Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (3/325)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah reported from Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: “The spoils belonged exclusively to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him; no one else had any share in them. Whatever the Muslim detachments acquired, they would bring to him; and whoever withheld from it even a needle or a thread had committed misappropriation of war booty.” (1)

His saying, “They ask you about the spoils,” means: they ask you about the ruling regarding the spoils and their status. This was a question seeking information, not a request. It was also said that it was a request, as al-Dahhak and ‘Ikrimah held. His saying, “about the spoils,” means “from the spoils,” with “about” carrying the meaning of “from.” It was also said that the preposition is merely connective—meaning, “They ask you for the spoils.” This is likewise the recitation of Ibn Mas‘ud, who omitted the preposition.

The spoils are war booty; its singular form denotes an additional gift, and its original meaning is increase. One may say, “I gave you an additional amount.” Spoils were called additional gifts because they are a special bounty which Allah, Exalted is He, granted as an increase to this community.

Most exegetes hold that the verse concerns the spoils of Badr. ‘Ata’ said: It refers to whatever comes from the polytheists to the Muslims without fighting—whether a male slave, a female slave, or goods. It belongs to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to dispose of as he wills.

His saying, Exalted is He, “Say: ‘The spoils belong to Allah and the Messenger’”—[he apportions them as he wills] (2)—was a matter concerning which they differed. Mujahid, ‘Ikrimah, and al-Suddi said: This verse was abrogated by His saying, Exalted is He: “And know that whatever spoils you obtain, one-fifth thereof is for Allah and the Messenger”—the rest of the verse. On that day, the spoils belonged to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, then Allah, Exalted is He, abrogated this ruling through the one-fifth. (3)

‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam said: It remains in force and has not been abrogated. The meaning of the verse is: Say: “The spoils belong to Allah in this world and the Hereafter, and to the Messenger,” who disposes of them where Allah, Exalted is He, has commanded him. That is, authority over them belongs to Allah and His Messenger. Allah has explained the proper channels for their distribution in His saying, Exalted is He: “And know that whatever spoils you obtain, one-fifth thereof is for Allah”—the rest of the verse. (4)

(1) Al-Tabari, 13:378; al-Bayhaqi, 6:293, at greater length. Al-Suyuti also attributed it to Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, and Ibn Mardawayh. See al-Durr al-Manthur, 4:8. Its chain of transmission is disconnected, because Ali ibn Abi Talhah did not hear any tafsir from Ibn Abbas. (2) In manuscript B: “they divide it between themselves as they wish.” (3) See al-Nasikh wa al-Mansukh by Abu al-Qasim Hibat ibn Salamah, pp. 48-49. This was also reported from Mujahid and Ikrimah. See al-Tabari, 13:380-381. (4) Reported by al-Tabari, 13:381. He held that the verse is definitive and not abrogated, stating: “The correct view is that Allah, exalted is His praise, informed us that He assigned the anfal (discretionary awards from war booty) to His Prophet, who may grant them to whomever he wishes. Thus, he awarded the killer the salab (the belongings stripped from a slain enemy), assigned one quarter to the army at the outset of a military expedition, and one third upon its return, after the khums (one-fifth levy). On some campaigns, he also granted certain men, in addition to their allotted shares, one camel each. Allah, exalted is He, therefore entrusted the ruling concerning the anfal to His Prophet, to distribute them as he deemed conducive to the welfare of the Muslims. The imams who came after him must follow his sunnah in this matter. There is no evidence in the verse that its ruling has been abrogated, since it can bear the meaning we have described. It is not permissible to rule that a Quranic ordinance has been abrogated except on the basis of proof that must be accepted. We have demonstrated elsewhere in our books that nothing is abrogated unless a subsequent ruling contrary to it nullifies it, excluding all its possible meanings, or unless a report provides conclusive evidence that one of the two rulings abrogates the other.”

وَقَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ﵄ قَالَ: كَانَتِ الْمَغَانِمُ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَاصَّةً لَيْسَ لِأَحَدٍ فِيهَا شَيْءٌ، وَمَا أَصَابَ سَرَايَا الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ أَتَوْهُ بِهِ فَمَنْ حَبَسَ مِنْهُ إِبْرَةً أَوْ سِلْكًا فَهُوَ غُلُولٌ (١) . قَوْلُهُ: ﴿يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَنْفَالِ﴾ أَيْ: عَنْ حُكْمِ الْأَنْفَالِ وَعِلْمِهَا، وَهُوَ سُؤَالُ اسْتِخْبَارٍ لَا سُؤَالُ طَلَبٍ، وَقِيلَ: هُوَ سُؤَالُ طَلَبٍ. قَالَهُ الضَّحَّاكُ وَعِكْرِمَةُ. وَقَوْلُهُ: ﴿عَنِ الْأَنْفَالِ﴾ أَيْ: مِنَ الْأَنْفَالِ، عَنْ بِمَعْنَى مِنْ. وَقِيلَ: عَنْ صِلَةٌ أَيْ: يَسْأَلُونَكَ الْأَنْفَالَ، وَهَكَذَا قِرَاءَةُ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ بِحَذْفِ عَنْ. وَالْأَنْفَالُ: الْغَنَائِمُ، وَاحِدُهَا: نَفَلٌ، وَأَصْلُهُ الزِّيَادَةُ، يُقَالُ: نَفَلْتُكَ وَأَنْفَلْتُكَ، أَيْ: زِدْتُكَ، سُمِّيَتِ الْغَنَائِمُ أَنْفَالًا لِأَنَّهَا زِيَادَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى لِهَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ عَلَى الْخُصُوصِ. وَأَكْثَرُ الْمُفَسِّرِينَ عَلَى أَنَّ الْآيَةَ فِي غَنَائِمَ بَدْرٍ. وَقَالَ عَطَاءٌ: هِيَ مَا شَذَّ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ إِلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ بِغَيْرِ قِتَالٍ، مِنْ عَبْدٍ أَوْ أَمَةٍ وَمَتَاعٍ فَهُوَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ يَصْنَعُ بِهِ مَا شَاءَ. قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿قُلِ الْأَنْفَالُ لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ﴾ [يَقْسِمُهَا كَمَا شَاءَ] (٢) وَاخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ، فَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ وَعِكْرِمَةُ وَالسُّدِّيُّ: هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ مَنْسُوخَةٌ بِقَوْلِهِ ﷿: "وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا غَنِمْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَأَنَّ لِلَّهِ خُمُسَهُ وَلِلرَّسُولِ" الْآيَةَ. كَانَتِ الْغَنَائِمُ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَنَسَخَهَا اللَّهُ ﷿ بِالْخُمُسِ (٣) . وَقَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ: هِيَ ثَابِتَةٌ غَيْرُ مَنْسُوخَةٍ، وَمَعْنَى الْآيَةِ: قُلِ الْأَنْفَالُ لِلَّهِ مَعَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ يَضَعُهَا حَيْثُ أَمَرَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى، أَيْ: الْحُكْمُ فِيهَا لِلَّهِ وَلِرَسُولِهِ، وَقَدْ بَيَّنَ اللَّهُ مَصَارِفَهَا فِي قَوْلِهِ ﷿: "وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا غَنِمْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَأَنَّ لِلَّهِ خُمُسَهُ" الْآيَةَ (٤) .

(١) الطبري: ١٣ / ٣٧٨، والبيهقي: ٦ / ٢٩٣ مطولا، وعزاه السيوطي أيضا لابن المنذر، وابن أبي حاتم، وابن مردويه: الدر المنثور: ٤ / ٨. وإسناده منقطع لأن علي بن أبي طلحة لم يسمع تفسير من ابن عباس. (٢) في "ب": (يقسمانها كما شاءا) . (٣) انظر: الناسخ والمنسوخ، لأبي القاسم هبة بن سلامة، ص (٤٨-٤٩) ، وهو مروي عن مجاهد وعكرمة. انظر: الطبري: ١٣ / ٣٨٠-٣٨١. (٤) أخرجه الطبري: ١٣ / ٣٨١، ورجح أنها محكمة غير منسوخة فقال: "والصواب من القول في ذلك أن يقال: إن الله جل ثناؤه أخبر أنه جعل الأنفال لنبيه ﷺ، ينفّل من شاء، فنفّل القاتل السَّلَبَ وجعل للجيش في البدأة (ابتداء سفر الغزو) الربع، وفي الرجعة الثلث بعد الخمس. ونفّل قوما بعد سهمانهم بعيرا بعيرا في بعض المغازي. فجعل الله تعالى ذكره حكم الأنفال إلى نبيه ﷺ، ينفل على ما يرى مما فيه صلاح المسلمين، وعلى من بعده من الأئمة أن يستنوا بسنته في ذلك. وليس في الآية دليل على أن حكمها منسوخ، لاحتمالها ما ذكرت من المعنى الذي وصفت، وغير جائز أن يحكم بحكم قد نزل به القرآن أنه منسوخ، إلا بحجة يجب التسليم لها، فقد دللنا في غير موضع من كتبنا أن لا منسوخ إلا ما أبطل حكمه حادث حكم بخلافه، ينفيه من كل معانيه، أو يأتي خبر يوجب الحجة أن أحدهما ناسخ للآخر".