The Quran

سورة الاٴنفَال

Surah Al-Anfâl 8:17

The Voluntary Gifts · Verse 17 of 75

فَلَمْ تَقْتُلُوهُمْ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ قَتَلَهُمْ ۚ وَمَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ رَمَىٰ ۚ وَلِيُبْلِيَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْهُ بَلَاءً حَسَنًا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

Abdul Mannan Omar

Therefore (in this war O Muslims!) you killed them not. (As a matter of fact) it was Allâh Who killed them. And (O Prophet!) it was not you who threw (a handful of small stones) when you did (apparently) throw them (towards the enemy) but it was Allâh Who threw (that He might vanquish your enemies) and that He might confer on the believers from Himself a bounteous favour. Verily, Allâh is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It 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).

Ahmed Ali

It was not you who killed them, but God did so. You did not throw what you threw, (sand into the eyes of the enemy at Badr), but God, to bring out the best in the faithful by doing them a favour of His own. God is all-hearing and all-knowing.

12 more translations

Ali Unal

You (O believers) did not kill them (by yourselves in the battle), but God killed them; and when you (O Messenger) threw (dust at them at the start of the battle), it was not you who threw but God threw. (He did all this) so that He might put the believers to a test by a fair testing from Him (so that could attain to their goal and should know that victory is from God). Surely, God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Daryabadi

Wherefore ye slew them not, but Allah slew them, and thou thrtwest not, When thou threWest, but Allah threw, in order that he might prove the believers with a goodly proving from Him. Verily Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

Faridul Haque

So you did not slay them, but in fact Allah slew them; and O dear Prophet (Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon him) you did not throw (the sand) when you did throw, but in fact Allah threw; and in order to bestow an excellent reward upon the Muslims; indeed Allah is the All Hearing, the All Knowing.

Maulana Muhammad Ali

So you slew them not but Allah slew them, and thou smotest not when thou didst smite (the enemy), but Allah smote (him), and that He might confer upon the believers a benefit from Himself. Surely Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

Maulvi Sher Ali

So you slew them not; but it was ALLAH Who slew them. And thou threwest not when thou didst throw, but it was ALLAH Who threw, that HE might overthrow the disbelievers and that HE might confer on the believers a great favour from Himself. Surely, ALLAH is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Muhammad Asad

And yet, [O believers,] it was not you who slew the enemy, but it was God who slew them; and it was not thou who cast [terror into them, O Prophet], when thou didst cast it, but it was God who cast it and [He did all this] in order that He might test the believers by a goodly test of His Own or daining. Verily, God is all-hearing, all-knowing!

Muhammad Musin Khan

You 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.

Muhammad Pickthall

Ye (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.

Muhammad Sarwar

It was not you (believers) but God who slew the pagans. It was not you (Muhammad) but God who threw dust at them. He did this as a favorable test for the believers. God is All-hearing and All-knowing.

Muhammed ali Shakir

So you did not slay them, but it was Allah Who slew them, and you did not smite when you smote (the enemy), but it was Allah Who smote, and that He might confer upon the believers a good gift from Himself; surely Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

Rashad Khalifa

It was not you who killed them; GOD is the One who killed them. It was not you who threw when you threw; GOD is the One who threw. But He thus gives the believers a chance to earn a lot of credit. GOD is Hearer, Omniscient.

Shabbir Ahmed

You did not subdue them, God did. You did not throw the arrows, God did. But He let the believers test themselves in a blessing from Him in disguise. God is Hearer, Knower.

Commentary 8:17 When the battle began, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) prayed and threw a handful of sand in the direction of the enemy, In this moment the wind became strong and…

فَلَمْ تَقْتُلُوهُمْ وَلَـٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ قَتَلَهُمْ ۚ وَمَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ رَمَىٰ ۚ وَلِيُبْلِيَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْهُ بَلَاءً حَسَنًا

8:17 When the battle began, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) prayed and threw a handful of sand in the direction of the enemy, In this moment the wind became strong and started to blow against the faces of the enemy. The act of throwing sand by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) bears a remarkable resemblance to the striking of the waters of the sea by Moses with his staff. Just as the act of Moses was a signal for the wind to blow and the tide to return, the throwing of sand by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) was also a signal for the wind to blow. This contributed to the defeat of the forces of Abû Jahl whom the Holy Prophet (pbuh) had referred to as the Pharaoh of his people. In both cases, the operation of the forces of nature coincided with the act of the two Prophets under special Divine decree. Every event in the battle is ascribed to Allâh as this fight was for His cause and undertaken only under His command. The word remaytaرَمَيْتَ (you threw) is taken by some to mean the act of shooting an arrow or flinging a spear.