Al-Anfaal (The Spoils of War)

وَ اعْلَمُوا أَنَّما غَنِمْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْ‌ءٍ فَأَنَّ لِلَّهِ خُمُسَهُ وَ لِلرَّسُولِ وَ لِذِي الْقُرْبی‌ وَ الْيَتامی‌ وَ الْمَساكِينِ وَ ابْنِ السَّبِيلِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ آمَنْتُمْ بِاللَّهِ وَ ما أَنْزَلْنا عَلی‌ عَبْدِنا يَوْمَ الْفُرْقانِ يَوْمَ الْتَقَی الْجَمْعانِ وَ اللَّهُ عَلی‌ كُلِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ قَدِيرٌ (41)

41. “And know that whatever thing you gain (of booties), a fifth of it is for Allah and for the Messenger and for the near relatives (Ahlul-Bayt) and the orphans, and the needy and the wayfarer, if you believe in Allah and what We sent down to Our servant on the day of distinction (of right from wrong), the day when the two hosts encountered (the day of Battle of Badr), and surely Allah is All-powerful over everything.”

According to some Islamic traditions that the Shi'ite believe, the meaning of the term /qanimat/ (booty) is not confined to the war spoils, but, besides that, it encompasses my kind of gain which is obtained from mains, diving, trade, and so on. Thus, the revelation of the verse concerning the battle of Badr is not evidence that its purpose is only ‘war spoils’.

Through the first verse of this Surah, the Qur’an allocated all ‘Anfal (the things gained) to Allah and the Messenger, while this verse says that ‘a fifth of it is for Allah and for the Messenger (Ahlul-Bayt)’.

If the objective meaning of the term /qanimat/ (booty) is only ‘the spoils of war’, it must be said that this verse refers to only one instance of Khums (one fifth) and other instances are discussed in some Islamic traditions.

As many traditions of the Shi'ite and also some traditions of the Sunnite indicate, the meaning of the Qur'anic term /oil qurba/ (near relatives) does not envelop all the relatives of the Prophet (S) but its purpose is the immaculate Imams (as) from Ahl-ul-Bayt who possess the rank of leadership.

So, the amount of Khoms (one fifth levy) belongs to the divine leader and the Islamic government, not to all the relatives of the Prophet (S).

Other usages of Khoms (one fifth levy) are for indigents, way-farers who are progenies of Bani-Hashim -since it is unlawful to give them alms, and their needs should be provided through Khoms.

Besides the Islamic traditions which consider the meaning of /oil qurba/ (near relatives) the immaculate Imams (as), the occurrence of the word recited in the same row. With Allah and the Messenger in the verse is a sign which implies /oil qurba/ are some persons who are along the way of Allah (s.w.t) and the Messenger of Allah (S).

Explanations

1- Now that, by the help of Allah, you are victorious in the Battle of Badr, do not evade paying Khoms (one fifth) of booties.

“And know that whatever thing you gain (of booties), a fifth of it is for Allah and for the Messenger and for the near relatives (Ahlul-Bayt) and the orphans, and the needy and the wayfarer, if you believe in Allah...”

2- ‘Khoms’ (a fifth of the gains) is for the sake of Messengership and the rank of government, not for a person.

3 - Government and the leader need budget for propagation and messengership.

(...for Allah and for the Messenger...)

4 - Khoms is obligatory, though the income and gains are scanty.

“...whatever thing you gain (of booties)...”

5- The deprive and the government are the owners of twenty percent of people's property.

“...a fifth of it is for Allah...”

6- Allah does not need to have a share. The remembrance of Allah’s share is for the sovereignty of the mastership of the line of Allah (s.w.t) and the Messenger (S).

7 - The share of Allah is spent for elevating the word of Allah, the Ka' bah, Islamic religious propagations, and the establishment of the Divine Law.

8 - Among the Islamic duties is to wipe out deprivation from the Islamic society. Therefore, the income gained from the holy Struggle and the spoils of war should be spent for the benefit of the poor.

9 - Allah's share is at the disposal of the Messenger (S), and the Messenger's share is at the disposal of Imam.¹

10 - It is Imam who can decide upon the quantity of the share how to be used for the instances mentioned in the verse.²

11 - In order to honour the deprive, their name has been settled in the verse beside the name of Allah and the Messenger.

12 - In the same manner that the vast meaning of the Arabic term /qaramat / (indemnity) includes any damage, not merely a damage of war, the meaning of the Qur'anic term /qanimat/ (spoils ), which is referred to in this verse, also includes any gain, not merely a gain of war.³

13 - The sign of a complete belief is a full submission before all Divine Laws totally, not only in worships and even in war.

14 - The day of war is the day of distinction of the truthful ones from the people of lying.

“...on the day of distinction...”

15- In the Battle of Badr, the help of Allah made manifest the rightfulness of Islam.

Then, at the end of the verse, the Qur’an has pointed to the infinite power of Allah, Omnipotence, when it says:

“...and surely Allah is All-powerful over everything.”

That is, though you were in minority from any point of view in the field of the Battle of Badr and, apparently, your enemy was in majority from any point of view, Allah, the Mighty, defeated them and helped you to be victorious.