Surah 8. Al-Anfal

Behold, those who are bent on denying the truth are spending their riches in order to turn others away from the path of God; and they will go on spending them until they become [a source of] intense regret for them; and then they will be overcome! And those who [until their death] have denied the truth shall be gathered unto hell,

  - Mohammad Asad

Surely the unbelievers spend their wealth in blocking the way of Allah and so will they continue to spend; but in the end these very efforts will become the cause of their regrets; at length they will be defeated, and in the hereafter these unbelievers will be gathered together and driven to hell,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! those who disbelieve spend their wealth in order that they may debar (men) from the way of Allah. They will spend it, then it will become an anguish for them, then they will be conquered. And those who disbelieve will be gathered unto hell,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

so that God might separate the bad from the good, and join the bad with one another, and link them all together [within His condemnation], and then place them in hell. They, they are the lost!

  - Mohammad Asad

in order that Allah may separate the filthy from the pure. He will heap the filthy one upon another, altogether, and then cast them into hell. They are the ones who will be the losers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

That Allah may separate the wicked from the good. The wicked will He place piece upon piece, and heap them all together, and consign them unto hell. Such verily are the losers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Tell those who are bent on denying the truth that if they desist,³⁷ all that is past shall be forgiven them; but if they revert [to their wrongdoing], let them remember what happened to the like of them in times gone by.³⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., from their endeavour to turn others way from the path of God and from waging war against the believers.

Lit., "the example (sunnah) of the people of old times has already come to pass": an allusion to the disasters that have overtaken, and are bound to overtake, those who persistently deny moral truths.

O Prophet, tell the unbelievers that if they desist from unbelief their past shall be forgiven; but if they persist in sin, let them reflect upon the fate of their forefathers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Tell those who disbelieve that if they cease (from persecution of believers) that which is past will be forgiven them; but if they return (thereto) then the example of the men of old hath already gone (before them, for a warning).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And fight against them until there is no more oppression and all worship is devoted to God alone.³⁹ And if they desist - behold, God sees all that they do;⁴⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., until man is free to worship God. Cf. the identical phrase in 2:193 , and the corresponding note. Both these passages stress self-defence - in the widest sense of this word - as the only justification of war.

I.e., He knows their motives, and will requite them according to their merits.

O believers, fight them until there is no more mischief and the Deen of Allah (way of life prescribed by Allah) is established completely; but if they do stop from mischief, then surely Allah is observant of all their actions.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is all for Allah. But if they cease, then lo! Allah is Seer of what they do.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and if they turn away [from righteousness], know that God is your Lord Supreme: [and] how excellent is this Lord Supreme, and how excellent this Giver of Succour!

  - Mohammad Asad

If they give no heed, then you should know that Allah is your protector. He is the best to protect and the best to help.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And if they turn away, then know that Allah is your Befriender, a transcendent Patron, a transcendent Helper!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND KNOW that whatever booty you acquire [in war], one-fifth thereof belongs to God and the Apostle, and the near of kin, and the orphans, and the needy, and the wayfarer.⁴¹ [This you must observe] if you believe in God and in what We bestowed from on high upon Our servant on the day when the true was distinguished from the false - the day when the two hosts met in battle. And God has the power to will anything.⁴²

  - Mohammad Asad

According to verse {1} of this surah, "all spoils of war belong to God and the Apostle", i.e., are to be administered by the authorities of an Islamic state in the interests of the common weal. Most of the great Islamic jurists are of the opinion that whereas four-fifths of all spoils may either be distributed among those who actively took part in the war effort or may be otherwise utilized for the welfare of the community, one-fifth must be reserved for the specific purposes enumerated in the above verse, including a share "for God and the Apostle" (which is obviously a metonym for a government that rules in accordance with the laws of the Qur'an and the teachings of God's Apostle); this latter share is to be used for the exigencies of state administration. Since a full discussion of this complex juridical problem would go far beyond the scope of these explanatory notes, the reader is referred, in particular, to Manar X, 4ff., where the views of the classical exponents of Islamic jurisprudence are summarized. - For the term ibn as-sabil occurring in this verse, see surah {2}, note [145]. By "the near of kin and the orphans" apparently the relatives of fallen combatants are meant in this context.

I.e., "He can grant you victory or can withhold it from you". The battle of Badr is described here as "the day when the true was distinguished from the false" (yawm al-furqan) because on that occasion a small and poorly armed group of believers utterly destroyed an infinitely better equipped army more than three times its number. The revelation referred to in this connection was God's promise of victory, given in verses {12-14} of this surah. (See also note [38] on 2:53 .)

