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
وَكَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ وَأَنتُمْ تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ ءَايَـٰتُ ٱللَّهِ وَفِيكُمْ رَسُولُهُۥ ۗ وَمَن يَعْتَصِم بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ هُدِىَ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
And how could you disbelieve while to you are being recited the verses of Allāh and among you is His Messenger? And whoever holds firmly to Allāh has [indeed] been guided to a straight path.
فَـَٔاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ثَوَابَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَحُسْنَ ثَوَابِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
So Allāh gave them the reward of this world and the good reward of the Hereafter. And Allāh loves the doers of good.
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِيثَـٰقَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ لَمَآ ءَاتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَـٰبٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِۦ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُۥ ۚ قَالَ ءَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكُمْ إِصْرِى ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَقْرَرْنَا ۚ قَالَ فَٱشْهَدُوا۟ وَأَنَا۠ مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ
And [recall, O People of the Scripture], when Allāh took the covenant of the prophets, [saying], "Whatever I give you of the Scripture and wisdom and then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you [must] believe in him and support him." [Allāh] said, "Have you acknowledged and taken upon that My commitment?" They said, "We have acknowledged it." He said, "Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses."
رَبَّنَا وَءَاتِنَا مَا وَعَدتَّنَا عَلَىٰ رُسُلِكَ وَلَا تُخْزِنَا يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۗ إِنَّكَ لَا تُخْلِفُ ٱلْمِيعَادَ
Our Lord, and grant us what You promised us through Your messengers and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, You do not fail in [Your] promise."