Question
Why Spoils of War made Halal for Muslims? As it is mentioned in the Surah Al Anfal Ch No. 8 Verse No. 69. that spoils of war have been made halal for you…. since Islam is the religion of peace, how the property, money and all spoils that belong to another non muslim made halal for muslims. what is the reason behind this.. does these spoils of war still remain halal in the todays war, in which naturally geography is main cause of war not the religion.
please answer with giving examples.
Answer
In trying to understand certain concepts mentioned in the Qur’an we must contextualize them appropriately. In regards to your question, the Qur’an has lain out a gradual process for establishing God’s Truth on earth through His messengers. Please read the following link to better understand this concept.
Having a clear understanding of the above it should be realized that the spoils of war is in relation to this concept outlined in article. In other words, the battles that were fought were divinely sanctioned and as a result spoils were allowable. Bear in mind that Islam did not establish the regulations for war or that the spoils are gained after victory. This was the nature of war in those times, and one can argue that the same rules apply.
With that said, it is clear that the Prophetic (pbuh) mission has ended. Moreover, the divine wars were just that: divinely ordained. Muslims today do not have the authorization to wage wars as the messengers of God. If a Muslim state engages in war then they would have to adhere to the conventions of war as clearly stated by the international community.
I hope this helps.
God knows best.