Al-Anfaal (The Spoils of War)

12. “(And remember) when your Lord revealed unto the angels, (saying): ‘Verily I am with you, so confirm those who believe. Soon I will cast fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore smite above the necks, and smite every finger of them’.”

One of other divine bounties upon the Muslim strivers in the Battle of Badr was the horror that Allah cast into the hearts of the pagan enemies and terribly weakened their spirits. In this regard, the verse says:

“(And remember) when your Lord revealed unto the angels, (saying): ‘Verily I am with you, so confirm those who believe...”

Allah said that soon He would cast fear and horror into the hearts of the infidels. The verse says:

“…Soon I will cast fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve…”

This fact was truly wonderful that the powerful troops of Quraysh were so frightened that some of them were in terrible horror to combat with the small number of Muslim strugglers in the Battle.

Then the verse reminds them the command that He had ordained upon the Muslims in the battle-field of the Battle of Badr by the way of the Prophet (S).

The command was that, at the time of fighting against those pagans, they should avoid striking some uneffective blows and not to spend their strength in that state, but they should smite severely upon the entity of the opposite party, upon above their necks; that is, upon their brains and heads. The verse says:

“...Therefore smite above the necks...”

And, by smiting their fingers, they should cause the enemies’ hands and feet to become inactive. The holy verse continues saying:

“...and smite every finger of them'.”