| | George Sale rendition of Surah The Spoils of War(al-Anfal)
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| 8:1 | | They ask thee concerning the spoils. Say, 'The spoils of war are for God and the Messenger. So fear God, and set things right among yourselves, and obey God and His Messenger, if you are believers. |
| 8:2 | | They are only the true believers whose hearts tremble when the name of God is mentioned, and when His Signs are recited to them they increase their faith, and who put their trust in their Lord |
| 8:3 | | Who observe Prayer and spend out of that which We have provided for them |
| 8:4 | | These it is who are true believers. They have exalted grades of rank with their Lord, as well as forgiveness and an honourable provision |
| 8:5 | | This is because thy Lord has brought thee forth from thy house for a righteous purpose while a party of the believers were quite averse to it |
| 8:6 | | They (the disbelievers) dispute with thee concerning the truth after it has become manifest, as though they are being driven to death while they actually see it |
| 8:7 | | And remember when God promised you one of the two parties that it should be yours, and you wished that the one unarmed should be yours, but God desired to establish the Truth by His words and to cut off the root of the disbelievers |
| 8:8 | | That He might establish the Truth and bring to naught that which is false, although the guilty may dislike it |
| 8:9 | | When you implored the help of your Lord, and He answered your prayer saying, 'I will surely help you with a thousand of the angels, rank on rank. |
| 8:10 | | And God made it only as a glad tidings so that your hearts might be at rest. But help comes from God alone; surely God is Mighty, Wise |
| 8:11 | | And when He caused sleep to come upon you as a sign of security from Him, and He sent down water upon you from the clouds, that thereby He might purify you, and remove from you the uncleanliness of Satan, and that He might strengthen your hearts and make your steps firm therewith |
| 8:12 | | When thy Lord revealed to the angels, saying, 'I am with you; so make firm those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Smite them above their necks, and smite off all finger-tips. |
| 8:13 | | That is because they have opposed God and His Messenger. And whoso opposes God and His Messenger, Then God is surely Severe in retribution |
| 8:14 | | That is your punishment, taste it then; and remember that for disbelievers there is the punishment of the Fire |
| 8:15 | | O ye who believe! when you meet those who disbelieve, advancing in force, turn not your backs to them |
| 8:16 | | And whoso turns his back to them on such a day, unless manoeuvring for battle or turning to join another company, he indeed draws upon himself the wrath of God, and Hell shall be his abode. And an evil resort it is |
| 8:17 | | So you slew them not; but it was God Who slew them. And thou threwest not when thou didst throw, but it was God Who threw, that He might overthrow the disbelievers and that He might confer on the believers a great favour from Himself. Surely, God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing |
| 8:18 | | That is what happened; And know that God will weaken the design of the disbelievers |
| 8:19 | | If you, O disbelievers, sort a judgment, then judgment has indeed come to you. And if you desist, it will be better for you; but if you return to mischief, We too will return to punishment. And your party shall be of no avail to you, however numerous it be, and know that God is with the believers |
| 8:20 | | O ye who believe! obey God and His Messenger, and do not turn away from him while you hear his commands |
| 8:21 | | And be not like those who say, 'We hear,' but they hear not |
| 8:22 | | Surely, the worst of beasts in the sight of God are the deaf and the dumb, who have no sense |
| 8:23 | | And if God had known any good in them, He would certainly have made them hear. And if He now makes them hear, they will turn away in aversion |
| 8:24 | | O ye who believe! respond to God, and the Messenger when he calls you that he may give you life, and know that God comes in between a man and his heart, and that He it is unto Whom you will be gathered |
| 8:25 | | And beware of an affliction which will surely not smite exclusively those among you who have done wrong. And know that God is Severe in requiting |
| 8:26 | | And remember when you were a few and deemed weak in the land, and were in fear lest people should snatch you away, but He sheltered you and strengthened you with His help, and provided you with good things that you might be thankful |
| 8:27 | | O ye who believe! prove not false to God and the Messenger, nor betray your trusts knowingly |
| 8:28 | | And know that your possessions and your children are but a trial and that it is God with Whom is a great reward |
| 8:29 | | O ye who believe! if you do your duty to God, He will grant you a distinction and will remove your evils from you and will forgive you; and God is the Lord of great bounty |
