ٱلْأَنْفَال : ٦٧

  • مَا Not
  • كَانَ is
  • لِنَبِيٍّ for a Prophet
  • أَن that
  • يَكُونَ (there) should be
  • لَهُۥٓ for him
  • أَسۡرَىٰ prisoners of war
  • حَتَّىٰ until
  • يُثۡخِنَ he has battled strenuously
  • فِي in
  • ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ the land
  • تُرِيدُونَ You desire
  • عَرَضَ (the) commodities
  • ٱلدُّنۡيَا (of) the world
  • وَٱللَّهُ but Allah
  • يُرِيدُ desires
  • ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَۗ (for you) the Hereafter
  • وَٱللَّهُ And Allah
  • عَزِيزٌ (is) All-Mighty
  • حَكِيمٞ All-Wise
It is not for a prophet to have captives [of war] until he inflicts a massacre [upon Allāh's enemies] in the land. You [i.e., some Muslims] desire the commodities of this world,1 but Allāh desires [for you] the Hereafter. And Allāh is Exalted in Might and Wise.
Footnotes
1 - i.e., material benefit, such as the ransom paid for prisoners.
The following was revealed when they ransomed those taken captive at Badr: It is not for any Prophet to have (read as an takoona lahu or an yakoona lahu) prisoners until he has made slaughter in the land, going all the way in fighting disbelievers. You, O believers, desire the transient things of this world, its ephemeral gains, by ransoming, while God desires, for you, the Hereafter, that is, its reward, through your killing them; and God is Mighty, Wise: this was abrogated by His words [and set them free] afterward either with grace or by ransom [Q. 47:4].