Tafsir of Al-Anfal 8:43

Surah Al-Anfal 8:43

ﲋ ﲌ ﲍ ﲎ ﲏ ﲐ ﲑ ﲒ ﲓ ﲔ ﲕ ﲖ ﲗ ﲘ ﲙ ﲚ ﲛ ﲜ ﲝ ﲞ ﲟ ﲠ

[Remember, O Muhammad], when Allah showed them to you in your dream as few; and if He had shown them to you as many, you [believers] would have lost courage and would have disputed in the matter [of whether to fight], but Allah saved [you from that]. Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts.

Tafsir

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Verse range: 8:43

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Allah made each Group look few in the Eye of the Other Allah said,

إذ يريكهم الله في منامك قليﻼ

(And remember) when Allah showed them to you as few in your dream; Mujahid said, "In a dream, Allah showed the Prophet the enemy as few. The Prophet conveyed this news to his Companions and their resolve strengthened.'' Similar was said by Ibn Ishaq and several others. Allah said,

ولو أراكهم كثيرا لفشلتم ولتنازعتم في اﻻمر

If He had shown them to you as many, you would surely, have been discouraged, and you would surely have disputed in making a decision. you would have cowardly abstained from meeting them and fell in dispute among yourselves,

ولكن الله سلم

(But Allah saved), from all this, when He made you see them as few,

إنه عليم بذات الصدور

Certainly, He is the All-Knower of that is in the breasts. Allah knows what the heart and the inner-self conceal,

يعلم خاينة اﻻعين وما تخفى الصدور

Allah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal. (40:19) Allah's statement,