Principles of Combat, Treatment of Prisoners, and Distribution of War Gains

Al-Anfal — Verses 65–71 | Explore this Quran theme on Muallim

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ حَرِّضِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى الْقِتَالِ ۚ إِن يَكُن مِّنكُمْ عِشْرُونَ صَابِرُونَ يَغْلِبُوا مِائَتَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن يَكُن مِّنكُم مِّائَةٌ يَغْلِبُوا أَلْفًا مِّنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ ٦٥

O Prophet (Muhammad SAW)! Urge the believers to fight. If there are twenty steadfast persons amongst you, they will overcome two hundred, and if there be a hundred steadfast persons they will overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they (the disbelievers) are people who do not understand.

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ حَرِّضِ
O Prophet (Muhammad SAW)!
الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى الْقِتَالِ ۚ إِن
Urge the believers to fight.
يَكُن مِّنكُمْ عِشْرُونَ صَابِرُونَ يَغْلِبُوا
If there are twenty steadfast persons amongst you,
مِائَتَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن
they will overcome two hundred,
يَكُن مِّنكُم مِّائَةٌ يَغْلِبُوا
and if there be a hundred steadfast persons
أَلْفًا مِّنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِأَنَّهُمْ
they will overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve,
قَوْمٌ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ
because they (the disbelievers) are people who do not understand.

الْآنَ خَفَّفَ اللَّهُ عَنكُمْ وَعَلِمَ أَنَّ فِيكُمْ ضَعْفًا ۚ فَإِن يَكُن مِّنكُم مِّائَةٌ صَابِرَةٌ يَغْلِبُوا مِائَتَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن يَكُن مِّنكُمْ أَلْفٌ يَغْلِبُوا أَلْفَيْنِ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ ٦٦

Now Allah has lightened your (task), for He knows that there is weakness in you. So if there are of you a hundred steadfast persons, they shall overcome two hundred, and if there are a thousand of you, they shall overcome two thousand with the Leave of Allah. And Allah is with As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.).

الْآنَ خَفَّفَ اللَّهُ عَنكُمْ
Now Allah has lightened your (task)
وَعَلِمَ أَنَّ فِيكُمْ ضَعْفًا ۚ
for He knows that there is weakness in you
فَإِن يَكُن مِّنكُم مِّائَةٌ صَابِرَةٌ
So if there are of you a hundred steadfast persons
يَغْلِبُوا مِائَتَيْنِ ۚ
they shall overcome two hundred
وَإِن يَكُن مِّنكُمْ أَلْفٌ
and if there are a thousand of you
يَغْلِبُوا أَلْفَيْنِ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۗ
they shall overcome two thousand with the Leave of Allah
وَاللَّهُ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ
And Allah is with As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.)

مَا كَانَ لِنَبِيٍّ أَن يَكُونَ لَهُ أَسْرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ يُثْخِنَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ۚ تُرِيدُونَ عَرَضَ الدُّنْيَا وَاللَّهُ يُرِيدُ الْآخِرَةَ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ ٦٧

It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war (and free them with ransom) until he had made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the land. You desire the good of this world (i.e. the money of ransom for freeing the captives), but Allah desires (for you) the Hereafter. And Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.

مَا كَانَ لِنَبِيٍّ
It is not for a Prophet
أَن يَكُونَ لَهُ أَسْرَىٰ
that he should have prisoners of war
حَتَّىٰ يُثْخِنَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ۚ
until he had made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the land.
تُرِيدُونَ عَرَضَ الدُّنْيَا
You desire the good of this world
وَاللَّهُ يُرِيدُ الْآخِرَةَ ۗ
but Allah desires (for you) the Hereafter.
وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
And Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.

لَّوْلَا كِتَابٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ سَبَقَ لَمَسَّكُمْ فِيمَا أَخَذْتُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ٦٨

Were it not a previous ordainment from Allah, a severe torment would have touched you for what you took.

لَّوْلَا كِتَابٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ سَبَقَ
Were it not a previous ordainment from Allah
لَمَسَّكُمْ فِيمَا أَخَذْتُمْ
a severe torment would have touched you for what you took
عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
a severe torment

فَكُلُوا مِمَّا غَنِمْتُمْ حَلَالًا طَيِّبًا ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ٦٩

So enjoy what you have gotten of booty in war, lawful and good, and be afraid of Allah. Certainly, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

فَكُلُوا مِمَّا غَنِمْتُمْ
So enjoy what you have gotten of booty in war,
حَلَالًا طَيِّبًا ۚ
lawful and good,
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ
and be afraid of Allah.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Certainly, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لِّمَن فِي أَيْدِيكُم مِّنَ الْأَسْرَىٰ إِن يَعْلَمِ اللَّهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ خَيْرًا يُؤْتِكُمْ خَيْرًا مِّمَّا أُخِذَ مِنكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ٧٠

O Prophet! Say to the captives that are in your hands: "If Allah knows any good in your hearts, He will give you something better than what has been taken from you, and He will forgive you, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل
O Prophet!
لِّمَن فِي أَيْدِيكُم مِّنَ الْأَسْرَىٰ إِن
Say to the captives that are in your hands:
يَعْلَمِ اللَّهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ خَيْرًا يُؤْتِكُمْ
If Allah knows any good in your hearts,
خَيْرًا مِّمَّا أُخِذَ مِنكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ
He will give you something better than what has been taken from you,
لَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ
and He will forgive you,
غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

وَإِن يُرِيدُوا خِيَانَتَكَ فَقَدْ خَانُوا اللَّهَ مِن قَبْلُ فَأَمْكَنَ مِنْهُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ ٧١

But if they intend to betray you (O Muhammad SAW), they have already betrayed Allah before. So He gave (you) power over them. And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise.

وَإِن يُرِيدُوا خِيَانَتَكَ
But if they intend to betray you (O Muhammad SAW)
فَقَدْ خَانُوا اللَّهَ مِن قَبْلُ
they have already betrayed Allah before.
فَأَمْكَنَ مِنْهُمْ ۗ
So He gave (you) power over them.
وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise.