The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

a
On the night before the battle.
b
Before the battle, the Prophet prayed and threw a handful of sand at the enemy as a
symbol of their being defeated.
c
There are various ways of interpreting this, including that, through death, God
separates a man from his heart’s desire, i.e. life.
Battle Gains
111
8: 25

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26Remember when you were few, victimized in the land, afraid
that people might catch you, but God sheltered you and strength-
ened you with His help, and provided you with good things so that
you might be grateful. 
27Believers, do not betray God and the
Messenger, or knowingly betray [other people’s] trust in you. 
28Be
aware that your possessions and your children are only a test, and
that there is a tremendous reward with God. 
29Believers, if you
remain mindful of God, He will give you a criterion [to tell right
from wrong] and wipe out your bad deeds, and forgive you: God’s
favour is great indeed.
30Remember [Prophet] when the disbelievers plotted to take you
captive, kill, or expel you. They schemed and so did God: He is the
best of schemers. 
31Whenever Our Revelation is recited to them they
say, ‘We have heard all this before –
– we could say something like this
if we wanted –
– this is nothing but ancient fables.’
32They also said,
‘God, if this really is the truth from You, then rain stones on us from
the heavens, or send us some other painful punishment.’
33But God
would not send them punishment while you [Prophet] are in their
midst, nor would He punish them if they sought forgiveness, 
34yet
why should God not punish them when they debar people from the
Sacred Mosque, although they are not its [rightful] guardians? Only
those mindful of God are its rightful guardians, but most of the
disbelievers do not realize this. 
35Their prayers before the House are
nothing but whistling and clapping. ‘So taste the punishment
a
for
your disbelief.’
36They use their wealth to bar people from the path
of God, and they will go on doing so. In the end this will be a source
of intense regret for them: they will be overcome and herded towards
Hell.
37God will separate the bad from the good, place the bad on top
of one another –
– heaping them all up together –
– and put them in
Hell. They will be the losers. 
38[Prophet], tell the disbelievers that if
they desist their past will be forgiven, but if they persist, they have
an example in the fate of those who went before. 
39[Believers], fight
them until there is no more persecution, and all worship
b
is devoted
to God alone: if they desist, then God sees all that they do, 
40but
if they pay no heed, be sure that God is your protector, the best
protector and the best helper.
a
This could allude to their defeat in the battle.
b
At the Sacred House; cf. 
2: 191–3, 2: 17.
The Qur
an
8: 26
112

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41Know that one-fifth of your battle gains belongs to God and the
Messenger, to close relatives and orphans, to the needy and travel-
lers, if you believe in God and the revelation We sent down to Our
servant on the day of the decision, the day when the two forces met
in battle. God has power over all things. 
42Remember when you were
on the near side of the valley, and they were on the far side and the
caravan was below you. If you had made an appointment to 
fight, you
would have failed to keep it [but the battle took place] so that God
might bring about something already ordained, so that those who
were to die might die after seeing a clear proof, and so that those
who were to live might live after seeing a clear proof –
– God is all
hearing and all seeing.
43[Prophet], remember when God made you see them in your
sleep as few: if He had shown them to you [believers] as many, you
would certainly have lost heart and argued about it, but God saved
you. He knows the secrets of the heart. 
44When you met He showed
them to you as few, and He made you few in their eyes, so that He
might bring about what has been ordained: everything goes back
to God.
45Believers, when you meet a force in battle, stand firm and keep
God
firmly in mind, so that you may prosper. 46Obey God and His
Messenger, and do not quarrel with one another, or you may lose
heart and your spirit may desert you. Be steadfast: God is with the
steadfast. 
47Do not be like those who came out of their homes full
of conceit, showing o
ff to people, and barring others from the way of
God –
– God has full knowledge of all that they do. 
48Satan made their
foul deeds seem fair to them, and said, ‘No one will conquer you
today, for I will be right beside you,’ but when the armies came
within sight of one another he turned on his heels, saying, ‘This is
where I leave you: I see what you do not, and I fear God –
– God is
severe in His punishment.’
49The hypocrites and those who have sickness in their hearts said,
‘These people [the believers] must be deluded by their religion,’ but
if anyone puts his trust in God, God is mighty and wise. 
50If only
you [Prophet] could see, when the angels take the souls of the dis-
believers, how they strike their faces and backs: it will be said, ‘Taste
the punishment of the Fire. 
51This is caused by what your own
hands have stored up for you: God is never unjust to His creatures.’
52They are like Pharaoh’s people and those before them who ignored