Al-Anfal 8:24
The Spoils of War · Juz 9 · Page 179
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱسۡتَجِيبُواْ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمۡ لِمَا يُحۡيِيكُمۡۖ وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيۡنَ ٱلۡمَرۡءِ وَقَلۡبِهِۦ وَأَنَّهُۥٓ إِلَيۡهِ تُحۡشَرُونَ ٢٤
O you who have believed, respond to Allāh and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that Allāh intervenes between a man and his heart and that to Him you will be gathered.
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Commentary on 8:24
The Command to answer and obey Allah and His Messenger
Al-Bukhari said,
اسْتَجِيبُواْ
"(Answer), obey,
لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ
(that which will give you life) that which will make your affairs good." Al-Bukhari went on to narrate that Abu Sa`id bin Al-Mu`alla said, "I was praying when the Prophet passed by and called me, but I did not answer him until I finished the prayer. He said,
«مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَأْتِيَنِي؟ أَلَمْ يَقُلِ اللَّهُ:
(What prevented you from answering me Has not Allah said:
يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اسْتَجِيبُواْ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ
(O you who believe! Answer Allah and (His) Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life)' He then said:
«لَأُعَلِّمَنَّكَ أَعْظَمَ سُورَةٍ فِي الْقُرآنِ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَخْرُج»
(I will teach you the greatest Surah in the Qur'an before I leave.) When he was about to leave, I mentioned what he said to me. He said,
الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَلَمِينَ
(All the praises and thanks are to Allah, the Lord of all that exists...) 1:1-7.
«هِيَ السَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي»
(Surely, it is the seven oft-repeated verses.)"' Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated that Muhammad bin Ja`far bin Az-Zubayr said that `Urwah bin Az-Zubayr explained this Ayah,
يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اسْتَجِيبُواْ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ
(O you who believe! Answer Allah and (His) Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life,) "Answer when called to war (Jihad) with which Allah gives you might after meekness, and strength after weakness, and shields you from the enemy who oppressed you."
Allah comes in between a Person and His Heart
Allah said,
وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ
(and know that Allah comes in between a person and his heart.)
Ibn `Abbas commented, "Allah prevents the believer from disbelief and the disbeliever from faith." Al-Hakim recorded this in his Mustadrak and said, "It is Sahih and they did not record it." . Similar was said by Mujahid, Sa`id, `Ikrimah, Ad-Dahhak, Abu Salih `Atiyyah, Muqatil bin Hayyan and As-Suddi. In another report from Mujahid, he commented;
يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ
(...comes in between a person and his heart.) "Leaves him without comprehension," As-Suddi said, "Prevents one self from his own heart, so he will neither believe nor disbelieve except by His leave." There are several Hadiths that conform with the meaning of this Ayah. For instance, Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas bin Malik said, "The Prophet used to often say these words,
«يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِك»
(O You Who changes the hearts, make my heart firm on Your religion.) We said, `O Allah's Messenger! We believed in you and in what you brought us. Are you afraid for us' He said,
«نَعَمْ، إِنَّ الْقُلُوبَ بَيْنَ إِصْبَعَيْنِ مِنْ أَصَابِعِ اللهِ تَعَالَى يُقَلِّبُهَا»
(Yes, for the hearts are between two of Allah's Fingers, He changes them (as He wills).)"
This is the same narration recorded by At-Tirmidhi in the Book of Qadar in his Jami' Sunan, and he said, "Hasan." Imam Ahmad recorded that An-Nawwas bin Sam`an Al-Kilabi said that he heard the Prophet saying,
«مَا مِنْ قَلْبٍ إِلَّا وَهُوَ بَيْنَ أُصْبُعَيْنِ مِنْ أَصَابِعِ الرَّحْمَنِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يُقِيمَهُ أَقَامَهُ وَإِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يُزِيغَهُ أَزَاغَه»
(Every heart is between two of the Fingers of the Most Beneficent (Allah), Lord of all that exists, if He wills, He makes it straight, and if He wills, He makes it stray.)
