Home > Surah 8 - The Spoils of War
The Quran Verse
Surah 8:67:
It is not for a prophet to have captives until he inflicts a thorough slaughter upon in the land. You desire the commodities of this world, but Allah desires the Hereafter...
After Badr, Muhammad’s followers took prisoners and spared them in exchange for ransom money.
Surah 8:67 records God "scolding" Muhammad for being too merciful. The verse suggests that a true prophet should prioritize massacring (yuthkhina) the enemy to establish fear before worrying about the "commodities" (ransom) of this world.
This highlights a stark contrast with the ethics of Jesus, who commanded his followers to "love your enemies" (Matthew 5:44).