Know that one-fifth of the booty (spoils of war) is for Allah, His Rasool, close relatives of the Rasool, orphans, the needy and the wayfarer, if you do believe in Allah and in what We revealed to Our servant on the day of distinction (between right and wrong), the day when two armies met in combat. Allah has power over everything.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And know that whatever ye take as spoils of war, lo! a fifth thereof is for Allah, and for the messenger and for the kinsmen (who hath need) and orphans and the needy and the wayfarer; if ye believe in Allah and that which We revealed unto Our slave on the Day of Discrimination, the day when the two armies met. And Allah is Able to do all things.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[Remember that day] when you were at the near end of the valley [of Badr], and they were at its farthest end, while the caravan was below you.⁴³ And if you had known that a battle was to take place, you would indeed have refused to accept the challenge:⁴⁴ but [the battle was brought about nonetheless,] so that God might accomplish a thing [which He willed] to be done,⁴⁵ [and] that he who would perish might perish in clear evidence of the truth, and that he who would remain alive might live in clear evidence of the truth.⁴⁶ And, behold, God is indeed all-hearing, all-knowing.

  - Mohammad Asad

Before the beginning of the battle, the Prophet and his followers were encamped in the northern part of the valley of Badr, nearest to Medina, while their enemies, having come from Mecca, occupied its southern part. The Meccan trade caravan, coming from Syria under the leadership of Abu Sufyan, was in the meantime proceeding southwards through the coastal lowlands (see introductory note to this surah).

This is a very free rendering of the elliptic phrase which runs, literally, thus: "And if you had mutually made an appointment, you would indeed have failed to keep the appointment" - i.e., for battle. As already mentioned in the introductory note to this surah, most of the Prophet's followers had been under the impression that their objective was the relatively weak trade caravan, and some of them were dismayed at finding themselves face to face with the powerful Quraysh army advancing from the south.

According to all the commentators, the words interpolated by me between brackets are implied in this highly elliptical sentence. Literally translated, its last words might be rendered as "a thing that was [already] done": meaning that if God decrees a thing, it must inevitably come about, and may therefore be described as already done.

Some of the great commentators understand this sentence in a metaphorical sense, with "destruction" signifying persistence in denying the truth (kufr), and "life" being synonymous with faith. According to this interpretation, the above sentence would have the following meaning: "... so that the denial of the truth on the part of him who has denied it, and the faith of him who has attained to it, might become clearly evident" (Zamakhshari); or "let him who is bent on denying the truth go on denying it after this clear evidence of God's will, and let him who has attained to belief go on believing" (Ibn Ishaq, as quoted by Ibn Kathir). In my opinion, however, it is preferable to interpret the references to death and life in their prima-facie (that is, not metaphorical) sense - namely, as applying to the death or survival of all who took part in the battle of Badr, believers and unbelievers alike: the believers who fell in that battle died conscious of being martyrs in God's cause, and those who survived could now clearly discern God's hand in their victory; while the dead among the deniers of the truth had clearly given their lives for nothing, and those of them who survived must now realize that their crushing defeat was due, in the last resort, to something infinitely greater than the valour of the Muslims (cf. verse {17}, and the corresponding notes).

Remember when you were on this side of the valley and they on the farther side, and the caravan was on lower ground than you both. If you had made a mutual appointment to fight, you would have certainly failed; but Allah sought to accomplish what He has ordained, that those who were destined to perish might die by clear proof and those who were destined to live might survive by clear proof. Surely, Allah is He Who hears all and knows all.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

When ye were on the near bank (of the valley) and they were on the yonder bank, and the caravan was below you (on the coast plain). And had ye trysted to meet one another ye surely would have failed to keep the tryst, but (it happened, as it did, without the forethought of either of you) that Allah might conclude a thing that must be done; that he who perished (on that day) might perish by a clear proof (of His sovereignty) and he who survived might survive by a clear proof (of His sovereignty). Lo! Allah in truth is Hearer, Knower.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Lo! God showed them to thee in a dream as few:⁴⁷ for, had He shown them to you as many, you would surely have lost heart, and would surely have disagreed with one another about what to do.⁴⁸ But God saved [you from this]: verily, He has full knowledge of what is the hearts [of men].

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "in thy dream" - obviously relating to a dream which the Prophet had had just before the encounter at Badr. We have no authentic Tradition to this effect, but the tabi'i Mujahid is quoted as having said, "God had shown the enemies to the Prophet, in a dream, as few; he informed his Companions accordingly, and this encouraged them greatly" (Razi and Ibn Kathir, with minor variants).

Lit., "about the matter" - i.e., about the advisability of giving battle or retreating.

Also remember that Allah made them appear in your dream as few in number; if He had shown them to you as many in number, you would surely have been discouraged and you would have disputed in your decision. But Allah saved you; surely He knows the very secrets of the hearts.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

When Allah showed them unto thee (O Muhammad) in thy dream as few in number, and if He had shown them to thee as many, ye (Muslims) would have faltered and would have quarrelled over the affair. But Allah saved (you). Lo! He knoweth what is in the breasts (of men).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And so, when you met in battle, He made them appear as few in your eyes - just as He made you appear as of little account in their eyes - so that God might accomplish a thing [which He willed] to be done:⁴⁹ for all things go back to God [as their source].

