Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (3/323)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Surah al-Anfal (The Spoils)

This is a Madinan surah consisting of seventy-five verses. It was said that seven verses are excepted, beginning with, “And when those who disbelieved plotted against you,” through the end of the seventh verse, for they were revealed in Mecca. The sounder view, however, is that they were revealed in Medina, even though the event itself occurred in Mecca.

“They ask you about the spoils. Say, ‘The spoils belong to Allah and the Messenger. So fear Allah and set matters right among yourselves, and obey Allah and His Messenger, if you are believers.’” (1)

Regarding His saying, “They ask you about the spoils,” and what follows: the scholars of Quranic exegesis said that the reason for the revelation of this verse was that, on the day of Badr, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever reaches such-and-such a place shall have such-and-such an additional share; whoever kills an enemy combatant shall have such-and-such; and whoever captures a prisoner shall have such-and-such.”

When the two sides met, the young men hastened forward, while the elders and leading men remained by the banners. Then, when Allah granted the Muslims victory, they came seeking what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had assigned to them. The elders said, “We were a support for you, and had you been defeated, you would have retreated to us. So do not take the spoils to the exclusion of us.”

Abu al-Yusr ibn Amr al-Ansari, of Banu Salamah, then stood and said, “O Messenger of Allah, you promised that whoever killed an enemy combatant would have such-and-such, and whoever captured a prisoner would have such-and-such. We have killed seventy of them and captured seventy of them.”

Sa‘d ibn Mu‘adh, may Allah be pleased with him, then stood and said, “By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, nothing prevented us from seeking what these men sought out of disinterest in the reward or cowardice before the enemy. Rather, we disliked leaving your position exposed, lest cavalry from the polytheists charge upon it 143/b and strike you.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, then turned away

(1) In manuscript B: “and show compassion toward us.”

سُورَةُ الْأَنْفَالِ مَدَنِيَّةٌ وَهِيَ خَمْسٌ وَسَبْعُونَ آيَةً قِيلَ: إِلَّا سَبْعَ آيَاتٍ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ: «وَإِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا» إِلَى آخِرِ سَبْعِ آيَاتٍ فَإِنَّهَا نَزَلَتْ بِمَكَّةَ وَالْأَصَحُّ أَنَّهَا نَزَلَتْ بِالْمَدِينَةِ، وَإِنْ كَانَتِ الْوَاقِعَةُ بِمَكَّةَ. ﴿يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَنْفَالِ قُلِ الْأَنْفَالُ لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَصْلِحُوا ذَاتَ بَيْنِكُمْ وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ (١) ﴾ ﴿يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَنْفَالِ﴾ الْآيَةَ، قَالَ أَهْلُ التَّفْسِيرِ: سَبَبُ نُزُولِ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ هُوَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ يَوْمَ بَدْرٍ: "مَنْ أَتَى مَكَانَ كَذَا فَلَهُ مِنَ النَّفْلِ كَذَا وَمَنْ قَتَلَ قَتِيلًا فَلَهُ كَذَا وَمَنْ أَسَرَ أَسِيرًا فَلَهُ كَذَا"، فَلَمَّا الْتَقَوْا تَسَارَعَ إِلَيْهِ الشُّبَّانُ وَأَقَامَ الشُّيُوخُ وَوُجُوهُ النَّاسِ عِنْدَ الرَّايَاتِ، فَلَمَّا فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ جَاءُوا يَطْلُبُونَ مَا جَعَلَ لَهُمُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ، فَقَالَ الْأَشْيَاخُ: كُنَّا رِدْءًا لَكُمْ وَلَوِ انْهَزَمْتُمْ لَانْحَزْتُمْ إِلَيْنَا، فَلَا تَذْهَبُوا بِالْغَنَائِمِ دُونَنَا، وَقَامَ أَبُو الْيَسَرِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو الْأَنْصَارِيُّ أَخُو بَنِي سَلَمَةَ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّكَ وَعَدْتَ أَنَّ مَنْ قَتَلَ قَتِيلًا فَلَهُ كَذَا وَمَنْ أَسَرَ أَسِيرًا فَلَهُ كَذَا وَإِنَّا قَدْ قَتَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ سَبْعِينَ وَأَسَرْنَا مِنْهُمْ سَبْعِينَ، فَقَامَ سَعْدُ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ ﵁ فَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا مَنَعَنَا أَنْ نَطْلُبَ مَا طَلَبَ هَؤُلَاءِ زَهَادَةً فِي الأجر ولا جبن عَنِ الْعَدُوِّ، وَلَكِنْ كَرِهْنَا أَنْ نُعَرِّيَ مَصَافَّكَ [فَيَعْطِفُ عَلَيْهِ] (١) خَيْلٌ من المشركين ١٤٣/ب فَيُصِيبُوكَ، فَأَعْرَضَ

(١) في "ب": (فتعطف علينا) .