Verse. 254

٢ - ٱلْبَقَرَة

2 - Al-Baqara

وَقَالَ لَہُمْ نَبِيُّہُمْ اِنَّ اللہَ قَدْ بَعَثَ لَكُمْ طَالُوْتَ مَلِكًا۝۰ۭ قَالُوْۗا اَنّٰى يَكُوْنُ لَہُ الْمُلْكُ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ اَحَقُّ بِالْمُلْكِ مِنْہُ وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَۃً مِّنَ الْمَالِ۝۰ۭ قَالَ اِنَّ اللہَ اصْطَفٰىہُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَزَادَہٗ بَسْطَۃً فِي الْعِلْمِ وَ الْجِسْمِ۝۰ۭ وَاللہُ يُؤْتِيْ مُلْكَہٗ مَنْ يَّشَاۗءُ۝۰ۭ وَاللہُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيْمٌ۝۲۴۷
Waqala lahum nabiyyuhum inna Allaha qad baAAatha lakum taloota malikan qaloo anna yakoonu lahu almulku AAalayna wanahnu ahaqqu bialmulki minhu walam yuta saAAatan mina almali qala inna Allaha istafahu AAalaykum wazadahu bastatan fee alAAilmi waaljismi waAllahu yutee mulkahu man yashao waAllahu wasiAAun AAaleemun

English

Ahmed Ali

And when their prophet said to them: "God has raised Saul king over you," they said: "How can he be king over us when we have greater right to kingship than he, for he does not even possess abundant wealth?" "God has chosen him in preference to you," said the prophet "and given him much more wisdom and prowess; and God gives authority to whomsoever He will: God is infinite and all-wise."

247

Tafseer

'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī

تفسير : (the prophet) samuel (said unto them: lo! allah hath raised up) identified (saul to be king for you. they said: how can) it be justified that (he have kingdom over us) for he is not of royal descent (when we are more deserving of the kingdom than he is) for we are of royal descent, (since he hath not been given wealth enough) to spend on the army? (he) samuel (said: lo! allah hath chosen him) to be king and sovereign (above you, and hath increased him abundantly in wisdom) the knowledge of warfare (and stature) size and physical strength. (allah bestoweth his sovereignty on whom he will) in this life even if he is not of royal descent. (allah is all-embracing) in his gift, (all-knowing) about whom he gives to, because they said to their prophet that it was he who chose saul rather than his being appointed by allah.

Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī

تفسير : then their prophet said to them, ‘verily god has raised up saul for you as king’ they said, ‘how can he be king over us when we have better right than he to kingship, since he is not of the tribe of monarchs or that of prophets; he [saul] was a tanner or a shepherd; seeing he has not been given amplitude of wealth?’ which he can use to establish a kingdom. he, the prophet, said, to them, ‘god has chosen him over you, for kingship, and has increased him broadly, amply, in knowledge and body: at that time, he was the most knowledgeable and the most handsome of all the children of israel, and the most perfect of character. god gives the kingship to whom he will, in the way he does, and there can be no objection; and god is embracing, in his bounty, knowing, of those who deserve it.