Al-Anfâl (Surah 8)

Introduction

This sûrah was revealed in Medina to explain how the spoils of war should be distributed following the believers’ victory over the Meccan pagans at Badr in 2 A.H./624 C.E. The sûrah urges the believers to be true to Allah and His Messenger, reminding them of how they were outnumbered but Allah sent down angels for their aid. It is made clear that although victory comes only from Allah, the believers should always be ready to defend themselves and be open for peace. The pagans are warned that their plots to hinder others from Allah’s Way and oppose the truth will only end in failure—a theme emphasized in both the previous and the following sûrahs. In the Name of Allah—the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful