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The relevant word is rih, which literally signifies "wind"; it is used metaphorically to denote "spirit" or "moral strength".
A fine description of the Muslim virtues which make for success and whose loss brings about humiliation and failure. "Power": literally, "wind",-the favourable wind for a sailing ship.
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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.
A true description of the Makkan army which met its doom.
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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 .
It is the way with the leaders of evil, when they find their cause lost, that they wash their hands of their followers and leave them in the lurch. They see more clearly than their dupes. They are not simpletons: they know the consequences of the wrath of Allah. Satan's "fear" of Allah is terror combined with hatred,-the very opposite of the feeling which is described in Taqwa viz., the desire to avoid doing anything against Allah's will, such desire being founded on trust in Allah and the love of Allah.
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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".
Cf. ii. 10 "disease in the heart." Trust in Allah brings its own reward: our eyes are opened, and we see how great, good, and wise is the Cherisher of the Worlds. Others may sneer and despise. But the blessing of Allah keeps our minds fresh and our hearts contented.
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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".
In contrast to the taunt against those who trust in Allah, "that their religion has misled them," is shown the terrible punishment, after death, of those who laughed at Faith.
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The punishment is shown to be due to their own deeds of wrong, because Allah is never unjust to the least of His servants.
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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 .
Allah bestows His grace freely, but He never withdraws it arbitrarily. Before He changes their state and circumstances, an actual state of rebellion and contumacy has arisen in their own souls, which brings about its inevitable punishment.
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Note that in verse 51, the words were that they rejected the Signs of Allah and were punished: here the words are that they treated the Signs as false and were destroyed:-a higher degree of guilt deserved a severer punishment.
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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]).
In viii. 22 we were warned against "the worst of beasts in the sight of Allah", who do not make use of their faculties of hearing, speaking and understanding, in the service of Allah, and in fact misuse their faculties to blaspheme Allah. The same brute creatures are shone here in another light: they are faithless both to Allah and man.
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Lit., "every time". The covenants referred to are agreements between the Muslim community and non-Muslim political groupments. Although this passage is addressed, in the first instance, to the Prophet, the "thou" relates here to every follower of the Qur'an and, thus, to the Muslim community of all times. With the above verse, the discourse returns to the subject of war with unbelievers to which most of this surah is devoted. The reference to the unbelievers' "breaking their covenants" has two implications: firstly, that the establishment of covenants (i.e. of peaceful relations) with non-Muslims is not only permissible but, in fact, desirable (cf. verse {61}); and, secondly, that the Muslims may resort to war only if and when the other party is openly hostile to them.
The immediate occasion was the repeated treachery of the Banu Quraiza after their treaties with the Muslims. But the general lesson remains, as noted in the two following verses. Treachery in war is doubly wrong, for it endangers so many lives. Such treachery should be punished in such a way that it gets no chance again. Not only the actual perpetrators but those who follow their standard should be rendered powerless. And the broken treaty should be denounced so that the innocent party can at least fight on equal terms. From actual physical warfare we can carry the same lesson to spiritual warfare. A truce or understanding is possible with those who respect definite principles, not with those who have no principles and are merely out for oppression and wickedness. A) The purpose of the verse is to urge Muslims to act against their enemies described above with a severity and resoluteness which would serve as a deterrent to other enemies of Islam who might be inclined to follow their example and act treacherously towards Muslims.
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Lit., "put to flight, by means of them, those who come after them"; or "terrify through them those who follow them": i.e., "fight against them and inflict an exemplary punishment on them".
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The "reason to fear treachery" must not, of course, be based on mere surmise but on clear, objective evidence (Tabari, Baghawi, Razi; also Manar X, 58).
I.e., "renounce the covenant in an equitable manner ('ala sawa')". Tabari explains this sentence thus: "Before making war on them, inform them that because of the clear evidence of their treachery thou hast renounced the treaty which existed between thee and them, so that both thou and they should know that thou art at war with them." Baghawi, in his commentary on this verse, gives an almost identical interpretation and adds, "so that they should not be under the false impression that thou hast renounced the treaty after having started the war." Thus, the concluding sentence of this verse - "God does not love the treacherous" - is a warning to the believers as well as to their enemies (Manar X, 58 f.).
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Lit., "that they have outstripped".
Who survived the Battle of Badr.
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Lit., "tethering of horses" (ribat al-khayl): an expression which signifies "holding in readiness mounted troups at all points open to enemy invasion (thughur)"; hence, tropically, the over-all maintenance of military preparedness.
Lit., "God's enemy and your enemy" - implying that every "enemy of God" (i.e., everyone who deliberately opposes and seeks to undermine the moral laws laid down by God) is, eo ipso, an enemy of those who believe in Him.
I.e., of resources, efforts and sacrifice of life.
The immediate occasion of this injunction was the weakness of cavalary and appointments of war in the early fights of Islam. But the general meaning follows. In every fight, physical, moral, or spiritual, arm yourself with the best weapons and the best arms against your enemy, so as to instil wholesome respect into him for you and the Cause you stand for.
There are always lurking enemies whom you may not know, but whom Allah knows. It is your duty to be ready against all, for the sacred Cause under whose banner you are fighting.
Be always ready and put all your resources into your Cause. You do not do so in vain. Allah's reward will come in various forms. He knows all, and His reward will always be more generous than you can possibly think of.
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