Tafsir of Al-Anfal 8:50

{And if you could see, when...} Meaning: If you were to witness and behold. For law (if) turns the present tense into the meaning of the past, just as in (if) turns the past into the meaning of the future.

{ إذ } (when) is in the accusative case as an adverb of time. It is recited as yatawaffa (He takes the soul) with both the ya and the ta.

{ الملائكة } (the angels) is in the nominative case as the agent of the verb, and { يضربون } (they strike) is a circumstantial qualifier (hal) for them. It is also permissible that the pronoun in yatawaffa refers to Allah (Mighty and Majestic is He), while al-mala'ikah is in the nominative as an initial subject (mubtada'), and yadribun is its predicate.

Mujahid said regarding { and their backs }: "Their posteriors." But Allah is Generous and uses metaphors. They were singled out for striking because the humiliation and punishment are most severe when inflicted there. It has reached me that the people of China have a punishment for the adulterer: he is bound, then a strong man is given a heavy iron object shaped like a plate with a handle, and he strikes his posterior with it once with all his might, causing him to freeze in his place. It is also said: They strike whatever is in front of them and whatever is behind them.

{ And taste } is conjoined to yadribun based on the implied meaning of speech: that is, "And they say: Taste..."

{ the punishment of the Burning } Meaning: The prelude to the punishment of the Fire, or "taste the punishment of the Hereafter," as a tidings of it for them. It is said that they had iron maces with them; whenever they struck with them, fire would ignite. Or, it is said to them on the Day of Resurrection: "Taste."

The response to { If } is omitted: That is, "You would have seen a terrible, abominable matter."

{ That is for what your hands have sent forth } It is possible that this is the speech of Allah or the speech of the angels. { That } is in the nominative as an initial subject, and { for what your hands have sent forth } is its predicate.

{ And that Allah } is conjoined to it. That is, this punishment is due to two causes: because of your disbelief and sins, and because Allah { is not ever unjust to the servants }. For punishing the disbelievers is an act of justice, just as rewarding the believers is. It is said that zallam (very unjust) is used in the intensive form because of the "servants," or because the punishment is so immense that, were it not for their deserving it, the one inflicting such a punishment would be considered "very unjust," possessing extreme and grave injustice.

{ [Their state is] like the state of the family of Pharaoh and those before them; they disbelieved in the signs of Allah, so Allah seized them for their sins. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and severe in punishment. That is because Allah would not change a favor which He had bestowed upon a people until they change what is within themselves. And indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing. [Their state is] like the state of the family of Pharaoh and those before them; they denied the signs of their Lord, so We destroyed them for their sins, and We drowned the family of Pharaoh. And all were wrongdoers. }