And he said:
«يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِك»
(O You Who changes the hearts! keep my heart firm on Your religion) And he would say;
«وَالْمِيزَانُ بِيَدِ الرَّحْمنِ يَخْفِضُهُ وَيَرْفَعُه»
(The Balance is in the Hand of Ar-Rahman, He raises and lowers it.)
This was also recorded by An-Nasai and Ibn Majah.
Page 179
8:17
فَلَمۡ تَقۡتُلُوهُمۡ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَتَلَهُمۡۚ وَمَا رَمَيۡتَ إِذۡ رَمَيۡتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَمَىٰ وَلِيُبۡلِيَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ مِنۡهُ بَلَآءً حَسَنًاۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٞ ١٧
And you did not kill them, but it was Allāh who killed them.1 And you threw not, [O Muḥammad], when you threw, but it was Allāh who threw2 that He might test the believers with a good test.3 Indeed, Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.
3 translator’s notes
i.e., Your strength was insufficient to overcome them, but Allāh supported you and gave you victory.
[441] When the Prophet (ﷺ) threw a handful of dust into the faces of the disbelievers, Allāh caused it to fill the eyes and nose of every soldier, preventing their advance.
[442] So that they would appreciate Allāh's favor to them.
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8:18
ذَٰلِكُمۡ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُوهِنُ كَيۡدِ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ ١٨
That [is so], and [also] that Allāh will weaken the plot of the disbelievers.
8:19
إِن تَسۡتَفۡتِحُواْ فَقَدۡ جَآءَكُمُ ٱلۡفَتۡحُۖ وَإِن تَنتَهُواْ فَهُوَ خَيۡرٞ لَّكُمۡۖ وَإِن تَعُودُواْ نَعُدۡ وَلَن تُغۡنِيَ عَنكُمۡ فِئَتُكُمۡ شَيۡـٔٗا وَلَوۡ كَثُرَتۡ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ١٩
If you [disbelievers] seek the decision [i.e., victory] - the decision [i.e., defeat] has come to you. And if you desist [from hostilities], it is best for you; but if you return [to war], We will return, and never will you be availed by your [large] company at all, even if it should increase; and [that is] because Allāh is with the believers.
8:20
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَطِيعُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ وَلَا تَوَلَّوۡاْ عَنۡهُ وَأَنتُمۡ تَسۡمَعُونَ ٢٠
O you who have believed, obey Allāh and His Messenger and do not turn from him while you hear [his order].
8:21
وَلَا تَكُونُواْ كَٱلَّذِينَ قَالُواْ سَمِعۡنَا وَهُمۡ لَا يَسۡمَعُونَ ٢١
And do not be like those who say, "We have heard," while they do not hear.
8:22
۞ إِنَّ شَرَّ ٱلدَّوَآبِّ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلصُّمُّ ٱلۡبُكۡمُ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعۡقِلُونَ ٢٢
Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allāh are the deaf and dumb who do not use reason [i.e., the disbelievers].
8:23
وَلَوۡ عَلِمَ ٱللَّهُ فِيهِمۡ خَيۡرٗا لَّأَسۡمَعَهُمۡۖ وَلَوۡ أَسۡمَعَهُمۡ لَتَوَلَّواْ وَّهُم مُّعۡرِضُونَ ٢٣
Had Allāh known any good in them, He would have made them hear. And if He had made them hear, they would [still] have turned away, while they were refusing.
8:24
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱسۡتَجِيبُواْ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمۡ لِمَا يُحۡيِيكُمۡۖ وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيۡنَ ٱلۡمَرۡءِ وَقَلۡبِهِۦ وَأَنَّهُۥٓ إِلَيۡهِ تُحۡشَرُونَ ٢٤
O you who have believed, respond to Allāh and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that Allāh intervenes between a man and his heart and that to Him you will be gathered.
8:25
وَٱتَّقُواْ فِتۡنَةٗ لَّا تُصِيبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنكُمۡ خَآصَّةٗۖ وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ ٢٥
And fear a trial1 which will not strike those who have wronged among you exclusively, and know that Allāh is severe in penalty.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., an affliction or punishment during life upon this earth. When corruption spreads among a people, its consequences will affect everyone. ↩
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy