Tafsir of Al-Anfal 8:64-65

Surah Al-Anfal (8): Verses 64–65

Verse 64:

O Prophet, Allah is sufficient for you, and for those of the believers who follow you.

Know that after Allah promised him victory when the enemies plotted deception, He promised him victory and triumph in this verse absolutely, under all circumstances. In this way, repetition is not necessary.

The meaning of the previous verse was: "If they intend to deceive you, Allah is sufficient for you concerning their affair." The meaning of this verse is general, covering everything needed in religion and worldly affairs.

This verse was revealed in the desert (Al-Baidā') during the Battle of Badr, before the fighting commenced.

The phrase "and for those of the believers who follow you" refers to the Ansar (the Helpers of Medina).

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that this verse was revealed concerning the conversion of Umar (ibn Al-Khattab). Sa'id ibn Jubayr said: Thirty-three men and six women embraced Islam with the Prophet (peace be upon him). Then Umar embraced Islam, and this verse was revealed.

The commentators state that, according to this view, this verse is Meccan, yet it was written in a Medinan Surah by the command of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

There are two interpretations regarding the structure of the verse:

1. The first interpretation: The implied meaning is: "Allah is sufficient for you, and sufficient for those believers who follow you." Al-Farrā' said that the kāf (in ḥasbuka) is in the position of khafḍ (genitive case), and min (in min al-mu'minīn) is in the accusative position (meaning it is part of what is being sufficed). The meaning is: "Allah suffices you, and suffices those who follow you." He cited a poet:

   If the battle rages and the staff is split, Then sufficient for you and Al-Ḍaḥḥāk is a sharp, honed sword. Al-Farrā' noted that it is not uncommon in their speech to say, "Sufficient for you and your brother," although the usual phrasing is, "Sufficient for you and sufficient for your brother."

2. The second interpretation: The meaning is: "Allah sufficed you, and the believers who follow you sufficed you." Al-Farrā' considered this the better of the two interpretations.

The first view can be supported by arguing that if someone is aided by Allah's victory, their state cannot be increased or diminished by the aid of others besides Allah. Furthermore, attributing the outcome to the collective group might imply that one individual from that group is insufficient to achieve the necessary goal, which is far from Allah’s perfection.

However, a response to this is that all aid ultimately comes from Allah. Yet, some types of aid occur based on familiar, customary means, while others occur independently of them. Because of this distinction, the support of the believers is considered.

Then, it is clarified that even though Allah suffices you with His aid and the aid of the believers, you are not required to rely solely on that unless you fulfill the condition of inciting the believers to fight. Allah suffices you only on the condition that the believers exert themselves by sacrificing life and wealth in striving (Jihad).

Verse 65:

O Prophet, urge the believers to fight. If there are twenty of you, patient ones, they will overcome two hundred, and if there are a hundred of you, they will overcome a thousand of the disbelievers, because they are a people who do not understand.

The word "urge" (ḥarriḍ) in Arabic means to incite or encourage something. Al-Zajjāj mentioned a distant derivation for it: Taḥrīḍ (incitement) in language means that a person urges another toward something in such a way that if the urged person falls short, he becomes ḥāriḍ (one near destruction). This suggests that if the believers failed to fight after the Prophet's urging, they would be ḥāriḍūn (i.e., doomed/perishing). Thus, taḥrīḍ is derived from ḥāriḍ and ḥarḍ.

The statement "If there are twenty of you, patient ones, they will overcome two hundred" is not meant as a factual report (khabar) but as a command (amr). It is as if He is saying: "If there are twenty of you, then let them be patient and strive in fighting until they overcome two hundred."

Several points indicate that this is a command, not a report:

1. If it were a report, it would imply that two hundred disbelievers have never been overcome by twenty believers, which is demonstrably false.
2. It is followed by: "Now Allah has lightened the load for you" (8:66). Abrogation (naskh) is more appropriate for a command than for a factual report.
3. It is followed by: "And Allah is with the patient" (8:66), which serves as an encouragement to remain steadfast in Jihad.

