سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْفَالِ
Surah Al-Anfaal (8) — Ayah 24
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ ۖ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ ٱلْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِۦ وَأَنَّهُۥٓ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ ﴿24﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! Answer Allâh (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) calls you to that which will give you life, and know that Allâh comes in between a person and his heart (i.e. He prevents an evil person to decide anything). And verily to Him you shall (all) be gathered.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O you
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe
ٱسْتَجِيبُوا۟
is'tajībū
Respond
لِلَّهِ
lillahi
to Allah
وَلِلرَّسُولِ
walilrrasūli
and His Messenger
إِذَا
idhā
when
دَعَاكُمْ
daʿākum
he calls you
لِمَا
limā
to what
يُحْيِيكُمْ ۖ
yuḥ'yīkum
gives you life
وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟
wa-iʿ'lamū
And know
أَنَّ
anna
that
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
يَحُولُ
yaḥūlu
comes
بَيْنَ
bayna
(in) between
ٱلْمَرْءِ
l-mari
a man
وَقَلْبِهِۦ
waqalbihi
and his heart
وَأَنَّهُۥٓ
wa-annahu
and that
إِلَيْهِ
ilayhi
to Him
تُحْشَرُونَ
tuḥ'sharūna
you will be gathered
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
24. 1. لِمَا یُحْیِیْکُمْ — To things by which you will have life. Some have interpreted this as referring to jihad, that in it lies the means of your life. Others have taken it to mean the commands and prohibitions of the Quran and the rulings of the Shariah, in which jihad is also included. The meaning is that only obey Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, and act upon it; in this lies your life.
24. 2. That is, by causing death, the taste of which every soul must experience. The meaning is that before death comes to you, obey Allah and His Messenger and act upon it. Some have said that the way Allah is close to the heart of a human is expressed here as an example, and the meaning is that He knows the secrets of hearts. Nothing is hidden from Him. Imam Ibn Jarir has explained its meaning as that He has complete control over the hearts of His servants, and whenever He wills, He intervenes between them and their hearts, so that a person cannot attain anything without His will. Some have related this to the Battle of Badr, that the Muslims were afraid of the large number of enemies, so Allah intervened between the hearts and replaced the fear in the hearts of the Muslims with peace. Imam Shawkani says that all these meanings of the verse can be intended (Fath al-Qadeer). The meaning explained by Imam Ibn Jarir is supported by those hadiths in which emphasis is placed on supplicating for steadfastness in religion. For example, in one hadith, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: The hearts of the children of Adam are between two fingers of the Most Merciful, like one heart, He turns them as He wills. Then he ﷺ recited this supplication: اللهم مصرف القلوب صرف قلوبنا الی طاعتک — O Turner of the hearts! Turn our hearts towards Your obedience. In some narrations, the words are ثبت قلبی علی دینک.
24. 2. That is, by causing death, the taste of which every soul must experience. The meaning is that before death comes to you, obey Allah and His Messenger and act upon it. Some have said that the way Allah is close to the heart of a human is expressed here as an example, and the meaning is that He knows the secrets of hearts. Nothing is hidden from Him. Imam Ibn Jarir has explained its meaning as that He has complete control over the hearts of His servants, and whenever He wills, He intervenes between them and their hearts, so that a person cannot attain anything without His will. Some have related this to the Battle of Badr, that the Muslims were afraid of the large number of enemies, so Allah intervened between the hearts and replaced the fear in the hearts of the Muslims with peace. Imam Shawkani says that all these meanings of the verse can be intended (Fath al-Qadeer). The meaning explained by Imam Ibn Jarir is supported by those hadiths in which emphasis is placed on supplicating for steadfastness in religion. For example, in one hadith, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: The hearts of the children of Adam are between two fingers of the Most Merciful, like one heart, He turns them as He wills. Then he ﷺ recited this supplication: اللهم مصرف القلوب صرف قلوبنا الی طاعتک — O Turner of the hearts! Turn our hearts towards Your obedience. In some narrations, the words are ثبت قلبی علی دینک.
