Al-Anfal (The Spoils of War): Verses 62–63

Verse 62: {And if they intend to deceive you...}

It is established that after Allah commanded reconciliation (in the preceding verse), He mentioned a ruling concerning it in this verse:

If they (the enemy) incline toward peace with the intention of deceit, accepting that peace is obligatory. This is because rulings are based on the apparent reality. Reconciliation is not stronger in status than faith (Iman). Since we base the matter of faith on the outward appearance, not the inward state, this principle is even more applicable here.

Therefore, Allah said: {And if they intend...} referring to those mentioned previously in the phrase: {And if they incline to peace...}

Objection: Did Allah not say: {And if you fear treachery from a people, then announce to them [its nullification]} (Al-Anfal 8:58)? This seems to contradict what is mentioned in this verse.

Response: The verse {And if you fear treachery from a people} is applied when that fear is confirmed by strong signs indicating treachery. However, this specific deception mentioned here refers to a situation where hypocrisy and pretense exist in their hearts, but no clear signs have emerged indicating their intent to cause harm or incite strife. Rather, their outward demeanor suggests steadfastness in their request and abandonment of conflict.

Then, after mentioning this, Allah said: {then Allah is sufficient for you} (i.e., Allah suffices you; He is your sufficient support). Saying "This suffices me" is the same as saying "This is sufficient for me."

He is the One who aided you with His victory. Commentators say this refers to His aid on the Day of Badr. I argue that this restriction (to Badr) is incorrect because the affair of the Prophet (peace be upon him), from the beginning of his life until his last moment, was a matter ordained by God, a divine administration. Human effort had no role in it.

Then He said: {and with the believers}. Ibn Abbas said this refers to the Ansar (the Helpers).

Objection: Since Allah said: {He it is Who has aided you with His victory}, what need was there for the believers, such that Allah also said: {and with the believers}?

Response: Aid (Taa'yid) comes only from Allah, but it is of two types:

1. That which occurs without the mediation of known, customary means.
2. That which occurs through known, customary means.

The first type is meant by {He has aided you with His victory}. The second type is meant by {and with the believers}.

Then Allah clarified how He aided him through the believers: {And He has reconciled their hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have reconciled their hearts, but Allah has reconciled them.}

There are several issues concerning this:

The Prophet (PBUH) was sent to a people characterized by intense pride and great zeal. If one man from a tribe was struck, his entire tribe would fight to avenge him. Yet, they transformed from that state until a man fought his brother, father, and son, and then they united in obedience and became supporters (Ansar).

It is also said that this refers to the Aws and Khazraj tribes, whose enmity and constant warfare were severe. Then, their grudges vanished, and strong affection and harmony were achieved. Removing such intense enmity and replacing it with powerful love and complete sincerity is something only Allah Almighty can accomplish. This became a clear miracle demonstrating the truthfulness of Muhammad's prophethood (PBUH).

Our scholars use this verse as evidence that the states of the heart—beliefs, intentions, and miracles (Karāmāt)—are all created by Allah. This is because that intense affection and love were achieved due to faith and following the Messenger (PBUH). If faith were an act of the servant, then the resulting love would also be an act of the servant, not Allah. This contradicts the explicit meaning of the verse.

The Qadi (Judge) argued that without Allah's moment-to-moment subtle guidance (Lutuf), these states would not have occurred. Therefore, this sincerity is attributed to Allah based on this interpretation. A parallel is that a child's knowledge and upbringing are attributed to the father because they only occurred through the father's assistance and nurturing.

The Response: Everything you mentioned is a deviation from the literal meaning and an interpretation of the text metaphorically. Furthermore, all these subtle guidances were present for the disbelievers as well as the believers. If nothing other than these guidances had occurred for the believers, there would be no benefit in singling them out for these attributes.

Moreover, rational proof supports the literal meaning of this verse. The heart can be described by inclination instead of aversion, and vice versa. The preference of one side over the other must have a determining factor (Murajjih). If that factor is the servant, the division recurs (leading to an infinite regress). If the factor is Allah, then that is the intended meaning. Thus, the explicit meaning of this verse is confirmed by explicit rational proof, making the interpretation offered by the Qadi unnecessary.

This verse indicates that before the advent of the Messenger and their adherence to him, the people were engaged in constant dispute and severe warfare, killing one another and raiding each other. When they believed in Allah, His Messenger, and the Last Day, the disputes ceased, harshness lifted, and perfect affection and intense love were achieved.

The truth in this matter is that love only arises upon the conception of achieving good and perfection. Love is a state conditioned by this specific conception. Whenever this conception is present, love is present. Whenever the conception of evil and hatred arises, aversion arises.

Goods and perfections are of two types:

1. Permanent, enduring goods and perfections, free from change or alteration. These are spiritual perfections and divine felicities.
2. Changing, mutable perfections, which are bodily perfections and physical felicities. These change rapidly, like mercury moving from one state to another. A person may conceive that in the company of Zayd, he has great wealth, so he loves him. Then, it occurs to him that this wealth will not materialize, so he begins to hate him. This is why it is said that the lover and the beloved may experience desire and aversion multiple times in a single day, because the beloved desires the lover for his wealth, and the lover desires the beloved for physical pleasure. Since these two matters are prone to change and transition, it is inevitable that the love and enmity between them are not lasting but are quick to vanish and transition.

Once this is understood, we say: If the cause of love and affection is the pursuit of worldly goods and physical felicities, then that love will be quick to vanish and transition. This is because love follows the conception of perfection, and the conception of perfection follows the attainment of that perfection. If that perfection is quick to vanish, its effects will also be quick to change and disappear.

However, if the cause of love is the conception of enduring perfections, sanctified from change and disappearance, then that love will also be lasting and safe from change, because the state of the effect (the love) in permanence or change follows the state of the cause (the perfection). This is what Allah means when He says: {Excluding the close friends, that Day, some of them will be enemies to others, except the righteous} (Az-Zukhruf 43:67).

If this is known, we say: The Arabs, before the arrival of the Messenger, were seeking wealth, status, and boasting. Their love was conditioned by this cause, so it was inevitably quick to vanish, and they would fall into wars and strife with the slightest pretext. When the Messenger (PBUH) came and called them to worship Allah, turn away from the world, and incline toward the Hereafter, the dispute and harshness left them, and they became harmonious brothers. Then, after his passing (PBUH), when the doors of the world opened to them and they turned toward seeking it, they returned to fighting and warring amongst themselves. This is the true reason in this matter.

Finally, Allah concluded this verse by saying: {Indeed, He is All-Mighty, All-Wise}.

• All-Mighty (Aziz): Capable and dominant, able to act upon hearts, turning them from enmity to friendship, and from aversion to desire.
• All-Wise (Hakim): He does what He does with perfection and precision, or in accordance with what is beneficial and correct (depending on the differing views regarding compulsion and free will).

Verse 63: {O Prophet, Allah is sufficient for you, and for those who follow you of the believers...}

{O Prophet, Allah is sufficient for you, and for those who follow you of the believers}

{O Prophet, urge the believers to fight. If there are twenty of you, patient, they will overcome two hundred; and if there are one hundred of you, they will overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they are a people who do not understand.}