seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 8:11. He made drowsiness overcome you, as a security from Him. And He sent down upon you water from the sky, to cleanse you with it, and to rid you of Satan’s pollution, and to fortify your hearts, and to strengthen your foothold.
12. Your Lord inspired the angels: “I am with you, so support those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. So strike above the necks, and strike off every fingertip of theirs.”
13. That is because they opposed God and His Messenger. Whoever opposes God and His Messenger—God is severe in retribution.
14. “Here it is; so taste it.” For the disbelievers there is the suffering of the Fire.
15. O you who believe! When you meet those who disbelieve on the march, never turn your backs on them.
16. Anyone who turns his back on them on that Day, except while maneuvering for battle, or to join another group, has incurred wrath from God, and his abode is Hell—what a miserable destination!
17. It was not you who killed them, but it was God who killed them. And it was not you who launched when you launched, but it was God who launched. That He may bestow upon the believers an excellent reward. God is Hearing and Knowing.
18. Such is the case. God will undermine the strategy of the disbelievers.
19. If you desire a verdict, the verdict has come to you. And if you desist, it would be best for you. And if you return, We will return; and your troops, however numerous, will not benefit you. God is with the believers
Now let's see what the commentary has for us this morning.
Before the rain fell the Muslim position was very weak. The enemy had the command of the water and the Muslims were in a low and sandy place. Therefore there were some who had misgivings, which, as is said here, were due to the devil’s uncleanness. The enemy having taken possession of the drinking-water, the Muslims feared being troubled by thirst, which is called the devil of the desert. The rain strengthened the position of the Muslims and consequently comforted their hearts. This was a purification, for after the rainfall they all became certain of Divine help and so of their triumph over the enemy.
The last sentence is apparently addressed to the fighting believers. Smiting above the necks is either the same as smiting the necks, or it signifies the striking of the heads, because what is above the neck is the head. And the striking of the finger-tips indicates the striking of the hands which held weapons to kill the Muslims. The two phrases respectively signify the killing of the enemy and disabling him so as to render him unfit for taking further part in fighting.
Za√afa originally means he walked or marched little by little, and applies to the crawling along of a child when unable to walk. Then za√f came to mean an army or military force marching little by little towards the enemy, or heavily by reason of their multitude and force (LL). Thus it became synonymous with war, as in a √adßth quoted by T, farra min al-za√f, which means he fled from war (LL).
Ramå carries a number of significances, throwing, flinging, casting, assailing, smiting, shooting, going forth, etc. (LL). It is used in connection with fighting, and therefore I adopt smiting as its equivalent, which, like its original, makes the meaning clear without seeking an understood object. The first part of the verse refers to the Muslims generally — So you slew them not, but Allåh slew them, the address being in the plural; and the second part, being in the singular, is understood as referring to the Holy Prophet. Otherwise there is no difference between the two passages. The Muslims slew the enemy, but it is affirmed that really they did not slay, but it was Allåh Who slew them; the meaning apparently being that Allåh’s hand was working in the battle, which is also clear from the fact that three hundred, mostly raw, young men, equipped with neither horses nor arms, prevailed against a thousand of the most renowned warriors. The same meaning must be attached to the other passage relating to the smiting of the enemy. Whether the Prophet actually threw a handful of pebbles at the enemy, which discomfited the latter, is a different question. It is sufficient to learn that a powerful enemy was discomfited by about a third of its number, while from the point of view of efficiency and equipment even ten men from among the Muslims were not equal to one of the enemy. It was Allåh’s hand that slew them, and it was His hand that smote them and ultimately put them to rout. That the Prophet actually threw a handful of dust at the enemy is in no way inconsistent with this explanation.
There was a story about David that sounds a lot like this story of Muhammed. David led a band of about 300 misfits against the enemy before he became king. I remember them because they had no food in one story.... just like Muhammed.... and they decided to ask a wealthy drunk. He refused, mostly because he was a mean drunk, but his wife was smart enough to assist David so David and his misfits wouldn't kill everyone and take what they needed. The drunk died that night.... He died when he passed out drunk.In this story, however, the enemy wasn't a drunken sot and the need for food. In this story, the enemy is a massive army and they have taken control of the water!
300 old men and untrained young whipper snappers were about to take on a thousand well trained troops. The troops cut off the water supply. The Muslims had to have the water back or meet their demise. God took over.
The enemy took their water supply.... God got it back.
