Have you ever watched a non Muslims taking Shahadah to enter the fold of Islam? If not, do watch the countless videos of reversion to Islam on the social media network and watch closely the abrupt change in the facial expression of the revert and the display of a sudden emotional outburst. This sudden emotional outburst stems from a profound sense of spiritual relief, overwhelming joy, and the immediate feeling of reconnection with the Creator. The uncontrollable gush of tears exhibits the relief one feels from the confusion that had harboured before reversion - the reversion in fact rids a person of the uncertainty of one's former belief (s) and suddenly finding how the light at the end of the tunnel really feels when falling on one's face and body.
In fact the reverts frequently experience a release of pent-up spiritual longing, resulting in tears of happiness, a feeling of being "cleansed," and the overwhelming realization of truth.
The verse 2 of Surah Al-Anfāl explain the same phenomena and express the true emotional and spiritual signs of faith in Islam.
Before we go on to explain the verse 2, let me share my experience of emotional and spiritual reaction to one's faith when the Divine Scripture is being recited. I once had the opportunity to attend a religious congregation where the excerpts from Divine Scripture were being read. But to my amazement, a large segment of audience were not paying any attention to what was being said and despite many cautions by the preacher that everyone should silently and carefully listen to the sacred scripture, no one rally paid any heed to it. And when I compare this incident when the Al Qur'an is being recited, there is a pin drop silence among the audience. And some who really reflect on what is being recited are seen with tearful eyes. The some are the people who fit perfectly into the verse being shared herein under.
The verse (meaning-focused translation)
اِنَّمَا الۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ الَّذِيۡنَ اِذَا ذُكِرَ اللّٰهُ وَجِلَتۡ قُلُوۡبُهُمۡ وَاِذَا تُلِيَتۡ عَلَيۡهِمۡ اٰيٰتُهٗ زَادَتۡهُمۡ اِيۡمَانًا وَّعَلٰى رَبِّهِمۡ يَتَوَكَّلُوۡنَ ۖ ۚ
(8:2) The true believers are those who, when Allah's name is mentioned, their hearts quake, and when His verses are recited to them their faith grows, and who put their trust in their Lord
This short verse gives one of the most profound Qur’anic definitions of īmān (true faith) — not as a label, but as a living inner reality. Let us unpack these verses and their impact even today.
Context of revelation (why this verse matters)
To understand the above quoted verse, let us briefly explain when Surah Al-Anfāl was revealed and how this verse strengthened their faith during their first encounter with the polytheists of Makkah in the Battle of Badr. This was a test of faith of a very small, weak Muslim community confronting a powerful, arrogant Quraysh army.
Despite being outnumbered, the Muslim victory came only by Allah’s help. Soon after the victory, there was a dispute on the distribution of the war spoils (anfāl). So Allah revealed this surah to correct attitudes, purify intentions and redefine what real belief looks like
So 8:2 comes to say: Victory is not because of numbers or strategy alone. It comes from hearts that are alive with Allah.
Structure of the verse — three signs of true īmān
The verse gives three internal indicators, not external slogans:
- Hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned
- “When Allah is mentioned, their hearts tremble (وَجِلَتۡ قُلُوۡبُهُمۡ wajilat qulūbuhum)”
- This is khashyah combination of awe and moral consciousness, not panic. It means: (1) Awareness of Allah’s greatness (2) Sensitivity to accountability (3) Softness of heart, not hardness
Khashyah (Arabic: خشية) is a profound, reverential fear or awe of Allah, rooted in knowledge of His greatness, power, and perfection. Unlike general fear (khawf), khashyah is a deeply conscious, respectful awe that arises from understanding God's majesty, often leading to increased devotion and avoidance of sins.
- Not fear of punishment only, but: (1) Reverence (2) Presence (3) Moral alertness
- Today’s relevance: Although, there are countless Muslims around the world who bow and prostrate to Allah five times a day, recite Al Qur'an. But if when Allah’s name is taken and it No Longer (1) Moves us, (2) Corrects us and (3) Humbles us, this reflects that our īmān has become routine, not reality.
- Faith increases with Qur’an
- “When His verses are recited, it increases them in faith”
- This teaches a critical principle: Īmān is not static — it grows or shrinks.
