Page 102 - General Knowledge from the Qur'an

100 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE FROM THE QUR'AN

know the explanation of those things about which you were not able to
restrain yourself. As for the boat, it belonged to some poor people who
worked on the sea. I wanted to damage it because a king was coming
behind them, commandeering every boat. As for the boy, his parents
were believers and we feared that he would darken their days with ex-
cessive insolence and disbelief. We wanted their Lord to give them in
exchange a purer son than him, one more compassionate. As for the
wall, it belonged to two young orphans in the town and there was a
treasure underneath it, belonging to them. Their father was one of the
righteous and your Lord wanted them to come of age and then to un-
earth their treasure as a mercy from Him. I did not do it of my own vo-
lition. That is the explanation of the things about which you were not
able to restrain yourself.' (Surat al-Kahf, 61-82)

THE STORY OF THE PROPHET DAWUD (AS)
My Lord knows best everyone in the heavens and earth. We
favoured some of the Prophets over others. And We gave Dawud the
Zabur. (Surat al-Isra', 55)

The Story of Talut
What do you think about the council of the tribe of Israel after Musa's
time when they said to one of their Prophets, 'Give us a king and we
will fight in the Way of Allah!'? He said, 'Is it not possible that if fighting
were prescribed for you, you would not fight?' They said, 'How could
we not fight in the way of Allah when we have been driven from our
homes and children?' But then when fighting was prescribed for them,
they turned their backs – except for a few of them. Allah knows the
wrongdoers. Their Prophet said to them, 'Allah has appointed Talut to
be your king.' They said, 'How can he have kingship over us when we
have much more right to kingship than he does? He has not even got
much wealth!' He said, 'Allah has chosen him over you and favoured
him greatly in knowledge and physical strength. Allah gives kingship
to anyone He wills. Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.' Their
Prophet said to them, 'The sign of his kingship is that the Ark will come
to you, containing serenity from your Lord and certain relics left by the
families of Musa and Harun. It will be borne by angels. There is a sign