Surah Al-Anfaal
Chapter 8 · Verse 41 · Revealed in Madinah
“And know that anything you obtain of war booty - then indeed, for Allah is one fifth of it and for the Messenger and for [his] near relatives and the orphans, the needy, and the [stranded] traveler, if you have believed in Allah and in that which We sent down to Our Servant on the day of criterion - the day when the two armies met. And Allah, over all things, is competent.”
Translation: Saheeh International
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Mishary Rashid Alafasy
Reflection — Ibn Kathir
Ruling on the Spoils of War (Ghanimah and Fai )
Allah explains the spoils of war in detail, as He has specifically allowed it for this honorable Ummah over all others. We should mention that the `Ghanimah' refers to war spoils captured from the disbelievers, using armies and instruments of war. As for `Fai', it refers to the property of the disbelievers that they forfeit in return for peace, what they leave behind when they die and have no one to inherit from them, and the Jizyah (tribute tax) and Khiraj (property tax). Allah said,
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا غَنِمْتُم مِّن شَىْءٍ فَأَنَّ للَّهِ خُمُسَهُ
Reflection — Maarif ul Quran
Commentary
Mentioned in this verse are injunctions of spoils and the law of their distribution. Before we take up the subject in detail, let us under-stand some important words first.
What does this verse bring up for you today?