Al-Anfal (The Spoils of War): Verses 57-59

Verse 57: فإما تثقفنهم في الحرب فشرذ بهم من خلفهم لعلهم يذكرون

Know that the Almighty sometimes guides His Messenger toward gentleness and kindness in many verses, such as His saying: {And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds} (Al-Anbiya: 107), and His saying: {So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the affair} (Al 'Imran: 159).

At other times, He guides toward severity and strictness, as in this verse. This is because after mentioning those who repeatedly break their covenants, the Almighty clarified how they must be treated, saying: {But if you gain the upper hand over them in war} (Fa-immā tuthqafannahum fī al-ḥarb).

Al-Layth said: Thaqaftu fulānan fī mawḍiʿin kadhā (I caught so-and-so in such-and-such a place), meaning I seized him and overpowered him.

Tashrīd (scattering/routing) is an expression for dispersion accompanied by disorder. It is said: Sharada yashrudu shurūdan, and sharadahu tashrīdan.

The meaning of the verse is: If you gain victory in war over these disbelievers who break their covenants, then do to them an action that scatters those behind them.

'Ata' said: Inflict heavy slaughter upon them until others fear you. It is also said: Punish them severely so that others who break covenants may be deterred.

{لعلهم يذكرون} (so that they may take heed): Meaning, so that those behind them may remember that severe punishment, and that remembrance may prevent them from breaking covenants.

Ibn Mas'ud recited it as fa-sharadh (with a dhāl dotted from above), meaning "so scatter them," as if it is an inversion of shadhar (to scatter). Abu Haywah recited it as min khalfihim (from behind them). The meaning is: So scatter them severely while they are engaged with those behind them. This is because when one army is routed, the pursuers follow behind the routed forces. Thus, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was commanded to scatter them at that very moment.

Verse 58: وإما تخافن من قوم خيانة فانبذ إليهم على سواء

{And if you fear from a people betrayal} (Wa-immā takhāfanna min qawmin khiyānah): Meaning, from a people with whom you have a treaty, betrayal and perfidy, indicated by clear signs.

{فانبذ إليهم} (then throw back the covenant to them): Cast the covenant toward them in an open and clear manner. This means you must make clear to them the repudiation of the covenant and inform them with plain and evident news that you have severed what is between you and them. Do not rush into war with them while they still assume the covenant remains in effect, as that would be treachery on your part.

{إن الله لا يحب الخائنين} (Indeed, Allah does not love the treacherous): Those who betray covenants.

The essence of the discussion in this verse is that the Almighty commanded him to repudiate the covenant of those who break it in the ugliest manner, and commanded him to distance himself in the most extreme way from anything that might suggest the breaking or violation of the covenant.

The scholars of knowledge stated: When the signs of covenant-breaking appear, they either appear in a way that is ambiguous (requiring clarification) or in a way that is definitive. If it is the former (ambiguous), then notification is obligatory, as mentioned in this verse. This is because Banu Qurayza covenanted with the Prophet (peace be upon him) and then agreed with Abu Sufyan and the polytheists allied with him to support them against the Messenger of Allah. Thus, the Messenger of Allah feared treachery from them against himself and his companions. In this case, the Imam must repudiate their covenants to them equally and warn them of war.

However, if the breaking of the covenant appears in a definitive manner, then there is no need to announce the repudiation of the covenant, just as the Messenger of Allah did with the people of Mecca. When they broke the covenant by killing Khuza'ah (who were under the protection of the Prophet, peace be upon him), the army of the Messenger of Allah reached them at Mar al-Dhahran, which is four leagues from Mecca. And Allah Almighty knows best what is correct, and to Him is the return and the final destination.

