Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Anfal Verse 12

Mufti Taqi Usmani

When your Lord revealed to the angels: “I am with you. So, make firm the feet of those who believe. I shall cast awe into the hearts of those who disbelieve. So, strike at the necks, and strike at every finger-joint of theirs.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

˹Remember, O  Prophet,˺ when your Lord revealed to the angels, “I am with you. So make the believers stand firm. I will cast horror into the hearts of the disbelievers. So strike their necks and strike their fingertips.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

[Remember] when your Lord inspired the angels, “I am with you, so make firm the feet of those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. So strike their necks and strike all their limbs.”

A. J. Arberry

When thy Lord was revealing to the angels, 'I am with you; so confirm the believers. I shall cast into the unbelievers' hearts terror; so smite above the necks, and smite every finger of them!'

Abdul Haleem

Your Lord revealed to the angels: ‘I am with you: give the believers firmness; I shall put terror into the hearts of the disbelievers- strike above their necks and strike all their fingertips.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And recall what time thy Lord inspired the angels: verily I am with you, so keep firm those who have believed; will cast horror into the hearts of those who have disbelieved, so smite them above the neck and smite of them every fingertip.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Remember thy Lord inspired the angels (with the message); "I am with you; give firmness to the Believers; I will instil terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers; smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them."

Abul Ala Maududi

And recall when your Lord inspired the angels: 'I am certainly with you. So make firm the feet of those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. So strike at their necks and strike at every pore and tip.

Ahmed Ali

And the Lord said to the angels: "I am with you; go and strengthen the faithful. I shall fill the hearts of infidels with terror. So smite them on their necks and every joint, (and incapacitate them),"

Ahmed Raza Khan

And when O dear Prophet, your Lord was inspiring the angels that, “I am with you – so make the believers stand firm; I will soon instil fear into the hearts of the disbelievers, so strike above the disbelievers’ necks and hit their each and every bone joint.”

Ali Quli Qarai

Then your Lord signaled to the angels: ‘I am indeed with you; so steady the faithful. I will cast terror into the hearts of the faithless. So strike their necks, and strike their every limb joint!’

Ali Ünal

When (in the meantime) your Lord revealed to the angels: "I am certainly with you, so make firm the feet of those who believe. I will cast fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve. So strike at their necks and strike at every finger (which holds a sword or bow).

Amatul Rahman Omar

(It was the time) when your Lord revealed to the angels (to convey to the believers), `I am with you;´ (and He commanded the angels) to make those who believe stand firm and fast, and `(O believers!) I will indeed strike terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. So smite on (your enemy´s) necks and above these (- on their heads) and strike off all their finger-tips.´

English Literal

When your Lord inspires/transmits to the angels, "That I (am) with you, so encourage/affirm those who believed, I will throw in those who disbelievers` hearts/minds the terror/fright, so strike/beat above the necks, and strike/beat from them every/each fingertip/finger .

Faridul Haque

And when O dear Prophet, your Lord was inspiring the angels that, "I am with you - so make the believers stand firm; I will soon instil fear into the hearts of the disbelievers, so strike above the disbelievers’ necks and hit their each and every bone joint."

Hamid S. Aziz

Remember when your Lord inspired the angels, saying, "Verily, I am with you; make you firm, then, those who believe; I will cast dread into the heart of the unbelievers; strike off their necks, and strike off their finger tip."

Hilali & Khan

(Remember) when your Lord inspired the angels, "Verily, I am with you, so keep firm those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who have disbelieved, so strike them over the necks, and smite over all their fingers and toes."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

When He made slumber fall on you as a security from Him, and sent down upon you water from the clouds that He might thereby purify you, and take away from you the uncleanness of the devil, and that He might fortify your hearts and make firm (your) feet thereby.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

When your Lord revealed to the angels: I am with you, therefore make firm those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

When thy Lord inspired the angels, (saying): I am with you. So make those who believe stand firm. I will throw fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Then smite the necks and smite of them each finger.

Muhammad Sarwar

Your Lord inspired the angels saying, "I am with you. Encourage the believers. I shall cast terror into the hearts of the unbelievers and you will strike their heads and limbs;

Qaribullah & Darwish

And when Allah revealed to the angels, saying: 'I shall be with you. Give courage to the believers. I shall cast terror into the hearts of the unbelievers. Strike them above the necks, smite their finger tips'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

(Remember) when your Lord revealed to the angels, "Verily, I am with you, so keep firm those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who have disbelieved, so strike them over the necks, and smite over all their fingers and toes."

