فَلَمۡ تَقۡتُلُوهُمۡ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَتَلَهُمۡۚ وَمَا رَمَيۡتَ إِذۡ رَمَيۡتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَمَىٰ وَلِيُبۡلِيَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ مِنۡهُ بَلَآءً حَسَنًاۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٞ Falam taqtuloohum wa laakinnal laaha qatalahum; wa maa ramaita iz ramaita wa laakinnal laaha ramaa; wa liyubliyal mu’mineena minhu balaaa’an hasanaa; innal laaha Samee’un Aleem English Translation Here you can read various translations of verse 17 And you did not kill them, but it was Allah who killed them. And you threw not, [O Muhammad], when you threw, but it was Allah who threw that He might test the believers with a good test. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing. Yusuf AliIt is not ye who slew them; it was Allah when thou threwest a handful of dust, it was not thy act, but Allah’s in order that He might test the Believers by a gracious trial from Himself for Allah is He Who heareth and knoweth all things. Abul Ala MaududiSo the fact is that it was not you, but it was Allah Who killed them; and it was not you when you threw [sand at them], but it was Allah Who threw it, and the believers were employed for the task that He might cause the believers to successfully pass through this test. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. Muhsin KhanYou killed them not, but Allah killed them. And you Muhammad SAW threw not when you did throw but Allah threw, that He might test the believers by a fair trial from Him. Verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower. PickthallYe Muslims slew them not, but Allah slew them. And thou Muhammad threwest not when thou didst throw, but Allah threw, that He might test the believers by a fair test from Him. Lo! Allah is Hearer, Knower. Dr. GhaliSo, you did not kill them, but Allah killed them; and in no way did you the prophet throw when you threw, but Allah threw, and that He might try the believers by a fair trial from Himself. Surely Allah is Ever-Hearing, Ever-Knowing. Abdel HaleemIt was not you who killed them but God, and when you [Prophet] threw [sand at them] it was not your throw [that defeated them] but God’s, to do the believers a favour God is all seeing and all knowing- Muhammad Junagarhiسو تم نے انہیں قتل نہیں کیا لیکن اللہ تعالیٰ نے ان کو قتل کیا۔ اور آپ نے خاک کی مٹھی نہیں پھینکی بلکہ اللہ تعالیٰ نے وه پھینکی اور تاکہ مسلمانوں کو اپنی طرف سے ان کی محنت کا خوب عوض دے بلاشبہ اللہ تعالیٰ خوب سننے واﻻ خوب جاننے واﻻ ہے Quran 8 Verse 17 Explanation For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Al-Anfal ayat 17, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir. Ala-Maududi 817 So the fact is that it was not you, but it was Allah Who killed them; and it was not you when you threw [sand at them], but it was Allah Who threw it,[14] and the believers were employed for the task that He might cause the believers to successfully pass through this test. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. 14. This refers to the occasion wnen the armies of the Muslims and the unbelievers stood face to face in the Battle of Badr and were on the verge of actual fighting. At that moment, the Prophet peace be on him threw a handful of dust at the enemy saying May, their faces be scorched.’ So saying the Prophet peace be on him made a gesture and the Muslims started their charge. See Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 1, p. 368; Ibn Hisham, vol. 1, p. 668; Ibn Kathir, comments on the verse – Ed. Ibn-Kathir 17. You killed them not, but Allah killed them. And you threw not when you did throw, but Allah threw, that He might test the believers by a fair trial from Him. Verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower. 18. This is the fact and surely Allah weakens the deceitful plots of the disbelievers. Allah’s Signs displayed during Badr, And throwing Sand in the Eyes of the Disbelievers Allah states that He creates the actions that the servants perform and that whatever good actions they take, it is He Who should be praised for them, for He directed and helped them perform these actions. Allah said, ﴿فَلَمْ تَقْتُلُوهُمْ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ قَتَلَهُمْ﴾ You killed them not, but Allah killed them. meaning, it is not because of your power and strength that you killed the pagans, who were many while you were few. Rather, it is He Who gave you victory over them, just as He said in another Ayah, ﴿وَلَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ بِبَدْرٍ وَأَنتُمْ أَذِلَّةٌ﴾ And Allah has already made you victorious at Badr, when you were a weak little force. ﴿3123﴾, and, ﴿لَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ فِى مَوَاطِنَ كَثِيرَةٍ وَيَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ إِذْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ كَثْرَتُكُمْ فَلَمْ تُغْنِ عَنكُمْ شَيْئاً وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ ثُمَّ وَلَّيْتُم مُّدْبِرِينَ ﴾ Truly, Allah has given you victory on many battlefields, and on the day of Hunayn when you rejoiced at your great number, but it availed you naught and the earth, vast as it is, was straitened for you, then you turned back in flight. ﴿925﴾ Allah, the Exalted and Ever High, states that victory does not depend on numbers or collecting weapons and shields. Rather, victory is from Him, Exalted He is. ﴿كَم مِّن فِئَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةٍ كَثِيرَةً بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ مَعَ الصَّـبِرِينَ﴾ How often has a small group overcome a mighty host by Allah’s leave” And Allah is with the patient. ﴿2249﴾ Allah then mentioned the handful of sand that His Prophet threw at the disbelievers during the day of Badr, when he went out of his bunker. While in the bunker, the Prophet invoked Allah humbly and expressing his neediness before Allah. He then threw a handful of sand at the disbelievers and said, شَاهَتِ الْوُجُوه» Humiliated be their faces. He then commanded his Companions to start fighting with sincerity and they did. Allah made this handful of sand enter the eyes of the idolators, each one of them were struck by some of it and it distracted them making each of them busy. Allah said, ﴿وَمَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ رَمَى﴾ And you threw not when you did throw, but Allah threw. Therefore, it is Allah Who made the sand reach their eyes and busied them with it, not you O Muhammad . Muhammad bin Ishaq said that Muhammad bin Ja`far bin Az-Zubayr narrated to him that `Urwah bin Az-Zubayr said about Allah’s statement, ﴿وَلِيُبْلِىَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْهُ بَلاَءً حَسَنًا﴾ that He might test the believers by a fair trial from Him. “So that the believers know Allah’s favor for them by giving them victory over their enemy, even though their enemy was numerous, while they were few. They should thus know His right and express gratitude for His favor on them.” Similar was said by Ibn Jarir. It is stated in a Hadith, وَكُلَّ بَلَاءٍ حَسَنٍ أَبْلَانَا» Every trail from Allah is a favor for us. Allah said next, ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾ Verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower. Allah hears the supplication and knows those who deserve help and triumph. Allah said, ﴿ذلِكُمْ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ مُوهِنُ كَيْدِ الْكَـفِرِينَ ﴾ This is the fact and surely Allah weakens the deceitful plots of the disbelievers. This is more good news, aside from the victory that the believers gained. Allah informed them that He will weaken the plots of the disbelievers in the future, degrade them and make everything they have perish and be destroyed, all praise and thanks are due to Allah. Quick navigation links