His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "So when Talut set out with the soldiers, he said, 'Indeed, Allah is testing you by a river. So whoever drinks from it is not of me, and whoever does not taste it, then indeed, he is of me, except for one who takes from it with a hand.' But they drank from it, except for a few of them." Before this verse, there is a phrase left from the wording that indicates the meaning of what has been mentioned, which is: 'So the Children of Israel agreed on Talut as a king and submitted, and they prepared for their campaign against their enemy.' "So when Talut set out" and "set out" means he left with them from the land and separated the state of travel from the state of residence. Al-Suddi and others said: They were eighty thousand. Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: And undoubtedly, among them were the believer, the hypocrite, the diligent, and the lazy. And Wahb ibn Munabbih said: No one stayed behind except for one with an excuse of being too young, too old, or ill. The interpreters differed regarding the river. Wahb ibn Munabbih said: When Talut set out, they said to him: 'The waters do not carry us, so ask Allah to make a river flow for us.' Talut then said to them: "Indeed, Allah is testing you by a river." And Qatadah said: The river by which Allah tested them is a river between Jordan and Palestine. Ibn Abbas said the same, and Al-Suddi also said: The river is the river of Palestine. The majority of the reciters read: "by a river" with the 'h' pronounced. Mujahid, Humayd the blind, Abu al-Sammal, and others read: "by a river" with the 'h' silent throughout the entire Qur'an. The meaning of this test is that it is a trial for them. So whoever's obedience appeared in leaving the water, it was known that he would obey in other matters. And whoever succumbed to his desire for water and disobeyed the command, he is more likely to be disobedient in times of hardship. It has been narrated that they came to the river while they were extremely thirsty, and it was in the utmost sweetness and beauty. Therefore, it was permitted for the obedient ones to take a handful to relieve them somewhat from the discomfort of thirst, and to break the struggle of the soul in this situation by scooping with their hands for its cleanliness and ease. Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The hands are the cleanest of vessels." And from him is the saying of Al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy on him: 'They do not dip into water with vessels except by scooping from the springs with the palm.' And the apparent meaning of Talut's saying: "Indeed, Allah is testing you by a river" is that this was by revelation to the Prophet, and information from the Prophet to Talut. It is possible that this is something that Allah inspired to Talut, so he tested his soldiers with it, and the inspiration was made a trial from Allah for them. This inclination is necessary for every commander of war, for he does not wage war except with obedient soldiers. And from this is the saying of Muawiyah: "Ali is in the worst of armies and most disobedient, while I am in the best of armies and most obedient." And from this is the saying of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him: "You have corrupted my opinion with disobedience." It is clear that the handful is sufficient to alleviate the pain of thirst for the patient ones who are enduring the hardships of life, whose aspirations are not in luxury, as Urwah said: 'I drink the cool water while the water is cold.' It seems that Talut intended to test the people.

A group has gone to say that Abdullah ibn Hudhafah al-Sahmi only commanded his companions to light the fire and enter it as a test of their obedience. However, his joking led him to exaggerate the matter he tasked them with.

His saying: "So he is not of me" means he is not of my companions in this battle, and he did not exclude them from faith by that. This is similar to the saying of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: "Whoever deceives us is not of us, and whoever throws at us with arrows is not of us, and he is not of us who tears his garments and strikes his cheeks." In his saying: "And whoever does not taste it" is a prevention of means, because the slightest taste falls under the term food. So if the prohibition occurs regarding food, there is no way for someone who avoids food to drink. For these exaggerations, the statement did not come: "And whoever does not drink from it."

Abu Amr, Nafi, and Ibn Kathir read: "ghurfatan" with a فتح on the ghain. This is based on transitive action to the source, and the object is omitted, meaning: except for whoever scooped water of a scoop. The others read: "ghurfatan" with a ضم on the ghain. This is based on transitive action to the object, because the scoop is the source that is scooped. This is like saying: except for whoever scooped water. Abu Ali preferred the ضم of the ghain, and Al-Tabari also preferred it from the perspective that "ghurfatan" with a فتح is merely a source not based on scooping.

Then Allah, the Exalted, informed them that most drank and opposed what was intended from them. It has been narrated from Ibn Abbas, Qatadah, and others that the people drank according to their certainty. The disbelievers drank like wild animals, and the sinners drank less than that. And from the people, seventy-six thousand turned away, while some of the believers did not drink anything, and some of them took a scoop. As for those who drank, they were not quenched, but thirst continued to afflict them. As for those who left the water, their condition improved, and they were stronger than those who took the scoop.

**(p-14) His saying, the Exalted:

﴿So when he and those who believed with him crossed it, they said, 'We have no strength 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.'﴾

"Crossed" is a فعل from جازَ يَجُوزُ, and it is a مفاعلة from two in every place. Because the river and what resembles it seem to cross.

People have differed regarding how many were the believers with him. Al-Bara' ibn Azib said: We used to talk that the number of the people of Badr was like the number of the companions of Talut who crossed the river with him—three hundred and twelve men. In another narration: and thirteen men. And no one crossed with him except a believer.

Qatadah said: It was mentioned to us that "the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, said to his companions on the day of Badr: You are like the number of the companions of Talut." And Al-Suddi and Ibn Abbas said: "Rather, four thousand men went with him." Ibn Abbas said: "Among them were those who drank." They said: When they looked at Goliath and his soldiers, they said: "Today, we have no strength." And three thousand and six hundred and eighty returned from them. This is the text of Al-Suddi's saying and the meaning of Ibn Abbas's words. According to the first saying, the ignorant said: We have no strength today due to the large number of the enemy. The steadfast and determined among them said: "How many a small group has overcome a large group." And the belief in meeting Allah - according to this saying - is good to be a belief based on its essence, meaning: they believe that they will be martyred on that day due to their determination for sincere fighting, as happened with Abdullah ibn Haram in Uhud, and others.

And according to the second saying, many of the four thousand said: We have no strength against failure and fear of death, and they turned away from Talut. The believers who were certain of resurrection and returning to Allah, and they were the number of the people of Badr, said: "How many a small group..." And the belief - according to this - means certainty, which is in what has not yet occurred nor has it manifested in the senses.

The judge Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: What has been narrated from Ibn Abbas that among the four thousand there were those who drank contradicts his saying, exalted is He: "He and those who believed with him."

And most of the interpreters are of the opinion that only those who did not drink except for a handful crossed the river, and those who did not drink at all. Then the insights of these were different; some hesitated, while a few were determined.

And Ubayy ibn Ka'b read: "How many a group..." And the group is the assembly that is referred to in times of hardship. From their saying: Faa yafee'u if he returns. And a single man can be a group in comparison, and a king is a group of people, and a mountain is a group, and a fortress - all of this is a metaphor.

And in their saying, may Allah be pleased with them: How many a group... is an encouragement by example, and an urging and a feeling for patience, and an emulation of those who were truthful to their Lord - and Allah's permission here: His empowerment and knowledge - all of that is the permission. "And Allah is with the patient" by His victory and support.