VERSES : 1 – 75         Chapters                                                                                     

8. THE SPOILS OF WAR ( Al – Anfal )

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

1. They ask you about the spoils of war, say, "The spoils of war are for Allah and the messenger." So fear Allah and set right matters between yourselves and obey Allah and His messenger if you are believers.

2. Believers are only those whose hearts (are filled with) fear when Allah is mentioned, and when His signs are read to them, it increases them (in) faith and they put their trust in their Fosterer,

3. who establish worship (salat) and spend from that which We have provided them,

4. those are the believers in truth, for them there are ranks with their Fosterer and protective forgiveness and an honoured provision.

5. And a party of the believers certainly disliked the manner in which your Fosterer made you to go out of your house in the (cause of) truth.

6. They disputed with you about the truth after it had been made clear, as if they were being driven towards death and they were seeing (it).

7. And (remember), when Allah promised you (to grant victory at Badr over) one of the two parties, (assuring) that it will be yours, then (at that time) you liked that the one without weapons should be yours while Allah intended to prove true the truth by His words and to cut off the root of the infidels,

8. that He might prove true the truth and falsify the falsehood though the criminals disliked.

9. When you sought help from your Fosterer, He responded to you (saying), "I will certainly help you with one thousand of the angels following one another."

10. And Allah did not make it (anything) but a good news, that your hearts might be at peace through it. And there is no help except (that) from Allah, Allah is certainly Mighty, Wise. ( R 1 )

11. When He covered you with drowsiness (to bestow on you) peace from Him, and He sent down on you water from the sky to clean you thereby and remove from you the weakening uneasiness (caused by) the devil and to strengthen your hearts and thereby make (your) feet firm,

12. at that time your Fosterer communicated to the angels, "I am with you, so make firm those who believe, I will cast terror into the hearts of those who do not believe, then strike above their necks and strike off every fingertip from them."

13. That was because they opposed Allah and His messenger, and whoever opposes Allah and His messenger, then Allah is certainly severe in requiting.

14. That if for you, so taste it, and (know) that the punishment of the fire is for the infidels.

15. O you who believe ! when you meet those who do not believe, marching (against you) for war, then do not turn your backs to them,

16. and whoever turns his back on that day, unless (it be for) altering his position (as a strategy) for the war or to withdraw (to join his) group, then he indeed becomes deserving of the anger of Allah and his settling place is hell and it is an evil destination.

17. So you did not kill them but Allah killed them, and you did not throw when you threw but Allah threw, so that He might test the believers with a good test from Him, Allah is certainly Hearing, Knowing.

18. That is for you, and (know) that Allah is the Weakener of the plan of the infidels.

19. If you wanted a decision then the decision has come to you, and if you desist then it will be better for you and if you return then We (too) will return, and your group will not save you from anything though it may (consist of) many (people), because Allah is with the believers. ( R 2 )

20. O you who believe ! obey Allah and His messenger and do not turn away from him while you are hearing (him).

21. And do not be like those who said, "We heard," but they do not listen.

22. The worst of animals in the sight of Allah are certainly the deaf, the dumb who do not have sense.

23. And had Allah known any good in them, He would have made them to hear and (even) if He had made them to hear they would have turned back and they would have been of those who keep away.

24. O you who believe ! respond to Allah and to the messenger when he invites you to that which gives you life, and know that Allah comes between man and his heart and that, He it is towards Whom you will be gathered.

25. And guard yourselves against an affliction which will not fall exclusively on those who are unjust among you, and know that Allah is severe in requiting.

26. And remember when you were few and were considered weak in the land, fearing that people might kidnap you, then He gave you refuge and strengthened you with His help and provided you with good things that you may be grateful.

27. O you who believe ! do not betray Allah and His messenger nor knowingly betray your trusts.

28. And know that your wealth and your children are for (your) trial, and that it is Allah with Whom there is a great reward. ( R 3 )

29. O you who believe ! if you fear Allah He will assign to you (the power of) distinction (between right and wrong) and will wipe off from you (the ill effects of) your evils and protectively forgive you, and Allah is the Possessor of great grace.

