Surah Al-Anfal 8:11-19 - Quran Translation Commentary

(8:11) (Remember), When He was causing slumber to overcome you:²⁷ as an assurance from Him, and He was sending down water from the heaven to cleanse you therewith, remove from you Satanic defilement,²⁸ strengthen your hearts, and steady your feet therewith.²⁹

(8:12) When your Lord was revealing to the angels, ‘I am with you, so steady the believers.³⁰ I will soon cast terror in the hearts of the unbelievers, so, smite them above the necks, and strike them at every joint.'³¹

(8:13) That, because they contended with Allah and His Messenger. And whosoever contended with Allah and His Messenger, surely Allah is terrible in retribution.³²

(8:14) That; taste it then, and (know) that for the unbelievers is the chastisement of the Fire.

(8:15) Believers! When you encounter the unbelievers in a thick array,³³ never show your backs to them.

(8:16) Whoso showed his back to them that day, unless swinging back to fight back,³⁴ or retreating to join another group, will surely return to Allah's anger.³⁵ His abode is in the Fire: an evil resort.

(8:17) Then, you did not slay them, rather, Allah slew them. And you did not throw (O Prophet), when you threw, rather, Allah threw.³⁶ So that He might confer on the believers a goodly trial from Himself. Verily, Allah is All-hearing, All-knowing.

(8:18) That; and Allah was to weaken the scheme of the unbelievers.

(8:19) If you were looking for a decision (O unbelievers), then surely, a decision has came to you.³⁷ But, if you desist, that will be better for you. Nevertheless, if you return (with crimes), We shall return (with punishments).³⁸ And your hosts will avail you nothing, though it be numerous. And Allah is with the believers.³⁹

Commentary

27. Imam Razi writes: Since one loses his sleep in moments of fear, Allah said: "When He caused slumber overcome you." Another miracle consisted in so many being overcome by slumber at one time. Further, it remained a slumber. Had they slept off soundly, the enemy would have attacked them.

(No report from the Prophet about slumber at Badr seems to have come down, except that: Au.), Ibn Is-haq has recorded `Ali as saying, "We did not have a horseman amongst us except for Miqdad al-Aswad. And I did not see anyone amongst us but fast asleep, except for the Prophet. He was under a tree - Praying and weeping - until it was morning." (This also seems to be the situation of night: Au.). Nonetheless, it is reported in Sahih works that on the day of the battle, while the Prophet was in the temporary structure in the company of Abu Bakr, both in supplications, he was overtaken by slumber. He woke up smiling and said: "Be of good cheer Abu Bakr. Here is Jibril on the mountain peaks." Then he came out reciting Allah's words (54: 45), "Soon the troops will be defeated and they will show their backs" (Ibn Kathir).

Ibn Mas`ud has said that slumber in the battle-field is from Allah, while in the Prayers it is from Satan (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

28. Ibn `Abbas has said that when the Muslims arrived at Badr they found that the Quraysh had already taken possession of its wells. That was a set back. Moreover, the Quraysh seemed to enjoy strategic advantage. They were on an upper plateau while the Muslims were at a lower patch of land with slippery sand under their feet. Moreover, they experienced wet dreams and were forced to Pray (on tayammum) because of shortage of water. (This was before the advice of Hubab b. al-Mundhir was accepted: Sayyid). On top of that, Satan came to them and planted doubts saying, ‘You believe you are Allah's friends and that you have a Prophet among you! Do you? But, here you are, thirsty, and Praying in this unclean state.' (Being unclean was especially worrisome to them because the commandments of tayammum were revealed three years later: Sayyid). As they got real disturbed over these issues, rains came down. They washed themselves, felt cleansed, watered their beasts, and filled their buckets. (They also dug a quick pit in the earth and stored water: Razi). The rains also washed off the sands from under their feet, rendering it hard-crusted and firm for their feet once dry. (In contrast, the pagans were on a slimy ground. When it became wet, they began to slip: Razi). The allusion then, was to these issues when it was said: "He sent down water from the heaven to cleanse you therewith, remove from you Satanic defilement, .." (Ibn Jarir).