Wahiduddin Khan

When your Lord commanded the angels, saying, "I am with you, so make those who believe stand firm. I will instill fear in the hearts of those who deny the truth: so strike their necks and strike all their finger joints!"

Talal Itani

Your Lord inspired the angels: “I am with you, so support those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. So strike above the necks, and strike off every fingertip of theirs.”

Tafsir jalalayn

When your Lord inspired the angels, with whom He reinforced the Muslims, [saying]; `I am with you, with assistance and victorious help, so make the believers stand firm, by helping [them] and giving [them] good tidings. I shall cast terror, fear, into the hearts of the disbelievers; so smite above the necks, that is, the heads, and smite of them every finger!', that is, [smite] the extremities of their hands and feet; thus, when one of them went to strike an disbeliever's head, it would roll off before his sword reached it. The Prophet (s) threw a handful of pebbles against them and every single idolater was struck in his eye, and thus they were defeated.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

إِذْ يُوحِي رَبُّكَ إِلَى الْمَليِكَةِ أَنِّي مَعَكُمْ فَثَبِّتُواْ الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ

(Remember) when your Lord revealed to the angels, "Verily, I am with you, so keep firm those who have believed."

This is a hidden favor that Allah has made known to the believers, so that they thank Him and are grateful to Him for it. Allah, glorified, exalted, blessed and praised be He, has revealed to the angels -- whom He sent to support His Prophet, religion and believing group -- to make the believers firmer.

Allah's statement,

سَأُلْقِي فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ الرَّعْبَ

I will cast terror into the hearts of those who have disbelieved.

means, `you -- angels -- support the believers, strengthen their (battle) front against their enemies, thus, implementing My command to you. I will cast fear, disgrace and humiliation over those who defied My command and denied My Messenger,

فَاضْرِبُواْ فَوْقَ الَاعْنَاقِ وَاضْرِبُواْ مِنْهُمْ كُلَّ بَنَانٍ



so strike them over the necks, and smite over all their fingers and toes.

strike them on their foreheads to tear them apart and over the necks to cut them off, and cut off their limbs, hands and feet.

According to Ad-Dahhak and Atiyyah Al-`Awfi,

فَوْقَ الَاعْنَاق
(over the necks), refers to striking the forehead, or the neck,

In support of the latter, Allah commanded the believers,

فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فَضَرْبَ الرِّقَابِ حَتَّى إِذَا أَثْخَنتُمُوهُمْ فَشُدُّواْ الْوَثَاقَ

So, when you meet (in fight Jihad in Allah's cause) those who disbelieve, smite (their) necks till when you have killed and wounded many of them, then bind a bond firmly (on them, take them as captives). (47;4)

Ar-Rabi bin Anas said,

"In the aftermath of Badr, the people used to recognize whomever the angels killed from those whom they killed, by the wounds over their necks, fingers and toes, because those parts had a mark as if they were branded by fire."

Allah said,

وَاضْرِبُواْ مِنْهُمْ كُلَّ بَنَانٍ



and smite over all their fingers and toes.

Ibn Jarir commented that this Ayah commands,

"O believers! Strike every limb and finger on the hands and feet of your (disbelieving) enemies."

Al-Awfi reported, that Ibn Abbas said about the battle of Badr that;

Abu Jahl said, "Do not kill them (the Muslims), but capture them so that you make known to them what they did, their ridiculing your religion and shunning Al-Lat and Al-Uzza (two idols)."

Allah than sent down to the angels,

أَنِّي مَعَكُمْ فَثَبِّتُواْ الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ

سَأُلْقِي فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ الرَّعْبَ

فَاضْرِبُواْ فَوْقَ الَاعْنَاقِ وَاضْرِبُواْ مِنْهُمْ كُلَّ بَنَانٍ

Verily, I am with you, so keep firm those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who have disbelieved, so strike them over the necks, and smite over all their fingers and toes.

In that battle, Abu Jahl (may Allah curse him) was killed along with sixty-nine men. `Uqbah bin Abu Mua`it was captured and then killed, thus bring the death toll of the pagans to seventy