8. The Spoils Of War

They ask thee concerning (things taken as)spoils of war. Say: “(Such) spoils are at the disposal of Allah andthe Messenger. So fear Allah, and keep straight the relationsbetween yourselves: Obey Allah and His Messenger, if ye do believe.”

For, Believers are those who, when Allah ismentioned, feel a tremor in their hearts, and when they hear Hisrevelations rehearsed, find their faith strengthened, and put (all)their trust in their Lord;

Who establish regular prayers and spend(freely) out of the gifts We have given them for sustenance:

Such in truth are the Believers: they havegrades of dignity with their Lord, and forgiveness, and generoussustenance:

Just as thy Lord ordered thee out of thyhouse in truth, even though a party among the Believers disliked it,

Disputing with thee concerning the truthafter it was made manifest, as if they were being driven to deathwhile they see it.

Behold! Allah promised you one of the two(enemy) parties, that it should be yours: Ye wished that the oneunarmed should be yours, but Allah willed to establish the Truthaccording to His words and to cut off the roots of the Unbelievers;-

That He might establish Truth and proveFalsehood false, distasteful though it be to those in guilt.

Remember ye implored the assistance of yourLord, and He answered you: “I will assist you with a thousand of theangels, ranks on ranks.”

Allah made it but a message of hope, and anassurance to your hearts: (in any case) there is no help except fromAllah: and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.

Remember He covered you with drowsiness, togive you calm as from Himself, and He caused rain to descend on youfrom heaven, to clean you therewith, to remove from you the stain ofSatan, to strengthen your hearts, and to plant your feet firmlytherewith.

Remember thy Lord inspired the angels (withthe message): “I am with you: give firmness to the Believers: I willinstill terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite ye abovetheir necks and smite all their finger-tips off them.”

This because they contended against Allah andHis Messenger: if any contend against Allah and His Messenger, Allahis strict in punishment.

Thus (will it be said): “Taste ye then of the(punishment): for those who reject, is the Chastisement of theFire.”

O ye who believe! when ye meet theUnbelievers in hostile array, never turn your backs to them.

If any do turn his back to them on such a day- unless it be in a stratagem of war, or to retreat to a troop (ofhis own)- he draws on himself the wrath of Allah, and his abode isHell,- an evil refuge (indeed)!

It is not ye who slew them; it was Allah.When thou threwest (a handful of dust), it was not thy act, butAllah’s: in order that He might confer on the Believers a graciousbenefit from Himself: for Allah is He Who heareth and knoweth (allthings).

That, and also because Allah is He Who makesfeeble the plans and stratagem of the Unbelievers.

(O Unbelievers!) if ye prayed for victory andjudgment, now hath the judgment come to you: if ye desist (fromwrong), it will be best for you: if ye return (to the attack), soshall We. Not the least good will your forces be to you even if theywere multiplied: for verily Allah is with those who believe!

O ye who believe! Obey Allah and HisMessenger, and turn not away from him when ye hear (him speak).

Nor be like those who say, “We hear,” butlisten not:

For the worst of beasts in the sight of Allahare the deaf and the dumb,- those who understand not.

If Allah had found in them any good. He wouldindeed have made them listen: (As it is), if He had made themlisten, they would but have turned back and declined (faith).

O ye who believe! give your response to Allahand His Messenger, when He calleth you to that which will give youlife; and know that Allah cometh in between a man and his heart, andthat it is He to Whom ye shall (all) be gathered.

And fear the trail, which affecteth not inparticular (only) those of you who do wrong: and know that Allah isstrict in punishment.

Call to mind when ye were a small (band),deemed weak through the land, and afraid that men might despoil andkidnap you; But He provided a safe asylum for you, strengthened youwith His aid, and gave you Good things for sustenance: that ye mightbe grateful.

O ye that believe! betray not the trust ofAllah and the Messenger, nor misappropriate knowingly thingsentrusted to you.

And know ye that your possessions and yourprogeny are but a trial; and that it is Allah with Whom lies yourhighest reward.

O ye who believe! if ye fear Allah, He willgrant you a Criterion (to judge between right and wrong), removefrom you (all) evil deeds you, and forgive you: for Allah is theLord of Grace unbounded.

