You encountered from the encounter, which is war. So, striking the necks is originally: strike the necks with a strike. The verb was omitted and the source was brought forward, thus it was substituted with its equivalent added to the object. In it is a brevity while giving the meaning of emphasis, because you mention the source and indicate the action by the case it contains. Striking the necks is an expression of killing, because it is obligatory to strike the necks specifically without other limbs. This is because they used to say: The prince struck the neck of so-and-so, and struck his neck and his throat, and struck what is in his eyes. If he killed him, this is because the killing of a person is most often done by striking his neck. Thus, it became an expression of killing, even if he struck other than his neck from the combatants, as we mentioned in His saying: 'So, by what your hands have earned.' It is understood that in this expression is a severity and harshness that is not in the word killing, due to what it contains of depicting killing in the most horrific form, which is the cutting of the neck and the severing of the limb that is the head of the body and its highest and most prominent parts. Indeed, it has increased in this harshness in His saying: 'So strike above the necks and strike from them every fingertip.' You have inflicted heavy casualties upon them; you have increased their killing and made it harsher, from the thick thing: which is the coarse. Or you have burdened them with killing and wounds until you have taken away their ability to rise. So, bind them tightly and take them captive.

And the binding, whether pronounced with an open or closed vowel, is the name of what is used to bind with. 'Manna' and 'fida' are both accusative governed by implied verbs, meaning: either you grant us a favor, or you ransom with a ransom. The meaning is the choice after captivity between granting a favor upon them to release them, and ransoming them. If you say: What is the ruling regarding the captives of the polytheists? I say: As for Abu Hanifa and his companions, it is one of two matters: either kill them or enslave them, whichever the leader sees fit. They say regarding the favor and ransom mentioned in the verse: This was revealed on the Day of Badr and then abrogated. And from Mujahid: There is no favor or ransom today, rather it is Islam or striking the neck. It is possible that by 'favor' is meant to grant them a favor by sparing them from killing and enslaving them.

Or to grant them a favor by allowing them to accept the jizyah, and to be among the people of dhimmitude. And by ransom, it means to ransom their captives with the captives of the polytheists. This has been narrated by al-Tahawi as a view from Abu Hanifa, while the famous opinion is that he does not see ransoming them, neither with money nor otherwise, for fear that they may return as enemies to the Muslims. As for al-Shafi'i, he says: The leader may choose one of four options according to what he deems best for the Muslims, which are: killing, enslavement, ransoming with the captives of the Muslims, and granting a favor. He argues that the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, granted a favor to Abu 'Urwah al-Hajabi, who was mentioned in the Maghazi of Ibn Ishaq and others, that he was captured on the Day of Badr. The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, granted him a favor without ransom, then he was captured on the Day of Uhud and was killed as a prisoner. And he ransomed a man for two men from the polytheists. This is part of a narration reported by Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, and others from the narration of 'Imran, but it contains that the companions of the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, captured a man from Banu Aqil, and Thaqif captured two men from the companions of the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him. The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, ransomed him with the two men that Thaqif had captured. Al-Bayhaqi narrated in al-Ma'rifah from al-Shafi'i from this aspect similar to the wording of the book. Then he said: I suspect it is from the writer, but the correct is the first. And it was read: 'fada,' with a shortening and an opening of the fa. The burdens of war are its tools and weights that cannot stand except with them, like weapons and armor. Al-A'sha said:

And I have prepared for war its burdens: long spears and male horses. [This is attributed to Al-A'sha, and he borrowed the term burdens for the tools of war in a literal sense. It is possible that he likens war to mounts with burdens, meaning heavy loads in a figurative sense. The mention of burdens is imaginative, and long spears is an alternative expression.]

And it is called burdens because when there is no way to avoid dragging them, it is as if they carry them and are independent of them. When it ends, it is as if they have put them down. It is said that its burdens refer to its sins, meaning that the people of war, who are the polytheists, should abandon their polytheism and sins by converting to Islam. If you say: What does 'until' relate to? I say: It must relate either to striking and fighting or to grace and ransom. The meaning in both cases, according to Al-Shafi'i, may Allah be pleased with him, is that they will remain in that state until there is no longer war with the polytheists. This occurs when they no longer have strength. It is said:

When Jesus, son of Mary, peace be upon him, descends. According to Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him, if it relates to striking and fighting, the meaning is that they will be killed and captured until the genre of war puts down its burdens, which is when there is no longer strength for the polytheists. If it relates to grace and ransom, the meaning is that He grants them grace and they are ransomed until the battle of Badr puts down its burdens unless the grace and ransom are interpreted as we mentioned in that interpretation. That is, do that, or do this, so that He may take vengeance on them by some means of destruction: such as an earthquake, or a tremor, or a hailstorm, or drowning, or a sweeping death. But He commanded you to fight so that He may test the believers against the disbelievers: that they strive and be patient until they earn the great reward, and the disbelievers against the believers by hastening them through their hands with some of what is due to them from punishment.

And it has been recited: 'They were killed,' with lightening and intensifying: 'and they killed.' And 'they fought.' And it has been recited: 'So their deeds will not go astray,' and 'their deeds will go astray,' in the passive form. And 'their deeds will go astray' from the verb 'to go astray.' And from Qatada:

It was revealed on the day of Uhud, informing them and clarifying it to them in a way that everyone knows their status and rank in Paradise. Mujahid said: The people of Paradise are guided to their dwellings from it and do not err, as if they had been its inhabitants since they were created, not needing guidance to it. And from Muqatil: The angel assigned to guard his deeds in this world walks before him, and everything that Allah has given him recognizes him. Or He has made it pleasant for them, from 'araf,' which means pleasant scent. In the words of some:

The melody of the doves. [The phrase 'the melody of the doves' refers to singing. The doves are a type of bird. The 'oud' (lute) of the doves is attributed to a place in India. This was clarified in Al-Sihah.] And He has defined it for them, so the Paradise of everyone is defined and separated from others, from 'araf' of the house and its shade. And 'araf' and 'urf' refer to boundaries.