سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْفَالِ
Surah Al-Anfaal (8) — Ayah 57
فَإِمَّا تَثْقَفَنَّهُمْ فِى ٱلْحَرْبِ فَشَرِّدْ بِهِم مَّنْ خَلْفَهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ ﴿57﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
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.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَإِمَّا
fa-immā
So if
تَثْقَفَنَّهُمْ
tathqafannahum
you gain dominance over them
فِى
fī
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 Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
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.
[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.