  - Mohammad Asad

See note [45] above. Since at the time of the actual encounter the Muslims could no longer be in doubt as to the great number of the enemy force, the phrase "He made them appear as few in your eyes" has obviously a metaphorical meaning: it implies that, by that time, the Prophet's followers were so full of courage that the enemy appeared insignificant to them. The Quraysh, on the other hand, were so conscious of their own power and numerical superiority that the Muslims appeared but of little account to them - a mistake which ultimately cost them the battle and a great number of lives.

And remember when you met them in the encounter, He showed them to you as few in number in your eyes and He made you appear as a few in number in their eyes so that Allah might accomplish what He had ordained: for ultimately all affairs return to Allah for decision.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And when He made you (Muslims), when ye met (them), see them with your eyes as few, and lessened you in their eyes, (it was) that Allah might conclude a thing that must be done. Unto Allah all things are brought back.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[Hence,] O you who have attained to faith, when you meet a host in battle, be firm, and remember God often, so that you might attain to a happy state!

  - Mohammad Asad

O believers! When you encounter an enemy in a combat, be firm and frequently remember Allah so that you may be successful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O ye who believe! When ye meet an army, hold firm and think of Allah much, that ye may be successful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And pay heed unto God and His Apostle, and do not [allow yourselves to] be at variance with one another, lest you lose heart and your moral strength desert you.⁵⁰ And be patient in adversity: for, verily, God is with those who are patient in adversity.

  - Mohammad Asad

The relevant word is rih, which literally signifies "wind"; it is used metaphorically to denote "spirit" or "moral strength".

Obey Allah and His Rasool and do not argue with one another, lest you lose courage and weaken your strength. Show patience, surely Allah is on the side of the patient.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And obey Allah and His messenger, and dispute not one with another lest ye falter and your strength depart from you; but be steadfast! Lo! Allah is with the steadfast.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And be not like those [unbelievers] who went forth from their homelands full of self-conceit and a desire to be seen and praised by men:⁵¹ for they were trying to turn others away from the path of God - the while God encompassed all their doings [with His might].

  - Mohammad Asad

A reference to the Quraysh army which set forth from Mecca under the leadership of Abu Jahl in the conviction that they would destroy the Prophet and his followers. These words imply a warning to the believers, of all times, never to go to war boastfully and for the sake of empty glory.

Do not be like those who started from their homes recklessly and in order to be seen by everybody and debar others from the Way of Allah. Allah encompasses all their actions.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Be not as those who came forth from their dwellings boastfully and to be seen of men, and debar (men) from the way of Allah, while Allah is surrounding all they do.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And, lo, Satan made all their doings seem goodly to them, and said, "No one can overcome you this day, for, behold, I shall be your protector!"⁵² - but as soon as the two hosts came within sight of one another, he turned on his heels and said, "Behold, I am not responsible for you: behold, I see something that you do not see: behold, I fear God - for God is severe in retribution!"⁵³

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "your neighbour" - an expression derived from the ancient Arabian principle that a man is honour-bound to aid and protect his neighbours.

This allegory of Satan's blandishments and of his subsequent abandonment of the sinner occurs, in a more general form, in 59:16 .

Remember when Shaitan made their actions seem attractive to them, and said: "No one from mankind can overcome you today, for I will be at hand to help you." Yet when the two armies came within sight of each other he turned upon his heels saying: " I am done with you, for I can see what you cannot. I fear Allah, for Allah is severe in punishment.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And when Satan made their deeds seem fair to them and said: No one of mankind can conquer you this day, for I am your protector. But when the armies came in sight of one another, he took flight, saying: Lo! I am guiltless of you. Lo! I see that which ye see not. Lo! I fear Allah. And Allah is severe in punishment.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

At the same time, the hypocrites and those in whose hearts was disease were saying, "Their faith has deluded these [believers]!"⁵⁴ But he who places his trust in God [knows that], verily, God is almighty, wise.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., into thinking that in spite of their numerical weakness and lack of arms, they could withstand the powerful Meccan army. The term din, often denoting "religion", obviously stands here for the attitude one has towards his religion: in another word, one's faith. "Those in whose hearts was disease" is a reference to the vacillating and faint-hearted among the Prophet's followers, who were afraid of meeting the Quraysh in battle. - The particle idh which introduces this sentence has often the meaning of "when"; in this case, however, it signifies "at the same time".

