Sūrah al-Anfāl

They ask you about the spoils of war. Tell them: All these spoils belong to God and the Messenger. Therefore, fear God; [do not create any dispute in this matter] and reform your mutual affairs and obey God and His Messenger if you are believers. [Bear in mind that] believers are those whose hearts are filled with awe at the mention of God, and when His revelations are recited before them, they strengthen their faith and they put their trust in their Lord [in every matter]. Those who are diligent in the prayer and spend [in Our cause] from whatever We have given them. Such are the true believers. For them are ranks before their Lord, forgiveness and a very honourable sustenance.

A similar situation had arisen when your Lord brought you out from your house for a true purpose and this was very detestable to one group of the Muslims. They were disputing with you regarding this true purpose, even though it was fully evident to them. It was as if they were being led to death before their very eyes. Recall the time when God was promising you that you shall take hold of one of the groups. You wanted to get the unarmed one, while God, through His words, wanted to grant superiority to the truth and root out the disbelievers so that He could show truth to be truth and falsehood to be falsehood, however much these wrongdoers may dislike it.

Remember when you were pleading to your Lord; so, He heard your pleading and said: I am sending one thousand angels for your help who will keep coming one after the other. God did this only to make it a glad tiding for you and so that your hearts are reassured through this. Otherwise, in reality help comes from God alone. Surely, God is very powerful, very wise. Remember when God was making you doze off from Himself to comfort you and was raining down water on you from the heavens so that He may purify you through it and get rid from you the filth of Satan and [put you to sleep for a while] to strengthen your heart through it and plant your feet. Recall when your Lord was sending His revelation to the angels: “I am with you; so keep the believers steadfast. I shall instil awe in the hearts of these disbelievers; so, you strike at their necks and inflict injury on every section of their fingers.” This is because they have risen against God and His Messenger, and those who rise against God and His Messenger, are punished in this very way because God is one Who sternly punishes – this is your punishment. So, taste it as well and be informed that the punishment of the Fire [awaits] the disbelievers.²

Believers! When as an organized army you meet these disbelievers, do not turn your backs to them. And [fully understand that] whoever turns his back to them at that time unless it be a stratagem of war or to retreat to a part of his army, he returned with God’s wrath. His abode is Hell, and very evil is that abode! [Believers! Why should you show reluctance when God fights from your side?] So, in reality, you did not slay them [in this battle]; it is, in fact, God Who has slain them, and [O Prophet] when you threw [dust] on them, it was not you but God Who has thrown it to show various aspects of His majesty to the disbelievers and to grant a goodly favour from Himself to the Muslims. Indeed, God sees and hears all. All this that happened is in front of you and with it this [glad tiding] also that God shall certainly humble all the plans of these disbelievers. If you had wanted a judgement, then [O People of the Quraysh] this judgement has arrived. If [even now] you desist, it is better for you and if you do it again, We shall also do it again and your group, however large it may be, shall not be of any benefit to you. And fully understand that God is with the believers.

Believers! Obey God and His Messenger [the way they should be obeyed] and do not desist from the [call of the] Messenger when you are listening [to him]. Be not like those who claimed: “We listened,” but they never listened. Surely before God the worst of animals are these that are deaf and dumb who do not use [their] intellect. Had God seen any good in them, He would have definitely given them the urge to listen and if He had made them listen without this, they would have turned away in indifference.

Believers! Respond to the call of God and His Messenger when the Messenger is inviting you to that which gives life to you and bear in mind that [after giving respite until a certain period of time] God becomes a barrier between a person and his heart, and bear in mind that [one day] you shall be gathered to Him alone. Fear the trial with which the wrongdoers only shall not be afflicted and keep in mind that God is stern in retribution.

Recall the time when you were small in number; you would be regarded weak in the land; you would fear that people might get hold of you. Then God gave you shelter and backed you with His help and granted you with noble sustenance for your livelihood so that you may be grateful. Believers! Do not be insincere to God and His Messenger; [this is dishonesty in what is entrusted to you] and do not be deliberately dishonest in what is entrusted to you. And bear in mind that your wealth and your children are a trial and also that great reward lies with God alone.