There are reports, however, that say that the Muslims were in control of some of the wells. Probably there were several wells spread over a wide area, with a few - those of the strategic locations - in the hands of the Quraysh, and some, in less strategic locations, in the hands of the Muslims. However, the wells could not have had enough water for an army of three hundred to bathe with. From some other reports one gets the impression that the water was in a pond which the Muslims diverted toward themselves. The report in the next note is suggestive of that (Au.).

29. Umawiyy has reported in his "Maghazi" that one of the Companions, Hubab b. al-Mundhir, disagreed with the site chosen by the Prophet and recommended that if the choice was not dictated by Allah they should move away to a better site from where they could prevent the Quraysh from drawing water, and construct for themselves a cistern in the ground. At that an angel came down and told the Prophet: "Allah sends you his Salam and says that Hubab's suggestion is a good one." At that the Prophet turned to Jibril and asked him who that angel was. Jibril said, "Not every angel in the heavens do I know, O Muhammad" (Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir in parts).

Malik said that Jibril asked the Prophet,

جَاءَ جِبْرِيلُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ مَا تَعُدُّونَ أَهْلَ بَدْرٍ فِيكُمْ قَالَ مِنْ أَفْضَلِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَوْ كَلِمَةً نَحْوَهَا قَالَ وَكَذَلِكَ مَنْ شَهِدَ بَدْرًا مِنْ الْمَلَائِكَةِ

"What do you think of those who participated in the battle of Badr?" The Prophet replied, "We think of them as the best of Muslims." Jibril said, "So do we reckon those of the angels who were at Badr."

We have taken the text from Bukhari (Au.).

This is because, Qurtubi adds, the best of men are those who are the best of deeds. The best of deeds is jihad and the best of jihad was that of Badr. It was the victory at Badr that laid the foundation stone for the Islamic state.

30. It is reported that some of the angels (appearing in human form: Au.) would speak to the Muslims telling them, "I have heard the pagans say that if the Muslims attacked them, probably they would not be able to withstand the onslaught, and might retreat in disorder." The Muslims then would spread the word among themselves spreading reassurance along with it. This is the meaning of the words: "When your Lord revealed to the angels, ‘I am with you, so steady the believers'" (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

31. Other interpretations would render the translation as: "So, smite them on their heads, and strike them on every side," (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir), or, alternatively, as Asad has done, "strike off every one of their finger-tips."

Sayyid writes: We do not know much about the angels, except that they are Allah's creations who execute His commands faithfully and meticulously. So, when He ordered them to strengthen the feet of the believers, they did that. When He ordered them to strike them on the heads and on every joint, they did that. We do not know how.

32. Qurtubi quotes a little further up Muslim's hadith which says that the Prophet left the pagan corpses unattended at Badr for three days. Then he went and called out to them,

يَا أَبَا جَهْلِ بْنَ هِشَامٍ يَا عُتْبَةُ بْنَ رَبِيعَةَ يَا شَيْبَةُ بْنَ رَبِيعَةَ يَا أُمَيَّةُ بْنَ خَلَفٍ هَلْ وَجَدْتُمْ مَا وَعَدَكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ حَقًّا فَإِنِّي وَجَدْتُ مَا وَعَدَنِي رَبِّي حَقًّا قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ تُنَادِي قَوْمًا قَدْ جَيَّفُوا قَالَ مَا أَنْتُمْ بِأَسْمَعَ لِمَا أَقُولُ مِنْهُمْ وَلَكِنَّهُمْ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ أَنْ يُجِيبُواََََ

"O Abu Jahl b. Hisham, O `Utbah b. Rabi`ah, O Shaybah b. Rabi`ah, O Umayyah b. Khalaf, have you found your Lord's promise to you true? I have found my Lord's promise to me true." They said, "Messenger of Allah! Are you speaking to those who have turned into carcasses? He said, "You do not hear me any better than they do, but they ca not reply."

