Surah 8. Al-Anfal

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-19 [2], 20-28 [3], 29-37 [4], 38-44 [5], 45-48 [6], 49-58 [7], 59-64 [8], 65-69 [9], 70-75 [10]

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Quran Text of Verse 38-44قُلْSayلِّلَّذِیْنَto those whoكَفَرُوْۤاdisbelieveاِنْifیَّنْتَهُوْاthey ceaseیُغْفَرْwill be forgivenلَهُمْfor themمَّاwhatقَدْ[verily]سَلَفَ ۚ(is) pastوَ اِنْBut ifیَّعُوْدُوْاthey returnفَقَدْthen verilyمَضَتْprecededسُنَّتُ(the) practiceالْاَوَّلِیْنَ (of) the former (people) وَ قَاتِلُوْهُمْAnd fight themحَتّٰیuntilلَاnotتَكُوْنَthere isفِتْنَةٌoppressionوَّ یَكُوْنَand isالدِّیْنُthe religionكُلُّهٗall of itلِلّٰهِ ۚfor AllahفَاِنِBut ifانْتَهَوْاthey ceasedفَاِنَّthen indeedاللّٰهَAllahبِمَاof whatیَعْمَلُوْنَthey doبَصِیْرٌ (is) All-Seer وَ اِنْAnd ifتَوَلَّوْاthey turn awayفَاعْلَمُوْۤاthen knowاَنَّthatاللّٰهَAllahمَوْلٰىكُمْ ؕ(is) your ProtectorنِعْمَExcellentالْمَوْلٰی(is) the Protectorوَ نِعْمَand Excellentالنَّصِیْرُ (is) the Helper 8. Al-Anfal Page 182وَ اعْلَمُوْۤاAnd knowاَنَّمَاthat whatغَنِمْتُمْyou obtain (as) spoils of warمِّنْofشَیْءٍanythingفَاَنَّthen thatلِلّٰهِfor Allahخُمُسَهٗ(is) one fifth of itوَ لِلرَّسُوْلِand for the Messengerوَ لِذِیand for theالْقُرْبٰیnear relativesوَ الْیَتٰمٰیand the orphansوَ الْمَسٰكِیْنِand the needyوَ ابْنِand theالسَّبِیْلِ ۙwayfarerاِنْifكُنْتُمْyouاٰمَنْتُمْbelieveبِاللّٰهِin Allahوَ مَاۤand (in) whatاَنْزَلْنَاWe sent downعَلٰیtoعَبْدِنَاOur slaveیَوْمَ(on the) dayالْفُرْقَانِ(of) the criterionیَوْمَ(the) dayالْتَقَی(when) metالْجَمْعٰنِ ؕthe two forcesوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahعَلٰی(is) onكُلِّeveryشَیْءٍthingقَدِیْرٌ All-Powerful اِذْWhenاَنْتُمْyou (were)بِالْعُدْوَةِon side of the valleyالدُّنْیَاthe nearerوَ هُمْand theyبِالْعُدْوَةِ(were) on the sideالْقُصْوٰیthe fartherوَ الرَّكْبُand the caravanاَسْفَلَ(was) lowerمِنْكُمْ ؕthan youوَ لَوْAnd ifتَوَاعَدْتُّمْyou (had) made an appointmentلَاخْتَلَفْتُمْcertainly you would have failedفِیinالْمِیْعٰدِ ۙthe appointmentوَ لٰكِنْButلِّیَقْضِیَthat might accomplishاللّٰهُAllahاَمْرًاa matterكَانَ(that) wasمَفْعُوْلًا ۙ۬destinedلِّیَهْلِكَthat (might be) destroyedمَنْ(those) whoهَلَكَ(were to be) destroyedعَنْۢonبَیِّنَةٍa clear evidenceوَّ یَحْیٰیand (might) liveمَنْ(those) whoحَیَّ(were to) liveعَنْۢonبَیِّنَةٍ ؕa clear evidenceوَ اِنَّAnd indeedاللّٰهَAllahلَسَمِیْعٌ(is) All-HearingعَلِیْمٌۙAll-Knowing اِذْWhenیُرِیْكَهُمُyou (where) shown themاللّٰهُ(by) Allahفِیْinمَنَامِكَyour dreamقَلِیْلًا ؕ(as) fewوَ لَوْand ifاَرٰىكَهُمْHe had shown them to youكَثِیْرًا(as) manyلَّفَشِلْتُمْsurely you would have lost courageوَ لَتَنَازَعْتُمْand surely you would have disputedفِیinالْاَمْرِthe matterوَ لٰكِنَّbutاللّٰهَAllahسَلَّمَ ؕsaved (you)اِنَّهٗIndeed, Heعَلِیْمٌۢ(is) All-Knowerبِذَاتِof what is inالصُّدُوْرِ the breasts وَ اِذْAnd whenیُرِیْكُمُوْهُمْHe showed them to youاِذِwhenالْتَقَیْتُمْyou metفِیْۤinاَعْیُنِكُمْyour eyesقَلِیْلًا(as) fewوَّ یُقَلِّلُكُمْand He made you (appear) as fewفِیْۤinاَعْیُنِهِمْtheir eyesلِیَقْضِیَthat might accomplishاللّٰهُAllah might accomplishاَمْرًاa matterكَانَ(that) wasمَفْعُوْلًا ؕ(already) destinedوَ اِلَیAnd toاللّٰهِAllahتُرْجَعُreturnالْاُمُوْرُ۠(all) the matters

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Translation of Verse 38-44

38. Tell the disbelievers that if they desist, their past will be forgiven. But if they persist, then they have an example in those destroyed before them.

39. Fight against them until there is no more persecution-and ˹your˺ devotion will be entirely to Allah. But if they desist, then surely Allah is All-Seeing of what they do.

40. And if they do not comply, then know that Allah is your Protector. What an excellent Protector, and what an excellent Helper!

41. Know that whatever spoils you take, one-fifth is for Allah and the Messenger, his close relatives, orphans, the poor, and ˹needy˺ travellers, if you ˹truly˺ believe in Allah and what We revealed to Our servant on that decisive day when the two armies met ˹at Badr˺. And Allah is Most Capable of everything.

42. ˹Remember˺ when you were on the near side of the valley, your enemy on the far side, and the caravan was below you. Even if the two armies had made an appointment ˹to meet˺, both would have certainly missed it. ³⁴⁵ Still it transpired so Allah may establish what He had destined-that those who were to perish and those who were to survive might do so after the truth had been made clear to both. Surely Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

43. ˹Remember, O Prophet,˺ when Allah showed them in your dream as few in number. Had He shown them to you as many, you ˹believers˺ would have certainly faltered and disputed in the matter. But Allah spared you ˹from that˺. Surely He knows best what is ˹hidden˺ in the heart.

44. Then when your armies met, Allah made them appear as few in your eyes, and made you appear as few in theirs, so Allah may establish what He had destined. And to Allah ˹all˺ matters will be returned ˹for judgment˺.

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Commentary

345. The battle was not planned since the Muslim force was after the caravan. Had the two armies made plans to meet in battle at that time and place, they both probably would have missed each other.