Appearance
Verses 41–54
These verses cover the khums—or the division of the ghanāʾim—into fifths, firm-footedness in battle, and stories of how God toppled the enemies of the faith and abased them through divine machinations: how they are subject to the way that God treated Pharaoh and his ilk who belied the signs of God and blocked others from His path.
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا غَنِمْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَأَنَّ لِلَّهِ خُمُسَهُ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ آمَنْتُمْ بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَىٰ عَبْدِنَا يَوْمَ الْفُرْقَانِ يَوْمَ الْتَقَى الْجَمْعَانِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ٤١
(8:41) Know that whatever you gain (ghanimtum), a fifth of it is for Allah and the Messenger and the near of kin (dhū al-qurbā) and the orphans (al-yatāmā) and the needy and the wayfarer—if you believe in Allah and what We revealed to Our servant on the day of sorting, the day when the two hosts met. And Allah has power over all things.
Ghunm and ghanīmah refer to the profits acquired through trade, work, or battle. Here, the circumstances of revelation place it in the context of the spoils of war. Al-Rāghib says:
Ghanam—with two a’s—takes on its conventional meaning of “livestock”. God says: And of oxen and sheep (ghanam) We made unlawful to them [the Jews] the fat of both ().
Ghunm, with a u and then no vowel, is to overcome and gain from someone, then was used for any type of gain from the side of the enemy. God says: Know that whatever you gain (ghanimtum)… () and eat of what you have acquired (ghanimtum), lawfully and wholesomely ().
Maghnam is a gain; the plural is maghānim. God says: With Allah are numerous bounties (maghānim) ().
Dhū al-qurbā means “a relative”. Here, it refers to the Prophet’s kinsfolk, or specific members of his family, as indubitable narrations dictate. A yatīm is a human child who has lost its father while young. It has been said: All animals become yatīm when they lose their mother, except for the human, for they become yatīm when they lose their father.
A fifth of it is for Allah and the Messenger (fa-anna lillāhi wa lil-rasūli)…: This is recited with the vowel a on anna [as opposed to an with no vowel].
[There are three grammatical possibilities:]
(1) Possibly this is because there is an implied preposition here; for instance, it could be an implied phrasing of fa-ʿalā anna lillāhi rather than just fa-anna lillāhi. This would render the meaning as: “Know that whatever you acquire, it is on this basis that it has been decreed that a fifth of it is for God and His Messenger….”
(2) Possibly, it links back to the first occurrence of anna, but the first predicate is elided because it is indicated by the context. This would render the meaning as: “Know that whatever you acquire, it is necessary to divide it. Know that a fifth of it is for God.”
(3) Possibly, the conjunction fāʾ indicates a conditional. This would render the meaning along the lines of: “If you acquire something, then a fifth of it is for God…” The conjunction fāʾ here would therefore introduce the consequent (jazāʾ), and anna is repeated for emphasis. So the sentence should read as: “Know that whatever you acquire, a fifth of it is for God….” The part that would pertain to “knowing” would be “whatever you acquire, a fifth of it is for God and His messenger…” The name of God is mentioned first out of honour.
If you believe in Allah…: This places a condition on the command. That is, they should pay a fifth if they believe in God and what He revealed to His servant.
Some exegetes might say that this expression is linked to the previous verse—know that Allah is your guardian (). However, the gap between the expressions disallows that.
What We revealed to Our servant on the day of sorting…: The readiest meaning of this is that it refers to the Qur’an, especially given the reference to revelation to the Prophet. Were it to refer to the angels sent down during the Battle of Badr—as some exegetes hold—it would have been more appropriate for the verse to say “who we sent down to Our servant on the day of sorting”, or something similar. Then, it should have said “to you [plural]” (ʿalaykum), not “to Our servant”, for the angels were sent to help both the Prophet and the faithful, as indicated in the following verses:
He answered you [plural]: “I will assist you [plural] with a thousand angels following.” ()
[Remember] when your Lord revealed to the angels: “I am with you, so make the believers firm…. ()
Similarly:
Truly! If you remain patient and are on your guard, and they come upon you in a headlong manner, your Lord will assist you with five thousand havoc-making angels. ()
The shift from third-person to first-person (if you believe in Allah and what We revealed to Our servant) expresses God’s grace towards His Messenger—how He has openly chosen to draw him near Himself.
A good think about what we have said with respect to the first verse of the chapter (They ask you about the spoils of war. Say: The spoils of war belong to Allah and the Messenger…, ) leads one to realize that the verse and what We revealed to Our servant on the day of sorting () refers to the verse and eat of what you have acquired, lawfully and wholesomely.
The day of sorting is the day of the Battle of Badr, as indicated by the next phrase: the day when the two hosts met. For Badr was the day when God distinguished between truth and falsehood, established truth by supporting it, and obliterated falsehood by abandoning it.
And Allah has power over all things: This acts as an explanation for on the day of sorting, as indicated by God sifting out truth from falsehood. It is as if it is saying: “And God has power over everything. He has the power to differentiate truth from falsehood.”
The meaning of the verse—and God knows best—is: “Know that a fifth of whatever you acquire is for God, His Messenger, the near kin, orphans, the needy, and wayfarers. So give it to the deserving, if you believe in God and what He revealed to His servant Muḥammad on the day of Badr—which is that spoils of war are belong to God and His Messenger. No one shares in them with God and His Messenger. God has permitted you to consume some of them and has allowed you to spend some of them. However, he commands you to remit a fifth to the deserving.”
The readiest meaning of the verse is that it is presenting an ongoing injunction, similar to other legal verses of the Qur’an. Here, the ruling pertains to whatever is referred to as ghanaman and ghanīmatan, whether it be war-booty taken from the godless, or other profits, such as those acquired through trade, wages, diving into the oceans, seafaring, buried treasures, and mining. If the verse were only meant to refer to the spoils of war, there would be no reason to allot it.
Similarly, it is clear that the other allocated expenditures in a fifth of it is for Allah and the Messenger and the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer restrict the spending to these groups. Each of them has an independent portion, as the same is understood from the verse about zakāt, except that the types are mentioned as an example.
All this is doubtless from looking at what appears from the verse, and is reinforced by Shiʿi narrations. Sunni exegetes have disagreed over how to understand the verse; we shall discuss this more in the section on narrations, God willing.
إِذْ أَنْتُمْ بِالْعُدْوَةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ بِالْعُدْوَةِ الْقُصْوَىٰ وَالرَّكْبُ أَسْفَلَ مِنْكُمْ ۚ وَلَوْ تَوَاعَدْتُمْ لَاخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِي الْمِيعَادِ ۙ وَلَٰكِنْ لِيَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ أَمْرًا كَانَ مَفْعُولًا لِيَهْلِكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ عَنْ بَيِّنَةٍ وَيَحْيَىٰ مَنْ حَيَّ عَنْ بَيِّنَةٍ ۗ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَسَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ٤٢
(8:42) When you were on the nearer canyon-side (bil-ʿudwat al-dunyā) and they were on the farther canyon-side (bil-ʿudwat al-quṣwā), while the caravan (rakb) was below you. Had you made a tryst with each other, you would have broken the tryst. But [it came to pass] so that Allah could bring about a matter that was to be done, so that whosoever perishes, perishes according to a clear proof; and whosoever lives, lives according to a clear proof. Allah is Hearing, Knowing.
An ʿudwah (sometimes spelled ʿidwah) is the slope of a wadi. Dunyā is the feminine form of the adjective adnā (“nearer”), similar to quṣwā [“farther”, which is the feminine form of the adjective aqṣā], although some say that qaṣyā is the feminine form of aqṣā (“farther”). Rakb is said to refer to the trade-caravan led by Abū Sufyān ibn Ḥarb.
The adverb when (idh) in when you were on the canyon-side acts as a second clarification of what is meant by the day of sorting (in , the previous verse), just as the day when the two hosts met acts as a first clarification of it. These relate to We revealed upon Our servant. However, some say that it explains And Allah has power over all things, in accordance with the subject. In this case, it would mean: “God had power to aid you although you were few, when you had encamped at the nearer canyon-side, so fear not afterwards.” However, this is somewhat convoluted.
Had you made a tryst with each other, you would have broken the tryst: The previous context indicates that this refers to the meeting of the two armies, that the convoy had the lower ground, and that God—through His power, through which He vanquishes all—drew a dividing-line between truth and falsehood. He supported truth against falsehood. This is similar to what comes next: But [it came to pass] so that Allah could bring about a matter that was to be done. All of that demonstrates that the intent behind had you made a tryst with each other, you would have broken the tryst is to show the special will of God when He sent the inimical, mighty polytheists to the farther ground, which had water and hard soil, but He sent the faithful—although few in number—to the nearer ground, which was sandy and dry, to set their feet firm. Thus, when Abū Sufyān made camp on the lower side, He did away with their caravan. When the two companies met, there was no barrier between them, and no escape from the battle. Therefore they met for battle, facing each other. Then the faithful won. This was not due to ordinary causes but rather was due to divine intervention: aiding them through His power, demonstrating the divine care and assistance for the faithful.
Had you made a tryst with each other, you would have broken the tryst conveys the point that this encounter was not planned. It was neither the product of deliberation nor consultation. This can also be understood from the subsequent phrase: so that Allah could bring about a matter that was to be done.
So that whosoever perishes, perishes according to a clear proof; and whosoever lives, lives according to a clear proof: This explains God’s will in this. That is, when God decreed that this would happen upon their encounter, then aided the faithful and forsook the polytheists, so that it would be clear evidence of the truthfulness of the truth and the vacuousness of falsity. Thus, those who were destroyed were destroyed upon clear evidence, and those who were kept alive were kept alive upon clear evidence.
For that reason, it is clear that the intent behind “perishing” and “living” is guidance versus misguidance, because that is what pertains to it clearly in the verse.
And Allah is Hearing, Knowing: Similarly, this is connected to so that whosoever perishes, perishes according to a clear proof; and whosoever lives, lives according to a clear proof by the conjunction and. When God decreed what He decreed, and did what He did, it is because He is hearing—hearing their supplications—and knowing: knowing what is inside them. In it is an allusion to what it is mentioned in the verses, beginning with: [Remember] when you sought aid from your Lord, and He answered you ().
Keeping this context in mind—that is, that the battle was really about divine destiny, not natural causes—the following verses share the same context:
When Allah showed them to you in your dream as few. Had He shown them to you as many, you would have faltered and quarrelled over the matter. But Allah delivered [you]. He knows what lies within. ()
And When the hypocrites and the sick-hearted said, “Their religion has duped them.” But whoever trusts in Allah—Allah is Mighty, Wise. ()
The day of sorting means “the time when you made camp on the near slope, while they made camp on the far slope.” They both made camp at the same time in such a way that, had they pre-planned the meeting, they would have argued and dispersed; things would not have happened that way. However, this was God’s decree. Thus, it followed the path of destiny, to manifest a clear sign and present a conclusive proof. For God had heard and answered their pleas, and knew their hearts’ entreaties.
إِذْ يُرِيكَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي مَنَامِكَ قَلِيلًا ۖ وَلَوْ أَرَاكَهُمْ كَثِيرًا لَفَشِلْتُمْ وَلَتَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي الْأَمْرِ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ سَلَّمَ ۗ إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ ٤٣
(8:43) When Allah showed them to you in your dream as few. Had He shown them to you as many, you would have faltered (la-fashiltum) and quarrelled (tanāzaʿtum) over the matter. But Allah delivered [you] (sallama). He knows what lies within.
Fashiltum (from fashal) means to be weak with fear. Tanāzaʿtum (from tanāzuʿ) means to argue. It comes from the root n-z-ʿ, which is a type of uprooting or removal, as if, when people argue, they want to pluck each other out from their positions. Sallama (from taslīm) means “to save”.
The meaning of the verse is along the lines of “remember”; for instance, “remember when God showed them to you in your sleep as few, to strengthen your hearts and set your souls at ease. Had He showed them to you as many, and then had you told that to the faithful, they would have shrunk back in terror and argued about marching forth to them. However, God saved you from fear and dispute by showing them as few, for He knows what lies inside people’s chests—meaning, their hearts. He attests to what mends and strengthens people’s hearts as they waver between security and doubt.”
The verse indicates that God sent the Prophet a dream giving glad tidings of what God promised one of the two sides. He showed the opponents as few so they would not pay them much regard. The Prophet then told the dream to the faithful and gave them glad tidings, whereupon they resolved to march forth. Had He shown them to you as many, you would have faltered… evinces this; this is apparent.
وَإِذْ يُرِيكُمُوهُمْ إِذِ الْتَقَيْتُمْ فِي أَعْيُنِكُمْ قَلِيلًا وَيُقَلِّلُكُمْ فِي أَعْيُنِهِمْ لِيَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ أَمْرًا كَانَ مَفْعُولًا ۗ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ ٤٤
(8:44) When He showed them to you, when you met, he made them seem few in your eyes, and He made you seem little in their eyes, so that Allah could bring about a matter which was to be done; and to Allah are all matters returned.
The meaning of the verse is clear. There is no contradiction between this verse and the following verse, assuming that it refers to the Battle of Badr:
There was a sign for you in the two hosts which met: one party fighting in the way of Allah and the other unbelieving, whom they saw twice as many as themselves with the sight of the eye. Allah strengthens with His aid whom He pleases; there is a lesson in this for those who have sight. ()
This is because when the verse refers to them as “few”, it is speaking about when you met. Therefore, there is no contradiction. It is as if, when they were at the wadi, God presented the faithful as few in the eyes of the polytheists so that the polytheists would make light of their forces and jostle to come down and fight. Then, when they came down and spread out, the faithful began to appear numerous. This appeared to them as if they were seeing it with their own eyes. Their resolve faltered, their hearts took flight, and this was their defeat. The verse in Sūrah al-Anfāl is referring to the beginning the battle, whereas the verse in Sūrah Āl-i ʿImrān is speaking about what happened after they climbed down and mingled with the others.
