Surah 8. Al-Anfal

[Remember how it was] when He caused inner calm to enfold you,¹¹ as an assurance from Him, and sent down upon you water from the skies, so that He might purify you thereby and free you from Satan's unclean whisperings¹² and strengthen your hearts and thus make firm your steps.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., before the battle of Badr. Regarding the interpretation of nu'as as "inner calm", see surah {3}, note [112]. Here it refers to the spiritual quiet and self-confidence of the believers in the face of overwhelming odds.

Lit., "take away from you the pollution of Satan". Immediately before the beginning of the battle, the Meccan army infested the wells of Badr, thus depriving the Muslims of water; and, under the influence of thirst, some of the latter fell prey to utter despair (here symbolized by "Satan's unclean whisperings") - when, suddenly, abundant rain fell and enabled them to satisfy their thirst (Tabari, on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas).

Remember (before the battle of Badr) when He caused drowsiness to overcome you as an assurance from Himself, and sent down water from the sky to cleanse you and to remove from you the uncleanliness caused by Shaitan, to strengthen your hearts and to steady your feet therewith.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

When he made the slumber fall upon you as a reassurance from Him and sent down water from the sky upon you, that thereby He might purify you, and remove from you the fear of Satan, and make strong your hearts and firm (your) feet thereby.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Lo! Thy Sustainer inspired the angels [to convey this His message to the believers]: "I am with you!"¹³ [And He commanded the angels:] "And give firmness unto those who have attained to faith [with these words from Me]:¹⁴ 'I shall cast terror into the hearts of those who are bent on denying the truth; strike, then, their necks, [O believers,] and strike off every one of their finger-tips!'"¹⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

The phrase "I am with you" is addressed (through the angels) to the believers - "for, the purport of these words was the removal of fear, since it was the Muslims, and not the angels, who feared the deniers of the truth" (Razi).

The following is, again, addressed to the believers (Razi). {Verse 10} of this surah makes it clear that the aid of the angels was purely spiritual in nature; and there is no evidence anywhere in the Qur'an that they did, or were meant to, participate in the battle in a physical sense. In his commentary on the above verse, Razi stresses this point repeatedly; among modern commentators, Rashid Rida' emphatically rejects the legendary notion that angels actually fought in this or any other of the Prophet's battles (see Manar IX, 612 ff.). It is mainly on the basis of Razi's interpretation of this passage that I have interpolated, in several places, explanatory clauses between brackets.

I.e., "destroy them utterly".

Then your Rabb revealed His will to the angels: "I am with you, give courage to the believers. I will cast panic into the hearts of the unbelievers, therefore, smite their necks and beat every joint of their bodies."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

When thy Lord inspired the angels, (saying:) I am with you. So make those who believe stand firm. I will throw fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Then smite the necks and smite of them each finger.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

This, because they have cut themselves off from¹⁶ God and His Apostle: and as for him who cuts himself off from God and His Apostle - verily, God is severe in retribution.

  - Mohammad Asad

Or: "contended against" (Baghawi). However, since the primary meaning of shaqqahu ("he separated himself from him" or "cut himself off from him") comprises the concepts of both estrangement and opposition (Tabari, Zamakhshari, Razi), the rendering adopted by me seems to be the most suitable in this context.

This is because they defied Allah and His Rasool. Whoever defies Allah and His Rasool should know that Allah is strict in retribution,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

That is because they opposed Allah and His messenger. Whoso opposeth Allah and His messenger, (for him) lo! Allah is severe in punishment.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

This [for you, O enemies of God]! Taste it, then, [and know] that suffering through fire awaits those who deny the truth!

  - Mohammad Asad

that it is the reality, so taste it, and there will also be the torture of hellfire for the unbelievers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

That (is the award), so taste it, and (know) that for disbelievers is the torment of the Fire.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

O YOU who have attained to faith! When you meet in battle those who are bent on denying the truth, advancing in great force, do not turn your backs on them:¹⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., in flight: the implication being that in view of God's promise of victory no retreat is permissible. Since this verse (like the whole of this surah) relates predominantly to the battle of Badr, it may well be presumed that the above admonition forms part of the message of encouragement beginning with the words, "I am with you" (verse {12}), which God commanded the angels to convey to the believers before the battle. In accordance with the didactic method of the Qur'an, however, the moral lesson contained in this verse is not confined to the historical occasion to which it refers, but has the validity of a permanent law.

