And you did not kill them, but it was Allāh who killed them.440 And you threw not, [O Muḥammad], when you threw, but it was Allāh who threw441 that He might test the believers with a good test.442 Indeed, Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.
Notes
[440] i.e., Your strength was insufficient to overcome them, but Allāh supported you and gave you victory.
[441] When the Prophet (ﷺ) threw a handful of dust into the faces of the disbelievers, Allāh caused it to fill the eyes and nose of every soldier, preventing their advance.
[442] So that they would appreciate Allāh's favor to them.
Verse 17 of Surah Al-Anfal (8:17), a Medinan surah, is in juz 9, on page 179 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 72 reciters.
Listen to verse 17 of Surah Al-Anfal
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Tafsir of verse 17
Al-Mukhtasar
For you did not O believers, kill the idolaters on the day of Badr because of your power and might, but rather Allah supported you in that. And you O Prophet did not throw sand at the idolaters, rather it was Allah, Who made what you throw reach them. Allah tested the believers by blessing them with victory over their enemies, despite their small numbers of fighters and weapons, so that they might be thankful to Him. Indeed Allah listens to your prayers and what you say, and He knows what you do, and what is best for you.
It was not you who killed them, but it was Allah Who killed them; and it was not you [O Prophet] who threw when you threw [a handful of sand]8 but it was Allah Who threw, so that He might test the believers with a great test. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
Notes
[8] It filled their eyes and noses, preventing their advance.
You killed them not, but Allâh killed them. And you (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) threw not when you did throw, but Allâh threw, that He might test the believers by a fair trial from Him. Verily, Allâh is All-Hearer, All-Knower.
Ye (Muslims) slew them not, but Allah slew them. And thou (Muhammad) threwest not when thou didst throw, but Allah threw, that He might test the believers by a fair test from Him. Lo! Allah is Hearer, Knower.
It is not ye who slew them; it was Allah: when thou threwest (a handful of dust), it was not thy act, but Allah's: in order that He might test the Believers by a gracious trial from Himself: for Allah is He Who heareth and knoweth (all things).
So you did not slay them, but it was Allah Who slew them, and you did not smite when you smote (the enemy), but it was Allah Who smote, and that He might confer upon the believers a good gift from Himself; surely Allah is Hearing, Knowing.
So, you did not kill them, but Allah killed them; and in no way did you (i.e., the prophet) throw when you threw, but Allah threw, and that He might try the believers by a fair trial from Himself. Surely Allah is Ever-Hearing, Ever-Knowing.
And already had Allāh given you victory at [the battle of] Badr while you were weak [i.e., few in number]. Then fear Allāh; perhaps you will be grateful.
Allāh has already given you victory in many regions and [even] on the day of Ḥunayn, when your great number pleased you, but it did not avail you at all, and the earth was confining for you with [i.e., in spite of] its vastness; then you turned back, fleeing.
And when Saul went forth with the soldiers, he said, "Indeed, Allāh will be testing you with a river. So whoever drinks from it is not of me, and whoever does not taste it is indeed of me, excepting one who takes [from it] in the hollow of his hand." But they drank from it, except a [very] few of them. Then when he had crossed it along with those who believed with him, they said, "There is no power for us today against Goliath and his soldiers." But those who were certain that they would meet Allāh said, "How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allāh. And Allāh is with the patient."
Verses with similar wording
They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.
Then whoever alters it [i.e., the bequest] after he has heard it - the sin is only upon those who have altered it. Indeed, Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.
