Allah states that Talut, the king of the Children of Israel, marched forth with his soldiers and the Israelites who obeyed him. His army was of eighty thousand then, according to As-Suddi, but Allah knows best. Talut said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ مُبْتَلِيكُم
(Verily, Allah will try you) meaning, He will test you with a river, which flowed between Jordan and Palestine, i.e. , the Shari`ah river, according to Ibn `Abbas and others. He continued,
فَمَن شَرِبَ مِنْهُ فَلَيْسَ مِنِّي
(So whoever drinks thereof, he is not of me;) meaning, shall not accompany me today,
لَّمْ يَطْعَمْهُ فَإِنَّهُ مِنِّى إِلاَّ مَنِ اغْتَرَفَ غُرْفَةً بِيَدِهِ
(and whoever tastes it not, he is of me, except him who takes (thereof) in the hollow of his hand.) meaning, there is no harm in this case. Allah then said:
فَشَرِبُواْ مِنْهُ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً مِّنْهُمْ
(Yet, they drank thereof, all, except a few of them.)
Ibn Jurayj stated that Ibn `Abbas commented, “Whoever took some of it (the river’s water) in the hollow of his hand, quenched his thirst; as for those who drank freely from it, their thirst was not quenched.”
Ibn Jarir reported that Al-Bara’ bin `Azib said, “We used to say that the Companions of Muhammad who accompanied him on the battle of Badr were more than three hundred and ten, just as many as the soldiers who crossed the river with Talut. Only those who believed crossed the river with him.” Al-Bukhari also reported this.
This is why Allah said:
فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَهُ هُوَ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُ قَالُواْ لاَ طَاقَةَ لَنَا الْيَوْمَ بِجَالُوتَ وَجُنودِهِ
(So when he had crossed it (the river), he and those who believed with him, they said: “We have no power this day against Jalut (Goliath) and his hosts.”)
This Ayah indicates that the Israelites (who remained with Saul) thought that they were few in the face of their enemy who were many then. So, their knowledgeable scholars strengthened their resolve by stating that Allah’s promise is true and that triumph comes from Allah Alone, not from the large numbers or the adequacy of the supplies. They said to them:
كَم مِّن فِئَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةٍ كَثِيرَةً بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ مَعَ الصَّـبِرِينَ
(“How often has a small group overcome a mighty host by Allah’s leave” And Allah is with As-Sabirin (the patient).)
When the faithful party, who were few under the command of Talut, faced their enemy, who were many under the command of Jalut,
قَالُواْ رَبَّنَآ أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا
(they invoked: “Our Lord! Pour forth on us patience…”) meaning, send down patience on us from You.
وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا
(and set firm our feet) meaning, against the enemy and save us from running away and from feebleness,
وَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَـفِرِينَ
(and make us victorious over the disbelieving people.)
Allah said:
فَهَزَمُوهُم بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ
(So they routed them by Allah’s leave) meaning, they defeated and overwhelmed them by Allah’s aid and support. Then,
وَقَتَلَ دَاوُودُ جَالُوتَ
(and Dawud killed Jalut)
Israelite accounts claimed that (Prophet) David killed Goliath with a slingshot that he had, which he launched at Goliath causing his death.
Talut promised that whoever killed Jalut, would marry his daughter and would share his kingship and authority. He kept his promise. Later, the kingship was transferred to Prophet Dawud in addition to being granted Prophethood by Allah. So, Allah said:
وَآتَـهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ
(…and Allah gave him (Dawud) the kingdom) that Talut had and,
وَالْحِكْــمَةِ
(and Al-Hikmah) that comes with the prophethood, meaning, after Shamwil. Allah then said:
وَعَلَّمَهُ مِمَّا يَشَآءُ
(and taught him of that which He willed.) meaning, what He willed of the knowledge that He bestowed on (Prophet) Dawud.
Next, Allah said:
وَلَوْلاَ دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَفَسَدَتِ الأَرْضُ
(And if Allah did not check one set of people by means of another, the earth would indeed be full of mischief.)
This Ayah indicates that if it were not for the fact that Allah checks one set of people with another, such as when Talut and the bravery of Dawud helped the Children of Israel (against Goliath), then people would have perished. Similarly, Allah said:
وَلَوْلاَ دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لَّهُدِّمَتْ صَوَمِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَتٌ وَمَسَـجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسمُ اللَّهِ كَثِيراً
(For had it not been that Allah checks one set of people by means of another, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and Masjids, wherein the Name of Allah is mentioned much, would surely, have been pulled down.) (22:40)
Allah then said:
وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْعَـلَمِينَ
(But Allah is full of bounty to the `Alamin (mankind, Jinn and all that exists)) meaning, by His mercy and favor He fixes some of them by some others. Surely, Allah has the wisdom, the supreme authority and the clear proof against His creation in all of His actions and statements.