30. And when those who do not believe, plan against you that they might confine you or kill you or drive you away, while they plan (this) Allah too plans and Allah is the Best of planners.

31. And when Our signs are read to them they say, "We have heard, if we will, we (too) can speak (on topic) like this, these are nothing but stories of the ancient."

32. And (remember) when they said, "O Allah ! if this is the truth from You then rain on us stones from the sky or bring on us a painful punishment."

33. And Allah would not punish them while you were among them and Allah would not punish them while they ask for (His) protective forgiveness.

34. And what (reason) have they that Allah should not punish them, when they hinder (people) from (visiting) the Sacred Mosque though they are not its guardians? Its guardians are only those who guard (against evil), but the majority of them does not know.

35. And their worship near the house (Kaaba) is nothing but whistling and clapping of hands, so taste the punishment because you did not believe.

36. Those who do not believe, certainly spend their wealth to hinder (people) from the way of Allah, so they will (continue to) spend it, then it will become (a cause of) regret for them, then they will be overcome and those who did not believe will be gathered towards hell,

37. that Allah may separate the bad ones from the good ones and put the bad ones one over the other, thus heaping them all together, so as to cast the [heap] into the hell, those are the persons at loss. ( R 4 )

38. Say to those who do not believe, if they desist then that which has passed will be protectively forgiven to them but if they repeat, then what happened to the ancient has already passed (as history and should serve as a warning).

39. And fight with them until there is no persecution and religion is (established) wholly for Allah, but if they desist then Allah is certainly a Seer of what they do,

40. but if they turn back then know that Allah is certainly your Guardian, Excellent is He (as) the Guardian and Excellent is He (as) the Helper. ( P 9 )

41. And know that whatever you take as spoils of war, a fifth of it is for Allah and the messenger and for those who are relatives and the orphans and the poor and the wayfarer, if you believe in Allah and that which We sent down on Our servant on the day of distinction, the day the two parties met (at Badr), and Allah has power over everything,

42. when you were on the nearer side (of the valley) and they were on the further side and the caravan was on your lower side, and if you had made a mutual appointment, you would have gone against the appointment, but (this arrangement was made) in order that Allah may accomplish an affair which was to be executed : that he who perished might perish (being involved) in a clear proof and he who survived might live (after having been involved) in a clear proof, and Allah is certainly One Who hears, knows.

43. And (remember) when Allah showed them less in your dream, and had He showed them numerous you would have become weak hearted and you would have disputed about the affair, but Allah kept you safe, He is certainly the Knower of that which is in the hearts,

44. and when He showed them to you less in your eyes when you met (them) and He made you to appear less in their eyes, in order that Allah may accomplish an affair which was to be executed and to Allah are (all) affairs returned. ( R 5 )

45. O you who believe ! when you meet a group (of enemies) then be firm and remember Allah much that you may be successful.

46. And obey Allah and His messenger and do not dispute lest you become weak hearted and your strength departs, and be patient, Allah is certainly with those who are patient.

47. And do not be like those who came out of their houses boastfully and to be seen by people and (who) turn away (people) from the way of Allah, and Allah is the Encompasser of what they do.

48. And when the devil made their deeds fair seeming to them and said, "No human being can overcome you this day and I am certainly your protector." But when the two groups came in sight of each other he turned upon his heels saying, " I am free of you, I see that which you do not see, I certainly fear Allah, and Allah is severe in requiting (evil)." ( R 6 )

49. When the hypocrites and those in whose hearts was a disease said, "Their religion has deceived them." And whoever trusts in Allah then (he will find that) Allah is certainly Mighty, Wise.

50. And if you could (only) see, when the angels take back (cause to die) those who do not believe, striking their faces and their backs and (saying), "Taste the punishment of burning.

51. That is because of what your hands have sent before, and (know) that Allah is not unjust to the servants."

52. The manner of the people of Firawn and those before them was such that they had not believed in the signs of Allah so Allah caught them for their sins, Allah is certainly Strong, Severe in requiting (evil).