O believers! When you encounter the unbelievers in a battle, never turn your backs to them,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O ye who believe, When ye meet those who disbelieve in battle, turn not your backs to them.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

for, whoever on that day turns his back on them - unless it be in a battle manoeuvre or in an endeavour to join another troop [of the believers] - shall indeed have earned the burden of God's condemnation, and his goal shall be hell: and how vile a journey's end!

  - Mohammad Asad

and whoever turns his back to them on such an occasion - unless it be a strategy of war, or to join towards a detachment - shall incur the wrath of Allah and his abode shall be hell, and how awful shall be that dwelling!

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Whoso on that day turneth his back to them, unless maneuvering for battle or intent to join a company, he truly hath incurred wrath from Allah, and his habitation will be hell, a hapless journey's end.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And yet, [O believers,] it was not you who slew the enemy,¹⁸ but it was God who slew them; and it was not thou who cast [terror into them, O Prophet], when thou didst cast it, but it was God who cast it:¹⁹ and [He did all this] in order that He might test the believers by a goodly test of His Own ordaining.²⁰ Verily, God is all-hearing, all-knowing!

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "you did not slay them" - i.e., in the battle of Badr, which ended with a complete victory of the Muslims.

According to several Traditions, the Prophet cast, at the beginning of the battle, a handful of pebbles or dust in the direction of the enemy, thus symbolically indicating their approaching defeat. However, none of these accounts attains to the standard of authenticity described as sahih (i.e., "reliable") by the great exponents of the science of Tradition ('ilm al-hadith), and cannot, therefore, satisfactorily explain the above Qur'anic passage (see Ibn Kathir's commentary on this verse, as well as Manar IX, 620 f.). Since the verb rama (lit., "he cast" or "flung") applies also to the act of "shooting an arrow" or "flinging a spear", it might be explained here as a reference to the Prophet's active participation in the battle. Alternatively, it may denote his "casting terror", i.e., into the hearts of his enemies, by his and his followers' extreme valour. Whichever explanation is adopted, the above verse implies that the victory of the Muslims over the much more numerous and much better equipped army of the Quraysh was due to God's grace alone: and, thus, it is a reminder to the faithful, of all times, not to indulge in undue pride in any of their achievements (which is the meaning of the "test" mentioned in the next sentence).

Lit., "from Himself".

In fact, it was not you who killed them, but it was Allah Who killed them; it was not you who threw the handful of sand, but it was Allah Who threw it so that He might pass the believers successfully through this excellent trial; surely Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Ye (Muslims) slew them not, but Allah slew them. And thou (Muhammad) threwest not when thou didst throw, but Allah threw, that He might test the believers by a fair test from Him. Lo! Allah is Hearer, Knower.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

This [was God's purpose] - and also [to show] that God renders vain the artful schemes of those who deny the truth.

  - Mohammad Asad

This is His dealing with you: as for the unbelievers, Allah will surely frustrate their evil plots.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

That (is the case); and (know) that Allah (it is) who maketh weak the plan of disbelievers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

If you have been praying for victory, [O believers] - victory has now indeed come unto you. And if you abstain [from sinning], it will be for your own good; but if you revert to it, We shall revoke [Our promise of aid] - and never will your community be of any avail to you, however great its numbers: for, behold, God is [only] with those who believe!²¹

  - Mohammad Asad

There is no unanimity among the commentators as to whether this verse is addressed to the believers or to their opponents at Badr, that is, the pagan Quraysh. While some of the commentators (e.g., Razi) are of the opinion that it is an admonition to the believers and understand it in the sense rendered by me above, others maintain that it is a warning addressed to the Quraysh. In order to justify this view, they give to the word fath (lit., "opening") occurring in the first sentence the meaning of "judgment" or "decision" (which is undoubtedly permissible from the linguistic point of view), and arrive at the following rendering: "If you have been seeking a decision [O unbelievers] - a decision has now indeed come unto you. And if you abstain [from making war on God and His Apostle], it will be for your own good; but if you revert to it, We shall revert [to defeating you] - and never will your army be of any avail to you, however great its numbers: for, behold, God is with the believers!" As can be seen from this alternative rendering, the difference in interpretation pivots on the tropical meaning which one gives to the words fath ("decision" or "victory") and fi'ah ("army" or "community"). As regards the latter, it is to be borne in mind that its primary significance is "a group" or "a congregated body of men" - more or less synonymous with ta'ifah or jama'ah; it can, therefore, be used to denote "an army" as well as "a community". Similarly, the expression na'ud can be understood in either of two ways: namely, as meaning "We shall revert [to defeating you]" - or, as in my rendering, "We shall revoke [Our promise of aid]" - addressed, in the one instance to the unbelievers, and in the other, to the believers. (For the use of the verb 'ada in the sense of "he revoked", see Taj al-'Arus; also Lane V, 2189.) But while both interpretations of the above verse are linguistically justified, the one adopted by me (and supported, according to Ibn Kathir, by Ubayy ibn Ka'b) is in greater harmony with the context, inasmuch as both the preceding and subsequent passages are unmistakably addressed to the believers. Thus, the verse must be understood as a reminder to the Muslims that God will be with them only so long as they remain firm in faith and righteous in action, and that, however large their community may be in the future, they will be powerless unless they are true believers.

