to him as well. Thus, one cannot say, “You did not believe, pray, fast, affirm the truth, or possess knowledge,” for this would be obstinate denial: at the very least, he is characterized by these acts, and that is established. Moreover, this negation occurs with none of the commanded acts except the killing and throwing at Badr. Had it been based on Allah’s creation of all human acts, it would not have been confined to Badr.

The third interpretation is that Allah, glorified be He, disrupted the ordinary course of events in this instance: the polytheists’ heads would fly off at a mere gesture, before weapons reached them, and a palm frond would become a sword used for killing. Likewise, the Messenger of Allah’s throw—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—struck those whom he had no power to reach. The killing and the impact of the throw thus exceeded their ordinary capabilities, so attribution of these effects was denied to them because they lacked the power to produce them. This is the soundest interpretation, and it properly reconciles the negation with the affirmation:

“You did not throw”—that is, you did not hit the target—“when you threw”—that is, when you cast—“but Allah threw”—that is, He hit the target.

The same applies to every act Allah brings about beyond ordinary capabilities through a slight cause, such as causing water to gush forth and other extraordinary occurrences, or things beyond the power of the agent. This is clear: the verse provides no evidence either for compulsion or for denying generated causation.