سورة الأنفال

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abd al-Rahman ibn Kathir narrates from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that concerning this noble verse: "The command of Allah [for the punishment of the polytheists and criminals] has come, so do not seek to hasten it!" (Nahl/1), he said: "أَمْرُ اللهِ [the command of Allah] is the rising of our Qa'im, for which one must not hasten. Allah supports his rising with three armies — the angels, the believers, and terror, which is cast into the hearts of the irreligious. His rising is like the rising of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), of which Allah the Exalted has said: کَما أَخْرَجَکَ رَبُّکَ مِنْ بَیْتِکَ بِالحَقِّ [Just as your Lord brought you forth from your house in truth]."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): As for jidal (disputation) and its [various] meanings in the Quran, [there is the verse:] وَ إِنَّ فَرِیقاً مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ لَکارِهُونَ یُجادِلُونَکَ فِی الْحَقِّ بَعْدَ ما تَبَیَّنَ کَأَنَّما یُساقُونَ إِلَی الْمَوْتِ وَ هُمْ یَنْظُرُونَ [And indeed a group of the believers were averse; they disputed with you about the truth after it had become clear, as if they were being driven to death while they looked on]. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) set out from [Medina] toward the region of Badr, his aim was to reach the enemy, and he said to his companions: "Allah the Mighty and Majestic has promised me that I will prevail over the trade caravan or over [the army of] Quraysh." The companions, on the basis of this promise, went out with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). When the trade caravan slipped out of reach and Allah commanded the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to fight Quraysh, he (peace be upon him and his family) addressed his companions and said: "[The army of] Quraysh has drawn near, and Allah the Glorified has promised me that one of the two groups [the trade caravan of Quraysh, or their armed force] will fall to you."

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) narrates from Imam Ali (peace be upon him): The reason for the revelation of this verse was that a caravan of Quraysh set out toward Sham carrying the wealth of the Quraysh. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) ordered his companions to go out and seize it, and informed them that Allah had promised him one of the two groups: "either the caravan, or the Quraysh, if they should overpower them." Then he set out with three hundred and thirteen men, and when he drew near to Badr, Abu Sufyan was with the caravan. When word reached him that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) had come out to intercept the caravan, he became severely afraid and took the road to Sham. Sa'd ibn Mu'adh stood up and said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! May my father and mother be sacrificed for you! It seems that you want to know our opinion." He said: "Yes." He said: "Perhaps you have set out for one matter, but you have been ordered to do something other than that?" He said: "Yes." He said: "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! We have believed in you and confirmed you. Command us with whatever you wish, take from our wealth whatever you wish, and leave whatever you wish. What you take from it is more beloved to me than what you leave. By Allah, if you were to command us to plunge into this sea, we would plunge in with you." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) prayed for him with good. ... Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Or Allah will bring about other events. It is as if I see the place where so-and-so will be slain here, and the place where so-and-so will be slain here, and the place where Abu Jahl, Utba ibn Rabi'a, Shayba ibn Rabi'a, and Munabbih and Nabih, the two sons of Banu Hajjaj, will be slain, for indeed Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has promised me one of these two victories [either capturing the caravan or overpowering Quraysh], and Allah never breaks His promise." Then Jibra'il (peace be upon him) descended upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) with this verse: "Just as your Lord brought you out of your home in truth [toward the field of Badr] ... though the criminals disliked it." (Al-Anfal/8, verse 5) After that, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) ordered them to move, until in the evening he descended beside the well of Badr, and it was the Syrian side (al-Udwa al-Shamiyya). Then Quraysh came and descended on the Yemeni side (al-Udwa al-Yamaniyya) and sent forth their slaves.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): Regarding His saying "Just as your Lord brought you out" — when Abu Sufyan's trade caravan slipped out of the Muslims' reach and the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) companions were faced with battle, the companions were struck with fear and terror. So that night they took to rest, and in their sleep [because of the tranquillity Allah sent down upon them] they became junub (ritually impure), and since they had no water [for ghusl] they were beset with baseless thoughts, so Allah sent down rain upon them.