Sūrat al-Anfāl
Section 3 of 17 · Surah Studies · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
O You Who Believe
A striking feature of this sūrah, and of this portion of it especially — and there is another that will come later, covered in the chapter that follows — is that Allah (swt) addresses the believers over and over. As in the previous sūrah it was yā banī Ādam, so here Allah addresses them with yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū, O you who believe; and Allah (swt) does this six times.*
There are six instances here. The first is at verse 15:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا لَقِيتُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ زَحْفًا فَلَا تُوَلُّوهُمُ ٱلْأَدْبَارَ
“O you who believe, when you face the disbelievers in a battle, do not turn your backs to them.” (8:15)
Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū idhā laqītumu alladhīna kafarū zaḥfan fa-lā tuwallūhumu al-adbār: stand firm in the face of your enemy; do not grow weak.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ وَلَا تَوَلَّوْا۟ عَنْهُ وَأَنتُمْ تَسْمَعُونَ
“O you who believe, obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not turn away from Him when you listen (to him).” (8:20)
Then the next: yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū aṭīʿū Allāha wa rasūlah. These are commands to the believers: obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not turn away from him. Do not be like those who said, we have heard, when they had not heard. Be in earnest.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ ۖ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ ٱلْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِۦ وَأَنَّهُۥٓ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ
“O you who believe, respond to Allah and the Messenger when He calls you to what gives you life, and be sure that Allah intervenes between man and his heart, and that to Him you shall be gathered.” (8:24)
Then: yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū istajībū li-llāhi wa li-l-rasūli idhā daʿākum. Answer your Lord when He calls you; answer your Lord and the Messenger when they call you — to that which gives you life. For everything that is given us will give us life.
The next is verse 29 — the verse numbers were not given. The first is 15, the second 20, and the next is verse 29:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِن تَتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّكُمْ فُرْقَانًا وَيُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
“O you who believe, if you fear Allah, He will provide you with a criterion (to distinguish between right and wrong) and will write off your evil deeds and will forgive you. Allah is the Lord of great bounty.” (8:29)
Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū in tattaqū Allāh. And what is to be had for it? O you who believe, if you fear Allah and gain taqwā, yajʿal lakum furqānā: He will give you the criterion; it will become entirely clear to you what is right and what is wrong, and you will be able to follow it, in shāʾ Allāh. Wa yukaffir ʿankum sayyiʾātikum: and your evil deeds will be expiated for you. And Allah will forgive you. So there is a benefit in doing it.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَخُونُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ وَتَخُونُوٓا۟ أَمَـٰنَـٰتِكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
“O you who believe, do not betray the trust of Allah and the Messenger-, and do not betray your mutual trusts, while you know.” (8:27)
The next is verse 27: yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū lā takhūnū Allāha wa-l-rasūla wa takhūnū amānātikum wa antum taʿlamūn. Do not betray the trust; do not betray Allah and His Messenger. And among yourselves, do not betray a trust. Be trustworthy, and keep your trust.