8:19 Al-Anfaal (The Spoils of War)

‏{‏إِنْ تَسْتَفْتِحُوا‏}‏ أيها المشركون، أي‏:‏ تطلبوا من اللّه أن يوقع بأسه وعذابه على المعتدين الظالمين‏.‏ ‏{‏فَقَدْ جَاءَكُمُ الْفَتْحُ‏}‏ حين أوقع اللّه بكم من عقابه، ما كان نكالاً لكم وعبرة للمتقين ‏{‏وَإِنْ تَنْتَهُوا‏}‏ عن الاستفتاح ‏{‏فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ‏}‏ لأنه ربما أمهلتم، ولم يعجل لكم النقمة‏.‏ ‏{‏وإن تعودوا‏}‏ إلى الاستفتاح وقتال حزب الله المؤمنين ‏{‏نَعُدْ‏}‏ في نصرهم عليكم‏.‏ ‏{‏وَلَنْ تُغْنِيَ عَنْكُمْ فِئَتُكُمْ‏}‏ أي‏:‏ أعوانكم وأنصاركم، الذين تحاربون وتقاتلون، معتمدين عليهم، شَيئا وأن الله مع الْمؤمنين‏.‏ ومن كان اللّه معه فهو المنصور وإن كان ضعيفا قليلا عدده، وهذه المعية التي أخبر اللّه أنه يؤيد بها المؤمنين، تكون بحسب ما قاموا به من أعمال الإيمان‏.‏ فإذا أديل العدو على المؤمنين في بعض الأوقات، فليس ذلك إلا تفريطا من المؤمنين وعدم قيام بواجب الإيمان ومقتضاه، وإلا فلو قاموا بما أمر اللّه به من كل وجه، لما انهزم لهم راية ‏[‏انهزاما مستقرا‏]‏ ولا أديل عليهم عدوهم أبدا‏.‏

يقول تعالى للكفار "إن تستفتحوا" أي تستنصروا وتستقضوا الله وتستحكموه أن يفصل بينكم وبين أعدائكم المؤمنين فقد جاءكم ما سألتم كما قال محمد بن إسحق وغيره عن الزهري عن عبدالله بن ثعلبة بن صعير أن أبا جهل قال يوم بدر: اللهم أينا كان أقطع للرحم وآتانا بما لا يعرف فأحنه الغداة. وكان استفتاحا منه فنزلت "إن تستفتحوا فقد جاءكم الفتح" إلى آخر الآية. وقال الإمام أحمد حدثنا يزيد يعني ابن هارون أخبرنا محمد بن إسحق حدثني الزهري عن عبدالله بن ثعلبة أن أبا جهل قال حين التقى القوم اللهم أقطعنا للرحم وآتانا بما لا نعرفه فأحنه الغداة. فكان المستفتح وأخرجه النسائي في التفسير من حديث صالح بن كيسان عن الزهري به وكذا رواه الحاكم في مستدركه من طريق الزهري به وقال صحيح على شرط الشيخين ولم يخرجاه وروى نحو هذا عن ابن عباس ومجاهد والضحاك وقتادة ويزيد بن رومان وغير واحد وقال السدي كان المشركون حين خرجوا من مكة إلى بدر أخذوا بأستار الكعبة فاستنصروا الله وقالوا اللهم انصر أعلى الجندين وأكرم الفئتين وخير القبيلتين فقال الله "إن تستفتحوا فقد جاءكم الفتح" يقول قد نصرت ما قلتم وهو محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم وقال عبدالرحمن بن زيد بن أسلم هو قوله تعالى إخبارا عنهم "وإذ قالوا اللهم إن كان هذا هو الحق من عندك" الآية وقوله "وإن تنتهوا" أي عما أنتم فيه من الكفر بالله والتكذيب لرسوله "فهو خير لكم" أي في الدنيا والآخرة وقوله تعالى "وإن تعودوا نعد" كقوله "وإن عدتم عدنا" معناه وإن عدتم إلى ما كنتم فيه من الكفر والضلالة نعد لكم بمثل هذه الواقعة. وقال السدي "وإن تعودوا" أي إلى الاستفتاح "نعد" أي إلى الفتح لمحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم والنصر له وتظفيره على أعدائه والأول أقوى "ولن تغني عنكم فئتكم شيئا ولو كثرت" أي ولو جمعتم من الجموع ما عسى أن تجمعوا فإن من كان الله معه فلا غالب له "إن الله مع المؤمنين" وهم الحزب النبوي والجناب المصطفوي.

The Response to the Disbelievers Who ask for a Judgement

Allah says to the disbeliever,

إِن تَسْتَفْتِحُواْ

(If you ask for a judgement), you invoked Allah for victory, judgement and a decision between you and your believing nemesis, and you got what you asked for. Muhammad bin Ishaq and several others reported from Az-Zuhri from `Abdullah bin Tha`labah bin Su`ayr who said that Abu Jahl said on the day of Badr, "O Allah! Whichever of the two camps (pagans and Muslims) severed the relation of the womb and brought us what is not familiar, then destroy him this day." This Ayah was later on revealed,

إِن تَسْتَفْتِحُواْ فَقَدْ جَآءَكُمُ الْفَتْحُ

(If you ask for a judgement, then now has the judgement come unto you,) until the end of the Ayah. Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah bin Tha`labah said, "Abu Jahl asked for (Allah's judgment) when he said upon facing the Muslims, `O Allah! Those among us who severed the relations of the womb and brought forth what we do not recognize, then destroy him this day."' This was also recorded by An-Nasa'i in the Book of Tafsir (of his Sunan) and Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, and he said, "It is Sahih according to the criteria of the Two Shaykhs, and they did not record it. ". Similar statements were reported from Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Yazid bin Ruwman and several others. As-Suddi commented, "Before the idolators left Makkah for Badr, they clung to the curtains covering the Ka`bah and supplicated to Allah for victory, `O Allah! Give victory to the exalted among the two armies, the most honored among the two groups, and the most righteous among the two tribes.' Allah revealed the Ayah, F

إِن تَسْتَفْتِحُواْ فَقَدْ جَآءَكُمُ الْفَتْحُ

(If you ask for a judgement, then now has the judgement come unto you.) Allah says here, `I accepted your supplication and Muhammad gained the victory."'

`Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said; "This is Allah the Most High's answer to their supplication;

وَإِذْ قَالُواْ اللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَـذَا هُوَ الْحَقَّ مِنْ عِندِكَ

(And (remember) when they said: "O Allah! If this is indeed the truth from you..)" 8:32

Allah said next,

وَإِن تَنتَهُواْ

(and if you cease...) from your disbelief and rejection of Allah and His Messenger ,

فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ

(it will be better for you), in this life and the Hereafter. Allah said,

وَإِن تَعُودُواْ نَعُدْ

(and if you return, so shall We return...) This is similar to another Ayah,

وَإِنْ عُدتُّمْ عُدْنَا

(but if you return (to sins), We shall return (to Our punishment).) 17:8 meaning, `if you persist in your disbelief and misguidance, We shall repeat the defeat that you suffered,'

وَلَن تُغْنِىَ عَنكُمْ فِئَتُكُمْ شَيْئاً وَلَوْ كَثُرَتْ

(and your forces will be of no avail to you, however numerous they be...) for even if you gather whatever forces you can, then know that those whom Allah is with cannot be defeated,

وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(and verily, Allah is with the believers.) in reference to the Prophet's group, the side of the chosen Messenger .

If you have sought a judgement O disbelievers if you have sought a decisive conclusion of this battle — Abū Jahl had said ‘O God! Whoever among the two of us is the one who has severed the ties of kinship and brought us what we had never known destroy them today!’ — the judgement the decisive conclusion has now come to you by the fact that the one so described has already perished this was Abū Jahl and those killed with him and not the Prophet s and the believers; and if you desist from unbelief and waging war it will better for you. But if you return to fight against the Prophet s We shall return to assist him against you and your host your troops will not avail will not protect you in any way however numerous it be; and verily God is with the believers read thus inna indicating a new sentence; or read anna with an implicit lām li-anna‘Llāha ma‘a’l-mu’minīn ‘because God is with the believers’.

It is interesting that these dimwitted people were under the impression that they were the ones higher and superior and better-guided as compared to Muslims, therefore, they surmised that the prayer they were making was in their own favour. They actually wanted that Allah would, through their prayer, give His verdict as to who was true and who was false. Thus, when they win, their victory would become the Divine verdict on their being on the side of truth.

But, they did not know that the prayer they were making was really a curse for their own selves, and that it was a supplication for the good of Muslims. After the end of the battle came, the Qur'an told them: إِن تَسْتَفْتِحُوا فَقَدْ جَاءَكُمُ الْفَتْحُ (If you pray for victory, "victory" has come upon you) that is, 'if you are looking for a Divine verdict, that is before you - truth has triumphed and falsehood has been defeated. Then: وَإِن تَنتَهُوا فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ‌ لَّكُمْ (if you give up it is better for you) that is, 'now is the time when, if you abandon your disbelief and hostility, it will turn out to be better for you.' And, if you still decide to revert back to your wickedness and the threat of armed aggression, then, Allah too will revert back and support Muslims: وَإِن تَعُودُوا نَعُدْ (And if you repeat, We shall repeat). In that case, the consequence would be: وَلَن تُغْنِيَ عَنكُمْ فِئَتُكُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَوْ كَثُرَ‌تْ (And your people shall not suffice you at all, even though they are many in number) that is, 'your numerical superiority and group strength shall be of no avail against the help and, support given by Allah.' As for the help and support of Allah: ti; (Allah is with the believers) that is, 'how can any group or power work for you when Allah Ta` ala, the very possessor of absolute power, is with the Muslims?'

((O Quraysh!) If ye sought a judgment, now hath the judgment come unto you�) [8:19]. Al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Farisi informed us> Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah ibn al-Fadl al-Tajir> Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Hafiz> Muhammad ibn Yahya> Ya'qub ibn Ibrahim ibn Sa'd> his father> Salih> Ibn Shihab> 'Abd Allah ibn Tha'labah ibn Su'ayr who said: �The person who sought judgment was Abu Jahl. He said when the two armies met: 'O Allah, destroy this day whoever amongst us has severed ties of kinship and brought that which we had never known!' This was the judgement that he sought. Allah, exalted is He, revealed regarding this ((O Quraysh!) If ye sought a judgment, now hath the judgment come unto you�) up to His words (Allah is with the believers)�. This was narrated by al-Hakim Abu 'Abd Allah in his Sahih from al-Qati'i from the son of Ibn Hanbal from Ahmad ibn Hanbal from Ya'qub. Said al-Suddi and al-Kalbi: �Before they set off to fight the Prophet, Allah bless him and give peace, in Uhud, the idolaters grabbed the covers of the Ka'bah and prayed: 'O Allah, give victory to the greatest of the two armies, the most guided of the two camps, the noblest of the two parties and the best of the two religions', and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse�. 'Ikrimah said: �The idolaters said: 'O Allah, we do not recognize that which Muhammad has brought, so judge between us with the truth', and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse (If ye sought a judgment�)�.