Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Anfal Verse 19

Mufti Taqi Usmani

(O unbelievers,) if you were looking for a decision, the ‘decision’ has come upon you. And if you give up, it is better for you. And if you repeat, We shall repeat. And your people shall not suffice you at all, even though they are many in number; and Allah is with the believers.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

If you ˹Meccans˺ sought judgment, now it has come to you. And if you cease, it will be for your own good. But if you persist, We will persist. And your forces—no matter how numerous they might be—will not benefit you whatsoever. For Allah is certainly with the believers.

Ruwwad Translation Center

If you [disbelievers] were seeking the decision, it has come to you. If you desist, it will be better for you, but if you return [to war], We too will return. And your forces – no matter how great in number they are – will not avail you anything, for Allah is with the believers.

A. J. Arberry

If victory you are seeking, victory has already come upon you; and if you give over, it is better for you. But if you return, We shall return, and your host will avail you nothing though it be numerous; and that God is with the believers.

Abdul Haleem

[Disbelievers], if you were seeking a decision, now you have witnessed one: if you stop here, it will be better for you. If you return, so shall We, and your forces, though greater in number, will be of no use to you. God is with the believers.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

If ye besought a judgement then surely a judgement hath come unto you. And if ye desist it Will be better for you; and if ye return. We will return; and your host shall avail you not, although numerous it be; and know that verily Allah is with the believers.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

(O Unbelievers!) if ye prayed for victory and judgment, now hath the judgment come to you; if ye desist (from wrong), it will be best for you; if ye return (to the attack), so shall We. Not the least good will your forces be to you even if they were multiplied; for verily Allah is with those who believe!

Abul Ala Maududi

(Tell the unbelievers:) 'If you have sought a judgement, then surely a judgement has come to you. And if you desist from disobedience, it is all the better for you. But if you revert to your mischief, We will again chastise you; and your host, howsoever numerous, will never be of any avail to you. Know well, Allah is with the believers.'

Ahmed Ali

You had asked for a judgement, so the judgement has come to you (In the form of victory for the faithful). So, if you desist it will be better for you. If you come back to it, We shall do the same, and your forces, however large, will not be of the least avail, for God is with those who believe.

Ahmed Raza Khan

O disbelievers! If you seek a judgement, then this judgement has come to you; and if you desist, it is better for you; and if you return to mischief, We will punish you again; and your populace will not benefit you, however large it may be – and besides this, Allah is with the Muslims.

Ali Quli Qarai

If you sought a verdict, the verdict has certainly come to you; and if you cease [your belligerence against the Prophet and his followers], it is better for you, but if you resume, We [too] shall return and your troops will never avail you though they should be ever so many, and [know] that Allah is with the faithful.

Ali Ünal

If you (O unbelievers) sought a judgment (through battle to see which party is in the right), then surely a judgment has come to you. If you cease (hostilities towards the believers), it is what will be to your good. But if you revert (to hostilities), We will also revert (to what We did to you in that battle). And never will your being a great host be of any avail to you, however numerous it be, and (let everyone know) that God is with the believers.

Amatul Rahman Omar

If you (O disbelievers!), sought a decision then such a decision (in the form of the results of the Battle of Badr) has of course come to you. And if you (now) desist (from persecuting the believers), it is better for you. And if you return (to hostilities), We too will return (to their help), and your hosts, though they may be numerous, will be of no avail to you; and (know) that Allâh is with the believers.

English Literal

If you seek victory , so the opening/victory had come to you, and if you end/terminate/stop, so it is best for you, and if you return, We return, and your group will never enrich/satisfy at you a thing, and even if (it) became much/plenty , and that God (is) with the believers.

Faridul Haque

O disbelievers! If you seek a judgement, then this judgement has come to you; and if you desist, it is better for you; and if you return to mischief, We will punish you again; and your populace will not benefit you, however large it may be - and besides this, Allah is with the Muslims.

Hamid S. Aziz

(O unbelievers!) If you sought a judgment, a decision has now come to you. But if you desist, it will be better for you; but if you return to the attack, We, too will return. And your troop shall avail you nothing, however great in number it be, since Allah is with the believers!

Hilali & Khan

(O disbelievers) if you ask for a judgement, now has the judgement come unto you and if you cease (to do wrong), it will be better for you, and if you return (to the attack), so shall We return, and your forces will be of no avail to you, however numerous it be, and verily, Allah is with the believers.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

This -- and (know) that Allah will weaken the struggle of the disbelievers.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

If you demanded a judgment, the judgment has then indeed come to you; and if you desist, it will be better for you; and if you turn back (to fight), We (too) shall turn back, and your forces shall avail you nothing, though they may be many, and (know) that Allah is with the believers.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

(O Qureysh!) If ye sought a judgment, now hath the judgment come unto you. And if ye cease (from persecuting the believers) it will be better for you, but if ye return (to the attack) We also shall return. And your host will avail you naught, however numerous it be, and (know) that Allah is with the believers (in His Guidance).

Muhammad Sarwar

If you (the pagans) are looking for conquest, you certainly had a great chance (at the battle of Badr). But if you were to give up such a desire, it would be better for you. If you again wage war against Us, We will be ready for such a confrontation. Your man-power will be of no help to you no matter how much you have; God is with the believers.

Qaribullah & Darwish

If you were seeking a victory, victory has now come to you. If you desist, it will be better for you. If you resume We will return, and even if your forces are numerous, they shall not help you at all. And Allah is with the believers.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

(O disbelievers) if you ask for a judgement, now has the judgement come unto you; and if you cease (to do wrong), it will be better for you, and if you return (to the attack), so shall We return, and your forces will be of no avail to you, however numerous they be; and verily, Allah is with the believers.

Wahiduddin Khan

If you were seeking a judgement, a judgement has now come to you. If you desist, it will be the better for you. But if you return [to hostility] We too will return. And your host will avail you naught, however numerous it may be, and [know] that surely God is with the believers.

Talal Itani

If you desire a verdict, the verdict has come to you. And if you desist, it would be best for you. And if you return, We will return; and your troops, however numerous, will not benefit you. God is with the believers.

Tafsir jalalayn

If you have sought a judgement, O disbelievers, if you have sought a decisive conclusion [of this battle] -- Ab Jahl had said, `O God! Whoever among [the two of] us is the one who has severed the ties of kinship and brought us what we had never known, destroy them today!' -- the judgement, the decisive conclusion, has now come to you, by the fact that the one so described has [already] perished; this was Ab Jahl and those killed with him, and not the Prophet (s) and the believers; and if you desist, from unbelief and waging war, it will better for you. But if you return, to fight against the Prophet (s), We shall return, to assist him against you, and your host, your troops, will not avail, will not protect, you in any way, however numerous it be; and verily God is with the believers (read thus inna, indicating a new sentence; or read anna, with an implicit lm [li-anna`Llha ma`a'l-mu'minn, `because God is with the believers']).

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Response to the Disbelievers Who ask for a Judgement

Allah says to the disbeliever,

إِن تَسْتَفْتِحُواْ

If you ask for a judgement,

you invoked Allah for victory, judgement and a decision between you and your believing nemesis, and you got what you asked for.

Muhammad bin Ishaq and several others reported from Az-Zuhri from Abdullah bin Thalabah bin Suayr who said that;

Abu Jahl said on the day of Badr, "O Allah! Whichever of the two camps (pagans and Muslims) severed the relation of the womb and brought us what is not familiar, then destroy him this day."

This Ayah was later on revealed,

إِن تَسْتَفْتِحُواْ فَقَدْ جَاءكُمُ الْفَتْحُ

If you ask for a judgement, then now has the judgement come unto you, until the end of the Ayah.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abdullah bin Thalabah said,

"Abu Jahl asked for (Allah's judgment) when he said upon facing the Muslims, `O Allah! Those among us who severed the relations of the womb and brought forth what we do not recognize, then destroy him this day."'

This was also recorded by An-Nasa'i in the Book of Tafsir (of his Sunan) and Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, and he said, "It is Sahih according to the criteria of the Two Sheikhs, and they did not record it."

Similar statements were reported from Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Yazid bin Ruwman and several others.

As-Suddi commented,

"Before the idolators left Makkah for Badr, they clung to the curtains covering the Ka`bah and supplicated to Allah for victory, `O Allah! Give victory to the exalted among the two armies, the most honored among the two groups, and the most righteous among the two tribes.'

Allah revealed the Ayah,

إِن تَسْتَفْتِحُواْ فَقَدْ جَاءكُمُ الْفَتْحُ

If you ask for a judgement, then now has the judgement come unto you.

Allah says here, `I accepted your supplication and Muhammad gained the victory."'

Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said;

"This is Allah the Most High's answer to their supplication;

وَإِذْ قَالُواْ اللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَـذَا هُوَ الْحَقَّ مِنْ عِندِكَ

And (remember) when they said;"O Allah! If this is indeed the truth from you.." (8;32)

Allah said next,

وَإِن تَنتَهُواْ

and if you cease...

from your disbelief and rejection of Allah and His Messenger,

فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ

it will be better for you,

in this life and the Hereafter.

Allah said,

وَإِن تَعُودُواْ نَعُدْ

and if you return, so shall We return...

This is similar to another Ayah,

وَإِنْ عُدتُّمْ عُدْنَا

but if you return (to sins), We shall return (to Our punishment). (17;8)

meaning, `if you persist in your disbelief and misguidance, We shall repeat the defeat that you suffered,'

وَلَن تُغْنِيَ عَنكُمْ فِيَتُكُمْ شَيْيًا وَلَوْ كَثُرَتْ

and your forces will be of no avail to you, however numerous they be...

for even if you gather whatever forces you can, then know that those whom Allah is with cannot be defeated,

وَأَنَّ اللّهَ مَعَ الْمُوْمِنِينَ



and verily, Allah is with the believers.

in reference to the Prophet's group, the side of the chosen Messenger