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Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Verse 247of 286

وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدْ بَعَثَ لَكُمْ طَالُوتَ مَلِكًۭا ۚ قَالُوٓا۟ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لَهُ ٱلْمُلْكُ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِٱلْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَةًۭ مِّنَ ٱلْمَالِ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَزَادَهُۥ بَسْطَةًۭ فِى ٱلْعِلْمِ وَٱلْجِسْمِ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يُؤْتِى مُلْكَهُۥ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ﴿٢٤٧

Translation (Sahih International)

And their prophet said to them, "Indeed, Allah 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 him and he has not been given any measure of wealth?" He said, "Indeed, Allah has chosen him over you and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature. And Allah gives His sovereignty to whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing [in favor] and Knowing."

Word-by-word meaning

وَقَالَwaqālaAnd said
لَهُمْlahumto them
نَبِيُّهُمْnabiyyuhumtheir Prophet
إِنَّinnaIndeed
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
قَدْqad(has) surely
بَعَثَbaʿatharaised
لَكُمْlakumfor you
طَالُوتَṭālūtaTalut
مَلِكًۭا ۚmalikan(as) a king
قَالُوٓا۟qālūThey said
أَنَّىٰannāHow
يَكُونُyakūnucan be
لَهُlahufor him
ٱلْمُلْكُl-mul'kuthe kingship
عَلَيْنَاʿalaynāover us
وَنَحْنُwanaḥnuwhile we
أَحَقُّaḥaqqu(are) more entitled
بِٱلْمُلْكِbil-mul'kito kingship
مِنْهُmin'huthan him
وَلَمْwalamand not
يُؤْتَyu'tahe has been given
سَعَةًۭsaʿatanabundance
مِّنَminaof
ٱلْمَالِ ۚl-māli[the] wealth
قَالَqālaHe said
إِنَّinnaIndeed
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
ٱصْطَفَىٰهُiṣ'ṭafāhuhas chosen him
عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykumover you
وَزَادَهُۥwazādahuand increased him
بَسْطَةًۭbasṭatanabundantly
فِىin
ٱلْعِلْمِl-ʿil'mi[the] knowledge
وَٱلْجِسْمِ ۖwal-jis'miand [the] physique
وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuAnd Allah
يُؤْتِىyu'tīgives
مُلْكَهُۥmul'kahuHis kingdom
مَنman(to) whom
يَشَآءُ ۚyashāuHe wills
وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuAnd Allah
وَٰسِعٌwāsiʿun(is) All-Encompassing
عَلِيمٌۭʿalīmunAll-Knowing

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

When the Israelites asked their Prophet to appoint a king over them, he appointed Talut (Saul), who was then a soldier. But, Talut was not a descendant of the house of kings among them, which was exclusively in the offspring of Yahudha (Judah).

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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