Quran Universe
2:249

فَلَمَّا فَصَلَ طَالُوتُ بِٱلۡجُنُودِ قَالَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُبۡتَلِيكُم بِنَهَرٖ فَمَن شَرِبَ مِنۡهُ فَلَيۡسَ مِنِّي وَمَن لَّمۡ يَطۡعَمۡهُ فَإِنَّهُۥ مِنِّيٓ إِلَّا مَنِ ٱغۡتَرَفَ غُرۡفَةَۢ بِيَدِهِۦۚ فَشَرِبُواْ مِنۡهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا مِّنۡهُمۡۚ فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَهُۥ هُوَ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُۥ قَالُواْ لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا ٱلۡيَوۡمَ بِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِۦۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُم مُّلَٰقُواْ ٱللَّهِ كَم مِّن فِئَةٖ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتۡ فِئَةٗ كَثِيرَةَۢ بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِۗ وَٱللَّهُ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ

Falamma fasala talootu bialjunoodi qala inna Allaha mubtaleekum binaharin faman shariba minhu falaysa minnee waman lam yatAAamhu fainnahu minnee illa mani ightarafa ghurfatan biyadihi fashariboo minhu illa qaleelan minhum falamma jawazahu huwa waallatheena amanoo maAAahu qaloo la taqata lana alyawma bijaloota wajunoodihi qala allatheena yathunnoona annahum mulaqoo Allahi kam min fiatin qaleelatin ghalabat fiatan katheeratan biithni Allahi waAllahu maAAa alssabireena

And when Saul went forth with the soldiers, he said, "Indeed, Allah 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 Allah said, "How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allah. And Allah is with the patient."

Word by word
  1. فَلَمَّاThen when
  2. فَصَلَset out
  3. طَالُوتُTalut
  4. بِٱلۡجُنُودِwith the forces
  5. قَالَhe said
  6. إِنَّIndeed
  7. ٱللَّهَAllah
  8. مُبۡتَلِيكُمwill test you
  9. بِنَهَرٖwith a river
  10. فَمَنSo whoever
  11. شَرِبَdrinks
  12. مِنۡهُfrom it
  13. فَلَيۡسَthen he is not
  14. مِنِّيfrom me
  15. وَمَنand whoever
  16. لَّمۡ(does) not
  17. يَطۡعَمۡهُtaste it
  18. فَإِنَّهُۥthen indeed,he
  19. مِنِّيٓ(is) from me
  20. إِلَّاexcept
  21. مَنِwhoever
  22. ٱغۡتَرَفَtakes
  23. غُرۡفَةَۢ(in the) hollow
  24. بِيَدِهِۦۚ(of) his hand
  25. فَشَرِبُواْThen they drank
  26. مِنۡهُfrom it
  27. إِلَّاexcept
  28. قَلِيلٗاa few
  29. مِّنۡهُمۡۚof them
  30. فَلَمَّاThen when
  31. جَاوَزَهُۥhe crossed it
  32. هُوَhe
  33. وَٱلَّذِينَand those who
  34. ءَامَنُواْbelieved
  35. مَعَهُۥwith him
  36. قَالُواْthey said
  37. لَاNo
  38. طَاقَةَstrength
  39. لَنَاfor us
  40. ٱلۡيَوۡمَtoday
  41. بِجَالُوتَagainst Jalut
  42. وَجُنُودِهِۦۚand his troops
  43. قَالَSaid
  44. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  45. يَظُنُّونَwere certain
  46. أَنَّهُمthat they
  47. مُّلَٰقُواْ(would) meet
  48. ٱللَّهِAllah
  49. كَمHow many
  50. مِّنof
  51. فِئَةٖa company
  52. قَلِيلَةٍsmall
  53. غَلَبَتۡovercame
  54. فِئَةٗa company
  55. كَثِيرَةَۢlarge
  56. بِإِذۡنِby (the) permission
  57. ٱللَّهِۗ(of) Allah
  58. وَٱللَّهُAnd Allah
  59. مَعَ(is) with
  60. ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَthe patient ones
Al-Baqarah · 2:249Madinah

A handful from the river, or drink your fill and fall away.

Small restraints sort out who is ready

The river test
drink freelythirst not quenched
one handfulenough, and stays
then
the fewa small group can win
What decides it
numbers and supplieswe are too few
Allah is with the patientby His permission

Talut's army met a river. Ibn Abbas said: whoever took a handful was quenched; whoever drank freely stayed thirsty. Al-Bara said the Companions at Badr were about the same number as those who crossed with Talut, a little over three hundred. Facing Goliath, the certain ones said: how often has a small group overcome a large one.

The snack drawer. The extra hour of scrolling. One more episode. Drinking your fill never quite satisfies. A handful is enough, and the small restraints build the person who can face the big tests.

Small indulgences do not matter when the big test comes.

The way I handle a small thirst trains me for the big battle.

Try this

Pick one craving today and stop at a handful.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Then when Talut set out with the army, he said: "Verily, Allah 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 Jalut (Goliath) and his hosts." But those who knew with certainty that they were going to meet Allah, said: "How often has a small group overcome a mighty host by Allah's leave?" And Allah is with As-Sabirin (the patient)(249)

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,

وَمَن لَّمْ يَطْعَمْهُ فَإِنَّهُ مِنِّي إِلَّا 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:

فَشَرِبُوا مِنْهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا 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 ﷺ 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 آمَنُوا مَعَهُ قَالُوا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا الْيَوْمَ بِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِ

(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 فِئَةً كَثِيرَةً بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ

("How often has a small group overcome a mighty host by Allah's leave?" And Allah is with As-Sabirin (the patient).)