Tafsir of Al-Anfal 8:38

{Say to those who have disbelieved} Meaning Abu Sufyan and his companions. That is, say this statement for their sake.

{If they cease} Had it been intended as a direct address to them, it would have been said: "If you cease, you will be forgiven," which is the reading of Ibn Mas'ud. Similar to this is: {And those who disbelieved said to those who believed, "If it were good, they would not have preceded us to it"} (Al-Ahqaf: 11). They addressed others regarding them so that they might hear it.

That is: If they cease what they are upon—hostility toward the Messenger of Allah and fighting him—by entering into Islam, {what has already passed} of their hostility will be forgiven them.

{But if they return} To fighting him: {then the precedent of the ancients has already passed}—those among them whom their own plotting encompassed on the day of Badr. Or, the precedent of the nations who banded together against their prophets has passed, and they were destroyed; so let them expect the same if they do not cease.

It is said: The meaning is that when the disbelievers cease disbelief and embrace Islam, what has passed of their disbelief and sins is forgiven them, and they emerge from them as a hair is pulled from dough. From this is his saying, peace and blessings be upon him:

(Islam wipes away what came before it)

They said: When a Harbi (a combatant disbeliever) embraces Islam, no liability remains upon him at all. As for the Dhimmi, he is not required to make up the rights of Allah, but the rights of human beings remain upon him. Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him, used this as evidence that when an apostate embraces Islam, he is not required to make up the acts of worship neglected during the state of apostasy.

It was also said: {And if they return} is interpreted as returning to apostasy.

It is read: {Yughfar lahum} (He will forgive them), with the pronoun referring to Allah, the Almighty and Exalted.

{And fight them until there is no fitnah and the religion is all for Allah. But if they cease, then indeed, Allah is Seeing of what they do. But if they turn away, then know that Allah is your protector. Excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper.}