And when the decree was: So if your master aids you against them and you overpower them and gain spoils therein, do not attribute the action to yourselves. Rather, know that He is the sole doer, for all actions are insignificant in relation to His action. So do not dispute over the spoils as those who take it by their strength and possess it by their power. He then added to it His saying: "And know" as an introduction to this matter, indicating that what follows is important for them to exert effort in clearing their minds for understanding it and placing it in its proper context and caring for it. "That what you have gained" means: that which you have obtained, the spoils linguistically: is the victory over something, and in Shari'ah: what has entered the hands of the Muslims from the wealth of the disbelievers by force with cavalry and riders. He further generalized it to include even the least possible by His saying: "of something" meaning: even a thread and a needle, for all of it belongs to Him. He is the sole supporter, and you are merely a tool with no ability to resist the enemies, for they are all the people of the earth, and you have no share of them in number or strength at all. The common practice of justice among you is that he takes all of it and does not allow you any part of it, as was the case with those before you, where a fire would descend from the sky and consume it. However, He, glorified and exalted is He, knew your weakness and bestowed it upon you, and was pleased with a fifth of it from you, and thus named it for Himself and returned it to you. This is the meaning of His saying: "For indeed, to Allah belongs" meaning: that which belongs to Him is everything, "a fifth of it."

And when it is known that Allah, the Exalted, is too great to be affected by benefit or harm, it is known that the mention of His name, glorified and exalted is He, is only for the purpose of informing that the Islam of this fifth and the abandonment of it have no share for the soul in it. Rather, it is purely for the sake of religion, drawing closer to Him, glorified and exalted is He. So He mentioned its distribution by saying: ﴿And for the Messenger﴾ meaning: the fifth of this fifth is to be given to him as long as he is alive so that he may distribute it for the interests of the Muslims. And after him, it is to be given to the one who takes his place, who will do with it what he, blessings and peace be upon him, used to do. ﴿And for the relatives﴾ meaning: from the Messenger, and they are the family members upon whom zakat is prohibited: the Banu Hashim and the Banu al-Muttalib. ﴿And the orphans﴾ meaning: for their weakness. ﴿And the needy﴾ for their inability. ﴿And the traveler﴾ meaning: the traveler, for journeys are places of need. The result is that He, glorified and exalted is He, has not deprived you of any of the spoils. So recognize His favor upon you, firstly by bestowing victory, secondly by permitting the spoils, thirdly by the possibility of the four fifths, and fourthly by returning the fifth to you. So engage in thanking Him instead of being heedless of that favor, or imagining that you have any right to claim anything, or that you should engage in dispute over the spoils as if claiming a right. Know all of this as the knowledge of the believer who affirms what he knows so that the fruit of action may arise from it. ﴿If you are﴾ truthful in that you ﴿have believed in Allah﴾ meaning: the One with whom no one has authority. ﴿And what﴾ meaning: and by what ﴿We have sent down﴾ meaning: a single, swift revelation for the purpose of relieving you from the Quran, and the soldiers, and the tranquility in your hearts, and other than that from what has been previously described. ﴿Upon Our Servant﴾ meaning: the one who always sees that all actions are for us, so he does not attribute anything to himself except by us. ﴿On the Day of Badr﴾ meaning: the day of the battle of Badr, which We made for you a day of honor, by which your words and actions are executed in the resolution of matters.

And when He described him, glorified and exalted is He, as the criterion, reminding them of the blessing, He clarified it by portraying their condition, completing that - or replacing it - by saying: ﴿On the day when the two groups met﴾ meaning: without intention from either of the two groups, but by the pure planning of Allah. ﴿The two gatherings﴾ meaning: the one of which you are, and you were when the two sides met - had it not been for Our favor - certain of death. And the other: your enemies, and they were certain that you were in their grasp, and that is what is in accordance with the customary ways. And if it were said: the day of Badr, it would not have conveyed these benefits.

And when the reversal of the matter in victory is a source of wonder, He concluded the verse by saying: ﴿And Allah is capable of all things﴾ meaning: of the victory of the few over the many and vice versa, and other than that from all matters. ﴿Indeed, He is capable﴾. So its conclusion with that reveals the secret, removes the wonder, and clarifies that what was done is in accordance with His established traditions, which have been consistent in the past among those who know His past days in all the previous eras.