179 Page Notes

08 Surah Al-Anfal (continued)

Page 179 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

8:17

8:18

8:19

8:20

8:21

8:22

8:23

8:24

8:25

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 179 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 179 of the Quran covers Surah Al-Anfal (Chapter 8), verses 17 through 25.

This page serves as a theological turning point following the victory at Badr. It moves the believers away from self-congratulation by explaining that the victory was entirely due to divine intervention. It then shifts into severe warnings against spiritual hypocrisy, the danger of refusing to listen to prophetic commands, and the reality of fitnah (trials) that can consume an entire community if left unchecked.

1. Hadiths Related to Verse 17 (The Handful of Sand)

"And you did not kill them, but it was Allah who killed them. And you threw not, [O Muhammad], when you threw, but it was Allah who threw that He might test the believers with a good test..."

This verse addresses a highly specific, supernatural event that occurred at the climax of the Battle of Badr. When the two armies closed in on each other, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) bent down, scooped up a handful of tiny pebbles and sand, and hurled them toward the faces of the advancing Meccan army. Miraculously, the wind carried the particles across the battlefield, striking the eyes and noses of every single enemy soldier, throwing their frontline into utter confusion.

The Prophet Hurling the Pebbles

Classical books of Hadith and prophetic biography (Seerah) document this physical act and its instant psychological impact on the enemy.

Sahih Muslim, Book 32, Hadith 80: Explicit historical details are preserved via alternative chains in the books of history and Tafsir (such as Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari), tracing back to Ibn Abbas and Yazid ibn Thuban: "On the day of Badr, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to Ali, 'Give me a handful of pebbles.' He threw them into the faces of the enemy, saying, 'May their faces be disgraced!' There was not a single man among the polytheists except that his eyes and mouth were filled with those pebbles, and at that moment their ranks collapsed."

The Quran establishes that while the Prophet (ﷺ) performed the physical action of throwing, the supernatural reach and ultimate efficacy of the strike belonged solely to Allah ("but it was Allah who threw").

2. Hadiths Related to Verses 20–23 (The Danger of Empty Hearing)

"O you who have believed, obey Allah and His Messenger and do not turn away from him while you hear [his words]. And do not be like those who say, 'We have heard,' while they do not hear. Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf and dumb who do not understand."

These verses strongly condemn the hypocrites (Munafiqun) who physically sat in the presence of the Prophet (ﷺ) and heard his voice, but their hearts completely rejected the guidance. The Sunnah emphasizes that true "hearing" requires internal submission and execution, not just listening with the physical ear.

Hypocrisy and the Heart

The Prophet (ﷺ) gave an explicit warning about how hypocrisy rots a person’s ability to process truth, eventually turning them into the spiritually "deaf and dumb" entities described in verse 22.

Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Chapters on Zuhd, Hadith 2306: Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "When a believer commits a sin, a black spot is engraved on his heart. If he repents and asks for forgiveness, his heart is polished. But if he increases his sins, the black spots increase until they cover his entire heart..."

This total rust (Rân) prevents a person from understanding or digesting the verses when they hear them, effectively turning them into spiritual livestock.

3. Hadiths Related to Verse 24 (The Heart is Between Two Fingers)

"O you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that to Him you will be gathered."

The phrasing "Allah intervenes between a man and his heart" serves as a sobering reminder of how quickly human intent can shift. If a person delays responding to the truth, Allah can permanently lock their heart away from guidance.

The Most Frequent Supplication of the Prophet

Because the human heart is fragile and entirely subject to divine decree, the Prophet (ﷺ) constantly made a specific prayer asking for his heart to remain anchored to Islam.

Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Chapters on Qadar, Hadith 2140: Anas ibn Malik reported: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to frequently say: 'O Changer of the hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion' (Ya Muqallibal-qulubi thabbit qalbi 'ala dinik). I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, we believe in you and in what you have brought. Do you still fear for us?' He replied, 'Yes. Indeed, the hearts are between two fingers from the fingers of Allah; He turns them whichever way He wills.'"

4. Hadiths Related to Verse 25 (The Fire of Collective Trial / Fitnah)

"And fear a trial (Fitnah) which will not strike those who have wronged among you exclusively, and know that Allah is severe in penalty."

This verse outlines a fundamental social law in Islam: if corruption, oppression, or open violations of divine law are tolerated by a society, the resulting disaster (Fitnah or divine punishment) will sweep away both the sinners and the righteous onlookers alike. Passive righteousness will not save a community.

The Analogy of the Ship

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) illustrated this dynamic through a brilliant, famous architectural analogy involving a multi-level ship.

Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 45, Hadith 2493: An-Nu'man bin Bashir reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "The example of the person abiding by Allah's orders in comparison to the one who violates them is like a group of people who drew lots for their seats on a ship. Some of them got seats on the upper deck, and the others on the lower deck. When the people on the lower deck needed water, they had to go up past the people on the upper deck. So they said, 'Let us make a hole in our bottom deck to get water directly, so we do not bother the people above us.' If the people on the upper deck let them do what they intended, everyone on the ship would drown together. But if they stop them with their hands, they would save themselves and save all of them together."

This tradition functions as a direct commentary on Verse 25, explaining why a community must collectively forbid societal harms to avoid a overarching crisis.