Chapter 8 - 109
The Gains from Battle (Surah Al-Anfaal)
(75 verses; revealed during 8th and 9th year of Hijra)
(Some consider chapters 8 and 9 to be one surah – hence the absence of Bismillah in Surah 9)
In the Name of Allah, the God of Mercy, the Endower of Mercy!
They ask you (Prophet) about gains (anfaal) from battle. Say: such resources are for Allah and His prophet (i.e., for common good). Therefore, be mindful of Allah and your responsibility to one another, settle your differences and obey Allah and His prophet, if you claim to have faith.
True believers are those whose hearts are full of awe when Allah is remembered among them and when God’s guidance and revelations are discussed; these increase their faith and reaffirm their trust in their Sustainer God. These people establish worship (salat) and dedicate part of their resources for the benefit of others. These are the markers of real believers who will be elevated in presence of God, receive His forgiveness, protection and dignified provision. (v. 1-4)
As your Sustainer God led you out of your own home to establish the truth, there were a group of believers who were unwilling participants—they were contending among themselves about the nature of what was about to unfold and they were acting as if they were driven to their death, an outcome they felt certain.
Allah committed to help you overpower one of the two parties while you were more willing to take on the party less armed; but Allah wished to establish the truth of His word and to root out the disbelievers of His grace. This is how He may make faith and goodwill to triumph while bringing falsehood and evil to nothing, even though those who sin (against God and humanity) desire otherwise.
When you beseeched your Sustainer God for help, He answered thus: I will commit a thousand angels to assist you, coming one after another. God announced this as a measure of good news and to comfort your hearts. Help and Victory is only granted by Allah. Allah is Mighty and Wise. (v. 5-10)
God made slumber (nu’as) descend on you to make you feel secure and send down rain from the cloud to cleanse yourself (of doubts and thirst) and to take away the evil (self-doubt) of the Devil—all these to restore confidence in your hearts and firm up your stance. Your Sustainer God revealed Himself to Angels and said: I am with you (and the believers); so, help those who believe. I will weaken those who deny faith. So, strike them on their neck and smite every fingertip of them. This is the result of their denial and opposition to Allah and His Messenger. Allah is firm in taking accountability. This treatment is for them to taste the consequence of their conduct; (eventually) the deniers are destined to torment of fire.
O Believers! When people who deny faith (truth and justice) march against you in war, do not turn your backs on them. If you turn your backs—unless to maneuver in battlefield or to join a party of yours, know that you will incur Allah’s displeasure and get closer to Hell Fire which is an evil destination. (Recognize that) when you fought them, it was Allah who was fighting them and when you engage them, it was Allah who was engaging them so that He can confer to the faithful a benefit directly from Himself. Allah knows and He hears. This is how Allah will weaken the resolve of those who disbelieve. If you (denier of truth) have sought a decision, victory has been granted (to the believers) and if you desist (in future) it will be better for you. But if you return (to fight), We too will return, and your numerical superiority will not change the outcome, since Allah is with the believers. (v. 11-19)
O Believers! Obey God and His Messenger and do not turn away while you hear; don’t be like those who hear but do not respond. Surely the worst among His creatures, in the sight of Allah, are the ones that do not hear, do not speak and do not comprehend. Had Allah known any good in them, He would have helped them to hear but even if they are made to hear, their aversion to truth turns them away.
O Believers! Respond to God and His Messenger when he calls you to guidance that enriches your lives, be cognizant that Allah intervenes between your soul and your heart (to inspire and to guide) and you will be gathered back to Him. Be mindful that afflictions and trials may not confine itself to those who are unjust to the exclusion of others (otherwise good by their own estimate) and Allah is fully capable of requiting.
Remember when you were few in numbers, deemed insignificant on earth and fearful that others will destroy you by force, God sheltered you, strengthened you with His help and gave you wholesome sustenance and succor that you may be thankful.
O Believers! Do not betray Allah and His Messenger and do not betray your trust (covenant for truth and justice) while you have the knowledge. Also, be aware that your material possessions and your family could be a source of trials and temptations (if you lose sight of greater purposes) and with Allah is the finality of all rewards and contentment. (v. 20-28)
O Believers! If you are mindful of Allah and your responsibilities to each other (attaqu), He will endow you with capacities to distinguish (truth vs. falsehood), give you distinction, remove your evils and protect you. Allah is without limit in His grace. People without faith (your adversaries) were devising a plan to restrain you in your place or kill you or drive you away—this they planned, and Allah planned as well. (Know always that) Allah is a better planner!
When Our (God’s) revelations and guidance are presented to them, they say, “We have heard. If we wish, we could produce similar things—these are nothing but ancient stories.” Then they say, “O Allah, if is this truly from You, then bring on us a calamity from the sky or inflict on us a chastisement that is severe.”
But Allah would not chastise them while you (Prophet) were among them; and Allah would not chastise them while giving them opportunity to seek forgiveness. Notwithstanding, they have no reason to feel secure from displeasure of Allah when they actively restrain people from worshiping at the Sacred Mosque (Kabah) and they are not its legitimate guardian. Such guardianship belongs to those who are mindful of God (muttaqun) and responsible to fellow human beings, but they are mostly ignorant (of such ideals). Their worship in this House is nothing but whistling and clapping of hands. (v. 29-35)
Those who persist in denial (of God), endeavor with their wealth and their person to restrain people from Allah’s guidance (of truth and justice). They will go on spending and exerting as such until a time when they will regret it, and they will be exhausted. Those who deny the truth will be driven together towards their evil consequences (hell) so that Allah can separate the evil from the good, collect the evils together and lead them to hell. They have indeed compromised their lives.
Say to those who deny faith, if they desist, their past will be forgiven; but if they return (to hostilities), then their fate will be like previous generations of deniers. You should continue to fight to put an end to all forms of persecutions and restore all pursuits of life (deenu) to Allah’s Way. Again, if they disavow their denials, Allah surely sees what they do. But if they return (to persecute you), then rest assured that Allah is your Patron, the Most Excellent Patron and the Most Excellent Helper! (v. 36-40)
Let it be known that whatever gains are secured in a battle, twenty percent of that is for God, His messenger, the orphans, the needy and those who are travelers. This is a recognition that you believe in God, the guidance that has been revealed to Our Servant (Messenger) and this day of differentiation when the two parties met (in armed conflict). God is ever powerful over all things and all affairs.
(Recall how you ended up) on the nearer side of the valley (of Badr—place of the first battle) while their army was on the further side and the caravan drifted to a lower position (near the coast away from you). Had you intended to make a direct contact (with the army), you would have found ways to break away, but Allah intended to settle a matter that needed to be done—that those who fail the clear guidance (from God) might perish whereas those who follow the clear guidance, might thrive by it. Surely Allah is Hearing, Knowing!
Allah displayed them in your dream as a small army; had he shown them as many, you would have lost courage to fight and would have contended among yourself regarding the decision at hand. But Allah gave you peace of mind; surely, He knows what happens in a man’s heart (at times of difficulty). And when you were drawn to each other, He made them appear few in your eyes and He made you appear as few in their eyes so that Allah can close out a matter that needed to be resolved. All matters come back to God for resolution. (v. 41-44)
O Believers! When you meet your adversary in a battle, be steadfast, be mindful of Allah often so that you can achieve your objectives. Obey Allah and His Messenger (be faithful to the guidance) and do not dispute and contend with one another such that you lose morale and power of unity; be patient and steadfast since Allah is with those who are steadfast (in challenging circumstances). And avoid behaving like those who left their home in pride, to be seen by people and to prevent people from Allah’s guidance. Allah certainly encompasses all their activities and conducts.
The Devil (and their personal ego) conspired with them, made their posture fair to them and postulated, “No man can overcome you on this day (of battle) and you will be protected.” But when the two armies came to face each other, the Devil retreated saying, “I am no longer with you. I can perceive things that you cannot perceive. I fear Allah. Allah is firm in retribution.”
