فَلَمْ تَقْتُلُوهُمْ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ قَتَلَهُمْ وَمَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ رَمَى وَلِيُبْلِيَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْهُ بَلَاءً حَسَنًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
You did not kill them; rather, it was Allah who killed them; and you did not throw when you threw, rather, it was Allah who threw, that He might test the faithful with a good test from Himself. Indeed Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing.
Agha Ali Puya Commentary
Commentary on Quran 8:17
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 8:17] This verse clearly states that it was (the hand of) Allah who in fact always destroyed the enemies of Allah and his prophet in the battles the Holy Prophet fought. The unexpected victory over the enemy was a gift of Allah. Although Allah takes for Himself the full credit for the defeat of the enemy but does not exclude the agency of His loyal and faithful agents whose every action is ascribed to Allah Himself. The throwing of the dust by the Holy Prophet was a reaction to His will. It is a historical fact that in all the battles it was Ali, known as yadullah (hand of Allah), who always played the decisive role in inflicting crushing defeat on the enemy-Badr, Uhad, Khandaq, Khaybar, Hunayn etcetera. Those companions of the Holy Prophet who became the "heroes of Islam" after him had nothing to do with the victories the Holy Prophet won for the glory of Islam. Through the agency of His chosen representatives He rendered the crafty plans of the infidels ineffective.