وَإِذْ يَعِدُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ إِحْدَى ٱلطَّآئِفَتَيْنِ أَنَّهَا لَكُمْ وَتَوَدُّونَ أَنَّ غَيْرَ ذَاتِ ٱلشَّوْكَةِ تَكُونُ لَكُمْ وَيُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ أَن يُحِقَّ ٱلْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَـٰتِهِۦ وَيَقْطَعَ دَابِرَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ 7
Translations
[Remember, O believers], when Allāh promised you one of the two groups - that it would be yours - and you wished that the unarmed one would be yours. But Allāh intended to establish the truth by His words and to eliminate the disbelievers
Transliteration
Wa-idh ya'idukumu-llahu ihda-t-ta'ifatayn annaha lakum wa-tawadduna anna ghayra dhati-sh-shawkati takunu lakum wa-yureedu-llahu an yuhiqqa-l-haqqa bi-kalimatihi wa-yaqta'a dabira-l-kafireen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to Allah's promise to the Muslims at Badr regarding the two groups—either the merchant caravan (unarmed) or the Quraysh army (armed). The believers preferred gaining the caravan without fighting, but Allah desired to establish truth through warfare and eliminate the disbelievers. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that Allah's wisdom superseded the Muslims' preference, as the decisive victory at Badr was necessary to establish Islam's authority and break the power of Meccan opposition.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the context of the Battle of Badr (2 AH), the first major military encounter between Muslims and Quraysh. The believers had set out to intercept a caravan but instead encountered the Quraysh army. This verse addresses the Muslims' initial hesitation and preference for the easier path, teaching them that Allah's divine plan transcends human preference and serves greater purposes.
Related Hadiths
The Battle of Badr is extensively documented in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. In Jami' at-Tirmidhi, there are narrations about the companions' discussions before Badr and how Allah granted them victory despite their numerical disadvantage (313 Muslims vs. approximately 1000 Quraysh).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that while they may prefer easier paths, Allah's wisdom often directs them toward greater trials that ultimately strengthen faith and establish justice. It reminds us to trust in Allah's plan even when it diverges from our preferences, as His decree serves purposes beyond our immediate understanding.
Related Ayahs
وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ سَبَقُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ لَا يُعْجِزُونَ
And let not those who disbelieve think they will escape. Indeed, they will not cause failure [to Allāh].
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ قُل لِّمَن فِىٓ أَيْدِيكُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَسْرَىٰٓ إِن يَعْلَمِ ٱللَّهُ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ خَيْرًا يُؤْتِكُمْ خَيْرًا مِّمَّآ أُخِذَ مِنكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
O Prophet, say to whoever is in your hands of the captives, "If Allāh knows [any] good in your hearts, He will give you [something] better than what was taken from you, and He will forgive you; and Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful."
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِن تَتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّكُمْ فُرْقَانًا وَيُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
O you who have believed, if you fear Allāh, He will grant you a criterion and will remove from you your misdeeds and forgive you. And Allāh is the possessor of great bounty.
وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذْ يَتَوَفَّى ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ۙ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ يَضْرِبُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَأَدْبَـٰرَهُمْ وَذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابَ ٱلْحَرِيقِ
And if you could but see when the angels take the souls of those who disbelieved... They are striking their faces and their backs and [saying], "Taste the punishment of the Burning Fire.