Surah al-Anfal

8. Tafsir of the Surah in which the spoils of war (al-Anfal) are mentioned. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful... And my success is only by Allah; upon Him I have relied.

[His statement, the Exalted: "They ask you"]

9486 - Abu Sa'id al-Ashajj narrated to us, Abu Bakr al-Nakha'i told us, from Juwaybir, from al-Dahhak, regarding "They ask you about the spoils of war (al-Anfal)," he said: They say: "Give us."

8753 - My father narrated to us, Abu Salih, the scribe of al-Layth, told us, Mu'awiyah ibn Salih narrated to me, from 'Ali ibn Abi Talhah, from Ibn 'Abbas, regarding his statement: "They ask you," he means: The kinship of the Prophet, peace be upon him.

His statement, the Exalted: "The spoils of war (al-Anfal)"

8754 - And by it (the same chain) from Ibn 'Abbas, regarding his statement: "They ask you about the spoils of war (al-Anfal)," he said: Al-Anfal are the spoils of war; they were exclusively for the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and no one else had any share of them.

It was narrated from Mujahid, al-Dahhak, 'Ata' al-Khurasani, and Muqatil ibn Hayyan that they said: They are the spoils of war.

His statement, the Exalted: "Say: The spoils of war are for Allah and the Messenger."

[The first interpretation]

8755 - Yunus ibn Habib al-Asbahani narrated to us, Abu Dawud told us, Shu'bah informed us, Simak ibn Harb informed me, he said: I heard Mus'ab ibn Sa'd narrating from Sa'd, he said: Four verses were revealed concerning me. I had obtained a sword on the day of Badr—and perhaps he said: "My son obtained a sword on the day of Badr." He said: So I went to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and said: "Grant it to me as a voluntary gift (naffilnihi)." He said: "Put it back where you took it from," twice. Then I asked him again, and the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Put it back where you took it from," and then this verse was revealed: "They ask you about the spoils of war."