Tafsir of Al-Anfal 8:5

{Just as your Lord brought you out} There are two interpretations:

1. The kaf (as) is in the position of a predicate for an omitted subject. The implied meaning is: "This situation is like the situation of your being brought out." It means their state of aversion toward what you saw regarding the distribution of the spoils of war is like their state of aversion toward your departure for battle.
2. It is in the accusative case as an adjective for the verbal noun (masdar) of the implied verb in the verse: {The spoils belong to Allah and the Messenger} (Al-Anfal: 1). That is: "The spoils have been established for Allah and the Messenger, and they have been confirmed—despite their aversion—with a confirmation like the confirmation of your Lord bringing you out of your house while they were averse."

{From your house} He means his house in Medina, or Medina itself, for it is his place of migration and residence; thus, in its exclusivity to him, it is like the exclusivity of a house to its dweller.

{In truth} Meaning: A departure characterized by wisdom and correctness, from which there is no turning away.

{While a party of the believers were averse} This is in the position of a circumstantial qualifier (hal), meaning: He brought you out while they were averse. This is because:

The caravan of Quraysh approached from Syria carrying great trade, accompanied by forty riders, including Abu Sufyan, Amr ibn al-Aas, and Amr ibn Hisham. Gabriel informed the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), who then informed the Muslims. They were pleased with the prospect of intercepting the caravan due to the abundance of wealth and the small number of men. When they set out, the news reached the people of Mecca. Abu Jahl shouted from atop the Kaaba: "O people of Mecca, flee! Flee! On every sturdy and submissive mount! Your caravan, your wealth! If Muhammad seizes it, you will never prosper after this."

The sister of al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib had a dream and told her brother: "I saw something strange. I saw an angel descend from the sky, take a boulder from the mountain, and fly with it. Then, there was not a house in Mecca that was not struck by a stone from that boulder." Al-Abbas recounted this, and Abu Jahl said: "Their men are not satisfied with claiming prophethood, so now their women claim it too!"

Abu Jahl set out with all the people of Mecca—the nafir (the mobilization). (There is a common proverb: "Neither in the caravan nor in the mobilization"). It was said to him: "The caravan has taken the coastal route and escaped, so return the people to Mecca." He replied: "No, by Allah, that will never happen until we reach Badr, slaughter camels, drink wine, and have singing girls and musical instruments, so that all the Arabs hear of our departure. Muhammad has not seized the caravan, and we have intimidated him."

He proceeded with them to Badr, a watering place where the Arabs would gather for their market once a year. Then Gabriel (peace be upon him) descended and said: "O Muhammad, Allah has promised you one of the two parties: either the caravan or Quraysh." The Prophet (ﷺ) consulted his companions and said: "What do you say? The people have come out from Mecca on every sturdy and submissive mount. Is the caravan more beloved to you, or the mobilization (the army)?" They replied: "Rather, the caravan is more beloved to us than meeting the enemy." The face of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) changed.

He repeated the question to them, saying: "The caravan has passed along the seashore, and this is Abu Jahl who has approached." They said: "O Messenger of Allah, go for the caravan and leave the enemy." Then Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) stood up and spoke well. Then Sa'd ibn Ubadah stood and said: "Look to your command and proceed. By Allah, if you were to march to Aden Abyan, not a single man of the Ansar would stay behind." Then al-Miqdad ibn Amr said: "O Messenger of Allah, proceed with what Allah has commanded you, for we are with you wherever you wish. We will not say to you as the Children of Israel said to Moses: 'Go you and your Lord and fight, we are sitting here.' Rather, we say: 'Go you and your Lord and fight, we are fighting with you,' as long as an eye of ours blinks."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) smiled and then said: "Advise me, O people," intending the Ansar. This is because when they pledged allegiance to him at al-Aqaba, they said: "We are free from your protection until you reach our lands. Once you reach us, you are under our protection; we will defend you from that which we defend our fathers and women." The Prophet (ﷺ) feared that the Ansar might not feel obligated to support him except against an enemy that attacked him in Medina.

Sa'd ibn Mu'adh stood and said: "It is as if you mean us, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Yes." He replied: "We have believed in you, testified to you, and witnessed that what you brought is the truth. We have given you our covenants and pledges to hear and obey. So proceed, O Messenger of Allah, to what you desire. By the One who sent you with the truth, if you were to lead us to this sea and plunge into it, we would plunge into it with you; not a single man among us would stay behind. We do not dislike that you meet our enemy with us; we are patient in war, truthful in the encounter. Perhaps Allah will show you from us what will gladden your eyes. So march with us upon the blessing of Allah."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) rejoiced, and Sa'd's words delighted him. He then said: "March upon the blessing of Allah and rejoice, for Allah has promised me one of the two parties. By Allah, it is as if I am now looking at the places where the people will fall."

It is narrated that when he finished at Badr, it was said to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "Go for the caravan, there is nothing else." Al-Abbas called out to him while he was in his bonds: "That is not right." The Prophet (ﷺ) said to him: "Why?" He replied: "Because Allah promised you one of the two parties, and He has already given you what He promised." The aversion of some of them was due to his saying: {While a party of the believers were averse}.

{They argue with you concerning the truth after it had become clear, as if they were being driven to death while they are looking on}