Tafseer of The Spoils of War · Al-Anfaal · 8:45
O you who have believed, when you encounter a company [from the enemy forces], stand firm and remember Allah much that you may be successful.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The discourse on the explanation of His saying: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا لَقِيتُمْ فِئَةً فَاثْبُتُوا وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ (45) (O you who believe, when you meet a troop [of enemies], stand firm and remember Allah abundantly, that you may be successful) (45).
Abū Jaʿfar said: This is an instruction from Allah — exalted is His praise — to the people who believe in Him, concerning the manner of conduct in the war against His enemies among the people who disbelieve in Him, and concerning the deeds through which, by applying them when they meet them, victory over them and triumph over them is hoped for. Then He says to them — exalted is His praise —: "O you who believe", who have held Allah and His Messenger to be truthful = when you meet a group of the people who disbelieve in Allah for war and combat (72), then stand firm to fight them, and do not flee from them nor turn your backs to them as fugitives, except to wheel about for battle or to withdraw toward a troop of your own = and remember Allah abundantly, He says: and implore Allah for victory over them and triumph over them, and saturate your hearts and tongues with His remembrance = that you may be successful, He says: that you may succeed and thus triumph over your enemy, and that Allah may grant you victory and triumph over them (73), as:-
16161 - Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda concerning His saying: "O you who believe, when you meet a troop, stand firm and remember Allah abundantly, that you may be successful": Allah has made His remembrance obligatory at the moment when you are most preoccupied, at the time of the clashing of the swords.
16162 - Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq: "O you who believe, when you meet a troop" that fights you in the path of Allah = stand firm and remember Allah abundantly, remember Allah to whom you have given yourselves and the fulfillment of what you have given Him through your oath of allegiance = that you may be successful (74).
------------------------
Footnotes:
(72) See the explanation of "fiʾah" in what has already preceded, p. 455, note 2, and the references there.
(73) See the explanation of "al-falāḥ" in what has already preceded, p. 169, note 2, and the references there.
(74) The narration 16162 - Sīrat Ibn Hishām 2: 329, and it is a continuation of the preceding narration number 1616.