Believers! If you keep fearing God, He will manifest the furqān for you, brush away your sins from you and pardon you. In reality, God is immensely bountiful. Bear in mind the time [O Prophet] when the disbelievers were conspiring in your matter: to imprison you or slay you or banish you [from the land]. This was what they were conspiring and God was also making His scheme and God is the best of schemers.³

[These are the people that] when Our revelations were read out to them, would say: “We have heard. If we want, we can also present something similar. These are but the same tales of the ancients.” And remember when they had said: “God! If this is the truth [revealed] from you, then hurl down stones on us from the heavens or bring upon us some painful punishment. God was not going to punish them [at that time] when you were among them nor was He one who would have punished them [at the time] they were asking for forgiveness. But what is in them now that He should not punish them when they are stopping [people] from the Sacred Mosque, even though they are also not its lawful custodians. Its lawful custodians can only be those who fear God. Yes, but most of them do not know this. [They should not show conceit on their prayers.] In reality, their prayer before the House of God is nothing but whistling and clapping. So, taste the flavour of My punishment because of the disbelief you have been guilty of.

Those who have adopted this attitude of disbelief are spending their wealth to stop [people] from the path of God. So, in future also, they will be spending it; then it will become a yearning for them. Then they will be vanquished and all those who will remain disbelievers like this will be gathered and driven towards Hell. This is because God may separate the pure from the impure [for His Paradise] and placing the impure over the impure make them all a heap and then cast this heap into Hell. [In reality,] it is these people who shall end up as losers.

Tell these disbelievers [O Prophet]: If they desist, then whatever has happened shall be forgiven to them. And if they repeat it, then they should know that the practice of God for the previous people has passed. [Believers!] Keep fighting them until no persecution remains and [in this land] all religion purely belongs to God. So, if they abstain, then God is watching whatever they do. And if they turn away, then bear in mind that God is your guardian. What a wonderful guardian and what a wonderful helper.⁴

[You had asked; so] be informed that a fifth of whatever spoils of war you had acquired shall belong only to God, His Prophet, the near relatives [of the Prophet], the orphans, the needy and the wayfarer. [This is the directive of God; obey it without the slightest hesitation] if you believe in God and in that what We had sent down to Our servant on the day of verdict when both groups met, [and bear in mind that] God has power over all things.

Recall when you were at the near end of the valley and they were at the far end and the caravan was below you. If you had co-ordinated with one another before departing, you would certainly not have been able to meet at the time set. But God did not allow any difference to take place in order that God decide this matter which was bound to happen so that he who is to die can die after seeing the proof and he who is to live, can live after seeing the proof. And there is no doubt that God hears and knows all. Recall [O Prophet] when God was showing them to you few in number in your dream. Had He shown them to be more to you, you would definitely have felt defeated and would have quarrelled with one another regarding the issue at hand. But God saved [you]. Surely, He knows what is even in the hearts. And recall when at the time you met He was showing them to you few in number and showing you to them few in number so that God may decide that matter which was bound to happen. In reality, all matters return to God alone.

Believers! When [in the future also] you have to fight an army, remain steadfast and remember God in abundance so that you may succeed. And obey God and His Messenger and do not quarrel with one another for as its consequence you will feel defeated and your resolve will weaken. Remain steadfast because God is with those who are steadfast. Be not like those who came out of their homes boastfully and displaying their grandeur and whose attitude is that they stop [people] from the way of God even though God fully encompasses what they do. Recall when Satan made their deeds appear fair to them and said: “There is no one among people today who can dominate you, and [rest assured] I am with you.” But when the two groups met, he took to his heels and said: “I am done with you; I am seeing what you do not. I fear God; in reality, God is stern in punishment.” Recall when the hypocrites and those also who have an ailment in their hearts were saying [about you yourself]: “Their religion has deceived them,” even though those who trust God are definitely helped by Him because God is Powerful, very Wise.

