You had asked for a judgement, so the judgement has come to you (In the form of victory for the faithful). So, if you desist it will be better for you. If you come back to it, We shall do the same, and your forces, however large, will not be of the least avail, for God is with those who believe.
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Tafseer
'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : (if ye sought a judgement) if you sought help, (now hath the judgement come unto you) the victory of muhammad (pbuh) and his companions against you, since abu jahl had prayed before the fighting started, saying: "o allah, assist the best, the most honoured and more beloved religion to you", and so allah answered his prayer and gave victory to muhammad (pbuh) and his companions against them. (and if ye cease) from disbelief and fighting (it will be better for you) than disbelief and fighting, (but if ye return) to fighting muhammad (pbuh) (we also shall return) to your killing and defeat as on the day of badr. (and your host) your group (will avail you naught) vis-à-vis allah's punishment, (however numerous it be, and (know) that allah is with the believers) he assists them by giving them victory.
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : if you have sought a judgement, o disbelievers, if you have sought a decisive conclusion [of this battle] — abū jahl had said, ‘o god! whoever among [the two of] us is the one who has severed the ties of kinship and brought us what we had never known, destroy them today!’ — the judgement, the decisive conclusion, has now come to you, by the fact that the one so described has [already] perished: this was abū jahl and those killed with him, and not the prophet (s) and the believers; and if you desist, from unbelief and waging war, it will better for you. but if you return, to fight against the prophet (s), we shall return, to assist him against you, and your host, your troops, will not avail, will not protect, you in any way, however numerous it be; and verily god is with the believers (read thus inna, indicating a new sentence; or read anna, with an implicit lām [li-anna‘llāha ma‘a’l-mu’minīn, ‘because god is with the believers’]).
Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi
تفسير : ((o quraysh!) if ye sought a judgment, now hath the judgment come unto you…) [8:19].
al-hasan ibn muhammad al-farisi informed us> muhammad ibn 'abd allah ibn al-fadl al-tajir> ahmad ibn muhammad ibn al-hasan al-hafiz> muhammad ibn yahya> ya'qub ibn ibrahim ibn sa'd> his father> salih> ibn shihab> 'abd allah ibn tha'labah ibn su'ayr who said: “the person who sought judgment was abu jahl. he said when the two armies met: 'o allah, destroy this day whoever amongst us has severed ties of kinship and brought that which we had never known!' this was the judgement that he sought. allah, exalted is he, revealed regarding this ((o quraysh!) if ye sought a judgment, now hath the judgment come unto you…) up to his words (allah is with the believers)”. this was narrated by al-hakim abu 'abd allah in his sahih from al-qati'i from the son of ibn hanbal from ahmad ibn hanbal from ya'qub.
said al-suddi and al-kalbi: “before they set off to fight the prophet, allah bless him and give peace, in uhud, the idolaters grabbed the covers of the ka'bah and prayed: 'o allah, give victory to the greatest of the two armies, the most guided of the two camps, the noblest of the two parties and the best of the two religions', and so allah, exalted is he, revealed this verse”.
'ikrimah said: “the idolaters said: 'o allah, we do not recognize that which muhammad has brought, so judge between us with the truth', and so allah, exalted is he, revealed this verse (if ye sought a judgment…)”.
Sahl al-Tustari
تفسير : if [o disbelievers] you were seeking a judgement, the judgement has now come to you…this is because abū jahl said on the day of badr, ‘o god! give victory to the best of the two religions with you, and the most pleasing of them to you.’ then the verse descended, if you were seeking a judgement, meaning, ‘if you were seeking to be helped [to victory].’it has been reported of the prophet <img border="0" src="images/salatonmassenger.jpg" width="24" height="22"> that he would seek victory for the sake of the destitute (ṣaʿālīk) among the emigrants, that is, he sought to be helped [to victory] for the sake of the poor (fuqarāʾ) among them. his words:
