Tafsir Surah Al-Anfal ayah 18 | Learn Quran Tafsir

Allah's Signs displayed during Badr, And throwing Sand in the Eyes of the Disbelievers

Allah states that He creates the actions that the servants perform and that whatever good actions they take, it is He Who should be praised for them, for He directed and helped them perform these actions.

Allah said,

فَلَمۡ تَقۡتُلُوهُمۡ وَلَـكِنَّ اللّهَ قَتَلَهُمۡ

You killed them not, but Allah killed them.

meaning, it is not because of your power and strength that you killed the pagans, who were many while you were few. Rather, it is He Who gave you victory over them, just as He said in another Ayah,

وَلَقَدۡ نَصَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ بِبَدۡرٍ وَأَنتُمۡ أَذِلَّةٌ

And Allah has already made you victorious at Badr, when you were a weak little force. (3:123)

and,

لَقَدۡ نَصَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ فِى مَوَاطِنَ كَثِيرَةٍ وَيَوۡمَ حُنَيۡنٍ إِذۡ أَعۡجَبَتۡكُمۡ كَثۡرَتُكُمۡ فَلَمۡ تُغۡنِ عَنكُمۡ شَيۡياً وَضَاقَتۡ عَلَيۡكُمُ الَارۡضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتۡ ثُمَّ وَلَّيۡتُم مُّدۡبِرِينَ

Truly, Allah has given you victory on many battlefields, and on the day of Hunayn when you rejoiced at your great number, but it availed you naught and the earth, vast as it is, was straitened for you, then you turned back in flight. (9:25)

Allah, the Exalted and Ever High, states that victory does not depend on numbers or collecting weapons and shields. Rather, victory is from Him, Exalted He is.

كَم مِّن فِيَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتۡ فِيَةٍ كَثِيرَةً بِإِذۡنِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ مَعَ الصَّـبِرِينَ

How often has a small group overcome a mighty host by Allah's leave!"" And Allah is with the patient. (2:249)

Allah then mentioned the handful of sand that His Prophet threw at the disbelievers during the day of Badr, when he went out of his bunker. While in the bunker, the Prophet invoked Allah humbly and expressing his neediness before Allah. He then threw a handful of sand at the disbelievers and said,

شَاهَتِ الۡوُجُوه

(Humiliated be their faces).

He then commanded his Companions to start fighting with sincerity and they did. Allah made this handful of sand enter the eyes of the idolators, each one of them were struck by some of it and it distracted them making each of them busy.

Allah said,

وَمَا رَمَيۡتَ إِذۡ رَمَيۡتَ وَلَـكِنَّ اللّهَ رَمَى

And you threw not when you did throw, but Allah threw.

Therefore, it is Allah Who made the sand reach their eyes and busied them with it, not you (O Muhammad).

وَلِيُبۡلِيَ الۡمُوۡمِنِينَ مِنۡهُ بَلء حَسَناً

that He might test the believers by a fair trial from Him.

Muhammad bin Ishaq said that Muhammad bin Jafar bin Az-Zubayr narrated to him that Urwah bin Az-Zubayr said;

""So that the believers know Allah's favor for them by giving them victory over their enemy, even though their enemy was numerous, while they were few. They should thus know His right and express gratitude for His favor on them.""

Similar was said by Ibn Jarir.

It is stated in a Hadith,

وَكُلَّ بَلَءٍ حَسَنٍ أَبۡلَنَا

Every trial (from Allah) is a favor for us.

Allah said next,

إِنَّ اللّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

Verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

Allah hears the supplication and knows those who deserve help and triumph.

Allah said,

ذَلِكُمۡ وَأَنَّ اللّهَ مُوهِنُ كَيۡدِ الۡكَافِرِينَ

This (is the fact) and surely Allah weakens the deceitful plots of the disbelievers.

This is more good news, aside from the victory that the believers gained. Allah informed them that He will weaken the plots of the disbelievers in the future, degrade them and make everything they have perish and be destroyed, all praise and thanks are due to Allah

The Response to the Disbelievers Who ask for a Judgement

Allah says to the disbeliever,

إِن تَسۡتَفۡتِحُواۡ

If you ask for a judgement,

you invoked Allah for victory, judgement and a decision between you and your believing nemesis, and you got what you asked for.

Muhammad bin Ishaq and several others reported from Az-Zuhri from Abdullah bin Thalabah bin Suayr who said that;

Abu Jahl said on the day of Badr, ""O Allah! Whichever of the two camps (pagans and Muslims) severed the relation of the womb and brought us what is not familiar, then destroy him this day.""

This Ayah was later on revealed,

إِن تَسۡتَفۡتِحُواۡ فَقَدۡ جَاءكُمُ الۡفَتۡحُ

If you ask for a judgement, then now has the judgement come unto you, until the end of the Ayah.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abdullah bin Thalabah said,

""Abu Jahl asked for (Allah's judgment) when he said upon facing the Muslims, `O Allah! Those among us who severed the relations of the womb and brought forth what we do not recognize, then destroy him this day.""'

This was also recorded by An-Nasa'i in the Book of Tafsir (of his Sunan) and Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, and he said, ""It is Sahih according to the criteria of the Two Sheikhs, and they did not record it.""

Similar statements were reported from Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Yazid bin Ruwman and several others.

As-Suddi commented,

""Before the idolators left Makkah for Badr, they clung to the curtains covering the Ka`bah and supplicated to Allah for victory, `O Allah! Give victory to the exalted among the two armies, the most honored among the two groups, and the most righteous among the two tribes.'

Allah revealed the Ayah,

إِن تَسۡتَفۡتِحُواۡ فَقَدۡ جَاءكُمُ الۡفَتۡحُ

If you ask for a judgement, then now has the judgement come unto you.

Allah says here, `I accepted your supplication and Muhammad gained the victory.""'

Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said;

""This is Allah the Most High's answer to their supplication;

وَإِذۡ قَالُواۡ اللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَـذَا هُوَ الۡحَقَّ مِنۡ عِندِكَ

And (remember) when they said:""O Allah! If this is indeed the truth from you.."" (8:32)

Allah said next,

وَإِن تَنتَهُواۡ

and if you cease...

from your disbelief and rejection of Allah and His Messenger,

فَهُوَ خَيۡرٌ لَّكُمۡ

it will be better for you,

in this life and the Hereafter.

Allah said,

وَإِن تَعُودُواۡ نَعُدۡ

and if you return, so shall We return...

This is similar to another Ayah,

وَإِنۡ عُدتُّمۡ عُدۡنَا

but if you return (to sins), We shall return (to Our punishment). (17:8)

meaning, `if you persist in your disbelief and misguidance, We shall repeat the defeat that you suffered,'

وَلَن تُغۡنِيَ عَنكُمۡ فِيَتُكُمۡ شَيۡيًا وَلَوۡ كَثُرَتۡ

and your forces will be of no avail to you, however numerous they be...

for even if you gather whatever forces you can, then know that those whom Allah is with cannot be defeated,

وَأَنَّ اللّهَ مَعَ الۡمُوۡمِنِينَ

and verily, Allah is with the believers.

in reference to the Prophet's group, the side of the chosen Messenger."

Al-Anfal: 18

Ayah

Translation

Tafsir

Al-Anfal: 18