The Spoils (al-Anfal)

10 minutes • 1933 words

¹ They ask you about the bounties. Reply: “The bounties are for Allah and the Messenger.”

So be mindful of Allah
settle your differences
obey Allah and His Messenger

² The believers are those:

whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned
who strengthen in faith when His revelations are recited to them
³ who perform the prayer
spend from Our provisions to them.

⁴ These are the true believers. They have:

high standing with their Lord
forgiveness
a generous provision.

⁵ Even as your Lord brought you out of yourhome with the truth, some believers were reluctant.

Arguing with you about the truth after it was made clear, as if they were being driven to death as they looked on.
Allah has promised you one of the 2 groups—that it would be yours—

But you wanted the unarmed group to be yours.

In order to confirm the truth and nullify falsehood, even though the guilty dislike it. ⁹ When you appealed to your Lord for help, He answered you, “I am reinforcing you with one thousand angels in succession.” ¹⁰ Allah only made it a message of hope, and to set your hearts at rest.

Victory comes only from Allah. Allah is Mighty and Wise. ¹¹ He made drowsiness overcome you, as a se- curity from Him. And He sent down upon you water from the sky, to cleanse you with it, and to rid you of Satan’s pollution, and to fortify your hearts, and to strengthen your foothold.

Your Lord inspired the angels: “I am with you, so support those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve.

So strike above the necks, and strike off every fingertip of theirs.”

That is because they opposed Allah and His Messenger. Whoever opposes Allah and His Messenger—Allah is severe in retribution.

Muslims, When you meet those who disbelieve on the march, never turn your backs on them.

¹⁶ Anyone who turns his back on them on that Day, except while maneuvering for battle, or to join another group, has incurred wrath from Allah, and his abode is Hell!

It was not you who killed them, but it was Allah who killed them.

It was not you who launched when you launched, but it was Allah who launched. That He may bestow on the believers an excellent reward.

Such is the case. Allah will undermine the strategy of the disbelievers.
If you desire a verdict, the verdict has come to you.

And if you desist, it would be best for you. And if you return, We will return; and your troops, however numerous, will not benefit you.

And be not like those who say, “We hear,” when they do not hear.
The worst of animals to Allah are the deaf and dumb—those who do not reason.
Had Allah recognized any good in them, He would have made them hear. If so, they would still have turned away defiantly.
Respond to Allah and to the Messenger when He calls you to what will revive you.
Beware of discord which does not afflict the wrongdoers among you exclusively.
Remember that He sheltered you when you were:

few and oppressed in the land
fearing that people may capture you

He supported you with His victory, and provided you with good things—so that you may be thankful.

Do not betray Allah and the Messenger, nor betray your trusts.
Know that:

your possessions and your children are a test, and
Allah possesses an immense reward.

Muslims, if you remain conscious of Allah then He will:

give you a criterion,
forgive your sins.

When the disbelievers plotted against you, to imprison you, or kill you, or expel you.

They planned, and Allah planned, but Allah is the Best of planners.

And when Our revelations are recited to them, they say, “We have heard. Had we wanted, we could have said the like of this; these are nothing but myths of the ancients.”
And they said, “Our God, if this is the truth from You, then rain down on us stones from the sky, or visit us with a painful affliction.”
But Allah would not punish them while you are amongst them. And Allah would not punish them as long as they seek forgiveness.
Yet why should Allah not punish them, when they are turning others away from the

and had He recite His praises, and to Him they bow down.

Sacred Mosque, although they are not its custodians? Its rightful custodians are the pious; but most of them do not know.

Their prayer at the House was nothing but whistling and clapping—so taste the punishment for your blasphemy.
Those who disbelieve spend their wealth to repel from Allah’s path. They will spend it, then it will become a source of sorrow for them, and then they will be defeated.

Those who disbelieve will be herded into Hell.

That Allah may distinguish the bad from the good, and heap the bad on top of one another, and pile them together, and throw them in Hell.
Say to those who disbelieve: if they desist, their past will be forgiven. But if they persist—the practice of the ancients has passed away.
Fight them until there is no more persecution, and religion becomes exclusively for Allah.

But if they desist—Allah is Seeing of what they do.