Had you been able to see [you would have known what had happened at that time] when the angels were claiming the souls of these disbelievers whilst striking them on their faces and their backs and while saying: “Taste now the torment of the fire!” This is the punishment for what you had sent ahead with your hands and because God does not do the slightest of injustice to His servants.⁵

The same thing has happened to them as had happened to the people of the Pharaoh and those before them. They denied the revelations of God; so, God seized them for their sins. Indeed, God is mighty; He is stern in retribution. This happened because God does not change a favour He has blessed a nation with unless they change themselves. Moreover, because God hears and knows all. The same has happened with the people of the Pharaoh and those before them. They rejected the signs of their Lord; so, at last, We destroyed them because of their sins and drowned the Pharaoh’s people. All these were unjust.

Certainly, in the sight of God, the vilest animals are the people who have denied and are not in any way prepared to believe. In particular, those people with whom you made a promise [O Prophet], then they break their promise at every instance and fear not the slightest [what the consequences will be]. So, when you find them in a battle, strike them in such a way that you also rout those behind them so that they may learn a lesson. [You people, however, must always abide by the promise in all circumstances] and if you fear any treachery from a people, throw back their promise to them on equal terms. In reality, God does not like the treacherous.

These rejecters must not remain under the misconception that they have escaped. They can never go beyond Our grasp. As much as you can, prepare against them an army and trained horses at your disposal so that you can strike awe into the enemies of God and of yours and others beside them too who you do not know. God knows them. [For this purpose,] whatever you spend for the cause of God shall be fully repaid to you. And you shall not be given any less.

If these people tilt towards peace [O Prophet], you also tilt to it and trust God. Indeed, He knows and hears all. Even if they would like to deceive you, rest assured God is sufficient for you. It is He who aided you through His help and through the believers and joined their hearts with one another. Had you even spent whatever is in the earth, you would not have been able to join their hearts; but God joined them. Indeed, God is Mighty, very Wise.

O Prophet! Sufficient is God for you and sufficient are these believers who have chosen to follow you. O Prophet! Rouse these believers to [the] war [you have been directed earlier]. If there are twenty among you who are steadfast, they shall subdue two hundred; and if a hundred, they shall subdue a thousand of the disbelievers because these are a people without insight.

At this time, however, God has lessened your burden because He knew that some weakness has come into you: So, if there are a hundred of you who are steadfast, they shall subdue two hundred, and if a thousand, they shall subdue two thousand with the directive of God. And God is with those who remain steadfast [in His cause].

[These people object that you have caused this bloodshed to capture prisoners and take ransom from them. In reality,] it is not befitting for any prophet that he capture prisoners so that he even cause bloodshed in the land [for it]. [People of the Quraysh!] It is you who want the provisions of this world; God only wants the Hereafter. And God is Powerful, very Wise. Had God’s verdict not been written down before [that you should be given some more respite], a great torment would have visited you because of the attitude you had adopted.

So, [Muslims do not pay heed to their objections] and the spoils of war you have obtained [as ransom], consume them while regarding them to be lawful and pure. And keep fearing God. Surely, God is Forgiving, Ever-Merciful.

O Prophet! Inform the captives in your possession: If God sees something good in their hearts, He shall grant you that which is better than what has been taken from you and shall forgive your sins. In reality, God is Merciful, Ever-Forgiving. And if they seek to betray you, then this is quite expected from them. This is because before this they have betrayed God. Thus the consequence of this was that God made you overpower them and God knows everything; He is very wise.

[Believers! If in this situation, a Muslim seeks help and support, tell him to come to Madīnah because] those who have accepted faith and migrated and have fought with their persons and wealth for the cause of God and those who have given refuge [to the immigrants] and helped [them], they are the ones who are helpers of one another. As for those who accepted faith, but did not migrate [to Madīnah], you can have no relationship of help and support with them until they migrate. However, if they seek your help in the matter of religion, then helping them is mandatory upon you; but not against a nation with whom you have a treaty. [Remember that] God is watching whatever you do. Those who are rejecters of the truth are helpers and supporters of one another. [Therefore, O Believers!] If you do not do this [for your oppressed brethren], there will be persecution in the land and great disorder. [Everyone of you should now understand that] those who accepted faith and migrated and waged jihād for the cause of God, and those who gave refuge to the immigrants and have helped them, it is they who are true believers. For them are forgiveness and an honourable sustenance. And those who accepted faith after this and migrated and participated with you in jihād, they too will be among you. Blood relations however are closer to one another in the law of God. Undoubtedly, God knows everything.