Surah 8 Al-Anfaal — Ayah 26
وَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ إِذْ أَنتُمْ قَلِيلٌۭ مُّسْتَضْعَفُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ تَخَافُونَ أَن يَتَخَطَّفَكُمُ ٱلنَّاسُ فَـَٔاوَىٰكُمْ وَأَيَّدَكُم بِنَصْرِهِۦ وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
Mmektit ed mi, kunwi, drus ay tellam, d uôhifen di tmurt, teppagwadem a kwen xevfen medden. Iûûeô ikwen, Isellek ikwen s l$elb iS, I$at ikwen s wayen ilhan, amender ma a ppesnemmrem.
wa-udh'kurū idh antum qalīlun mus'taḍʿafūna fī l-arḍi takhāfūna an yatakhaṭṭafakumu l-nāsu faāwākum wa-ayyadakum binaṣrihi warazaqakum mina l-ṭayibāti laʿallakum tashkurūna
Word by word
- وَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ wa-udh'kurū And remember
- إِذْ idh when
- أَنتُمْ antum you
- قَلِيلٌۭ qalīlun (were) few
- مُّسْتَضْعَفُونَ mus'taḍʿafūna (and) deemed weak
- فِى fī in
- ٱلْأَرْضِ l-arḍi the earth
- تَخَافُونَ takhāfūna fearing
- أَن an that
- يَتَخَطَّفَكُمُ yatakhaṭṭafakumu might do away with you
- ٱلنَّاسُ l-nāsu the men
- فَـَٔاوَىٰكُمْ faāwākum then He sheltered you
- وَأَيَّدَكُم wa-ayyadakum and strengthened you
- بِنَصْرِهِۦ binaṣrihi with His help
- وَرَزَقَكُم warazaqakum and provided you
- مِّنَ mina of
- ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ l-ṭayibāti the good things
- لَعَلَّكُمْ laʿallakum so that you may
- تَشْكُرُونَ tashkurūna (be) thankful
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
Reminding Muslims of Their previous State of Weakness and Subjugation which changed into Might and Triumph
Allah, the Exalted, reminds His believing servants of His blessings and favors on them. They were few and He made them many, weak and fearful and He provided them with strength and victory. They were meek and poor, and He granted them sustenance and livelihood. He ordered them to be grateful to Him, and they obeyed Him and implemented what He commanded.
When the believers were still in Makkah they were few, practicing their religion in secret, oppressed, fearing that pagans, fire worshippers or Romans might kidnap them from the various parts of Allah's earth, for they were all enemies of the Muslims, especially since Muslims were few and weak. Later on, Allah permitted the believers to migrate to Al-Madinah, where He allowed them to settle in a safe resort. Allah made the people of Al-Madinah their allies, giving them refuge and support during Badr and other battles. They helped the Migrants with their wealth and gave up their lives in obedience of Allah and His Messenger . Qatadah bin Di`amah As-Sadusi commented,
(And remember when you were few and were reckoned weak in the land,)
"Arabs were the weakest of the weak, had the toughest life, the emptiest stomachs, the barest skin and the most obvious misguidance. Those who lived among them lived in misery; those who died went to the Fire. They were being eaten up, but unable to eat up others! By Allah! We do not know of a people on the face of the earth at that time who had a worse life than them. When Allah brought Islam, He made it dominant on the earth, thus bringing provisions and leadership for them over the necks of people. It is through Islam that Allah granted all what you see, so thank Him for His favors, for your Lord is One Who bestows favors and likes praise. Verily, those who thank Allah enjoy even more bounties from Him."