Whatever spoils you gain, to Allah belongs its fifth, and to the Messenger, and the relatives, and the orphans, and the poor, and to the wayfarer, provided you believe in Allah and in what We revealed to Our servant on the Day of Distinction, the day when the two armies met.
Recall when you were on the nearer bank, and they were on the further bank, and the caravan was below you. Had you planned for this meeting, you would have disagreed on the timing, but Allah was to carry out a pre- determined matter, so that those who perish would perish by clear evidence, and those who survive would survive by clear evidence.
Allah made them appear in your dream as few. Had He made them appear as many, you

would have lost heart, and disputed

matter. But Allah saved the situation. He knows what the hearts contain.

When you met, He made them appear as few in your eyes, and made you appear fewer in their eyes, so that Allah may conclude a predetermined matter. To Allah all matters revert.
Muslims, When you meet a force, stand firm, and remember Allah much, so that you may prevail.
And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute, lest you falter and lose your courage. And be steadfast. Allah is with the steadfast.
And do not be like those who left their homes boastfully, showing off before the peo- ple, and barring others from the path of Al- lah. Allah comprehends what they do.
Satan made their deeds appear good to them, and said, “You cannot be defeated by any people today, and I am at your side.” But when the two armies came in sight of one an- other, he turned on his heels, and said, “I am innocent of you; I see what you do not see; I fear Allah; Allah is severe in punishment.”
The hypocrites and those in whose hearts is sickness said, “Their religion has deluded these people.”
If only you could see, as the angels take away those who disbelieve, striking their faces and their backs: “Taste the agony of the Burning.”
“That is because of what your hands have committed, and because Allah is not unjust to the servants.”
Like the behavior of the people of Pharaoh, and those before them. They rejected the signs of Allah, so Allah seized them for their sins. Allah is Powerful, Severe in punishment.
That is because Allah would never change a blessing He has bestowed on a people unless they change what is within themselves, and because Allah is Hearing and Knowing.
Such was the case with the people of Pharaoh, and those before them. They denied the signs of their Lord, so We annihilated them for their wrongs, and We drowned the people of Pharaoh—they were all evildoers.
The worst of creatures in Allah’s view are those who disbelieve. They have no faith.
Those of them with whom you made a treaty, but they violate their agreement every time. They are not righteous.
If you confront them in battle, make of them a fearsome example for those who follow them, that they may take heed.
If you fear treachery on the part of a people, break off with them in a like manner. Allah does not like the treacherous.
Let not the disbelievers assume that they are ahead. They will not escape.
And prepare against them all the power you can muster, and all the cavalry you can mobilize, to terrify thereby Allah’s enemies and your enemies, and others besides them whom you do not know, but Allah knows them. Whatever you spend in Allah’s way will be repaid to you in full, and you will not be wronged.
But if they incline towards peace, then incline towards it, and put your trust in Allah. He is the Hearer, the Knower.
If they intend to deceive you—Allah is sufficient for you. It is He who supported you with His aid, and with the believers.
And He united their hearts. Had you spent everything on earth, you would not have united their hearts, but Allah united them together. He is Mighty and Wise.
O prophet! Count on Allah, and on the believers who have followed you.
O prophet! Rouse the believers to battle. If there are twenty steadfast among you, they will defeat two hundred; and if there are a hundred of you, they will defeat a thousand of those who disbelieve; because they are a people who do not understand.
Allah has now lightened your burden, knowing that there is weakness in you. If there are a hundred steadfast among you, they will defeat two hundred; and if there are a thousand of you, they will defeat two thousand by Allah’s leave. Allah is with the steadfast.
It is not for a prophet to take prisoners before he has subdued the land. You desire the materials of this world, but Allah desires the Hereafter. Allah is Strong and Wise.
Were it not for a predetermined decree from Allah, an awful punishment would have afflicted you for what you have taken.
So consume what you have gained, legitimate and wholesome; and remain conscious of Allah. Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
O prophet! Say to those you hold prisoners, “If Allah finds any good in your hearts, He will give you better than what was taken from you, and He will forgive you.""
But if they intend to betray you, they have already betrayed Allah, and He has overpowered them.
Those who believed, and emigrated, and struggled in Allah’s cause with their possessions and their persons, and those who provided shelter and support—these are allies of one another. As for those who believed, but did not emigrate, you owe them no protection, until they have emigrated.

But if they ask you for help in religion, you must come to their aid, except against a people with whom you have a treaty.

The true believers those who:

believed, emigrated, and struggled for Allah’s cause
gave shelter and support

They will have forgiveness, and a bountiful provision.

Those who believed afterwards, emigrated, and struggled with you—these belong with you.

But family members are nearer to one another in the Book of Allah.