Al-Anfal: 42
{إذ} is a substitute (badal) for "the Day of the Criterion" (yawm al-furqan).
The ‘udwah: The bank of the valley. It is read with a kasra, damma, or fatha. It is also read as ‘udiyyah by changing the waw to a ya’, because there is a weak barrier between it and the kasra, as in sabiyyah.
The dunya (near) and quswa (far): These are the feminine forms of adna (nearer) and aqsa (farther). If you ask: "Both are of the pattern fa‘la derived from waw roots, so why is one written with a ya’ and the other with a waw?" I reply: The standard rule is to change the waw to a ya’, as in ‘ulya. As for quswa, it follows the original form, like qawad. Qusya has been used, but quswa is more common, just as istawaba is more common than istaba, and ughilat than ughalat. The ‘udwah al-dunya is the side near Medina, and the quswa is the side near Mecca.
{And the caravan was lower than you}: Meaning the forty men who were leading the caravan were below you on the coast. Asfal (lower) is in the accusative as an adverb of place, meaning "in a place lower than your place," and its position is nominative because it is the predicate of the subject.
If you ask: "What is the benefit of this timing and mentioning the positions of the two parties (and that the caravan was below them)?"
I reply: The benefit is to inform of the situation that indicates the strength and power of the enemy, the completeness of their preparation, and the factors of victory being set for them, versus the weakness of the Muslims and the confusion of their affairs. Their victory in such a state was nothing but the work of Allah, a proof that it was a matter that could only be achieved by His power and overwhelming might.
The ‘udwah al-quswa (far bank), where the polytheists camped, had water and was firm ground. The ‘udwah al-dunya (near bank) had no water and was soft, sinking ground where one could only walk with difficulty. The caravan was behind the enemy’s backs, and with their large numbers, the protection of the caravan doubled their zeal and sharpened their resolve to fight. This is why the Arabs would go to war with their women and wealth, so that defending their families and jealousy for their sanctity would drive them to exert their utmost effort in battle, and so they would not leave behind anything they might be tempted to retreat toward. This unites their hearts, steadies their resolve, and settles their souls to hold their ground and not abandon their posts.
This depicts how Allah arranged the Battle of Badr to fulfill a matter that was destined: the glorification of His religion and the exaltation of His word. He promised the Muslims one of the two parties without specifying which, so they went out desiring the caravan. The Quraysh set out, terrified by what reached them regarding the Prophet (peace be upon him) approaching their wealth, so they rushed to protect their caravan. Allah caused the causes to align until these camped at the near bank and those at the far bank, with the caravan behind them, until war broke out.
{If you had made an appointment}: You and the people of Mecca had agreed upon a time to meet for battle, you would have differed with one another. Your small numbers and their large numbers would have discouraged you from fulfilling the appointment, and what was in their hearts—the fear of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the Muslims—would have discouraged them. Thus, the meeting would not have occurred as Allah willed and caused to happen.
{To fulfill}: This is connected to an omitted phrase, meaning: "He did this to fulfill a matter that was necessary to be done," which is the victory of His allies and the defeat of His enemies.
{That He might destroy}: This is a substitute for the previous phrase. Destruction and life are metaphors for disbelief and Islam. It means: so that the disbelief of those who disbelieve may proceed from clear evidence, not from the interference of doubt, so that they have no argument against Allah; and the Islam of those who believe may also proceed from certainty and knowledge that it is the true religion. This is because the signs of Badr were so manifest that whoever disbelieved after them was merely being stubborn and deceptive toward himself.
{All-Hearing, All-Knowing}: He knows how to manage your affairs and settle your interests, or He is All-Hearing and All-Knowing of the disbelief of the disbeliever and his punishment, and the faith of the believer and his reward.
{When Allah showed them to you in your dream as few; and had He shown them to you as many, you would have faltered and disputed in the matter, but Allah saved you. Indeed, He is Knowing of what is in the breasts.}
