8:69-72
8:69
But (now) enjoy what ye took in war, lawful and good: but fear Allah: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
8:70
O Prophet! say to those who are captives in your hands: “If Allah findeth any good in your hearts, He will give you something better than what has been taken from you, and He will forgive you: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.”
8:71
But if they have treacherous designs against thee, (O Messenger!), they have already been in treason against Allah, and so hath He given (thee) power over them. And Allah so He Who hath (full) knowledge and wisdom.
8:72
Those who believed, and adopted exile, and fought for the Faith, with their property and their persons, in the cause of Allah, as well as those who gave (them) asylum and aid, – these are (all) friends and protectors, one of another. As to those who believed but came not into exile, ye owe no duty of protection to them until they come into exile; but if they seek your aid in religion, it is your duty to help them, except against a people with whom ye have a treaty of mutual alliance. And (remember) Allah seeth all that ye do.
According to the Study Quran,
The Relationship Between the Emigrants and the Helpers
The Qur’anic phrase “those who believed, migrated, and strove with their wealth and their lives in the cause of God” refers to the Muhājirūn (Emigrants)—the Muslims who migrated from Makkah to Madinah with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The expression “those who sheltered and helped” refers to the Anṣār (Helpers), the residents of Madinah who had accepted Islam earlier and welcomed the emigrants into their community (al-Qurṭubī; al-Rāzī; al-Ṭabarī).
The verse states that these groups share a special form of walāyah, a term that carries multiple meanings in Islamic scholarship, including friendship, closeness, protection, political authority, and even inheritance. Many classical commentators interpret walāyah in this verse as referring to the relationship of inheritance that the Prophet established between the Emigrants and the Helpers after the Hijrah (migration). The Prophet paired one Emigrant with one Helper in a symbolic brotherhood that included rights of mutual support and inheritance, thereby creating strong social and familial bonds between them (see Qur’an 4:33 commentary).
Other scholars interpret walāyah in a political sense, referring to authority or governance. According to this interpretation, Muslims who remained in Makkah after the Hijrah were not under the political authority of the Muslim community in Madinah until they themselves migrated. Thus, the believers in Madinah had no formal political jurisdiction over them (al-Qurṭubī; al-Rāzī).
However, the verse also emphasizes that if the Makkan believers sought assistance in matters of religion, the Muslims in Madinah were obligated to help them, except in cases where doing so would violate an existing treaty with another group. Commentators such as al-Rāzī explain that although these non-migrating believers did not share the same formal walāyah as those who migrated and supported the Prophet, they remained brothers in faith and therefore deserved assistance as a moral and religious duty.
Because the concept of walāyah can refer to inheritance, political alliance, or mutual support, scholars have differed in their interpretation of the surrounding verses (Qur’an 8:72–75). This diversity of interpretations reflects the complexity of the social and legal relationships established within the early Muslim community.
Some commentators also offer a spiritual interpretation of the verse. In this allegorical understanding, those who “believe, migrate, and strive” represent individuals who dedicate themselves fully to the spiritual path and seek deeper knowledge of divine realities. In contrast, those who believe but do not migrate symbolize ordinary believers who may not pursue the same level of spiritual discipline but can still benefit from the guidance and insight of those who have advanced further on the spiritual path (Aj).
References:
Nasr, Hossein (2015). Study Quran.