Al-Anfal 8:68–75

Were it not for a decree from Allah – in which it had already been decided that He would make the gains of war lawful for you and permit you to ransom captives – a severe punishment from Allah would have afflicted you because of the gains of war and ransom you took from the captives at Badr before the coming of revelation from Allah that permitted it.

So consume, O believers, of the gains of war that you take from the disbelievers because it is lawful for you. Be mindful of Allah by following His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions. Allah is Forgiving and Compassionate towards His believing servants.

O Prophet, say to those idolater captives who have come into your hands after the Battle of Badr: If Allah knows of any good intentions in your hearts, He will give you something better than the ransom that was taken from you; so do not grieve over what was taken from you. Allah will also forgive your sins because He is Forgiving and Compassionate to those of His servants who repent to Him. This promise of Allah was fullfilled for ‘Abbās, the uncle of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and for others like him who accepted Islam after being captured.

If their goal, O Muhammad, is to betray you by the words they utter, then they have betrayed Allah previously and Allah gave you victory over them when some of them were killed and others were taken captive. They should therefore wait for something similar to happen if they return to their evil. Allah knows about His creation and what is best for them, and He is Wise in His handling of affairs.

Those who believed in Allah, accepted His Messenger, practised His sacred law, emigrated from the land of disbelief to the land of Islam, or to a place in which they can worship Allah safely, and strived in Allah’s path by spending their wealth and giving their lives to raise Allah’s Word, and those who hosted them in their homes and supported them – those emigrants and those locals who supported them are friends of one another in terms of providing support and assistance. As for those who believed in Allah but did not emigrate from the land of disbelief to the land of Islam, you have no obligation, O believers, to support and protect them until they emigrate in Allah’s path. If the disbelievers oppress them and they seek your help, then help them against their enemies, unless there is a pact between you and their enemy that is still in place. Allah sees what you do. No action of yours is hidden from Him and He will repay you for them.

The disbelievers are united in their disbelief and they therefore become friends of one another. A believer should not become friends with them. If you do not become friends with the believers and oppose the disbelievers, the believers will suffer weakness as a result of a lack of support and there will be great corruption on earth as people will be prevented from Allah’s path.

Those who believed in Allah and emigrated in His path, and those who provided shelter and assistance to the emigrants in Allah’s path, they are the ones who can be truly described as having faith. They will receive Allah’s forgiveness for their sins and a generous reward: Paradise.

Those who believed and accepted the faith amongst the earlier Emigrants and Helpers, who emigrated from the land of disbelief to the land of Islam, and strived in Allah’s path so that Allah’s Word may be the highest and the word of the disbelievers may be the lowest – they are part of you, O believers. They will have the same rights and obligations as you have. Under Allah’s final sacred laws of inheritance, family members are closer to one another than the previous Islamic system of inheritance based on faith and emigration. Allah knows everything. Nothing is hidden from Him. He knows what is best for His servants and legislates what is in their well being.