يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ حَرِّضِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى ٱلْقِتَالِ ۚ إِن يَكُن مِّنكُمْ عِشْرُونَ صَـٰبِرُونَ يَغْلِبُوا۟ مِا۟ئَتَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن يَكُن مِّنكُم مِّا۟ئَةٌ يَغْلِبُوٓا۟ أَلْفًا مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ 65
Translations
O Prophet, urge the believers to battle. If there are among you twenty [who are] steadfast, they will overcome two hundred. And if there are among you one hundred [who are steadfast], they will overcome a thousand of those who have disbelieved because they are a people who do not understand.
Transliteration
Ya ayyuha an-nabiyyu harrid al-mu'minina ala al-qital. In yakun minkum ishrun sabihrun yaghlibuh mi'atayn. Wa in yakun minkum mi'ah yaghlibuh alfan min alladhina kafaru bi-annahum qawmun la yafqahun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commands the Prophet Muhammad to motivate the believers to fight, assuring them of victory through divine support and the believers' moral superiority. The ayah establishes a ratio of combat strength: twenty steadfast believers can overcome two hundred disbelievers, and one hundred can overcome one thousand, because the disbelievers lack understanding (fiqh) and spiritual comprehension. This verse emphasizes that victory depends not merely on numbers but on faith, patience, and obedience to Allah, as noted by Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the Medinan period during the early Islamic wars, specifically concerning the Battle of Badr and subsequent encounters. It was revealed to strengthen the believers' resolve when facing numerically superior enemy forces, establishing the principle that divine aid and moral fortitude outweigh material disadvantage. The surah Al-Anfal deals comprehensively with the etiquette and ethics of warfare in Islam.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sunan Abu Dawud (Book of Jihad) where the Prophet said: 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' relates to the character that produces steadfast believers. Additionally, Sahih Bukhari records that the Prophet emphasized reliance on Allah during battles, which connects to the 'sabihrun' (steadfast/patient) quality mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
For believers today, this ayah teaches that true strength lies not in material resources or numerical advantage but in unwavering faith, moral character, and understanding of one's principles. It encourages Muslims to trust in Allah's support when facing adversity and to cultivate patience and spiritual awareness, knowing that these qualities constitute a form of power that transcends worldly measurements.
Related Ayahs
إِذْ أَنتُم بِٱلْعُدْوَةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَهُم بِٱلْعُدْوَةِ ٱلْقُصْوَىٰ وَٱلرَّكْبُ أَسْفَلَ مِنكُمْ ۚ وَلَوْ تَوَاعَدتُّمْ لَٱخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِى ٱلْمِيعَـٰدِ ۙ وَلَـٰكِن لِّيَقْضِىَ ٱللَّهُ أَمْرًا كَانَ مَفْعُولًا لِّيَهْلِكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ عَنۢ بَيِّنَةٍ وَيَحْيَىٰ مَنْ حَىَّ عَنۢ بَيِّنَةٍ ۗ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَسَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
[Remember] when you were on the near side of the valley, and they were on the farther side, and the caravan was lower [in position] than you. If you had made an appointment [to meet], you would have missed the appointment. But [it was] so that Allāh might accomplish a matter already destined - that those who perished [through disbelief] would perish upon evidence and those who lived [in faith] would live upon evidence; and indeed, Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.
وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ سَبَقُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ لَا يُعْجِزُونَ
And let not those who disbelieve think they will escape. Indeed, they will not cause failure [to Allāh].
فَلَمْ تَقْتُلُوهُمْ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَتَلَهُمْ ۚ وَمَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَمَىٰ ۚ وَلِيُبْلِىَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْهُ بَلَآءً حَسَنًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
And you did not kill them, but it was Allāh who killed them. And you threw not, [O Muḥammad], when you threw, but it was Allāh who threw that He might test the believers with a good test. Indeed, Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.
إِذْ يُوحِى رَبُّكَ إِلَى ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ أَنِّى مَعَكُمْ فَثَبِّتُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ۚ سَأُلْقِى فِى قُلُوبِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱلرُّعْبَ فَٱضْرِبُوا۟ فَوْقَ ٱلْأَعْنَاقِ وَٱضْرِبُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ كُلَّ بَنَانٍ
[Remember] when your Lord inspired to the angels, "I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip."