سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْفَالِ

Surah Al-Anfaal (8) — Ayah 57

The Spoils of War · Medinan · Juz 10 · Page 184

فَإِمَّا تَثْقَفَنَّهُمْ فِى ٱلْحَرْبِ فَشَرِّدْ بِهِم مَّنْ خَلْفَهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ ﴿57﴾
So if you gain the mastery over them in war, punish them severely in order to disperse those who are behind them, so that they may learn a lesson.
فَإِمَّا fa-immā So if
تَثْقَفَنَّهُمْ tathqafannahum you gain dominance over them
فِى in
ٱلْحَرْبِ l-ḥarbi the war
فَشَرِّدْ fasharrid disperse
بِهِم bihim by them
مَّنْ man (those) who
خَلْفَهُمْ khalfahum (are) behind them
لَعَلَّهُمْ laʿallahum so that they may
يَذَّكَّرُونَ yadhakkarūna take heed

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.

The meaning of {فَاِمَّا تَثْقَفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْحَرْبِ فَشَرِّدْ بِهِمْ …: ’’ تَشْرِيْدٌ ‘‘} is to create fear and scatter them in panic, that is, if you ever find them in battle, then give them such a severe punishment for their treachery that the other disbelievers behind them, with whom you have a treaty, also become overawed and frightened, and they take such a lesson that they do not even think of violating the treaty. Thus, although the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had previously sufficed with the exile of the Jews of Banu Nadir and Banu Qaynuqa, due to the continuous treacheries of Banu Qurayza and their breaking of the treaty at the very time of the Battle of the Trench, after a siege of 25 days, he gave them an extremely exemplary punishment: all 600 of their adult men were killed, including one female war criminal, and their women and children were made slaves. Unfortunately, at this time, whether it is the disbelievers of India, America, or Europe, none of them are fulfilling the covenants made with the Muslims, but due to their incompetence and indulgence, Muslims, instead of expressing honor and dignity, are content with humiliation and helplessness.

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.

57. 1. The meaning of شَرِّدْبِھِمْ is to strike them in such a way that panic spreads among their supporters and companions, so much so that they do not even dare to turn towards you out of fear that they might meet the same fate as their predecessors.

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.

57. So if you find them in battle, deal with them in such a way as to strike fear [60] into those who follow them, so that they may take heed.

[60]
The Boasting, Cowardice, and Fate of the Jews of Madinah:

Despite the treaty of peace and harmony with the Muslims, the Jews did not refrain from their mischief, instigations, and breaches of covenant. They were very skilled in boasting and bragging. However, they were extremely cowardly. After the Battle of Badr, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went to their marketplace in the neighborhood of Banu Qaynuqa‘ and gathered the Jews, reproaching them for such mischievous acts and said: Refrain from such deeds and accept Islam; it will be better for you. Otherwise, you will be struck just as the Quraysh of Makkah have been struck. They gave a most insulting reply to this invitation and said: Your encounter was with the inexperienced people of Quraysh, and you prevailed in the field. If you face us, you will know the real worth. Their reply was, in fact, tantamount to breaking the peace treaty and declaring war. Nevertheless, the Prophet ﷺ exercised patience. Then, during those days, the Jews dishonored a woman from the Ansar by stripping her naked, which led to a riot between the Muslims and Banu Qaynuqa‘. Now, there was no option but to fight them. The Prophet ﷺ reached their place with an army, and these Jews, who used to boast of their bravery and taunt the Quraysh for cowardice, did not even have the courage to face the Muslims and immediately barricaded themselves in their fortress. After being besieged in the fortress for fifteen days, they surrendered. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered them to be imprisoned. Then, upon the strong intercession of ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy, the chief of the hypocrites, who always colluded with these Jews against the Muslims, the Prophet ﷺ pardoned their imprisonment and exiled them, and they went to Syria. After that, Banu Nadir were also exiled in the same way. Then, after the Battle of Khandaq, Banu Qurayzah also barricaded themselves in their fortress, who were eventually killed, and their women and children were made slaves. At the occasion of Khaybar as well, the Jews barricaded themselves in their fortresses. In short, whenever the opportunity for battle arose, these Jews never had the courage to fight the Muslims in the open field. Even at the occasions of the Battle of Uhud and the Battle of Khandaq, when they joined the disbelievers, they did not have the courage to come out in the open field. These people always troubled the Muslims through conspiracies, mischief, instigations, and breaches of covenant; nevertheless, they continued to receive the punishment mentioned in this verse.