The Holy Quran 8:17 — Surah Al-Anfal

Arabic text

فَلَمْ تَقْتُلُوهُمْ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَتَلَهُمْ ۚ وَمَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَمَىٰ ۚ وَلِيُبْلِىَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْهُ بَلَآءً حَسَنًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

Translation

You (Muslims) did not kill them (the Mushrikeen by your own strength) but it was Allaah Who killed them and you (O Rasulullaah ﷺ) did not throw (the handful of sand into the eyes of the Mushrikeen to temporarily blind all of them) when you threw, but it was (actually) Allaah Who threw (because if it were not for Allaah placing the power into the handful of sand, it would not have had the desired effect). (However, Allaah allowed the Mu'mineen to fight the Mushrikeen despite having the power to do it by Himself) So that He may grant the Mu'mineen a grand reward from Himself (the spoils of war in this world and greater rewards in the Aakhirah). Verily Allaah is All Hearing (listens to your prayers), All Knowing (of your situation).

Tafsir (excerpt) — Tafsir Usmani

The Prophet ﷺ throws pebbles: when the fighting grew intense, the Prophet ﷺ threw a handful of pebbles towards the army of the kafirs and said three times: “شاہت الوجوہ” (“May the faces be disfigured!”). By the power of Allah, grains of the pebbles reached the eye of every kafir, and they all began rubbing their eyes.

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