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 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 42) ➊ {اِذْ اَنْتُمْ بِالْعُدْوَةِ الدُّنْيَا … :} The purpose of mentioning the location of the battle is that the intention with which you set out was that you would encounter that caravan which was extremely valuable and whose guards were only thirty or forty men, but instead Allah brought you to such a place where there was no option but to fight. {’’ عُدْوَةٌ ‘‘} Edge. {’’ الدُّنْيَا ‘‘ ’’ دُنُوٌّ ‘‘ } (to be near) is the feminine of {’’ أَدْنٰي‘‘}, the nearest, meaning you were on that side of the valley of Badr which was closest to Madinah. {’’ الْقُصْوٰى ‘‘ ’’ أَقْصٰي‘‘} is the feminine of {’’ أَقْصٰي‘‘}, meaning the farthest, meaning the Quraysh were on that side of the valley of Badr which was farthest from Madinah. {’’ وَ الرَّكْبُ اَسْفَلَ مِنْكُمْ ‘‘} That is, the caravan for which you had set out was below you on the seashore, where it was not possible for you to reach at that time, and you and the Quraysh, without any prior intention, gathered on the edges of the same valley; neither did they know about you nor you about them, and Allah intended that by causing a clash between truth and falsehood, the truth would become clear. If you and the Quraysh had set out for battle by fixing a time and place, then certainly there would have been some shortcoming in reaching the appointed promise, either you would not have reached due to your small number and lack of preparation, or the disbelievers would not have reached out of fear of the awe Allah had granted to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), but Allah gathering you in the same valley at the exact time was so that Allah could accomplish what He intended, that is, victory for the Muslims and defeat for the disbelievers.
➋ {لِيَهْلِكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ عَنْۢ بَيِّنَةٍ …:} That is, so that despite the abundance and preparation of the disbelievers and the scarcity and lack of resources of the Muslims, the argument would be completed against the disbelievers with the victory of the Muslims, and the truth of Islam would become clear. After that, if anyone remains a disbeliever, he remains so after seeing the proof and falls into destruction, and whoever becomes a Muslim does so after seeing the proof and attains everlasting life.
➋ {لِيَهْلِكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ عَنْۢ بَيِّنَةٍ …:} That is, so that despite the abundance and preparation of the disbelievers and the scarcity and lack of resources of the Muslims, the argument would be completed against the disbelievers with the victory of the Muslims, and the truth of Islam would become clear. After that, if anyone remains a disbeliever, he remains so after seeing the proof and falls into destruction, and whoever becomes a Muslim does so after seeing the proof and attains everlasting life.
