أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الْمَلَإِ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مُوسَى إِذْ قَالُوا لِنَبِيٍّ لَهُمُ ابْعَثْ لَنَا مَلِكًا نُقَاتِلْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ قَالَ هَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِنْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ أَلَّا تُقَاتِلُوا قَالُوا وَمَا لَنَا أَلَّا نُقَاتِلَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَقَدْ أُخْرِجْنَا مِنْ دِيَارِنَا وَأَبْنَائِنَا فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوْا إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِنْهُمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ ﴿۲۴۶﴾ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ بَعَثَ لَكُمْ طَالُوتَ مَلِكًا قَالُوا أَنَّى يَكُونُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِالْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَةً مِنَ الْمَالِ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَاهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَزَادَهُ بَسْطَةً فِي الْعِلْمِ وَالْجِسْمِ وَاللَّهُ يُؤْتِي مُلْكَهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿۲۴۷﴾
﴾246﴿ Alam tara ilal malai mim Baneee Israaa'eela mim ba'di Moosaaa iz qaaloo li Nabiyyil lahumub 'as lanaa malikan nuqaatil fee sabeelillaahi qaala hal 'asaitum in kutiba 'alaikumul qitaalu allaa tuqaatiloo qaaloo wa maa lanaaa allaa nuqaatila fee sabeelil laahi wa qad ukhrijnaa min diyaarinaa wa abnaaa'inaa falammaa kutiba 'alaihimul qitaalu tawallaw illaa qaleelam minhum; wallaahu 'aleemum bizzaalimeen
﴾247﴿ Wa qaala lahum Nabiyyuhum inna Aayata mulkiheee ai yaatiyakumut Taabootu feehi sakeenatummir Rabbikum wa baqiyyatummimmaa taraka Aalu Moosa wa Aalu Haaroona tahmiluhul malaaa'ikah; inna fee zaalika la Aayatal lakum in kuntum mu'mineen
﴾246﴿ Have you not seen the group from the Children of Israel after Moses (peace be upon him), when they said to their prophet: Appoint for us a king so we may fight in the way of Allah?
Their prophet said: Perhaps when fighting is prescribed for you, you will not fight.
They said: What excuse would we have not to fight in the way of Allah when we have been driven out of our homes and our sons?
But when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away—except a few of them.
And Allah knows well the wrongdoers.
﴾247﴿ Their prophet said to them: Indeed, Allah has appointed Ṭālūt as king over you.
They said: How can he have kingship over us when we are more deserving of kingship than him, and he has not been given abundance in wealth?
The prophet said: Surely, Allah has chosen him over you and has granted him an abundance in knowledge and strength.
And Allah gives His kingdom to whom He wills, and Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.
[246] This is the second incident used to encourage jihad, and it proves the necessity of having a commander for warfare.
The reason for the obligation of jihad here is that they were expelled from their homes and their children were taken captive, with no other barrier to fighting.
"Al-mala’" refers to the group of opinion-holders or elites, often used for those with worldly status, though it can also include religious status—here it likely refers to worldly elites.
This event occurred three hundred years after Moses (peace be upon him), during the time of Prophet Samuel (peace be upon him), in the city of Ramah in the region of Ephraim in the Levant.
"Malikan" (a king) here means a military commander.
"Min diyārinā wa abnā’inā" (from our homes and our sons) refers to the fact that Goliath had driven them out of Palestine and taken their sons captive.
"Qalīlan minhum" (a few of them) refers to the 313 individuals.
"Ẓālimīn" (wrongdoers) are those who committed wrongdoing by abandoning jihad.
[247] This verse highlights the wickedness of the Children of Israel, as they prioritized their own reasoning over the command of Allah and His prophet.
Another sign of their corruption was that they considered noble lineage and wealth as the standard of leadership.
The qualities of a leader are mentioned in this verse: (1) an abundance of knowledge—both religious and political, and (2) high resolve and great courage.
"Ṭālūt" was the son of Kish, and in the Torah he is referred to as Saul.
"We are more deserving of kingship"—among the Children of Israel, there were two prominent tribes: one of prophethood and the other of kingship. Ṭālūt was from neither; he was from the descendants of Benjamin.
"Al-jism" refers to a fine physical appearance marked by strength and bravery.