008- AL-ANFĀL
THE SPOILS
Al-Anfāl
Al-Anfāl takes its name from the reference to spoils in v. 1. It is an early Madinan sūrah, though some maintain that v. 30 is or vv. 30–36 are from the Makkan period, as they are understood by some to refer to the attempts made on the Prophet’s life by the Quraysh before he migrated to Madinah. Some also maintain that v. 63 is Makkan, since it is reported to have been revealed when ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb embraced Islam.
A major theme of this sūrah is the Battle of Badr (2/624), fought a year after the hijrah (the migration from Makkah to Madinah), the first major military confrontation between the Muslim community and the Quraysh of Makkah, who had continued their hostility toward the Muslim community after it had moved to Madinah. It discusses also the matter of the spoils of war and their just distribution (vv. 1, 41), a topic that did not need to be addressed in the days when Muslims were an oppressed minority in Makkah. The spiritual dimensions of battle are also treated, including the assistance of angels (vv. 9, 12) and the Will of God in determining victory, as in the famous statement from v. 17, You did not slay when you slew, but God slew them, and thou threwest not when thou threwest, but God threw.
Al-Anfāl also describes the challenges and trials of battle (vv. 10–11, 43–46) and the triumph of the sincere believers over great odds (vv. 65–66) and provides important guidelines for dealing with captives (vv. 67–70) as well as the observation of treaties (vv. 56–59). The Battle of Badr was an important first victory for the young Muslim community and is cited in the commentary on many verses in the Quran as evidence of God’s Favor upon it. The last part of the sūrah addresses the relationship between those Muslims who had already migrated from Makkah to Madinah and those who had not, outlining their responsibilities toward one another.
(source: “The Study Quran” a new translation and commentary by Seyyed Hossein Nasr)
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