Sūrat al-Anfāl
Section 10 of 17 · Surah Studies · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
The Principles of Battle
That done, Allah (swt) from verse 45 begins to speak of certain adab of war and battle, the fundamental principles for Muslims. They might be used in anything, and metaphorically they may be applied anywhere; but in a battle especially these are the fundamental principles one must abide by if one is to have success.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا لَقِيتُمْ فِئَةً فَٱثْبُتُوا۟ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
“O you who believe, when you face a group (in battle), stand firm and remember Allah abundantly, so that you may be successful.” (8:45)
Hence Allah says, at verse 45, yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū idhā laqītum fiʾatan fa-thbutū. First, when you meet your enemy, you must be steadfast. After that you cannot loosen and you cannot begin to run. You must be steadfast and stand your ground.
Second, Allah (swt) says wa-dhkurū Allāha kathīrā: you must remember Allah abundantly. That is your weapon; that is your further shield, your further strength, that you may attain tuflihūn, that you may attain success.
وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ وَلَا تَنَـٰزَعُوا۟ فَتَفْشَلُوا۟ وَتَذْهَبَ رِيحُكُمْ ۖ وَٱصْبِرُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ
“Obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not quarrel with each other, lest you should lose courage, and your prowess should evaporate; and be patient. Surely, Allah is with the patient.” (8:46)
The third, which is of real importance, and which the world unfortunately does not understand today: Allah says wa aṭīʿū Allāha wa rasūlahu wa lā tanāzaʿū fa-tafshalū wa tadhhaba rīḥukum wa-ṣbirū. Be obedient to Allah and His Messenger; and wa lā tanāzaʿū — do not dispute. Do not separate. Do not disband. Do not begin having your own petty difficulties and petty quarrels, so that your air goes out of you, so that the balloon bursts. Tadhhaba rīḥukum — this is an idiom: your wind will be taken away; your air will be gone. There will be no air in you, and you will be slack and nothing, and the enemy will simply walk over you. Wa-ṣbirū: and be patient. You may have small difficulties with your brothers; you may have small difficulties. But be patient. Persevere. Keep the ulterior purpose in mind. Keep the focus in mind. And then Allah says inna Allāha maʿa al-ṣābirīn.
The fourth adab He teaches us here was ṣabr. And the fifth, one may say, is this:
وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّذِينَ خَرَجُوا۟ مِن دِيَـٰرِهِم بَطَرًا وَرِئَآءَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ
“And do not be like those who set forth from their homes waxing proud and showing off to people, preventing (people) from the way of Allah. Allah is All-Encompassing of what they do.” (8:47)
Wa lā takūnū ka-lladhīna kharajū min diyārihim baṭaran wa riʾāʾa al-nāsi wa yaṣuddūna ʿan sabīlillāh: do not be like those who go out exulting, arrogantly and for show. You must go thinking that this is for the sake of Allah (swt) and not of your own doing — even if you have all the might in the world.