So that Allah could bring about a matter which was to be done is linked to and explains When He showed them to you.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا لَقِيتُمْ فِئَةً فَاثْبُتُوا وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ٤٥ وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَا تَنَازَعُوا فَتَفْشَلُوا وَتَذْهَبَ رِيحُكُمْ ۖ وَاصْبِرُوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ ٤٦ وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ خَرَجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ بَطَرًا وَرِئَاءَ النَّاسِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ ٤٧
(8:45-47) O you who believe! When you meet a battle-contingent, be firm, and remember Allah much, that you may be successful. And obey Allah and His Messenger. Do not quarrel, lest you falter and lose your advantage. Be patient; Allah is with the patient. Be not like those who left their homes exulting, to be seen by men, who turn [others] away from the way of Allah, while Allah comprehends what they do.
Al-Rāghib says in al-Mufradāt:
Thābit (“firm”, “stable”) is the antonym of zawāl (“disappearing”, “vanishing”).
Here, it denotes not fleeing from the enemy. Its meaning here is more general than “patience” (ṣabr), which is enjoined in: Be patient; Allah is with the patient. Patience is firmness before something one’s heart avers from, whereupon the heart neither weakens nor fears nor worries, and the body neither idles nor is inadvertent nor moves from its place; it only does things that beget praise later. Therefore, patience is a specific type of steadfastness.
Rīḥ is said to mean “might” and “rule”. [It also means “wind”.] Al-Rāghib says that riḥ in this verse is a figure of speech for “victory”. It is as if wind shakes whatever it strikes, toppling it over and blowing it along. Victory over the enemy does to the enemy the same thing that wind does to an object, like dust. Therefore, rīḥ can be used figuratively for “victory”.
Al-Rāghib says:
Baṭar is bewilderment which strikes a person when misusing and misappropriating abundance and prosperity. God says: exulting (baṭaran), to be seen by men () and which exulted in its means of subsistence (baṭirat maʿīshatahā) (). Originally, this was baṭirat maʿīshatuhā; then, the verb did not govern it and it was read in the accusative.
Baṭar is similar to ṭarab (“delight”, “rapture”). It refers to the levity experienced by people at times of joy, and is also used at times of grief. Baṭīrah means “veterinary medicine”.
Riʾāʾ means “to present one’s self as something one is not”.
Fa-thbitū is an imperative saying to remain absolutely firm in the face of the enemy, not to flee. The imperative is not repeated a second time with “patience” since it has already been mentioned and is referring to it.
And remember Allah much: Meaning, in your hearts and on your tongues; all of that is “remembrance”. It is known that the inner states of the human heart are what distinguish and specify its aims, whether or not they match what a person says. For instance, a person suffering from poverty beseeches God to relieve that, saying, “O needless!” (yā ghanī). An ill person beseeches God to relieve that, saying, “O healer!” (yā shāfī). If the needy or infirm say “Yā Allāh!”, they still mean “O needless!” or “O healer!”, for these traits are what their conditions impel them to seek aid for. They intend nothing else; this is clear.
As for the one who comes out to fight, then meets the enemy, ready for the realities of battle—soul-slashing, bloodshed, and limb-severing—all that threatens to destroy man and separate him from what he loves—his inner state will direct his thoughts and will towards the victory that he seeks in the battle: victory over the enemy who threatens to annihilate him. As for the one whose inner state and thoughts are like this, he remembers God in a way that is concordant with his inner state, and his thoughts are directed this way.
This is the strongest contextualization to show that the intent behind “remembering God much” is to say that the faithful remember what God taught them of the understandings connected to this matter—that is, that He is their God and Lord in whose hand lie death and life, who is able to assist them, and who is their guardian—the best guardian and the best ally, who swore to assist them when He said: If you aid Allah, Allah shall aid you and set your feet firm () and Allah does not squander the reward of those who do good (). Fighting will end up with one of two good outcomes: either victory over the enemy, raising the flag of Islam, and purifying the atmosphere for religious fruition; or being killed in the way of God, and, through martyrdom, being brought towards God’s mercy, entering the confines of His generosity, proximity with His awliyāʾ near Him, and other true understandings along these lines which invoke real happiness and eternal honour.
“Remember” is qualified with “much” to renew the spirit of God-consciousness whenever anything looms which sparks love of this fleeting world and enjoying its deceptive adornments, or the seductive thoughts that Satan casts into the human being.
And obey Allah and His Messenger: The apparent meaning from the context is that this means to obey the divine commands and prohibitions issued to the Messenger with respect to obligation and the code of conduct pertaining to warfare and defense of the body of the faith and the glory of Islam. This is understood from the verses about warfare and the Prophetic practice (sunnah) surrounding it, such as beginning by providing evidence, not attacking women or children, not attacking the enemy at night, and other things found in the laws regarding warfare.
Do not quarrel, lest you falter and lose your advantage: Meaning, do not argue between yourselves, since this will weaken your will. You will lose your strength and your rule, or be defeated, for differences of opinion weaken unity and weaken forces.
Be patient; Allah is with the patient: Meaning, remain patient over the difficulties of war that afflict you, and how the enemy threatens to wipe you out. Do so remembering God copiously and obeying God and His messenger, lest events shake you, obedience become a burden, sin tempt you, or vainglory mislead you.
The command be patient is reinforced by Allah is with the patient since patience is the strongest aid in the face of difficulty, the strongest bolster against hardship eating away at one’s will. It enables a person to think clearly and calmly when their thoughts fly about, weakening their will at times of distress when difficulty afflicts them from all sides. Thus, God is with the patient.
Be not like those who left their homes exulting, to be seen by men, who turn [others] away from the way of Allah, while Allah comprehends what they do: This verse is a prohibition on following in the footsteps of those cocky, two-faced hypocrites who block others from the path of God. From the context, it can be understood that this refers to the Qurayshī faithless, and their demerits—arrogance, hypocrisy, and blocking others from the way of God—are what spurred this prohibition on aping them and traipsing after them. While Allah comprehends (muḥīṭ) what they do indicates that God, God’s authority, and God’s kingdom encompass their deeds. Therefore, their actions must already fall under the domain of divine decree and may only be carried out with divine permission; they cannot disable God. All in all, this is a figure of speech clarified by a later verse: Let not those who disbelieve think that they shall take the lead; they shall thwart nothing ().
Taking into account these conditions—exulting, to be seen by men, who turn [others] away from the way of Allah—shows that this prohibition essentially says: do not march forth from your homes to fight the enemy arrogantly and hypocritically, making a show of your faith. Barring others from the way of God occurs through inciting people to abandon God-consciousness, dive into sin, and stop obeying the divine commands and laws. This thwarts their deeds, extinguishes the light of faith, and renders their rallying fruitless. For the only path to salvation and victory, achieving these important goals, is the straight path which the upright religion lays out, facilitating it in accordance with the human being’s inner nature. And God does not guide the wicked to their wicked aims.
These three verses () outline six matters which God requires the faithful to observe during battle: firmness, remembering God much, obeying God and His messenger, not quarrelling, not going out exultingly or to be seen by others, and not barring people from the path of God.
Together, these six matters comprise a broad regluation for warfare which omit nothing. If one takes a close look at what happened during the battles of Islam during the time of the Prophet—like Badr, Uḥud, Khandaq, Ḥunayn, and the others—it becomes clear that victory versus defeat hinged on the Muslims observing or not observing this divine decree, as well as being strict versus lax about it.
وَإِذْ زَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ وَقَالَ لَا غَالِبَ لَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَإِنِّي جَارٌ لَكُمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا تَرَاءَتِ الْفِئَتَانِ نَكَصَ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ وَقَالَ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِنْكُمْ إِنِّي أَرَ
(8:48) When Satan made their deeds seem fair to them and said, “No one can overcome you today while I am your defender (jār).” But when the two hosts saw each other, he turned on his heels and said, “I have nothing to do with you! I see what you see not. I fear Allah, and Allah is severe in retribution.”
When Satan “makes deeds seem fair,” he instills the notion into people’s hearts that their acts are good—nay, delightful. By whipping up their inner faculties (quwwā) and emotions surrounding that deed, he draws their hearts to it, whereby they no longer have any space to consider the repercussions of their acts.
It is not farfetched to say that “No one can overcome you today” explains or acts as an explanation (tafsīr) of Satan’s “making their deeds seem fair”, if by “deeds” is meant mean “their outcomes”: here, things, such as mustering weaponry, men, singing-girls, instruments, and wine, as well as ordering the army and sending troops to the forefront. Possibly, “deeds” could also mean the actual deeds themselves; that is, plunging headlong into temptation, wrongdoing, persistence in diverging from God and His messenger, oppression, and evil. In this case, “No one can overcome you today” is the penultimate part of how Satan makes their deeds seem fair by making killing the Muslims appealing to them. The final part is when he says, “while I am your defender.”
Jiwār (“being neighbours”) was one of the pre-Islamic customs. Since the pre-Islamic Arabs used to live with their tribes, it was expected that if someone was attacked, others would come to their aid. In various societies, other customs regarding neighbourliness have also been recorded.
But when the two hosts saw each other, he turned (nakaṣa) on his heels: Nukūṣ means to recoil or back off from something. On his heels (ʿalā ʿaqibayh) is an adverbial descriptor. The ʿuqb is the heel, meaning that he flinched and fled defeat.
“I see what you see not”: This explains “I have nothing to do with you!” Possibly, it refers to the angels descending to aid the Muslims. Similarly, “I fear God, and God is severe in retribution” explains “I have nothing to do with you” and the previous explanation.
It means: The “day of sorting” was the time when Satan made the polytheists find it seemly that they should diverge from God and His Messenger, slay the faithful, and ready themselves to extinguish God’s light. He made their eyes and souls delight in this by saying, “No one shall overcome you today while I am defending you.” Then, when the polytheists and the faithful encountered each other at battle, Satan turned and fled, saying, “I see what you do not see—angels descending to aid the faithful, threatening to torment you. I fear God’s punishment, and God is severe in punishment.”
This meaning—as you can see—is in accordance with Satan’s whispering in their hearts, urging them against the faithful, rousing them for battle, and making them rejoice in their battle-preparations. Then, when the two forces met, divine aid descended, and fear settled in their hearts, their vain aspirations of valour and victory morphed into terror, despair, and loss, overtaking their hearts.
This is in accordance with Satan taking human form, displaying himself to them in such a way that their senses perceived him, seeing him and hearing what he said: “No one can overcome you today while I am your defender.” Thus, he tempted them into battle. Then, when the two sides met, and he saw that the situation was different from what he had hoped for, he took off, saying, “I have nothing to do with you! I see what you see not”—that is, divine aid and angels descending. “I fear Allah, and Allah is severe in retribution.” Both Shiʿi and Sunni narrations support this view—that is, that Satan manifested to the polytheists in the form of Surāqah ibn Mālik ibn Jushʿum al-Kinānī (sometimes also referred to as al-Mudlijī), who was a chief of the Kanānah. He said to him what he said, then hefted up their banner until the two sides met. Then he fled, defeated, saying “I have nothing to do with you! I see what you see not….” Narrations on this shall be presented in the section on narrations, God willing.
Still, some exegetes insist on the first view and deny the second, rejecting the narrations and weakening their chains of narration. Even though these narrations are not copious beyond doubt (mutawātir) and are not bolstered by certain proofs that would establish their reliability without any doubt, their core meaning can be defended rationally. Furthermore, it does not contradict accounts in authenticated narrations. Nothing prevented Satan from taking human form and leading them [the Qurayshī polytheists] astray, until he accomplished his goal and left them to be destroyed, or until he witnessed divine punishment, whereupon he fled.
Moreover, the context of the verse is more suited to the second view, especially considering these parts: “While I am your defender.” But when the two hosts saw each other, he turned on his heels […] “I see what you see not.” It would be deeply unlikely for “I see” to be meant metaphorically and to be confined to the realm of thoughts.
إِذْ يَقُولُ الْمُنَافِقُونَ وَالَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ غَرَّ هَٰؤُلَاءِ دِينُهُمْ ۗ وَمَنْ يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ ٤٩
(8:49) When the hypocrites and the sick-hearted said, “Their religion has duped them.” But whoever trusts in Allah—Allah is Mighty, Wise.
Meaning: The hypocrites—who made a pretence of faith but hid faithlessness—and the diseased-hearted—who had weak faith and retained doubts—mocked the faithful by saying, “Their religion has misguided these poor things. Otherwise, they would never have marched forth to a clear defeat. They are a puny force with no gear, whereas the Quraysh have equipment, numbers, and might.”
But whoever trusts in Allah—Allah is Mighty, Wise: This is the reply—that they are the ones who are deceived. The expression Allah is Mighty, Wise substitutes the causer [God] with the cause. It means: These hypocrites and sick-hearted folk spoke wrongly, for the faithful trust in God and revert all matters back to Him, even if they have material causes. They unite themselves with His power and might. Whenever someone entrusts a matter to God, God suffices that person, for He is Mighty, aiding those who seek His aid, and wise, never erring in settling matters properly.
The verse provides evidence that a group of hypocrites and a group of those with weak faith were present at Badr when the forces met. Since the hypocrites, by definition, were those who pretended to accept Islam but hid faithlessness, they must have been among the Muslims, since it would have been meaningless for them to be on the side of the polytheists. However, the situation required steadfastness on a severe day.
Those who had weak faith, who doubted the reality of Islam, could have been on either side of the battle (the Muslims or the polytheists). It is said that some of them were on the side of the Quraysh. They had accepted Islam in Mecca and had been imprisoned by their fathers. Then, they had been forced to march to Badr with the polytheists. When they arrived and saw how few and unprepared the Muslims were, they said, “Their religion has duped them!” This shall be discussed more in the section on narrations, God willing.
