Kings, the Patient and Other Accounts

…But those who were certain that they would meet Allah said, "How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allah. And Allah is with the patient. …

Context Talut (Saul) leads a small army against Jalut (Goliath); most failed a test at a river.

The certain few trust Allah, not numbers. In the battle that follows, young Dawud kills Jalut and is given kingship (2:251).

حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَتَوۡاْ عَلَىٰ وَادِ ٱلنَّمۡلِ قَالَتۡ نَمۡلَةٞ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّمۡلُ ٱدۡخُلُواْ مَسَٰكِنَكُمۡ لَا يَحۡطِمَنَّكُمۡ سُلَيۡمَٰنُ وَجُنُودُهُۥ وَهُمۡ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ ﴿١٨﴾ فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِكٗا مِّن قَوۡلِهَا وَقَالَ رَبِّ أَوۡزِعۡنِيٓ أَنۡ أَشۡكُرَ نِعۡمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِيٓ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَيَّ وَأَنۡ أَعۡمَلَ صَٰلِحٗا تَرۡضَىٰهُ وَأَدۡخِلۡنِي بِرَحۡمَتِكَ فِي عِبَادِكَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ﴿١٩﴾

Until, when they came upon the valley of the ants, an ant said, "O ants, enter your dwellings that you not be crushed by Solomon and his soldiers while they perceive not." So [Solomon] smiled, amused at her speech, and said, "My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to do righteousness of which You approve. And admit me by Your mercy into [the ranks of] Your righteous servants."

Context Sulayman, son of Dawud, marches with his soldiers of jinn, men and birds (27:17).

A king hears an ant's warning, smiles, and asks Allah to help him be grateful. His power makes him humbler, not prouder.

وَذَا ٱلنُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَٰضِبٗا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِي ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ أَن لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبۡحَٰنَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ﴿٨٧﴾ فَٱسۡتَجَبۡنَا لَهُۥ وَنَجَّيۡنَٰهُ مِنَ ٱلۡغَمِّۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُـۨجِي ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ﴿٨٨﴾

And [mention] the man of the fish, when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him. And he called out within the darknesses, "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers." So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers.

Context Yunus left his people in anger. Scholars explain the "darknesses" as night, the sea and the belly of the fish.

From the deepest dark he glorifies Allah and admits his wrong, and he is saved. The promise is wider: "thus do We save the believers."

قُتِلَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡأُخۡدُودِ ﴿٤﴾ ٱلنَّارِ ذَاتِ ٱلۡوَقُودِ ﴿٥﴾ إِذۡ هُمۡ عَلَيۡهَا قُعُودٞ ﴿٦﴾ وَهُمۡ عَلَىٰ مَا يَفۡعَلُونَ بِٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ شُهُودٞ ﴿٧﴾ وَمَا نَقَمُواْ مِنۡهُمۡ إِلَّآ أَن يُؤۡمِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡحَمِيدِ ﴿٨﴾

Cursed were the companions of the trench [Containing] the fire full of fuel, When they were sitting near it And they, to what they were doing against the believers, were witnesses. And they resented them not except because they believed in Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy,

Context The Quran does not name them. A hadith in Muslim tells of a boy, a tyrant king and a trench of fire; others link it to Najran.

Believers are burned for one reason only: their faith in Allah. Those who did it sat and watched.