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 Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
24. O you who believe! Respond to Allah and the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life [23]. And know that Allah comes between a person and his heart [24], and that to Him you will be gathered.
[23]
The Life-Giving Call of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ:
That is, the invitational message of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ is such that you will attain a life of honor and contentment in this world, and in the Hereafter, you will obtain an eternal life filled with blessings. To fully understand its meaning, keep in mind that this Surah was revealed after the Battle of Badr, when a Muslim state had been established, and they were living a free life. The victory at Badr had given them the status of an equal nation, and they were living together with great love, affection, and brotherhood. Now, in contrast, bring to mind the society of the Age of Ignorance, when people were thirsty for each other’s blood. In Madinah, the Battle of Bu’ath, and in Makkah, the Harb al-Fijar, had wiped out entire households. Tribal wars seemed never-ending, and you were trying to escape from them. Everywhere, looting was rampant, and drinking was widespread. No one’s life, wealth, or honor was safe, and people’s lives had become unbearable. Then Allah and His Messenger gave you such teachings that the direction of your life was completely changed, and now you are living in peace and tranquility. Therefore, you must immediately obey Allah and His Messenger, and you must respond at once when the Messenger ﷺ calls you, for therein lies the secret of your life. This verse also shows that even if a person is engaged in an important task, such as the obligatory prayer, he should leave the prayer and immediately respond to the call of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ. As is made clear by the following hadith.
Responding Immediately to the Messenger’s Call:
Abu Sa‘id bin Ma‘la ؓ says: I was performing prayer. The Prophet ﷺ passed by me and called me. I finished my prayer and then came to him. He ﷺ said to me: Why did you not come immediately when I called you? Have you not heard Allah’s statement: ﴿يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوا اسْتَجِيْبُوْا لِلّٰهِ وَلِلرَّسُوْلِ اِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيْكُمْ﴾ Then he ﷺ said: “Before I leave, I will tell you about the greatest Surah in the Quran.” When he ﷺ was about to leave, I reminded him of this, and he ﷺ said: “That Surah is ﴿اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ﴾. It contains seven verses which are recited repeatedly (in every prayer).” [بخاري، كتاب التفسير]
And from the hadith of Jurayj, the scholars have derived the ruling that if either parent calls, a person should break his voluntary prayer and respond immediately.
[24]
The Meaning of Allah Coming Between a Man and His Heart: The Effort to Protect the Heart from Satanic Whispers:
That is, Allah Almighty is so close to a person’s heart that He knows its secrets, intentions, and purposes, and it is this heart that is the source of good and evil. Therefore, a Muslim should not delay in obeying Allah’s Messenger. Otherwise, it is possible that some other thought may arise later, and Allah’s law is such that whatever intention or resolve a person makes, Allah begins to guide his heart in that direction. Therefore, one should try as much as possible to prevent the heart from becoming a target of satanic whispers, and the only way to do this is to obey Allah and His Messenger without delay. Thus, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would often make this supplication:
«اللہم ثبت قلوبنا عليٰ دينك» or the words would be: «يا مقلب القلوب ثبت قلوبنا عليٰ دينك»
[23]
The Life-Giving Call of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ:
That is, the invitational message of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ is such that you will attain a life of honor and contentment in this world, and in the Hereafter, you will obtain an eternal life filled with blessings. To fully understand its meaning, keep in mind that this Surah was revealed after the Battle of Badr, when a Muslim state had been established, and they were living a free life. The victory at Badr had given them the status of an equal nation, and they were living together with great love, affection, and brotherhood. Now, in contrast, bring to mind the society of the Age of Ignorance, when people were thirsty for each other’s blood. In Madinah, the Battle of Bu’ath, and in Makkah, the Harb al-Fijar, had wiped out entire households. Tribal wars seemed never-ending, and you were trying to escape from them. Everywhere, looting was rampant, and drinking was widespread. No one’s life, wealth, or honor was safe, and people’s lives had become unbearable. Then Allah and His Messenger gave you such teachings that the direction of your life was completely changed, and now you are living in peace and tranquility. Therefore, you must immediately obey Allah and His Messenger, and you must respond at once when the Messenger ﷺ calls you, for therein lies the secret of your life. This verse also shows that even if a person is engaged in an important task, such as the obligatory prayer, he should leave the prayer and immediately respond to the call of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ. As is made clear by the following hadith.
Responding Immediately to the Messenger’s Call:
Abu Sa‘id bin Ma‘la ؓ says: I was performing prayer. The Prophet ﷺ passed by me and called me. I finished my prayer and then came to him. He ﷺ said to me: Why did you not come immediately when I called you? Have you not heard Allah’s statement: ﴿يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوا اسْتَجِيْبُوْا لِلّٰهِ وَلِلرَّسُوْلِ اِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيْكُمْ﴾ Then he ﷺ said: “Before I leave, I will tell you about the greatest Surah in the Quran.” When he ﷺ was about to leave, I reminded him of this, and he ﷺ said: “That Surah is ﴿اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ﴾. It contains seven verses which are recited repeatedly (in every prayer).” [بخاري، كتاب التفسير]
And from the hadith of Jurayj, the scholars have derived the ruling that if either parent calls, a person should break his voluntary prayer and respond immediately.
[24]
The Meaning of Allah Coming Between a Man and His Heart: The Effort to Protect the Heart from Satanic Whispers:
That is, Allah Almighty is so close to a person’s heart that He knows its secrets, intentions, and purposes, and it is this heart that is the source of good and evil. Therefore, a Muslim should not delay in obeying Allah’s Messenger. Otherwise, it is possible that some other thought may arise later, and Allah’s law is such that whatever intention or resolve a person makes, Allah begins to guide his heart in that direction. Therefore, one should try as much as possible to prevent the heart from becoming a target of satanic whispers, and the only way to do this is to obey Allah and His Messenger without delay. Thus, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would often make this supplication:
«اللہم ثبت قلوبنا عليٰ دينك» or the words would be: «يا مقلب القلوب ثبت قلوبنا عليٰ دينك»
