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

Quran 8:57

8:57

فَإِمَّا تَثْقَفَنَّهُمْ فِى ٱلْحَرْبِ فَشَرِّدْ بِهِم مَّنْ خَلْفَهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ

fa-immā tathqafannahum fī l-ḥarbi fasharrid bihim man khalfahum laʿallahum yadhakkarūna

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.

— Saheeh International

If you meet them in battle, make a fearsome example of them to those who come after them, so that they may take heed.

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

So if you gain the mastery over them in war, punish them severely in order to disperse those who are behind them, so that they may learn a lesson.

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

Juz 10Page 184medinan

Word by Word

فَإِمَّاfa-immāSo if
تَثْقَفَنَّهُمْtathqafannahumyou gain dominance over them
فِىfīin
ٱلْحَرْبِl-ḥarbithe war
فَشَرِّدْfasharriddisperse
بِهِمbihimby them
مَّنْman(those) who
خَلْفَهُمْkhalfahum(are) behind them
لَعَلَّهُمْlaʿallahumso that they may
يَذَّكَّرُونَyadhakkarūnatake heed