Is this not a sufficient proof?

Is this not a sufficient proof?” When Bani Israel went out of the town they saw the said casket there and this satisfied them. They gathered their might and an army of seventy thousand men rallied under the flag of Talut but Talut had no trust in the major part of that army. He knew it well that this tribe, which had wandered in wilderness for years, had become totally demoralized. As they had become so weak they might not withstand the enemy assault and could flee from the battlefield.

Therefore he decided to test their solidarity and integrity before going to war so that those who fail could be dismissed from the army or kept in the rear. Talut informed his soldiers about the tactics of the enemy and then said, “God wants to take a test through a water canal. Whoever will drink its water will be disobeying my command. Who will remain patient will be allowed to drink only a handful of its water.

One who fails in this test will lose my trust and those who remain steadfast and patient, obeying my order, will gain my confidence and their rank will rise in my view.” As the soldiers had walked quite a long time in hot sandy land they were very thirsty. Many of them were not prepared to obey the command of Talut. They fell on the water and drank it fully. Only three hundred and thirteen of them were trustworthy and faithful who remained thirsty obeying their chief’s command.

This test showed that the majority of them were useless and weak hearted. Only 313 of them were trustworthy and steadfast in their determination that could be relied upon. When the soldiers of Talut crossed that canal (which had probably branched from a Jordanian river flowing in Syria) they saw Goliath advancing towards them along with his huge army in several battalions, well equipped with weapons.

Observing their preparations, the soldiers of Talut exclaimed, “We cannot confront this huge army. How long could we fight them? How can we defeat them?” But the faithful 313 announced, “Almighty Allah has always made His few obedient servants victorious over the enemy’s major big armies. Why should we be afraid when our Lord is with us?” Among this group of courageous and brave minority group was a youth from the village of Bait Tam .

He was the youngest of the brothers enrolled in the army of Talut. When the warriors of Talut lined up to face the army of Goliath they prayed, “Our Lord!