English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 8: Al-Anfal — Voluntary Gifts (Revealed at Madinah: 10 sections, 75 verses)
Section 8 (Verses 8:59–8:64): Peace to be Secured by Strength
Translation:
وَ لَا یَحۡسَبَنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا سَبَقُوۡا ؕ اِنَّہُمۡ لَا یُعۡجِزُوۡنَ ﴿۵۹﴾
8:59 And those who disbelieve should not think that they can outstrip (Us). Surely they cannot escape.
وَ اَعِدُّوۡا لَہُمۡ مَّا اسۡتَطَعۡتُمۡ مِّنۡ قُوَّۃٍ وَّ مِنۡ رِّبَاطِ الۡخَیۡلِ تُرۡہِبُوۡنَ بِہٖ عَدُوَّ اللّٰہِ وَ عَدُوَّکُمۡ وَ اٰخَرِیۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِہِمۡ ۚ لَا تَعۡلَمُوۡنَہُمۡ ۚ اَللّٰہُ یَعۡلَمُہُمۡ ؕ وَ مَا تُنۡفِقُوۡا مِنۡ شَیۡءٍ فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ یُوَفَّ اِلَیۡکُمۡ وَ اَنۡتُمۡ لَا تُظۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿۶۰﴾
8:60 And make ready for them whatever force you can and horses tied at the frontier, to frighten thereby the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them, whom you do not know — Allah knows them.1 And whatever you spend in Allah’s way, it will be paid back to you fully and you will not be wronged.
وَ اِنۡ جَنَحُوۡا لِلسَّلۡمِ فَاجۡنَحۡ لَہَا وَ تَوَکَّلۡ عَلَی اللّٰہِ ؕ اِنَّہٗ ہُوَ السَّمِیۡعُ الۡعَلِیۡمُ ﴿۶۱﴾
8:61 And if they incline to peace, you (must) incline to it also, and trust in Allah. Surely He is the Hearer, the Knower.
وَ اِنۡ یُّرِیۡدُوۡۤا اَنۡ یَّخۡدَعُوۡکَ فَاِنَّ حَسۡبَکَ اللّٰہُ ؕ ہُوَ الَّذِیۡۤ اَیَّدَکَ بِنَصۡرِہٖ وَ بِالۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۶۲﴾
8:62 And if they intend to deceive you, then surely Allah is sufficient for you.2 He it is Who strengthened you with His help and with the believers,
وَ اَلَّفَ بَیۡنَ قُلُوۡبِہِمۡ ؕ لَوۡ اَنۡفَقۡتَ مَا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ جَمِیۡعًا مَّاۤ اَلَّفۡتَ بَیۡنَ قُلُوۡبِہِمۡ وَ لٰکِنَّ اللّٰہَ اَلَّفَ بَیۡنَہُمۡ ؕ اِنَّہٗ عَزِیۡزٌ حَکِیۡمٌ ﴿۶۳﴾
8:63 and He has united their hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allah united them. Surely He is Mighty, Wise.
یٰۤاَیُّہَا النَّبِیُّ حَسۡبُکَ اللّٰہُ وَ مَنِ اتَّبَعَکَ مِنَ الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ ﴿٪۶۴﴾
8:64 O Prophet, Allah is sufficient for you and those who follow you from the believers.
Commentary:
- Muslims had won a victory at Badr, though they were not even well-equipped and had made no preparation for the war. But they are told that they must in future keep themselves well prepared and avail themselves of all sources of strength, so that the enemy should by their very preparedness assume a peaceful attitude. It was evident that the weakness of the Muslims was a temptation for their opponents to attack them. ↩
- The deceit is in relation to what has been said in the previous verse, the meaning being that if they intend to deceive you under the cloak of peace, even in such a case peace is to be accepted. ↩