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Al-Anfal 17

Ayah 17 of 75 · Medinan

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.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 i.e., Your strength was insufficient to overcome them, but Allāh supported you and gave you victory.

2 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.

3 So that they would appreciate Allāh's favor to them.

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. فَلَمۡAnd notfalam
  2. تَقۡتُلُوهُمۡyou kill themtaqtulūhum
  3. وَلَٰكِنَّbutwalākinna
  4. ٱللَّهَAllahl-laha
  5. قَتَلَهُمۡۚkilled themqatalahum
  6. وَمَاAnd notwamā
  7. رَمَيۡتَyou threwramayta
  8. إِذۡwhenidh
  9. رَمَيۡتَyou threwramayta
  10. وَلَٰكِنَّbutwalākinna
  11. ٱللَّهَAllahl-laha
  12. رَمَىٰthrewramā
  13. وَلِيُبۡلِيَand that He may testwaliyub'liya
  14. ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَthe believersl-mu'minīna
  15. مِنۡهُfrom Himmin'hu
  16. بَلَآءً(with) a trialbalāan
  17. حَسَنًاۚgoodḥasanan
  18. إِنَّIndeedinna
  19. ٱللَّهَAllahl-laha
  20. سَمِيعٌ(is) All-Hearingsamīʿun
  21. عَلِيمٞAll-Knowingʿalīmun

Tafsir

For you did not O believers, kill the idolaters on the day of Badr because of your power and might, but rather Allah supported you in that. And you O Prophet did not throw sand at the idolaters, rather it was Allah, Who made what you throw reach them. Allah tested the believers by blessing them with victory over their enemies, despite their small numbers of fighters and weapons, so that they might be thankful to Him. Indeed Allah listens to your prayers and what you say, and He knows what you do, and what is best for you.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran