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Al-Anfal (The Spoils of War)

Verse 42of 75

إِذْ أَنتُم بِٱلْعُدْوَةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَهُم بِٱلْعُدْوَةِ ٱلْقُصْوَىٰ وَٱلرَّكْبُ أَسْفَلَ مِنكُمْ ۚ وَلَوْ تَوَاعَدتُّمْ لَٱخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِى ٱلْمِيعَٰدِ ۙ وَلَٰكِن لِّيَقْضِىَ ٱللَّهُ أَمْرًۭا كَانَ مَفْعُولًۭا لِّيَهْلِكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ عَنۢ بَيِّنَةٍۢ وَيَحْيَىٰ مَنْ حَىَّ عَنۢ بَيِّنَةٍۢ ۗ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَسَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ﴿٤٢

Translation (Sahih International)

[Remember] when you were on the near side of the valley, and they were on the farther side, and the caravan was lower [in position] than you. If you had made an appointment [to meet], you would have missed the appointment. But [it was] so that Allah might accomplish a matter already destined - that those who perished [through disbelief] would perish upon evidence and those who lived [in faith] would live upon evidence; and indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing.

Word-by-word meaning

إِذْidhWhen
أَنتُمantumyou (were)
بِٱلْعُدْوَةِbil-ʿud'wation side of the valley
ٱلدُّنْيَاl-dun'yāthe nearer
وَهُمwahumand they
بِٱلْعُدْوَةِbil-ʿud'wati(were) on the side
ٱلْقُصْوَىٰl-quṣ'wāthe farther
وَٱلرَّكْبُwal-rakbuand the caravan
أَسْفَلَasfala(was) lower
مِنكُمْ ۚminkumthan you
وَلَوْwalawAnd if
تَوَاعَدتُّمْtawāʿadttumyou (had) made an appointment
لَٱخْتَلَفْتُمْla-ikh'talaftumcertainly you would have failed
فِىin
ٱلْمِيعَـٰدِ ۙl-mīʿādithe appointment
وَلَـٰكِنwalākinBut
لِّيَقْضِىَliyaqḍiyathat might accomplish
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
أَمْرًۭاamrana matter
كَانَkāna(that) was
مَفْعُولًۭاmafʿūlandestined
لِّيَهْلِكَliyahlikathat (might be) destroyed
مَنْman(those) who
هَلَكَhalaka(were to be) destroyed
عَنۢʿanon
بَيِّنَةٍۢbayyinatina clear evidence
وَيَحْيَىٰwayaḥyāand (might) live
مَنْman(those) who
حَىَّḥayya(were to) live
عَنۢʿanon
بَيِّنَةٍۢ ۗbayyinatina clear evidence
وَإِنَّwa-innaAnd indeed
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
لَسَمِيعٌlasamīʿun(is) All-Hearing
عَلِيمٌʿalīmunAll-Knowing

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Some Details of the Battle of BadrAllah describes Yawm Al-Furqan, (i.e. the day of Badr),إِذْ أَنتُم بِالْعُدْوَةِ الدُّنْيَا((And remember) when you (the Muslim army) were on the near side of the valley,) camping in the closest entrance of the valley towards Al-Madinah,وَهُمْ(and they), the idolators, who were camped,بِالْعُدْوَةِ الْقُصْوَى(on the farther side), from Al-Madinah, towards Makkah.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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