إِذۡ يُوحِي رَبُّكَ إِلَى ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ أَنِّي مَعَكُمۡ فَثَبِّتُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْۚ سَأُلۡقِي فِي قُلُوبِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ٱلرُّعۡبَ فَٱضۡرِبُواْ فَوۡقَ ٱلۡأَعۡنَاقِ وَٱضۡرِبُواْ مِنۡهُمۡ كُلَّ بَنَانٖ
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 their every limb joint!’
Agha Ali Puya Commentary
Commentary on Quran 8:12
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 8:12] To help the Muslims Allah instilled terror into the hearts of the infidels in order to destroy their morale and sent angels to fight the foe along side the believers, so that the power base of the polytheism could be destroyed, otherwise, as always, they would oppose the religion of Allah and His Prophet. Thereafter whosoever opposes Allah and His Prophet shall be severely punished. This rule also applies to those who opposed the declaration of the Holy Prophet at Ghadir Khum (see commentary of Al Maidah: 67), persecuted and deprived Ali and Fatimah of their rights, killed and tortured their children, the progeny of the Holy Prophet, particularly Imam Husayn, the grandson of the messenger of Allah, in Karbala, and held captive his family after Karbala. Refer to the commentary of al Baqarah: 84, 97 and 98. Please refer to the punishment that will be inflicted on those who harassed and persecuted Bibi Fatimah and his children on page 51 and 105. Also refer to an Nisa: 93 and 115; Ahzab: 57 and Shura: 23.