الم
Alif. Lām. Mīm. (1)
غُلِبَتِ الرُّومُ
DEFEATED have been the Byzantines (2)
فِي أَدْنَى الْأَرْضِ وَهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ غَلَبِهِمْ سَيَغْلِبُونَ
in the lands close-by; yet it is they who, notwithstanding this their defeat, shall be victorious (3)
فِي بِضْعِ سِنِينَ لِلَّهِ الْأَمْرُ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَمِنْ بَعْدُ وَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
within a few years: [for] with God rests all power of decision, first and last. And on that day will the believers [too, have cause to] rejoice (4)
بِنَصْرِ اللَّهِ يَنْصُرُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ
in God's succour: [for] He gives succour to whomever He wills, since He alone is almighty, a dispenser of grace. (5)
وَعْدَ اللَّهِ لَا يُخْلِفُ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
[This is] God's promise. Never does God fail to fulfil His promise – but most people know [it] not: (6)
يَعْلَمُونَ ظَاهِرًا مِنَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ عَنِ الْآخِرَةِ هُمْ غَافِلُونَ
they know but the outer surface of this world's life, whereas of the ultimate things they are utterly unaware. (7)
أَوَلَمْ يَتَفَكَّرُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنَ النَّاسِ بِلِقَاءِ رَبِّهِمْ لَكَافِرُونَ
Have they never learned to think for themselves? God has not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them without [an inner] truth and a term set [by Him]: and yet, behold, there are many people who stubbornly deny the truth that they are destined to meet their Sustainer! (8)
أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيَنْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ كَانُوا أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَأَثَارُوا الْأَرْضَ وَعَمَرُوهَا أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا عَمَرُوهَا وَجَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَٰكِنْ كَانُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
Have they, then, never journeyed about the earth and beheld what happened in the end to those [deniers of the truth] who lived before their time? Greater were they in power than they are; and they left a stronger impact on the earth, and built it up even better than these [are doing]; and to them [too] came their apostles with all evidence of the truth: and so, [when they rejected the truth and thereupon perished,] it was not God who wronged them, but it was they who had wronged themselves. (9)
ثُمَّ كَانَ عَاقِبَةَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُوا السُّوأَىٰ أَنْ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَكَانُوا بِهَا يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ
And once again: evil is bound to be the end of those who do evil by giving the lie to God's messages and deriding them. (10)
- in God's succour:3 [for] He gives succour to whomever He wills, since He alone is almighty, a dispenser of grace.
- 3 This is a prediction of the battle of Badr, which was to take place eight or nine years later, in the month of Ramadan, 2 H. (corresponding to January, 624, of the Christian era), when the Muslims decisively defeated a very much superior force of pagan Quraysh (see introductory note to surah 8). The expression 'on that day" has in this context the meaning of "at the same time", for although the battle of Badr began and ended on one day, the victories of Heraclius over the Persians took some years to materialize.
- With the help of Allah. He helps whom He will,3509 and He is exalted in might, most merciful.
- 3509 Whom He will As explained elsewhere, Allah's Will or Plan is not arbitrary: it is full of the highest wisdom. His Plan is formed in mercy, so as to safeguard the interests of all his creatures, against the selfish aggrandizement of any section against them. And He is able to carry out His Plan in full, and there is no power that can stop or delay His Plan.
-
With the help of Allah. He helps whom He will, and He is exalted in might, most merciful.
— Abdullah Yusuf Ali -
In Allah's help to victory. He helpeth to victory whom He will. He is the Mighty, the Merciful.
— Marmaduke Pickthall -
With the help of Allah; He helps whom He pleases; and He is the Mighty, the Merciful;
— M. Habib Shakir -
With the help of Allah, He helps whom He wills, and He is the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful.
— Taqiuddin Hilali and M. Mohsin Khan -
In Allah succour. He succoureth whomsoever He will, and He is the Mighty, the Merciful.
— Abdul-Majid Daryabadi -
in the victory of Allah. Allah gives victory to whosoever He will, and He is the Mighty, the Merciful.
— Hasan Qaribullah and Ahmed Darwish -
in God's help; He helps whom He will; and He is the Mighty, the Merciful;
— Ayub Khan -
In God's help. He helps whom He pleases; and He is the Mighty, the Merciful.
— Sher Ali -
in God's succour: [for] He gives succour to whomever He wills, since He alone is almighty, a dispenser of grace.
— Muhammad Asad -
in Gods help; God helps whomsoever He will; and He is the All-mighty, the All-compassionate.
— Arthur Arberry -
at the victory granted by Allah.{{3}} He grants victory to whomsoever He pleases. He is the Most Mighty, the Most Compassionate.
— Abu'l Ala Maududi