O unbelievers! You wanted a decision; lo! The decision, in shape of the believers' victory, has come to you. Now if you desist, it will be better for you, and if you repeat your act of war against the believers, so shall We repeat the act of providing them assistance, and your forces, however large in number they may be, shall avail you nothing, for verily Allah is with the believers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

(O Qureysh!) If ye sought a judgment, now hath the judgment come unto you. And if ye cease (from persecuting the believers) it will be better for you, but if ye return (to the attack) We also shall return. And your host will avail you naught, however numerous it be, and (know) that Allah is with the believers (in His guidance).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[Hence,] O you who have attained to faith, pay heed unto God and His Apostle, and do not turn away from Him now that you hear [His message];

  - Mohammad Asad

O believers! Obey Allah and his Rasool and do not turn your back to him, now that you have heard all.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O ye who believe! Obey Allah and His messenger, and turn not away from him when ye hear (him speak).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and be not like those who say, "We have heard", the while they do not hearken.²²

  - Mohammad Asad

See 2:93 and 4:46 , and the corresponding notes. While in the above-mentioned two instances the Jews are alluded to, the present allusion is more general, and relates to all people who have come to know and understand the message of the Qur'an, but pay no heed to it.

Do not be like those who say: "We hear," but give no heed to what they hear.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Be not as those who say, We hear, and they hear not.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Verily, the vilest of all creatures²³ in the sight of God are those deaf, those dumb ones who do not use their reason.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "animals that walk or crawl" (dawab, sing. dabbah), including man as well.

For the worst animals in the sight of Allah are those deaf and dumb people who do not use common sense.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! the worst of beasts in Allah's sight are the deaf, the dumb, who have no sense.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

For, if God had seen any good in them, He would certainly have made them hear: but [as it is,] even if He had made them hear, they would surely have turned away in their obstinacy.

  - Mohammad Asad

Had Allah perceived any virtue in them He would have indeed endowed them with hearing. Had he made them (those without virtue) hear, they would have turned away and refused to listen.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Had Allah Known of any good in them He would have made them hear, but had He made them hear they would have turned away, averse.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

0 you who have attained to faith! Respond to the call of God and the Apostle whenever he calls you unto that which will give you life; and know that God intervenes between man and [the desires of] his heart,²⁴ and that unto Him you shall be gathered.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., between a man's desires and the outward action that may result from those desires: indicating that God can turn man away from what his heart urges him to do (Raghib). In other words, it is God-consciousness alone that can prevent man from being misled by wrong desires and, thus, from becoming like "those deaf, those dumb ones who do not use their reason" (verse {22} above); and it is God-consciousness alone that can enable man to follow the call "unto that which gives life" - that is, spiritual awareness of right and wrong and the will to act accordingly.

O believers! Respond to the call of Allah and His Rasool, when He calls you to that which gives you life; and know that Allah stands between man and his heart, and that it is He in Whose presence you shall all be assembled.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O ye who believe; Obey Allah, and the messenger when He calleth you to that which quickeneth you, and know that Allah cometh in between the man and his own heart, and that He it is unto Whom ye will be gathered.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And beware of that temptation to evil which does not befall only those among you who are bent on denying the truth, to the exclusion of others;²⁵ and know that God is severe in retribution.

  - Mohammad Asad

The term fitnah - here rendered as "temptation to evil" - comprises a wide range of concepts, e.g., "seduction" or "trial" or "test" or "an affliction whereby one is tried"; hence also "confusion" (as in 3:7 and 6:23 ), "discord" or "dissension" (because it constitutes a "trial" of human groupments), as well as "persecution" and "oppression" (because it is an affliction which may cause man to go astray and to lose his faith in spiritual values - a meaning in which the word fitnah is used in 2:191 and {193}); and, finally, "sedition" and "civil war" (because it leads whole communities astray). Since the expression "temptation to evil" is applicable to all these meanings, it appears to be the most suitable in the above context: the idea being that it is not merely the deliberate deniers of spiritual truths who are exposed to such a temptation, but that also people who are otherwise righteous may fall prey to it unless they remain always, and consciously, on their guard against anything that might lead them astray from the right course.