Issues in the Verses

After the Almighty explained what the Messenger should do regarding those he finds in battle and can overpower, and what he must do regarding those from whom covenant-breaking becomes evident, He also clarified the situation of those who escaped on the Day of Badr and elsewhere, so that no regret might remain in his heart. For among those who escaped were those who had reached a great extent in harming the Prophet (PBUH). He said: {Do not think that those who disbelieve have escaped} (Lā taḥsabanna alladhīna kafarū... sabaqū).

The meaning is: Since they escaped, you could not inflict upon them the punishment they deserved.

There are two opinions here:

1. The intended meaning is: Do not think that they have slipped away from you, for Allah will grant you victory over their caravans.
2. Do not think that because they escaped capture and killing, they have escaped the punishment of Allah and the torment of the Hereafter.

{إنهم لا يعجزون} (Indeed, they cannot frustrate [Us]): Meaning, by this escape, they cannot render Allah incapable of taking vengeance upon them. The purpose is to console the Messenger regarding those who escaped him, and whom he could not fully satisfy his desire for retribution against.

Ibn 'Amir and Hafs from 'Asim recited it as {لَا يَحْسَبَنَّ} (Lā yaḥsabanna) with a yā' dotted from below. There are three justifications for this correct reading:

1. Al-Zajjaj said: {ولا يحسبن الذين كفروا أن يسبقونا} (And let not those who disbelieve think they have escaped Us). This is because in Ibn Mas'ud's copy, it is written: annahu sabaqūnā (that they have escaped us). If this is the case, it is like your saying: Ḥasibtu an aqūma (I thought that I would stand up), and Ḥasibtu aqūmu (I thought I would stand up), and omitting an is common in the Qur'an, as in His saying: {Say, "Then is it other than Allah you order me to worship?"} (Az-Zumar: 64), meaning: an a'buda (that I worship).
2. We assume an implicit subject for the verb yaḥsab (think), making alladhīna kafarū (those who disbelieve) the first object. The meaning is: Let no one think that those who disbelieve...
3. Abu 'Ali said: It is also permissible to assume an implicit first object, meaning: Let not those who disbelieve think of themselves that they have escaped, or that they have escaped Us.

As for the majority of reciters, they recited {وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ} (Wa-lā taḥsabanna) with a tā' dotted from above, addressing the Prophet (PBUH). Alladhīna kafarū is the first object, and sabaqū is the second object, which is in the accusative case (naṣb). The meaning is: Do not think those who disbelieve are the ones escaping.

The majority of reciters use the kasra (short 'i' sound) for the alif in {إِنَّهُمْ} (Innahum) in {إِنَّهُمْ لَا يُعْجِزُونَ} (Indeed, they cannot frustrate [Us]). This is the preferred view because it is the beginning of a new statement, not connected to the preceding one, like in the verse: {Or do those who do evil deeds think that they will outstrip Us?} (Al-Kāfūr: 5). The sentence ended there, and then He said: {Evil is that which they judge}. Just as {Evil is that which they judge} is disconnected from the preceding clause, so too is {Indeed, they cannot frustrate [Us]}.

Ibn 'Amir recited {أَنَّهُمْ} (Annuhum) with an alif opened (fatḥa), connecting it to the first clause. There are two views regarding this:

1. The implied meaning is: Do not think they have escaped, because they will not escape [Our grasp]; they will be recompensed for their disbelief.
2. Abu 'Ubayd said: The particle lā (not) is treated as an emphatic particle (ṣilah), and the meaning is: Do not think that they can frustrate [Us].

Verse 59: وَأَعِدُّوا لَهُم مَّا اسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن قُوَّةٍ وَمِن رِّبَاطِ الْخَيْلِ تُرْهِبُونَ بِهِ عَدُوَّ اللَّهِ وَعَدُوَّكُمْ وَآخَرِينَ مِن دُونِهِمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَهُمُ اللَّهُ يَعْلَمُهُمْ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِن شَيْءٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تُظْلَمُونَ

{And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them whom you do not know; Allah knows them. And whatever you spend in the cause of Allah, it will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged.}