Tafsir of Al-Anfal 8:60

{And prepare for them whatever}

{of power} Meaning: everything used to gain strength in war, such as weaponry.

Uqbah ibn Amir narrated: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say from the pulpit: "Verily, power is archery," repeating it three times. Uqbah left behind seventy bows for the sake of Allah.

Ikrimah said: It refers to fortresses.

{And the tethering of horses} Ribāt is a name for horses tethered for the sake of Allah. It may also be interpreted as the act of murābaṭah (stationing/guarding), or as the plural of rabīṭ, similar to faṣīl and fiṣāl.

Al-Hasan read it as wa-min rubuṭ al-khayl (with the bā’ dammah or sukun), as the plural of ribāṭ.

It is also possible that the phrase {and the tethering of horses} is a specification of horses from among all things used for strength, similar to the verse: {And Gabriel and Michael} (Al-Baqarah: 98).

Ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about a man who bequeathed a third of his wealth to "fortresses." He said: "Buy horses with it, tether them for the sake of Allah, and conduct raids with them." It was said to him: "But he bequeathed it for fortresses!" He replied: "Have you not heard the poet’s words: Verily, the fortresses are horses, not the mud of villages?"

{You strike terror} Read with both light (tarkhabūna) and heavy (turhibūna) emphasis. Ibn Abbas and Mujahid read it as takhzūna (you strike/raid). The pronoun in {with it} refers back to "whatever you are able."

{The enemy of Allah and your enemy} They are the people of Makkah.

{And prepare for them what...} Some say they are the Jews, others say the hypocrites. Al-Suddi said: They are the Persians. Others said: The disbelieving jinn.

It is mentioned in a Hadith: "Verily, Satan does not approach the owner of a horse, nor a house containing a noble horse." It is also narrated that the neighing of horses terrifies the jinn.

{And if they incline to peace, then incline to it [also] and rely upon Allah. Indeed, it is He who is the Hearing, the Knowing.}