At that time the hypocrites and all those who had malice in their hearts were saying: "Their religion has deceived them." But you should know that anyone who puts his trust in Allah will find Allah Mighty, Wise.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

When the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease said: Their religion hath deluded these. Whoso putteth his trust in Allah (will find that) lo! Allah is Mighty, Wise.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND IF thou couldst but see [how it will be] when He causes those who are bent on denying the truth to die: the angels will strike their faces and their backs,⁵⁵ and [will say]: "Taste suffering through fire

  - Mohammad Asad

Or: ".. . when the angels gather in death those who were bent on denying the truth, they strike...", etc. - depending on whether one attributes the pronoun in yatawaffa to the angels, which gives the reading "they gather [them] in death", or to God, in which case it means "He causes [them] to die" (Zamakhshari and Razi). - The beating of the sinners' faces and backs is, according to Razi, an allegory of their suffering in the life to come in consequence of their having denied the truth while alive in this world: "They have utter darkness behind them and utter darkness before them - and this is the meaning of the words, '[the angels] strike their faces and their backs'." Most of the commentators assume that this passage refers specifically to the pagan Quraysh who fell in the battle of Badr; but while it undoubtedly does apply to them, there is no reason, in my opinion, to restrict its import to this particular historical event - especially in view of the subsequent passages (up to and including verse {55}), which obviously refer to all who are "bent on denying the truth".

If you could only see the angels when they were taking away the souls of the killed unbelievers! They were smiting their faces and their backs saying: "Taste the torment of the conflagration!

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

If thou couldst see how the angels receive those who disbelieve, smiting their faces and their backs and (saying): Taste the punishment of burning!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

in return for what your own hands have wrought - for, never does God do the least wrong to His creatures!"

  - Mohammad Asad

This is the punishment for what your hands have sent forth; for Allah is never unjust to His servants."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

This is for that which your own hands have sent before (to the Judgment), and (know) that Allah is not a tyrant to His slaves.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[To them shall happen] the like of what happened to Pharaoh's people and those who lived before them: they denied the truth of God's messages - and so God took them to task for their sins. Verily God is powerful, severe in retribution!

  - Mohammad Asad

This was the same that happened to the people of Fir'on (Pharaoh) and to those that had gone before them. They also rejected the revelations of Allah and Allah seized them for their sins. Surely Allah is Mighty and severe in punishment.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

(Their way is) as the way of Pharaoh's folk and those before them; they disbelieved the revelations of Allah, and Allah took them in their sins. Lo! Allah is Strong, severe in punishment.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

This, because God would never change⁵⁶ the blessings with which He has graced a people unless they change their inner selves:⁵⁷ and [know] that God is all-hearing, all-seeing.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., withdraw.

For an explanation of the wide implications of this statement in the context of the law of cause and effect which God has decreed on His creation (and which is described elsewhere in the Qur'an as sunnat Allah, "the way of God"), see my note on the phrase "God does not change men's condition unless they change their inner selves" occurring in 13:11 .

That is because Allah has never changed the blessings which He has bestowed on a people until they themselves changed the condition of their souls; verily Allah hears all and knows all.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

That is because Allah never changeth the grace He hath bestowed on any people until they first change that which is in their hearts, and (that is) because Allah is Hearer, Knower.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[To those sinners shall happen] the like of what happened to Pharaoh's people and those who lived before them: they gave the lie to their Sustainer's messages - and so We destroyed them in return for their sins, and caused Pharaoh's people to drown: for they were evildoers all.

  - Mohammad Asad

This same principle was applied to the people of Fir'on and those who have gone before them, they rejected the revelations of their Rabb so We destroyed them for their sins, and We drowned the people of Fir'on; they were all wrongdoers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

(Their way is) as the way of Pharoah's folk and those before them; they denied the revelations of their Lord, so We destroyed them in their sins. And We drowned the folk of Pharaoh. All were evil doers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Verily, the vilest creatures in the sight of God are those who are bent on denying the truth and therefore do not believe.⁵⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. verse {22} of this surah, where the same epithet is applied to human beings "who do not use their reason". In the present instance, it should be noted, the particle fa at the beginning of the phrase fa-hum la yu'minun has the meaning of "and therefore" ("and therefore they do not believe"): thus showing that lack of belief in spiritual verities is a consequence of one's being "bent on denying the truth". Expressed in positive terms, this amounts to the statement that belief in any ethical proposition depends on one's readiness to consider it on its merits and to admit the truth of whatever one's mind judges to be in conformity with other empirically or intuitively established truths. As regards the expression alladhina kafaru, the use of the past tense is meant here, as so often in the Qur'an, to stress the element of intention, and is, therefore, consistently rendered by me - wherever the context warrants it - as "those who are bent on denying the truth" (see also surah {2}, note [6]).

The worst of animals in the sight of Allah are those who reject the truth and do not become believers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! the worst of beasts in Allah's sight are the ungrateful who will not believe;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall