فَكُلُوا۟ مِمَّا غَنِمْتُمْ حَلَـٰلًا طَيِّبًا ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ 69
Translations
So consume what you have taken of war booty [as being] lawful and good, and fear Allāh. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
Transliteration
Fakulu mimma ghanimtum halalan tayyiban wa-ttaqu Allah; inna Allah ghafurun raheem
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah permits the Muslims to consume from the spoils of war (ghanimah) that are lawful and pure, emphasizing that the wealth taken in righteous battle is halal. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi note this verse establishes the permissibility of war booty as sustenance from Allah, while simultaneously commanding taqwa (God-consciousness) and reminding believers of Allah's forgiveness and mercy—balancing material benefit with spiritual responsibility.
Revelation Context
Revealed in the Medinan period following the Battle of Badr (2 AH), where Muslims gained their first significant military victory and captured spoils. The ayah addresses practical concerns about the lawfulness of war booty and establishes divine sanction for its distribution, occurring within the broader Quranic discussion of warfare ethics and the spoils system in Surah Al-Anfal.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said regarding spoils of war: 'The booty has been made lawful for me' (Sahih Bukhari 3113). Additionally, Umar ibn Al-Khattab reported guidance on distributing and consuming from ghanimah in accordance with Islamic law (recorded in various hadith collections addressing military expeditions).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that lawful acquisition of wealth through just means, combined with consciousness of Allah and gratitude for His provision, transforms material blessing into spiritual benefit—reminding believers that prosperity is meaningful only when paired with piety and reliance on God's infinite mercy.
Related Ayahs
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ قُل لِّمَن فِىٓ أَيْدِيكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَسْرَىٰٓ إِن يَعْلَمِ ٱللَّهُ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ خَيْرًا يُؤْتِكُمْ خَيْرًا مِّمَّآ أُخِذَ مِنكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
O Prophet, say to whoever is in your hands of the captives, "If Allāh knows [any] good in your hearts, He will give you [something] better than what was taken from you, and He will forgive you; and Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful."
فَإِمَّا تَثْقَفَنَّهُمْ فِى ٱلْحَرْبِ فَشَرِّدْ بِهِم مَّنْ خَلْفَهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ
So if you, [O Muḥammad], gain dominance over them in war, disperse by [means of] them those behind them that perhaps they will be reminded.
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ إِلَّا تَفْعَلُوهُ تَكُن فِتْنَةٌ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَفَسَادٌ كَبِيرٌ
And those who disbelieved are allies of one another. If you do not do so [i.e., ally yourselves with other believers], there will be fitnah [i.e., disbelief and oppression] on earth and great corruption.
كَدَأْبِ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ ۙ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَهْلَكْنَـٰهُم بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَأَغْرَقْنَآ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ ۚ وَكُلٌّ كَانُوا۟ ظَـٰلِمِينَ
[Theirs is] like the custom of the people of Pharaoh and of those before them. They denied the signs of their Lord, so We destroyed them for their sins, and We drowned the people of Pharaoh. And all [of them] were wrongdoers.