سورة الأنفال

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): إِحْدَی الطَّائِفَتَیْنِ [one of the two parties]; that is, the trade caravan or the [army of] Quraysh.

The Messenger (peace be upon him and his family): Waqidi said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) saw Quraysh descending from the valley, he said: "O my Lord! You sent down the Qur'an upon me and commanded me to fight [the polytheists], and You promised me [battle with] one of the two groups (the trade caravan of Quraysh, or their armed army)."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) narrates from Imam Ali (peace be upon him) who said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) set out toward Badr in pursuit of the enemy, he said to his companions: "Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has promised me that I will prevail over either the trade caravan or [the army of] Quraysh." So the companions set out with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) on the basis of this promise. When the trade caravan slipped out of reach and Allah commanded the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to fight Quraysh, he (peace be upon him and his family) said to his companions: "[The army of] Quraysh has drawn near, and Allah the Glorified has promised me that one of the two parties shall be yours [and you shall prevail over it], and He has commanded me to fight Quraysh." On hearing these words the companions became distressed and said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! We did not come out with the readiness [and equipment] for war." And some of them engaged in much argument and dispute; at that point Allah the Exalted revealed this verse: وَ إِذْ یَعِدُکُمُ اللهُ إِحْدَى الطَّائِفَتَیْنِ أَنَّها لَکُمْ وَ تَوَدُّونَ أَنَّ غَیْرَ ذاتِ الشَّوْکَةِ تَکُونُ لَکُمْ وَ یُریدُ اللهُ أَنْ یُحِقَّ الْحَقَّ بِکَلِماتِهِ وَ یَقْطَعَ دابِرَ الْکافِرین [And when Allah promised you one of the two parties that it shall be yours, and you loved that the one not armed should be yours, and Allah desired to manifest the truth of what was true by His words and to cut off the root of the unbelievers].

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Jabir said: I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about the interpretation of this verse: يُرِيدُ اللهُ أَنْ يُحِقَّ الْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَ يَقْطَعَ دَابِرَ الْكَافِرِينَ [Allah desired to manifest the truth of what was true by His words and to cut off the root of the unbelievers]. He said: "The interpretation of this verse in its inner meaning is that Allah wills it, meaning He has not yet done it. And the meaning of يُحِقَّ الْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَاتِهِ [that He may manifest the truth by His words] is that He will vindicate the right of the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). And [what is meant by] بِكَلِمَاتِهِ [by His words] — in its inner meaning, Ali (peace be upon him) is the Word of Allah. And وَ يَقْطَعَ دَابِرَ الْكَافِرِينَ [and to cut off the root of the unbelievers] — this refers to the Banu Umayya, whose traces Allah will wipe out from the face of the age."

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ إِذْ يَعِدُكُمُ اللهُ إِحْدَى الطَّائِفَتَيْنِ أَنَّهَا لَكُمْ [And when Allah promised you one of the two parties that it shall be yours] — what is meant is the caravan or the Quraysh. And this word of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: وَ تَوَدُّونَ أَنَّ غَيْرَ ذَاتِ الشَّوْكَةِ تَكُونُ لَكُمْ [and you loved that the one not armed should be yours]; ذَاتِ الشَّوْكَةِ means war. Allah says: "You desire the caravan, not the war." And in this verse: وَ يُرِيدُ اللهُ أَنْ يُحِقَّ الْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَاتِهِ [and Allah desired to manifest the truth by His words]; what is meant by "the words" is the Imams (peace be upon them).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Khath'ami narrates from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that he said: [What is meant by ذَاتِ الشَّوْكَةِ] in the verse: وَ إِذْ يَعِدُكُمُ اللهُ إِحْدَى الطَّائِفَتَيْنِ أَنَّهَا لَكُمْ وَ تَوَدُّونَ أَنَّ غَيْرَ ذَاتِ الشَّوْكَةِ تَكُونُ لَكُمْ, is the claw and weapon that is in war.