Sūrah Muḥammad The Prophet: Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī The Source Commentary

Surah Overview

DetailInformationClassificationSignificance

SurahمحمدMadanī 38 versesWar rules, prisoner treatment, hypocrite psychology

Key DisagreementWhat does 47:4 permit for prisoners ransom only, or also execution?Fiqh of prisoners of warAl-Ṭabarī: three options favor (release), ransom, or execution the imam chooses based on maṣlaḥah

Competing OpinionsIs 47:4 abrogated by the "kill the polytheists" verse (9:5)?Abrogation debateAl-Ṭabarī: no abrogation 47:4 gives options, 9:5 applies in a different context; the imam chooses based on circumstances

MethodologyFiqh-oriented analysis of war-rule verses using chain evidence and logical analysisLegal + chain methodAl-Ṭabarī applies isnād evaluation to Companion practice in battles to determine the preferred prisoner treatment

Key Themes from Al-Ṭabarī

The prisoner-of-war verse (47:4) is one of al-Ṭabarī's most extensive legal analyses. He traces Companion practice across multiple battles: at Badr, the Prophet accepted ransom; at other battles, he released without ransom; in some cases execution was chosen. Al-Ṭabarī's tarjīḥ: the verse gives the Muslim leader (imam) discretion among three options release as favor, ransom, or execution based on what serves Muslim interests. He explicitly rejects the view that 9:5 abrogates 47:4, arguing these apply in different contexts.

The hypocrite psychology section (47:20–30) is analyzed through chains from Ibn ʿAbbās on specific Medinan hypocrites. Al-Ṭabarī traces the description "those in whose hearts is disease" through Companion accounts of particular individuals who secretly opposed the Prophet while outwardly professing Islam. He presents the general Quranic principle while documenting the specific historical occasions through chains.

فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَضَرْبَ الرِّقَابِ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا أَثْخَنتُمُوهُمْ فَشُدُّوا الْوَثَاقَ فَإِمَّا مَنًّا بَعْدُ وَإِمَّا فِدَاءً Fa-idhā laqītumu lladhīna kafarū fa-ḍarba r-riqābi ḥattā idhā athkhantumūhum fa-shuddū l-wathāqa fa-immā mannan baʿdu wa-immā fidāʾan "So when you meet those who disbelieve, strike necks until when you have inflicted slaughter upon them bind the captives firmly; then either favor or ransom." (47:4) Al-Ṭabarī presents this as the definitive prisoner-of-war framework, tracing Companion practice at Badr, Ḥunayn, and other battles to establish the range of permissible options.

أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا A-fa-lā yatadabbarūna l-Qurʾāna am ʿalā qulūbin aqfāluhā "Do they not reflect upon the Quran, or are there locks upon their hearts?" (47:24) Al-Ṭabarī traces chains from Ibn ʿAbbās: the "locks" are the hearts of hypocrites sealed by their persistent rejection the image is of a door bolted from within by the person's own choice.

Prisoner options: Al-Ṭabarī establishes three valid post-battle options favor (release), ransom, and execution all permissible based on the imam's judgment.
No abrogation: He explicitly rejects the abrogation argument for 47:4, using contextual and chain evidence to distinguish it from 9:5.
Companion practice as evidence: Al-Ṭabarī uses documented Companion choices in specific battles as evidence for what the verse permits.
Hypocrite chains: Specific Medinan individuals are identified through chains from Ibn ʿAbbās showing his use of asbāb al-nuzūl for historically-grounded interpretation.
Heart locks: 47:24 generates a moral psychology discussion the locked heart is a self-imposed state, not divinely imposed without cause.

Surah Overview

Key Themes from Al-Ṭabarī

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