8. Surah Al Anfal

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ مِن بَعْدُ وَهَاجَرُواْ وَجَاهَدُواْ مَعَكُمْ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ مِنكُمْ...   

8: 75.  And those who accept faith subsequently, and adopt exile, and fight for the faith in your company, they are of you.

C1244. Those who come into the fold last are none the less brethren in the fullest acceptation of the term. But any special provisions made in the special circumstances of the first martyrs for the Cause will not of course apply to them as the special circumstances which made them necessary have ceased to exist.

See next note.

...وَأُوْلُواْ الأَرْحَامِ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلَى بِبَعْضٍ فِي كِتَابِ اللّهِ...

But kindred by blood have prior rights against each other in the Book of Allah.

C1245. The Book of Allah: i.e., the Eternal Decree, the Preserved Tablet (85:22).

Blood-relationship and its rights and duties do not depend on special circumstances of a temporary nature. Any temporary rights of mutual inheritance established between the early Emigrants and Helpers (n. 1239) would not apply to later recruits, who would come under entirely different circumstances.

...إِنَّ اللّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ ﴿٧٥﴾

Verily Allah is well acquainted with all things.

Others version:

8: 75

Asad ………….and they who are [thus] closely related have the highest claim on one another in [accordance with] God’s decree [note 86] ……..

Yusuf Ali And those who accept faith subsequently and adopt exile and fight for the faith in your company they are of you. But kindred by blood have prior rights against each other in the Book of Allah. Verily Allah is well acquainted with all things.

Pickthall And those who afterwards believed and left their homes and strove along with you, they are of you; and those who are akin are nearer one to another in the ordinance of Allah. Lo! Allah is Knower of all things.

Transliteration Wallazina a_manu_ mim ba'du wa ha_jaru_ wa ja_hadu_ ma'akum fa ula_'ika minkum, wa ulul arha_mi ba'duhum aula_ bi ba'din fi kita_billa_h(i), innalla_ha bikulli syai'in 'alim(un).

[[ Asad’s - note 86 - …..The above verse is said to have prohibited such arrangements by stipulating that only actual close relations should henceforth have a claim to inheritance. To my mind, however, this interpretation is not convincing. Although the expression ‘ulu l-arham’ is derived from the noun rahm (also spelt rigm and rahim), which literally signifies “womb”, one should not forget that it is tropically used in the sense of “kinship”, “relationship” or “close relationship” in general (i.e., not merely blood-relationship). Thus in classical language, ‘ulu l-arham’ means any relations: ………..and that all later believers shall similarly, be regarded as members of the Islamic brotherhood . If the reference to “close relations” were meant to be taken in its literal sense and conceived as alluded to laws of inheritance, it would be quite out of tune with the rest of the passage, which stresses the bonds of faith among true believers as well as the moral obligations arising from these bonds.

In my opinion, therefore, the above verse has no bearing on laws of inheritance, but is meant to summarize, as it were, the lessons of the preceding verses: All true believers, of all times, from one single community in the deepest sense of this word; and all who are thus closely related in spirit have the highest claim on one another in accordance with God’s decree that “ all believes are brethren” (49:10) ]]

[[ Ruby’s note 8:75 – I agree with Asad about the broader meaning of protection, alliance and unity among the community of believers. This verse in this context is strongly referring to this meaning and not to inheritance issue. The context is not about family and inheritance. The context here is overwhelmingly clear that it is all about how to unify in fighting against evil. In this fight or jihad the good people should be each other’s best friend and protectors and they must unify to gain their collective strength to fight against the forces of evil. This is the clear and stressing point of these last several verses and of this surah altogether. Inheritance was not mentioned in the entire surah. Therefore there should not be any confusion about his. The classical commentators have done a major mistake here being too focused on the world and not on the context. If this process is applies then the entire Quran would be rendered inconsistent. But the Quran is consistent, it declares. Therefore, one must go with the contextual meaning of a term.

However, I disagree with the implication that this alliance and protection is only from a Muslim to another Muslim. In this context there were non-Muslims who also gave the full support and protection to Muslims in Medina. There were non-Muslims who remain true friends and aide to Muslims. However this verse has a timeless meaning. Good people or people of common cause of fighting against injustice and wrongs in a society are all fall in this category. This is what is indicated also in the verse 73 that if good people do not unite and become each others protectors and helpers than they cannot succeed in the right against the wrong-dowers and evil forces. History is a testament to the fact that evil forces are strong and evil unites with evil to make evil formidable. This is warning that unless the good people do not unite themselves they would not be successful in this fight and oppression and corruption would prevail. Therefore I take the meaning to include all those who are believers of God and fighting for a good cause. The verse 5:48 is asserting the general meaning of this. And then in implying who are righteous the Quran unequivocally asserted that good and God-fearing people can come any brand of religion and any part of humanity. These classification of righteous people definitely do not fall into any brand of faith rather in the true faith of heart. ]]

[[ Ali’s notes

1244 Those who come into the fold last are none the less brethren in the fullest acceptation of the term. But any special provisions made in the special circumstances of the first martyrs for the Cause will not of course apply to them as the special circumstances which made them necessary have ceased to exist. See next note. (8.75)

1245 The Book of Allah,- i.e., the Eternal Decree, the Preserved Tablet (lxxxv. 22). Blood-relationship and its rights and duties do not depend on special circumstances of a temporary nature. Any temporary rights of mutual inheritance established between the early Emigrants and Helpers (n. 1239) would not apply after the revelation of this verse any more. (8.75) ]]