Seraje Monir

Article Title: Interpretive-Jurisprudential Analysis of Verse 60 of Surah Al-Anfal with Emphasis on Power Factors in Ensuring Military Security

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Mojtaba Mosleh 1
Fatemeh Fallah Tafti 2
Seyed Sajjad Izdehi 3

1 Scholar and PhD Student in Jurisprudence and Foundations of Islamic Law, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor of Jurisprudence and Islamic Law, Faculty of Theology, Allameh Tabataba’i University

3 Professor, Research Institute of Islamic Culture and Thought, Qom, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22054/ajsm.2024.78906.2025
Abstract
Extended Abstract

Introduction

Military security is fundamental to national stability and sovereignty, safeguarding government, industry, economy, and culture. Modern threats—evolving military tactics, terrorism, cyber warfare—necessitate strong military security as a governmental priority. These threats demand comprehensive, adaptable defense strategies, recognizing security beyond mere territory to encompass societal functions and infrastructure.
This research analyzes Verse 60 of Surah Al-Anfal, central to Islamic military preparedness, addressing Muslims' need for a robust defense. It explores power factors from this verse and jurisprudence to achieve lasting peace through strength and deterrence, not pacifism. The methodology is descriptive-analytical, dissecting the verse and its Islamic jurisprudential interpretations.
The research aims to identify factors enhancing military security based on Verse 60 and Islamic legal principles. It clarifies financial resources for military power, links Quranic concepts to modern security needs, and articulates imperatives for Islamic community security from Quranic guidance.
Verse 60 (Al-Anfal) mandates: "Prepare against them whatever you are able of power and steeds of war...to terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy..." This is a divine call for military readiness, emphasizing power and preparedness for deterrence, community protection, and just peace.
Key research questions:

What power factors ensure military security through Verse 60's interpretive-jurisprudential lens?
How are financial resources for military power ethically secured and managed within Islamic jurisprudence?


Literature Review

Extensive scholarship examines Islamic military preparedness. Negareshand et al. (2016) offer a readiness strategy from Verse 60's lexical interpretation, focusing on word meanings for a preparedness framework. Their approach is exegetical, emphasizing linguistic analysis over jurisprudence.
Rashidzadeh et al. (2015) analyze military security components within Iran's Velayat-e-Faqih framework, constitution, and policies. Relevant to Iran, it lacks direct jurisprudential engagement with Verse 60.
Seidi (2021) examines military security methods in Iran based on Quranic guidelines, using various verses but not focusing on Verse 60's jurisprudence.
Sunni scholarship, including Fazli (2018) and Al-Dawoodi (2020), directly addresses Verse 60, providing Sunni interpretive insights into its legal implications.
A research gap exists: limited jurisprudential studies of Verse 60, especially from an Imami Shia perspective. Existing works often present selective views, lacking systematic analysis of power factors implied by the verse within Imami jurisprudence. This research fills this gap with a focused Imami Shia jurisprudential analysis of Verse 60, adding a novel dimension to scholarly discourse.

Methodology

This research uses a descriptive-analytical approach. Textual analysis of Verse 60 examines the linguistic structure and semantic nuances, consulting Arabic lexicons and Quranic commentaries.
The jurisprudential analysis focuses on Imami Shia interpretations of Verse 60, examining works of Shia jurists to trace legal rulings and ethical guidelines on military preparedness. It identifies themes, consensus, and divergences regarding power factors.
Findings are synthesized to identify key power factors for military security from an Imami Shia perspective, and analyzed for practical implications. Jurisprudential perspectives on ethical financial resource management for military enhancement are also examined.
Finally, the research connects Quranic concepts to modern security needs, bridging theory and practice, and articulates imperatives for Islamic community security based on Quranic guidance.

Results

Table 1: Factors of Military Power Derived from Verse 60 of Surah Al-Anfal




Category of Power


Description




Spiritual Power


Moral fortitude, and ethical resolve alongside physical strength. Quran highlights piety, patience, and divine aid for victory. Complements material preparation, fostering inner peace, resilience, and external power. Neglecting spiritual aspects contradicts Islamic teachings, undermining responsible military power use.





Discussion

Verse 60 and its jurisprudence provide a framework for power factors in military security, extending beyond military force to national strength dimensions: economic, media, social, and diplomatic.
Interpretations categorize power factors as spiritual and material. Jurists derive Sharia rulings enhancing quantitative and qualitative strength. Quantitative strength, from "وَأَعِدُّواْ لَهُم مَّا ٱستَطَعتُم مِّن قُوَّة," emphasizes military personnel and defense participation, supported by Jihad as a collective duty. Qualitative strength includes military skills, modern weaponry, and intelligence, with reconnaissance emphasized. Just government for Islamic order highlights logistical dimensions.
Spiritual power is vital, encompassing moral fortitude, with piety, patience, and divine support emphasized. It complements material strength, fostering resilience. Sole reliance on spiritual aspects without material preparation contradicts Islamic teachings.
"Quwwah" in Verse 60 includes spiritual and moral power. Imam Sadiq interpreted "Quwwah" in "خُذُوا مَا آتَیْنَاکُم بِقُوَّةٍ" to include both. Quranic verses stress piety, patience, and divine help for victory. Aal-Imran (120) and Muhammad (7) underscore spiritual attributes. Aal-Imran (200) links piety, steadfastness, and patience for triumph.
Passive prayer without preparation contradicts the Quran and Prophetic practices. Material preparation is crucial, as An-Nisa (71) enjoins precautions and bearing arms. Spiritual and material efforts intertwine for inner peace and external strength, as per Ayatollah Javadi-Amoli, essential for security.

Conclusion

Verse 60 of Surah Al-Anfal shapes Islamic jurisprudence on military security, with "وَأَعِدُّوا" broadly encompassing material and spiritual power. Key factors include quantitative and qualitative military capabilities, intelligence, logistics, and spiritual fortitude. Military power's purpose is deterrence and preventing aggression for just peace, aligned with Islamic ethics.
Military preparedness is dynamic, adapting to geopolitical changes and technology. Imami Shia jurisprudence emphasizes continuous development for deterrence, including modern weaponry and indigenous military-industrial capacity.
Comprehensive power for military security extends beyond military factors to economic, social, and diplomatic strengths, crucial for long-term security. Ethical and moral dimensions highlight spiritual strength and Islamic values as integral to legitimate defense.
Research findings offer insights for Islamic societies' defense doctrines. Grounding preparedness in Quran and jurisprudence provides an ethically sound, strategically robust framework. Emphasis on deterrence, comprehensive power, and spiritual-material integration offers a balanced approach to 21st-century security, with Imami Shia jurisprudence providing a valuable resource for scholars and policymakers.

Keywords

Verse 60 of Surah Al-Anfal
Power Factors
Military Security
Deterrence
Military Force
Subjects
The Holy Quran
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Seraje Monir
Volume 15, Issue 49
Summer 2024
Pages 447-480

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