Surah 8. Al-Anfal

THEY WILL ASK thee about the spoils of war. Say: "All spoils of war belong to God and the Apostle."¹ Remain, then, conscious of God, and keep alive the bonds of brotherhood among yourselves,² and pay heed unto God and His Apostle, if you are [truly] believers!

  - Mohammad Asad

The term nafl (of which anfal is the plural) denotes, in its purely linguistic sense, "an accretion or addition received beyond one's due" or "something given in excess of one's obligation" (from which latter meaning the term salat an-nafl - i.e., a "supererogatory prayer" - is derived). In its plural form anfal, which occurs in the Qur'an only in the above verse, this word signifies "spoils of war", inasmuch as such spoils are an incidental accession above and beyond anything that a mujahid ("a fighter in God's cause") is entitled to expect. The statement that "all spoils of war belong to God and the Apostle" implies that no individual warrior has a claim to any war booty: it is public property, to be utilized or distributed by the government of an Islamic state in accordance with the principles laid down in the Qur'an and the teachings of the Prophet. For further details relating to the division of spoils of war, see verse {41} of this surah. - The immediate occasion of this revelation was the question of the booty acquired by the Muslims in the battle of Badr (an account of which is given in the introductory note to this surah); but the principle enunciated above is valid for all times and circumstances.

Lit., "set to rights the relationship between yourselves" - i e., "remain conscious of your brotherhood in faith and banish all discord among yourselves".

They ask you about booty (spoils of war). Tell them: "The Booty belongs to Allah and His Rasool: so fear Allah, end your disputes, and correct the relations between yourselves: obey Allah and His Rasool if you are true believers."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They ask thee (O Muhammad) of the spoils of war. Say: The spoils of war belong to Allah and the messenger, so keep your duty to Allah, and adjust the matter of your difference, and obey Allah and His messenger, if ye are (true) believers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Believers are only they whose hearts tremble with awe whenever God is mentioned, and whose faith is strengthened whenever His messages are conveyed unto them,³ and who in their Sustainer place their trust -

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "and whenever His messages are conveyed to them, they increase them in faith".

The true believers are those whose hearts tremble with fear, when the name of Allah is mentioned, and whose faith grows stronger as they listen to His revelations and they put their trust in their Rabb,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They only are the (true) believers whose hearts feel fear when Allah is mentioned, and when the revelations of Allah are recited unto them they increase their faith, and who trust in their Lord;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

those who are constant in prayer and spend on others out of what We provide for them as sustenance:⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

See surah {2}, note [4].

who establish Salah and spend in charity out of the sustenance which We have given them.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Who establish worship and spend of that We have bestowed on them.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

it is they, they who are truly believers! Theirs shall be great dignity in their Sustainer's sight, and forgiveness of sins, and a most excellent sustenance.⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., in paradise. According to Razi, however, the "most excellent sustenance" is a metonym for "the spiritual raptures arising from the knowledge of God, the love of Him, and the self-immersion (istighraq) in worshipping Him". In Razi's interpretation, this expression refers to the spiritual reward of faith in this world. Some commentators (cf. Manar IX, 597) regard the above definition of true believers as the most important passage of this surah. - The phrase rendered by me as "theirs shall be great dignity" reads, literally, "they shall have degrees", namely, of excellence and dignity.

They are the ones who are the true believers; they will have exalted ranks with their Rabb, forgiveness for their sins, and honorable sustenance.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those are they who are in truth believers. For them are grades (of honor) with their Lord, and pardon, and a bountiful provision.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

EVEN AS thy Sustainer brought thee forth from thy home [to fight] in the cause of the truth, although some of the believers were averse to it,

  - Mohammad Asad

Your Rabb ordered you to leave your home to fight for justice, but some of the believers were reluctant.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Even as thy Lord caused thee (Muhammad) to go forth from thy home with the Truth, and lo! a party of the believers were averse (to it),

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[so, too,] they would argue with thee about the truth [itself] after it had become manifest⁶ - just as if they were being driven towards death and beheld it with their very eyes.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., after it had become clear that it was indeed God's will that the Muslims should give open battle to the Quraysh army. This reference to the antecedents of the battle of Badr (see the introductory note to this surah) connects with the admonition given in verse {1}, "pay heed unto God and His Apostle", as well as with the reminder, in verse {2}, that true believers place all their trust in God. A few of the followers of the Prophet disliked the idea of giving battle to the main army of the Quraysh, instead of attacking the Meccan caravan returning from Syria and thus of acquiring easy booty; but the majority of them immediately declared that they would follow God's Apostle wherever he might lead them. - Some of the commentators are inclined to relate the adverbial particle kama ("just as" or "even as"), introducing this sentence, to the preceding passage and, thus, to their duty to follow God's commands. Others, however, regard this interpretation as somewhat laboured, and relate the comparison implied in kama to the first clause of verse {6}, explaining the passage thus: "Just as some of the believers were averse to going forth from Medina to give battle to the Quraysh, so, too, they would argue with thee as to whether it was really willed by God." This, in particular, was the view of Mujahid, whom Tabari quotes with approval in his commentary on this verse.

