Quran Universe
2:250

وَلَمَّا بَرَزُواْ لِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِۦ قَالُواْ رَبَّنَآ أَفۡرِغۡ عَلَيۡنَا صَبۡرٗا وَثَبِّتۡ أَقۡدَامَنَا وَٱنصُرۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ

Walamma barazoo lijaloota wajunoodihi qaloo rabbana afrigh AAalayna sabran wathabbit aqdamana waonsurna AAala alqawmi alkafireena

And when they went forth to [face] Goliath and his soldiers, they said, "Our Lord, pour upon us patience and plant firmly our feet and give us victory over the disbelieving people."

Word by word
  1. وَلَمَّاAnd when
  2. بَرَزُواْthey went forth
  3. لِجَالُوتَto (face) Jalut
  4. وَجُنُودِهِۦand his troops
  5. قَالُواْthey said
  6. رَبَّنَآOur Lord
  7. أَفۡرِغۡPour
  8. عَلَيۡنَاon us
  9. صَبۡرٗاpatience
  10. وَثَبِّتۡand make firm
  11. أَقۡدَامَنَاour feet
  12. وَٱنصُرۡنَاand help us
  13. عَلَىagainst
  14. ٱلۡقَوۡمِthe people
  15. ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ(who are) disbelieving
Al-Baqarah · 2:250Madinah

Pour patience on us, plant our feet, give us victory.

The dua of the few before the giant

Their dua, in three parts
pour patiencefrom You, on us
plant our feetno running, no weakness
give us victoryover those who deny
Where strength comes from
I am strong enoughself-made courage
poured down from Allahpatience is asked for

When the few under Talut faced the many under Goliath, they did not boast. Ibn Kathir says they asked Allah to send down patience from Him, to keep their feet firm and save them from running away and feebleness, and to grant victory.

The exam hall. The courtroom. Facing a boss twice your size in the company. You do not have to manufacture courage. You can ask for it to be poured on you like water.

I have to find the strength in myself to face this.

Patience and steady feet are gifts I can ask Allah to pour on me.

Try this

Memorize this dua today: Rabbana afrigh alayna sabran wa thabbit aqdamana.

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

And when they advanced to meet Jalut (Goliath) and his forces, they invoked: "Our Lord! Pour forth on us patience, and set firm our feet and make us victorious over the disbelieving people. (250)So they routed them by Allah's leave and Dawud (David) killed Jalut (Goliath), and Allah gave him (Dawud) the kingdom [ after the death of Talut and Samuel] and Al-Hikmah (prophethood), and taught him of that which He willed. And if Allah did not check one set of people by means of another, the earth would indeed be full of mischief. But Allah is full of bounty to the 'Alamin (mankind, Jinn and all that exists)(251)These are the verses of Allah, We recite them to you (O Muhammad ﷺ) in truth, and surely, you are one of the Messengers (of Allah)(252)

When the faithful party, who were few under the command of Talut, faced their enemy, who were many under the command of Jalut,

قَالُوا رَبَّنَا 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 الْكَافِرِينَ

(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:

وَآتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ 

(...and Allah gave him (Dawud) the kingdom) that Talut had and,

وَالْحِكْمَةَ

(and Al-Hikmah) that comes with the prophethood, meaning, after Shamwil. [Allah then said:]

وَعَلَّمَهُ مِمَّا يَشَاءُ

(and taught him of that which He willed.) meaning, what He willed of the knowledge that He bestowed on (Prophet) Dawud.

Next, Allah said:

وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَّفَسَدَتِ الْأَرْضُ

(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:

وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَّهُدِّمَتْ صَوَامِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَاتٌ وَمَسَاجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسْمُ اللَّهِ كَثِيرًا

(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:

وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ

(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 آيَاتُ اللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَإِنَّكَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ

(These are the verses of Allah, We recite them to you (O Muhammad ﷺ) 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,

وَإِنَّكَ 

(you are)

 لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ

(one of the Messengers (of Allah)) emphatically stating the truth of his prophethood.