lawlā kitābun mina l-lahi sabaqa lamassakum fīmā akhadhtum ʿadhābun ʿaẓīmun
Translation
If not for a decree from Allāh that preceded,458 you would have been touched for what you took by a great punishment.
Notes
[458] Three interpretations of the "decree" are given: that by which the companions of Badr were forgiven, that by which indeliberate errors in judgement by believers are not punished, and that which made lawful the spoils of war.
Verse 68 of Surah Al-Anfal (8:68), a Medinan surah, is in juz 10, on page 185 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 72 reciters.
Listen to verse 68 of Surah Al-Anfal
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Tafsir of verse 68
Al-Mukhtasar
Were it not for a decree from Allah – in which it had already been decided that He would make the gains of war lawful for you and permit you to ransom captives – a severe punishment from Allah would have afflicted you because of the gains of war and ransom you took from the captives at Badr before the coming of revelation from Allah that permitted it.
Were it not for a prior decree43 from Allah, you would have surely been afflicted with a great punishment for what you have taken [of ransom].
Notes
[43] This ‘decree’: 1) that He would make spoils and ransom lawful, 2) that He would not punish for a matter not explained previously, 3) and that He would not punish the Companions who attended Badr.
Were it not a previous ordainment from Allâh, a severe torment would have touched you for what you took.
Had it not been for an ordinance of Allah which had gone before, an awful doom had come upon you on account of what ye took.
Had it not been for a previous ordainment from Allah, a severe penalty would have reached you for the (ransom) that ye took.
Were it not for an ordinance from Allah that had already gone forth, surely there would have befallen you a great chastisement for what you had taken to.
Had it not been for a prescription (Literally: a Book) that has gone before from Allah, a tremendous torment for what you have taken would indeed have touched you.
My Lord, indeed they have led astray many among the people. So whoever follows me - then he is of me; and whoever disobeys me - indeed, You are [yet] Forgiving and Merciful.
And Moses said, "Our Lord, indeed You have given Pharaoh and his establishment splendor and wealth in the worldly life, our Lord, that they may lead [men] astray from Your way. Our Lord, obliterate their wealth and harden their hearts so that they will not believe until they see the painful punishment."
