Lawla kitabun mina Allahi sabaqa lamassakum feema akhathtum AAathabun AAatheemun
English
Ahmed Ali
Had this not been decreed by God in advance, you would have suffered a grievous punishment for what you took (as booty).
68
Tafseer
'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : (had it not been for an ordinance of allah which had gone before) had it not been for allah's decree that spoils of war were lawful for the community of muhammad (pbuh); it is also said that this means: had it not been that allah decreed felicity for the people of badr, (an awful) a severe (doom had come upon you on account of what ye took) would have befallen you because of the ransoms you took.
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : had it not been for an ordinance from god which had preceded, making spoils and the taking of captives lawful for you, an awful chastisement would have afflicted you for what you took, as ransom.
