2/249 — The trial at the river
"When Ṭālūt set out with the army he said: 'God will test you with a river. Whoever drinks from it is not of me; whoever does not taste it is of me — except one who takes a handful with his hand.'"
| Behaviour | Result |
|---|---|
| To drink one's fill | Sifted out |
| Not to drink at all | Passing |
| To take a handful | Passing — a licence |
The licence is set inside the prohibition. The prohibition is not absolute; measured use is permitted. A pattern seen many times in the sūra: a widening set beside a ruling.
فَشَرِبُوا۟ مِنْهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّنْهُمْ — "they drank of it, except a few." The same expression as at verse 246: illā qalīlan minhum. The same pattern, twice in the same story. Many give their word, few stand.
قَالُوا۟ لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا ٱلْيَوْمَ بِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِۦ — even those who cross the river enter a second sifting. The army is reduced twice.
كَم مِّن فِئَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةً كَثِيرَةًۢ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ — "how many a small company has overcome a large company."
This sentence is the counterpart of the expression wa hum ulūf (though they were thousands) at verse 243: there multitude did not protect, here fewness is no obstacle. The two verses complete one another.