Then you eat from the booty of war permissibly and wholesomely, and you heed Lord Allah, indeed, Allah is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
It is told in verse 47: 4 that whenever you meet the disbelievers in the battle, smite at their necks until you have thoroughly subdued them and seize them as prisoners; thereafter, you may show generosity or take ransom until the battle lays down its burdens. It is commanded that only after battle burden is laid down, it is allowed even to think about tying-up the captives. At the Battle of Bad'r, believers tied-up the captives and took ransom from them according to verse 47: 4. But most of the soldiers didn't care about subduing the enemies. When the group of enemies ran away, instead of chasing them, the followers were eager to gather the booties and tying-up the captives. A few of the believers chased the enemies. Through this verse, the act of the followers who were preferring to gather the booties is criticized and it is advised that the believers should give preference to the Hereafter than the worldly life. It is warned in verses 14: 2-3: “The disbelievers are preferring this worldly life than the Hereafter, they are obstructing the mankind from Adhikr—the Straightpath—and are seeking crookedness to It, those are strayed far away”. It is told in verses 25: 33-34 that those who are not following and testifying Adhikr—the Best Interpretation of Lord’s Book, will be dragged prone on their faces into Hell and those are in the worst place as well as they are the most strayed. Today, among mankind the wrath affected hypocrites and their strayed followers are reading these verses. So, the read heard and touched verses will argue and witness against them and will push them into Hell. See explanation 5: 54; 7: 169-170 and 8: 12-14.