لِيَقْطَعَ طَرَفًا مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَوْ يَكْبِتَهُمْ فَيَنقَلِبُوا۟ خَآئِبِينَ 127
Translations
That He might cut down a section of the disbelievers or suppress them so that they turn back disappointed.
Transliteration
Liyaqta'a tarfan min alladhina kafaroo aw yakbithum fyanqaliboo khaibin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to Allah's purpose in granting the believers victory and strength—either to eliminate a portion of the disbelievers or to humiliate and repel them defeated and disappointed. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the phrase 'cut off a section' (yaqta'a tarfan) indicates either death in battle or capture, while 'humiliate them' (yakbithum) means to break their spirits and cause them to retreat in shame. This establishes that Allah's decree encompasses the triumph of truth over falsehood through military and spiritual means.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Ali 'Imran's discussion of the Battle of Uhud and the broader struggle between the Muslim community and the Meccan disbelievers. It expresses Allah's wisdom in allowing battles to occur—whether resulting in the believers' victory through eliminating enemies or through the enemy's demoralization and retreat. The thematic context emphasizes that all outcomes serve divine purposes in establishing truth.
Related Hadiths
The spirit of this ayah relates to the hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'I have been commanded to fight the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah.' It also connects thematically to accounts of battles where Allah granted victory through military means or psychological defeat of enemies.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that struggle against falsehood serves divine purposes whether through direct victory or through deterring and humiliating evil forces. For believers today, it emphasizes trust in Allah's plan during trials and the understanding that all circumstances—success or temporary difficulty—ultimately serve the cause of truth and justice.
Related Ayahs
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا۟ لَن تَمَسَّنَا ٱلنَّارُ إِلَّآ أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَٰتٍ ۖ وَغَرَّهُمْ فِى دِينِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ
That is because they say, "Never will the Fire touch us except for [a few] numbered days," and [because] they were deluded in their religion by what they were inventing.
إِن يَنصُرْكُمُ ٱللَّهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَنصُرُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ ۗ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ
If Allāh should aid you, no one can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him? And upon Allāh let the believers rely.
لَّا يَتَّخِذِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۖ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ فِى شَىْءٍ إِلَّآ أَن تَتَّقُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ تُقَىٰةً ۗ وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسَهُۥ ۗ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
Let not believers take disbelievers as allies [i.e., supporters or protectors] rather than believers. And whoever [of you] does that has nothing [i.e., no association] with Allāh, except when taking precaution against them in prudence. And Allāh warns you of Himself, and to Allāh is the [final] destination.
ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ وَٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ وَٱلْقَـٰنِتِينَ وَٱلْمُنفِقِينَ وَٱلْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِٱلْأَسْحَارِ
The patient, the true, the obedient, those who spend [in the way of Allāh], and those who seek forgiveness before dawn.