8al-AnfālThe Spoils of Warسُورَةُ الأنفال

They will ask you [O Muhammad] about the spoils of war. Say, “All spoils of war belong to Allah and the Apostle.” Remain, then, conscious of Allah [His immediate, corrective power presence], and reconcile yourselves [to each other], and do as you are told by Allah and His Apostle, if you are [truly] committed [to Him].

Committed muslims are only they whose hearts tremble with awe whenever Allah is mentioned, and whose faith and commitment is strengthened whenever His [power] illustrations are conveyed to them, and who in their Sustainer place their trust —

Those who institute their ṣalāh and spend on others out of what We provide for them as sustenance:

It is they, they who are truly committed [to Allah]! Theirs shall be elevated status in their Sustainer’ sight, and forgiveness of sins, and a most excellent sustenance.

Even as your Sustainer brought you forth from your home [to go into battle] in the cause of truth and justice, although some of the committed muslims were averse to it,

[So, too], they would argue with you about truth and justice [being achieved by means of combat] after it had become manifest — just as if they were being driven toward death and watching it with their very eyes.

And, bear in mind, Allah gave you the promise that one of the two [enemy] legions would fall to you: and you would have liked to overrun the less powerful one, whereas it was Allah’s will to ascertain the truth to be confirmed in accordance with His words, and to wipe out the last remnant of those who denied the truth [pertaining to Allah’s power] —

So that He might establish truth and justice and disestablish falsity and injustice [as pertain to power and authority issues], however hateful this might be to those who are [war] criminals.

Bear in mind! You were praying to your Sustainer for aid, whereupon He consequently responded to you, “I shall, certainly, help you with a thousand angels following one after the other!”

And Allah ordained this only as a glad tiding, and that your hearts should thereby be set at rest — since no [decisive] support can come from any save Allah: verily, Allah is magnificent, wise!

[Remember how it was] when He caused inner calm to enfold you, as a self-assurance from Him, and sent down upon you water from the skies, so that He might purify you thereby and free you from Satan’s unclean whisperings [trying to convince you that you are not in Allah’s favor because you are thirsty and do not have water, while the mushriks do] and He wants to strengthen your hearts [to be able to persevere] and thus make firm your steps [on soggy sands].

Be mindful! [That] your Sustainer inspired the angels [with the knowledge that], “I am with you!” [And He commanded the angels], “And give steadiness [in combat positions] to those who are committed [to Me — with these words from Me], ‘I shall cast terror into the hearts of those who are bent on denying [My power and authority]; [O angels]! strike, then, above their necks, and strike off every one of their fingertips!’”

This [is to happen in this manner], because they have taken opposite sides to Allah and His Apostle: and as for him who takes an opposite side to Allah and His Apostle — verily, Allah is severe in retribution.

These [developments are for you, O enemies of Allah]! Get a taste of it, then, [and know] that suffering through fire awaits those who deny the truth [relating to Allah’s power]!

O you who are committed [to Allah]! When you meet in battle those who are bent on denying the truth [about Allah’s power on earth, who are], advancing in great force, do not turn your backs on them [do not make an about turn]:

For, whoever on that day turns his back on them — unless it be in a battle maneuver or in an endeavor to join up with another [contingent of] troops [of the committed muslims] — shall indeed have earned the burden of Allah’s condemnation, and his resting place shall be Hell: and how vile a journey’s end!

And yet, [O committed muslims], it was not you who killed them [the enemy], but it was Allah who killed them; and it was not you who fired a shot [O Prophet], when you did [physically] fire it, but it was Allah who fired it [by being embedded in your action]: and [He did all this] in order that He might test the committed muslims by a goodly test of His own ordaining. Verily, Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing!

These [developments were Allah’s purpose], and also [to demonstrate] that Allah renders vain the crafty schemes of those who deny the truth [associated with His power].

If you have been praying for a [military] breakthrough, [O committed muslims] — a [military] breakthrough has now indeed come to you. And if you come to cessation of hostilities [on Allah’s terms], it will be for your own good; but if you revert to it [on self-centered terms] We shall revoke [Our promise of aid] — and never will your community be of any avail to you, however great its numbers: for, behold, Allah is [only] with those who commit themselves [to Him].

[Hence], O you who have committed yourselves [to Him as authority and power], defer to Allah and His Apostle, and do not run away from Him now that you hear [His message];

And do not be like those who say, “We have heard,” the while they do not listen.

Verily, the vilest of all creatures in the sight of Allah are those deaf, those dumb ones who do not use their reasoning.

For, if Allah had seen any good in them, He would certainly have made them pay attention — but [as it is], even if He had made them listen, they would surely have turned away in their intransigence.

O you who are committed [to Allah’s authority and power]! Respond to the call of Allah and to the Apostle whenever he calls you to that which will give you [spirited] life; and know that Allah intervenes between a person and [the desires of] his heart, and that to Him you shall be gathered.

And beware of that temptation/sedition to evil that does not befall only those who deny Allah’s power and authority to the exclusion of others; and know that Allah is severe in retribution.

And be aware of the time when you were few [and] helpless on earth, fearful lest people do away with you — whereupon He sheltered you, and strengthened you with His [successful] support, and provided for you sustenance out of the hearty things of life, so that you might have cause to be grateful.

[Hence], O you who are dedicated to Allah [His authority and power], do not betray Allah and the Apostle, and do not betray the trust that has been reposed in you;

And know that your worldly wealth and your [ill-natured] children are but a trial and temptation, and that with Allah there is a tremendous reward.

O you who have dedicated yourselves [to Allah’s power and authority]! If you remain vigilant [concerning Allah’s power presence], He will endow you with a discerning standard [by which to distinguish the true from the false], and will efface your bad deeds, and will forgive you [your sins]: for Allah is limitless in His great bounty.

And [remember, O Prophet], how those who were in denial [of Allah’s power] were scheming against you, in order to restrain you [from publicizing Islam], or to kill you, or to expel you [from their dominion]: thus have they [always] schemed. But Allah brought their scheming to naught — for Allah is the best of planners.

And whenever Our messages were methodically conveyed to them, they would say, “We have heard [all this before]; if we wanted, we could certainly compose sayings like these [ourselves]: they are nothing but fables of ancient times!”

And, be mindful [of them as] they would say, “O God! If this be indeed the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky, or inflict [some other] grievous suffering on us!”

But Allah did not choose thus to chastise them while you [O Prophet] were still among them, nor would Allah chastise them when they [might yet] ask for forgiveness.

But what have they [now] in their favor that Allah should not chastise them — seeing that they bar [the committed muslims] from the Inviolable House [of divine dedication], although they are not its [rightful] superintendents. None but those heeding Allah’s power can be its superintendents, but of this most of these [evildoers] are unaware;

And their prayers at the [Holy] Sanctuary are nothing but whistling and clapping of hands. Experience then, [O deniers of Allah’s power and authority], this chastisement as an outcome of your persistent denial of the truth [pertaining to Allah’s power and authority]!

Behold, those who are bent on denying the truth [relevant to Allah’s power and authority] are spending their riches in order to turn others away from the path of Allah; and they will go on spending them until they become [a source of] intense regret for them; and then they will be overpowered. And those who [until their death] have denied the truth [concerning Allah’s power and authority] shall be gathered into Hell,

So that Allah might separate the noxious from the pleasant, and [so that He may] join the noxious with one another, and link them all together [within His condemnation], and then place them in Hell. They, they are the lost ones!

Tell those who are [rabid in] denying the truth [relating to Allah’s power and authority] that if they desist, all that is past shall be forgiven them; but if they revert [to their institutionalized wrongdoing], let them remember what happened to the likes of theirs in times gone by.

And counter their warfare until there is no more trouble and tribulation and until the dīn is devoted to Allah alone. And if they desist [from their active hostilities] — behold, Allah sees all that they do;

And if they turn away [from Allah’s authoritative power], know that Allah is your Lord Supreme: [and] how excellent is this Lord Supreme, and how excellent this Supporter!1

And know that whatever gains of war you acquire [due to combat], one-fifth thereof belongs to Allah and the Apostle, and the near of kin, and the orphans, and the needy, and the homeless; [this you must observe], if you are committed to Allah and what We bestowed from on high upon Our subject [Muhammad] on the day of Distinction [when truth and justice were separated from lies and oppression] — the day when the two militant hosts met in battle. And Allah has the power to will anything.

[Remember that day] when you were at the near end of the valley [of Badr], and they were at its farthest end, while the convoy was below you. And if you had known that a battle was to take place, your timing of it would indeed have been a matter of dispute among you: but [the battle was brought about nonetheless], so that Allah might accomplish a thing [that He willed] to be done, [and] that he who would perish might perish in clear evidence of the truth, and that he who would remain alive might live in clear evidence of the truth. And, behold, Allah is indeed all-hearing, all-knowing.

Bear in mind! Allah showed them to you in a dream as few: for, had He shown them to you as many, you would surely have lost heart, and would surely have disagreed with one another about what to do. But Allah saved [you from this]: verily, He has full knowledge of what is in the temperament [of man].

And so, when you met in battle, He made them appear as few in your eyes — just as He made you appear as of little account in their eyes — so that Allah might accomplish a thing [that He willed] to be done: for all things go back to Allah [as their source].

[Hence], O you who are committed to Allah, when you meet a military multitude in battle, be firm, and remember Allah often, so that you might be successful!

And do as you are told by Allah and His Apostle, and do not [allow yourselves to] be at discord with one another, lest you lose heart and your moral strength desert you. And persevere: for, verily, Allah is with those who persevere in hardship.

And be not like those [deniers of Allah] who went forth from their homelands full of self-conceit and a desire to be seen and praised by others: for they were trying to turn others away from the path of Allah — the while Allah encompassed all their doings [with His might].

And, be mindful that Satan made all their doings seem goodly to them, saying, “No one can overcome you this day, for behold, I shall be your enabler!” But as soon as the two armies came within sight of one another, he turned on his heels and said, “Behold, I am not responsible for you: behold, I see something that you do not see. Behold, I fear Allah — for Allah is severe in retribution!”

At the same time, the dual-loyalists and those in whose hearts was a disease were saying, “Their loyalty [to Allah] has deluded these [committed muslims]!” But he who places his trust in Allah [knows that], verily, Allah is magnificent, wise.

And if you could but see [how it will be] when He causes those who are bent on denying the truth [about His power] to die: the angels will strike their faces and their backs, and [will say], “Taste suffering by burning —

In return for what your own hands have wrought — for, never does Allah do the least wrong to His inferior beings!”

[To them shall happen] the like of what happened to Pharaoh’s affiliates and those who lived before them: they denied the truth of Allah’s [power] demonstrations — and so Allah took them to task for their [civic] sins. Verily, Allah is powerful, severe in retribution!

This, because Allah would never change the blessings with which He has graced a people [into a disaster] unless they change their inner selves [from good to bad]: and [know] that Allah is all-hearing, all-seeing.

[To those social sinners shall happen] the like of what happened to Pharaoh’s people and those who lived before them: they determinedly disputed their Sustainer’s demonstration of power — and so We destroyed them in return for their social sins, and caused Pharaoh’s people to drown: for they were all evildoers.

Verily, the vilest creatures in the sight of Allah are those who are bent on denying the truth [of Allah’s power and authority] and therefore do not commit themselves [to Him],

Those with whom you have made a covenant, and who thereupon break their covenant on every occasion, not taking into account a self-consciousness of Allah’s authority —

If you find them at war [with you], make of them a fearsome example for those who follow them, so that they might take it to heart;

Or, if you have reason to fear treachery from people [with whom you have made a covenant], cast it back at them in an equitable manner: for, verily, Allah does not love the treacherous!