Guard yourselves against temptation. The wrongdoers among you are not the only ones who will be tempted; and know that Allah is strict in retribution.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And guard yourselves against a chastisement which cannot fall exclusively on those of you who are wrong-doers, and know that Allah is severe in punishment.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And remember the time when you were few [and] helpless on earth, fearful lest people do away with you²⁶ - whereupon He sheltered you, and strengthened you with His succour, and provided for you sustenance out of the good things of life, so that you might have cause to be grateful.

  - Mohammad Asad

A reference to the weakness of the believers in the early days of Islam, before their exodus from Mecca to Medina. In its wider meaning, it is a reminder to every community of true believers, at all times, of their initial weakness and numerical insignificance and their subsequent growth in numbers and influence.

Call to mind how He gave you shelter when you were a few in number and were oppressed in the land, ever fearing lest the enemy would kidnap you. He made you strong with His help and provided you a safe asylum and gave you pure things for sustenance so that you may give thanks.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And remember, when ye were few and reckoned feeble in the land, and were in fear lest men should extirpate you, how He gave you refuge, and strengthened you with His help, and made provision of good things for you, that haply ye might be thankful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[Hence,] O you who have attained to faith, do not be false to God and the Apostle, and do not knowingly be false to the trust that has been reposed in you;²⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "do not be false to your trusts, the while you know". Regarding the deeper meaning of amanah ("trust"), see note [87] on 33:72 .

O believers! Do not betray the trust of Allah and His Rasool, nor violate your trusts knowingly.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O ye who believe! Betray not Allah and His messenger, nor knowingly betray your trusts.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and know that your worldly goods and your children are but a trial and a temptation, and that with God there is a tremendous reward.²⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

Inasmuch as love of worldly goods and a desire to protect one's family may lead a person to transgression (and, thus, to a betrayal of the moral values postulated in God's message), they are described as fitnah - which, in this context, is best rendered by the two words "trial and temptation". This reminder connects with verse {25} above, "beware of that temptation to evil which does not befall only those who are bent on denying the truth," since it is acquisitiveness and a desire to confer benefits on one's own family which often tempt an otherwise good person to offend against the rights of his fellow-men. It is to be borne in mind that, contrary to the New Testament, the Our'an does not postulate a contempt for worldly attachments as a pre-requisite of righteousness: it only demands of man that he should not allow these attachments to deflect him from the pursuit of moral verities.

You should know that your wealth and your children are, in fact, a test for you, and that Allah is He with Whom is your mighty reward.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And know that your possessions and your children are a test, and that with Allah is immense reward.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

O you who have attained to faith! If you remain conscious of God, He will endow you with a standard by which to discern the true from the false,²⁹ and will efface your bad deeds, and will forgive you your sins: for God is limitless in His great bounty.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., the faculty of moral valuation (Manar IX, 648). See also surah {2}, note [38].

O believers! If you fear Allah He will grant you a criterion (to judge between right and wrong), do away with your sins and forgive you. Allah is the Lord of Mighty Grace.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O ye who believe! If ye keep your duty to Allah, He will give you discrimination (between right and wrong) and will rid you of your evil thoughts and deeds, and will forgive you. Allah is of infinite bounty.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND [remember, O Prophet,] how those who were bent on denying the truth were scheming against thee, in order to restrain thee [from preaching], or to slay thee, or to drive thee away: thus have they [always] schemed:³⁰ but God brought their scheming to nought - for God is above all schemers.

  - Mohammad Asad

While the first sentence of this verse is a reference to the persecution to which the Prophet and his followers had been exposed in Mecca before their exodus to Medina, this concluding passage points to the ever-recurring fact of man's religious history that those who deny the truth of divine revelation are always intent on rendering its preachers powerless or destroying them, either physically or, figuratively, through ridicule.

Remember how the unbelievers plotted against you. They sought to take you captive or kill you or exile you. They planned - and Allah also planned - Allah is the best planner of all.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And when those who disbelieve plot against thee (O Muhammad) to wound thee fatally, or to kill thee or to drive thee forth; they plot, but Allah (also) plotteth; and Allah is the best of plotters.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall