught him what He pleased. If God did not drive some back by means of others the earth would be completely corrupt, but God is bountiful to all.
فَهَزَمُوهُمْ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَقَتَلَ دَاوُودُ جَالُوتَ وَآتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَهُ مِمَّا يَشَاءُ ۗ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لَفَسَدَتِ الْأَرْضُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ
fahazamūhum bi-idh'ni l-lahi waqatala dāwūdu jālūta waātāhu l-lahu l-mul'ka wal-ḥik'mata waʿallamahu mimmā yashāu walawlā dafʿu l-lahi l-nāsa baʿḍahum bibaʿḍin lafasadati l-arḍu walākinna l-laha dhū faḍlin ʿalā l-ʿālamīna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And they routed them, by the leave of God, and David slew Goliath; and God gave him the kingship, and Wisdom, and He taught him such as He willed. Had God not driven back the people, some by the means of others, the earth had surely corrupted; but God is bounteous unto all beings.
- Muhammad Asad
- And thereupon, by God's leave, they routed them. And David slew Goliath; and God bestowed upon him dominion, and wisdom, and imparted to him the knowledge of whatever He willed. And if God had not enabled people to defend themselves against one another, corruption would surely overwhelm the earth: but God is limitless in His bounty unto all the worlds.
- Sahih International
- So they defeated them by permission of Allāh, and David killed Goliath, and Allāh gave him the kingship and wisdom [i.e., prophethood] and taught him from that which He willed. And if it were not for Allāh checking [some] people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted, but Allāh is the possessor of bounty for the worlds.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | فَهَزَمُوهُمfahazamūhum | So they defeated them | هزم |
| 2 | بِإِذْنِbi-idh'ni | by (the) permission | أذن |
| 3 | ٱللَّهِl-lahi | (of) Allah | أله |
| 4 | وَقَتَلَwaqatala | and killed | قتل |
| 5 | دَاوُۥدُdāwūdu | Dawood | — |
| 6 | جَالُوتَjālūta | Jalut | — |
| 7 | وَءَاتَىٰهُwaātāhu | and gave him | أتي |
| 8 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah | أله |
| 9 | ٱلْمُلْكَl-mul'ka | the kingdom | ملك |
| 10 | وَٱلْحِكْمَةَwal-ḥik'mata | and the wisdom | حكم |
| 11 | وَعَلَّمَهُۥwaʿallamahu | and taught him | علم |
| 12 | مِمَّاmimmā | that which | — |
| 13 | يَشَآءُ ۗyashāu | He willed | شيأ |
| 14 | وَلَوْلَاwalawlā | And if not | — |
| 15 | دَفْعُdafʿu | (for the) repelling | دفع |
| 16 | ٱللَّهِl-lahi | (by) Allah | أله |
| 17 | ٱلنَّاسَl-nāsa | [the] people | نوس |
| 18 | بَعْضَهُمbaʿḍahum | some of them | بعض |
| 19 | بِبَعْضٍۢbibaʿḍin | with others | بعض |
| 20 | لَّفَسَدَتِlafasadati | certainly (would have) corrupted | فسد |
| 21 | ٱلْأَرْضُl-arḍu | the Earth | أرض |
| 22 | وَلَـٰكِنَّwalākinna | [and] but | — |
| 23 | ٱللَّهَl-laha | Allah | أله |
| 24 | ذُوdhū | (is) Possessor | — |
| 25 | فَضْلٍfaḍlin | (of) bounty | فضل |
| 26 | عَلَىʿalā | to | — |
| 27 | ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَl-ʿālamīna | the worlds | علم |