| 8:30 | | And remember when the disbelievers devised plans against thee that they might put thee in confinement or slay thee or expel thee. And they planned and God also planned, and God is the Best of planners |
| 8:31 | | And when Our verses are recited to them, they say, 'We have heard. If we wished we could certainly say the like of it. This is nothing but mere tales of the ancients |
| 8:32 | | And remember the time when they said, 'O God, if this be indeed the truth from Thee, then rain down upon us stones from heaven or bring down upon us a grievous punishment. |
| 8:33 | | But God would not punish them while thou wast among them, and God would not punish them while they sought forgiveness |
| 8:34 | | And what excuse have they now that God should not punish them, when they hinder men from the Sacred Mosque, and they are not its true guardians? Its true guardians are only those who are righteous, but most of them know not |
| 8:35 | | And their prayer at the Sacred House is nothing but whistling and clapping of hands. 'Taste then the punishment because you disbelieved. |
| 8:36 | | Surely, those who disbelieve, spend their wealth to turn people away from the way of God. They will surely continue to spend it; but then shall it become a source of regret for them, and then shall they be overcome. And the disbelievers shall be gathered unto Hell |
| 8:37 | | That God may separate the bad from the good, and put the bad, one upon another, and heap them up altogether, and then cast them into Hell. These indeed are the losers |
| 8:38 | | Say to those who disbelieve, if they desist, that which is past will be forgiven them; and if they return to their misdeeds, then verily the example of the former peoples has already gone before them |
| 8:39 | | And fight them until there is no persecution and religion is wholly to God. But if they desist, then surely God is Watchful of what they do |
| 8:40 | | And if they turn back, then know that God is your Protector -- an excellent protector and an excellent Helper |
| 8:41 | | And know that whenever ye gain any spoils, a fifth part thereof belongeth unto God, and to the apostle, and his kindred, and the orphans, and the poor, and the traveller; if ye believe in God, and that which we have sent down unto our servant on the day of distinction, on the day whereon the two armies met: And God is almighty |
| 8:42 | | When ye were incamped on the hithermost side of the valley, and they were incamped on the further side, and the caravan was below you; and if ye had mutually appointed to come to a battle, ye would certainly have declined the appointment; but ye were brought to an engagement without any previous appointment, that God might accomplish the thing which was decreed to be done, that he who perisheth hereafter may perish after demonstrative evidence, and that he who liveth may live by the same evidence God both heareth and knoweth |
| 8:43 | | When thy Lord caused the enemy to appear unto thee in thy sleep, few in number; and if He had caused them to appear numerous unto thee, ye would have been disheartened and would have disputed concerning the matter: But God preserved you from this; for He knoweth the innermost parts of the breasts of men |
| 8:44 | | And when He caused them to appear unto you, when ye met, to be few in your eyes; and diminished your numbers in their eyes; that God might accomplish the thing which was decreed to be done: And unto God shall all things return |
| 8:45 | | O true believers, when ye meet a party of the infidels, stand firm, and remember God frequently, that ye may prosper |
| 8:46 | | And obey God and his apostle, and be not refractory, lest ye be discouraged, and your success depart from you; but persevere with patience, for God is with those who persevere |
| 8:47 | | And be not as those who went out of their houses in an insolent manner, and to appear with ostentation unto men, and turned aside from the way of God; for God comprehendeth that which they do |
| 8:48 | | And remember when Satan prepared their works for them, and said, no man shall prevail against you to day; and I will surely be near to assist you. But when the two armies appeared in sight of each other, he turned back on his heels, and said, verily I am clear of you: I certainly see that which ye see not; I fear God, for God is severe in punishing |
| 8:49 | | When the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts there was an infirmity, said, their religion hath deceived these men: But whosoever confideth in God cannot be deceived; for God is mighty and wise |
| 8:50 | | And if thou didst behold when the angels cause the unbelievers to die: They strike their faces and their backs, and say unto them, taste ye the pain of burning |
| 8:51 | | This shall ye suffer for that which your hands have sent before you; and because God is not unjust towards his servants |
| 8:52 | | These have acted according to the wont of the people of Pharaoh, and of those before them, who disbelieved in the signs of God: Therefore God took them away in their iniquity; for God is mighty, and severe in punishing |
| 8:53 | | This hath come to pass because God changeth not his grace, wherewith He hath favoured any people, until they change that which is in their souls; and for that God both heareth and seeth |
| 8:54 | | According to the wont of the people of Pharaoh, and of those before them, who charged the signs of their Lord with imposture, have they acted: Wherefore We destroyed them in their sins, and We drowned the people of Pharaoh; for they were all unjust persons |
| 8:55 | | Verily the worst cattle in the sight of God are those who are obstinate infidels, and will not believe |
| 8:56 | | As to those who enter into a league with thee, and afterwards violate their league at every convenient opportunity, and fear not God |
| 8:57 | | if thou take them in war, disperse, by making them an example, those who shall come after them, that they may be warned |
| 8:58 | | or if thou apprehend treachery from any people, throw back their league unto them, with like treatment; for God loveth not the treacherous |
| 8:59 | | And think not that the unbelievers have escaped God's vengeance, for they shall not weaken the power of God |
| 8:60 | | Therefore prepare against them what force ye are able, and troops of horse, whereby ye may strike a terror into the enemy of God, and your enemy, and into other infidels besides them, whom ye know not, but God knoweth them. And whatsoever ye shall expend in the defence of the religion of God, it shall be repaid unto you, and ye shall not be treated unjustly |
| 8:61 | | And if they incline unto peace, do thou also incline thereto; and put thy confidence in God, for it is He who heareth and knoweth |
| 8:62 | | But if they seek to deceive thee, verily God will be thy support. It is He who hath strengthened thee with his help, and with that of the faithful |
| 8:63 | | and hath united their hearts. If thou hadst expended whatever riches are in the earth, thou couldest not have united their hearts, but God united them; for He is mighty and wise |
| 8:64 | | O prophet, God is thy support, and such of the true believers who followeth thee |
| 8:65 | | O prophet, stir up the faithful to war: If twenty of you persevere with constancy, they shall overcome two hundred, and of there be one hundred of you, they shall overcome a thousand of those who believe not; because they are a people which do not understand |
| 8:66 | | Now hath God eased you, for He knew that ye were weak. If there be an hundred of you who persevere with constancy, they shall overcome two hundred; and if there be a thousand of you, they shall overcome two thousand, by the permission of God; for God is with those who persevere |
| 8:67 | | It hath not been granted unto any prophet, that he should possess captives, until he had made a great slaughter of the infidels in the earth. Ye seek the accidental goods of this world, but God regardeth the life to come; and God is mighty and wise |
| 8:68 | | Unless a revelation had been previously delivered from God, verily a severe punishment had been inflicted on you, for the ransom which ye took from the captives at Bedr |
| 8:69 | | Eat therefore of what ye have acquired, that which is lawful, and good; for God is gracious and merciful |
| 8:70 | | O prophet, say unto the captives who are in your hands, if God shall know any good to be in your hearts, He will give you better than what hath been taken from you; and He will forgive you, for God is gracious and merciful |
| 8:71 | | But if they seek to deceive thee, verily they have deceived God before; wherefore He hath given thee power over them: And God is knowing and wise |
| 8:72 | | Moreover they who have believed, and have fled their country, and employed their substance and their persons in fighting for the religion of God, and they who have given the prophet a refuge among them, and have assisted him, these shall be deemed the one nearest of kin to the other. But they who have believed, but have not fled their country, shall have no right of kindred at all with you, until they also fly. Yet if they ask assistance of you on account of religion, it belongeth unto you to give them assistance; except against a people between whom and yourselves there shall be a league subsisting: And God seeth that which ye do |
| 8:73 | | And as to the infidels, let them be deemed of kin the one to the other. Unless ye do this, there will be a sedition in the earth, and grievous corruption |
| 8:74 | | But as for them who have believed, and left their country, and have fought for God's true religion, and who have allowed the prophet a retreat among them, and have assisted him, these are really believers; they shall receive mercy, and an honourable provision |
| 8:75 | | And they who have believed since, and have fled their country, and have fought with you, these also are of you. And those who are related by consanguinity shall be deemed the nearest of kin to each other, preferably to strangers, according to the book of God; God knoweth all things |
