Verses 26–33
8. Al-Anfaal · The Spoils of War
Madinan75 verses
وَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ إِذْ أَنتُمْ قَلِيلٌۭ مُّسْتَضْعَفُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ تَخَافُونَ أَن يَتَخَطَّفَكُمُ ٱلنَّاسُ فَـَٔاوَىٰكُمْ وَأَيَّدَكُم بِنَصْرِهِۦ وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
8:26Remember when you were few, abased in the land, and feared lest the people should despoil you, and He gave you refuge, and strengthened you with His help, and provided you with all the good things so that you may give thanks.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَخُونُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ وَتَخُونُوٓا۟ أَمَٰنَٰتِكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
8:27O you who have faith! Do not betray Allah and the Apostle, and do not betray your trusts knowingly.1
وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَآ أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ وَأَوْلَٰدُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌۭ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عِندَهُۥٓ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌۭ
8:28Know that your possessions and children are only a test, and that Allah—with Him is a great reward.2
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِن تَتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّكُمْ فُرْقَانًۭا وَيُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
8:29O you who have faith! If you are wary of Allah, He shall appoint a criterion for you, and absolve you of your misdeeds, and forgive you, for Allah is dispenser of a great grace.
وَإِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِيُثْبِتُوكَ أَوْ يَقْتُلُوكَ أَوْ يُخْرِجُوكَ ۚ وَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرُ ٱلْمَٰكِرِينَ
8:30When the faithless plotted against you to take you captive, or to kill or expel you—they plotted and Allah devised, and Allah is the best of devisers.
وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالُوا۟ قَدْ سَمِعْنَا لَوْ نَشَآءُ لَقُلْنَا مِثْلَ هَٰذَآ ۙ إِنْ هَٰذَآ إِلَّآ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
8:31When Our signs are recited to them, they say, ‘We have heard already. If we want, we [too] can say like this. These are nothing but myths of the ancients.’
وَإِذْ قَالُوا۟ ٱللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَٰذَا هُوَ ٱلْحَقَّ مِنْ عِندِكَ فَأَمْطِرْ عَلَيْنَا حِجَارَةًۭ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ أَوِ ٱئْتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍۢ
8:32And when they said, ‘O Allah, if this be the truth from You, rain down upon us stones from the sky, or bring us a painful punishment.’3
وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ
8:33But Allah will not punish them while you are in their midst, nor will Allah punish them while they plead for forgiveness.
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 27
1.Due to the offer of peace by Bani Qurayza, when the Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.s.) made Sa’ad bin Maaz the arbitrator, Abu Labaha threatened the Jews to kill them which was a kind of breach of trust. But when the ayat was revealed, Abu Lubaba tied himself with the pillar of mosque and sought pardon for seven days until Allah forgave him and the Prophet (s.a.) came and released him. This pillar is famous by the name of Abu Lababa and this is the sign that a little interference in the matter of Allah and the Prophet (s.a.) needs forgiveness from Allah. It does not mean taking decision for Islam against Allah’s will.
Verse 30
2.When the people of Medina came to Mecca to accept Islam there was a furor and they held a meeting in Nadwah. Abu Nashtari said: Muhammad should be arrested. Hisham bin Umar said: Exile him! Abu Jahl said: All the tribes should unite to kill him so that Bani Hashim cannot take revenge. Here Allah ordained His Apostle to migrate and the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) made Ali (a.s.) sleep on his bed, and gave rum the responsibility to return the trusts and went away. In the morning when they came to know, they became disgraced and the conspiracy of the Prophet’s assassination was exposed.
Verse 33
3.When the polytheists are not begging pardon and wrath of Allah is suspended, it means that a beloved prophet is present whom the Almighty has made the channel for the safety of the people of the world. As recorded in the traditions with regard to the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
In the ayat 29th the connection of piety and the power of discrimination and the way of truth and falsehood is the proof that piety in addition to be practical is also a lofty quality and it is also based on intellect and reason. Where man is safe from every type of bias and narrow mindedness. It becomes much more easier for him to discriminate between truth and falsehood. Some people have understood the same meaning from the phrase Hudan Lilmuttaqeen (A guidance for the pious).
- 1
Khayanat with Allah and the Prophet (s.a.) is actually a beautiful way of describing the Khayanat with religious law. Generally Khayanat is related to misappropriation of property and it also denotes disregard for the holy signs and their respect. Unfair possession of Allah’s land and cooperation with the infidels is the worst type of Khayanat.
- 2
The causes that lead to Khayanat are mainly wealth and children. That is why these two are called ‘tests’ and promised the reward of the Hereafter.
- 3
This is the ultimate limit of madness and bigotry that instead of desiring punishment for the enemies a person desires it for himself. They should have prayed that may punishment befall them, if they (opponents) are wrong.