In any case, it is worth scrutinizing this verse to figure out why hypocrites and the diseased-hearted showed up at this battle, where the only ones who could stand firm were those men whose hearts were true in faith and who relied on non-material aid. Why did they remain there on the Muslim side? We may discuss this further with respect to some pertinent verses in Sūrah al-Tawbah about the hypocrites and the diseased-hearted.
وَلَوْ تَرَىٰ إِذْ يَتَوَفَّى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ۙ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَضْرِبُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَأَدْبَارَهُمْ وَذُوقُوا عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ ٥٠ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَيْسَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِلْعَبِيدِ ٥١
(8:50-51) If you could see when the angels take the souls of those who reject faith, smiting their faces and backs. “Taste the punishment, burning! This is because of what your own hands have wrought, and because Allah never wrongs His servants.”
Yatawaffā means “seizing a right completely”. It is mostly used in the Qur’an to mean “plucking the soul” [at death]. This verse says that the angels take the soul, whereas other verses say that the Angel of Death or God takes the soul:
Say: The Angel of Death, who has been entrusted with you, will take your souls. ()
Allah takes the souls at the time of death. ()
This shows that the Angel of Death has aides who assist in taking the soul, and are at his beck and call, just as he acts at God’s command and does as he is told. Thus, it is acceptable to say that the angels take the soul, to say that the Angel of Death takes the soul, and also that God takes the soul.
Smiting their faces and backs: The most apparent meaning is that they are striking the front and back of their bodies; this is a figure of speech indicating that they are surrounded, struck from all sides. Some exegetes take “backs” (al-adbār) figuratively to mean “buttocks” and faces as “foreheads”; they understand the expression metaphorically to mean that they are being utterly humiliated.
“Taste the punishment, burning!”: Meaning, the angels say to them, “Taste the burning punishment which is the Fire!”
This is because of what your own hands have wrought: Either this is the last sentence of what the angels say, or else it [not said by the angels and] refers to everything that is being done to them as well as what the angels are saying to them. It either means “we shall make you taste burning punishment because of your hands have wrought” or “we shall strike your from front and behind and make you taste burning punishment because of what your hands have wrought.”
And because Allah never wrongs (laysa bi-ẓallām) His servants: this is appended via a conjunction to what your own hands have wrought. It means that God is not a tyrant or unjust being (ẓallām) with respect to any of His servants. That is, He never wrongs any of his servants, for He is upon the straight path. He never swerves from this, nor does He contradict His own acts. Were he to wrong any of them or be unfair, he would become a tyrant or villian (ẓallām) towards all His servants. You may ponder upon that.
From the context of these verses, it can be understood that the ones whom the angels are smiting and tormenting are the Qurayshī polytheists who were killed at the Battle of Badr.
كَدَأْبِ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ ۙ وَالَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ فَأَخَذَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِيٌّ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ ٥٢
(8:52) Like the people of Pharaoh (daʾb-i Āl-i Firʿawn) and those before him. They disbelieved in Allah’s communications and signs. Therefore, Allah destroyed them because of their faults. Allah is strong, severe in retribution.
Daʾb and daydan mean “a habit”—that is, an act that someone persists in, or a path that someone treads. It means that the way these people’s faithlessness resembles that of Pharaoh and the destroyed, disbelieving nations before him. They rejected the signs of God, thereby sinning, and so God took them to task for their sins. For God is strong—not too weak to take them—and when He does take them, He is severe in retribution.
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَكُ مُغَيِّرًا نِعْمَةً أَنْعَمَهَا عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ ۙ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ٥٣
(8:53) This is because Allah never changes a blessing which He has blessed a people with until they change what is inside themselves, and because Allah is Hearing, Knowing.
Divine punishment follows divine blessings. Divine blessings persist, and do not change into divine retribution, as long as the locus of these divine blessings—that is, the people themselves—do not change. Divine blessings issue forth to a people in accordance with their readiness to accept them. Only when people change their capacity and the qualification for the overflow of blessings and garb themselves with the capacity to receive divine torment do divine blessings change into divine retribution.
This is a universal law with respect to the transformation of divine blessings into divine retribution. Even more general is this:
Allah does not change what is with a people until they change what is inside themselves ().
This is because verse encompasses both the transformation of divine blessings into retribution, and vice versa, whereas the verse at hand is more expressive of the transformation of divine blessings into divine retribution.
In any case, This is because Allah never changes a blessing… expresses a universal law with respect to a specific incident: taking the Qurayshi polytheists to account for their crimes, and chastising them. This principle is part of the divine wont (sunnah) running [throughout time and creation]: that when God blesses a people, He never withdraws that blessing unless they themselves change.
And because Allah is Hearing, Knowing: This is a second explanation, following the first explanation that this is because Allah never changes a blessing…. Keeping the context in mind, it can be taken to mean: “This is because God hears their pleas and knows their needs. Thus, He responded to them and chastened their enemies who rejected the signs of God.” It can also be taken to mean: “This is because He hears their words and knows their actions. So He chastened them due to that.” Possibly, both understandings can be combined.
كَدَأْبِ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ ۙ وَالَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَأَغْرَقْنَا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ ۚ وَكُلٌّ كَانُوا ظَالِمِينَ ٥٤
(8:54) Like the people of Pharaoh and those before him. They denied Allah’s communications and signs. Therefore, We destroyed them for their crimes and drowned the people of Pharaoh, for they were all wrongdoers.
This echoes verse (Like the people of Pharaoh and those before him. They disbelieved…) to show the similarity between the two situations:
Verse reflects on this is because of what your own hands have wrought, and because Allah never wrongs His servants… ().
Verse reflects on Allah never changes a blessing which He has blessed a people with until they change what is inside themselves… ().
However, contains a shift in person: verse says that Allah destroyed them, whereas verse says We destroyed them. Perhaps, this is because verse reflects on the verse about the bestowal (or removal) of divine blessings. These blessings emanate from God towards His servants, whereas it is only the people themselves who spoil them. This is a matter between the Lord and His servants, and pertains to how they absent themselves from the straight path. Thus, there is somewhat of a variation between the context of verses and .
Furthermore, verse says they denied Allah’s communications and signs (kafarū bi-āyāt Allāh), whereas verse says they disbelieved in Allah’s communications and signs (kadhdhabū bi-āyāt-i rabbihim). Therefore, shifting to the first person plural (We destroyed them for their crimes, ) conveys the enormity of the matter. It also indicates that God has agents or intermediaries who act at His command and carry out His will.
We destroyed them for their crimes and drowned the people of Pharaoh: The object of the verse (the people of Pharaoh) is specified, rather than referred to by a pronoun, to avoid confusion over who the pronoun is referring to. That is, it does not simply say We drowned them to avoid confusion over who was drowned: the people of Pharaoh only, or the people of Pharaoh and also all those before him.
For they were all wrongdoers: Meaning, divine punishment seized all of them: the Qurayshī faithless, the people of Pharaoh, and those who came before them. All of them were wrongdoers before God.
From this, it can also be understood that God only subjects someone to severe torment or withdraws a blessing from a person if that person has devolved into tyranny or oppression (ẓulm), thereby scorning God’s signs. God only chastises those who merit it.
Examining Narrations
- In al-Kāfī, it is related from ʿAli ibn Ibrāhīm, from his father, from Ibn Abī ʿUmayr, from al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿUthmān, from Samāʿah:
I asked Abū al-Ḥasan [Imām al-Kāẓim] about the khums. He said, “It is on everything that people gain profits on, small or large.”
- In al-Kafī, it is related from ʿAlī ibn Ibrāhīm, from his father, from Ḥammād ibn ʿĪsā, from some of our companions, from al-ʿAbd al-Ṣāliḥ:
Khums is due on five things: war-booty, [things acquired from] diving, treasures, mining, and proceeds from seafaring. From each of these five categories, one-fifth should be taken out and given to those whom God has specified. [The other] four-fifths are to be divided among the fighters or those who sponsor fighters.
The one-fifth [that is given as khums] is divided into six shares, a share each for: God, His Messenger, the near of kin, orphans, the needy, and stranded wayfarers.
After the time of the Prophet, the shares of God and the Prophet are inherited by the rightful leader (ūlū al-amr). Thus, the rightful leader collects three shares: two shares as inheritance, and one share designated for him by God. Therefore, he collects one half of the sum total of the khums.
The other half is distributed among the people of his house: a part for their orphans, a part for their needy, and a part for their stranded wayfarers. These are divided among them in accordance with the Book and the Sunnah in an amount that would free them from need for one year. Anything extra goes to the leader (wālī). If there is a shortfall and they are still in need, it is the leader’s responsibility to pay their expenses. It falls upon him to provide for them because he takes the extra. God has given the khums to them specifically, rather than to all needy people or all stranded wayfarers, because they do not accept charity (ṣadaqāt) from the people, as an honor from God for the family of the Prophet and to purify them from the filth of the people. He Himself has specified them and provided for them in this way, to uplift them from degradation and poverty. However, there is no problem if they give charity (ṣadaqāt) to each other.
These are the near of kin whom God has designated the khums for, whom He mentions in the verse: and warn your near of kin (). They are the children of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib themselves: the males and the females, not the children of any other of the houses of the Quraysh, or any other Arabs. Their mawālī (servants or former servants) also do not take any shares [of the khums], since the mawālī are allowed to take charity from the people; they are on the same level as the people.
A person whose mother is from Banū Hāshim and whose father is from a different branch of the Quraysh may take charity but does not receive khums, since God said: Call them by their fathers ().
- In al-Tahdhīb, it is related via a chain of narration from ʿAlī ibn Mahziyār that ʿAlī ibn Rāshid told him:
I told him, “You have commanded me to uphold your affair and collect your due, and you have also told your servants (mawālī) this. Some of them replied, ‘What is his due?’ I didn’t know what to tell them!”
He told him, “They must pay the khums.”
I asked, “On what things?”
He said, “Their goods and wastage.”
I asked, “What about the trader and craftsman?”
He said, “Yes, if they are able to after they have paid for their expenses.”
- In al-Tahdhīb, it is related via a chain of narration from Zakariyā ibn Mālik al-Juʿfī, from Abū ʿAbd Allāh [Imām al-Ṣādiq]:
He [Imām al-Ṣādiq] was asked about the verse: Know that whatever you gain, a fifth of it is for Allah and the Messenger and the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer—if you believe in Allah and what We revealed to Our servant on the day of sorting, the day when the two hosts met. And Allah has power over all things ().
He [Imām al-Ṣādiq] said, “Allah’s share of the khums belongs to the Imam, and the Messenger’s share of the khums belongs to the Imam. The near of kin’s share, which belongs to the Prophet’s kin, goes to the Imam. The orphans, the needy, and the stranded wayfarers are the orphans, needy, and stranded wayfarers of the family of the Prophet. So do not spend their [wealth] on others.”
- In al-Tahdhīb, it is related via a chain of narration from Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Abī Naṣr:
Ibrāhim ibn Abī al-Bilād asked Abū ʿAbd Allāh [Imām al-Ṣādiq], “Do you have to pay zakāt?”
He said, “No, but there is excess wealth, and we give it like this.”
He was asked about the verse Know that whatever you gain, a fifth of it is for Allah and the Messenger and the near of kin… (). Someone asked him, “Who takes God’s share?”
He said, ‘The Messenger; the Imam now takes the Messenger’s share.’
Someone asked, “What if there is an excess or shortfall with respect to the expenses of some of the shares?”
He said, ‘The Imam handles this. Did you see what the Messenger of God did? He used to spend as he saw fit. The Imam likewise does the same.”
Author’s comments: Copious (mutawātir) narrations from the Imams of the family of the Prophet concur that the khums should be partitioned among God, the Messenger, and the Imam, orphans, kinsfolk, needy, and stranded wayfarers among the Prophet’s family; it should not go to anyone outside these groups. Narrations specify six shares of the khums, which is not limited to war booty. Rather, it is a general tax, encompassing anything that can be called a “gain” (ghanīmah), such as earnings, treasures, what is acquired from the sea, minerals, and seafaring—as was mentioned. This is a gift from God to the family of the Prophet since He has forbidden them to accept alms-tax and charity (zakāt and ṣadaqāt).
- In al-Durr al-Manthūr, it is related from Ibn Abī Shaybah—and, from another chain, from Ibn al-Mundhir—from Ibn ʿAbbās:
Najdah al-Ḥarūrī sent a question to Ibn ʿAbbās about the share of the near ones which God mentions.
He [Ibn ʿAbbās] wrote back, “We understood them to be ourselves; however, our people rejected that.”
They [Najdah’s delegation] said, “He [Najdah] asks, ‘Who do you think it belongs to (qālū wa yaqūl li-man tarāhu)?’”
Ibn ʿAbbās said, “It belongs to the Prophet’s kin; the Prophet divided it among them. However, ʿUmar reduced our share. When we saw that he was shortchanging it, we refused to accept it. He proffered that it should only be used to help pay for their marriages, pay their debts, or go to destitute members of the Prophet’s kin; he refused anything beyond that.”
Author’s comments: In the narration, the expression qalū wa yaqūl li-man tarāhu means: “The delegation that Najdah al-Ḥarūrī sent to Ibn ʿAbbās said, ‘Najah says, “Who do you think the khums is for?”’” That is, they are asking him for his fatwa about who the khums should be spent on.
“It belongs to the Prophet’s kin; the Prophet divided it among them”: The clearest understanding of this is that it explains the near of kin () as the Prophet’s kinsfolk. The clearest understanding of the previous narrations from the Imams of the family of the Prophet is that they explain the near of kin () to refer to the Imam’s kinsfolk. The apparent meaning of the verse reinforces this understanding, insofar as it uses the singular.
