(1–4) “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. They ask you about the spoils of war. Say, ‘The spoils belong to Allah and the Messenger. So fear Allah, set matters right among yourselves, and obey Allah and His Messenger if you are believers.’ The believers are only those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned, whose faith increases when His verses are recited to them, and who place their trust in their Lord; those who establish prayer and spend from what We have provided them. It is they who are truly believers. They will have high ranks with their Lord, forgiveness, and a generous provision.”
The spoils are the gains that Allah grants this nation from the wealth of the disbelievers. These verses of this surah were revealed concerning the account of “Badr,” the first major spoils that the Muslims took from the polytheists. A dispute concerning them arose among some of the Muslims, so they asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, about them. Allah then revealed: “They ask you about the spoils”—how are they to be divided, and among whom?
“Say” to them: “The spoils belong to Allah and the Messenger,” who allocate them as they will. You therefore have no right to object to the ruling of Allah and His Messenger. Rather, when Allah and His Messenger rule, you must be content with their ruling and submit the matter to them. This is included in the words, “So fear Allah,” by obeying His commands and avoiding His prohibitions.
“Set matters right among yourselves”; that is, rectify the hostility, estrangement, and mutual aversion between you by showing affection and love toward one another and maintaining ties. In this way, you will become united, and the quarrelling, strife, and contention caused by estrangement will disappear.
Setting relations right also includes displaying good character toward others and pardoning those among them who do wrong. This removes much of the hatred and aversion harbored in people’s hearts. The comprehensive command embracing all of this is: “Obey Allah and His Messenger if you are believers.” Faith calls one to obey Allah and His Messenger, just as one who does not obey Allah and His Messenger is not a believer.
Anyone whose obedience to Allah and His Messenger is deficient has a corresponding deficiency in faith. Faith is of two kinds: complete faith, which entails praise, commendation, and perfect success; and faith below that level. Allah therefore described complete faith, saying: “The believers are only those…” The definite article here is comprehensive, embracing all the prescribed qualities of faith.
“Whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned”; that is, they become fearful and awed. Their fear of Allah Most High thus causes them to refrain from what He has forbidden, for the greatest sign of fearing Allah Most High is that it restrains a person from sin.
“Whose faith increases when His verses are recited to them.” This is because they listen attentively to them and engage their hearts in contemplating them, whereupon their faith increases. Reflection is itself one of the deeds of the heart. Moreover, it will inevitably clarify for them a meaning they did not know, remind them of something they had forgotten, or inspire in their hearts a desire for goodness and a longing for their Lord’s honor—or fear of punishment and an aversion to sin. All of these are means by which faith increases.
“And who place their trust in their Lord” alone, who has no partner. That is, their hearts rely upon their Lord to secure their religious and worldly interests and repel their religious and worldly harms, and they trust that Allah Most High will do so.
Reliance upon Allah is the driving force behind every deed: deeds can neither exist nor be perfected without it.
“Those who establish prayer”—both obligatory and voluntary—performing its outward and inward acts, such as the heart’s presence during it, which is the spirit and essence of prayer. “And spend from what We have provided them”: this includes obligatory expenditures, such as zakat, expiations, and maintenance of wives, relatives, and those whom their right hands possess, as well as recommended expenditures, such as charity in every avenue of goodness.
“It is they”—those characterized by these qualities—“who are truly believers,” for they combine Islam and faith, inward and outward deeds, knowledge and action, and the fulfillment of the rights of Allah and those of His servants. Allah Most High mentioned the deeds of the heart first because they are the foundation of the deeds of the limbs and are superior to them. This passage also proves that faith increases and decreases: it increases through obedience and decreases through its opposite.
A servant should therefore tend to his faith and nurture its growth. The foremost means of accomplishing this is to contemplate the Book of Allah Most High and reflect upon its meanings. Allah then mentioned the reward of the true believers: “They will have high ranks with their Lord”; that is, lofty ranks corresponding to the loftiness of their deeds; “forgiveness” for their sins; “and a generous provision,” namely, what Allah has prepared for them in the abode of His honor—what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has ever conceived.
This indicates that anyone who reaches their rank in faith—even if he enters Paradise—will not attain the perfect honor from Allah that they attained.