فَكُلُوا۟ مِمَّا غَنِمْتُمْ حَلَٰلًۭا طَيِّبًۭا ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ
So consume what you have taken of war booty [as being] lawful and good, and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
Introduction
This is āyah 69 of Sūrat Al-Anfaal (The Spoils of War), the 88th sūrah in the traditional order of revelation. It was revealed in the Medinan period and sits within Juzʾ 10. Medinan verses often address community life, law, and the building of society.
This introduction is a starting point — the community and Bilal will enrich it over time.
Revelation & occasion
- Period
- Medinan
- Order revealed
- 88 of 114
- Surah
- Al-Anfaal (8)
(It is not for any prophet to have captives until he hath made slaughter in the land�) [8:67-69]. Said Mujahid: �It happened that some of that which was revealed from heaven agreed with many of 'Umar's opinions. When the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, consulted the Muslims about the prisoners of Badr, they said: 'O Messenger of Allah, they are your cousins, so free them in exchange for a ransom'. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab said: 'No, O Messenger of Allah, you should kill them'. Then this verse was revealed (It is not for any prophet to have captives until he hath made slaughter in the land)�. Said Ibn 'Umar: �The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, consulted Abu Bakr regarding the prisoners of Badr, and the latter said: 'They are your people and clan, let them go!' But when he consulted 'Umar, the latter said: 'Kill them'. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, freed them in exchange for a ransom. Allah, exalted is He, then revealed (It is not for any prophet to have captives until he hath made slaughter in the land) up to his words (Now enjoy what ye have won, as lawful and good�) [8:69]. When the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, met 'Umar, he said to him: 'We almost incurred a misfortune as a result of opposing your view!' � Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn al-Husayn al-Hiri informed us> Hajib ibn Ahmad> Muhammad ibn Hammad> Abu Mu'awiyah> al-A'mash> 'Amr ibn Murrah> Abu 'Ubaydah> 'Abd Allah who said: �When the prisoners were brought on the Day of Badr, the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: 'What do you think we should do with these prisoners?' Abu Bakr said: 'O Messenger of Allah, these are your people and kin, spare them and wait that haply Allah, glorious and majestic is He, may relent on them'. 'Umar, on the other hand said: 'They have given you the lie and expelled you, bring them forward and chop their heads off'. 'Abd Allah ibn Rawahah said: 'Look for a valley with abundant wood and burn them there', upon which al-'Abbas commented: 'You have severed your ties of kinship!' The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, did not answer them and then went in.
Tafsir
Hafiz Ibn Kathir
Chains of transmission
Oral — isnād
- ~610–632 CERevelation & memorisation
Received by the Prophet ﷺ and preserved by the ḥuffāẓ (memorisers) among the Companions.
- 1st century AHMutawātir transmissionawaiting curation
Carried by mass-transmission through the generations of qurrāʾ.
- TodayLiving chainsawaiting curation
Continuous ijāzah chains link reciters today back to the Prophet ﷺ.
Verified isnād chains for this āyah will be added by curators.
Written — the manuscript record
- ~650 CEʿUthmānic codicesawaiting curation
The standardised muṣḥaf sent to the great cities (e.g. the Topkapı and Samarqand codices).
- 8th–10th c.Early Ḥijāzī & Kūfic foliosawaiting curation
Surviving leaves in Birmingham, Sanaa, Paris (BnF) and beyond.
- Modern printModern printawaiting curation
The 1924 Cairo edition → today: the standard printed muṣḥaf used worldwide.
A curated chain of manuscript images for this exact āyah — roughly one per century — is coming. Help us source and verify them.
And now — what do you think?
The text, its history and the classical commentary are laid out above. Share your own understanding, ask a question, or reason with others.
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