وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدْ بَعَثَ لَكُمْ طَالُوتَ مَلِكًا قَالُوٓا۟ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لَهُ ٱلْمُلْكُ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِٱلْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَةً مِّنَ ٱلْمَالِ قَالَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَزَادَهُۥ بَسْطَةً فِى ٱلْعِلْمِ وَٱلْجِسْمِ وَٱللَّهُ يُؤْتِى مُلْكَهُۥ مَن يَشَآءُ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
“Their Prophet said unto them: Lo! Allah hath raised up Saul to be a king for you. They said: How can he have kingdom over us when we are more deserving of the kingdom than he is, since he hath not been given wealth enough? He said: Lo! Allah hath chosen him above you, and hath increased him abundantly in wisdom and stature. Allah bestoweth His Sovereignty on whom He will. Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing.” — M. M. Pickthall
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
In this text, Taberî explains why Saul did not possess much wealth (that he was a leather tanner/water carrier) and why the Children of Israel objected to him being given kingship. The reason for the objection was that Saul came from the tribe of Benjamin, which was neither from the prophetic lineage (Levi/Joshua's descendants) nor from the royal lineage (Judah's descendants). Additionally, it is mentioned that according to some, the word 'mulk' (kingdom) in this context means command of the army.
وكان في بني إسرائيل سبطان: سبط نبوة، وسبط خلافة. فلذلك يقولون: ومن أين يكون له الملك علينا، وليس من سبط النبوة، ولا سبط الخلافة
Zemahşerî12. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Zamakhsharî, Allah's attribute of being 'Rich' (Ganî) in this verse carries a meaning of vastness and infinity such that His enriching all creation does not diminish anything from His wealth. The attribute 'All-Knowing' ('Alîm), in connection with this, refers to His acting with knowledge and wisdom whereby He grants abundant provision to whom He wills and restricts it to whom He wills.
أي غني ذو سعة لا يرزؤه إغناء الخلائق ، ولكنه { عليم } يبسط الرزق ولمن يشاء ويقدر
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to this exegete, Saul's fitness for kingship, in contrast to the qualities that the Children of Israel put forward such as lineage and wealth, is based on the attributes of knowledge and power that Allah gave him; because knowledge and power are true perfections that belong to the person's essence and cannot be separated from him, whereas wealth and position are accidental things not inherent to him and can be taken away. Furthermore, the mention of knowledge before power in the verse indicates that intellectual happiness is superior to bodily happiness, and bodily happiness is superior to material happiness.
أحدها : أن العلم والقدرة من باب الكمالات الحقيقية ، والمال والجاه ليسا كذلك والثاني : أن العلم والقدرة من الكمالات الحاصلة لجوهر نفس الإنسان والمال والجاه أمران منفصلان عن ذات الإنسان الثالث : أن العلم والقدرة لا يمكن سلبهما عن الإنسان ، والمال والجاه يمكن سلبهما عن الإنسان
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Qurtubî, Saul being chosen by Allah and made king was based on his excelling in terms of knowledge, piety, and bodily strength (fitness for war), not by lineage. This verse is the principal text that the matter of leadership is established by knowledge and power, not by genealogy; indeed, the Children of Israel objected that he was not from the tribe of prophecy and kingship. The text also narrates a report from Wahb ibn Munabbih regarding Saul's profession (tanning/leather working), his meeting with Prophet Samuel, and his being informed of his anointing by divine indication.
فتضمنت بيان صفة الإمام وأحوال الإمامة وأنها مستحقة بالعلم والدين والقوة لا بالنسب فلا حظ للنسب فيها مع العلم وفضائل النفس
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Ibn Kathîr, in this verse the prophet, in response to his people's objection, is explaining that he did not choose Saul himself, but this was Allah's command, and furthermore that Saul was superior to them in terms of knowledge, physical build, war strength, and experience. From this it is understood that a ruler must possess knowledge, good appearance, and bodily and spiritual strength. It is stated that Allah gives His kingdom to whom He wills, that His grace is vast, and that He is the best knower of who is worthy of kingship, and that the people's objection was a kind of stubbornness and resistance against their prophets.
ومن ههنا ينبغي أن يكون الملك ذا علم وشكل حسن وقوة شديدة في بدنه ونفسه
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Baydâwî, the Children of Israel objected to Saul being king because he was poor and of humble lineage (from the children of Benjamin, not from a family that possessed prophecy or kingship). Allah refuted this objection from four aspects: that Allah Himself chose Saul, that the true condition for kingship is not lineage but breadth of knowledge and bodily strength, that Allah gives His kingdom absolutely to whom He wills, and that Allah's grace is vast and He can make the poor rich.
لما استبعدوا تملكه لفقره وسقوط نسبه رد عليهم ذلك. أولا بأن العمدة فيه اصطفاه الله سبحانه وتعالى وقد اختاره عليكم وهو أعلم بالمصالح منكم، وثانيا بأن الشرط فيه وفور العلم ليتمكن به من معرفة الأمور السياسية، وجسامة البدن ليكون أعظم خطرا في القلوب
Comparison
Common ground
Taberî, Qurtubî, Ibn Kathîr, and Baydâwî agree that the Children of Israel's objection was based on Saul not being from the prophetic or royal lineage and on the scarcity of his material means; these exegetes emphasize that Saul's fitness was grounded in knowledge and bodily/military strength, not in lineage. Fakhr al-Râzî also joins this line by emphasizing that knowledge and power are permanent whereas wealth and position are accidental.
Differences
While Taberî focuses mainly on transmitting reports (from Qatâda, Dahhâk, Mujâhid, Wahb) and on the meaning of 'mulk' as command of the army; Qurtubî and Baydâwî derive from this a juristic-political principle, generalizing that conditions for leadership/kingship are not lineage but knowledge and strength. Fakhr al-Râzî deepens the matter with a rational-rhetorical argument (the mention of knowledge before power in the verse), transferring the issue to a framework of divine richness-wisdom. Zamakhsharî, however, turns to a different point, inclining toward linguistic analysis of Allah's attributes of 'Rich' and 'All-Knowing', transposing the matter into a framework of divine wealth and wisdom. Ibn Kathîr shapes the narration more toward converting Saul's qualities into general criteria necessary for rulership and characterizing the people's objection as a kind of resistance against their prophet.
Historical context
While the early-period exegete Taberî remained limited mainly to transmitting the reports of the predecessors, later exegetes (Zamakhsharî, Fakhr al-Râzî, Qurtubî, Baydâwî, Ibn Kathîr) enriched and deepened the interpretation by supplementing the same report material with linguistic analysis, rational argumentation, and juristic-political inferences; the basic narrative and main message (that fitness depends more on knowledge and strength than on lineage) has remained constant throughout all periods.
Modern connection
This comparative reading may encourage us to pay attention to the importance of knowledge, qualifications, and diligence/sincerity over lineage, status, or material means in properly fulfilling a duty or responsibility. In our time, a lesson can be drawn such as the prioritization of education and competence in societal positions and that knowledge and effort together hold value. This can be seen as a cautious reminder for one to adopt a humble effort and knowledge and service-oriented attitude when evaluating one's own position.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar