النص المفهرس

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others among them, have said that this injunction was operative
during the early period of Islam when the law of the distribution of
spoils which is going to appear in the fifth section of this very verse
was yet to be revealed - because there spoils as a whole have been left
at the discretion of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم who was to dispose
them off as he wished. The detailed injunctions which appear later
enjoin that one-fifth of the entire spoils should be deposited in the
Bayt al-Mal (Treasury of the Muslim State) to cover the needs of
common Muslims, and the remaining four-fifth should be distributed
among Jihad participants under a particular law the details of which
appear in authentic Ahadith. This detailed statement abrogated the
first verse of Surah Al-Anfal - and some respected elders have stated
that there is no case of abrogation at this place. Instead, the difference
here is that of brevity and detail. The first verse of Surah Al-Anfal is
brief with its details appearing in verse 41. However, Fai' property the
injunctions about which have been taken up in Surah Al-Hashr (59) has
صلى الله عليه وسلم been placed totally at the disposal of the Holy Prophet
who may act as he wishes at his discretion. Therefore, when describing
وَمَا اشْكُمْ الرَّسُوْلُ فَخُذُوٌهُ وَمَا : the injunctions at that place, it has also been said
BAU RE KW (that is, 'and what the Messenger gives you take it, and
what he stops you from leave it - 59:7).
These details tell us that 'spoils' refers to properties which are
obtained through Jihad confrontation, and Fai' properties are what is
obtained without fighting and killing in Jihad. As for the word: al-
Anfal, it is used for both, whether the sense be general or particular,
and it is also used for the reward which is bestowed by the
Commander-in-Chief of Jihad on a Ghazi (living Muslim warrior of a
victorious Jihad force).
In this connection, there are four forms of giving awards to Ghazies
in Jihad which date back to the blessed times of the Holy Prophet :
1. That it is proclaimed that whoever kills an adversary will
become the owner of properties obtained from the soldier killed by
him. This property will just not be deposited with the rest of the
spoils.
2. That a group is taken out from the larger army and is sent on
Jihad to a particularly targeted area with the orders that the spoils

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obtained from that area will belong to the particular group sent there -
subject to the obligation that one-fifth of the property thus obtained
will be deposited in Bayt al-Mal (Treasury of the Muslim State) to be
used to cover the needs of common Muslims.
3. That a particular Ghazi is given something out of the one-fifth of
spoils deposited in the Bayt al-Mal in return for his distinct achieve-
ment by the Amir of Jihad under his discretion.
4. That a certain portion from the entire spoils is set aside to be
given as reward to the serving cadre of the Jihad force, such as those
who attend to the horses of Mujahidin and help them with their
chores. (Ibn Kathir)
The substance of the verse is: Addressing the Holy Prophet JI Lo
duy qle, Allah Ta'ala has said: People ask you about the spoils. You tell
them that the spoils are for Allah and the Messenger, that is, no one
holds a claim on them, or is their owner. Whatever the Messenger of
Allah decides under the command of Allah Ta'ala shall be the opera-
tive law.
Unity among People is Based on Taqwa
قَاتّقُوا اللَّه وَأَصْلِحُوا ذَاتَ بَيْنِكُمُ : In the last sentence of the verse, it was said
So, fear Allah, and set your relations right, and) وَاَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُوْلَةٌ إِنْ كُنْهُمْ مُؤُمِنِيْنَ
obey Allah and His Messenger, if you are believers). This is addressed
to the Companions of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. The reference is
to what happened at the battle of Badr when the noble Companions
had differed among themselves about the distribution of spoils and
which posed the danger that their mutual relations may become
strained. Through this verse, Allah Ta'ala has Himself settled the
matter of the distribution of spoils. Now, they are to retrain their
hearts for the better and set their relations right. The core of the
method proposed is Taqwa, the fear of Allah, the sense of being
responsible before Him.
Experience bears out that under the active influence of a heart
filled with the fear of Allah and 'Akhirah, major disputes get resolved
in no time and deep-rooted hatreds evaporate in thin air.
Therefore, after proposing the method of Taqwa in this verse, it
was said: " l'21 that is, 'set your relations right' through Taqwa.

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After that, it was further explained by saying: 32: 31 (and obey
Allah and His Messenger, if you are believers) that is, the obedience to
Allah and the Messenger should be total and perfect, if you are
believers. In other words, 'Iman (faith) demands Ita'ah (obedience) and
Ita'ah (obedience) is the outcome of Taqwa (the fear of Allah). When
people become the practitioners of these virtues, their mutual disputes
shall stand resolved automatically and hearts shall be filled with love
rather than hostility.
Verses 2-4
إِنَّا الْمُؤُمِنُوْنَ الَّذِيْنَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُؤُهُمْ وَ إِذَا تُلِيَتُ
عَلَيْهِمُ الْتُهُ زَادَتُهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَّلُونَ ﴿٢﴾ الَّذِيْنَ
يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَوةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقُّنْهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ ﴿ٌ﴾ أُولِكَ هُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
حَقَّاء لَهُمْ دَرَجُتُّ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقُّ كِرِمٌ ﴿٤﴾
Certainly, the believers are those whose hearts are
filled with fear when (the name of) Allah is mentioned;
and when His verses are recited before them, they
increase them in faith and in their Lord they place
their trust. [2] (They are) those who establish Salah, and
give away from what We have given them. [3] Those are
the believers in reality. For them there are high ranks
with their Lord, and forgiveness, and dignified provi-
sion. [4]
Commentary
Particular Attributes of the Believer
Described in the verses cited above are particular attributes which
should be the hallmark of every believer. The hint given here is that
every believer should keep checking on his or her physical and spiri-
tual condition and assess if these attributes are present in his or her
person. If they are, this calls for being grateful to Allah that He
blessed His servant with the attributes of true believers. And should it
be that none of these attributes is present there, or is weak or feeble
despite being present, then, one must either start being concerned
about acquiring them or making them stronger than what they are.
1

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The First Attribute : The Fear of Allah
The first attribute described here is:ْالَّذِيْنَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُم (those
whose hearts are filled with fear when {the name of} Allah is
mentioned -2). It means that their hearts are soaked in and brimming
with the realization of Allah's greatness and their love for Him. This
state of the heart demands that there be an attending aura of awe and
fear around it. This has been mentioned in another verse of the Qur'an
as a state which deserves glad tidings for all people of love: 32:30,55
ELfans! &WI (that is, give glad tidings to those humble and soft
people whose hearts are filled with fear when (the name of) Allah is
mentioned - Al-Hajj, 22:34). In both these verses, identified there is a
very special pre-requisite of the mention, thought and remembrance of
Allah (Dhikr) which is awe and fear. Then, in yet another verse, also
enumerated there is a particular property of Dhikrullah, that is: 3 9
¿Aus u (Listen! Hearts find peace through the remembrance of
Allah - Al-Ra'd, 13:28).
This tells us that the fear and awe mentioned in this verse are not
contrary to the peace and tranquility of the heart. For instance, the
fear of a beast or enemy disturbs one's peace of heart. But, the fear
which is generated in the heart as a result of the Dhikr of Allah is
totally different from that. Therefore, the word used here is not the
exact counterpart of 'fear.' It has been called: Je, (wajal) which does not
mean fear (khawf) in the absolute sense. Instead, it is the awe, a
respectful feeling of fear which emerges in the heart because of the
majesty of the most exalted. Some commentators have said that, at
this place, the mention and remembrance of Allah means that a
person was intending to commit some sin, but when he happened to
think of Allah, it made him scared of His punishment as a result of
which he turned away from that sin - under this situation, such a fear
would mean nothing but the fear of punishment. (Al-Bahr Al-Muhit)
The Second Attribute : Increase in 'Iman
The second attribute of the believer has been identified by saying:
'and when His verses are recited before him, they increase them in
faith.' What is the meaning of increase in faith? A meaning upon
which all scholars, commentators and Hadith experts agree is that
'Īman or faith does increase in strength, quality and light. It is also

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confirmed by experiment and observation that good deeds give
strength and stability to the state of one's faith. The heart is so laid
open to the acceptance of truth that good deeds become one's natural
habit; if he leaves them, he feels the pinch; and he develops in himself
a natural distaste for sin to the limit that he does not go even near
them. This is the great station of 'Iman, of faith which has been identi-
fied in Hadith by the term: The sweetness of 'Īman:
نشطت فى العبادة الاعضاء
واذاحلت الحلاوة قلبا
When the sweetness of 'Iman settles down in someone's heart
All parts of his body start relishing its taste in acts of worship!
In short, the verse puts the second attribute of a perfect believer
as: 'When the "Ayat of Allah Ta'ala are recited' - his faith should
become more pronounced in polish and progress, as well as in the
desire to do good deeds. This also helps us realize that the way
Muslims at large recite and listen to the Qur'an - paying no heed to the
due etiquette and reverence of the Qur'an nor having any idea of the
greatness of Allah Ta'ala - produces a recitation which is not what is
desired, and certainly not what could be expected to generate the best
of results, even if that too may not be devoid of thawab (reward).
The Third Attribute : Trust in Allah
The third attribute of a believer identified here is that he or she
should place their trust in Allah. The Arabic word: Tawakkul means
trust. The sense is that the believer should have total trust in Allah,
One and Pure, free of all conceivable associations and ascriptions, not
simply theoretically, but in deeds too, and in all states and conditions
صلى الله عليه وسلم of one's life as well. In a sound Hadith, the Holy Prophet
has said: This does not mean that one should abandon material causes
and means when it comes to taking care of one's legitimate needs. The
point is that one should not consider material means and instruments
as sufficient for real success, instead of which, one should do his best,
subject to his ability and courage, to assemble and utilize necessary
material means. It is only after that one should entrust his matter
with Allah Ta'ala believing that He is the One who has created all
means and He is certainly the One who makes means to bear fruits.
What would come to be has to be what He wills. In another Hadith, he
said : اجملوا فى الطلب وتوكلوا عليه It means: Make a moderate effort to procure

