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 Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
42. When you were on the near side of the valley [44], and they were on the farther side, and the caravan [45] was below you (towards the coast). And if you had made a mutual appointment (for battle), you would have failed to keep the appointment. But Allah intended to accomplish what was destined, so that those who would perish might perish upon clear evidence [47], and those who would live might live upon clear evidence. And surely Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
[44] By "this edge" or "the nearer edge" is meant the direction that was towards Madinah, and by "the farther edge" is meant the opposite direction, which was towards Makkah.
[45]
The Battle of Badr Occurred Out of Necessity:
That is, when the Muslims set out from Madinah, it was not with the intention of jihad, but rather with the intention of attacking a trade caravan. For this reason, there is no reproach upon those Muslims who stayed behind from the Battle of Badr, and the disbelievers did not set out with the intention of fighting, but rather to save their caravan. Now, by Allah’s will, that caravan managed to escape. In this way, both armies happened to encounter each other, and all of this was happening according to Allah’s will.
[46] That is, if the disbelievers and the Muslims had made any agreement or pact to fight each other, it was quite possible that both parties, or one of them, would break the promise and not reach the appointed time and place, or would flee upon arrival, and thus this decisive battle between truth and falsehood would not have taken place. Therefore, Allah created such circumstances that this battle inevitably occurred.
[47]
The Battle of Badr Was a Decisive Encounter Between Truth and Falsehood:
That is, both the disbelievers who died and those who remained alive could see with their own eyes which party was upon the truth and whom Allah helped. Or it means that after seeing this outcome of the disbelievers, if any of them still wished to persist in disbelief, then he does so at his own peril, and whoever wishes to accept Islam, seeing this clear support from Allah, should accept Islam, and it would be to his own benefit. In any case, Allah has shown everyone a living, manifest proof of the falsehood of shirk and disbelief.
[44] By "this edge" or "the nearer edge" is meant the direction that was towards Madinah, and by "the farther edge" is meant the opposite direction, which was towards Makkah.
[45]
The Battle of Badr Occurred Out of Necessity:
That is, when the Muslims set out from Madinah, it was not with the intention of jihad, but rather with the intention of attacking a trade caravan. For this reason, there is no reproach upon those Muslims who stayed behind from the Battle of Badr, and the disbelievers did not set out with the intention of fighting, but rather to save their caravan. Now, by Allah’s will, that caravan managed to escape. In this way, both armies happened to encounter each other, and all of this was happening according to Allah’s will.
[46] That is, if the disbelievers and the Muslims had made any agreement or pact to fight each other, it was quite possible that both parties, or one of them, would break the promise and not reach the appointed time and place, or would flee upon arrival, and thus this decisive battle between truth and falsehood would not have taken place. Therefore, Allah created such circumstances that this battle inevitably occurred.
[47]
The Battle of Badr Was a Decisive Encounter Between Truth and Falsehood:
That is, both the disbelievers who died and those who remained alive could see with their own eyes which party was upon the truth and whom Allah helped. Or it means that after seeing this outcome of the disbelievers, if any of them still wished to persist in disbelief, then he does so at his own peril, and whoever wishes to accept Islam, seeing this clear support from Allah, should accept Islam, and it would be to his own benefit. In any case, Allah has shown everyone a living, manifest proof of the falsehood of shirk and disbelief.
