Surah Al Anfal Tafseer

وَمَا كَانَ صَلَتُهُمْ عِندَ الْبَيْتِ إِلاَّ مُكَاء وَتَصْدِيَةً

Their Salah (prayer) at the House was nothing but Muka' and Tasdiyah.

Abdullah bin Umar, Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Abu Raja' Al-Utardi, Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi, Hujr bin Anbas, Nubayt bin Sharit, Qatadah and Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said that;

this part of the Ayah refers to whistling.

Mujahid added that the pagans used to place their fingers in their mouth (while whistling).

Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Ibn `Abbas commented on Allah's statement,

وَمَا كَانَ صَلَتُهُمْ عِندَ الْبَيْتِ إِلاَّ مُكَاء وَتَصْدِيَةً

(Their Salat at the House was nothing but Muka'and Tasdiyah),

"The Quraysh used to perform Tawaf (encircling the Ka`bah) while naked, whistling and clapping their hands, for Muka' means `whistling', while, Tasdiyah means `clapping the hands."'

This meaning was also reported from Ibn Abbas, by Ali bin Abi Talhah and Al-Awfi.

Similar was recorded from Ibn Umar, Mujahid, Muhammad bin Ka`b, Abu Salamah bin Abdur-Rahman, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Atiyyah Al-Awfi, Hujr bin Anbas and Ibn Abza.

Ibn Jarir recorded that Ibn Umar explained the Ayah,

"Muka' means `whistling', while, `Tasdiyah' means `clapping the hands."'

Sa`id bin Jubayr and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd said that,

وَتَصْدِيَةً

(and Tasdiyah),

means, they hindered from the path of Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored.

Allah said,

فَذُوقُواْ الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ

Therefore taste the punishment because you used to disbelieve.

According to Ad-Dahhak, Ibn Jurayj and Muhammad bin Ishaq,

this refers to the death and capture that they suffered during the battle of Badr