سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْفَالِ

Surah Al-Anfaal (8) — Ayah 20

The Spoils of War · Medinan · Juz 9 · Page 179

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ وَلَا تَوَلَّوْا۟ عَنْهُ وَأَنتُمْ تَسْمَعُونَ ﴿20﴾
O you who believe! Obey Allâh and His Messenger, and turn not away from him (i.e. Messenger Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) while you are hearing.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا yāayyuhā O you
ٱلَّذِينَ alladhīna who
ءَامَنُوٓا۟ āmanū believe
أَطِيعُوا۟ aṭīʿū Obey
ٱللَّهَ l-laha Allah
وَرَسُولَهُۥ warasūlahu and His Messenger
وَلَا walā And (do) not
تَوَلَّوْا۟ tawallaw turn away
عَنْهُ ʿanhu from him
وَأَنتُمْ wa-antum while you
تَسْمَعُونَ tasmaʿūna hear

Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

(Ayah 20) ➊ {يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْۤا اَطِيْعُوا اللّٰهَ وَ رَسُوْلَهٗ … : } After warning the disbelievers, now the Muslims are being instructed that when you come to know the command of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in any matter, then do not listen to anyone against it, rather obey it. First, the obedience to Allah is mentioned as a preface, because obedience to the Messenger is also obedience to Allah. At the beginning of the Surah, in order to end the dispute regarding the spoils of war, the declaration of «{ قُلِ الْاَنْفَالُ لِلّٰهِ وَ الرَّسُوْلِ was made and obedience to the Messenger was made a condition of faith. Then, in between, His favors were mentioned, and now the previous discourse is again concluded with the instruction of obedience.

{ وَ اَنْتُمْ تَسْمَعُوْنَ:} This does not mean that when you are listening, you should not turn away from it at that time, but at other times you may turn away. Rather, it means that you are always hearing the commands of Allah in the form of the Qur’an and Hadith. If you have not heard, or do not have knowledge, then there may be an excuse, but after hearing the command, not acting upon it does not befit the believers. The person who himself does not act upon the command after hearing it, how will he accept it if the command reaches him through someone else?

Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

The exegesis of this verse has been done along with the previous verse.

Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

20. O you who believe! Obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not turn away from him after hearing (his command) [19].

[19] In the previous verse, it was stated that "Allah is with the believers." Here, the praise of such believers is repeated, meaning those believers who, under no circumstances, disobey the command of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, whether they see benefit or harm in it. Just as there was a group among the Muslims who were reluctant to participate in the Battle of Badr.