Therefore, the intended meaning is a command, even though it is phrased as a report, similar to His saying: "Mothers shall nurse their children for two whole years" (2:233) and "Divorced women shall keep themselves in waiting" (2:228).

There are several related issues:

Issue 1: The Condition of Patience The phrase "If there are twenty of you, patient ones (ṣābirūn)" indicates that Allah did not obligate this ruling except on the condition that they are patient and steadfast in it. This condition is met when certain things are present:

• They must be physically strong and robust.
• They must be strong-hearted, brave, and not cowardly.
• They must not be turning away except to join another group or to rally to a standard (as exempted in previous verses).

When these prerequisites are met, it was obligatory for one believer to stand firm against ten opponents. This obligation is sound because it is preceded by the promise: "Allah is sufficient for you, and for those of the believers who follow you." Since Allah promised sufficiency and victory to the believers, this command becomes easy, as one whom Allah has guaranteed victory cannot be harmed by the entire world.

Issue 2: The Specific Numbers The statement: "If there are twenty of you, patient ones, they will overcome two hundred, and if there are a hundred of you, they will overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve," essentially mandates that one believer must stand against ten. Why did the text use these lengthy phrases instead of the concise statement: "One must stand against ten"?

The answer is that this wording corresponds to the actual situation. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to send out raiding parties (sarāyā), and typically, the size of these parties was not less than twenty and not more than one hundred. Allah mentioned these two numbers for this reason.

Issue 3: Recitation Variations Nāfi', Ibn Kathīr, and Ibn ‘Āmir recited the first word as "A-an" (with a tā’), and the following one as "Wa an" (with a tā’): A-an takun... wa an takun... Abu ‘Amr recited the first with a yā’ and the second with a tā’. The rest recited both with a yā’: In yakun... wa in yakun...

Issue 4: The Reason for Victory Allah clarifies the reason for this superiority: "because they are a people who do not understand (lā yafqahūn)." The explanation of this statement can be approached in several ways:

First View: Whoever does not believe in Allah or the Hereafter believes that the ultimate happiness and delight lie only in this worldly life. One who holds this belief is stingy with this life and will not expose it to annihilation. However, one who believes that there is no happiness in this life and that true bliss is only attained in the Hereafter does not care about this worldly life, pays it no heed, and assigns it no value. Consequently, they proceed to Jihad with a strong heart and sound resolve. When this is the case, one person of this caliber can resist a large number from the first group.

Second View: The disbelievers rely only on their physical strength and might, whereas the Muslims seek aid from their Lord through supplication and humility. For one who does this, victory and triumph are more fitting and deserved.

Third View (Known only to those engaged in spiritual discipline and unveiling): Every heart that is specialized by knowledge and gnosis (ma‘rifah) possesses an awe-inspiring presence among creation. If a learned man stands before powerful, ignorant, and harsh men, those powerful men will fear and respect that scholar and serve him. We can even say that fierce wild beasts, upon seeing a human being, become fearful and turn away. This is because the human being, due to the light of intellect within him, possesses inherent majesty. Furthermore, when the light of knowledge of Allah the Exalted dominates a wise person's heart, his limbs become strengthened, and his faculties become firm. Sometimes, upon the manifestation of this Divine unveiling in his heart, he becomes capable of actions he could not perform before.

Once this is understood, when a believer advances to Jihad, it is as if he has offered his life and wealth seeking the pleasure of Allah. In this state, he is like one witnessing the light of Allah's Majesty, so his heart strengthens, his spirit is perfected, and he becomes capable of what others cannot achieve. These are states belonging to the realm of unveiling (mukāshafāt), indicating that the believer must be stronger than the disbeliever. If this strength is not always apparent, it is because the manifestation of this unveiling occurs rarely, only for individuals here and there. And Allah knows best.

Verse 66:

Now Allah has lightened the load for you, and He knows that there is weakness in you. So if there are a hundred of you, patient ones, they will overcome two hundred, and if there are a thousand of you, they will overcome two thousand by the permission of Allah. And Allah is with the patient.