English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)

by Maulana Muhammad Ali

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Chapter 8: Al-Anfal — Voluntary Gifts (Revealed at Madinah: 10 sections, 75 verses)

Section 2 (Verses 8:11–8:19): The Battle of Badr — Fighting

Translation:

اِذۡ یُغَشِّیۡکُمُ النُّعَاسَ اَمَنَۃً مِّنۡہُ وَ یُنَزِّلُ عَلَیۡکُمۡ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً لِّیُطَہِّرَکُمۡ بِہٖ وَ یُذۡہِبَ عَنۡکُمۡ رِجۡزَ الشَّیۡطٰنِ وَ لِیَرۡبِطَ عَلٰی قُلُوۡبِکُمۡ وَ یُثَبِّتَ بِہِ الۡاَقۡدَامَ ﴿ؕ۱۱﴾

8:11 When He made slumber fall on you as a security from Him, and sent down upon you water from the clouds that He might purify you with it,1 and take away from you the uncleanness of the devil, and that He might fortify your hearts and make firm (your) feet by it.2

اِذۡ یُوۡحِیۡ رَبُّکَ اِلَی الۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃِ اَنِّیۡ مَعَکُمۡ فَثَبِّتُوا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا ؕ سَاُلۡقِیۡ فِیۡ قُلُوۡبِ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوا الرُّعۡبَ فَاضۡرِبُوۡا فَوۡقَ الۡاَعۡنَاقِ وَ اضۡرِبُوۡا مِنۡہُمۡ کُلَّ بَنَانٍ ﴿ؕ۱۲﴾

8:12 When your Lord revealed to the angels: I am with you, so make firm those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. So strike above the necks and strike every finger-tip of them.3

ذٰلِکَ بِاَنَّہُمۡ شَآقُّوا اللّٰہَ وَ رَسُوۡلَہٗ ۚ وَ مَنۡ یُّشَاقِقِ اللّٰہَ وَ رَسُوۡلَہٗ فَاِنَّ اللّٰہَ شَدِیۡدُ الۡعِقَابِ ﴿۱۳﴾

8:13 This is because they opposed Allah and His Messenger. And whoever opposes Allah and His Messenger — then surely Allah is Severe in retribution.

ذٰلِکُمۡ فَذُوۡقُوۡہُ وَ اَنَّ لِلۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ عَذَابَ النَّارِ ﴿۱۴﴾

8:14 This — taste it, and (know) that for the disbelievers is the punishment of the Fire.

یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اِذَا لَقِیۡتُمُ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا زَحۡفًا فَلَا تُوَلُّوۡہُمُ الۡاَدۡبَارَ ﴿ۚ۱۵﴾

8:15 O you who believe, when you meet those who disbelieve marching for war, do not turn your backs to them.

وَ مَنۡ یُّوَلِّہِمۡ یَوۡمَئِذٍ دُبُرَہٗۤ اِلَّا مُتَحَرِّفًا لِّقِتَالٍ اَوۡ مُتَحَیِّزًا اِلٰی فِئَۃٍ فَقَدۡ بَآءَ بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ اللّٰہِ وَ مَاۡوٰىہُ جَہَنَّمُ ؕ وَ بِئۡسَ الۡمَصِیۡرُ ﴿۱۶﴾

8:16 And whoever turns his back to them on that day — unless manoeuvring for battle or turning to join a company — he indeed incurs Allah’s wrath and his refuge is hell. And an evil destination it is.

فَلَمۡ تَقۡتُلُوۡہُمۡ وَ لٰکِنَّ اللّٰہَ قَتَلَہُمۡ ۪ وَ مَا رَمَیۡتَ اِذۡ رَمَیۡتَ وَ لٰکِنَّ اللّٰہَ رَمٰی ۚ وَ لِیُبۡلِیَ الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ مِنۡہُ بَلَآءً حَسَنًا ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ سَمِیۡعٌ عَلِیۡمٌ ﴿۱۷﴾

8:17 So you did not kill them but Allah killed them, and you (O Prophet) did not strike when you struck (the enemy), but Allah struck (him),4 and that He might confer upon the believers a benefit from Himself.5 Surely Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

ذٰلِکُمۡ وَ اَنَّ اللّٰہَ مُوۡہِنُ کَیۡدِ الۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ ﴿۱۸﴾

8:18 This6 — and (know) that Allah will weaken the struggle of the disbelievers.

اِنۡ تَسۡتَفۡتِحُوۡا فَقَدۡ جَآءَکُمُ الۡفَتۡحُ ۚ وَ اِنۡ تَنۡتَہُوۡا فَہُوَ خَیۡرٌ لَّکُمۡ ۚ وَ اِنۡ تَعُوۡدُوۡا نَعُدۡ ۚ وَ لَنۡ تُغۡنِیَ عَنۡکُمۡ فِئَتُکُمۡ شَیۡئًا وَّ لَوۡ کَثُرَتۡ ۙ وَ اَنَّ اللّٰہَ مَعَ الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ ﴿٪۱۹﴾

8:19 If you sought a judgment, the judgment has indeed come to you; and if you cease (fighting), it is better for you. And if you return (to fighting), We (too) shall return and your forces will not avail you at all, though they may be many; and (know) that Allah is with the believers.

Commentary:

  1. Compare 25:25, which is a prophecy about the events of this remark­able battle: “And on the day when the heaven bursts apart with clouds, and the angels are sent down, as they are sent”. The rainfall brought many advantages to the Muslims, for which see the next footnote. ↩︎
  2. Before the rain fell the Muslim position was very weak. The enemy had the command of the water and the Muslims were in a low and sandy place. Therefore there were some who had misgivings, which, as is said here, were due to the devil’s uncleanness. The enemy having taken possession of the drinking-water, the Muslims feared being troubled by thirst, which is called the devil of the desert. The rain strengthened the position of the Muslims and consequently com­forted their hearts. This was a purification, for after the rainfall they all became certain of Divine help and so of their triumph over the enemy. ↩︎
  3. The two phrases, strike above the necks and strike the finger-tips, respectively signify the killing of the enemy and disabling him so as to render him unfit for taking further part in fighting. ↩︎
  4. Ramā carries a number of significances, including throwing, fling­ing, assailing and striking. It is used in connection with fighting, and there­fore striking is its equivalent here. The first part of the verse about killing refers to the Muslims generally, the address being in the plural; and the second part, being in the singular, is under­stood as referring to the Holy Prophet. The Muslims killed the enemy, but it is affirmed that really they did not kill, but it was Allah Who killed them; the meaning apparently being that Allah’s hand was working in the battle. The same applies to the other passage relating to the striking of the enemy by the Holy Prophet. Whether the Prophet actually threw a handful of pebbles at the enemy, which discomfited the latter, is a different question. It was Allah’s hand that killed them, and it was His hand that struck them and ultimately put them to rout. ↩︎
  5. The benefit spoken of here is a victory which strengthened the foundations of Islam, and dealt a death-blow to the evil designs of those who were determined to exterminate it, as is plainly stated in the next verse. ↩︎
  6. This here stands for: this was the Divine purpose in bringing about this encounter. ↩︎

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