Jump to content

Draft:Verse 17 of Sura al-Anfal

Add links
From wikishia
Verse 17 of Sura al-Anfal
Verse's Information
Suraal-Anfal (Qur'an 8)
Verse17
Juz'9 and 10
Content Information
Cause of
Revelation		Attributing the victory of Muslims in the Battle of Badr to oneself
Place of
Revelation		Medina
TopicTheological
AboutBattle of Badr
Related VersesQur'an 8:42


Qur'an 8:17 attributes the victory of the Muslims in the Battle of Badr to the divine assistance of God. It cautions the Muslims against becoming proud or arrogant over their military success, emphasizing that the battle was intended as a spiritual trial.

According to historical accounts, during the Battle of Badr, the Prophet (s) threw a handful of pebbles toward the enemy. The pebbles and dust miraculously struck the faces of the polytheists, inciting panic and ultimately precipitating their defeat. When the Muslims returned, they rejoiced and began boasting to one another about their individual combat exploits, prompting the revelation of this verse.

Exegetes explain that the Qur'anic declaration "you did not throw" signifies that the underlying strength required to vanquish the enemy, alongside the miracles that ensured their defeat, originated entirely from God.

Introduction

Qur'an 8:17 serves as a reminder that the defeat of the polytheists in the Battle of Badr was the direct result of God's intervention. Its purpose was to humble the Muslims and prevent arrogance; in preceding verses, they had been commanded to fight the polytheists and subsequently began attributing the enemy's casualties solely to their own martial prowess.[1]
The profound phrase "wa ma ramayta idh ramayta wa lakinna Allaha rama" (and you did not throw when you threw, but it was Allah who threw) underscores the concept of divine assistance bestowed upon believers. Historically, this specific verse has been frequently invoked in victory messages[2] and utilized to inspire a spirit of resilience and resistance against adversaries.[3]

Cause of Revelation

Exegetes unanimously agree that this verse was revealed in the context of the Battle of Badr.[4] During the conflict, the Prophet (s), acting upon the command of Gabriel, cast a handful of pebbles toward the enemy lines, striking fear into the hearts of the polytheists. Empowered by this divine intervention, the Muslims pressed their attack and routed the opposing forces.[5] In the aftermath of the victory, the Muslim warriors began to boast about their personal achievements on the battlefield. Consequently, this verse was revealed to firmly remind them that the true author of their victory was God alone.[6]

Battle of Badr: Scene of Miracle and Divine Trial

The Qur'an presents the Battle of Badr as a profound arena for both divine miracles and spiritual testing (trial). The verse explicitly states, "li-yubliya l-mu'minina minhu bala'an hasanan" (that He might test the faithful with a good test from Himself). In this context, the trial manifests through the bestowment of blessings and military triumph.[7] The contemporary exegete Nasir Makarim Shirazi defines this "bala' hasan" (good test) as a divine examination administered through success and prosperity, conceptually contrasting it with "bala' sayyi'" (a test involving hardship or calamity).[8] He elaborates that God intended for the early Muslims to experience the sweetness of victory to bolster their morale in their first major armed conflict. However, this success was not meant to breed hubris; the believers were expected to maintain their steadfast reliance on God. To reinforce this point, the verse concludes with the declaration, "Inna Allaha sami'un 'alim" (Indeed Allah is All-hearing, All-knowing).[9]

In his seminal exegesis Tafsir al-Mizan, 'Allama Tabataba'i argues that the Muslims' victory transcended natural military laws and was the direct consequence of divine support. He notes that the triumph is rightfully attributed to God due to the miraculous descent of angels and the sudden terror instilled in the hearts of the polytheists, even though the Prophet and the believers were physically engaged in the combat.[10]

Does the Content of the Verse Imply Determinism?