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what you need through material means, and then place your trust in
Him. In other words, do not let your heart and mind get bogged down
with nothing but material ways and means.
The Fourth Attribute : Establishment of Salah
The fourth attribute of the believers has been described as: '(They
are) those who establish Salah.' At this point, it is worth keeping in
mind that the text is not talking about making, saying, offering or
performing Salah, instead, what has been mentioned here is Iqamah of
Salah. Literally, Iqamah means 'to make something stand straight.'
The sense of Iqamah (translated as 'establish' in absence of a precise
equivalent) is that one should carry out the obligation of Salah with
the fullest consideration for its etiquette and relevant conditions,
exactly as explained and demonstrated by the Holy Prophet Le Jn
, through his word and deed. If there is any shortcoming in
observing the etiquette, and conditions, you may call it the saying or
making of Salah, but you cannot call it the Iqamah or establishment of
Salah. As for the benefits, effects and blessings of Salah mentioned in
the Holy Qur an :ِإِنَّ الصَّلَوةَ تَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالمُنُكَر (of course, Salah stops from
immodesty and sinfulness - Al-'Ankabut, 29:45) those too depend on
nothing but the proper establishment (Iqamah) of Salah as due. When
the etiquette of Salah has not been observed as due, the Salah would
though be counted as permissible as far as Fatwa or juristic ruling is
concerned, but the blessings of Salah will be reduced to the measure of
shortcoming in observing it - and in some situations one may be totally
deprived of these blessings.
The Fifth Attribute: Spending in the Way of Allah
The fifth attribute of a believer, as stated in the verse, is that they
spend in the way of Allah out of what Allah has provided them with.
This 'spending in the way of Allah' is general. It is inclusive of all char-
itable spendings (Sadaqat and Khairat), endowments (Waqf) and gifts
and grants to relatives. Also included under this category are Islamic
legal obligations such as Zakah and the Sadaqatul-Fitr, and voluntary
charities, donations and contributions (Nafl Sadaqat and Tabarru'at) as
well as any financial assistance amiably provided to guests, friends
and respected elders.
After describing these five virtues of the model believer, it was

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said: & g2A,i (Those are the believers in reality) - that is, they
are the same, outwardly and inwardly, they say what is there in their
اَشْهَدُ أَنُ لَّ إِلهَ إِلَّ اللّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَتَّدًا وَّسُولُ:heart, otherwise, there are those who say
JJ (I testify that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah and I
testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah) which is only verbal
as far as it goes. Their hearts do not throb with belief in the Oneness
of Allah, nor do they have the passion for obedience to His prophet.
What they do contradicts what they say. There is a hint in the verse
which points out that every truth has its reality and unless you get to
that reality, you cannot arrive at the truth.
Someone asked the famous Hasan al-Basri: 'O Abu Sa'id, are you a
believer?' He said: 'Brother, there are two kinds of 'Iman (faith). If you
are asking whether or not I am a believer in Allah Ta'ala and His
angels, Books and Messengers, and in Paradise and Hell, and in the
accounting and retribution of the Last Day, then, my answer is: Of
course, I am a believer. And if you are asking whether or not I am the
perfect believer mentioned in the verses of Surah Al-Anfal, then, I just
do not know whether or not I am one of those. The verses of Surah Al-
Anfal referred to here are the same verses the discussion of which is
before you right now.
After having described the attributes and marks of true believers
in the verses cited above, it was said:ٌُلَهُمُ دَرَجْتٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ تَّرِزُقٌّ حَرِي (For
them there are high ranks with their Lord, and forgiveness, and digni-
fied provision).
Promised here are three things: (1) high ranks, (2) forgiveness and
(3) dignified provision.
According to Tafsir Al-Bahr Al-Muhit, the attributes of true
Muslims mentioned in the previous verses are of three kinds: (1) Those
which relate to one's heart, the inward human dimension, such as,
belief in Allah, fear of Allah and trust in Allah. (2) Those which relate
to physical deeds, such as, Salah etc., and (3) Those which relate to
one's wealth, such as, spending in the way of Allah.
Counter-poised against these three kinds, three rewards have been
mentioned. High ranks have been set against inward and spiritual
attributes; forgiveness has been placed against deeds which are

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related to outward human physique, like Salah and Sawm. Salah, as in
Hadith, becomes the Kaffarah (expiation) of sins. Finally, 'dignified
provision' has been set against spending in the way of Allah, that is,
one would get what is much better and much more than what one has
spent in the mortal life.
Verses 5 - 6
كَمَا آَخْرَجَكَ رَبُّكَ مِنْ بَيْتِكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَإِنَّ قَرِيْقًا ◌ِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ
لَكُرِهُوْنَ ﴿٥) يُجَادِ لُؤْنَكَ فِى الْحَقِّ بَعْدَ مَا تَبَيَّنَ كَاَنَّمَا
يُسَاقُونَ إِلَى الْمُؤَتِ وَهُمْ يَنْظُرُونَ ﴿٦﴾
It is like when your Lord made you leave your home for
the sake of truth, while a group from the believers
were averse to it; [5] they were disputing with you
about the truth after it became clear, as if they were
being driven to a death being seen by them. [6]
Commentary
It has already been stated at the beginning of the Surah that most
of the subjects taken up in Surah Al-Anfal relate to the retribution and
punishment which visited the disbelievers and polytheists, and to the
favour shown and reward given to Muslims. Also, described there as a
corollary are injunctions which provide for both parties necessary
lessons and advices. Out of what had transpired between them, the
first and the most important event was that of the battle of Badr in
which the polytheists were defeated, suffering heavy losses in men and
materials, despite the support of military hardware, numbers and
strength at their disposal - and Muslims were blessed with a great
victory despite their overall lack of men and materials. Beginning from
the verse cited above, there appears in this Surah a detailed descrip-
tion of the battle of Badr.
The Battle of Badr : A Detailed Description
The first verse mentions that some Muslims did not like to take
the risk of initiating and advancing for Jihad on the occasion of Badr.
But, when Allah Ta'ala commanded the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to
initiate the Jihad through His special decree, those who had disliked
the idea came along with him. The phraseology of the Qur'an

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employed to state this situation is worth consideration from many
angles.
First of all, the verse begins with: agassits (It is like when your
Lord made you leave ... ). Here the word: " (kama) is a word used for
comparison. Now, the point is what is being compared here, and with
what? Commentators have given various interpretations possible here.
Abu Hayyan has reported fifteen such statements. Out of these, three
are more likely as probable:
1. The simile aims to state that the way the Companions had
encountered some mutual difference at the time of the distribution of
spoils obtained from the battle of Badr, then, they all obeyed the
command of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم under Divine decree, and
its blessings and good results became manifest before them - similarly,
at the beginning of this Jihad, there was an expression of dislike from
some people, then, it was under Divine decree that everyone obeyed
and the beneficial outcome and superb rewards it brought in its wake
were witnessed by everyone openly. This interpretation is credited to
Farra' and al-Mubarrad (Al-Bahr Al-Muhit). Maulana Ashraf A'li Thanavi
has preferred the same view in Tafsir Bayan al-Qur'an.
2. The second probable interpretation is that a promise of 'high
ranks, forgiveness and dignified provision' in the Hereafter was made
for true believers in previous verses (4). In these verses, the fact of this
promise being certain was described in a manner which pointed out
that - though the promise due to be fulfilled in the Hereafter is not yet
openly visible for eyes to see, but the promise of Divine help and
victory does stand fulfilled in the case of the battle of Badr all too
manifestly. So, take your lesson from here and be certain that the way
this promise has been fulfilled right here in this mortal world, so it
shall be with the promise of the Hereafter - that too shall come to be
definitely fulfilled. (Tafsir al-Qurtubi with reference to Al-Nahhas)
3. The third probability is what Abu Hayyan states after having
reported fifteen interpretative positions taken by commentators. He
says: I was not comfortable with any of these positions. One night,
pondering over this verse, I went to sleep. Then, I saw in a dream that
I am going somewhere and there is a person with me. I am discussing
this verse with him and I am telling him that I have never faced a
.

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difficulty similar to what I have faced in the case of the words of this
verse. It seems that there is an elision of some word here. Then, all of
a sudden, right there within the dream sequence, it transpired into my
heart that the elision here is that of the word: ara (nasaraka : He
helped you). This I liked and so did the other person I was talking to in
the dream. When I woke up, I thought about it. My difficulty was all
gone since, in this situation, the word:'kama' has not been used for
comparison, instead, it has been used for the statement of cause. Thus,
the verse comes to mean that the cause of the very special help and
support given to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم by Almighty Allah on
the occasion of the battle of Badr was that he did what he did in this
Jihad, not by some wish or discretion of his own, but by remaining
obedient to the Divine Command exclusively. It was under His
Command that he left his home and what happened thereafter should
have happened precisely as it did - and it always does - that Divine
support accompanies such a person.
Nevertheless, in this sentence of the verse, all these three mean-
ings are probable and sound. Next, let us consider why the Holy
صلى الله عليه وسلم Qur'an has elected not to mention that the Holy Prophet
came out for this Jihad on his own. Instead of that, the text states:
'your Lord made you leave.' Embedded here is a hint towards the
perfect servitude and obedience of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . It
signifies that his act is, in reality, the act of God which issues forth
from the parts of his body - as it appears in an Hadith al-Qudsi
wherein the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is reported to have said: When
a servant of Allah is blessed with nearness to Allah through obedience
and servitude, Allah says about him (or her): 'I become his eye. What
he sees, he sees through Me. I become his ears. What he hears, he
hears through Me. I become his hands and feet. Whomsoever he grips,
he overpowers through Me and towards whomsoever he walks, he
walks through Me.' The essential outcome is that a very special help
and support from the most exalted Allah accompanies him all along. It
means that the acts which obviously seem to issue forth from his eyes
and ears or hands and feet are, in reality, the workings of the power of
Allah.
To sum up, it is by the use of the word: Egi (akhrajaka : made you

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leave), a clear indication has been given that the act of the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in coming out for Jihad was really the act of God
which made him leave, though manifested through his deed.
Also worth noticing here is that the text chooses to say: aras1
(your Lord made you leave) which mentions Allah Almighty with His
attribute of being the Rabb, the Nurturer and Sustainer of all. This
points out to the fact that the act of making him leave for this Jihad
was undertaken as required by the majesty of the Supreme Nurturer
and Sustainer and in the interest of teaching and training His prophet
and the Muslim community through him. The reason is that, through
this arrangement, the oppressed and subdued Muslims were to be
made victorious and the arrogant and unjust disbelievers were to be
subjected to their first taste of punishment.
The next phrase: dwg means 'from your home.' The sense of the
sentence is: 'Your Lord made you leave your home.' According to the
majority of commentators, this 'home' means the home in Madinah, or
the fair city of Madinah itself where he came to live after Hijrah - for
the event of Badr took place during the second year of Hijrah. Then, by
adding the expression: su (bil-haqq) translated as: 'for the sake of
truth,' it has been made very clear that the entire action has been
initiated to see that truth prevails and the false stands frustrated.
Thus, also established here is that this action has not been triggered
because of hunger of land or anger of monarch, as customary with
other states.
At the conclusion of the verse, it was said : ◌َوَإِنَّ فَرِيقًا مِّنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَكُرِهُون (while
a group from the believers were averse to it). The sense is that a group
from among the Muslims took the idea of this Jihad to be burdensome
and unpleasant. How and why the noble Companions came accross
this unpleasant situation is something which needs to be understood.
In fact, not only to understand the present statement but to fully
understand verses which will soon follow, it is appropriate to first find
out the initial circumstances and causes of the battle of Badr. So, let
us first go to what happened at the battle of Badr.
According to the report of the event as narrated by Ibn 'Uqbah and
Ibn 'Amir, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم heard the news in Madinah
that Abu Sufyan was on his way to Makkah al-Mu azzamah with a

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trading caravan carrying merchandise from Syria and that all
Quraysh tribes of Makkah were partners in this business venture.
According to the statement of Ibn 'Uqbah, there was no Quraysh man
or woman in Makkah who did not hold a share in this venture. If
someone had even one mithqal (approximately 4.50 gr.) of gold, he or
she had still taken a share in it. As for the total invested capital of this
trade caravan, it was fifty thousand dinars - as reported by Ibn 'Uqbah.
Dinar is a gold coin which weighs approximately 4.50 grams. According
to current (1970) market rates for gold, it is equal to Rupees fifty two
and the value of the total capital of the caravan comes to Rupees
twenty six lakhs Let us bear in mind that these rupees are not what
we know them to be now. Instead, they are twenty six lakhs1 which
belong to a period 1400 years behind us - which, it goes without
saying, had value and strength of its own, much higher than twenty
six crores 2 of our time. It is interesting to note that seventy strong
youngmen and their chiefs accompanied this trade caravan to manage
the security and business concerns of the enterprise. This tells us that
this trade caravan was, in real terms, a trading corporation of the
Quraysh of Makkah.
On the authority of narrations from Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas as JI,
and others, Al-Baghawi reports that there were forty Quraysh chiefs
among the mounted force accompanying the caravan, with 'Amr ibn al-
'As and Mukhramah ibn Nawfal being noteworthy among them. Then,
it is also established that the strongest base of power the Quraysh had
was no other but this very trading activity and the financial support of
the capital which backed it. In fact, this was their seemingly innocent
weapon with which they had harassed and compelled the Holy Prophet
to leave Makkah. In this background, when the Holy صلى الله عليه وسلم
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم came to know about the return of this trading
caravan after their visit to Syria, it occured to him that this was the
time to confront the caravan and break the main source of strength
the Quraysh had. He consulted his Companions. But, these were the
days of Ramadan. They had made no battle plans in advance. So, some
of them supported the idea readily and courageously, but some others
were a little hesitant. Under this situation, he too did not make partic-
1.$ 48,148
2. $ 4,81,481

162
Surah Al-Anfal : 8 : 5 - 6
ipation in this Jihad compulsory for all. Instead, he ordered that those
who have a ride should go with him. At that time, there were many
people who stayed behind unable to go on Jihad. As for those who
wanted to go, their rides were in the adjoining villages. They sought
permission to go and bring their rides before they could go with him.
But, there was not much time to wait. Therefore, the order given was
that only those who have their rides with them and do wish to go on
Jihad should get ready to go. There was no time left to summon rides
from outside. Therefore, only a few participants who were ready to go
could be assembled together. As for those who did not intend to go
from the very outset, that too was caused by the absence of a general
call for Jihad. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had not made participa-
tion in this Jihad obligatory on everyone. Then, people thought that
they were to handle a trade caravan, not an army which could need a
matching force of fighters. Therefore, a fairly large number of the
Companions did not take part in this Jihad.
After reaching Bi'r Suqya, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ordered
Qays ibn Şa'sa'ah e July», to count the number of mujahidin with him.
He counted and told him that they were three hundred and thirteen.
Hearing that, he was delighted. He said, "This is the number of the
companions of Talut.1 Therefore, this is a good omen, that of victory.'
The noble Companions had a total of seventy camels with them. There
was one camel for every three of them. They would ride turn by turn.
This applied to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم as well. Besides him,
there were two other riding partners in the one camel alloted to them.
.رضى الله عنه and Sayyidna 'All رضى الله عنه They were Sayyidna Abu Lubabah
When came his turn to walk, they would submit: 'You ride. We shall do
the walking for you.' The reply he gave was - as it would be from the
one created to be mercy for all creation: 'Neither are you stronger than
me, nor am I needfree of the reward of the Hereafter that I let you
have the chance of earning a little thawab for myself!' Therefore,
when it was his turn to walk, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم too used
to walk.
On the other hand, someone reached as far as 'Ain al-Zarqa', a
well-known place in Syria and passed on information to Abu Sufyan,
1. An Israeli King (Saul). See for details v.1, p. 627, 628

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Surah Al-Anfal : 8 : 5 - 6
the leader of the trade caravan, that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is
waiting for the caravan and will definitely come after them. Abu
Sufyan made necessary precautionary arrangements to meet the
threat. When this caravan entered Hijaz, he picked up an intelligent
and effecient agent known as Damdam (s) ibn 'Umar, gave him 20
mithqal of gold (about 90 grams) as his wages, and made him agree to
rush to Makkah on a speedy camel, and tell them about the danger the
caravan apprehended from the companions of the Prophet of Islam.
To proclaim the danger, Damdam ibn 'Umar followed the particular
custom of that time, cut off the ears and the nose of his she-camel, tore
off his shirt from the front and the back and placed the camel-litter or
seat upside down on the back of the camel. These signs served as
danger bells during those days. When he entered Makkah in that
style, the entire city was electrified. Everyone from the Quraysh was
ready to put up a defence. Those who could go out to fight went out
personally and those who were unable to do so for some reason, they
arranged for someone to go and fight in their behalf. Thus, it was
within three days that they had an armed force with necessary
support ready to march.
When they noticed someone hesitating from participating in this
battle, they suspected them, taking them to be pro-Muslim. Therefore,
they particularly forced such people to come out and fight. There were
others who professed Islam openly but were unable to migrate due to
their personal compulsions. Having no choice, they had just stayed out
in Makkah. These people too - as well as anyone from the family of
Banu Hashim about whom it was suspected that he had his sympa-
thies with Muslims - they were all cornered and goaded to come out for
this fight. Right there among these helpless people, there was Sayy-
idna 'Abbas رضى الله عنه, the uncle of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, and
the two sons of Abu Talib namely Talib and 'Aqil also.
Thus, this Makkan army which had one thousand armed men, two
hundred horses, six hundred coats of mail, female war-song chanters
and their drums marched out to Badr. On every stage of their journey,
ten camels were slaughtered to feed them.
On the other side, it was on Saturday, the 12th of Ramadan that
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم moved out of Madinah with prepara-

164
Surah Al-Anfal : 8 : 5 - 6
tions good enough to confront a trade caravan. After covering several
stages, when he reached close to Badr, he sent an advance reconnai-
sance party of two men to gather information about the caravan of Abu
Sufyan. (Mazharī)
The informers came back with the report that Abu Sufyan's
caravan being aware of the coming of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in
hot pursuit after them had passed by keeping close to the sea shore,
and that an army of one thousand men was coming from Makkah to
give cover to the caravan and fight the Muslims off. (Ibn Kathir)
As obvious, this information changed all plans as projected. Given
the gravity of the situation, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم went into
consultation with his Companions to determine whether or not they
have to fight against this advancing army. Sayyidna Abu Ayyub al-
Ansari a Algo, and some other Companions submitted that they do
not have the necessary force to fight against them, nor have they come
out there for that purpose. Thereupon, Sayyidna Abu Bakr Le JI,
rose and pledged his obedience to whatever the Messenger of Allah
decided. Then, rose Sayyidna 'Umar Jl », pledging his obedience to
him and his readiness for Jihad in the same spirit. Finally, it was
Sayyidna Miqdad as Al za, who stood up and said:
'Ya Rasul Allah! Go by the command of Allah you have been
given and enforce it. We are with you. By Allah, we shall
never say to you what was said to Sayyidna Musa WI ule by
the Bani Israil: ◌َفَاذْهَبُ أَنْتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلا إِنَّا هُهْنَا فَعِدُون (Go, you and your
Lord, and fight. As for us, we are sitting right here - 5:24). By
the Being that has sent you with the true faith, if you were to
take us as far as Bark al-Ghamad in Ethiopia, we shall follow
you to fight there.'
The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was very pleased. He made prayers
for them. But, an expression of support was yet to come from the
Ansar which seemed to point out to the probability that the pledge of
help and support given to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم by the Ansar
of Madinah was limited to and valid within the city of Madinah, and
that they were not bound to extend their support for areas outside
Madinah. Therefore, he addressed the gathering once again asking
them to advise him whether or not he should take the initiative in this

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Surah Al-Anfal : 8 : 5 - 6
Jihad. This address was beamed at the Ansar. Sayyidna Sa'd ibn
Mu'adh al-Ansari as Al », got the point and asked him: 'Ya Rasul
Allah! Are you asking us?' He said: 'Yes.' Sayyidna Sa'd ibn Mu'adh
then submitted:
'Ya Rasul Allah! We have believed in you and we have testi-
fied that everything you say is all true, and we have given
solemn pledges to you that we shall obey you under all condi-
tions. Therefore, enforce whatever command you have been
given by Allah Ta'ala. By the Being that has sent you with the
true faith, if you take us into the sea, we shall go with you
into the sea and no one from among us shall lag behind you. It
is all right for us if you were to take us as soon as tomorrow
and throw us against the enemy. We strongly hope that Allah
Ta'ala will have you witness conditions generated by our
deeds, conditions which would become the delight of your
eyes. Take us wherever you wish in the name of Allah.'
The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was pleased with the response and
ordered the group of Mujahidin to march forward with the name of
Allah. And to them he gave the good news that Allah Ta'ala has prom-
ised him that they shall overcome one of the two groups. The two
groups mentioned here mean: One, the trade caravan of Abu Sufyan;
and the other, this army coming from Makkah. Then, he said: 'By
Allah, it is as if I am seeing the killing fields of disbelievers with my
own eyes.' (This whole event has been taken from Tafsir Ibn Kathir and Mazhari)
Explanation of Verses in the Light of the Details of the Event
After having heard the details of the event, let us go back to the
verses cited above. That it has been said in the first verse (5): 35 uns sur
33KAJ ml (while a group from the believers was averse to this Jihad) is
actually a hint towards the state of mind which some noble Compan-
ions were in while being consulted on the advisability of waging Jihad
and to which they seemed to be averse or not courageous enough to
undertake it.
Then, the same event has been alluded to in the second verse (6):
they were disputing with you) يُجَادِ لُؤُنَكَ فِى الْحَقِّ بَعْدَ مَا تَبَيِّنَ كَمَا يُسَاقُوْنَ إِلَى الْموَّتِ وَهُمْ يَنْظُرُوْنَ
about the truth after it became clear, as if they were being driven to a
death being seen by them).

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Surah Al-Anfal : 8 : 7 - 10
Though the noble Companions had not disobeyed any command
given to them - in fact, what they had done was a certain expression of
their weakness and lack of courage as part of their response when
consulted. But, even such expression of personal opinion coming from
the Companions of the Messengers of Allah when juxtaposed with the
high station they were blessed with was unwelcome in the sight of
Allah Ta'ala. Therefore, it was set forth in words which spell out
displeasure.
Verses 7 - 10
وَإِذْ يَعِدُكُمُ اللهُ إِحْدَى الظَّاِفَتَيْنِ أَنَّهَا لَكُمْ وَتَوَدُّوْنَ آَنَّ غَيْرَ
ذَاتِ الشّوْكَةِ تَكُونُ لَكُمْ وَيُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَنْ تُحِقَّ الْحَقَّ بِکَلِمُتِهِ
وَيَقْطَعَ دَابِرَ الْكُفِرِينَ ﴿٢﴾ لِيُحِقَّ الْحَقَّ وَيُبْطِلُ الْبَاطِلَ وَ
لَؤُكّرَةَ الْمُجْرِمُونَ ﴿٩٨ إِذْ تَسْتَغِيْنُوْنَ رَبَّكُمْ فَاسْتَجَابَ لَكُمْ
إِنِّى مُحَدَّكُمُ بِالْفٍ ◌ِنَ الْمَلِكَةِ مُرُدِفِيْنَ ﴿٤﴾ وَمَا جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَّ
بُشْرِى وَلِتَظْمَبِنَّ بِهِ قُلُؤْمُكُمْ، وَمَا النَّصْرُ إِلَّ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ،
إِنَّ اللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيْمُ ﴿١٠)
And when Allah was promising you that one of the two
groups was for you, and you were wishing that the
unarmed one be for you. And Allah wanted to establish
the truth through His words and to cut off the very
root of the disbelievers, [7] so that He proves the truth
to be true and falsehood to be false, even to the dislike
of the sinners. [8]
When you were calling your Lord for help, so He
responded to you (saying): "I am going to support you
with one thousand of the angels, one following the
other." [9]
And Allah has made it (the promise) just to give you a
good news, and so that your hearts might be at rest
thereby. And the help is from none but Allah. Surely,
Allah is Mighty, Wise. [10]
Commentary
The verses cited above describe the event of Badr and point out to

