The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

Battle Gains
113
8: 52

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God’s signs, so God punished them for their sins: God is strong and
severe in His punishment. 
53[He did] this because God would never
change a favour He had conferred on a people unless they changed
what was within themselves. God is all hearing, all knowing. 
54They
are indeed like Pharaoh’s people and those before them, who denied
the signs of their Lord: We destroyed them for their sins, and We
drowned Pharaoh’s people –
– they were all evildoers.
55The worst creatures in the sight of God are those who reject
Him and will not believe; 
56who, whenever you [Prophet] make a
treaty with them, break it, for they have no fear of God. 
57If you
meet them in battle, make a fearsome example of them to those
who come after them, so that they may take heed. 
58And if you
learn of treachery on the part of any people, throw their treaty
back at them, for God does not love the treacherous. 
59The dis-
believers should not think they have won; they cannot escape.
60Prepare whatever forces you [believers] can muster, including
warhorses, to frighten o
ff God’s enemies and yours, and warn
others unknown to you but known to God. Whatever you give in
God’s cause will be repaid to you in full, and you will not be
wronged. 
61But if they incline towards peace, you [Prophet] must
also incline towards it, and put your trust in God: He is the All
Hearing, the All Knowing. 
62If they intend to deceive you, God is
enough for you: it was He who strengthened you with His help,
63and with the believers, and brought their hearts together. Even if
you had given away everything in the earth you could not have done
this, but God brought them together: God is mighty and wise.
64Prophet, God is enough for you, and for the believers who follow
you. 
65Prophet, urge the believers to fight: if there are twenty of you
who are steadfast, they will overcome two hundred, and a hundred
of you, if steadfast, will overcome a thousand of the disbelievers, for
they are people who do not understand. 
66But God has lightened
your burden for now, knowing that there is weakness in you –
– a
steadfast hundred of you will defeat two hundred and a steadfast
thousand of you will defeat two thousand, by God’s permission:
God is with the steadfast.
67It is not right for a prophet to take captives before he has
a
Translators use ‘if you fear’, but one of the old meanings of khafa is ‘to know’ and
‘to be certain’.
The Qur
an
8: 53
114

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conquered the battle
field. You [people] desire the transient goods of
this world, but God desires the Hereafter [for you] –
– God is mighty
and wise –
–
68and had it not been preordained by God, a severe pun-
ishment would have come upon you for what you have taken. 
69So
enjoy
a
in a good and lawful manner the things you have gained in
war and be mindful of God: He is forgiving and merciful.
70Prophet, tell those you have taken captive, ‘If God knows of
any good in your hearts, He will give you something better than what
has been taken from you, and He will forgive you: God is forgiving
and merciful.’
71But if they mean to betray you, they have betrayed
God before, and He has given you mastery over them: He is all
knowing, all wise.
72Those who believed and emigrated [to Medina] and struggled
for God’s cause with their possessions and persons, and those who
gave refuge and help, are all allies of one another. As for those
who believed but did not emigrate, you are not responsible for their
protection until they have done so. But if they seek help from you
against persecution, it is your duty to assist them, except against
people with whom you have a treaty: God sees all that you do.
73The disbelievers support one another. If you do not do the same,
there will be persecution in the land and great corruption. 
74Those
who believed and emigrated, and struggled for God’s cause, and
those who gave refuge and help –
– they are the true believers and they
will have forgiveness and generous provision. 
75And those who came
to believe afterwards, and emigrated and struggled alongside you,
they are part of you, but relatives still have prior claim over one
another in God’s Scripture: God has full knowledge of all things.