The hypocrites and those who had doubts in their faith said, “These (believers) are in delusion about their faith,” whereas when you put your trust and faith in Allah, He is a Wise Enabler. If you could only witness when the Angels who causes death to those who lack faith (and goodness), striking them on their face and back and (saying), “Taste the consequence of your disbelief (torment of fire).” This is the result of your lifelong pursuits and Allah is never unjust to His creation. (v. 45-51)
The people of Pharaoh and their previous generations likewise neglected the messages from Allah; so, Allah took them to account for their evils. Allah is ever powerful, capable of just retribution. Such consequence (a divine rule) is because Allah does not remove a favor that He bestows on people until they become unfit for it by their own conducts. Allah is Hearing, Knowing! The people of Pharaoh and their previous generations were treated as such. They denied guidance from their Sustainer God and We replaced them for their evils. We drowned the people of Pharaoh and they were indeed evil people. To Allah, the worst among His creations are those who disbelieve and never come to belief. If you make an agreement with them, they dishonor their agreements every time and they are not responsible people.
So, when you face them in battle, fight and put them to flight so that those after them may become mindful. If you suspect treachery of any covenant that you make with them, you can renege such treaty on equitable ground. Surely Allah dislike treacherous conducts (from all parties). Let not those who disbelieve think that they can outmaneuver. They will not escape! (v. 52-59)
Be prepared against them with whatever forces (effective means) you can muster, and horses (people, institutions, tools and technology) stationed to safeguard and to deter the enemies of Allah who are also your enemies and others whom you do not know but Allah knows them. Whatever you dedicate and spend (resource, time, collective commitment) in the cause of Allah (truth and justice), it will be compensated in full measure and you will not be wronged.
If they (your adversaries) incline to peace, you too should incline and put your trust in Allah – He is Hearing, Knowing! If they intend to deceive you, then be rest assured that Allah is sufficient (for your protection and success). It is God who strengthens you with His help and with the believers whose hearts He had unified. If you were to spend all the resources that are on earth, you could not have brought them together, but Allah united them. Allah is Mighty and Wise!
O Prophet, Allah is sufficient for you and for those, among the faithful, who follow you. Call and inspire the faithful to resist fear of loss and fight. If there are twenty of you, committed and steadfast, you will overcome two hundred of them and if there are a hundred of you, you will overcome a thousand of them who disbelieve, it is because these are a people who do not comprehend (truth). (v. 60-65)
In light of your current weaknesses, God intends to lighten your burden; so, if there be one hundred of you who are committed and steadfast, you can overcome two hundreds, and if you be a thousand (committed and steadfast), you can overcome two thousands of them, by Allah’s will. Allah is with those who are patient and steadfast!
It is not dignified for a prophet1 to take prisoner until he has fought hard and triumphed on earth (for truth and justice). One may desire the transient goods and pleasure of this life, whereas Allah desires for you the lasting goods of the life to come. Allah is Mighty and Wise! Had it not already been ordained by Allah a serious misdeed and consequence would have unfolded for what you were about to do. Relish then what is lawful and what is good from your effort in war and be mindful of Allah and your mutual responsibilities. Allah is Ever Forgiving, Merciful! (v. 66-69)
O Prophet, say to the captives from Badr, “If there is any goodness in your hearts (which God knows), then be mindful that God will give you something better than what has been taken from you; Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” But if you fear deception and treachery from them, then know that they have been treacherous in the eye of Allah before and He gave you mastery over them. Allah is Aware and He is Wise!
Those who became faithful, fled (their homes in distress) and struggled for truth and justice with their persons and possessions (immigrants—Muhajirun) and those who helped and sheltered them (helpers—Ansar) are real friends of one another. But those who became faithful but chose not to flee, you are not and cannot be responsible for their protection until they flee. If on the other hand, they seek help in matters of faith (against persecution for their faith), you have an obligation to help such individuals, unless they are part of a community with whom you have an existing covenant (which should be honored). God always sees how you conduct yourselves!
Those who disbelieve are friends of one another and if you do not (struggle), there will be persecution and large-scale mischief in the world! (Again,) those who accepted faith, fled (to avoid persecution) and actively struggled against injustice and evil and those who helped them and gave them shelter are the real believers worthy of forgiveness from Allah and dignified provision. Also, those who accepted faith afterward, fled to avoid persecution and aligned with you to struggle, they are your compatriots, but blood relations are nearer to one another under ordinance of Allah (regarding inheritance). Allah is the Knower of all things. (v. 70-75)
1 see 47:4
