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yasʾalūnaka ʿani l-ʾanfāli quli l-ʾanfālu li-llāhi wa-r-rasūli fa-ttaqū llāha wa-ʾaṣliḥū dhāta baynikum wa-ʾaṭīʿū llāha wa-rasūlahū ʾin kuntum muʾminīna
They ask you concerning the anfaal. Say, ‘The anfaal belong to Allah and the Apostle.’ So be wary of Allah and settle your differences, and obey Allah and His Apostle, should you be faithful.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-Anfal – Verse 1
In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful
1 . “They ask you about ‘Anfal’. Say: ‘Anfal’, belong to Allah and the Messenger; so be in awe of Allah, and set aright the relations between yourselves, and obey Allah and His Messenger if you do believe’.”
The Arabic word /su’ al (question) and its derivations have been mentioned about 130 times in the Qur'an, where the Arabic phrase /yas' alunaka/ (they ask you) is found in its 15 occurrences. The Arabic term /' anfal/ is the plural form of /nafl/ with the sense of ‘excessive’ and ‘remission’. A gracious man who remits very much is called in Arabic /nufil/.The progeny which was remitted to Abraham (as) has been counted as a superervogation. The Qur'an says:
In technical terminology of the Islamic jurisprudence, the meaning of the Arabic word ‘anfal’ encompasses: natural resources’ public wealth, the spoils of war, the wealth whose owner is unknown, like a land whose owner has left it out, the properties of the heirless dead, forests, valleys, reed-beds, unprofitable lands, mines, and so on. According to what the history denotes, when the Battle of Badr was ended, there remained some spoils of war for the Muslims. The opinions were divided that what should be done with the spoils, to whom they belonged, and who were the first that had precedence.
Then, the Prophet of Allah (S) himself began dividing the spoils of the war. He gave them to all concerning persons justly and equally in order to remove the undue discriminations of the Age of Ignorance, and to support the oppressed, though some individuals were annoyed of that equality. Since the Surah is wholly about the Battle of Badr, this verse refers to the spoils of war, too, but it does not exclusively belong to it.1
Explanations
1- Public wealth should be in the authority of the most sacred and the most beloved persons.
2- An Islamic system, or an Islamic government, needs an economical support, and ‘Anfal’ are considered as this support. 3- In an Islamic Community, the source of answering and stating all the public questions and economical affairs is the divine leader. In the societies before Islam, the method of dividing spoils of war was arranged upon the basis of some undue discrimination. Therefore, in the Battle of Badr, which was the first occasion where the Muslims obtained some spoils of war, they asked this question from the Messenger of Allah (S).
4- In Islam, there are laws for everything, even for the unprofitable deserts. 5- Whatever the Messenger of Allah (S) spends is around the pivot of the divine aims:
Imam Sadiq (as) said:
“The share of Allah is spent under the control of the Messenger of Allah (S).”
6- The protection of public wealth needs Purity and piety. The verse continues saying:
7- To observe the unity and to make peace between people are obligatory for all believers. The Qur'an says:
8- Belief not only exists in the heart, but also has an outward manifestation and practical obedience. The verse says:
9- Only taking part in fight is not the sign of Faith. It’s necessary conditions are also to give up hope unto the spoils of war, and observing brotherhood and submission before the divine leader.
10. Some persons may pass the examination of giving soul by attending the Holy Struggle, but sometimes they fail in the trial of spending wealth and in the trial of division of the spoils of war as well. For, the main principal in the Holy Struggle is the triumph of the Truth against the falsehood. Then, the question of ‘the spoils of war’ is of the secondary importance.
11- The person who wishes and intends to improve his society must himself be of the pious ones:
Basically, among the most important actions in Islam are reconciliation, creation of good relation, wiping out the annoyances and enmities and changing them into sincerity and friendship. This subject has been taken so important in the Islamic teachings that it has been introduced as one of the most exalted practices. When Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (as) was in the bed of martyrdom, as his last testaments to his children, he said:
“Verily I heard from your ancestor, the Prophet (S) who said: ‘Reconciliation is better than the kinds of recommended prayer and fasting’.” 2
Some Islamic traditions indicate that the reward of reconciliation between people is much more than that of the recommended prayer and fasting. Imam Sadiq (as) told Mufaddal:
“If there happens a conflict between two persons of our followers, spend out of my wealth and produce reconciliation between them.” 3
Footnotes