53. That is because Allah does not change the grace with which He has favoured a people until they change that which is in their souls and because Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

54. The manner of the people of Firawn and those before them was such that they had denied the signs of their Fosterer so We destroyed them for their sins and drowned the people of Firawn and they were all unjust.

55. With Allah, the worst of moving creatures are certainly those who do not believe, so they will not believe (in future too),

56. those of them with whom, whenever you make an agreement, then every time they break their agreement, and they do not guard (against evil).

57. Then if you dominate them in war, disperse them (in such a manner that) those who succeed (them not being present with) them, they (too) may be mindful.

58. And if you fear betrayal from a people then throw back to them (their agreement) on equal terms, Allah certainly does not love those who betray. ( R 7 )

59. And do not let those who do not believe suppose that they will win, they certainly cannot defeat (Allah).

60. And be prepared for (fighting with) them, with whatever force you can muster, and with companies of horses (cavalry) to frighten thereby the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them, whom you do not know (but) whom Allah knows. And anything of that which you spend in the way of Allah, will be paid back to you in full and you will not be dealt with unjustly.

61. And if they incline to peace, then you (too) incline to it, and trust in Allah, He is certainly the Hearing, the Knowing.

62. And if they intend to deceive you, then Allah is certainly sufficient for you. He it is Who strengthened you with His help and with the believers,

63. and He put unity in their hearts. Had you spent all that is in the earth (even then) you would not have been able to put unity in their hearts, but Allah has put unity among them. He is certainly Mighty, Wise.

64. O prophet ! Allah is sufficient for you and those who follow you from among the believers. ( R 8 )

65. O prophet ! rouse the believers to fight, if there are twenty patient ones of you, they shall overcome two hundred and if there are a hundred of you, they shall overcome a thousand of those who do not believe because they are a people who do not understand.

66. For the present Allah has lightened for you (the responsibility) as He knows that there is weakness in you. So if there are a hundred patient ones of you they shall overcome two hundred and if there are a thousand of you, they shall overcome two thousand by the order of Allah and Allah is with those who are patient.

67. It does not befit a prophet that he should have prisoners (of war, his purpose is to fight) to the extent that he totally dominates in the land (so as to establish his religion). You intend (to have the) apparent good of the world while Allah intends (good for you in) the hereafter and Allah is Mighty, Wise.

68. Had an ordinance from Allah not gone forth earlier, a great punishment would have befallen you due to that which you took.

69. So eat of the lawful good things from that which you took as spoils of war and fear Allah, Allah is certainly Protectively Forgiving, Merciful. ( R 9 )

70. O prophet ! say to those of the prisoners (of war) in your hands (control), "If Allah knows (marks out) anything good in your hearts He will give you (something) better than that which was taken from you and He will protectively forgive you and Allah is Protectively Forgiving, Merciful."

71. But if they intend to betray you, then they had betrayed Allah earlier, so He has given (you) power over them and Allah is Knowing, Wise.

72. Those who believed and migrated and struggled in the way of Allah with their wealth and their persons, and those who gave shelter and helped (the immigrants), those are certainly guardians of each other. And those who believed but did not migrate, it is not for you to guard them from anything till they migrate, but if they seek help from you in (the matter of) religion then it is your duty to help them except against a people between whom and you there is a treaty, and Allah is a Seer of what you do.

73. And those who do not believe, they are guardians of each other, unless you (too) do this (that is, mutually guard and help each other) there will be persecution in the earth and great corruption.

74. And those who believed and migrated and struggled in the way of Allah, and those who gave shelter and helped (the immigrants), those persons are the real believers, for them there is protective forgiveness and an honourable provision.

75. And those who believed afterwards and migrated and struggled along with you, they (too) are of you, but those having relationships (of blood) are nearer to each other in the ordinance of Allah. Allah is certainly the Knower of everything. ( R 10, P 9 ¼ )

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