Verse. 1202

٨ - ٱلْأَنْفَال

8 - Al-Anfal

اِذْ اَنْتُمْ بِالْعُدْوَۃِ الدُّنْيَا وَہُمْ بِالْعُدْوَۃِ الْقُصْوٰي وَ الرَّكْبُ اَسْفَلَ مِنْكُمْ۝۰ۭ وَلَوْ تَوَاعَدْتُّمْ لَاخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِي الْمِيْعٰدِ۝۰ۙ وَلٰكِنْ لِّيَقْضِيَ اللہُ اَمْرًا كَانَ مَفْعُوْلًا۝۰ۥۙ لِّـيَہْلِكَ مَنْ ہَلَكَ عَنْۢ بَيِّنَۃٍ وَّيَحْيٰي مَنْ حَيَّ عَنْۢ بَيِّنَۃٍ۝۰ۭ وَاِنَّ اللہَ لَسَمِيْعٌ عَلِيْمٌ۝۴۲ۙ
Ith antum bialAAudwati alddunya wahum bialAAudwati alquswa waalrrakbu asfala minkum walaw tawaAAadtum laikhtalaftum fee almeeAAadi walakin liyaqdiya Allahu amran kana mafAAoolan liyahlika man halaka AAan bayyinatin wayahya man hayya AAan bayyinatin wainna Allaha lasameeAAun AAaleemun

English

Ahmed Ali

(That day) when you were at one end of the valley, (the unbelievers) at the other, and the caravan below you (on the lowland by the coast), you would surely have declined to fight if (the Makkans) had offered you battle. (But the battle did take place) that God may end the matter which had been accomplished, so that he who had to die may perish after a clear demonstration, and he who had to live may survive in the light of positive proof, for God hears all and knows everything.

42

Tafseer

'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī

تفسير : (when ye were) o believers (on the near bank (of the valley)) close to medina (and they) abu jahl and his host (were on the yonder bank) farther from medina, beyond the valley, (and the caravan) of abu sufyan and his host (was below you (on the coast plain)) three miles away. (and had ye trysted to meet one another) in medina to fight (ye surely would have failed to keep the tryst) to be able to do so, (but (it happened, as it did, without the forethought of either of you) that allah might conclude a thing that must be done) giving victory and the spoils of war to the prophet (pbuh) and his companions, and death and defeat to abu jahl and his host; (that he who perished (on that day) might perish) he who perished as a disbeliever may perish (by a clear proof) after showing allah's assistance to muhammad (pbuh) (and he who survived) and was firm on faith (might survive) he whom allah wills to make firm on faith (by a clear proof) after showing his assistance to muhammad, allah give him peace. it is also said that this means: so that he disbelieves he whom allah willed him to disbelieve after seeing the clear proof (victory and seizure of the spoils of war by the prophet (pbuh)) and so that he believes he whom allah willed him to believe after seeing the clear proof. (lo! allah in truth is hearer) of your supplications, (knower) of the answer to your calls and assistance.

Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī

تفسير : when (idh substitutes for yawma, ‘the day’) you were on the nearer bank, the one nearer to medina (read ‘udwa or ‘idwa, meaning ‘the side of a valley’), and they were on the yonder bank, the one further from it, and the cavalcade, the caravan, was, in a place, below you, the coastal side; and had you, and the [enemy] band, agreed to meet, for battle, you would have surely failed to keep meeting; but, he brought you together at a different time, that god might conclude a matter that was to be done, through his knowledge — namely, the victory of islam and the obliteration of unbelief — he did this so, that he who perished might perish, might be a disbeliever [even], after a clear proof, that is, after a manifest proof has been established against him, namely, the triumph of the believers, despite their small number, over the larger [enemy] army; and that he who survived might live, might believe, after a clear proof; surely god is hearing, knowing.