Al-Anfal 8:32
The Spoils of War · Juz 9 · Page 180
وَإِذۡ قَالُواْ ٱللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَٰذَا هُوَ ٱلۡحَقَّ مِنۡ عِندِكَ فَأَمۡطِرۡ عَلَيۡنَا حِجَارَةٗ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ أَوِ ٱئۡتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٖ ٣٢
And [remember] when they said, "O Allāh, if this should be the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky or bring us a painful punishment."
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Tazkirul Quran
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Commentary on 8:31–32
Literally, ‘We can also produce such a discourse. If we speak untruths why do stones not rain down upon us?’ All such talk arises from haughtiness. When a man finds himself in a safe position in this world; when he observes that he has lost nothing by denying the Truth or by ignoring it, a certain false self-confidence is created in him. He thinks that whatever he has been doing is perfectly right. This feeling makes him utter such words as are not uttered by anyone in normal circumstances. This daring on the part of such people can manifest itself only because of God’s law of respite. God certainly punishes the guilty, but He follows the principle of seizing a man only when the work of clarifying to him Truth and falsehood has been fully performed. Before the completion of this task, nobody is struck down. Furthermore, if during the process of the missionary call, even one or two people at a time are influenced and start reforming themselves, God withholds His retribution so that all those who wish to respond positively to the call of truth may have the time and opportunity to do so.
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8:26
وَٱذۡكُرُوٓاْ إِذۡ أَنتُمۡ قَلِيلٞ مُّسۡتَضۡعَفُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ تَخَافُونَ أَن يَتَخَطَّفَكُمُ ٱلنَّاسُ فَـَٔاوَىٰكُمۡ وَأَيَّدَكُم بِنَصۡرِهِۦ وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ ٢٦
And remember when you were few and oppressed in the land, fearing that people might abduct you, but He sheltered you, supported you with His victory, and provided you with good things - that you might be grateful.
8:27
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَخُونُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ وَتَخُونُوٓاْ أَمَٰنَٰتِكُمۡ وَأَنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ ٢٧
O you who have believed, do not betray Allāh and the Messenger or betray your trusts while you know [the consequence].
8:28
وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّمَآ أَمۡوَٰلُكُمۡ وَأَوۡلَٰدُكُمۡ فِتۡنَةٞ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عِندَهُۥٓ أَجۡرٌ عَظِيمٞ ٢٨
And know that your properties and your children are but a trial and that Allāh has with Him a great reward.
8:29
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِن تَتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ يَجۡعَل لَّكُمۡ فُرۡقَانٗا وَيُكَفِّرۡ عَنكُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمۡ وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلۡفَضۡلِ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ ٢٩
O you who have believed, if you fear Allāh, He will grant you a criterion1 and will remove from you your misdeeds and forgive you. And Allāh is the possessor of great bounty.
1 translator’s note
- By which to judge between truth and falsehood. Also interpreted as a "way out" of difficulties. ↩
8:30
وَإِذۡ يَمۡكُرُ بِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيُثۡبِتُوكَ أَوۡ يَقۡتُلُوكَ أَوۡ يُخۡرِجُوكَۚ وَيَمۡكُرُونَ وَيَمۡكُرُ ٱللَّهُۖ وَٱللَّهُ خَيۡرُ ٱلۡمَٰكِرِينَ ٣٠
And [remember, O Muḥammad], when those who disbelieved plotted against you to restrain you or kill you or evict you [from Makkah]. But they plan, and Allāh plans. And Allāh is the best of planners.
8:31
وَإِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالُواْ قَدۡ سَمِعۡنَا لَوۡ نَشَآءُ لَقُلۡنَا مِثۡلَ هَٰذَآ إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّآ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ٣١
And when Our verses are recited to them, they say, "We have heard. If we willed, we could say [something] like this. This is not but legends of the former peoples."
8:32
وَإِذۡ قَالُواْ ٱللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَٰذَا هُوَ ٱلۡحَقَّ مِنۡ عِندِكَ فَأَمۡطِرۡ عَلَيۡنَا حِجَارَةٗ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ أَوِ ٱئۡتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٖ ٣٢
And [remember] when they said, "O Allāh, if this should be the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky or bring us a painful punishment."
8:33
وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمۡ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمۡۚ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمۡ وَهُمۡ يَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ ٣٣
But Allāh would not punish them while you, [O Muḥammad], are among them, and Allāh would not punish them while they seek forgiveness.