Quran Garden

Session 267

Chapter 2

Verses 250 & 251

And when they met Goliath and his warriors, they said, ‘Our Lord, pour patience down on us, make us stand firm, and help us against the disbelievers,’ (Chapter 2: Verse 250)

Listen to the supplication of the faithful during difficulty.  They called out: ‘Our Lord, pour patience down on us.’  Take note that they used the call “Our Lord,” not “Our God” or “O Allah.”  What is the difference, you may ask? We answer that the Lord is the Caretaker, the Provider, and the Protector.  The Lord is the one who nourishes and provides; while the call of God is a call of worship and duties.  Let’s clarify this with an example.  The word “Dad” describes the person who cares for you and gives you food and shelter; while the word “father” describes the person who teaches you, asks you to help around the house, and disciplines when necessary.  The two words ‘Dad’ and ‘father’ refer to the same person, but different roles.  Likewise, a believer in difficulty calls out ‘My Lord, help me!’ not ‘My God, Help me!’

The believers who were with Saul said: ”Our Lord, pour patience down on us, make us stand firm, and help us against the disbelievers.” When we contemplate what they asked for, we find that they wanted hearts filled with patience, and feet firmly on the ground, because these are the conditions required to receive God’s help.  God says in the next verse of ‘The Cow’: 

and so with God’s permission, they defeated them. David killed Goliath and God gave him sovereignty and wisdom and taught him what He pleased.  If God did not drive some people back by means of others, the earth would be completely corrupt, but God is bountiful to all. (Chapter 2: Verse 251)

Here the Almighty informs us that He aided the believers.  The opposing army retreated in escape.  Sometimes retreat is a strategy used to gain a more favourable ground or to lure the attackers into an ambush, but when withdrawal happens out of fear, then it is an escape in defeat.  God indicated that not all of the enemy soldiers escaped.  Some of their leaders and prominent warriors were killed.  God says: “David killed Goliath.” 

Goliath was the fearsome warrior of the disbelievers.  As they retreated, David followed and killed him.  This is the first time the name of David –peace be upon him- appears.  In a later chapter, Allah introduces David to us:

We graced David with Our favour. We said, ‘O mountains, echo God’s praises together with him, and you birds, too.’ We softened iron for him, saying, ‘Make coats of chain mail and measure the links well.’ ‘Do good, all of you, for I see everything you do.’ (34:10-11)

David came into the picture after killing Goliath.  He was the youngest of ten brothers.  Before the battle, the Israelites’ Prophet said to his people: “in order to fight with Saul, you have to fit into the armor of Moses.  So the father of David had all his sons try on Moses’ vest.  It did not fit any of them except for the youngest: David.  So David joined the army of Saul and eventually killed Goliath, the leader of the idolaters.  It was of God’s wisdom that He had the youngest believer kill the head of the army of the disbelievers.

It was this battle –and the killing of Goliath- that brought David into prominence.  God blessed him with kingship and wisdom and made the mountains and birds echo David’s praises of God.  Naturally, David fell in love with the armor of Moses –peace be upon them all- and asked God to teach him the craft of making armor.  David made it his life’s work.  Allah made iron mouldable for him so he can shape it as he wanted.  God says:

And We taught him the art of making coats of mail to shield you from each other's violence. Will you not be grateful even then? (21:80)

The verse continues: “If God did not drive some people back by means of others, the earth would be completely corrupt, but God is bountiful to all.”  Allah brings a universal fact into light: war is one of life’s necessities.  People have to defend what is right against what is wrong by all means, even force if necessary.  And if it weren’t for the forces of good and evil in opposition, the world would’ve become a corrupted mess.  Throughout history, evil often resorts to violence to advance its cause; thus, the forces of good have to defend and defeat their enemies by ideas and force. 

Life gains balance when there are two somewhat equal forces standing against each other.  We often have two superpowers competing.  And on the rare occasions where only one superpower exists, the world goes out of balance in corruption.  If you ponder over history since ancient times, you will find that this dualism in powers is what maintains stability on earth.

At the beginnings of Islam, the two superpowers were the Persians to the East and the Romans to the West.   In the 20^th century, we had the United States and the Soviet Union, and since then China and Russia have been at work to counterbalance the dominance of the United States after the collapse of the Soviet bloc.