Surah Anfal ayat 56 Tafsir Quran 8:56

﴿الَّذِينَ عَاهَدتَّ مِنْهُمْ ثُمَّ يَنقُضُونَ عَهْدَهُمْ فِي كُلِّ مَرَّةٍ وَهُمْ لَا يَتَّقُونَ﴾
[ الأنفال: 56]

8:56 The ones with whom you made a treaty but then they break their pledge every time, and they do not fear Allah.

those of them with whom you have made a pact not to support the idolaters and then break their pact every time they conclude one and they are not fearful of God in their treachery.

Who concluded with you O Muhammad a truce and resolved to cause a discord to pass into a concord, yet they break every agreement contracted for amity and peace, and never do they entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Allah

Striking Hard against Those Who disbelieve and break the Covenants Allah states here that the worst moving creatures on the face of the earth are those who disbelieve, who do not embrace the faith, and break promises whenever they make a covenant, even when they vow to keep them, وَهُمْ لاَ يَتَّقُونَ ( and they do not have Taqwa ) meaning they do not fear Allah regarding any of the sins they commit. فَإِمَّا تَثْقَفَنَّهُمْ فِى الْحَرْبِ ( So if you gain the mastery over them in war ), if you defeat them and have victory over them in war, فَشَرِّدْ بِهِم مَّنْ خَلْفَهُمْ ( then disperse those who are behind them, ) by severely punishing the captured people according to Ibn `Abbas, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi, `Ata' Al-Khurasani and Ibn `Uyaynah.
This Ayah commands punishing them harshly and inflicting casualties on them.
This way, other enemies, Arabs and non-Arabs, will be afraid and take a lesson from their end, لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ ( so that they may learn a lesson.
) As-Suddi commented, "They might be careful not to break treaties, so that they do not meet the same end."

(8:56) (especially) those with whom you entered into a covenant and then they broke their covenant time after time, and who do not fear Allah. *41

The ones with whom you made a meaning

*41).
This refers especially to the Jews.
After arriving in Madina, the Prophet ( peace be on him ) concluded a treaty of mutual co-operation and good neighbourliness with them.
Not only did the Prophet ( peace be on him ) take the initiative in this connection, he also tried his best to maintain pleasant relations with them.
The Prophet ( peace be on him ) also felt greater affinity with the Jews than with the polytheists of Makka.
As a rule he always showed preference to the customs and practices of the People of the Book over those of the polytheists.
But somehow the Jewish rabbis and scholars were irked by the Prophet's preaching of pure monotheism and moral uprightness, let alone his scathing criticism of the deviations which appeared in Jewish belief and conduct.
They were constantly engaged, therefore, in efforts to sabotage the new religious movement.
In this respect, theyleft no stone unturned.
They collaborated with the hypocrites who were apparently an integral part of the Muslim body-politic.
To serve the same end they fanned flames to rejuvenate the old animosities between the Aws and Khazraj which had brought about bloodshed and fratricide in pre-Islamic times.
They attempted to hatch conspiracies against Islam in collaboration with the Quraysh and other tribes.
What was all the more deplorable was that they indulged in these nefarious activities despite their treaty of friendship and co-operation with the Prophet ( peace be on him ).

When the Battle of Badr took place, they took it for granted that the Muslims would not be able to survive the very first attack of the Quraysh.
However, when the outcome of the battle dashed their hopes, they became all the more spiteful.
Apprehending that the victory in the Battle of Badr would help the Muslims consolidate their position, they carried out their hostile activities against Islam even more vigorously'.
Ka'b b.
Ashraf, a Jewish chief, went to Makka personally and recited stirring elegies for their dead warriors with a view to provoking the Quray'sh into hostile action against the Muslims.
It was the same Ka'b b.
Ashraf who considered the Muslim victory in the Battle of Badr such a catastrophe that he regarded death to be better than life.
In his own words: 'The belly of the earth has become preferable to us than its back.' ( Ibn Hisham, vol.
2.
p.
51 - Ed. ) Banu Qaynuqa', a Jewish tribe, in brazen violation of their agreement of friendship and alliance with the Muslims, took to indecent molestation and teasing the Muslim women who passed through their quarters.
When the Prophet ( peace be on him ) reproached them for this shameful conduct, they threatened the Prophet ( peace be on him ), saying: 'Do not be deluded by your encounter with a people who had no knowledge of warfare, and so you had good luck with them.
By God, if we were to wage war against you, you will know that we are the men.'( lbn Hisham, vol.
2, p.
47 - Ed. )
 

Striking Hard against Those Who disbelieve and break the Covenants Allah states here that the worst moving creatures on the face of the earth are those who disbelieve, who do not embrace the faith, and break promises whenever they make a covenant, even when they vow to keep them, وَهُمْ لاَ يَتَّقُونَ ( and they do not have Taqwa ) meaning they do not fear Allah regarding any of the sins they commit. فَإِمَّا تَثْقَفَنَّهُمْ فِى الْحَرْبِ ( So if you gain the mastery over them in war ), if you defeat them and have victory over them in war, فَشَرِّدْ بِهِم مَّنْ خَلْفَهُمْ ( then disperse those who are behind them, ) by severely punishing the captured people according to Ibn `Abbas, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi, `Ata' Al-Khurasani and Ibn `Uyaynah.
This Ayah commands punishing them harshly and inflicting casualties on them.
This way, other enemies, Arabs and non-Arabs, will be afraid and take a lesson from their end, لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ ( so that they may learn a lesson.
) As-Suddi commented, "They might be careful not to break treaties, so that they do not meet the same end."

Then Allah explained who these are, saying: ( Those of them with whom thou madest a treaty ) the Banu Qurayzah, ( and, then at every opportunity they break their treaty, and they keep not duty (to Allah )) they do not ward off breaking their treaties.

They are those with whom you made a covenant, but they break their covenant every time and they do not fear Allah.

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