Allah said:
تِلْكَ آيَـتُ اللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَإِنَّكَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
(These are the verses of Allah, We recite them to you (O Muhammad ) in truth, and surely, you are one of the Messengers (of Allah).)
This Ayah states, `These Ayat (verses) of Allah that We have narrated for you in truth conform to the exact manner that these stories have occurred and to the truth that still remain in the (Divine) Books that the scholars of the Children of Israel have and know. Allah said: O Muhammad,
وَأَنَّكَ
(you are)
لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
(one of the Messengers (of Allah)) emphatically stating the truth of his prophethood
Allah Honored Some Prophets Above Others
Allah states that He has honored some Prophets to others. For instance, Allah said,
وَلَقَدْ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَ النَّبِيِّينَ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَءَاتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ زَبُورًا
(And indeed, We have preferred some of the Prophets above others, and to Dawud We gave the Zabur (Psalms)) 17:55.
In the Ayah above, Allah said,
تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ مِّنْهُمْ مَّن كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ
(Those Messengers! We preferred some of them to others; to some of them Allah spoke (directly)) meaning, Musa and Muhammad , and also Adam according to a Hadith recorded in Sahih Ibn Hibban from Abu Dharr.
وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَـتٍ
(Others He raised to degrees (of honor)) as is evident in the Hadith about the Isra’ journey, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw the Prophets in the various heavens according to their rank with Allah.
If somebody asks about the collective meaning of this Ayah and the Hadith that the Two Sahihs collected from Abu Hurayrah which states, “Once, a Muslim man and a Jew had an argument and the Jew said, `No, by Him Who gave Musa superiority over all human beings!’ Hearing him, the Muslim man raised his hand and slapped the Jew on his face and said, `Over Muhammad too, O evil one!’ The Jew went to the Prophet and complained to him and the Prophet said,
«لَا تُفَضِّلُونِي عَلَى الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، فَإِنَّ النَّاسَ يَصْعَقُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَأَكُونُ أَوَّلَ مَنْ يُفِيقُ، فَأَجِدُ مُوسَى بَاطِشًا بِقَائِمَةِ الْعَرْشِ، فَلَا أَدْرِي أَفَاقَ قَبْلِي أَمْ جُوزِيَ بِصَعْقَةِ الطُّورِ؟ فَلَا تُفَضِّلُونِي عَلَى الْأَنْبِيَاء»
(Don’t give me superiority above the Prophets, for the people will become unconscious on the Day of Resurrection, and I will be the first to be resurrected to see Musa holding on to the pillar of Allah’s Throne. I will not know whether the unconsciousness Musa suffered on the Day of the Trumpet sufficed for him, or if he got up before me. So, do not give me superiority above the Prophets.) In another narration, the Prophet said, (Do not give superiority to some Prophets above others.)
The answer to this question is that this Hadith prohibits preferring some Prophets above others in cases of dispute and argument, such as the incident mentioned in the Hadith. The Hadith indicates that it is not up to creation to decide which Prophet is better, for this is Allah’s decision. The creation is only required to submit to, obey and believe in Allah’s decision.
Allah’s statement,
وَءَاتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَـتِ
(And We gave `Isa, the son of Maryam, clear signs) refers to the proofs and unequivocal evidences that testify to the truth that `Isa delivered to the Children of Israel, thus testifying that he was Allah’s servant and His Messenger to them.
وَأَيَّدْنَـهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ
(And supported him with Ruh-il-Qudus) meaning Allah aided `Isa with Jibil, peace be upon him. Allah then said,
وَلَوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلَ الَّذِينَ مِن بَعْدِهِم مِّن بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَـتُ وَلَـكِنِ اخْتَلَفُواْ فَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ ءَامَنَ وَمِنْهُم مَّن كَفَرَ وَلَوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلُواْ
(If Allah had willed, succeeding generations would not have fought against each other, after clear Verses of Allah had come to them, but they differed ـ some of them believed and others disbelieved. If Allah had willed, they would not have fought against one another.) meaning all this happened by Allah’s decree, and this is why He said next,
وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ
(But Allah does what He wills.)