ٱلْبَقَرَة : ٢٤٩

  • فَلَمَّا Then when
  • فَصَلَ set out
  • طَالُوتُ Talut
  • بِٱلۡجُنُودِ with the forces
  • قَالَ he said
  • إِنَّ Indeed
  • ٱللَّهَ Allah
  • مُبۡتَلِيكُم will test you
  • بِنَهَرٖ with a river
  • فَمَن So whoever
  • شَرِبَ drinks
  • مِنۡهُ from it
  • فَلَيۡسَ then he is not
  • مِنِّي from me
  • وَمَن and whoever
  • لَّمۡ (does) not
  • يَطۡعَمۡهُ taste it
  • فَإِنَّهُۥ then indeed, he
  • مِنِّيٓ (is) from me
  • إِلَّا except
  • مَنِ whoever
  • ٱغۡتَرَفَ takes
  • غُرۡفَةَۢ (in the) hollow
  • بِيَدِهِۦۚ (of) his hand
  • فَشَرِبُواْ Then they drank
  • مِنۡهُ from it
  • إِلَّا except
  • قَلِيلٗا a few
  • مِّنۡهُمۡۚ of them
  • فَلَمَّا Then when
  • جَاوَزَهُۥ he crossed it
  • هُوَ he
  • وَٱلَّذِينَ and those who
  • ءَامَنُواْ believed
  • مَعَهُۥ with him
  • قَالُواْ they said
  • لَا No
  • طَاقَةَ strength
  • لَنَا for us
  • ٱلۡيَوۡمَ today
  • بِجَالُوتَ against Jalut
  • وَجُنُودِهِۦۚ and his troops
  • قَالَ Said
  • ٱلَّذِينَ those who
  • يَظُنُّونَ were certain
  • أَنَّهُم that they
  • مُّلَٰقُواْ (would) meet
  • ٱللَّهِ Allah
  • كَم How many
  • مِّن of
  • فِئَةٖ a company
  • قَلِيلَةٍ small
  • غَلَبَتۡ overcame
  • فِئَةٗ a company
  • كَثِيرَةَۢ large
  • بِإِذۡنِ by (the) permission
  • ٱللَّهِۗ (of) Allah
  • وَٱللَّهُ And Allah
  • مَعَ (is) with
  • ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ the patient ones
And when Saul went forth with the soldiers, he said, "Indeed, Allāh 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 Allāh said, "How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allāh. And Allāh is with the patient."
And when Saul went forth with the hosts, from the Holy House [sc. Jerusalem], the heat was intense and so they asked him for water; he said, 'God will try, test, you, in order to distinguish the obedient among you from the disobedient, with a river, between Jordan and Palestine, whoever drinks of it, of its water, is not of me, is not of my followers, and whoever tastes it not, he is of me, except for him who scoops up with his hand' (ghurfa, or gharfa, 'a scoop'), satisfying himself therewith and not taking more, he is also of my followers. But they drank of it, when they reached it and ﷺ that it was abundant, except a few of them, who restricted themselves to a scoop: it is reported that one scoop was enough for each man and his horse, and they numbered over three hundred; and when he crossed it, with those who believed, the ones who confined themselves to the one scoop, they, the ones that drank profusely, said, 'We have no power today against Goliath and his troops', that is, [no power] to fight them, and they were cowardly and did not cross it. Those who thought, with certainty that, they would meet God, at the Resurrection, and these were the ones that crossed it, said, 'How often (kam, 'how', functions as a predicate, meaning katheer, 'many') a little company, group of men, has overcome a numerous one, by God's leave, by His will; and God is with the patient', [providing them] with help and assistance.