8:27 Al-Anfaal (The Spoils of War)

يأمر تعالى عباده المؤمنين أن يؤدوا ما ائتمنهم اللّه عليه من أوامره ونواهيه، فإن الأمانة قد عرضها اللّه على السماوات والأرض والجبال، فأبين أن يحملنها وأشفقن منها وحملها الإنسان إنه كان ظلوما جهولافمن أدى الأمانة استحق من اللّه الثواب الجزيل، ومن لم يؤدها بل خانها استحق العقاب الوبيل، وصار خائنا للّه وللرسول ولأمانته، منقصا لنفسه بكونه اتصفت نفسه بأخس الصفات، وأقبح الشيات، وهي الخيانة مفوتا لها أكمل الصفات وأتمها، وهي الأمانة‏.‏

قال عبدالرزاق بن أبي قتادة والزهري أنزلت في أبي لبابة بن عبدالمنذر حين بعثه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى بني قريظة لينزلوا على حكم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فاستشاروه في ذلك فأشار عليهم بذلك وأشار بيده إلى حلقه أي إنه الذبح ثم فطن أبو لبابة ورأى أنه قد خان الله ورسوله فحلف لا يذوق ذواقا حتى يموت أو يتوب الله عليه وانطلق إلى مسجد المدينة فربط نفسه في سارية منه فمكث كذلك تسعة أيام حتى كان يخر مغشيا عليه من الجهد حتى أنزل الله توبته على رسوله فجاء الناس يبشرونه بتوبة الله عليه وأرادوا أن يحلوه من السارية فحلف لا يحله منها إلا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بيده فحله فقال يا رسول الله: إني كنت نذرت أن أنخلع من مالي صدقة فقال "يجزيك الثلث أن تصدق به". وقال ابن جرير حدثني الحارث حدثنا عبدالعزيز حدثنا يونس بن الحارث الطائفي حدثنا محمد بن عبدالله بن عون الثقفي عن المغيرة بن شعبة قال نزلت هذه الآية في قتل عثمان رضي الله عنه "يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تخونوا الله والرسول" الآية. وقال ابن جرير أيضا حدثنا القاسم بن بشر بن معروف حدثنا شبابة بن سوار حدثنا محمد بن المحرم قال لقيت عطاء بن أبي رباح فحدثني قال حدثني جابر بن عبدالله أن أبا سفيان خرج من مكة فأتى جبريل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال إن أبا سفيان بمكان كذا وكذا فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "إن أبا سفيان في موضع كذا وكذا فاخرجوا إليه واكتموا" فكتب رجل من المنافقين إليه إن محمدا يريدكم فخذوا حذركم فأنزل الله عز وجل "لا تخونوا الله والرسول وتخونوا أماناتكم" الآية هذا حديث غريب جدا وفي سنده وسياقه نظر. وفي الصحيحين قصة حاطب بن أبي بلتعة أنه كتب إلى قريش يعلمهم بقصد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إياهم عام الفتح فأطلع الله رسوله على ذلك فبعث في أثر الكتاب فاسترجعه واستحضر حاطبا فأقر بما صنع وفيها فقام عمر بن الخطاب فقال يا رسول الله: ألا أضرب عنقه فإنه قد خان الله ورسوله والمؤمنين؟ فقال "دعه فإنه قد شهد بدرا وما يدريك لعل الله اطلع على أهل بدر فقال اعملوا ما شئتم فقد غفرت لكم" قلت والصحيح أن الآية عامة وإن صح أنها وردت على سبب خاص فالأخذ بعموم اللفظ لا بخصوص السبب عند الجماهير من العلماء. والخيانة تعم الذنوب الصغار والكبار اللازمة والمتعدية. وقال علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس "وتخونوا أماناتكم" الأمانة الأعمال التي ائتمن الله عليها العباد يعني الفريضة يقول "لا تخونوا" لا تنقضوها وقال في رواية "لا تخونوا الله والرسول" يقول بترك سنته وارتكاب معصيته. وقال محمد بن إسحق حدثني محمد بن جعفر بن الزبير عن عروة بن الزبير في هذه الآية أي لا تظهروا له من الحق ما يرضى به منكم ثم تخالفوه في السر إلى غيره فإن ذلك هلاك لأماناتكم وخيانة لأنفسكم. وقال السدي: إذا خانوا الله والرسول فقد خانوا أماناتهم. وقال أيضا كانوا يسمعون من النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم الحديث فيفشونه حتى يبلغ المشركين وقال عبدالرحمن بن زيد نهاكم أن تخونوا الله والرسول كما صنع المنافقون.

Reason behind revealing This Ayah, and the prohibition of Betrayal

The Two Sahihs mention the story of Hatib bin Abi Balta`ah. In the year of the victory of Makkah he wrote to the Quraysh alerting them that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ intended to march towards them. Allah informed His Messenger of this, and he sent a Companion to retrieve the letter that Hatib sent, and then he summoned him. He admitted to what he did. `Umar bin Al-Khattab stood up and said, "O Allah's Messenger! Should I cut off his head, for he has betrayed Allah, His Messenger and the believers" The Prophet said,

«دَعْهُ فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ شَهِدَ بَدْرًا، وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ اللهَ اطَّلَعَ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَدْرٍ فَقَالَ: اعْمَلُوا مَا شِئْتُمْ فَقَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَكُم»

(Leave him! He participated in Badr. How do you know that Allah has not looked at those who participated in Badr and said, Do whatever you want, for I have forgiven you.)

However, it appears that this Ayah is more general, even if it was revealed about a specific incident. Such rulings are dealt with by their indications, not the specific reasons behind revealing them, according to the majority of scholars.

Betrayal includes both minor and major sins, as well those that affect others. `Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah,

وَتَخُونُواْ أَمَـنَـتِكُمْ

(nor betray your Amanat) "The Amanah refers to the actions that Allah has entrusted the servants with, such as and including what He ordained. Therefore, Allah says here,

لاَ تَخُونُواْ

(nor betray...), `do not abandon the obligations."' `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd commented, "Allah forbade you from betraying Him and His Messenger, as hypocrites do."

Allah said,

وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّمَآ أَمْوَلُكُمْ وَأَوْلَـدُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ

(And know that your possessions and your children are but a trial.) from Him to you. He grants these to you so that He knows which of you will be grateful and obedient to Him, or become busy with and dedicated to them instead of Him. Allah said in another Ayah,

إِنَّمَآ أَمْوَلُكُمْ وَأَوْلَـدُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ وَاللَّهُ عِنْدَهُ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ

(Your wealth and your children are only a trial, whereas Allah! With Him is a great reward.) 64:15,

وَنَبْلُوكُم بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً

(And We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good.) 21:35,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَلُكُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلَـدُكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْخَـسِرُونَ

(O you who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whosoever does that, then they are the losers.)63:9, and,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَجِكُمْ وَأَوْلـدِكُمْ عَدُوّاً لَّكُمْ فَاحْذَرُوهُمْ

(O you who believe! Verily, among your wives and your children there are enemies for you (who may stop you from the obedience of Allah); therefore beware of them!) 64:14 Allah said next,

وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ

(And that surely with Allah is a mighty reward.) Therefore, Allah's reward, favor and Paradise are better for you than wealth and children. Certainly, among the wealth and children there might be enemies for you and much of them avail nothing. With Allah alone is the decision and sovereignty in this life and the Hereafter, and He gives tremendous rewards on the Day of Resurrection. In the Sahih, there is a Hadith in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«ثَلَاثٌ مَنْ كُنَّ فِيهِ، وَجَدَ بِهِنَّ حَلَاوَةَ الْإِيمَانِ: مَنْ كَانَ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِمَّا سِوَاهُمَا، وَمَنْ كَانَ يُحِبُّ الْمَرْءَ لَا يُحِبُّهُ إِلَّا للهِ، وَمَنْ كَانَ أَنْ يُلْقَى فِي النَّارِ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَنْ يَرْجِعَ إِلَى الْكُفْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ أَنْقَذَهُ اللهُ مِنْه»

(There are three qualities for which whomever has them, he will have tasted the sweetness of faith. (They are:) whoever Allah and His Messenger are dearer to him than anyone else, whoever loves a person for Allah's sake alone, and whoever prefers to be thrown in fire rather than revert to disbelief, after Allah has saved him from it.)

Therefore, loving the Messenger of Allah ﷺ comes before loving children, wealth and oneself. In the Sahih, it is confirmed that he said,

«وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ وَأَهْلِهِ وَمَالِهِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِين»

(By He in Whose Hand is my soul! None of you will have faith unless I become dearer to him than himself, his family, his wealth and all people.)

The following was revealed regarding Abū Lubāba Marwān b. ‘Abd al-Mundhir the Prophet s had dispatched him to the Banū Qurayza so that they would submit to his the Prophet’s authority. But they Banū Qurayza consulted with him as to whether they should cede and he pointed out to them that a slaughter would ensue — for members of his family and his property were among them O you who believe do not betray God and the Messenger and do not betray your trusts that which has been entrusted to you in the way of religion or otherwise while you are aware.

In the third verse (27), Muslims have been instructed not to commit any breach of trust خِیَانہ (khiyanah) in the dual rights due against them, that is, in the rights of Allah (Huququllah) or in the mutual rights of the servants of Allah as enjoined on each other (Huququl-` Ibad) - either by failing to fulfill them totally, or by fulfilling them in a defective manner leaving one or the other shortcoming behind. Then, by saying: وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (while you know) at the end of the verse, it was stressed that they already knew that breach of trust was an evil conduct lined with many a curse, therefore, going ahead to do something like that was not what an intelligent person would choose to do - and, since the cause of negligence or shortcoming in fulfilling the rights of the servants of Allah is usually one's attachment to property and children, a warning was given in verse 28 by saying:

(O ye who believe! Betray not Allah and His messenger�) [8:27]. This verse was revealed about Abu Lubabah ibn �Abd al-Mundhir al-Ansari. What happened is that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, besieged the Jews of Banu Qurayzah for 21 nights when they requested peace from the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, on the same terms that their brothers from Banu�l-Nadir had secured before, i.e. that they join their brothers in Adhri�at and Jericho in Syria. But he refused to grant it to them and insisted that they submit to the judgment of Sa�d ibn Mu�adh. They refused to do so and said: �Send us Abu Lubabah, instead�. Abu Lubabah was loyal to them, for his property, wife and children were with them. When the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, sent him to them, they said to him: �O Abu Lubabah, what do you think we should do? Should we accept the judgment of Sa�d ibn Mu�adh?� Abu Lubabah made a gesture to his throat, i.e. that they should not do it, for they will be slaughtered. Abu Lubabah said: �I straightaway realised that I had betrayed Allah and His Messenger�. And then this verse was revealed about him. When the verse was revealed, Abu Lubabah tied himself to one of the columns of the mosques and said: �By Allah, I will not taste food or drink until Allah relents on me or I die�. He remained in this state for seven days, neither eating nor drinking, until Allah, exalted is He, relented on him. When it was said to him: �O Abu Lubabah! You have been pardoned�, he said: �By Allah, I will not untie myself; I want the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, to untie me�. The Prophet went and untied him with his own hands. Abu Lubabah then said: �The completion of my repentance requires that I migrate from the abode of my people where I had committed the sin and that I let go of my property�. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said to him: �It is enough that you give a third of it to charity�.