They argued with you about the truth which had been made clear, as if they were being driven to death with their eyes wide open.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Disputing with thee of the Truth after it had been made manifest, as if they were being driven to death visible.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And, lo, God gave you the promise that one of the two [enemy] hosts would fall to you: and you would have liked to seize the less powerful one,⁷ whereas it was God's will to prove the truth to be true in accordance with His words, and to wipe out the last remnant of those who denied the truth⁸ -

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "while you would have liked the one which was not powerful to be yours" - i.e., the caravan coming from Syria, which was accompanied by only forty armed men and could, therefore, be attacked without great danger.

The destruction of the Meccan army at Badr was the prelude to the elimination, in the course of the next few years, of all opposition to Islam in its homeland: and it is to this future fulfilment of God's promise that the above words refer. See also surah {11}, note [103].

Remember, Allah promised you victory over one of the two enemy parties and you wished for the one which was unarmed but Allah intended to prove the truth to be true according to His words and to cut off the roots of the unbelievers,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And when Allah promised you one of the two bands (of the enemy) that it should be yours, and ye longed that other than the armed one might be yours. And Allah willed that He should cause the Truth to triumph by His words, and cut the root of the disbelievers;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

so that He might prove the truth to be true and the false to be false, however hateful this might be to those who were lost in sin.⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

The implication is that the truth of the Prophet's cause could not have been vindicated by the Muslims' overcoming and plundering the rich caravan which was approaching from the north. Although such an action would have benefited the Muslims materially, it would not have lessened the strength of the pagan Quraysh: while, on the other hand, the encounter at Badr with the main, heavily-armed Quraysh force, resulting as it did in a decisive victory of the Muslims, was destined to shatter the self-confidence of the enemy and thus to pave the way for the ultimate triumph of Islam in Arabia.

so that truth should come out as truth and falsehood should be proved as false, even though the criminals wished otherwise.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

That He might cause the Truth to triumph and bring vanity to naught, however much the guilty might oppose;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Lo! You were praying unto your Sustainer for aid, whereupon He thus responded to you: "I shall, verily, aid you with a thousand angels following one upon another!"

  - Mohammad Asad

When you prayed to your Rabb for help, He answered: "I will assist you with one thousand angels, one after another."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

When ye sought help of your Lord and He answered you (saying): I will help you with a thousand of the angels, rank on rank.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And God ordained this only as a glad tiding, and that your hearts should thereby be set at rest - since no succour can come from any save God: verily, God is almighty, wise!¹⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

"On the day of the battle of Badr, the Prophet looked at his followers, who were three hundred-odd men, and he looked at those who were ascribing divinity to beings other than God: and lo, they were more than one thousand. Thereupon God's Prophet turned towards the qiblah, raised his hands and thus implored his Sustainer: 'O God! Fulfil what Thou hast promised me! O God! If this little band of those who have surrendered themselves unto Thee is destroyed, Thou wilt not be worshipped on earth...'." This authentic Tradition, quoted by Muslim, Abu Da'ud, Tirmidhi, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, etc., appears also in a very similar version in Bukhari's Sahih. It is said that the above Our'an-verse was revealed in response to the Prophet's prayer - whereupon he recited another, much earlier verse ( 54:45 ): "The hosts shall be routed, and shall turn their backs [in flight]" (Bukhari). - As regards the promise of aid through thousands of angels, see {3:124-125}, where a similar promise - made on the occasion of the battle of Uhud - is said to have been uttered by the Prophet and thus, by implication, confirmed by God. The spiritual nature of this angelic aid is clearly expressed by the words, "and God ordained this only as a glad tiding...", etc. (See also surah {3}, notes [93] and [94].)

By this good news, Allah sought to comfort your heart, for victory comes only from Allah; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Allah appointed it only as good tidings, and that your hearts thereby might be at rest. Victory cometh only by the help of Allah. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Wise.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[Remember how it was] when He caused inner calm to enfold you,¹¹ as an 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 whisperings¹² and strengthen your hearts and thus make firm your steps.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., before the battle of Badr. Regarding the interpretation of nu'as as "inner calm", see surah {3}, note [112]. Here it refers to the spiritual quiet and self-confidence of the believers in the face of overwhelming odds.

Lit., "take away from you the pollution of Satan". Immediately before the beginning of the battle, the Meccan army infested the wells of Badr, thus depriving the Muslims of water; and, under the influence of thirst, some of the latter fell prey to utter despair (here symbolized by "Satan's unclean whisperings") - when, suddenly, abundant rain fell and enabled them to satisfy their thirst (Tabari, on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas).

Remember (before the battle of Badr) when He caused drowsiness to overcome you as an assurance from Himself, and sent down water from the sky to cleanse you and to remove from you the uncleanliness caused by Shaitan, to strengthen your hearts and to steady your feet therewith.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

When he made the slumber fall upon you as a reassurance from Him and sent down water from the sky upon you, that thereby He might purify you, and remove from you the fear of Satan, and make strong your hearts and firm (your) feet thereby.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Lo! Thy Sustainer inspired the angels [to convey this His message to the believers]: "I am with you!"¹³ [And He commanded the angels:] "And give firmness unto those who have attained to faith [with these words from Me]:¹⁴ 'I shall cast terror into the hearts of those who are bent on denying the truth; strike, then, their necks, [O believers,] and strike off every one of their finger-tips!'"¹⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

The phrase "I am with you" is addressed (through the angels) to the believers - "for, the purport of these words was the removal of fear, since it was the Muslims, and not the angels, who feared the deniers of the truth" (Razi).

The following is, again, addressed to the believers (Razi). {Verse 10} of this surah makes it clear that the aid of the angels was purely spiritual in nature; and there is no evidence anywhere in the Qur'an that they did, or were meant to, participate in the battle in a physical sense. In his commentary on the above verse, Razi stresses this point repeatedly; among modern commentators, Rashid Rida' emphatically rejects the legendary notion that angels actually fought in this or any other of the Prophet's battles (see Manar IX, 612 ff.). It is mainly on the basis of Razi's interpretation of this passage that I have interpolated, in several places, explanatory clauses between brackets.

I.e., "destroy them utterly".

Then your Rabb revealed His will to the angels: "I am with you, give courage to the believers. I will cast panic into the hearts of the unbelievers, therefore, smite their necks and beat every joint of their bodies."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

When thy Lord inspired the angels, (saying:) I am with you. So make those who believe stand firm. I will throw fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Then smite the necks and smite of them each finger.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

This, because they have cut themselves off from¹⁶ God and His Apostle: and as for him who cuts himself off from God and His Apostle - verily, God is severe in retribution.

  - Mohammad Asad

Or: "contended against" (Baghawi). However, since the primary meaning of shaqqahu ("he separated himself from him" or "cut himself off from him") comprises the concepts of both estrangement and opposition (Tabari, Zamakhshari, Razi), the rendering adopted by me seems to be the most suitable in this context.

This is because they defied Allah and His Rasool. Whoever defies Allah and His Rasool should know that Allah is strict in retribution,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

That is because they opposed Allah and His messenger. Whoso opposeth Allah and His messenger, (for him) lo! Allah is severe in punishment.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

This [for you, O enemies of God]! Taste it, then, [and know] that suffering through fire awaits those who deny the truth!

  - Mohammad Asad

that it is the reality, so taste it, and there will also be the torture of hellfire for the unbelievers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

That (is the award), so taste it, and (know) that for disbelievers is the torment of the Fire.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

O YOU who have attained to faith! When you meet in battle those who are bent on denying the truth, advancing in great force, do not turn your backs on them:¹⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., in flight: the implication being that in view of God's promise of victory no retreat is permissible. Since this verse (like the whole of this surah) relates predominantly to the battle of Badr, it may well be presumed that the above admonition forms part of the message of encouragement beginning with the words, "I am with you" (verse {12}), which God commanded the angels to convey to the believers before the battle. In accordance with the didactic method of the Qur'an, however, the moral lesson contained in this verse is not confined to the historical occasion to which it refers, but has the validity of a permanent law.

O believers! When you encounter the unbelievers in a battle, never turn your backs to them,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O ye who believe, When ye meet those who disbelieve in battle, turn not your backs to them.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall