that which you mentioned for them, there will not remain anything significant for the rest of your companions. Then this verse was revealed: 'They ask you about the spoils of war.' The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) divided them among the Emigrants (Muhajirun) and the Helpers (Ansar)."
Qatada said: The Anfal are the spoils of war. The meaning of His statement 'are for Allah and the Messenger' is: all of that belongs to Allah, and He assigned its ruling to His Messenger.
Muhammad said: The singular of Anfal is nafal. From this is the saying of Labid:
(Indeed, the piety of our Lord is the best nafal [extra merit] … and by the permission of Allah is my slowness and my haste.)
Surat al-Anfal from verse (2) to verse (4).
الَّذِي ذَكَرْتَ لَهُمْ، لَمْ يَبْقَ لِسَائِرِ أَصْحَابِكَ كَبِيرُ شيءٍ. فَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ: ﴿يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الأَنْفَالِ﴾ فَقَسمهُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَيْنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالأَنْصَارِ ".
قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: وَالأَنْفَالُ: الْغَنَائِمُ. وَمَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ: ﴿لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُول﴾ يَقُولُ: ذَلِكَ كُلُّهُ لِلَّهِ، وَجَعَلَ حُكْمَهُ إِلَى رَسُولِهِ.
قَالَ محمدٌ: وَاحِدُ الأَنْفَالِ: نفلٌ، وَمِنْهُ قَوْلُ لَبِيدٍ:
(إِنَّ تَقْوَى رَبِّنَا خَيْرُ نفلٍ … وَبِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ رَيْثِي وَعَجَلْ﴾
سُورَة الْأَنْفَال من الْآيَة (٢) إِلَى الْآيَة (٤).
