Al-Anfaal 8:57 · The Spoils of War · Arabic, translation, recitation

Other English translations

Abdel Haleem (Oxford)+

"If you meet them in battle, make a fearsome example of them to those who come after them, so that they may take heed."

Pickthall (classic)+

"If thou comest on them in the war, deal with them so as to strike fear in those who are behind them, that haply they may remember."

Yusuf Ali (classic)+

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

Tafsīr · classical commentary

Ibn Kathir

Abridged English, public domain

Striking Hard against Those Who disbelieve and break the Covenants

Allah states here that the worst moving creatures on the face of the earth are those who disbelieve, who do not embrace the faith, and break promises whenever they make a covenant, even when they vow to keep them,

وَهُمْ لاَ يَتَّقُونَ

(and they do not have Taqwa) meaning they do not fear Allah regarding any of the sins they commit.

فَإِمَّا تَثْقَفَنَّهُمْ فِى الْحَرْبِ

(So if you gain the mastery over them in war), if you defeat them and have victory over them in war,

فَشَرِّدْ بِهِم مَّنْ خَلْفَهُمْ

(then disperse those who are behind them,) by severely punishing the captured people according to Ibn `Abbas, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi, `Ata' Al-Khurasani and Ibn `Uyaynah. This Ayah commands punishing them harshly and inflicting casualties on them. This way, other enemies, Arabs and non-Arabs, will be afraid and take a lesson from their end,

لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ

(so that they may learn a lesson. )

As-Suddi commented, "They might be careful not to break treaties, so that they do not meet the same end."

Tafsir Saʿdi

English translation, public domain

Если тебе придется сразиться с ними, когда тебя не будут связывать с ними договорные обязательства, то покарай их сурово, дабы они стали назидательным примером для своих последователей. Быть может, люди, которые придут после них, будут помнить об их участи и постараются, чтобы их постигло такое же суровое возмездие. В этом состоит польза, которую приносят меры уголовного наказания за совершенные преступления. Наказание преступников удерживает от ослушания тех, кто еще не совершил преступления, и удерживает тех, кто уже понес наказание, от повторного нарушения закона. Всевышний связал упомянутое в этом аяте наказание с военными действиями, из чего следует, что если мусульмане заключили мирный договор с неверующими, то они не имеют права вероломно нарушать его и наказывать неверующих, даже если те являются закоренелыми предателями и изменниками.

In the fourth verse (57), Allah Ta` ala has given a standing instruction to His Rasul ﷺ about such evil breakers of solemn pledges in the following words:

فَإِمَّا تَثْقَفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْحَرْ‌بِ فَشَرِّ‌دْ بِهِم مَّنْ خَلْفَهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُ‌ونَ ﴿57﴾

So, if you find them in war, make them an example (deterrent) for those behind them, so that they take a lesson.

Here, the word: تَثْقَفَنَّهُمْ (tathqafannahum) means to get the upper hand against them and the word: شرّدَ (sharrada) is a derivation from the infinitive noun: تَشرِید (tashrid) which essentially means to drive out or scatter away. So, the verse means: 'If you overpower such people in a war, give them a drastic punishment which becomes an instant lesson for others - so that those who are busy bashing Islam behind the cover of such people serving as their agent provocateurs should understand clearly that there remains no alternative for them but to run for their lives. The drive of the instruction is that these people should be punished in a manner which makes an impression on the disbelievers of Makkah and other hostile tribes and sucks away any courage they may have to come back and confront Muslims in the future.

By saying: لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُ‌ونَ (so that they take a lesson - 57) at the end of the verse, a hint has been given towards the universal mercy of the Lord of all the worlds. This treatment makes it clear that the real purpose of this exemplary punishment was not to take revenge or release personal anger, in fact, this was being awarded in their own interest and expedient gain whereby they may, perhaps, review conditions before them, regain some of their sanity, feel ashamed of what they did and go on to correct themselves.