- In al-Durr al-Manthūr, it is related from Ibn al-Mundhir from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Laylā:
I asked ʿAlī about it [khums]. I said, “O Commander of the Faithful, tell me, what did Abū Bakr and ʿUmar do with your share of the khums?”
He said, “Abū Bakr did not deal with khums during his term. ʿUmār continually ceded the khums to me, even the khums from Sūs and Jandīsābūr. Once, when I was with him, he said, ‘This is your share of the khums, the share of the family of the Prophet; however, the circumstances of some of the Muslims had grown dire.’ So I said, ‘Yes [you may give it to them].’
“At that, Al-ʿAbbās ibn Abī Ṭālib leapt up and said, ‘Do not give our share to others.’
“I said, ‘Are we not the most generous of the Muslims? The Commander of the Faithful [ʿUmar] has interceded on their behalf.’ Thus, ʿUmar took the khums away, permanently, by God. Then, during the reign of ʿUthmān, we had no access to it.’”
Then ʿAlī declaimed, “God forbade His Messenger from accepting charity and appointed a share of the khums in its stead. He also forbade his family, alone in the ummah, from accepting charity. Thus, a share was appointed for them, like the Messenger, in lieu of what they had been forbidden.”
8. In al-Durr al-Manthūr, it is related from Ibn Abī Ḥātim from Ibn ʿAbbās that the Messenger of God said:
I have kept you away from people’s scraps [lit. left over runoff-water]. However, you have a share of the khums to suffice you and take care of your needs.
Author’s comments: This is predicated upon a fifth being for the family of the Prophet and the near of kin only.
- In al-Durr al-Manthūr, it is related from Ibn Abī Shaybah that Jubayr ibn Muṭʿim said:
The Messenger of God had distributed the share of the near of kin to Banū Hāshim and Banū al-Muṭṭalib.
ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān and I walked until we came to him [the Prophet]. Then I said, “O Messenger of God, these are your brothers from Banū Hāshim. None can deny their nobility due to their closeness with you—which God has given them. However, why are you providing for the Banū al-Muṭṭalib but not us, while we both share equally close kin ties?”
He said, “They did not abandon us—neither before nor after the time of Islam.”
- In al-Durr al-Manthūr, Ibn Mardawayh relates from Zayd ibn Arqam:
The family of Muḥammad (āl-i Muḥammad) who were given the khums are the families of ʿAlī and ʿAbbās and Jaʿfar and ʿAqīl.
Author’s comments: There are many Sunni narrations about this. However, they disagree about how the Prophet handled the khums. For instance, some say he used to divide the khums into four parts, and others say that he used to divide it into five parts.
However, there is near-agreement in the Sunni narrations that a share of the khums belongs to the kinsfolk of the Prophet, who are referred to as the near of kin in the verse on khums. This is different from what appears in Shiʿi narrations.
One of the things that is nearly agreed-upon is that the Prophet used to divide the khums among the family of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib while he was alive. This stopped during the time of the first three caliphs, and continued like that after them.
Additionally, there is near-agreement in the Sunni narrations that the khums specifically related to the spoils of war. The Sunni narrations do not extend khums to anything that can be called a “gain” (ghanīmah), unlike the Shiʿi narrations.
We have already spoken of the matters pertaining to the exegesis of the verse. However, one can examine some rhetorical or jurisprudential considerations, which are outside the scope of our discussion. For instance, one can delve into the matter of social rights and khums, as well as its effect on the Islamic society. This will be discussed in the section on zakāt.
There remains to discuss what the narrations say about how God ordained the khums as an honour for the Prophet’s family, so they would not have to sully themselves by collecting people’s wealth. Presumably, this is taken from the verse on zakāt, which is addressed to the Prophet: Take alms out of their property, you would cleanse them and purify them thereby, and pray for them; surely your prayer is a relief to them… (). “Purification” (taṭhīr and tazkiyah) pertain to things which can be dirtied. However, one does not get this sense from the verse on khums.
- In al-Durr al-Manthūr, it is related from ʿAbd al-Razzāq and Ibn Ḥarīr that ʿUrwah ibn al-Zubayr said:
The Messenger of God was commanded in the Qur’an to fight. His first battle was Badr, where the commander of the polytheists was ʿUtbah ibn Rabīʿah ibn ʿAbd al-Shams. The two sides met at Badr on a Friday; it was the sixteenth or seventeenth of Ramaḍān. The Prophet had three-hundred-odd men, while the polytheists had one thousand nine-hundred men. That was the “day of sorting” (yawm al-furqān), on which God distinguished truth from falsehood. The first person to fall at the battle was Mihjaʿ, the servant of ʿAmr, one of the Helpers. That day, God routed the polytheists: more than seventy of their men were killed, and a similar number were taken captive.
- In al-Durr al-Manthūr, it is related from Ibn Mardawayh from ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib:
The “night of sorting” (laylat al-furqān), the night before the two forces met [for the Battle of Badr], was a Thursday night, on the seventeenth of Ramaḍān.
Author’s comments: Something similar is related from Ibn Jarīr, from al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī; from Ibn Abī Shaybah from Jaʿfar from his father; and from him, from Abū Bakr, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Hishām. Something similar is also related from ʿĀmir ibn Rabīʿah al-Badrī; however, that narration says that the Battle of Badr occurred on a Monday, which was the seventeenth of Ramaḍān.
Possibly, some Shiʿi narrations could be taken to mean that the Battle of Badr happened on the nineteenth of Ramaḍān, since these narrations refer to the Night of Power (laylat al-qadr). However, they are referring to something other than what is intended by the verse the day of sorting, the day when the two hosts met (). For instance, in Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, it is related from Isḥāq ibn ʿAmmār:
Abū ʿAbdillāh [Imām al-Ṣādiq] said, “The nineteenth of Ramaḍan is when the two hosts meet.”
I said, “What does ‘the two hosts meet’ mean?”
He said, “On that day, the divine will for the past and future meet, as do the divine will and divine decree.”
- It is related in Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī from Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā that Abū ʿAbdillāh [Imām al-Ṣādiq] said about while the caravan was below you ():
This was Abū Sufyān and his lot.
- Regarding so that whosoever perishes, perishes according to a clear proof; and whosoever lives, lives according to a clear proof (), Tafsīr al-Qummī says:
Those who survived knew that God had aided them.
- In al-Durr al-Manthūr, regarding when He showed them to you, when you met… (), Ibn Abī Shaybah, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn al-Shaykh, and Ibn Mardawayh relate that Ibn Masʿūd said:
On the day of Badr, they were made to appear so few in our eyes that I asked a man next to me, “Do you think there are seventy of them?”
He said, “No, a hundred.”
- In al-Durr al-Manthūr, regarding O you who believe! When you meet a battle-contingent… (), al-Ḥākim relates from—and authenticates it from—Abū Mūsā:
The Messenger of God disliked battle-cries.
