Surah Al-Anfal (الأنفال) • The Spoils of War

Quran 8:38

8:38

قُل لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِن يَنتَهُوا۟ يُغْفَرْ لَهُم مَّا قَدْ سَلَفَ وَإِن يَعُودُوا۟ فَقَدْ مَضَتْ سُنَّتُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ

qul lilladhīna kafarū in yantahū yugh'far lahum mā qad salafa wa-in yaʿūdū faqad maḍat sunnatu l-awalīna

Say to those who have disbelieved [that] if they cease, what has previously occurred will be forgiven for them. But if they return [to hostility] - then the precedent of the former [rebellious] peoples has already taken place.

— Saheeh International

[Prophet], tell the disbelievers that if they desist their past will be forgiven, but if they persist, they have an example in the fate of those who went before.

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven. But if they return (thereto), then the examples of those (punished) before them have already preceded (as a warning).

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Juz 9Page 181medinan

Word by Word

قُلqulSay
لِّلَّذِينَlilladhīnato those who
كَفَرُوٓا۟kafarūdisbelieve
إِنinif
يَنتَهُوا۟yantahūthey cease
يُغْفَرْyugh'farwill be forgiven
لَهُمlahumfor them
مَّاmāwhat
قَدْqad[verily]
سَلَفَsalafa(is) past
وَإِنwa-inBut if
يَعُودُوا۟yaʿūdūthey return
فَقَدْfaqadthen verily
مَضَتْmaḍatpreceded
سُنَّتُsunnatu(the) practice
ٱلْأَوَّلِينَl-awalīna(of) the former (people)