Saul℗

Saul^℗

God says: {[146] Have you not considered the assembly of the Children of Israel after [the

time of] Moses, when they said to a prophet of theirs, "Send a king to us, and we will fight in the way of God?" He said, "Would you perhaps refrain from fighting if fighting was prescribed for you?" They said, "Why should we not fight in the cause of God when we have been driven out from our homes and from our children?" But when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away, except for a few of them. And God is Knowing of the wrongdoers. [147] And their prophet said to them, "God has sent to you Saul as a king." They said, "How can he have kingship over us while we are more worthy of kingship than he is, and he has not been given any measure of wealth?" He said, "God has chosen him over you and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature. God gives His sovereignty to whom He wills. And God is All-Encompassing [in favor] and Knowing." [148] Their prophet said to them, "Verily, a sign of his kingship is that the chest will come to you in which is assurance from your Lord and a remnant of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron had left, carried by the angels. Indeed, that is a sign for you, if you are believers." [149] When Saul went forth with the soldiers, he said, "God 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 God said, "How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of God? And God is with the patient." [150] And when they went forth to [face] Goliath and his soldiers, they said, "Our Lord, pour upon us patience and plant firmly our feet and give us victory over the disbelieving people." [151] So they defeated them by permission of God, and David killed Goliath, and God gave him the kingship and prophethood and taught him from that which He willed. Were it not for God checking [some] people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted, but God is full of bounty to the worlds. [152] These are the verses of God, which We recite to you, in truth. Indeed, you are from among the messengers.}^[120]

Some time after Moses^℗, the disbeliever Goliath and his soldiers ruled over the children of Israel, oppressed them, and evicted them from their homes. This tyrannical rule over the children of Israel was only because of the weakness of both their faith and piety, forsaking the commanding of good and forbidding of evil, inclining toward this temporal life, abandoning jihad,^[121] and rebelling against the prophets and divine commands. Many factors led the children of Israel back to a similar state they were in before Moses^℗ was dispatched, which was a state of submission and giving in to the tyrant, and its cure was wandering in the Sinai desert. Thus, God Almighty willed that Goliath and his soldiers rule over the children of Israel. Perhaps some would return to guidance and repent to God, and a state of reformation would ensue in a group from the children of Israel, which is what happened in the desert of Sinai during their forty years in the wilderness, when a generation was raised in this desert and carried the words “There is no deity except God” to the people of the earth. In fact, a righteous generation did arise this time within the children of Israel: a divine community inclined toward religious struggle, the three-hundred thirteen men that crossed the river with Saul. Crossing the river was a trial from God, a test to determine the extent of their commitment to His divine commands and obedience to their prophet and to Saul, the leader appointed by God. Similarly, a group within the children of Israel emerged who were less faithful than those elites, and they were the ones who took only a handful from the river. It is important to recognize that the trial of the river was necessary, to thoroughly test the believers and bring forward the people most sincere and closest to God among them. However, it was a big test because the soldiers of the children of Israel were extremely thirsty when they reached the river. The ones that drank from the water did not want to die thirsty as they claimed. Their lives were more important to them than obeying God. On the other hand, those who did not drink water realized that dying thirsty while obeying God would be better than staying alive and disobeying God. They were certain that God Almighty, Who forbade them to drink from the river, would give them something better and not let them die of thirst. Therefore, we find that those 313 men were victorious over Goliath and his army when they crossed the river.

As for those who drank from the river, they were defeated and felt lethargic and weak, once they disobeyed God and obeyed their desires and Satan. Their statement-{there is no power for us today against Goliath and his soldiers}-was a settled matter and made apparent the defeat their souls embraced.

The two armies met, the party of God under the leadership of Saul and the party of Satan under the leadership of Goliath. The army of Goliath was superior in both equipment and numbers. Saul had only a small number of believers with him: those who did not drink from the river and those who took just a handful of water. The hypocrites who drank from the river were also with him. Before the battle started, God’s elite and divine nation took refuge with God, and asked Him to grant them patience, firmness, and victory. So God granted them His assistance: {You threw not, when you threw, but it was God who threw.} ^[122] One of those sincere believers in God killed Goliath, and the assembly was defeated and turned its back in retreat. Satan turned on his heels, and said: {Indeed, I see what you do not see.}^[123] The righteous servant who killed Goliath was David^℗. Afterwards, God Almighty chose him and made him a great Prophet and just king in the wake of his sincerity as a believer in God and a brave fighter who feared only God {[10] We certainly gave David bounty from Us. [We said], "O mountains, repeat [Our] praises with him, and the birds [as well]." We made iron pliable for him, [11] [Commanding him], "Make full coats of mail and calculate [precisely] the links, and work [all of you] righteousness. Indeed I, am Seeing of what you do."}^[124]