سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْفَالِ
Surah Al-Anfaal (8) — Ayah 42
إِذْ أَنتُم بِٱلْعُدْوَةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَهُم بِٱلْعُدْوَةِ ٱلْقُصْوَىٰ وَٱلرَّكْبُ أَسْفَلَ مِنكُمْ ۚ وَلَوْ تَوَاعَدتُّمْ لَٱخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِى ٱلْمِيعَـٰدِ ۙ وَلَـٰكِن لِّيَقْضِىَ ٱللَّهُ أَمْرًا كَانَ مَفْعُولًا لِّيَهْلِكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ عَنۢ بَيِّنَةٍ وَيَحْيَىٰ مَنْ حَىَّ عَنۢ بَيِّنَةٍ ۗ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَسَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿42﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
(And remember) when you (the Muslim army) were on the near side of the valley, and they on the farther side, and the caravan on the ground lower than you. Even if you had made a mutual appointment to meet, you would certainly have failed in the appointment, but (you met) that Allâh might accomplish a matter already ordained (in His Knowledge), so that those who were to be destroyed (for their rejecting the Faith) might be destroyed after a clear evidence, and those who were to live (i.e. believers) might live after a clear evidence. And surely, Allâh is All-Hearer, All-Knower.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِذْ
idh
When
أَنتُم
antum
you (were)
بِٱلْعُدْوَةِ
bil-ʿud'wati
on side of the valley
ٱلدُّنْيَا
l-dun'yā
the nearer
وَهُم
wahum
and they
بِٱلْعُدْوَةِ
bil-ʿud'wati
(were) on the side
ٱلْقُصْوَىٰ
l-quṣ'wā
the farther
وَٱلرَّكْبُ
wal-rakbu
and the caravan
أَسْفَلَ
asfala
(was) lower
مِنكُمْ ۚ
minkum
than you
وَلَوْ
walaw
And if
تَوَاعَدتُّمْ
tawāʿadttum
you (had) made an appointment
لَٱخْتَلَفْتُمْ
la-ikh'talaftum
certainly you would have failed
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْمِيعَـٰدِ ۙ
l-mīʿādi
the appointment
وَلَـٰكِن
walākin
But
لِّيَقْضِىَ
liyaqḍiya
that might accomplish
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
أَمْرًۭا
amran
a matter
كَانَ
kāna
(that) was
مَفْعُولًۭا
mafʿūlan
destined
لِّيَهْلِكَ
liyahlika
that (might be) destroyed
مَنْ
man
(those) who
هَلَكَ
halaka
(were to be) destroyed
عَنۢ
ʿan
on
بَيِّنَةٍۢ
bayyinatin
a clear evidence
وَيَحْيَىٰ
wayaḥyā
and (might) live
مَنْ
man
(those) who
حَىَّ
ḥayya
(were to) live
عَنۢ
ʿan
on
بَيِّنَةٍۢ ۗ
bayyinatin
a clear evidence
وَإِنَّ
wa-inna
And indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
لَسَمِيعٌ
lasamīʿun
(is) All-Hearing
عَلِيمٌ
ʿalīmun
All-Knowing
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
42. 1. By "dunya" is meant that bank which was near the city of Madinah. "Quswa" means distant. The disbelievers were on that bank which was far from Madinah.
42. 2. This refers to the trade caravan which, under the leadership of Abu Sufyan, was traveling from Syria to Makkah, and for the purpose of intercepting which the Muslims had actually come in that direction. This was in a lowland far to the west from the mountain, whereas the place of Badr, where the battle took place, was on higher ground.
42. 3. That is, if there had been a formal agreement or announcement between the two parties regarding the day and date for battle, it was possible, even certain, that one of the parties would have retreated without fighting. But since the occurrence of this battle had been decreed by Allah, such circumstances were created that both parties, without any prior agreement or warning, confronted each other at the place of Badr.
42. 4. This is the reason for Allah’s decreed will under which the gathering of the two parties at Badr took place, so that whoever lives on faith may live with proof, and be certain that Islam is the truth, because he has witnessed its truth at Badr; and whoever is destroyed with disbelief, may be destroyed with proof, because it has become clear to him that the path of the polytheists is the path of misguidance and falsehood.
42. 2. This refers to the trade caravan which, under the leadership of Abu Sufyan, was traveling from Syria to Makkah, and for the purpose of intercepting which the Muslims had actually come in that direction. This was in a lowland far to the west from the mountain, whereas the place of Badr, where the battle took place, was on higher ground.
42. 3. That is, if there had been a formal agreement or announcement between the two parties regarding the day and date for battle, it was possible, even certain, that one of the parties would have retreated without fighting. But since the occurrence of this battle had been decreed by Allah, such circumstances were created that both parties, without any prior agreement or warning, confronted each other at the place of Badr.
42. 4. This is the reason for Allah’s decreed will under which the gathering of the two parties at Badr took place, so that whoever lives on faith may live with proof, and be certain that Islam is the truth, because he has witnessed its truth at Badr; and whoever is destroyed with disbelief, may be destroyed with proof, because it has become clear to him that the path of the polytheists is the path of misguidance and falsehood.