Then he ordered that they be dragged and thrown into one of the pits of Badr.

33. The translation expresses one of the connotations of the textual word "zahaf." Literally, it implies the act of an infant inching forward on its buttocks (from its sitting position) before it learns to stand up. The term has been employed here since the troops also inch forward slowly when in the combat field (Razi).

34. Sa`id b. Jubayr has explained it as someone first penetrating deep into the enemy lines, then turning back speedily to withdraw one or more of their soldiers out of line, then turning again to attack him (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

35. Abu Musa, Abu Sa`id al-Khudri, Nafi`, Dahhak and Hasan al-Busri are all of the opinion that the threat of Allah's anger on those who show their backs in the battle-field was specific to the battle of Badr, for that day there was no one to withdraw to, except the Prophet. After him however, the same rule does not apply. Accordingly, we find `Umar commenting about Abu `Ubayd's martyrdom in words, ‘I wish he had withdrawn to me, I was his rallying point (fi'ah).' Abu Habib has gone so far as to say that the threat in this verse is not applicable to those who retreated during the Uhud or Hunayn battles. Ibn `Abbas however believed that the rule remains and, therefore, whoever fled from a battle-field without a good cause will face Allah's anger. Ibn Jarir seconds this opinion.

Ibn Kathir and Qurtubi however report a hadith of Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Da'ud and Ibn Majah with Tirmidhi declaring it of Hasan status which, narrated by Ibn `Umar, says,

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ كُنْتُ فِي سَرِيَّةٍ مِنْ سَرَايَا رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَحَاصَ النَّاسُ حَيْصَةً وَكُنْتُ فِيمَنْ حَاصَ فَقُلْنَا كَيْفَ نَصْنَعُ وَقَدْ فَرَرْنَا مِنْ الزَّحْفِ وَبُؤْنَا بِالْغَضَبِ ثُمَّ قُلْنَا لَوْ دَخَلْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ فَبِتْنَا ثُمَّ قُلْنَا لَوْ عَرَضْنَا أَنْفُسَنَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَإِنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ تَوْبَةٌ وَإِلَّا ذَهَبْنَا فَأَتَيْنَاهُ قَبْلَ صَلَاةِ الْغَدَاةِ فَخَرَجَ فَقَالَ مَنْ الْقَوْمُ قَالَ فَقُلْنَا نَحْنُ الْفَرَّارُونَ قَالَ لَا بَلْ أَنْتُمْ الْعَكَّارُونَ أَنَا فِئَتُكُمْ وَأَنَا فِئَةُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ قَالَ فَأَتَيْنَاهُ حَتَّى قَبَّلْنَا يَدَهُ

"I was in a campaign when the people fled from the battle field. I was one of them. We said, ‘What shall we do now? We fled from the battle-field into Allah's anger.' Finally, we decided that we shall enter Madinah, spend a night and then present ourselves to the Prophet in the morning. If repentance is possible, well and good, otherwise, we shall return. Accordingly, we presented ourselves to him before the dawn Prayers. When he came out he asked, ‘Who are you?' We said, "We are the escapists." He said, "Rather, you are the ones who retreated (to a safe point). I am your rallying point (fi'ah). I am the rallying point of the Muslims." We went forward and kissed his hands.

Qurtubi and Alusi add: Most scholars are of the opinion that if the Muslims are half in numbers against their enemy, then retreat is forbidden. Alternatively, if they are 12,000 in number, they cannot retreat. This is in view of a hadith which says,

لن يغلب اثنا عشر ألفا من قلة

"Twelve thousand will not be overcome because of numbers."

The above hadith is from Sahih of Ibn Khuzaymah (Au.).

