al-Anfāl 8:67-71 — The captives

8/67-71

8/67-71 — The captives

Mā kāna li-nabiyyin an yakūna lahu asrā ḥattā yuthkhina fi'l-arḍ

"It does not befit a prophet to have captives until he has prevailed in the land."

The root ث-خ-ن was treated in Muḥammad 47/4 (to grow thick, to grow heavy — the subduing of the fighting). And the two options regarding captives (mannan and fidāʾan) were treated in detail there. I rely on that treatment absolutely, and I do not repeat it here.

What al-Anfāl adds must be recorded:

Place	Emphasis
Muḥammad 47/4	After the captives are taken — two options: release without return, or ransom
al-Anfāl 8/67	Before the captives are taken — a condition of timing

Per the method (Method): I do not issue a legal ruling. The rulings drawn from these verses and the relation between the two verses have been disputed in the classical sources; I confine myself to transmitting the disagreement, and I do not impose a preference.

قُل لِّمَن فِىٓ أَيْدِيكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَسْرَىٰٓ إِن يَعْلَمِ ٱللَّهُ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ خَيْرًا يُؤْتِكُمْ خَيْرًا مِّمَّآ أُخِذَ مِنكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ (70)

The one addressed by the verse must be recorded: the captives themselves.

I record this as an observation: the text speaks directly to the side that is being held, and states a possibility for them — something better than what was taken, and forgiveness. That is: captivity does not remove a person from being addressed.