Surah Al-'Anfāl (The Spoils of War) in English

1. واعلموا أنما غنمتم من شيء فأن لله خمسه وللرسول ولذي القربى واليتامى والمساكين وابن السبيل إن كنتم آمنتم بالله وما أنزلنا على عبدنا يوم الفرقان يوم التقى الجمعان والله على كل شيء قدير

   41

   Know that whatever thing you may come by, a fifth of it is for Allah and the Apostle, for the relatives and the orphans, for the needy and the traveller, if you have faith in Allah and what We sent down to Our servant on the Day of Separation, the day when the two hosts met; and Allah has power over all things.

   wa-ʿlamū ʾannamā ghanimtum min shayʾin fa-ʾanna li-llāhi khumusahū wa-li-r-rasūli wa-li-dhī l-qurbā wa-l-yatāmā wa-l-masākīni wa-bni s-sabīli ʾin kuntum ʾāmantum bi-llāhi wa-mā ʾanzalnā ʿalā ʿabdinā yawma l-furqāni yawma ltaqā l-jamʿāni wa-llāhu ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīrun

2. إذ أنتم بالعدوة الدنيا وهم بالعدوة القصوى والركب أسفل منكم ولو تواعدتم لاختلفتم في الميعاد ولكن ليقضي الله أمرا كان مفعولا ليهلك من هلك عن بينة ويحيى من حي عن بينة وإن الله لسميع عليم

   42

   When you were on the nearer side, and they on the farther side, while the caravan was below you, and had you agreed together on an encounter, you would have certainly failed to keep the tryst, but in order that Allah may carry through a matter that was bound to be fulfilled, so that he who perishes might perish by a manifest proof, and he who lives may live on by a manifest proof, and Allah is indeed all-hearing, all-knowing.

   ʾidh ʾantum bi-l-ʿudwati d-dunyā wa-hum bi-l-ʿudwati l-quṣwā wa-r-rakbu ʾasfala minkum wa-law tawāʿadtum la-khtalaftum fī l-mīʿādi wa-lākin li-yaqḍiya llāhu ʾamran kāna mafʿūlan li-yahlika man halaka ʿan bayyinatin wa-yaḥyā man ḥayya ʿan bayyinatin wa-ʾinna llāha la-samīʿun ʿalīmun

3. إذ يريكهم الله في منامك قليلا ولو أراكهم كثيرا لفشلتم ولتنازعتم في الأمر ولكن الله سلم إنه عليم بذات الصدور

   43

   When Allah showed them to you as few in your dream, and had He shown them as many, you would have lost heart, and disputed about the matter. But Allah spared you. Indeed He knows well what is in the breasts.

   ʾidh yurīkahumu llāhu fī manāmika qalīlan wa-law ʾarākahum kathīran la-fashiltum wa-la-tanāzaʿtum fī l-ʾamri wa-lākinna llāha sallama ʾinnahū ʿalīmun bi-dhāti ṣ-ṣudūri

4. وإذ يريكموهم إذ التقيتم في أعينكم قليلا ويقللكم في أعينهم ليقضي الله أمرا كان مفعولا وإلى الله ترجع الأمور

   44

   And when He showed them to you as few in your eyes, when you met them [on the battlefield], and He made you [appear] few in their eyes, [it was] in order that Allah may carry through a matter that was bound to be fulfilled, and to Allah all matters are returned.

   wa-ʾidh yurīkumūhum ʾidhi ltaqaytum fī ʾaʿyunikum qalīlan wa-yuqallilukum fī ʾaʿyunihim li-yaqḍiya llāhu ʾamran kāna mafʿūlan wa-ʾilā llāhi turjaʿu l-ʾumūru

5. يا أيها الذين آمنوا إذا لقيتم فئة فاثبتوا واذكروا الله كثيرا لعلكم تفلحون

   45

   O you who have faith! When you meet a host [in battle], then stand firm, and remember Allah greatly so that you may be felicitous.

   yā-ʾayyuhā lladhīna ʾāmanū ʾidhā laqītum fiʾatan fa-thbutū wa-dhkurū llāha kathīran laʿallakum tufliḥūna