۞ Bethinkest thou not of those who went forth from their habitations, and they were in their thousands, to escape death? Then Allah said unto them: die and thereafter quickened them. Verily Allah is Gracious unto men; albeit most men give not thanks. 243 And fight in the way of Allah and know that verily Allah is Hearing, Knowing. 244 Who will give a goodly loan to God which He might double many times? For God withholds and enlarges, and to Him you will return. 245 Have you not seen the congregation of the Children of Israel who demanded of one of their Prophets after (the death of) Moses? 'Raise up for us a king' they said, 'and we will fight in the way of Allah' He replied: 'Might it be that if fighting is written for you, you will not fight' 'Why shouldn't we fight in the way of Allah' they replied, 'when we and all our children have been driven from our dwellings' Yet, when fighting was written for them all except for a few, turned away. And Allah has knowledge of the harmdoers. 246 And their prophet said to them: Surely Allah has raised Talut to be a king over you. They said: How can he hold kingship over us while we have a greater right to kingship than he, and he has not been granted an abundance of wealth? He said: Surely Allah has chosen him in preference to you, and He has increased him abundantly in knowledge and physique, and Allah grants His kingdom to whom He pleases, and Allah is Amplegiving, Knowing. 247 And their Prophet (Samuel) said to them: Verily! The sign of His Kingdom is that there shall come to you At-Tabut (a wooden box), wherein is Sakinah (peace and reassurance) from your Lord and a remnant of that which Musa (Moses) and Harun (Aaron) left behind, carried by the angels. Verily, in this is a sign for you if you are indeed believers. 248