8. Al-Anfaal

The cause of that painful punishment at the time when your souls are taken out and the burning punishment in your graves and in the Afterlife is because of the evil actions you performed in the world. Allah does not wrong people, but passes judgement on them with fairness. He is not unjust to His slaves.

These disbelievers were not the only ones to be punished this way; rather, it is Allah’s way of dealing with disbelievers in every time and place. The people of Pharaoh and the communities before them were also punished like this when they disbelieved in Allah’s words. Allah punished them for their sins with His might and power. Allah is Strong and cannot be overpowered or defeated. His punishment for those who go against Him is severe.

That severe punishment is because when Allah favours a people, He does not take it away from them until they change themselves from their pure state of faith, righteousness and gratitude to a bad state of disbelief in Allah, sin and ingratitude – Allah hears the statements of His servants and knows about their actions; nothing is hidden from Him.

The case of these disbelievers is like that of others who disbelieved in Allah, such as the people of Pharaoh and the communities who rejected Allah before them. They rejected the verses of their Lord so Allah destroyed them because of the sins they committed. Allah destroyed the people of Pharaoh by causing them to drown in the sea. The people of Pharaoh, as well as the communities before them, were all disobedient because of their disbelief in Allah and their association of partners with Him. They therefore deserved the punishment Allah imposed on them.

Some of these Jewish disbelievers agreed a treaty to not fight against you, O Messenger, nor support any one else in fighting against you. They, then, break this treaty every time you make it with them. They have no fear of Allah so they do not fulfil their oaths and do not honour the promises taken from them.

If you, O Messenger, face in battle these people who break their pledges, then make a harsh example of them so that others hear about it, take a lesson from that and become afraid of fighting you and supporting your enemies against you.

If you, O Messenger, become afraid, due to a sign that becomes obvious to you, that a people with whom you entered into a treaty will betray you and break the treaty, then inform them that the treaty is cancelled, so that they are not unjustly disadvantaged. Do not attack them suddenly without informing them, because doing so will be treachery on your part and Allah does not love those who are treacherous. Instead, He detests such people, so be careful of treachery.

The disbelievers should not think that they have escaped from Allah’s punishment, because they cannot do so. Instead, it will surely fall upon them.

Prepare, O believers, whatever numbers and war equipment you are able to, including keeping trained horses to be used in Allah’s path, so you can frighten Allah’s enemies and your enemies from among the disbelievers who are eagerly waiting for you to be afflicted with a disaster. You can also frighten others whom you do not know of and whose hidden hatred you are not aware of. Allah alone knows them and He knows what they keep hidden inside themselves. Any wealth you spend, whether a little or much, Allah will replace it for you in this world and will give you the reward for it in full in the Afterlife without any reduction. So hurry towards spending in His path.