سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْفَالِ
Surah Al-Anfaal (8) — Ayah 19
إِن تَسْتَفْتِحُوا۟ فَقَدْ جَآءَكُمُ ٱلْفَتْحُ ۖ وَإِن تَنتَهُوا۟ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَإِن تَعُودُوا۟ نَعُدْ وَلَن تُغْنِىَ عَنكُمْ فِئَتُكُمْ شَيْـًٔا وَلَوْ كَثُرَتْ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿19﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
(O disbelievers) if you ask for a judgement, now has the judgement come unto you; and if you cease (to do wrong), it will be better for you, and if you return (to the attack), so shall We return, and your forces will be of no avail to you, however numerous they be; and verily, Allâh is with the believers.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِن
in
If
تَسْتَفْتِحُوا۟
tastaftiḥū
you ask for victory
فَقَدْ
faqad
then certainly
جَآءَكُمُ
jāakumu
has come to you
ٱلْفَتْحُ ۖ
l-fatḥu
the victory
وَإِن
wa-in
And if
تَنتَهُوا۟
tantahū
you desist
فَهُوَ
fahuwa
then it (is)
خَيْرٌۭ
khayrun
good
لَّكُمْ ۖ
lakum
for you
وَإِن
wa-in
but if
تَعُودُوا۟
taʿūdū
you return
نَعُدْ
naʿud
We will return (too)
وَلَن
walan
And never
تُغْنِىَ
tugh'niya
will avail
عَنكُمْ
ʿankum
you
فِئَتُكُمْ
fi-atukum
your forces
شَيْـًۭٔا
shayan
anything
وَلَوْ
walaw
even if
كَثُرَتْ
kathurat
(they are) numerous
وَأَنَّ
wa-anna
And that
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
مَعَ
maʿa
(is) with
ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
l-mu'minīna
the believers
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 19) ➊ {اِنْ تَسْتَفْتِحُوْا فَقَدْ جَآءَكُمُ الْفَتْحُ … :} The meaning of "fath" here is "decision," as the disbelievers used to say: «{ مَتٰى هٰذَا الْفَتْحُ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ صٰدِقِيْنَ }» [ السجدۃ : ۲۸ ] "When will this decision come, if you are truthful?" Abdullah bin Thalabah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: "When (on the day of Badr) the people faced each other, Abu Jahl said, 'O Allah! Whichever of us is the greater breaker of ties and brings forth unfamiliar things before us, destroy him this morning.' So, the one who sought decision was Abu Jahl." [ مستدرک حاکم 328/2، ح : ۳۲۶۴۔ أحمد : 431/5، ح : ۲۳۶۶۱، و صححہ شعیب أرنؤوط۔ السنن الکبریٰ للنسائی : 350/6، ح : ۱۱۲۰۱ ] "If you seek a decision," this address is to the disbelievers, because when they set out from Makkah and before the battle of Badr, Abu Jahl made this supplication: "O Allah! Whichever of us is upon the truth, grant him victory, and whoever is upon falsehood, disgrace him." Thus, here the meaning of {’’ الْفَتْحُ ‘‘} is command and decision. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "In every place in the Makkan surahs, the words of the disbelievers are quoted that they would say at every moment: «{ مَتٰى هٰذَا الْفَتْحُ }» meaning, when will the decision come? So now it is said that this decision has arrived." (Mawduh)
➋ { وَ اِنْ تَعُوْدُوْا نَعُدْ......:} That is, if you again oppose the Muslims and fight them, then we will treat you in the same way again, no matter how large your group may be.
➌ Before { وَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ مَعَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ: ’’ اَنَّ ‘‘}, several words can be considered implied; the easier way is to consider this sentence as the object of {’’ وَاعْلَمُوْا ‘‘}, meaning: Know that indeed Allah is with the believers, and whoever Allah is with, who can harm him?
➋ { وَ اِنْ تَعُوْدُوْا نَعُدْ......:} That is, if you again oppose the Muslims and fight them, then we will treat you in the same way again, no matter how large your group may be.
➌ Before { وَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ مَعَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ: ’’ اَنَّ ‘‘}, several words can be considered implied; the easier way is to consider this sentence as the object of {’’ وَاعْلَمُوْا ‘‘}, meaning: Know that indeed Allah is with the believers, and whoever Allah is with, who can harm him?
