Tafsir of Al-Anfal 8:70

{In your hands} Meaning: In your possession, as if your hands were grasping them. It is also recited as: (from the captives).

{If He knows any good in your hearts} Meaning: Sincerity of faith and soundness of intention.

{He will give you better than what was taken from you} Meaning: From the ransom. Either He will compensate you in this world with many times its value, or He will reward you in the Hereafter. In the recitation of al-A‘mash, it is: (He will reward you with better).

Regarding al-‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): He said: "I was a Muslim, but they forced me." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) replied: "If what you say is true, Allah will reward you. As for your outward conduct, it was against us." He was one of those who guaranteed the feeding of the people of Badr and had set out with gold for that purpose.

It is narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to al-‘Abbas: "Pay the ransom for your two nephews, ‘Aqil ibn Abi Talib and Nawfal ibn al-Harith."

Al-‘Abbas said: "O Muhammad, you have left me to beg from the Quraysh for the rest of my life."

The Prophet (ﷺ) replied: "Where is the gold you gave to Umm al-Fadl when you left Mecca, telling her: 'I do not know what will befall me on this journey; if something happens to me, it is for you, ‘Abdullah, ‘Ubaydullah, and al-Fadl'?"

Al-‘Abbas asked: "How did you know that?"

He replied: "My Lord informed me."

Al-‘Abbas said: "I bear witness that you are truthful, that there is no god but Allah, and that you are His servant and Messenger. By Allah, no one knew of this except Allah. I gave it to her in the darkness of the night, and I had been doubtful about your affair, but now that you have informed me of this, there is no doubt."

Al-‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) later said: "Allah has replaced it for me with something better. I now have twenty slaves, the least of whom earns twenty thousand. He has given me the [supervision of] Zamzam, and I would not trade it for all the wealth of the people of Mecca, and I await forgiveness from my Lord."

It is narrated that when the wealth of Bahrain arrived—eighty thousand—the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performed ablution for the Dhuhr prayer and did not finish until he had distributed it all. He ordered al-‘Abbas to take as much as he could carry, and al-‘Abbas would say: "This is better than what was taken from me, and I hope for forgiveness."

Al-Hasan and Shaybah recited: (what was taken from you) in the active voice.

{But if they intend to betray you, they have already betrayed Allah before; so He gave [you] power over them. And Allah is Knowing, Wise.}