Remember how the Unbelievers plotted againstthee, to keep thee in bonds, or slay thee, or get thee out (of thyhome). They plot and plan, and Allah too plans; but the best ofplanners is Allah.

When Our Signs are rehearsed to them, theysay: “We have heard this (before): if we wished, we could say(words) like these: these are nothing but tales of the ancients.”

Remember how they said: “O Allah! if this isindeed the Truth from Thee, rain down on us a shower of stones formthe sky, or send us a grievous chastisement.”

But Allah was not going to send them achastisement whilst thou wast amongst them; nor was He going to sendit whilst they could ask for pardon.

But what plea have they that Allah should notpunish them, when they keep out (men) from the Sacred Mosque – andthey are not its guardians? No men can be its guardians except therighteous; but most of them do not understand.

Their prayer at the House (of Allah) isnothing but whistling and clapping of hands: (Its only answer canbe), “Taste ye the Chastisement because ye blasphemed.”

The Unbelievers spend their wealth to hinder(man) from the path of Allah, and so will they continue to spend;but in the end they will have (only) regrets and sighs; at lengththey will be overcome: and the Unbelievers will be gathered togetherto Hell;-

In order that Allah may separate the impurefrom the pure, put the impure, one on another, heap them together,and cast them into Hell. They will be the ones to have lost.

Say to the Unbelievers, if (now) they desist(from Unbelief), their past would be forgiven them; but if theypersist, the punishment of those before them is already (a matter ofwarning for them).

And fight them on until there is no morepersecution, and religion becomes Allah’s in its entirety; but ifthey cease, verily Allah doth see all that they do.

If they refuse, be sure that Allah is yourProtector – the best to protect and the best to help.

And know that out of all the booty that yemay acquire (in war), a fifth share is assigned to Allah,- and tothe Messenger, and to near relatives, orphans, the needy, and thewayfarer,- if ye do believe in Allah and in the revelation We sentdown to Our Servant on the Day of Discrimination,- the Day of themeeting of the two forces. For Allah hath power over all things.

Remember ye were on the hither side of thevalley, and they on the farther side, and the caravan on lowerground than ye. Even if ye had made a mutual appointment to meet, yewould certainly have failed in the appointment: But (thus ye met),that Allah might accomplish a matter already decided; that those whodied might die after a Clear Sign (had been given), and those wholived might live after a Clear Sign (had been given). And verilyAllah is He Who heareth and knoweth (all things).

Remember in thy dream Allah showed them tothee as few: if He had shown them to thee as many, ye would surelyhave been discouraged, and ye would surely have disputed in (your)decision; but Allah saved (you): for He knoweth well the (secrets)of (all) hearts.

And remember when ye met, He showed them toyou as few in your eyes, and He made you appear as contemptible intheir eyes: that Allah might accomplish a matter already decided.And unto Allah are all matters returned.

O ye who believe! When ye meet a force, befirm, and call Allah in remembrance much (and often); that ye mayprosper:

And obey Allah and His Messenger. and fallinto no disputes, lest ye lose heart and your power depart; and bepatient and persevering: For Allah is with those who patientlypersevere:

And be not like those who started from theirhomes insolently and to be seen of men, and to hinder (men) from thepath of Allah: for Allah compasseth all that they do.

Remember Satan made their (sinful) acts seemalluring to them, and said: “No one among men can overcome you thisday, while I am near to you”: But when the two forces came in sightof each other, he turned on his heels, and said: “Lo! I am clear ofyou; lo! I see what ye see not; Lo! I fear Allah. for Allah isstrict in punishment.”

Lo! the Hypocrites and those in whose heartsis a disease, say: “These people,- their religion has misled them.”But if any trust in Allah, behold! Allah is Exalted in might, Wise.

If thou couldst see, when the angels take thesouls of the Unbelievers (at death), (How) they smite their facesand their backs, (saying): “Taste the Chastisement of the blazingFire-

This is “Because of (the deeds) which your(own) hands sent forth; for Allah is never unjust to His servants:

“(Deeds) after the manner of the People ofPharaoh and of those before them: They rejected the Signs of Allah,and Allah punished them for their crimes: for Allah is Strong, andStrict in punishment:

“Because Allah will never change the gracewhich He hath bestowed on a people until they change what is intheir (own) souls: and verily Allah is He Who heareth and knoweth(all things).”

(Deeds) after the manner of the People ofPharaoh and those before them”: They treated as false the Signs oftheir Lord, so We destroyed them for their crimes, and We drownedthe People of Pharaoh: for they were all oppressors and wrong-doers.

For the worst of beasts in the sight of Allahare those who reject Him: They will not believe.

They are those with whom thou didst make acovenant, but they break their covenant every time, and they havenot the fear (of Allah).

If ye gain the mastery over them in war,disperse, with them, those who follow them, that they may remember.

If thou fearest treachery from any group,throw back (their covenant) to them, (so as to be) on equal terms:for Allah loveth not the treacherous.

Let not the Unbelievers think that they haveescaped: they will never frustrate (them).

Against them make ready your strength to theutmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into(the hearts of) the enemies, of Allah and your enemies, and othersbesides, whom ye may not know, but whom Allah doth know. Whatever yeshall spend in the Cause of Allah, shall be repaid unto you, and yeshall not be treated unjustly.

But if the enemy incline towards peace, dothou (also) incline towards peace, and trust in Allah: for He is theOne that heareth and knoweth (all things).

Should they intend to deceive thee,- verilyAllah sufficeth thee: He it is that hath strengthened thee with Hisaid and with (the company of) the Believers;

And (moreover) He hath put affection betweentheir hearts: not if thou hadst spent all that is in the earth,couldst thou have produced that affection, but Allah hath done it:for He is Exalted in might, Wise.

O Prophet! sufficient unto thee is Allah,-(unto thee) and unto those who follow thee among the Believers.

O Prophet! Rouse the Believers to the fight.If there are twenty amongst you, patient and persevering, they willvanquish two hundred: if a hundred, they will vanquish a thousand ofthe Unbelievers: for these are a people without understanding.

For the present, Allah hath lightened your(burden), for He knoweth that there is a weak spot in you: But (evenso), if there are a hundred of you, patient and persevering, theywill vanquish two hundred, and if a thousand, they will vanquish twothousand, with the leave of Allah: for Allah is with those whopatiently persevere.

It is not fitting for a Prophet that heshould have prisoners of war until he hath thoroughly subdued theland. Ye look for the temporal goods of this world; but Allahlooketh to the Hereafter: And Allah is Exalted in might, Wise.

Had it not been for a previous ordainmentfrom Allah, a severe punishment would have reached you for the(ransom) that ye took.

But (now) enjoy what ye took in war, lawfuland good: but fear Allah. for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

O Prophet! say to those who are captives inyour hands: “If Allah findeth any good in your hearts, He will giveyou something better than what has been taken from you, and He willforgive you: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.”

But if they have treacherous designs againstthee, (O Messenger!), they have already been in treason againstAllah, and so hath He given (thee) power over them. And Allah is HeWho hath (full) knowledge and wisdom.

Those who believed, and emigrated, and foughtfor the Faith, with their property and their persons, in the Causeof Allah, as well as those who gave (them) asylum and aid,- theseare (all) friends and protectors, one of another. As to those whobelieved but did not emigrate, ye owe no duty of protection to themuntil they emigrate; but if they seek your aid in religion, it isyour duty to help them, except against a people with whom ye have atreaty of mutual alliance. And (remember) Allah seeth all that yedo.

The Unbelievers are protectors, one ofanother: unless ye do this, (protect each other), there would betumult and oppression on earth, and great mischief.

Those who believe, and emigrate, and fightfor the Faith, in the Cause of Allah as well as those who give(them) asylum and aid,- these are (all) in very truth the Believers:for them is the forgiveness of sins and a provision most generous.

And those who accept Faith subsequently, andemigrate, and fight for the Faith in your company,- they are of you.But kindred by blood have prior rights against each other in theBook of Allah. Verily Allah is well-acquainted with all things.