- In al-Durr al-Manthūr, it is related from Ibn Abī Shaybah, from al-Nuʿmān ibn Muqarrin:
When the Messenger of God was at battle, he would not fight in the first part of the day. Rather, he would postpone it until the sun was declining, the winds were blowing, and divine aid was descending.
- In Tafsīr al-Burhān, regarding when Satan made their deeds seem fair to them (), it is related via a chain of narration from Yaḥyā ibn al-Ḥasan ibn Furāt, from Abū al-Muqaddam Thaʿlabah ibn Zayd al-Anṣārī:
I heard Jābir ibn ʿAbdullāh ibn Ḥarām al-Anṣārī say, “Iblīs took human form four times. [First,] during the Battle of Badr, when he appeared as Surāqah ibn Mālik ibn Jushʿum al-Mudlijī and told the Quraysh, ‘No one can overcome you today while I am your defender.’ But when the two hosts saw each other, he turned on his heels and said, ‘I have nothing to do with you! I see what you see not. I fear Allah, and Allah is severe in retribution’ ().
[Second,] he appeared on the Day of ʿAqabah in the form of Munabbih ibn al-Ḥajjāj and shrieked, “Muḥammad and his hooligans are at ʿAqabah! Catch them!” Then the Messenger of God told the Helpers, “Fear not; his voice shall not reach them.”
[Third,] he appeared on the day when the Quraysh gathered at Dār al-Nadwah in the form of an old man from Najd and participated in their counsel. Then God revealed: [Remember] when those who rejected faith plotted against you, to capture you or kill you or expel you. They plotted, and Allah plotted—and Allah is the best of plotters ().
[Fourth,] he appeared the day that the Messenger of God died in the form of al-Mughīrah ibn Shuʿbah and said, “O people! Do not make an emperor or king like the Persians or Romans! Spread out power so it does not fall back to Banū Hāshim while they wait for their women to get pregnant and give birth [to heirs].
- Majmaʿ al-Bayān says:
When they met [for battle], Iblīs was among the enemy lines. Ḥārith ibn Hishām grasped his hand, whereupon he whirled about.
“Surāqah, where are you going?” al-Ḥārith ibn Hishām asked. “Are you betraying us in this situation?”
“I see what you do not see.”
“By God, I only see those boys from Yathrib.”
Shoving al-Ḥārith away, Surāqah took off, and they lost.
When they returned to Mecca, they said, “Surāqah made us lose.”
Surāqah protested, “By God, I had no idea you had marched to battle until I heard about your defeat.”
They said, “You came to us that day and swore an oath to them.”
Then, when they became Muslim, they realized that this had been Satan.
Majmaʿ al-Bayān says:
This is also narrated from Abū Jaʿfar [Imām al-Bāqir] and Abū ʿAbdillāh [Imām al-Ṣādiq].
Author’s comments: Ibn Shahrāshūb relates something similar from them both. Many Sunni narrations, from Ibn ʿAbbās and others, also share this meaning.
Previously, we discussed how some exegetes consider this unlikely and deem these narrations weak. However, these narrations affirm something which is possible, not something impossible. There is no logical reason why Satan cannot take human form. It is not unusual for liminal (barzakhiyyah) forms to manifest. Therefore, there is no reason to insist that this is impossible. While one also cannot insist that it the correct interpretation, it best fits the literal meaning of the verse.
- In al-Durr al-Manthūr, regarding - (When Satan made their deeds seem fair…), it is related from Ibn Abī Ḥātim that Ibn Isḥāq said regarding When the hypocrites and the sick-hearted said… ():
They are a group that marched out with the Quraysh. Their fathers had imprisoned them and forced them to come out to battle while they harboured some doubts. When they saw how few companions the Prophet had, they said, “Those poor things got duped by their religion when they went out with so few against so many!” They were five members of the Quraysh: Qays ibn al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah al-Makhzūmī, Abu Qays ibn al-Fākih ibn al-Mughīrah al-Makhzūmī, al-Ḥārith ibn Zamʿah, ʿAlī ibn Umayyah ibn Khalaf, and al-ʿĀṣī ibn Munabbih.
Author’s comments: While this does fit the expression when the hypocrites and the sick-hearted said (), other exegetes hold that the hypocrites were the ones who said“their religion has duped them” (), and the “sick-hearted” were a group of people from Medina who did not march forth to battle with the Prophet. However, the context of the verse suggests otherwise, since it indicates that they were present at the battle and said it when the two forces met.
Furthermore, a narration from Abū Hurayrah in al-Durr al-Manthūr from al-Ṭabarānī in al-Awsaṭ says about who said what:
ʿUtbah ibn Rabīʿah and the polytheists with him at Badr said, “Their religion has duped them.” Then, God revealed When the hypocrites and the sick-hearted said, “Their religion has duped them” ().
However, this does not fit the verse, since the Qur’an never uses the expression “the polytheists” (mushrikīn) to speak of the hypocrites, nor of the sick-hearted.
- In Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, it is related from ʿAlī al-Maḥmūdī from his father, without a further chain of narration, regarding smiting their faces and backs ():
It means “their buttocks”. God is decent and uses euphemisms.
- In Tafsīr al-Ṣāfī, it is related from al-Kāfī from [Imām] al-Ṣādiq:
God raised one of His prophets among his people and revealed to him, “Tell your people that whenever a town or people obeyed Me, and I bestowed ease upon them, and they moved away from what I love to what I hate, I moved them from they love to what they hate. And whenever a town or household disobeyed me, and I afflicted them, and they moved from what I hate to what I love, I moved them from what they hated to what they loved.”
- In Tafsīr al-Ṣāfī, it is also related that he [Imām al-Ṣādiq] said:
My father [Imām al-Bāqir] used to say, “God, the Mighty and Glorious, has firmly decreed that He will not bless a servant and then retract this blessing unless this servant commits a sin and merits punishment for it.”
The same phrase is repeated in the previous verse: And if they turn back, then know that Allah is your guardian… (wa in tawallaw fa-ʿlamū anna Allāha mawlākum…, ). [Trans.] ↩︎
Here, comprehend is meant in the formal sense of “surrounding” or “encompassing”, although of course it carries the nuance of “knowing”. [Trans.] ↩︎
Grammatically, ẓallām is a noun for a doer (such as “tyrant”, “villain”, or “unjust person”); however, it has been rendered as the verb wrongs in the translation for ease of reading. Servants refers to all human beings, not only Muslims or the faithful. [Trans.] ↩︎
One of the Imams; the name is unspecified. [Trans.] ↩︎
That is, near of kin (dhī al-qurbā, ) is in the singular; it says kinsfolk rather than kinsfolks. [Trans.] ↩︎
That is, wealth and property can contain “dirt” or “filth” (wasakh, which is the term used in a narration cited, and also is the term ʿAllāmah is using here) and be cleansed, similar to how a piece of cloth can get dirty and be washed. [Trans.] ↩︎
Other sources refer to him as Mihjaʿ the servant of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb. [Trans.] ↩︎