لَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ فِى مَوَاطِنَ كَثِيرَةٍ ۙ وَيَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ ۙ إِذْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ كَثْرَتُكُمْ فَلَمْ تُغْنِ عَنكُمْ شَيْـًٔا وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ ثُمَّ وَلَّيْتُم مُّدْبِرِينَ 25
Translations
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.
Transliteration
Laqad nasarakumullahu fee mawatina katheerah wa yawma hunain idh a'jabtatkum kathratukum falam tughnee ankum shay'an wa daqat alaikumul ard bima rahubat thumma wallaytum mudbireen
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah reminds the Muslims of His numerous victories throughout their military campaigns, then specifically references the Battle of Hunain where despite their large army, the Muslims initially fled in panic because they became arrogant about their numerical strength. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this verse demonstrates how material resources and numbers mean nothing without Allah's support, and that pride and self-reliance are destructive forces that invite divine withdrawal of aid. The phrase 'the earth became narrow despite its vastness' is interpreted by Al-Qurtubi and others as depicting the psychological and spiritual compression felt by those who abandon reliance on Allah.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah At-Tawbah (revealed 9 AH) and directly references the Battle of Hunain (8 AH), a significant military expedition where the Muslims, despite having 12,000 soldiers compared to the enemy's 4,000, initially suffered a humiliating retreat due to overconfidence in their numbers. The surah itself addresses themes of repentance, covenant-breaking, and divine accountability following this and other events during the early Medinan period.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim record extensive accounts of the Battle of Hunain where the Prophet (ﷺ) remained steadfast while others fled, and he called upon them to return. Additionally, the Prophet (ﷺ) is reported to have said: 'Four things are a sign of wretchedness: a stingy eye, a closed mouth, a hard heart, and haste in disobedience' (relating to the arrogance displayed at Hunain).
Themes
Key Lesson
True strength and victory come only through reliance on Allah and obedience, never through numerical superiority or material resources alone. Muslims must guard against arrogance and self-deception, recognizing that any success is a gift from Allah that can be withdrawn when we become heedless and dependent on our own means rather than His divine will.