The verse says...

The verse says: “It is not (fit) for any prophet to have captives unless he has thoroughly triumphed in the land...” The next phrase of the verse addresses the Muslims, not the Prophet (S) because their desire was that they could take money from the captives and let them go. The purpose is that, in the first battle, i.e. the Battle of Badr, before gaining authority on the earth, they took ransom. The Arabic phrase: /’arad-ad-dunya/ means the property of the world which is something vanishable.

The verse continues saying: “...you desire the transitory world...” You pursue the wealth of the world while Allah desires the rewards of the Hereafter for you. The verse says: “...while Allah desires (for you) the Hereafter...” The helpers of Allah will never be defeated, and verily Allah acts wisely; then, do perform whatever He commands you, so that you enjoy the help of Allah.

“Eat then of what you have acquired in war as booty, (which is) lawful and good; and be in awe of Allah; verily Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.”*** Once more in this verse the Qur’an reprimands and scorns those who put into danger the important social interests for their own fleeting financial gains.

It says: “Had it not been for a prior ordinance from Allah, there would have fallen you a great chastisement for what you had taken to (improperly).” But, as it was mentioned in some other verses of the Qur’an before, Allah’s way of treatment is that, at first He explains the ordinances, then there will be His punishment for the disobedient of them. In the second verse, the Qur’an refers to another ordinance of the ordinances concerning captives of war, and points to the question of ransom.

After the time when the Battle of Badr was ended and some captives were taken, a group of Ansar (the Helpers) told the Prophet (S) that they had killed seventy pagans and had kept seventy of them in captive, all of whom were from his tribe and, in fact, they were his captives.