Which Surah and Juz is Quran 8:17 from?

This ayah is from Surah Al-Anfaal (The Spoils of War), the 8th surah of the Quran. It appears in Juz 9.

Are there hadiths related to Quran 8:17?

Yes — there are 5 hadiths related to this ayah from Sahih Muslim, Sahih al-Bukhari, Sunan Ibn Majah.

What tafsir is available for Quran 8:17?

Commentary on this ayah is available from Ibn Kathir, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abbas, Al-Jalalayn — classical scholars of Quranic exegesis.

What topics does Quran 8:17 relate to?

This ayah connects to these Quranic topics: Divine Intervention, Al-Alim, As-Sami, Allah, Battle of Badr.

Ayah 16

وَمَن يُوَلِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ دُبُرَهُۥٓ إِلَّا مُ...

8:17Al-Anfaal

Q: What does Quran 8:17 mean?

Quran 8:17 (Surah Al-Anfaal, Ayah 17) translates to: "And you did not kill them, but it was Allah who killed them. And you threw not, [O Muhammad], when you threw, but it was Allah who threw that He might test the believers with a good test. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing."

Ayah 18

ذَٰلِكُمْ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُوهِنُ كَيْدِ ٱلْكَٰفِر...

فَلَمْ تَقْتُلُوهُمْ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَتَلَهُمْ ۚ وَمَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَمَىٰ ۚ وَلِيُبْلِىَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْهُ بَلَآءً حَسَنًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ

Falam taqtuloohum wa laakinnal laaha qatalahum; wa maa ramaita iz ramaita wa laakinnal laaha ramaa; wa liyubliyal mu'mineena minhu balaaa'an hasanaa; innal laaha Samee'un Aleem

And you did not kill them, but it was Allah who killed them. And you threw not, [O Muhammad], when you threw, but it was Allah who threw that He might test the believers with a good test. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing.

Themes in this ayah

Explore in Habl →

Lessons from past peoples84 The Prophet ﷺ81 Striving in Allah's way71

Scores run 0–100: how strongly this ayah speaks to a theme. 70+ is central, 50+ is clear, under 50 is weak.

11 other themes with weak connections

Labeled by AI and people · How this works

Follow this theme through Al-AnfaalFollow this theme

8:17Ayah 175

16 ayahs in Al-Anfaal are strongly about lessons from past peoples. This is one of them.

← Previous on Lessons from past peoples8:12[Remember] when your Lord inspired to the angels, "I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed.Next on Lessons from past peoples →8:26And remember when you were few and oppressed in the land, fearing that people might abduct you, but He sheltered you, supported you with His victory,

Tafsir

Scholars largely agree on this ayah

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 8:17→

You did not slay them at Badr by your own might but God slew them by giving you assistance and you threw not O Muhammad (s) against the eyes of the unbelieving folk when you threw the pebbles for a handful of pebbles thrown by a human being cannot strike the eyes of every person in a large troop but God threw by making that throw reach them. He did this in order to vanquish the disbelievers and that He might try the believers with a fair test a fair gift namely booty; surely God is Hearing of their sayings Knowing of their conditions.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used not to kill the children, so thou shouldst not kill them unless you could know what Khadir had known about the child he killed, or you could distinguish between a child who would grow up to he a believer (and a child who would grow up to be a non-believer), so that you killed the (prospective) non-believer and left the (prospective) believer aside.

Sahih al-Bukhari #2782Narrated Salama bin Al-Akwa`:Sahih

The Prophet (ﷺ) passed by some people of the tribe of Bani Aslam who were practicing archery. The Prophet said, "O Bani Isma`il ! Practice archery as your father Isma`il was a great archer. Keep on throwing arrows and I am with Bani so-and-so." So one of the parties ceased throwing. Allah's Apostle said, "Why do you not throw?" They replied, "How should we throw while you are with them (i.e. on their side)?" On that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Throw, and I am with all of you."

Sahih al-Bukhari #3234Narrated Salama bin Al-Akwa`:Sahih

The Prophet (ﷺ) passed by some persons of the tribe of Aslam practicing archery (i.e. the throwing of arrows) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "O offspring of Ishmael! Practice archery (i.e. arrow throwing) as your father was a great archer (i.e. arrow-thrower). I am with (on the side of) the son of so-and-so-." Hearing that, one of the two teams stopped throwing. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) asked them, ' Why are you not throwing?" They replied, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! How shall we throw when you are with the opposite team?" He said, "Throw, for I am with you all."

Sunan Ibn Majah #2963It was narrated that ‘Abdullah bin Mughaffal said:Sahih

“The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade throwing small pebbles and said: ‘They do not kill any game or hurt the enemy, but they can break a tooth or put out an eye.’”

Sahih Muslim #5558Anas reported that a Jewess came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) with poisoned mutton and he took of that what had been brought to him (Allah's Messenger). (When the effect of this poison were felt by him) he called for her and asked her about that, whereupon she said:Sahih

I had determined to kill you. Thereupon he said: Allah will never give you the power to do it. He (the narrator) said that they (the Companion's of the Holy Prophet) said: Should we not kill her? Thereupon he said: No. He (Anas) said: I felt (the affects of this poison) on the uvula of Allah's Messenger.