Tafsir of Al-Anfal 8:12

{إذ يوحى} (When it is revealed): It is permissible for this to be a third substitution for {إذ يعدكم} (When He promised you) [Al-Anfal: 7].

It may also be in the accusative case, governed by yuthabbitu (He strengthens). {إني معكم} (I am with you) is the object of yūḥī (He reveals). It has been recited as innī (with a kasra) based on the intent of speech, or by treating yūḥī as equivalent to yaqūlu (He says), as in His saying: {أني ممدكم} (That I am reinforcing you) [Al-Anfal: 9]. The meaning is: "I am your helper in strengthening, so strengthen them."

His saying: {سألقي فاضربوا} (I will cast... so strike): It is permissible for this to be an explanation of His saying: {أني معكم فثبتوا} (That I am with you, so strengthen). There is no aid greater than casting terror into the hearts of the disbelievers, and no strengthening more effective than striking their necks. Their combination is the ultimate victory.

It is also permissible that it is not an explanation, and that "strengthening" means bringing to their minds that which fortifies their hearts and makes their resolve and intentions in battle sound, and that they manifest what makes them certain that they are being reinforced by the angels.

It is said: An angel would take the form of a man they recognized, come, and say: "I heard the polytheists say: 'By Allah, if they charge at us, we will surely break.'" He would walk between the two ranks and say: "Rejoice, for Allah is your helper because you worship Him, while they do not worship Him."

Al-ru‘b (terror) has been recited with a heavy vowel (al-ru‘ub).

{فوق الأعناق} (Above the necks): He meant the upper parts of the necks, which are the slaughtering points, because they are joints. Striking them results in cutting and severing the heads. It is also said he meant the heads because they are above the necks, meaning striking the skulls. He said: And I strike the skull of the brave, defiant warrior. I covered him while he was in a fierce, armored state, With a sharp blade that struck the center of the head and split it.

{والبنان} (And the fingertips): Meaning the extremities. The meaning is: strike the vital points and the extremities. Since a strike either lands on a vital point or a non-vital point, He commanded them to combine both types together.

It is also permissible that His saying {سألقي} (I will cast) up to {كل بنان} (every fingertip) follows His saying {فثبتوا الذين آمنوا} (So strengthen those who believe) as a prompt to the angels regarding what they should use to strengthen them. It is as if He said: "Say to them my words: {سألقي في قلوب الذين كفروا الرعب} (I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved)." Or, as if they asked: "How shall we strengthen them?" and it was said: "Say to them my words: {سألقي}." According to this, the strikers are the believers.

{ذلكم بأنهم شاقوا الله ورسوله ومن يشاقق الله ورسوله فإن الله شديد العقاب * ذلكم فذوقوه وأن للكافرين عذاب النار} (That is because they opposed Allah and His Messenger. And whoever opposes Allah and His Messenger, then indeed, Allah is severe in penalty. That is [the punishment], so taste it, and that for the disbelievers is the punishment of the Fire.)