And let them not think — those who are bent on denying the truth [pertaining to Our power] — that they shall escape [Allah]: behold, they can never frustrate [His purpose].

Hence, make ready against them [the mush- rik enemies] whatever force and [impressive] war mounts you are able to muster, so that you might deter thereby the enemies of Allah, who are your enemies as well, and others besides them of whom you may be unaware, [but] of whom Allah is aware; and whatever you may expend in Allah’s cause shall be repaid to you in full, and you shall not be wronged.

But if they [the aggressive enemies] incline to peace, incline you to it as well, and place your trust in Allah: verily, He alone is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing!

And should they seek but to deceive you [by their show of peace] — behold, Allah is enough for you! He it is who has strengthened you with His [decisive] support, and by giving you committed followers —

Whose hearts He has brought together: [for], if you had expended all that is on earth, you could not have brought their hearts together [by yourself] — but Allah did bring them together. Verily, He is magnificent, wise.

O Prophet! Allah suffices you and the committed muslims who follow you!

O Prophet! Inspire the committed muslims to do combat [when it is necessary to do so]; [so that], if there be twenty of you who are patient in adversity, they might overcome two hundred; and [that], if there be one hundred of you, they might overcome one thousand of those who are bent on denying the truth [of His power], because they are people who cannot practically grasp the truth [of this whole matter].

For the time being, [however], Allah has lightened your burden, for He knows that you are weak and so, if there be one hundred of you who are patient in adversity, they should [be able to] overcome two hundred; and if there be one thousand of you, they should [be able to] overcome two thousand by Allah’s allowance: for Allah is with those who are patient in [military] adversity.

It does not behoove a prophet to keep prisoners of war unless he has battled strenuously on earth. You may desire the fleeting gains of this world — but Allah desires [for you the good of] the life to come: and Allah is magnificent, wise.

Had it not been for a decree from Allah that had already gone forth, there would indeed have befallen you a tremendous chastisement on account of all [the war captives] that you took.

Use then, all that is lawful and good among the things you have gained in war, and remain conscious of Allah [His power presence]: verily, Allah is much-forgiving, very graceful.

[Hence], O Prophet, say to the war captives who have become your responsibility, “If Allah finds any good in your hearts, He will give you something better than all that has been taken from you, and will forgive you your [military] sins: for Allah is much-forgiving, very merciful.

And should they but seek to betray their trust in you — well, they were in betrayal of Allah [Himself] before this: but He gave [the committed muslims] a power position over them. And Allah is all-knowing, wise.

Behold, as for those who have committed themselves [to Allah], and who have forsaken the domain of civic evil [in Makkah] and are striving hard, with their possessions and their lives, in Allah’s cause, as well as those who shelter and support [them in Madinah] — these are [truly] the superordinate and allies of one another. But as for those who have committed themselves without having to endure exile [to your Islamic state in Madinah], you are in no wise way responsible for their protection until such a time as they seek [ideological] asylum [with you]. Yet, if they ask you for support against [ideological/religious] persecution, it is your duty to give [them] this support — except against a people between whom and yourselves there is a treaty: for Allah sees all that you do.

With all this, [remember that] those who are bent on denying the truth [of Allah’s power and authority] are allies of one another; and unless you act likewise [among yourselves], oppression will reign on earth, and great corruption.

And they who are committed to Allah, and who have forsaken the domain of civic evil [in Makkah] and are striving hard in Allah’s cause, as well as those who shelter and support [them in Madinah] — it is they, they who are truly committed [to Allah]! Forgiveness of sins awaits them, and a most excellent sustenance.

And as for those who henceforth come to commit [to Allah], and who forsake the domain of civic evil [in Makkah] and strive hard [in Allah’s cause] together with you — these [too] shall belong to you; and they who are [thus] closely related have the highest claim on one another in [accordance with] Allah’s decree. Verily, Allah has full knowledge of everything.