Tafsir of Al-Anfal 8:36

"Indeed, those who disbelieve spend their wealth to avert [people] from the way of Allah."

It is said: This was revealed regarding those who provided food on the day of Badr; each of them would feed ten camels every day.

It is also said: They said to everyone who had trade in the caravan, "Assist with this wealth in the war against Muhammad, perhaps we may take our revenge for what befell us at Badr."

It is also said: It was revealed regarding Abu Sufyan, who hired two thousand Ahabish (allies) for the day of Uhud, in addition to those he recruited from the Arabs, spending forty uqiyas on them (an uqiya being forty-two mithqals).

"So they will spend it, then it will be for them a regret." Meaning: Their purpose in spending was to obstruct the following of Muhammad, which is the way of Allah, even if they did not view it as such. The consequence of this spending will be remorse and regret; it is as if the wealth itself turns into regret and transforms into sorrow.

"Then they will be overcome." At the end of the matter—even if the war between them and the believers was alternating before that—they will return defeated, as per the decree: "Allah has written, 'I will surely overcome, I and My messengers'" (Al-Mujadilah: 21).

"And those who disbelieved will be gathered to Hell." This specifies the disbelievers among them, because some of them later accepted Islam and their Islam became sincere.

"So that Allah may distinguish the wicked from the good." He distinguishes the wicked group of disbelievers from the good group of believers.

"And place the wicked some of it upon others and heap them all together." This is an expression of gathering and joining, until they are piled upon one another, similar to His saying: "They almost crowded upon him in layers" (Al-Jinn: 19), due to the intensity of their crowding.

"Those are the losers." This refers to the wicked group.

Alternative interpretation: It is said that it means to distinguish the "wicked wealth" spent by the polytheists in enmity toward the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) from the "good wealth" spent by the Muslims, such as Abu Bakr and Uthman, in his support. "And heap them together" means He will place it in Hell as part of what they are punished with, similar to His saying: "Their foreheads and their sides will be branded with it" (At-Tawbah: 35).

In this second interpretation, the lam (in "so that") relates to "then it will be for them a regret," whereas in the first interpretation, it relates to "they will be gathered." "Those" refers to those who disbelieved. It is also recited as li-yumiz (with a light ya).

"Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease, what has previously occurred will be forgiven for them. But if they return [to hostility], then the precedent of the former [peoples] has already taken place."