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 11-19اِذْWhenیُغَشِّیْكُمُHe covered youالنُّعَاسَwith [the] slumberاَمَنَةًa securityمِّنْهُfrom Himوَ یُنَزِّلُand sent downعَلَیْكُمْupon youمِّنَfromالسَّمَآءِthe skyمَآءًwaterلِّیُطَهِّرَكُمْso that He may purify youبِهٖwith itوَ یُذْهِبَand take awayعَنْكُمْfrom youرِجْزَevil (suggestions)الشَّیْطٰنِ(of) the Shaitaanوَ لِیَرْبِطَAnd to strengthenعَلٰی[on]قُلُوْبِكُمْyour heartsوَ یُثَبِّتَand make firmبِهِwith itالْاَقْدَامَؕyour feet اِذْWhenیُوْحِیْinspiredرَبُّكَyour Lordاِلَیtoالْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةِthe AngelsاَنِّیْI amمَعَكُمْwith youفَثَبِّتُواso strengthenالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْا ؕbelievedسَاُلْقِیْI will castفِیْinقُلُوْبِ(the) heartsالَّذِیْنَ(of) those whoكَفَرُواdisbelievedالرُّعْبَthe terrorفَاضْرِبُوْاso strikeفَوْقَaboveالْاَعْنَاقِthe necksوَ اضْرِبُوْاand strikeمِنْهُمْfrom themكُلَّeveryبَنَانٍؕfingertip[s] ذٰلِكَThatبِاَنَّهُمْ(is) because theyشَآقُّواopposedاللّٰهَAllahوَ رَسُوْلَهٗ ۚand His Messengerوَ مَنْAnd whoeverیُّشَاقِقِopposesاللّٰهَAllahوَ رَسُوْلَهٗand His Messengerفَاِنَّthen indeedاللّٰهَAllahشَدِیْدُ(is) severeالْعِقَابِ in [the] penalty ذٰلِكُمْThatفَذُوْقُوْهُSo taste itوَ اَنَّAnd thatلِلْكٰفِرِیْنَfor the disbelieversعَذَابَ(is the) punishmentالنَّارِ (of) the Fire یٰۤاَیُّهَاO youالَّذِیْنَwhoاٰمَنُوْۤاbelieveاِذَاWhenلَقِیْتُمُyou meetالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelieveزَحْفًاadvancingفَلَاthen (do) notتُوَلُّوْهُمُturn to themالْاَدْبَارَۚthe backs وَ مَنْAnd whoeverیُّوَلِّهِمْturns to themیَوْمَىِٕذٍthat dayدُبُرَهٗۤhis backاِلَّاexceptمُتَحَرِّفًا(as) a strategyلِّقِتَالٍof warاَوْorمُتَحَیِّزًا(to) joinاِلٰیtoفِئَةٍa groupفَقَدْcertainlyبَآءَ(he has) incurredبِغَضَبٍwrathمِّنَofاللّٰهِAllahوَ مَاْوٰىهُand his abodeجَهَنَّمُ ؕ(is) Hellوَ بِئْسَa wretchedالْمَصِیْرُ destination 8. Al-Anfal Page 179فَلَمْAnd notتَقْتُلُوْهُمْyou kill themوَ لٰكِنَّbutاللّٰهَAllahقَتَلَهُمْ ۪killed themوَ مَاAnd notرَمَیْتَyou threwاِذْwhenرَمَیْتَyou threwوَ لٰكِنَّbutاللّٰهَAllahرَمٰی ۚthrewوَ لِیُبْلِیَand that He may testالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَthe believersمِنْهُfrom Himبَلَآءً(with) a trialحَسَنًا ؕgoodاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahسَمِیْعٌ(is) All-Hearingعَلِیْمٌ All-Knowing ذٰلِكُمْThat (is the case)وَ اَنَّand thatاللّٰهَAllah (is)مُوْهِنُone who makes weakكَیْدِ(the) planالْكٰفِرِیْنَ (of) the disbelievers اِنْIfتَسْتَفْتِحُوْاyou ask for victoryفَقَدْthen certainlyجَآءَكُمُhas come to youالْفَتْحُ ۚthe victoryوَ اِنْAnd ifتَنْتَهُوْاyou desistفَهُوَthen it (is)خَیْرٌgoodلَّكُمْ ۚfor youوَ اِنْbut ifتَعُوْدُوْاyou returnنَعُدْ ۚWe will return (too)وَ لَنْAnd neverتُغْنِیَwill availعَنْكُمْyouفِئَتُكُمْyour forcesشَیْـًٔاanythingوَّ لَوْeven ifكَثُرَتْ ۙ(they are) numerousوَ اَنَّAnd thatاللّٰهَAllahمَعَ(is) withالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ۠the believers

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Translation of Verse 11-19

(8:11) And recall when Allah brought on you drowsiness,⁸ giving you a feeling of peace and security from Him, and He sent down rain upon you from the sky that He might cleanse you through it and take away from you the pollution of Satan and strengthen your hearts, and steady your feet through it.⁹

(8:12) And recall when your Lord inspired the angels: 'I am certainly with you. So make firm the feet of those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. So strike at their necks and strike at every pore and tip.¹⁰

(8:13) This is because they defied Allah and His Messenger. Whoever defies Allah and His Messenger must know that Allah is severe in punishment.¹¹

(8:14) That is your punishment (from Allah). So taste this punishment,¹² and know that for the unbelievers is the punishment of the Fire.

