Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary * - Translations’ Index
Translation of the meanings
Ayah: (12) Surah: Al-Anfāl
إِذۡ يُوحِي رَبُّكَ إِلَى ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ أَنِّي مَعَكُمۡ فَثَبِّتُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْۚ سَأُلۡقِي فِي قُلُوبِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ٱلرُّعۡبَ فَٱضۡرِبُواْ فَوۡقَ ٱلۡأَعۡنَاقِ وَٱضۡرِبُواْ مِنۡهُمۡ كُلَّ بَنَانٖ
(12) ˹Mention Muhammad˺ When your Lord inspired[1895] the angels: “I am indeed with you[1896] so make firm those who Believe. I shall cast fright in the hearts of those who Deny[1897]; smite then above the necks and smite every fingertip of theirs[1898]”.
[1895] This could be inspiration (waḥy ilhām), i.e. tacitly communicating with them, or revelation (waḥy iʿlām) by directly communicating with them (cf. al-Shinqīṭī, al-ʿAdhb al-Namīr).
[1896] God’s ‘withness’ (maʿiyyah) is by His support and aid (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Wāḥidī, al-Wasīṭ, al-Saʿdī).
[1897] Psychology is a very determining factor in warfare, once fear strikes the hearts of one side, then they are sure to lose. Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was given this as a privilege, among others and five in all, that none of the earlier Prophets and Messengers were given. Jābir Ibn ʿAbdillāh (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “I was given five ˹privileges˺ that none of the earlier Prophets before me was given; I was made victorious with fright at a one-month distance ˹away from the enemy˺…” (al-Bukhārī: 438, Muslim: 521): “We will cast fright in the hearts of the Deniers for Associating with Allah that for which He made no authority. Their resort is Fire; dire indeed is the domicile of the Wrongdoers” (3: 151); “He brought those People of the Book who supported them down from their strongholds and cast fright into their hearts. Some of them you ˹Believers˺ killed and some you took captive” (33: 26); “He is the One Who drove those of the People of the Book who Denied out from their homes at the first gathering – you ˹Believers˺ never thought they would go, and they themselves thought their fortifications would protect them against Allah. Allah came up on them from where they least expected and cast fright into their hearts: their homes were destroyed by their own hands and the hands of the Believers. So take heed you of sound reason” (59: 2).
[1898] That is to aim carefully to kill by striking the necks and heads (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Wāḥidī, al-Wasīṭ, Ibn Kathīr) and to incapacitate by striking the joints of the fingers and toes (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Wāḥidī, al-Wasīṭ, al-Saʿdī) so that the enemy is unable to wield a weapon or stand straight and, thus, is vulnerable.
[1896] God’s ‘withness’ (maʿiyyah) is by His support and aid (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Wāḥidī, al-Wasīṭ, al-Saʿdī).
[1897] Psychology is a very determining factor in warfare, once fear strikes the hearts of one side, then they are sure to lose. Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was given this as a privilege, among others and five in all, that none of the earlier Prophets and Messengers were given. Jābir Ibn ʿAbdillāh (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “I was given five ˹privileges˺ that none of the earlier Prophets before me was given; I was made victorious with fright at a one-month distance ˹away from the enemy˺…” (al-Bukhārī: 438, Muslim: 521): “We will cast fright in the hearts of the Deniers for Associating with Allah that for which He made no authority. Their resort is Fire; dire indeed is the domicile of the Wrongdoers” (3: 151); “He brought those People of the Book who supported them down from their strongholds and cast fright into their hearts. Some of them you ˹Believers˺ killed and some you took captive” (33: 26); “He is the One Who drove those of the People of the Book who Denied out from their homes at the first gathering – you ˹Believers˺ never thought they would go, and they themselves thought their fortifications would protect them against Allah. Allah came up on them from where they least expected and cast fright into their hearts: their homes were destroyed by their own hands and the hands of the Believers. So take heed you of sound reason” (59: 2).
[1898] That is to aim carefully to kill by striking the necks and heads (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Wāḥidī, al-Wasīṭ, Ibn Kathīr) and to incapacitate by striking the joints of the fingers and toes (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Wāḥidī, al-Wasīṭ, al-Saʿdī) so that the enemy is unable to wield a weapon or stand straight and, thus, is vulnerable.
Arabic explanations of the Qur’an:
Translation of the meanings
Ayah: (12) Surah: Al-Anfāl
Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - Translations’ Index
Translation of the meanings of the Noble Qur’an into English - in progress - translated by Dr. Walid Bleihesh Al-Omari.