Surah Al-Anfal 8:42

The Spoils of War · Verse 42 of 75 · Juz 10 · Page 182

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

[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 Allāh 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, Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.

Translation: Saheeh International

Tafsir

When idh substitutes for yawma ‘the day’ you were on the nearer bank the one nearer to Medina read ‘udwa or ‘idwa meaning ‘the side of a valley’ and they were on the yonder bank the one further from it and the cavalcade the caravan was in a place below you the coastal side; …

Excerpt from Tafsir al-Jalalayn, commentary on 8:42, via Quran.com. The reader has the full commentary and 9 more tafsirs.