167
Surah Al-Anfal : 8 : 7 - 10
blessings which descended upon Muslims in the form of Divine help
and support during the Battle.
In the first (7) and the second (8) verses, it has been stated that at
the time the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the noble Companions got
the information that a virtual army of the Quraysh has already left
Makkah to give a security cover to their trade caravan, Muslims found
that they now have two groups to deal with. One of the two was the
trade caravan which has been called: ('ir) in relevant narrations.
The other one was this very armed group which had dashed out from
Makkah and which has been called: „& (nafir). According to the state-
ment given in the verse, that was the time when Allah Ta'ala had
made a promise to His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم - and to all Muslims
through him - to the effect that they will totally overcome one of the
two groups so much so that they would be able to deal with it as they
wished.
Now, it is obvious that overcoming a trade caravan was easy and
danger-free while dealing with an armed force was fraught with all
sorts of difficulties and dangers. Therefore, after hearing this seem-
ingly ambiguous promise, it occured to many Companions, that it
would be convenient if the Divine promise, made to Muslims that they
would overcome one of the two groups, were to be about the group
which was simply an unarmed trading caravan. But, the Holy Prophet
and many of his leading Companions intended otherwise صلى الله عليه وسلم
as Divinely guided and settled for overcoming an armed force as the
better choice.
In this verse, Muslims seeking to overcome an unarmed group
have been warned that they, on their part, preferred to overcome an
unarmed trading caravan in view of their tilt towards personal
convenience and a danger-free option. But, Allah Ta'ala intended it to
be otherwise so that the real objective of Islam stands achieved, that
is, truth gets to be established as the ultimate truth and the very root
of disbelievers is cut off. It is obvious that this objective could be
achieved only when the confrontation is against an armed force and
Muslims overwhelm and overpower them.
In substance, what Muslims are being chastised for is their choice
of an option which was laced with timidity, desire to relax, and was a

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Surah Al-Anfal : 8 : 7 - 10
thing of temporal benefit. Contrary to that, the intention made by
Allah Ta'ala was based on high determination, great objectives and
benefits which were perfect and eternal. Then, in the second verse (8),
it was further clarified by saying that there was nothing outside the
power and control of Allah Ta'ala. If He had so willed, Muslims would
have truimphed over the trading caravan, but He deemed it compat-
ible with the station and majesty of the Messenger of Allah de Jul L
that the confrontation رضى الله عنهم أجمعين and his noble Companions وسلم
should be against the armed force which should result in their
conquest, so that it becomes all too clear that truth is, after all, the
truth and that falsehood is, after all, nothing but falsehood.
Noteworthy at this point is the question that Allah Ta'ala is All-
Knowing, All-Aware and certainly cognizant of the beginning and the
end of everything. What then was the expedient consideration behind
this ambiguous promise - that Muslims will overcome any one of the
two groups? It seems possible that He could have pinpointed one group
precisely and said that such and such group will be overtaken.
The reason for this ambiguity - and Allah knows best - seems to be
that this was designed to be a test of the noble Companions to deter-
mine whether they opt for the easy, or the difficult. Then, this was
part of their moral training as well - through which they were taught a
lesson in high determination, in the struggle for great objectives and
in how not to be scared of impending dangers.
Described in the third (9) and fourth (10) verses is what happened
after Muslims stood combat ready against their armed opponents.
When the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم saw that he has only three
hundred and thirteen Companions by his side - and that too being
mostly unarmed - and arrayed against them there was an armed force
composed of one thousand strong men, then, he raised his hands of
prayer before Allah Jalla thana'uh seeking his help and support. As he
prayed, the noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all,
said: 'Am in' (Amen : So be it). Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas as Al,
has reported the words of this du'a (prayer) made by the Holy Prophet
:as given below in its translation صلى الله عليه وسلم
"O Allah, let the promise You have made to me come true
now. O Allah, if this modest group of Muslims were to perish,

169
Surah Al-Anfal : 8 : 7 - 10
then, on Your earth, there shall remain no one to worship
You. (because, the earth is full of kufr and shirk and left here
are these few Muslims who worship Allah as due)."
The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم kept busy with his du'a, beseeching
earnestly and plaintively so much so that the sheet wrap around his
shoulders slided down. Sayyidna Abu Bakr s Jl , stepped forward
and put the sheet back on his blessed body and said to him: 'Ya Rasul
Allah, please worry no more. Allah Ta'ala will surely respond to your
prayer and fulfill His promise.'
This is the event referred to in the opening statement: ' 5;2.25 31
(when you were calling your Lord for help) of verse 9. It means that
'worth remembering is the time when you were calling your Lord and
appealing for His help and support.' This appeal for help was though
from the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in fact but, since all Companions
by his side were saying 'Am in' (So be it), therefore, the statement was
attributed to the whole group.
Immediately after, there appears the statement which describes
فَاسْتَجَابَ لَكُمْ أَنِّئٌ مُمِدَّكُمْ بِاَلُفِ :how this prayer has been answered. The words are
si Kal se (so he responded to you [saying]: 'I am going to support you
with one thousand of the angels, one following the other' - 9)
The unmatched power with which Allah Ta'ala has blessed angels
can be gauged from the event which transpired at the time the part of
earth on which the people of Sayyidna Lut صلى الله عليه وسلم lived was over-
turned upside down. This was done by Angel Jibra'il with just one flick
of his feather. So, there was no need to send such a large number of
angels to participate in the combat - even one would have been more
than enough. But, Allah Ta'ala knows the nature of His servants as
they also get impressed with numbers. Therefore, the promise of
sending angels was kept synchronized with the numbers of the adver-
sary in the combat, so that their hearts are put at rest fully and
comprehensively.
The fourth verse (10) restates this aspect explicitly by saying: '
It means: 'Allah has done it only to give you glad اللَّهُ إِلّ بُهُرَى وَلِتَطْمَبِنَّ بِهِ قُلُوبُكُمْ
tidings and so that your hearts might be at rest thereby.'
The number of angels sent to support Muslims in the battle of