Surah Al-Baqarah (البقرة) • The Cow

Quran 2:249

2:249

فَلَمَّا فَصَلَ طَالُوتُ بِٱلْجُنُودِ قَالَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُبْتَلِيكُم بِنَهَرٍ فَمَن شَرِبَ مِنْهُ فَلَيْسَ مِنِّى وَمَن لَّمْ يَطْعَمْهُ فَإِنَّهُۥ مِنِّىٓ إِلَّا مَنِ ٱغْتَرَفَ غُرْفَةًۢ بِيَدِهِۦ ۚ فَشَرِبُوا۟ مِنْهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّنْهُمْ ۚ فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَهُۥ هُوَ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ قَالُوا۟ لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا ٱلْيَوْمَ بِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِۦ ۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُم مُّلَـٰقُوا۟ ٱللَّهِ كَم مِّن فِئَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةً كَثِيرَةًۢ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ

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

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."

— Saheeh International

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.’

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

Then when Tâlût (Saul) set out with the army, he said: "Verily! Allâh will try you by a river. So whoever drinks thereof, he is not of me, and whoever tastes it not, he is of me, except him who takes (thereof) in the hollow of his hand." Yet, they drank thereof, all, except a few of them. So when he had crossed it (the river), he and those who believed with him, they said: "We have no power this day against Jâlût (Goliath) and his hosts." But those who knew with certainty that they were going to meet Allâh, said: "How often a small group overcame a mighty host by Allâh’s Leave?" And Allâh is with As-Sâbirûn (the patient).

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

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Word by Word

فَلَمَّاfalammāThen when
فَصَلَfaṣalaset out
طَالُوتُṭālūtuTalut
بِٱلْجُنُودِbil-junūdiwith the forces
قَالَqālahe said
إِنَّinnaIndeed
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
مُبْتَلِيكُمmub'talīkumwill test you
بِنَهَرٍۢbinaharinwith a river
فَمَنfamanSo whoever
شَرِبَsharibadrinks
مِنْهُmin'hufrom it
فَلَيْسَfalaysathen he is not
مِنِّىminnīfrom me
وَمَنwamanand whoever
لَّمْlam(does) not
يَطْعَمْهُyaṭʿamhutaste it
فَإِنَّهُۥfa-innahuthen indeed, he
مِنِّىٓminnī(is) from me
إِلَّاillāexcept
مَنِmaniwhoever
ٱغْتَرَفَigh'tarafatakes
غُرْفَةًۢghur'fatan(in the) hollow
بِيَدِهِۦۚbiyadihi(of) his hand
فَشَرِبُوا۟fasharibūThen they drank
مِنْهُmin'hufrom it
إِلَّاillāexcept
قَلِيلًۭاqalīlana few
مِّنْهُمْۚmin'humof them
فَلَمَّاfalammāThen when
جَاوَزَهُۥjāwazahuhe crossed it
هُوَhuwahe
وَٱلَّذِينَwa-alladhīnaand those who
ءَامَنُوا۟āmanūbelieved
مَعَهُۥmaʿahuwith him
قَالُوا۟qālūthey said
لَاlāNo
طَاقَةَṭāqatastrength
لَنَاlanāfor us
ٱلْيَوْمَl-yawmatoday
بِجَالُوتَbijālūtaagainst Jalut
وَجُنُودِهِۦۚwajunūdihiand his troops
قَالَqālaSaid
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
يَظُنُّونَyaẓunnūnawere certain
أَنَّهُمannahumthat they
مُّلَـٰقُوا۟mulāqū(would) meet
ٱللَّهِl-lahiAllah
كَمkamHow many
مِّنminof
فِئَةٍۢfi-atina company
قَلِيلَةٍqalīlatinsmall
غَلَبَتْghalabatovercame
فِئَةًۭfi-atana company
كَثِيرَةًۢkathīratanlarge
بِإِذْنِbi-idh'niby (the) permission
ٱللَّهِۗl-lahi(of) Allah
وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuAnd Allah
مَعَmaʿa(is) with
ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَl-ṣābirīnathe patient ones