Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And when God promised you one of the two groups, that it would be yours, and you wished that the unarmed one might be yours (but God willed to establish the truth by His words, and to cut off the root of the false claimers of guidance,

وَاِذْ يَعِدُكُمُ اللّٰهُ اِحْدَى الطَّٓائِفَتَيْنِ اَنَّهَا لَكُمْ وَتَوَدُّونَ اَنَّ غَيْرَ ذَاتِ الشَّوْكَةِ تَكُونُ لَكُمْ وَيُر۪يدُ اللّٰهُ اَنْ يُحِقَّ الْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَاتِه۪ وَيَقْطَعَ دَابِرَ الْكَافِر۪ينَۙ
Wa-ith yaAAidukumu Allahu ihdaatta-ifatayni annaha lakum watawaddoonaanna ghayra thati ashshawkati takoonu lakumwayureedu Allahu an yuhiqqa alhaqqa bikalimatihiwayaqtaAAa dabira alkafireen
#wordmeaningroot
1wa-idhAnd when
2yaʿidukumupromised youوعد
3l-lahuAllah
4iḥ'dāoneاحد
5l-ṭāifatayni(of) the two groups طوف
6annahāthat it (would be)
7lakumfor you
8watawaddūnaand you wishedودد
9annathat
10ghayra(one) other thanغير
11dhātithat
12l-shawkati(of) the armedشوك
13takūnuwould beكون
14lakumfor you
15wayurīduBut intendedرود
16l-lahuAllah
17anto
18yuḥiqqajustifyحقق
19l-ḥaqathe truthحقق
20bikalimātihiby His wordsكلم
21wayaqṭaʿaand cut offقطع
22dābira(the) rootsدبر
23l-kāfirīna(of) the disbelieversكفر
  • Aisha Bewley

    When Allah promised you that one of the two parties would be yours and you would have liked it to have been the unarmed one, whereas Allah desired to verify the Truth by His words and to cut off the last remnant of the kafirun.

  • Progressive Muslims

    And God promises you that one of the two parties will be defeated by you; and you wish that the one least armed be the one. But God wishes that the truth be manifest with His words, and that He eliminates the remnant of the rejecters.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Allah promised you engagement and victory against one of the two groups. You preferred to face the weaker group, but Allah willed the Truth to prevail according to His Words and soundly defeat the aggressive disbelievers.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And when God promised you one of the two groups, that it would be yours, and you wished that the unarmed one might be yours (but God willed to establish the truth by His words, and to cut off the root of the false claimers of guidance,

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    And God promises you that one of the two parties will be defeated by you; and you wish that the one least armed be the one. But God wishes that the truth be manifest with His words, and that He eliminates the remnant of the rejecters.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    God promises you that one of the two parties will be defeated by you; yet you wish that the one least armed be the one. But God wishes that the truth be manifest with His words, and that He eliminates the remnant of the ingrates.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    Recall that GOD promised you victory over a certain group, but you still wanted to face the weaker group. It was GOD's plan to establish the truth with His words, and to defeat the disbelievers.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Though God promised that one of two columns (would fall to you), you desired the one that was not armed. But God wished to confirm the truth by His words, and wipe the unbelievers out to the last,

  • Sahih International (Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)

    , when Allah promised you one of the two groups - that it would be yours - and you wished that the unarmed one would be yours. But Allah intended to establish the truth by His words and to eliminate the disbelievers

  • Muhammad Asad

    And, lo, God gave you the promise that one of the two hosts would fall to you: and you would have liked to seize the less powerful one, whereas it was God's will to prove the truth to be true in accordance with His words, and to wipe out the last remnant of those who denied the truth -

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    And when Allah promised you one of the two bands (of the enemy) that it should be yours, and ye longed that other than the armed one might be yours. And Allah willed that He should cause the Truth to triumph by His words, and cut the root of the disbelievers;

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    And recall when Allah promised you that one of the two hosts would fall to you,* and you wished that the one without arms should fall into your hands.* But Allah sought to prove by His words the truth to be true and to annihilate the unbelievers to the last remnant

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    Allah has promised you victory over one of the two organized parties. Some of your people chose to seize the unarmed caravan for easy gains, whereas Allah has willed that you go at the organized well armed troops which came to their aid, so that truth should triumph over falsehood and His words be verified as He uproots the infidels.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    When God promised that you will be triumphant over one of the two parties (the caravan who was carrying the Muslims’ confiscated wealth or the army which was marching to destroy the Muslims. ) At that time you were wishing that the weaker party (the caravan carrying the wealth) would fall to you. However, it was the will of God to establish the truth (Islam) with His word and to cut across the root of the disbelievers (who were much stronger than the Muslims’ army.)

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    And (remember) when Allâh promised you (Muslims) one of the two parties (of the enemy i.e. either the army or the caravan) that it should be yours; you wished that the one not armed (the caravan) should be yours, but Allâh willed to justify the truth by His Words and to cut off the roots of the disbelievers (i.e. in the battle of Badr).

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    Behold! Allah promised you one of the two (enemy) parties, that it should be yours: Ye wished that the one unarmed should be yours, but Allah willed to justify the Truth according to His words and to cut off the roots of the Unbelievers;-

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    ˹Remember, O  believers,˺ when Allah promised ˹to give˺ you the upper hand over either target, you wished to capture the unarmed party. But it was Allah’s Will to establish the truth by His Words and uproot the disbelievers;

  • Taqi Usmani

    And recall when Allah was promising you that one of the two groups would become yours, and you were wishing that the one without strength should fall to you. And Allah wanted to establish the truth through His words and to cut off the very root of the disbelievers,

  • Abdul Haleem

    Remember how God promised you that one of the two enemy groups would fall to you: you wanted the unarmed group to be yours, but it was God’s will to establish the truth according to His Word and to finish off the disbelievers––

  • Arthur John Arberry

    And when God promised you one of the two parties should be yours, and you were wishing that the one not accoutred should be yours; but God was desiring to verify the truth by His words, and to cut off the unbelievers to the last remnant,

  • E. Henry Palmer

    and when God promised you that one of the two troops should be yours, and ye would fain have had those who had no arms. God wished to prove the truth true by His words, and to cut off the hindermost parts of those who misbelieve -

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And when Allah promised you that one of the two troops (the army or the caravan) should be your s, and you yearned to have the unarmed one (the caravan). Allah wished to justify Truth by His words, and to cut off the root of the unbelievers.

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And as Allah promised you (The pronouns "you" and "yours" are plural) one of the two sections should be yours, and you would like that the one other than the accoutered (i. e. owning accoutrement, the armed section) should be yours. And Allah willed to uphold truthfully the truth by His words and cut off the last trace (Literally: the rear, hind part) of the disbelievers,

  • George Sale

    And remember when Allah promised you one of the two parties that it should be yours, and you wished that the one unarmed should be yours, but Allah desired to establish the Truth by His words and to cut off the root of the disbelievers,

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    And (remember), Allah had promised you that one of the two (enemy) parties should be yours: You wished that the one unarmed should be yours, but Allah had willed to prove the Truth according to His words, and to cut off the roots of the disbelievers—

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    And (O Companions of the Prophet! recall the time) when Allâh promised you (victory over) one of the two (enemy) parties; (the well-equipped Makkan army and the other ill-equipped caravan from Syria), that it should be yours (for fighting against), while you wanted the unarmed party to fall into your hands (to get an easy victory), but Allâh wanted to establish the truth by fulfilling His words (of prophecy) and to cut off the very root of the disbelievers;

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    When Allah promised you one of the two companies, , ‘It is for you,’ you were eager that it should be the one that was unarmed. But Allah desires to confirm the truth with His words, and to root out the faithless,