Surah Al Anfal Tafseer

وَأَعِدُّواْ لَهُم مَّا اسْتَطَعْتُم

And make ready against them all you can,

whatever you can muster,

مِّن قُوَّةٍ وَمِن رِّبَاطِ الْخَيْلِ

of power, including steeds of war.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Uqbah bin Amir said that;

he heard the Messenger of Allah saying, while standing on the Minbar;

وَأَعِدُّواْ لَهُم مَّا اسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن قُوَّةٍ

(And make ready against them all you can of power),

أَلَا إِنَّ الْقُوَّةَ الرَّمْيُ أَلَا إِنَّ الْقُوَّةَ الرَّمْي

Verily, Power is shooting! Power is shooting.

Muslim collected this Hadith.

Imam Malik recorded that Abu Hurayrah said,

"The Messenger of Allah said,

الْخَيْلُ لِثَلَثَةٍ

لِرَجُلٍ أَجْرٌ

وَلِرَجُلٍ سِتْرٌ

وَعَلَى رَجُلٍ وِزْرٌ

Horses are kept for one of three purposes;

for some people they are a source of reward,

for some others they are a means of shelter, and

for some others they are a source of sin.

فَأَمَّا الَّذِي لَهُ أَجْرٌ فَرَجُلٌ رَبَطَهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ فَأَطَالَ لَهَا فِي مَرْجٍ أَوْ رَوْضَةٍ فَمَا أَصَابَتْ فِي طِيَلِهَا ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْمَرْجِ أَوِ الرَّوْضَةِ كَانَتْ لَهُ حَسَنَاتٍ وَلَوْ أَنَّهَا قَطَعَتْ طِيَلَهَا فَاسْتَنَّتْ شَرَفًا أَوْ شَرَفَيْنِ كَانَتْ اثَارُهَا وَأرْوَاثُهَا حَسَنَاتٍ لَهُ وَلَوْ أَنَّهَا مَرَّتْ بِنَهَرٍ فَشَرِبَتْ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُرِدْ أَنْ يَسْقِيَ بِهِ كَانَ ذَلِكَ حَسَنَاتٍ لَهُ فَهِيَ لِذَلِكَ الرَّجُلِ أَجْرٌ

The one for whom they are a source of reward, is he who keeps a horse for Allah's cause (Jihad) tying it with a long tether on a meadow or in a garden. The result is that whatever it eats from the area of the meadow or the garden where it is tied, will be counted as good deeds for his benefit; and if it should break its rope and jump over one or two hillocks then all its dung and its footmarks will be written as good deeds for him. If it passes by a river and drinks water from it, even though he had no intention of watering it, then he will get the reward for its drinking. Therefore, this type of horse is a source of good deeds for him.

وَرَجُلٌ رَبَطَهَا تَغَنِّيًا وَتَعَفُّفًا وَلَمْ يَنْسَ حَقَّ اللهِ فِي رِقَابِهَا وَلَا ظُهُورِهَا فَهِيَ لَهُ سِتْرٌ

As for the man who tied his horse maintaining self - sufficiency and abstinence from begging, all the while not forgetting Allah's right concerning the neck and back of his horse, then it is a means of shelter for him.

وَرَجُلٌ رَبَطَهَا فَخْرًا وَرِيَاءً وَنِوَاءً فَهِيَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ وِزْر

And a man who tied a horse for the sake of pride, pretense and showing enmity for Muslims, then this type of horse is a source of sins.

When Allah's Messenger was asked about donkeys, he replied,

مَا أَنْزَلَ اللهُ عَلَيَّ فِيهَا شَيْيًا إِلاَّ هَذِهِ الاْايَةَ الْجَامِعَةَ الْفَاذَّة

Nothing has been revealed to me from Allah about them except these unique, comprehensive Ayat:

فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْراً يَرَهُ

وَمَن يَعْـمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرّاً يَرَهُ

Then anyone who does an atom's weight of good, shall see it. And anyone who does an atom's weight of evil, shall see it. (99:7-8)"

Al-Bukhari and Muslim collected this Hadith, this is the wording of Al-Bukhari.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abdullah bin Mas`ud said that the Prophet said,

الْخَيْلُ ثَلَثَةٌ

فَفَرَسٌ لِلرَّحْمَنِ

وَفَرَسٌ لِلشَّيْطَانِ

وَفَرَسٌ لِلِْنْسَانِ

There are three reasons why horses are kept:

A horse that is kept for Ar-Rahman (the Most Beneficent),

a horse kept for Shaytan and

a horse kept for the man.

فَأَمَّا فَرَسُ الرَّحْمَنِ فَالَّذِي يُرْبَطُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ فَعَلَفُهُ وَرَوْثُهُ وَبَوْلُهُ وَذَكَرَ مَا شَاءَ اللهُ وَأَمَّا فَرَسُ الشَّيْطَانِ فَالَّذِي يُقَامَرُ أَوُ يُرَاهَنُ عَلَيْهَا وَأَمَّا فَرَسُ الاْأِنْسَانِ فَالْفَرَسُ يَرْبِطُهَا الاْأِنْسَانُ يَلْتَمِسُ بَطْنَهَا فَهِيَ لَهُ سِتْرٌ مِنَ الْفَقْر

As for the horse kept for Ar-Rahman, it is the horse that is being kept for the cause of Allah (for Jihad), and as such, its food, dung and urine, etc., (he made mention of many things).

As for the horse that is for Shaytan, it is one that is being used for gambling.

As for the horse that is for man, it is the horse that one tethers, seeking its benefit. For him, this horse will be a shield against poverty.

Al-Bukhari recorded that Urwah bin Abi Al-Ja`d Al-Bariqi said that the Messenger of Allah said,

الْخَيْلُ مَعْقُودٌ فِي نَوَاصِيهَا الْخَيْرُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ الاَْجْرُ وَالْمَغْنَم

Good will remain in the forelocks of horses until the Day of Resurrection, (that is) reward, and the spoils of war.

Allah said next,

تُرْهِبُونَ

to threaten, (or to strike fear),

بِهِ عَدْوَّ اللّهِ وَعَدُوَّكُمْ

the enemy of Allah and your enemy,

the disbelievers,

وَاخَرِينَ مِن دُونِهِمْ

and others besides them,

According to Mujahid,such as Bani Qurayzah, or Persians, according to As-Suddi.

لَا تَعْلَمُونَهُمُ اللّهُ يَعْلَمُهُمْ

whom you may not know but whom Allah does know.

Muqatil bin Hayyan and Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said that this Ayah refers to hypocrites, as supported by Allah's statement,

وَمِمَّنْ حَوْلَكُم مِّنَ الاٌّعْرَابِ مُنَـفِقُونَ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ مَرَدُواْ عَلَى النَّفَاقِ لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ

And among the Bedouins around you, some are hypocrites, and so are some among the people of Al-Madinah who persist in hypocrisy; you know them not, We know them. (9:101)

Allah said next,

وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِن شَيْءٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تُظْلَمُونَ

And whatever you shall spend in the cause of Allah shall be repaid to you, and you shall not be treated unjustly.

Allah says, whatever you spend on Jihad will be repaid to you in full.

We also mentioned Allah's statement,

مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَلَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ سُنبُلَةٍ مِّاْيَةُ حَبَّةٍ وَاللَّهُ يُضَـعِفُ لِمَن يَشَأءُ وَاللَّهُ وَسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

The parable of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah, is that of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower. (2:261