Tafsir of Al-Anfal 8:13-14

{ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ شَاقُّوا}

{ذَٰلِكَ} is a reference to the striking, killing, and immediate punishment that befell them. Its grammatical position is in the nominative case as an ibtida’ (subject), and {بِأَنَّهُمْ} is its predicate. The meaning is: "That punishment befell them because of their opposition (mushaqqah)."

Mushaqqah is derived from shaqq (a side/split), because each of two adversaries is on a side (shaqq) opposite to the side of his opponent. I was asked in a dream about the derivation of mu‘adah (enmity), and I said: "Because this one is on a bank (‘udwah) and that one is on a bank," just as it is said: mukhasamah (disputing) and mushaqqah (opposing), because this one is in a khasm—meaning a side—and that one is in a khasm; this one is in a shaqq and that one is in a shaqq.

The kaf in {ذَٰلِكَ} is for addressing the Messenger (peace be upon him), or addressing everyone. In {ذَٰلِكُمْ}, it is for addressing the disbelievers, following the method of iltifat (shifting of address).

The grammatical position of {ذَٰلِكُمْ} is in the nominative, as in: "That punishment is yours," or "The punishment is that." As for {فَذُوقُوهُ}, it is permissible for it to be in the accusative, as in: "Upon you is that, so taste it," similar to your saying: "Zayd, strike him."

{وَأَنَّ لِلْكَافِرِينَ} is a conjunction linked to {ذَٰلِكُمْ} in both its aforementioned grammatical possibilities, or it is in the accusative, with the waw meaning "along with." The meaning is: "Taste this immediate torment along with the future one that awaits you in the Hereafter." The explicit noun was used in place of the pronoun. Al-Hasan recited {وَإِنَّ لِلْكَافِرِينَ} with a kasra (on the alif).

{يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا لَقِيتُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا زَحْفًا فَلَا تُوَلُّوهُمُ الْأَدْبَارَ * وَمَن يُوَلِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ دُبُرَهُ إِلَّا مُتَحَرِّفًا لِّقِتَالٍ أَوْ مُتَحَيِّزًا إِلَىٰ فِئَةٍ فَقَد بَاءَ بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَمَأْوَاهُ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ}