8. Surah Al-Anfal, English Translation

The ˹true˺ believers are only those whose hearts tremble at the remembrance of Allah, whose faith increases when His revelations are recited to them, and who put their trust in their Lord.

˹They are˺ those who establish prayer and donate from what We have provided for them.

It is they who are the true believers. They will have elevated ranks, forgiveness, and an honourable provision from their Lord.

Similarly, when your Lord brought you ˹O Prophet˺ out of your home for a just cause, a group of believers was totally against it.

They disputed with you about the truth after it had been made clear, as if they were being driven to death with their eyes wide open.

˹Remember, O  believers,˺ when Allah promised ˹to give˺ you the upper hand over either target, you wished to capture the unarmed party.¹ But it was Allah’s Will to establish the truth by His Words and uproot the disbelievers;

to firmly establish the truth and wipe out falsehood—even to the dismay of the wicked.

˹Remember˺ when you cried out to your Lord for help, He answered, “I will reinforce you with a thousand angels—followed by many others.”¹

And Allah made this a sign of victory and reassurance to your hearts. Victory comes only from Allah. Surely Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.

˹Remember˺ when He caused drowsiness to overcome you, giving you serenity.¹ And He sent down rain from the sky to purify you, free you from Satan’s whispers, strengthen your hearts, and make ˹your˺ steps firm.

˹Remember, O  Prophet,˺ when your Lord revealed to the angels, “I am with you. So make the believers stand firm. I will cast horror into the hearts of the disbelievers. So strike their necks and strike their fingertips.”

This is because they defied Allah and His Messenger. And whoever defies Allah and His Messenger, then ˹know that˺ Allah is surely severe in punishment.

That ˹worldly punishment˺ is yours, so taste it! Then the disbelievers will suffer the torment of the Fire.

O believers! When you face the disbelievers in battle, never turn your backs to them.

And whoever does so on such an occasion—unless it is a manoeuvre or to join their own troops—will earn the displeasure of Allah, and their home will be Hell. What an evil destination!

It was not you ˹believers˺ who killed them, but it was Allah Who did so. Nor was it you ˹O Prophet˺ who threw ˹a handful of sand at the disbelievers˺,¹ but it was Allah Who did so, rendering the believers a great favour. Surely Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

As such, Allah frustrates the evil plans of the disbelievers.

If you ˹Meccans˺ sought judgment, now it has come to you. And if you cease, it will be for your own good. But if you persist, We will persist. And your forces—no matter how numerous they might be—will not benefit you whatsoever. For Allah is certainly with the believers.

O believers! Obey Allah and His Messenger and do not turn away from him while you hear ˹his call˺.

Do not be like those who say, “We hear,” but in fact they are not listening.

Indeed, the worst of all beings in the sight of Allah are the ˹wilfully˺ deaf and dumb, who do not understand.¹

Had Allah found any goodness in them, He would have certainly made them hear. ˹But˺ even if He had made them hear, they would have surely turned away heedlessly.

O believers! Respond to Allah and His Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that Allah stands between a person and their heart, and that to Him you will all be gathered.

Beware of a trial that will not only affect the wrongdoers among you. And know that Allah is severe in punishment.

Remember when you had been vastly outnumbered and oppressed in the land,¹ constantly in fear of attacks by your enemy, then He sheltered you, strengthened you with His help, and provided you with good things so perhaps you would be thankful.

O believers! Do not betray Allah and the Messenger, nor betray your trusts knowingly.

And know that your wealth and your children are only a test and that with Allah is a great reward.

O believers! If you are mindful of Allah, He will grant you a decisive authority, absolve you of your sins, and forgive you. And Allah is the Lord of infinite bounty.

And ˹remember, O  Prophet,˺ when the disbelievers conspired to capture, kill, or exile you. They planned, but Allah also planned. And Allah is the best of planners.

Whenever Our revelations are recited to them, they challenge ˹you˺, “We have already heard ˹the recitation˺. If we wanted, we could have easily produced something similar. This ˹Quran˺ is nothing but ancient fables!”

And ˹remember˺ when they prayed, “O Allah! If this is indeed the truth from You, then rain down stones upon us from the sky or overcome us with a painful punishment.”

But Allah would never punish them while you ˹O Prophet˺ were in their midst. Nor would He ever punish them if they prayed for forgiveness.

And why should Allah not punish them while they hinder pilgrims from the Sacred Mosque, claiming to be its rightful guardians? None has the right to guardianship except those mindful ˹of Allah˺, but most pagans do not know.

Their prayer at the Sacred House was nothing but whistling and clapping. So taste the punishment for your disbelief.

Surely the disbelievers spend their wealth to hinder others from the Path of Allah. They will continue to spend to the point of regret. Then they will be defeated and the disbelievers will be driven into Hell,

so Allah may separate the evil from the good. He will pile up the evil ones all together and then cast them into Hell. They are the ˹true˺ losers.

Tell the disbelievers that if they desist, their past will be forgiven. But if they persist, then they have an example in those destroyed before them.

Fight against them until there is no more persecution—and ˹your˺ devotion will be entirely to Allah. But if they desist, then surely Allah is All-Seeing of what they do.

And if they do not comply, then know that Allah is your Protector. What an excellent Protector, and what an excellent Helper!