(8:15) Believers, whenever you encounter a hostile force of unbelievers, do not turn your backs to them in flight.

(8:16) For he who turns his back on them on such ar occasion - except that it be for tactical reasons, or turning to join another company - he shall incur the wrath of Allah and Hell shall be his abode. It is an evil destination. ¹³

(8:17) So the fact is that it was not you, but it was Allah Who killed them; and it was not you when you threw [sand at them], but it was Allah Who threw it,¹⁴ (and the believers were employed for the task) that He might cause the believers to successfully pass through this test. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

(8:18) This is His manner of dealing with you. As for the unbelievers, Allah will surely undermine their designs.

(8:19) (Tell the unbelievers:) 'If you have sought a judgement, then surely a judgement has come to you. ¹⁵ And if you desist from disobedience, it is all the better for you. But if you revert to your mischief, We will again chastise you; and your host, howsoever numerous, will never be of any avail to you. Know well, Allah is with the believers.'

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Commentary

8. In the Battle of Uhud the Muslims passed through a similar experience see (Al'lmran 3: 154) above. On both occasions, when prevalent conditions should have produced intense fear and panic among them, God filled their hearts with such peace and tranquillity that they were overpowered with drowsiness.

9. This refers to the heavy downpour on the night preceding the Battle of Badr. It helped the Muslims in three ways. First, it provided them with an abundant water supply which they quickly stored in large reservoirs. Second, rain compacted the loose sand in the upper part of the valley where the Muslims had pitched their tents. This helped the Muslims plant their feet firmly and facilitated their movement. Third, where the Quray'sh army was stationed in the lower part of the valley, the ground turned marshy.

The defilement caused by Satan which occurs in the verse refers to the fear and panic which initially, afflicted the Muslims.

10. In view of the general principle propounded in the Qur'an we presume that the angels did not take part in the actual fighting. What we may suggest is that the angels helped the Muslims and as a result their blows became more accurate and effective.

11. In recounting the events of the Battle of Badr, the Qur'an aims to explain the significance of the word al-anfal (spoils of war). In the opening verse of the surah the Muslims were told that they should not deem the spoils to be a reward for their toil. Rather, the spoils should constitute a special reward granted to the Muslims by God, to Whom the spoils rightfully belong. The events recounted here support this. The Muslims could reflect on the course of events and see for themselves to what extent the victory they had achieved was due to God's favour, and to what extent it was due to their own efforts.

12. Here the discourse is suddenly directed to the unbelievers who we mentioned in( verse 13) as deserving of God's punishment.

13. The Qur'an does not forbid orderly retreat under strong pressure from the enemy provided it is resorted to as a stratagem of war, for example seeking reinforcements or joining another party in the rear. What the Qur'an does forbid is disorderly flight produced by sheer cowardice and defeatism. Such a retreat takes place because the deserter holds his life dearer than his cause. Such cowardice has been characterized as one of those three major sins which, if committed, can be atoned for by no other good deed whatsoever. These three sins are: ascription of divinity to anyone or anything other than God, violation of the rights of parents, and flight from the battlefield during fighting in the way of God. (See al-Mundhiri, 'Kitab al-Jihad', 'Bab al-Tarhib min al-Firar min al-Zahf'- Ed.) In another tradition the Prophet (peace be on him) has mentioned seven deadly sins which totally ruin a man's Next Life. One of these is flight from the battlefield in an encounter between Islam and Unbelief. (Muslim, 'K. al-lman', 'Bab al-Kabi'ir wa Akbaruha'; Bukhari, 'K. al-Wasaya', 'bab - fi Qawl Allah - Tala: inna al-ladhina Ya'kuluna Amwal al-Yatami Zulman' - Ed.) This has been declared a deadly sin because in addition to being an act of sheer cowardice, it demoralizes others and can generate demoralization which can have disastrous consequences. An individual soldier's desertion might cause a whole platoon, or even a whole regiment, and ultimately the whole army, to take flight. For once a soldier flees in panic, it is hard to control the others.

14. This refers to the occasion wnen the armies of the Muslims and the unbelievers stood face to face in the Battle of Badr and were on the verge of actual fighting. At that moment, the Prophet (peace be on him) threw a handful of dust at the enemy saying: 'May, their faces be scorched.' So saying the Prophet (peace be on him) made a gesture and the Muslims started their charge. (See Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 1, p. 368; Ibn Hisham, vol. 1, p. 668; Ibn Kathir, comments on the verse - Ed.)

15. Before marching out from Makka the unbelievers held the covering of the Ka'bah and prayed: 'O God! Grant victory to the better of the two parties.' Abu Jahl, in particular invoked God's judgement: 'O God! Grant victory to the one who is in the right and cause humiliation to the wrong-doer.' God answered these prayers fully and the outcome of the battle clearly pointed to the party which was in the right.