Adherents of Ash'arism argue that by attributing the acts of killing the polytheists and throwing the pebbles to Himself, God is endorsing determinism (jabr). According to their theological framework, this phrasing indicates that human beings possess no genuine free will over their actions;[11] rather, every occurrence—including belief, disbelief, and mundane physical movements—is entirely subjugated to the will and direct action of God.[12]

Conversely, Shi'a theologians and other proponents of human free will counter this interpretation. They argue that attributing these martial actions to God conveys two critical points: first, that the underlying strength and capability the Muslims utilized to achieve victory were ultimately granted by God; and second, that the accompanying miracles and divine assistance—which fortified Muslim morale and shattered the enemy's resolve—were direct acts of God. In this nuanced view, the victory was simultaneously a human achievement (born of their conscious will and physical effort) and a divine act (sustained and ensured by God's overarching power).[13]

Notes

  1. ↑ Ṭabrsī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1382 Sh, vol. 4, p. 815.
  2. ↑ "Payām-i Imām Khumaynī ba munāsibat-i āzādī-yi Khurramshahr", Imam Khomeini Portal.
  3. ↑ "Wa mā ramayta idh ramayta", SNN (Student News Network).
  4. ↑ Ṭabrsī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1382 Sh, vol. 4, p. 814; Fakhr Rāzī, Mafātīḥ al-ghayb, 1420 AH, vol. 15, p. 466; Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, vol. 9, p. 38.
  5. ↑ Ṭabrsī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1382 Sh, vol. 4, p. 814; Wāḥidī, Asbāb al-nuzūl, 1411 AH, p. 237.
  6. ↑ Bayḍāwī, Anwār al-tanzīl, 1418 AH, vol. 3, p. 53.
  7. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i namūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 7, p. 116.
  8. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i namūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 7, p. 116.
  9. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i namūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 7, p. 116.
  10. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, Manshūrāt Ismāʿīlīyān, vol. 9, pp. 38-39.
  11. ↑ Fakhr Rāzī, Mafātīḥ al-ghayb, 1420 AH, vol. 15, p. 466; Qāsimī, Maḥāsin al-taʾwīl, 1418 AH, vol. 5, p. 269.
  12. ↑ Ṭayyib, Kalim al-ṭayyib, 1363 Sh, p. 108.
  13. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i namūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 7, p. 115.

References

  • Bayḍāwī, ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿUmar, Anwār al-tanzīl wa asrār al-taʾwīl, ed. Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Marʿashlī, Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1st edition, 1418/1997-98.
  • "Payām-i Imām Khumaynī ba munāsibat-i āzādī-yi Khurramshahr", Imam Khomeini Portal, Date of publication: 4 Khordad 1400 Sh, Date of visit: 26 Aban 1402 Sh.
  • Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn, al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Qom, Daftar-i Intishārāt-i Islāmī, 5th edition, 1417/1996-97.
  • Ṭabrsī, Faḍl b. Ḥasan, Majmaʿ al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, intro. Muḥammad Jawād Balāghī, Tehran, Nāṣir Khusraw, 3rd edition, 1382/2003-04.
  • Ṭayyib, Sayyid ʿAbd al-Ḥusayn, Kalim al-ṭayyib dar taqrīr-i ʿaqāyid-i Islām, p. 108, Kitābkhāna-yi Islām, 4th edition, 1363/1984-85.
  • Fakhr al-Dīn Rāzī, Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad b. ʿUmar, Mafātīḥ al-ghayb, Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 3rd edition, 1420/1999-2000.
  • Qāsimī, Muḥammad Jamāl al-Dīn, Maḥāsin al-taʾwīl, Beirut, Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyya, 1st edition, 1418/1997-98.
  • Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir, Tafsīr-i namūna, Tehran, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 1st edition, 1374/1995-96.
  • Wāḥidī, ʿAlī b. Aḥmad, Asbāb nuzūl al-Qurʾān, ed. Kamāl Basyūnī Zaghlūl, Beirut, Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyya, 1st edition, 1411/1990-91.
  • "Wa mā ramayta idh ramayta", SNN (Student News Network), Date of publication: 6 Mihr 1391 Sh, Date of visit: 26 Aban 1402 Sh.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikishia.net/w/index.php?title=Draft:Verse_17_of_Sura_al-Anfal&oldid=206101"