[Remember] when you were on the near side of the valley, and they were on the farther side, and the caravan was lower [in position] than you. If you had made an appointment [to meet], you would have missed the appointment. But [it was] so that Allāh might accomplish a matter already destined - that those who perished [through disbelief] would perish upon evidence and those who lived [in faith] would live upon evidence; and indeed, Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.
تَوَاعَدتُّمۡyou (had) made an appointmenttawāʿadttum
لَٱخۡتَلَفۡتُمۡcertainly you would have failedla-ikh'talaftum
فِيinfī
ٱلۡمِيعَٰدِthe appointmentl-mīʿādi
وَلَٰكِنButwalākin
لِّيَقۡضِيَthat might accomplishliyaqḍiya
ٱللَّهُAllahl-lahu
أَمۡرٗاa matteramran
كَانَ(that) waskāna
مَفۡعُولٗاdestinedmafʿūlan
لِّيَهۡلِكَthat (might be) destroyedliyahlika
مَنۡ(those) whoman
هَلَكَ(were to be) destroyedhalaka
عَنۢonʿan
بَيِّنَةٖa clear evidencebayyinatin
وَيَحۡيَىٰand (might) livewayaḥyā
مَنۡ(those) whoman
حَيَّ(were to) liveḥayya
عَنۢonʿan
بَيِّنَةٖۗa clear evidencebayyinatin
وَإِنَّAnd indeedwa-inna
ٱللَّهَAllahl-laha
لَسَمِيعٌ(is) All-Hearinglasamīʿun
عَلِيمٌAll-Knowingʿalīmun
Tafsir
Remember, O believers, when you were on the near side of the valley that was facing Medina, the idolaters were on the far side that was facing Makkah and the caravan was at a spot lower than you facing the Red Sea. If you and the idolaters made an appointment with each other to meet at Badr, neither of you would have kept to it: your lack of numbers as compared to your enemy would have kept you back, and the fear of facing Allah’s Messenger would have kept them back. But Allah, may He be glorified, gathered you at Badr without an appointment, so that He may carry out a matter that was already determined: the victory of the believers and the defeat of the disbelievers – bringing honour to His religion and humiliation to idolatry. This was so that those who died from amongst them would die after evidence was established by the believers’ victory against them, despite their lack of numbers and preparation, and so that those who lived would live with clear evidences that Allah made obvious to them, and no one would have any evidence against Allah that they could use as an argument. Allah hears the statements of everyone and knows their actions. Nothing is hidden from Him and He will repay them for that.