Saul belonged to a poor family of the tribe of Benjamin, which inhabited the valley of Zophim, near Bethlehem. He was a very smart and tall person. Once, while searching for his father’s lost ponies, he met Samuel. Samuel embraced him, anointed his head with holy oil, kissed his forehead, and blessed him, saying:
“The Lord has anointed thee to be the captain over His inheritance.”
Samuel had two sons, Joel and Abiah. They were appointed judges, but greed led them astray from the path of justice, and they misjudged for personal gratification.
At that time, Goliath ruled over Amalek, a city between Egypt and Palestine. He was a cruel ruler who had subjugated the people and disgraced their chiefs.
The chiefs of Israel came to Samuel and demanded that a king be appointed for them. Samuel, knowing their inconsistent nature, advised against this idea. But when they insisted, he appointed Saul as their king. The Israelites objected, saying he was from a poor and lowly family, and had never held power, so he couldn’t be their leader. Samuel told them that God had blessed Saul—he had been granted knowledge, wisdom, and power.
Breach of Promise:
“Didn’t you see the chiefs of the children of Israel after Moses? They came to a Prophet among them, saying: ‘Appoint for us a king, that we may fight in the cause of God.’ He said, ‘Is it possible, if you were commanded to fight, that you will not fight?’ They said, ‘How could we refuse to fight in the cause of God, seeing that we were driven out of our homes and our families?’ But when they were commanded to fight, they turned back, except a small band among them. But God has full knowledge of those who do wrong.”
(Qur’an, Surah 2: Verses 246)
“Their Prophet said to them, ‘God has appointed Saul as king over you.’ They said, ‘How can he exercise authority over us when we are better fitted than he to do so, and he is not even wealthy?’ He said, ‘God has chosen him above you and has gifted him abundantly with knowledge and strength. God grants His authority to whom He pleases. God cares for all, and He knows all things.’”
(Surah 2: Verse 247)
“And further their Prophet said to them, ‘A sign of his authority is that there shall come to you the Ark of the Covenant, with an assurance therein of security from your Lord, and the relics left by the family of Moses and the family of Aaron, carried by angels. In this is a symbol for you if you truly have faith.’”
(Surah 2: Verse 248)
The Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant, as called by the Israelites, was a box containing the original manuscript of the Torah, penned under the supervision of Moses. It also contained the tablets granted to Moses on Mount Sinai, along with Moses’ staff, Aaron’s rod, and the heavenly food ‘Manna’.
The Ashdodis had seized the Ark and placed it in the temple of their idol Dagon. Early one morning, people found the idol lying on the ground. They set it upright, but this continued to happen daily. One day, the idol fell apart, and the priests were terrified. Shortly after, a plague spread and people began to die.
The priests decided to send the Ark to Gath. But the plague followed it, even to Akron, causing thousands of deaths. The priests convened again and decided to return the Ark to the Israelites. They placed it on a bullock cart, which halted in the fields of Saul. Thus, the Ark of the Covenant returned to the Israelites after being held by their enemies.
The Test of Obedience
The Ashdodis of Palestine and the forces of Amalek began preparing to attack again. To defend Israel, Saul advanced with his army. The chiefs of Israel accepted Saul as their king and agreed to fight in the cause of God. An army of 70,000 to 80,000 men set forth.
God commanded Saul to test the faith of his companions. Saul ordered that no one should drink water from the rivers on the way. Most disobeyed him. Those who disobeyed had their lips turn black, became extremely thirsty, and were left behind. Only a small contingent remained with Saul.
Saul encouraged them to place faith in God’s power, not in numbers or weapons.
“When Saul set forth with the armies, he said, ‘God will test you at a stream. If any drinks from it, he shall not go with me. Only those who do not taste it, or merely sip from their hands, may continue.’ But they all drank from it, except a few. When they crossed the river, he and the faithful said, ‘This day, we cannot cope with Goliath and his forces.’ But those who believed in meeting God said, ‘How often, by God’s will, has a small force vanquished a mighty one? God is with those who steadfastly persevere.’”
(Surah 2: Verse 249)
Victory Over Goliath
Saul prayed:
“Our Lord, pour out constancy on us, make our steps firm, and help us against those who reject faith.”
Goliath, the general of the enemy, was immensely tall and powerful. He came forth with great pomp and challenged anyone to face him. The Israelites were afraid. Saul ordered David, a young lad, to fight him. David came forward and killed Goliath, which demoralized the enemy and led to a great victory for Israel.
“By God’s will, they routed them; David slew Goliath, and God gave him power, wisdom, and taught him whatever He willed.”
(Surah 2: Verse 251)
Legacy of Saul
Under Saul’s reign, Israel won many battles and emerged as a victorious nation. Saul remained king for a considerable time and worked to reform the Israelites’ religious, social, and cultural systems, preaching the teachings of Moses.
After Saul’s demise, David became king of Israel.
Points to Note:
- Plague is caused by Yersinia Pestis, a bacteria found in rats and transmitted through lice living on them. A bite from such lice introduces germs into the human bloodstream.
- Contaminated food, saliva, or waste can spread the disease.
- Symptoms include fever, body pain, joint pain, swelling of glands, bleeding, and eventual death in 2 to 5 days.
- In black plague, black patches form on the skin, which become pus-filled, and the skin decays.
The story of Saul highlights that God chose a man from a poor background, and through wisdom, faith, and God’s grace, he laid foundations of a grand empire of Israel and ruled successfully for long period of time..
“By God’s will, they routed them; and David slew Goliath. God gave him power and wisdom and taught him whatever He willed.”
(Surah 2: Verse 251)