English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 8: Al-Anfal — Voluntary Gifts (Revealed at Madinah: 10 sections, 75 verses)
Section 10 (Verses 8:70–8:75): Relations of Muslim State with Others
Translation:
یٰۤاَیُّہَا النَّبِیُّ قُلۡ لِّمَنۡ فِیۡۤ اَیۡدِیۡکُمۡ مِّنَ الۡاَسۡرٰۤی ۙ اِنۡ یَّعۡلَمِ اللّٰہُ فِیۡ قُلُوۡبِکُمۡ خَیۡرًا یُّؤۡتِکُمۡ خَیۡرًا مِّمَّاۤ اُخِذَ مِنۡکُمۡ وَ یَغۡفِرۡ لَکُمۡ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ ﴿۷۰﴾
8:70 O Prophet, say to those of the captives who are in your hands: If Allah knows anything good in your hearts, He will give you better than what has been taken from you, and will forgive you. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
وَ اِنۡ یُّرِیۡدُوۡا خِیَانَتَکَ فَقَدۡ خَانُوا اللّٰہَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ فَاَمۡکَنَ مِنۡہُمۡ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ عَلِیۡمٌ حَکِیۡمٌ ﴿۷۱﴾
8:71 And if they intend to be treacherous to you, so indeed they have been treacherous to Allah before, but He gave (you) mastery over them. And Allah is Knowing, Wise.
اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ ہَاجَرُوۡا وَ جٰہَدُوۡا بِاَمۡوَالِہِمۡ وَ اَنۡفُسِہِمۡ فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰوَوۡا وَّ نَصَرُوۡۤا اُولٰٓئِکَ بَعۡضُہُمۡ اَوۡلِیَآءُ بَعۡضٍ ؕ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ لَمۡ یُہَاجِرُوۡا مَا لَکُمۡ مِّنۡ وَّلَایَتِہِمۡ مِّنۡ شَیۡءٍ حَتّٰی یُہَاجِرُوۡا ۚ وَ اِنِ اسۡتَنۡصَرُوۡکُمۡ فِی الدِّیۡنِ فَعَلَیۡکُمُ النَّصۡرُ اِلَّا عَلٰی قَوۡمٍۭ بَیۡنَکُمۡ وَ بَیۡنَہُمۡ مِّیۡثَاقٌ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ بَصِیۡرٌ ﴿۷۲﴾
8:72 Surely those who believed and fled (their homes) and struggled hard in Allah’s way with their wealth and their lives, and those who gave shelter and helped — these are friends of one another. And those who believed and did not flee, you are not responsible for their protection until they flee. And if they seek help from you in the matter of religion, it is your duty to help (them) except against a people between whom and you there is a treaty.1 And Allah is Seer of what you do.
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا بَعۡضُہُمۡ اَوۡلِیَآءُ بَعۡضٍ ؕ اِلَّا تَفۡعَلُوۡہُ تَکُنۡ فِتۡنَۃٌ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ وَ فَسَادٌ کَبِیۡرٌ ﴿ؕ۷۳﴾
8:73 And those who disbelieve are friends of one another. If you do not do it, there will be persecution in the land and great mischief.2
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ ہَاجَرُوۡا وَ جٰہَدُوۡا فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰوَوۡا وَّ نَصَرُوۡۤا اُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ حَقًّا ؕ لَہُمۡ مَّغۡفِرَۃٌ وَّ رِزۡقٌ کَرِیۡمٌ ﴿۷۴﴾
8:74 And those who believed and fled and struggled hard in Allah’s way, and those who gave shelter and helped — these are the believers truly. For them is forgiveness and an honourable provision.
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مِنۡۢ بَعۡدُ وَ ہَاجَرُوۡا وَ جٰہَدُوۡا مَعَکُمۡ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ مِنۡکُمۡ ؕ وَ اُولُوا الۡاَرۡحَامِ بَعۡضُہُمۡ اَوۡلٰی بِبَعۡضٍ فِیۡ کِتٰبِ اللّٰہِ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ بِکُلِّ شَیۡءٍ عَلِیۡمٌ ﴿٪۷۵﴾
8:75 And those who believed afterwards and fled and struggled hard along with you, they are of you. And the relatives are nearer to one another in the ordinance of Allah.3 Surely Allah is Knower of all things.
Commentary:
- Those who believed, and, having been persecuted, fled from their homes, i.e. the Muhājirīn, formed a community at Madinah along with those who gave them shelter and helped them, i.e. the Anṣār. But there were those who chose to remain in their homes. The Muslim community at Madinah could not undertake to guard the interests of such persons, and this is what is meant by saying, you are not responsible for their protection. But if they seek help in the matter of religion, it is incumbent on the Muslim community to give them help, unless there exists a treaty of alliance with the people against whom such help is sought. ↩︎
- If you do not help your brethren in the matter of religion, the disbelievers will become more daring in their persecutions and in causing mischief and disorder in the land. ↩︎
- When even strangers who have accepted Islam and fled from their homes become “of you”, those who have in addition ties of relationship, possess every title to have their interests guarded by the Muslim community. ↩︎