Quran Universe
8:19

إِن تَسۡتَفۡتِحُواْ فَقَدۡ جَآءَكُمُ ٱلۡفَتۡحُۖ وَإِن تَنتَهُواْ فَهُوَ خَيۡرٞ لَّكُمۡۖ وَإِن تَعُودُواْ نَعُدۡ وَلَن تُغۡنِيَ عَنكُمۡ فِئَتُكُمۡ شَيۡـٔٗا وَلَوۡ كَثُرَتۡ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ

In tastaftihoo faqad jaakumu alfathu wain tantahoo fahuwa khayrun lakum wain taAAoodoo naAAud walan tughniya AAankum fiatukum shayan walaw kathurat waanna Allaha maAAa almumineena

If you [disbelievers] seek the victory - the defeat has come to you. And if you desist [from hostilities], it is best for you; but if you return [to war], We will return, and never will you be availed by your [large] company at all, even if it should increase; and [that is] because Allah is with the believers.

Word by word
  1. إِنIf
  2. تَسۡتَفۡتِحُواْyou ask for victory
  3. فَقَدۡthen certainly
  4. جَآءَكُمُhas come to you
  5. ٱلۡفَتۡحُۖthe victory
  6. وَإِنAnd if
  7. تَنتَهُواْyou desist
  8. فَهُوَthen it (is)
  9. خَيۡرٞgood
  10. لَّكُمۡۖfor you
  11. وَإِنbut if
  12. تَعُودُواْyou return
  13. نَعُدۡWe will return (too)
  14. وَلَنAnd never
  15. تُغۡنِيَwill avail
  16. عَنكُمۡyou
  17. فِئَتُكُمۡyour forces
  18. شَيۡـٔٗاanything
  19. وَلَوۡeven if
  20. كَثُرَتۡ(they are) numerous
  21. وَأَنَّAnd that
  22. ٱللَّهَAllah
  23. مَعَ(is) with
  24. ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَthe believers
Al-Anfal · 8:19Madinah

You asked for a verdict. The verdict came.

A prayer that judged the one who prayed it

Before Badr
Abu JahlO Allah, destroy the side
that cut family tiessure it was the other side
answered
the verdictagainst himself
Asking Allah to judge
I'm obviously rightjudge them
guide me to the trutheven if it's against me

Abu Jahl prayed on the day of Badr: O Allah, whichever side cut family ties and brought what we do not know, destroy him today. The verse answers: the verdict you asked for has come. Then it leaves a door open: if you stop, it is better for you.

In a family fight you say, let Allah be the judge between us, certain the verdict will be yours. You pray for the other side to be exposed. Before asking for a ruling, ask whether you are the one in the wrong.

I am so sure I'm right that I'll let Allah decide.

Before I ask Allah to judge between us, I should look honestly at myself.

Try this

In one disagreement you are in, write down one thing the other person might be right about.

Related8:3217:8
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

(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 (19)

The Response to the Disbelievers Who ask for a Judgement

Allah says to the disbeliever,

إِن تَسْتَفْتِحُوا

(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 Tha'labah bin Su'ayr 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 تَسْتَفْتِحُوا فَقَدْ جَاءَكُمُ 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 Tha'labah 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 Shaykhs, 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 تَسْتَفْتِحُوا فَقَدْ جَاءَكُمُ 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 قَالُوا اللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَٰذَا 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 تَنتَهُوا

(and if you cease...) from your disbelief and rejection of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ,

فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ

(it will be better for you), in this life and the Hereafter. Allah said,

وَإِن تَعُودُوا 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 فِئَتُكُمْ شَيْئًا 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 اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(and verily, Allah is with the believers.) in reference to the Prophet's group, the side of the chosen Messenger ﷺ.