Sūrat al-Anfāl

Classification: Medinan. Length: Seventy-five verses.

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

1. They ask you concerning the spoils of war. Say: "The spoils of war belong to God and the Messenger." So fear God, reconcile your differences, and obey God and His Messenger, if you are believers.

2. The believers are only those who, when God is mentioned, their hearts tremble; and when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith; and upon their Lord they rely.

3. Those who establish prayer and spend from what We have provided them.

4. Those are the believers in truth. For them are degrees with their Lord, forgiveness, and a noble provision.

The Nafl (Spoil): It is the booty (ghanimah), so named because it is from the bounty and gift of Allah. Labid said: "Indeed, the piety of our Lord is the best nafl."

Nafl also refers to what the commander grants the warrior—that is, what is given to him in addition to his share of the booty. For example, if the Imam says to incite bravery in battle: "Whoever kills an enemy combatant may keep his spoils," or says to a detachment: "Whatever you capture is yours," or "You shall have half or a quarter of it." Such nafl is not subject to the one-fifth tax (khums), and the Imam is obligated to fulfill what he promised. According to one of the two opinions of al-Shafi‘i (may Allah have mercy on him), he is not obligated.

There was a disagreement among the Muslims regarding the spoils of Badr and their distribution. They asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) how they should be divided and who held the authority over them—the Emigrants (Muhajirun), the Helpers (Ansar), or all of them? It was said to him: "Tell them: They belong to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he is the sole authority over them; he judges regarding them as he wills, and no one else has authority over them."

It is also said that he had promised those who showed bravery that day a nafl (extra share). Their youths rushed forward, killing seventy and capturing seventy. When Allah granted them victory, they disputed among themselves. The youths said: "We are the fighters." The elders and the notables who remained by the banners said: "We were your support and the group you would retreat to if you were defeated." They said to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "The booty is small and the people are many; if you give these [youths] what you promised them, you will deprive your companions." Thus, this verse was revealed.

From Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas: "My brother ‘Umayr was killed at Badr. I killed Sa‘id ibn al-‘As in retaliation and took his sword, which pleased me. I brought it to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: 'Allah has healed my chest from the polytheists, so grant me this sword.' He replied: 'It is neither mine nor yours; throw it into the collection.' I threw it down, feeling a pain known only to Allah regarding the killing of my brother and the loss of my spoils. I had barely gone a short distance when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to me, for the Surah of al-Anfal had been revealed, and he said: 'O Sa‘d, you asked me for the sword and it was not mine, but it has now become mine, so go and take it.'"

From ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit: "It was revealed concerning us, the people of Badr, when we differed over the nafl and our conduct became poor. Allah took it from our hands and gave it to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), who divided it equally among the Muslims. In that was the piety of Allah, obedience to His Messenger, and the reconciliation of our differences."

• Ibn Muhaysin read: yas’alunaka ‘an-nafal (dropping the hamza, transferring its vowel to the lam, and assimilating the nun of ‘an into the lam).
• Ibn Mas‘ud read: yas’alunaka al-anfal (meaning: the youths ask you about what you promised them of the spoils).

If you ask: What is the meaning of combining the mention of Allah and the Messenger in His saying: "Say, 'The spoils are for Allah and the Messenger'"? I reply: It means that the ruling over them is exclusive to Allah and His Messenger. Allah commands their distribution according to His wisdom, and the Messenger carries out Allah’s command regarding them. The matter of their distribution is not delegated to anyone’s personal opinion. The intent is that what Allah’s wisdom required and what His Messenger commanded was for the fighters—to whom the nafl was promised—to show compassion to the elders who stood by the banners, sharing with them equally and not keeping the promised portion for themselves. If they did so, it would risk damaging the love and sincerity between the Muslims.

• "So fear Allah" regarding disagreement and dispute, and be united and brotherly in Allah.
• "And reconcile your differences"—be compassionate and assist one another with what Allah has provided and favored you with.
• From ‘Ata’: The reconciliation was that he called them and said: "Divide your spoils with justice." They said: "We have already consumed and spent them." He said: "Let some of you return [the excess] to others."

If you ask: What is the reality of the phrase dhat baynikum (your differences/the state between you)? I reply: It means the states between you, such that they become states of affection, love, and agreement. It is like His saying: "what is in the breasts" (dhat al-sudur), meaning their hidden thoughts. Since states are associated with the "between" (bayn), it is called dhat al-bayn, just as they say, "Give me a drink of your vessel," meaning what is in the vessel.

He made piety, reconciliation, and obedience to Allah and His Messenger requirements of faith, to teach them that the perfection of faith depends on fulfilling them. The meaning of "if you are believers" is: "if you are perfect in faith."

• "The believers are only..." The definite article here points to them, meaning: "Only those who are perfect in faith possess such-and-such qualities." The proof is His saying: "Those are the believers in truth."
• "Whose hearts tremble"—they are filled with fear. From Umm al-Darda’: "The trembling in the heart is like the burning of a palm leaf. Do you not feel a shudder?" He said: "Yes." She said: "Then pray to Allah, for prayer removes it." This means they tremble at His mention out of reverence for His majesty, awe of His power, and fear of His punishment for the disobedient. This is different from the mention in: "then their skins and their hearts soften at the mention of Allah" (al-Zumar: 23), because that refers to the mention of His mercy, kindness, and reward.
• "Increased them in faith"—they increased in certainty and tranquility of soul.
• From Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (ﷺ): "Faith has seventy-odd branches; the highest is the testimony that there is no god but Allah, and the lowest is removing an obstacle from the road, and modesty is a branch of faith."
• From ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz: "Faith has sunnahs, obligations, and laws. Whoever completes them completes his faith, and whoever does not, does not complete his faith."
• "And upon their Lord they rely"—they do not delegate their affairs to anyone other than their Lord; they fear and hope for none but Him. He combined the actions of the heart (fear, sincerity, reliance) with the actions of the limbs (prayer, charity).
• "In truth"—an adjective for an omitted verbal noun, meaning: "Those are the believers with a true faith."

Regarding the "exception" in faith: Al-Hasan was asked: "Are you a believer?" He said: "Faith is of two types. If you ask me about faith in Allah, His angels, books, messengers, the Last Day, Paradise, Hell, Resurrection, and Reckoning, then I am a believer. But if you ask me about the verse: 'The believers are only...', then by Allah, I do not know if I am among them or not." Al-Thawri said: "Whoever claims he is a believer in Allah in truth, then does not testify that he is among the people of Paradise, has believed in only half the verse." This is a logical necessity he imposed. Abu Hanifah (may Allah be pleased with him) was among those who did not make this exception. When asked why he did not make the exception, he replied: "Why did you not follow Ibrahim (peace be upon him) in his saying: 'And who I hope will forgive my sin on the Day of Recompense' (al-Shu‘ara’: 82)?" He replied: "Why did you not follow him in his saying: 'Do you not believe? He said: Yes' (al-Baqarah: 260)?"

• "Degrees"—honor, dignity, and high status.
• "Forgiveness"—overlooking their sins.
• "Noble provision"—the delights of Paradise. This means they have lasting, excellent benefits by way of exaltation, which is the meaning of reward.