- That means reciting Qur’an should: (1) Strengthen conviction (2) Sharpen moral clarity (3) Renew purpose, and (4) Heal doubts
- A man's faith grows as he is able to confirm and submit to the command of God which he comes across. This is especially so where he submits to commands which go against his own personal predilections. A man's faith attains great heights if instead of trying to twist and distort the commands of God and the Prophet (peace he on him), he develops the habit of accepting and submitting to all the commands of God and the Prophet (peace be on him); if he strives to shape his conduct to the teachings which go against his personal opinions and conceptions, which are contrary to his habits, interests and convenience, which are not in consonance with his loyalties and friendships. For if he hesitates to respond positively to God's command, his faith is diminished. One thus learns that faith is not a static, immobile object. Nor is every, act of belief, or unbelief, of the same quality. An act of belief may be better or worse than another act of belief. Likewise, an act of unbelief may differ in quality from another act of unbelief. For both belief and unbelief, are capable of growth and decline.
- All this concerns the essence of belief and unbelief. However, when belief and unbelief are mentioned as a basis for membership of the Muslim community or in connection with legal rights and responsibilities as necessary corollaries of that membership, a clear line of demarcation has to be drawn between those who believe and those who do not. In this respect the determination of who is a believer and who is not will depend on the basic minimum of belief regardless of quality of belief. In an Islamic society all those who believe will be entitled to the same legal rights and will be required to fulfil the same duties regardless of the differences in the quality of their faith. Likewise, all unbelievers - regardless of the differences in the quality of their unbelief - will be placed in the category of unbelievers disregarding the question whether their unbelief is of an ordinary quality or an extremely serious one.
- But many today hear Qur’an as: Background sound, Cultural habit or Ritual recitation
- But true believers experience Qur’an as spiritual nourishment, not spiritual noise. And it really moves their hearts and stirs their soul to get closer to Allah as is expected of them.
- Reliance on Allah (tawakkul)
- “And upon their Lord they rely” - this is the most important part of the verse.
- At Badr, Muslims had: Limited weapons, resources and extremely outnumbered. So tawakkul on Allah was not merely a slogan — it was survival.
- Tawakkul is: Not laziness or fatalism - But doing your best and then trusting Allah with the outcome.
- Today’s relevance:
- In a world many find assurances in Insurance, Planning, Data and Control systems and think this will safeguard their lives and interest or even beat back adversary in conflicts.
- But this verse reminds us that Means are not gods - Allah is still Al-Wakīl "The Trustee." (Read more about this particular attribute of Allah at: 99 Attributes of Allah: Al Wakil - The Trustee)
How this verse redefines “real Muslim”
This verse does not define believers by: Tribe, Label, Politics, Appearance alone and Culture. But by:
- Heart sensitivity
- Growth through Qur’an
- Dependence on Allah
This is deeply relevant in an age where Identity is loud, but spirituality is weak
Connection with surrounding verses (8:3–4)
Immediately after, Allah says: "They establish prayer and spend from what We provided. Those are truly the believers." (8:3–4)
This implies that the verse 2 shows the inner state of a true believer while verses 3-4 exhibits the emotional and spirituals signs outwardly. Remember True īmān (Faith) is the finely meshed combination of Alive heart and living obedience.
A powerful modern mirror
Having read the meaning and relevance of the above quoted verses, one must ask honestly:
- Does Allah’s name still soften my heart?
- Does Qur’an still increase my certainty?
- Do I rely on Allah — or only on systems?
Because this verse teaches that Faith is not what you claim - but true Faith is what moves your heart and directs your trust.
Link to your earlier themes (khashyah & knowledge)
Before end this discussion and explanation of verse 2 (and verse 3-4) of Surah Al-Anfāl, let us just links this to other verses of Qur'an and see how these perfectly aligns with other verses of Al Qur'an:
- 35:28: Those who truly fear Allah are people of knowledge
- 39:9: Are those who know equal to those who don’t?
So 8:2 shows that Knowledge leads to Khashyah and Living īmān - Not dry information.
One-line Qur’anic definition from 8:2
A true believer is someone whose heart responds to Allah, whose faith grows with Qur’an, and whose trust is anchored in Allah — not in the world. Now we must ask ourselves where do we stand with regard to our emotional and spiritual attachment to our faith!!
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
You may refer to more Selected Verses from Surah 8. Al-Anfāl - سورة ٱلْأَنْفَال (The Spoils of War)
already published. You may also refer to our exclusive reference page: Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
For verses on Selected Subjects, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects and our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an.
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.
