Ali Quli Qarai, The Qur’ān with a Phrase-by-Phrase English Translation (2005)
12 Then your Lord signaled to the angels:
‘I am indeed with you;
so steady the faithful.
I will cast terror into the hearts of the faithless.
So strike their necks,
and strike each of their fingertips!’
13 That, because they defied Allah and His Apostle.
And whoever defies Allah and His Apostle,
Allah is indeed severe in retribution.
14 ‘Taste this, and [know] that
for the faithless is the punishment of the Fire.’
15 O you who have faith!
When you encounter
the faithless advancing [for battle],
do not turn your backs [to flee] from them.
16 Whoever turns his back [to flee] from them that day
— unless [he is] diverting to fight
or retiring towards another troop —
shall certainly earn Allah’s wrath,
and his refuge shall be hell, an evil destination.
17 You did not kill them;
rather it was Allah who killed them;
and you did not throw when you threw,1
rather it was Allah who threw,
that He might test the faithful
with a good test from Himself.2
1 According to tradition, at the outset of the battle of Badr, the Prophet (ṣ) took a handful of dust, containing sand and pebbles, and threw it at the enemy troops. It struck in the face every warrior of the enemy, entering their eyes, noses and mouths, disconcerting them, resulting ultimately in their being routed by the small Muslim force.
2 Or ‘that He might grant the faithful a splendid award from Himself.’
