Page 41 Notes

02 Surah Al-Baqarah (continued)

Page 41 Grammar 

Page 41 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

2:249

2:250

2:251

2:252

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 41 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 41 of the Quran contains Surah Al-Baqarah, verses 249 through 252. These verses conclude the historical narrative of Saul (Talut), David (Dawud), and Goliath (Jalut). It tells the story of the river test that filtered out the weak-willed soldiers, the ultimate clash of the two armies, and how the young David slew Goliath against seemingly impossible odds.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions frequently drew parallels between this specific Quranic history and the seminal events of early Islam, most notably the Battle of Badr.

1. Surah Al-Baqarah: Verse 249 (The River Test and the Size of the Army)

“And when Saul went out with the soldiers, he said, 'Indeed, Allah will test you with a river. So whoever drinks from it is not of me, and whoever does not taste it is indeed of me, except one who scoops [up] a little with his hand.' But they drank from it, except a few of them...”

📌 The Sunnah: Parallels to the Companions of Badr

The most prominent authentic Hadiths concerning this verse establish a direct, numerical link between the steadfast "few" who crossed the river with Saul (Talut) and the exact number of Muslim companions who fought alongside the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ at the Battle of Badr.

• The Hadith: Al-Bara ibn Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
  "We, the companions of Muhammad ﷺ, used to say that the number of the warriors of Badr was the same as the number of the companions of Saul (Talut) who crossed the river with him, and none crossed the river with him except a believer, and they were over three hundred and ten men."

• Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Military Expeditions (Al-Maghazi), Hadith 3957 (and Hadith 3959).

• Significance: The Prophet's companions used this verse to derive spiritual comfort. It proved to them that victory does not depend on numbers, but on the purity and discipline of faith, just as verse 249 concludes: “How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allah. And Allah is with the patient.”

2. Surah Al-Baqarah: Verse 250 (The Supplication for Steadfastness)

“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.'”

📌 The Sunnah: The Prophet's Prayer at Badr

The Du'a made by Saul's army in verse 250 ("Our Lord, pour upon us patience and plant firmly our feet...") became the spiritual blueprint for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ when he faced an identically lopsided battle against the Quraysh pagan army.

• The Hadith: On the day of the Battle of Badr, the Prophet ﷺ looked at his companions (around 313 men) and looked at the army of the pagans (over 1,000 men). He turned facing the Qiblah, stretched out his hands, and began supplicating his Lord with immense urgency:
  "O Allah, accomplish for me what You have promised me! O Allah, bring about what You have promised me! O Allah, if this small band of Muslims is destroyed today, You will not be worshipped on this earth." He kept stretching his hands and crying out until his cloak fell off his shoulders.

• Citation: Sahih Muslim, Book of Jihad and Expedition, Hadith 1763.

• Connection: The Sunnah mirrors the Quranic narrative perfectly; in both instances, a heavily outnumbered, spiritually purified army used intense supplication for steadfastness to unlock divine intervention.

3. Surah Al-Baqarah: Verse 251 (David Slaying Goliath and the Tyranny of Kings)

“So they defeated them by permission of Allah, and David killed Goliath, and Allah gave him the kingship and prophets and taught him from that which He willed...”

📌 The Sunnah: The Prophet David’s Character and Work Ethic

Because verse 251 highlights the rise of the Prophet David (Dawud) to kingship and prominence, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used the Sunnah to detail how David handled this immense power and wealth, setting an example for all Muslims.

• The Hadith on His Fasting and Prayer: The Prophet ﷺ said: "The dearest prayer to Allah is the prayer of David, and the dearest fasting to Allah is the fasting of David. He used to sleep for half the night, stand up for prayer for a third of it, and sleep for a sixth of it. And he used to fast alternate days." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1131; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1159).

• The Hadith on Self-Reliance: Despite being a king as mentioned in this verse, David refused to live off the state treasury. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Nobody has ever eaten a better meal than that which one has earned by working with one's own hands. The Prophet of Allah, David, used to eat from the earnings of his manual labor [as a blacksmith]." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2072).

📌 The Sunnah: "Preventing Corruption" (Daf'ullah)

Verse 251 states: “And if it were not for Allah checking [i.e., defending] some people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted...” * The Sunnah/Athar: In explaining this specific mechanism of divine defense, companions like Ibn Abbas and commentators from the Tabi'un related that the Prophet ﷺ indicated that Allah protects the collective community from destruction through the righteous actions of the few. A famous legal maxim derived from this is that the presence of the pious, those who enjoin good, and those who fight oppression prevents wholesale cosmic punishment from wiping out society. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol. 1).