Surah Al-Anfal, Ayah 23 (8:23)

ٱلْأَنْفَال

وَلَوْ عَلِمَ ٱللَّهُ فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا لَّأَسْمَعَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ أَسْمَعَهُمْ لَتَوَلَّوا۟ وَّهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ

Quran 8:23 is ayah 23 of Surah Al-Anfal (“The Spoils of War”), a Medinan surah of 75 ayahs. It is in Juz 9, on page 179 of the Madani Mushaf.

8:23
وَلَوْعَلِمَٱللَّهُفِيهِمْخَيْرًالَّأَسْمَعَهُمْ ۖوَلَوْأَسْمَعَهُمْلَتَوَلَّوا۟وَّهُممُّعْرِضُونَ٢٣
walaw ʿalima l-lahu fīhim khayran la-asmaʿahum walaw asmaʿahum latawallaw wahum muʿ'riḍūna

Had Allāh known any good in them, He would have made them hear. And if He had made them hear, they would [still] have turned away, while they were refusing.(23)

Word by word

  1. وَلَوْwalawAnd if
  2. عَلِمَʿalima(had) known
  3. ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
  4. فِيهِمْfīhimin them
  5. خَيْرًاkhayranany good
  6. لَّأَسْمَعَهُمْ ۖla-asmaʿahumsurely, He (would) have made them hear
  7. وَلَوْwalawAnd if
  8. أَسْمَعَهُمْasmaʿahumHe had made them hear
  9. لَتَوَلَّوا۟latawallawsurely they would have turned away
  10. وَّهُمwahumwhile they
  11. مُّعْرِضُونَmuʿ'riḍūna(were) averse

Tafsir (commentary) of 8:23

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English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

This commentary explains ayahs 8:20–23 together.

Read the English tafsir of 8:20–23 →

Read the full Surah Al-Anfal