Why Did the Children of Israel Object to Saul as King?
لماذا اعترض بنو إسرائيل على أن يكون طالوت مَلِكًا عليهم؟
The kingship of the Children of Israel was in the tribe of Judah. When their prophet told them that the king would be Saul, who was not from the house of Judah, they protested on two grounds:
His lineage did not befit kingship.
He was not wealthy. (and he has not been blessed with vast riches?)
(Their prophet told them, “Allah has appointed Saul to be your king.” They protested, “How can he be our king when some of us are more deserving of kingship than he, and he has not been blessed with vast riches?” He replied, “Allah has chosen him over you and blessed him with knowledge and stature. Allah grants kingship to whoever He wills. And Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing.”) Al-Baqarah 2:247
كَانَ مُلْكُ بَنِي إسْرَائِيلَ فِي سِبْطِ يَهُوذا وَلَمَّا قَالَ لَهُم النَّبِيُّ إنّ المَلِكَ سَيَكُونُ طَالُوتَ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ مِنْ بَيْتِ يَهُوذا، احْتَجُّوا عَلَى ذَلِكَ بأمرين:
نسبه لا يصلح للمُلك
أنه ليس من الأغنياء (وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَةً مِّنَ الْمَالِ)
قال الله تعالى: (وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ قَدْ بَعَثَ لَكُمْ طَالُوتَ مَلِكًا ۚ قَالُوا أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِالْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَةً مِّنَ الْمَالِ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ اصْطَفَاهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَزَادَهُ بَسْطَةً فِي الْعِلْمِ وَالْجِسْمِ ۖ وَاللَّـهُ يُؤْتِي مُلْكَهُ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّـهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ) (البقرة 2: 247)
1. Both Objections Are in Their Own Words | الاعتراضان كلاهما في كلامهم
Both objections appear in the people’s own words in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:247. “Some of us are more deserving of kingship than he” is, as Ibn Kathir explains, the lineage objection: kingship among the Children of Israel was in the tribe of Judah, and Saul was not from that tribe. “He has not been blessed with vast riches” is the objection about wealth.
حكى الله تعالى الاعتراضين كليهما من كلامهم في سورة البقرة. فقولهم: (وَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِالْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ) (البقرة 2: 247) هو، كما بيّن ابن كثير، اعتراض النسب، إذ كان المُلك فيهم في سبط يهوذا، ولم يكن طالوت منه. وقولهم: (وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَةً مِّنَ الْمَالِ) (البقرة 2: 247) هو اعتراض المال.
2. Wealth Was Not the Measure Allah Used | لم يكن المال ميزان الاصطفاء
Allah’s answer through the prophet does not deny that Saul lacked wealth; it simply names what he was given instead, “knowledge and stature.” This directly reframes the standard the people were using, replacing a material measure of fitness to rule with a competence-based one, without ever disputing the underlying fact they raised.
لم ينكر الجواب الذي جاءهم من الله تعالى على لسان نبيهم أن طالوت قليل المال، وإنما ذكر ما أوتيه مكان ذلك: (إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَاهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَزَادَهُ بَسْطَةً فِي الْعِلْمِ وَالْجِسْمِ) (البقرة 2: 247). فاستبدل بالمقياس المادي الذي كانوا يزنون به الأهلية للمُلك مقياسَ الكفاءة، دون أن ينازعهم فيما ذكروه.
3. Objecting After Already Asking | اعتراضٌ بعد الطلب
This objection came from the very people who had just asked their prophet for a king (see who Saul was for that earlier request). Wanting a king in principle and accepting the specific king appointed turned out to be two separate tests of their willingness to submit to Allah’s choice rather than their own preferences.
صدر هذا الاعتراض من القوم أنفسهم الذين سألوا نبيهم قبل قليل أن يبعث لهم مَلِكًا، كما بيّنا في جواب: مَن طالوت المذكور في القرآن الكريم؟ فتبيّن أن رغبتهم في مَلِك من حيث المبدأ، وقبولهم المَلِك الذي بُعث لهم بعينه، امتحانان مختلفان لمدى انقيادهم لاختيار الله تعالى دون أهوائهم.
4. Allah’s Sovereignty Over Who Rules | لله الأمر فيمن يملك
The verse closes with a general principle rather than a defense limited to Saul’s case: “Allah grants kingship to whoever He wills.” Ibn Kathir explains that He is the Judge who does what He wills and is not questioned about what He does, while they are questioned, by His knowledge, wisdom and compassion toward His creation; human criteria such as lineage and wealth do not bind His choice.
ختم الله تعالى الآية بقاعدة عامة لا تختص بطالوت: (وَاللَّهُ يُؤْتِي مُلْكَهُ مَن يَشَاءُ) (البقرة 2: 247). وبيّن ابن كثير أنه سبحانه الحاكم الذي ما شاء فعل، ولا يُسأل عما يفعل وهم يُسألون، لعلمه وحكمته ورأفته بخلقه، فلا تقيّد اختيارَه مقاييسُ البشر من نسب ومال.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What were the two objections raised against Saul?
That he did not come from the line their kings had traditionally come from, and that he had not been given great wealth.
Does the Quran record both objections?
Yes, both are in the people’s words in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:247: their claim to be more deserving of kingship than he, which Ibn Kathir explains as the lineage objection, and their complaint that he had not been given great wealth.
How did Allah answer the objection about wealth?
By stating that Allah had chosen Saul and increased him in knowledge and stature instead.
Why is it notable that these people had already asked for a king?
It shows that accepting Allah’s specific choice was a separate test from simply wanting a king in principle.