36. Muhammad b. Ka`b al-Qurazi reported: When the battle was about to begin, the Prophet tossed a handful of dust at the Quraysh saying,

شَاهَتِ الْوُجُوهُ

"Afouled are the faces." It fell into everyone's eye. The Prophet's Companions fell upon them even as they were rubbing their eyes, killing them and capturing them. Their defeat then was caused by the Prophet's throw" (Ibn Jarir).

Hakim b. Hizam has a similar report in Ibn Abi Hatim, Tabarani and Ibn Marduwayh. Another report is in Tabarani, Abu al-Sheikh and Ibn Marduwayh as narrated by Ibn `Abbas (Shawkani).

It has been pointed out however, that none of the ahadith on the subject are in the six Sahih collections. Accordingly, we find some scholars saying that the allusion is to the Prophet throwing a short spear at Ubayy b. Khalaf on the day of Uhud (Alusi).

But the incident is well reported in biographies of the Prophet (Au.).

Imam Razi points out that this verse supports the view that man acquires the deeds that flow out of him although they are Allah's creation. (It did not deny human's participation by saying: "You did not throw," rather, confirmed his participation by adding: "When you threw." And, finally, took the credit off him for its creation by saying: "Rather, Allah threw": Au.).

After noting what Razi has to say, Alusi writes: I believe man has power and ability over his deeds that play their role (in the appearance of the consequences) - the power and ability that have been created and invested in him by Allah, so that what He wills happens and what He does not, does not happen. It cannot be said that man has no power over anything, as the Jabriyyah claimed, nor that he has power, but one that is, by its nature, inactive, as the Ash`ariah say, nor would it be right to say that he has the power and ability to influence his deeds independent of the Allah's Will, as the Mu`tazilah maintained.

37. Although the textual word "istaftahu" requires to be rendered literally as "(if) you seek victory", the present translation follows the explanation offered in Tabari by Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah and others who have said that Abu Jahl had prayed prior to the battle: "O God. Decide between us." So Allah showed them what His decision was. Suddi, `Atiyyah and Ibn Zayd have said that before starting off from Makkah, some of the Quraysh had prayed to God with the drape of the Ka`ba in their hands, saying, "O God. Of the two of us, help the more mighty, the more honorable and the better one (thus giving Allah the choice to decide between the two). And Ibn Is-haq has said that one connotation of the term "istiftah" is to be fair and balanced in one's supplication. Nasa'i, Hakim, who declared the report trustworthy, Ibn Abi Shaybah and several others have preserved reports of this nature (Shawkani).

38. That is, if you return to crying lies, We shall return to retribution (Ibn Jarir).

39. Muhammad Asad sums up Badr’s influence on history: "It was the first open battle between the pagan Quraysh and the young Muslim community of Medina; and its outcome made the Quraysh realize that the movement inaugurated by Muhammad was not an ephemeral dream but the beginning of a new political power and a new era different from anything that the Arabian past had known. The Meccan apprehensions, which had already been aroused by the exodus of the Prophet and his Companions to Medina, found a shattering confirmation on the day of Badr. Although the power of Arabian paganism was not finally broken until some years later, its decay became apparent from that historic moment. For the Muslims, too, Badr proved to be a turning-point. It may safely be assumed that until then only a very few of the Prophet's Companions had fully understood the political implications of the new order of Islam. To most of them their exodus to Medina had meant, in those early days, no more than a refuge from the persecutions which they had to endure in Mecca. After the battle of Badr, however, even the most simple-minded among them became aware that they were on their way towards a new social order. The spirit of passive sacrifice, so characteristic of their earlier days, received its complement in the idea of sacrifice through action. The doctrine of action as the most fundamental, creative element of life was, perhaps for the first time in the history of man, consciously realized not only by a few select individuals but by a whole community; and the intense activism which was to distinguish Muslim history in the coming decades and centuries was a direct, immediate consequence of the battle of Badr."