(Revealed after Hijrah)
Though, as commonly known, it is only the first of these two Chapters which is known by the name Anfal, yet truly speaking this Chapter comprises both the parts—the one which is known as Al-Anfal and the other which is known as at-Taubah. This means that at-Taubah or Bara’at is really not a separate Surah but only a part of Al-Anfal. This is a solitary instance in the Qur’an where a Surah has been split into parts, all the other Surahs being compact wholes. The proof of the fact that at-Taubah is not a separate Surah but is a part of Al-Anfal is that unlike all other Chapters at-Taubah is not prefixed by Bismillah, which under Divine direction was placed at the head of every Surah and formed its integral part, and because also there obtains such a striking similarity between the subject-matter of these two Chapters that they both form but one Surah. Both Al-Anfal and at-Taubah were revealed at Medina; Al-Anfal was revealed about the time of the Battle of Badr, in the first or second year after Hijrah, and at-Taubah or Bara’at, according to Bukhari, was among the last portions of the Qur’an to be revealed in the ninth year after the Hijrah.
In Al-Anfal the prophecy was made that God would give to Muslims a great victory, and that the property and possessions of their enemies would fall into their hands. This prophecy continued to prove for disbelievers a constant source of mockery at the cost of the Faithful, because God, out of His infallible wisdom, and in conformity with His eternal law had delayed its fulfilment along with the revelation of that portion of Chapter Al-Anfal which contained a mention of it. When Mecca fell and the aforesaid prophecy was fulfilled, the remaining portion of the Surah was revealed. It began with A declaration of complete vindication on the part of Allah and His Messenger to the idolaters to whom you had announced a commitment that Islam would triumph in Arabia. So go about in the land for four months, and know that you cannot frustrate the plan of Allah and that Allah will humiliate the disbelievers. Incidentally, it may be noted here that some Commentators have taken the above Declaration to mean that a period of four months was granted to those idolaters with whom Muslims had treaty engagements and that this period was intended as a notice, after which all treaties and agreements with them were to be considered as having terminated. This interpretation of the Declaration is evidently wrong; because if it was meant as only a notice of the denunciation of the treaties there was no sense in combining the Declaration with the injunction that they should go about the land and see for themselves that God’s purpose had prevailed. He who is granted a limited respite naturally makes hasty preparations to depart for a place of safety and does not go about in the land sightseeing. Again, if the verse be understood to give notice of termination of existing treaties and to grant a limited respite to those idolatrous tribes who had treaties of alliance with Muslims, how would the very next verse be explained which says that such people as have entered into treaties with Muslims are not to be expelled till the termination of their treaties. It is thus clear that the Qur’anic words “Alladhina ‘ahadttum” used in the first verse of Chapter at-Taubah allude to no political treaty or agreement but only to such declarations as Muslims and disbelievers had made against each other about the ultimate triumph of their respective causes. On the side of Islam, it was declared in Chapter Al-Anfal that the property and possessions of disbelievers would fall into the hands of Muslims, and the disbelievers, on their side, had declared that Islam would be exterminated and they would capture the belongings of the Muslims. It is these contradictory declarations that have been metaphorically termed as ‘Ahd or agreement in the verse referred to above, and the idolaters are told to go about in the country and see for themselves whether or not the declaration which was made in Chapter Al-Anfal about their eventual destruction had proved true. So, truly speaking, Surah Bara’at constitutes only a declaration of the fulfilment of the great prophecy made in Surah Al-Anfal and is thus not a separate Surah. In short, there exists a very real connection between these two Chapters which really constitute one Chapter, for, as stated above, Surah Al-Anfal was revealed at the time of the Battle of Badr and in it a clear prophecy was made about the ultimate destruction of disbelievers. Then after the last encounter with the idolaters of Mecca, Surah Bara’at was revealed to announce the fulfilment of that prophecy and the ushering in of a new era.
Subject-Matter of the Surahs
Chapter Al-Anfal opens with a description of the Battle of Badr and at the outset Muslims are told that they will win a great victory over the disbelievers whose property and possessions will fall into their hands. These wars are the Signs of God and should not be made the means of seeking worldly gains. Next, they are told that they should fight courageously in the cause of God and should not be proud of their strength or organization, neither should they be afraid of the numbers and military prowess of their enemies. Further, obedience to authority is emphasized and it is stated that obedience to God’s commands will open for the Muslims the avenues to success and prosperity and will protect them from the machinations and intrigues of their enemies, even as God had protected the Holy Prophet against the secret plots of the Meccans. The Surah proceeds to say that the enemy is proud of his numbers and military prowess and believes himself to be in the right, and even invokes the wrath of God upon the liar. Such a determined enemy would not easily admit defeat. The Surah exposes their false pretensions. It further says that the discrepancy between the words and deeds of disbelievers shows that their faith is a mere slave of their intellect and has no firm roots in their hearts. The Muslims are buoyed up with the Divine promise that the war in which they are engaged will end in a victory for them and success also will continue to attend their endeavours in future engagements. To achieve this, obedience to authority and endurance of hardships and unity of action are enjoined upon them.
The Surah further deals with the sanctity of treaty obligations and Muslims are told that disbelievers will repeatedly violate their agreements but this should not incite them to a breach of their own obligations. They should disabuse their minds of the misconception that their cause would suffer in any way if they did not avenge a breach of agreements on the disbelievers’ part by a corresponding violation of an obligation by themselves. On the contrary, they should continue scrupulously to observe treaties; but agreements they have made should cause no mitigation of suitable preparations for war on their part. They are, however, enjoined that if during hostilities disbelievers sue for peace, such an offer should not be rejected, because if disbelievers violate terms of peace and restart hostilities, Muslims will not suffer on account of this fresh breach of trust by them. This injunction implied a reference to the treaty of Hudaibiyah when a breach of treaty obligations by the disbelievers led to the Fall of Mecca. Muslims are further told that captives will fall into their hands and they should treat them with kindness.
The promise of victory given to Muslims in Al-Anfal is declared to have been fulfilled in the opening verses of Bara’at where it is stated that Muslims have become masters of the whole of Arabia, so the idolaters should go about in the land and see for themselves whether or not the whole country has come under Muslim domination. In verses that follow disbelievers are reprimanded for their repeated breach of solemn treaties and covenants and Muslims are warned not to enter into any fresh agreement with them and should not fear that the severance of ties with them would, in any way, adversely affect the prosperity of Mecca, because God Himself would provide for them. Next, they are told that they should not think that after they have conquered Arabia war would come to an end and they would have peace. On account of the intrigues and secret plots of Christians a new series of wars would start, and because they are idolatrous people they would not bear to see perfect Unity of God established in the earth. Moreover, they have become morally depraved while Islam seeks to establish true equality and freedom. How could then a Christian government view with equanimity the establishment by its side of another government based on equality and freedom, whose proximity would incline its subjects to rebellion? So having proper regard for the things which God has declared sacred, Muslims are told to make suitable preparations for the impending war with them. As there was an interval between the revelation of the first 37 verses of the Surah Bara’at and those that follow, mention has been made in the latter verses about the fulfilment of the prophecy made in the former. In this connection a brief description is given of the expedition to Tabuk and of the circumstances in which the prophecy referred to above was fulfilled. The Hypocrites and those weak of faith who were seized with the fear of the powerful Kingdom of the Kaiser are reprimanded. Their moral weakness is exposed and believers are bidden not to accept their help, for even without their help God will grant victory to them over the Qaisar (this subject has been dealt with in fuller detail in Chapters Rum and Fath). In this connection, mention is made of the intrigues of the Hypocrites to injure the cause of Islam. Towards the close of Surah at-Taubah it is emphasized that in spite of the intrigues and plots of the Hypocrites and the great power and material resources of disbelievers the Holy Prophet will succeed in his mission through the help of God, "the Lord of the Mighty Throne."