8:42
إِذْ أَنتُم بِالْعُدْوَةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُم بِالْعُدْوَةِ الْقُصْوَى وَالرَّكْبُ أَسْفَلَ مِنكُمْ وَلَوْ تَوَاعَدتَّمْ لاَخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِي الْمِيعَادِ وَلَـكِن لِّيَقْضِيَ اللّهُ أَمْراً كَانَ مَفْعُولاً لِّيَهْلِكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ عَن بَيِّنَةٍ وَيَحْيَى مَنْ حَيَّ عَن بَيِّنَةٍ وَإِنَّ اللّهَ لَسَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
Ith antum bialAAudwati alddunya wahum bialAAudwati alquswa waalrrakbu asfala minkum walaw tawaAAadtum laikhtalaftum fee almeeAAadi walakin liyaqdiya Allahu amran kana mafAAoolan liyahlika man halaka AAan bayyinatin wayahya man hayya AAan bayyinatin wainna Allaha lasameeAAun AAaleemun
As you (plural) are at the closer edge and they at the further edge, while the caravan is below you, and had you made an appointment then you would have differed in the appointment, but instead in order that Allah implement a matter to be done. In order that those who perish will perish upon clear proofs and those who thrive will thrive on clear proof. And Allah is indeed listening, knowing.
The Aya brings the picture of the battle that happened where the Muslims were at the edge of the valley closer to Medina and there enemies on the farther edge, while the caravan in question was below all of that.
The last statement related to perishing or thriving uses words that mean death or life but those two words can also point to vigor and thriving and the lack of them. In this context it could be pointing to both because some lived while others died in this battle and also the Qur’an uses the language of living and dying for belief and those who lack it. Basically, a person thrives and gains good vigor by attaining belief and lacks it by rejecting the message.
Translation of the transliterated words:
Ith: as
Antum: you (plural)
bialAAudwati: by the border/ the edge/ the side
Note: BI signifies an attachment or close linkage between what is before and what is after it. In a Verbal sentence it can mean attachment to the action or to the subject as it does the action. This attachment can then signify many things according to the verb and to the sentence and so on. ALAAuDWATI is derived from the root Ain-D-W and it means running or overstepping boundaries since the running is a form of overstepping a boundary. Conceptually, it is also used to point to animosity since animosity stems from overstepping boundaries or enemies overstep boundaries of each other. ALAAuDWATI in this context points to the boundary or edge of an entity and in here the edge of the valley or the side of the valley where the battle occurred.
Alddunya: the closer/ the nearer
Note: the root is D-N-W and it means nearness or nearing. ALDUNYA means the near. In this case, it points to this life that we are living in as the near. ALDDUNYA in this context means the nearer or closer.
Wahum: while they
bialAAudwati: by the border/ the edge/ the side
Note: BI signifies an attachment or close linkage between what is before and what is after it. In a Verbal sentence it can mean attachment to the action or to the subject as it does the action. This attachment can then signify many things according to the verb and to the sentence and so on. ALAAuDWATI is derived from the root Ain-D-W and it means running or overstepping boundaries since the running is a form of overstepping a boundary. Conceptually, it is also used to point to animosity since animosity stems from overstepping boundaries or enemies overstep boundaries of each other. ALAAuDWATI in this context points to the boundary or edge of an entity and in here the edge of the valley or the side of the valley where the battle occurred.
Alquswa: the farther
Note: the root is Qaf- Sad- Y or W and it means further in place or time or any other spatial time element. ALQUSWA means the farther.
Waalrrakbu: and the caravan/ the ride
Note: WA is a letter that links what is before with what is after. This link is through inclusion, either one is included in the other or they are all included in the bigger sentence or bigger picture. WA is often translated as an addition (and), but inclusion probably covers the meaning a little better. LI means to and in here means belongs to. ALRRAKBU is derived from the root R-K-B and it means riding or mounting on top of something or someone. It is used in many situations including riding a means of transportation but also when something is made of several parts put together or on top of each other. ALRRAKBU means the ride or the caravan or something to that.
Asfala: below
Note: the root is S-F-L and it means low. Conceptually it is used to point to being low as location and also being low as in of low standing and so on. ASFALA means below
Minkum: from you
Walaw: and if
tawaAAadtum: you made appointment with each other/ made mutual promise
Note: the root is W-Ain-D and it means promise. TAWaAAaDTUM is an action that is completed. It means that a mutual promise is made between the group in an interactive manner. This mutual promise could be an appointment time or place and so on.
Note: LA is for the response to the conditional. IKHTALAFTUM is derived from the root KH-L-F and it means behind in time or place or any other plane of thought. For time, it takes the meaning of what happens after or the future. IKHTALAF is an action that is completed in response to the conditional. It means the action of being one behind the other would have happened if the condition occurred. This is a picture of differing between them on the specifics of something.
Fee: in
almeeAAadi: appointment
Note: the root is W-Ain-D and it means promise. ALMeeAAaD is the promise mutual promise and here it points to the appointment time and place and so on.
Walakin: but instead
Liyaqdiya: in order that He complete / carry one/ to conclude
Note: LI means to or in order. YAQDIYA is derived from the root Qaf-Dhad-Y and it means a mandate that one makes to completion of it and anything in between. It points to determination at the beginning and the finishing of it towards the end. The meaning of the word is according to the sentence, sometimes the sentence allows the whole range and at others, part of the range of the meaning. LIYAQDIYA is an action that is to be completed or concluded by the subject (Allah).
Amran: a matter/ an order
Note: AMRAN is derived from The root Hamza-M-R and it means ordering something and the implementation of it. Sometimes it attains the implementation part or matter as in personal matter and so forth, and at times it is the order and implementation of the order, depending on the situation in the sentence. AMRAN in this context means an implementation of a decision of and something like that or an order of.
Kana: was/ happened to be
Note: the root is K-W-N and it means being. KANA is an action that is completed that is derived from the root. It means: the action of being happened by the subject (third personal singular or plural). This in turn means: He/ they was or He/ they happened to be
mafAAoolan: done/ being done
Note: MAFAAooLAN is derived from the root F-Ain-L and it means doing. MAFAAooLAN means done or being done.
Liyahlika: in order to make perish/ cause to perish
Note: LI means to or in order to. YAHLIKA is derived from the root H-L-K and it means dried and dead plant. This is the concrete and the abstract means death and perdition. YAHLIKA is an action that is being completed or will be completed. It means: the action of perishing or becoming destroyed or dying (in a bad way) is happening or will be happening by the subject (third person singular).
Halaka: perished
Note: the root is H-L-K and it means dried and dead plant. This is the concrete and the abstract means death and perdition. HALAKA is an action that is completed. It means: the action of perishing happened by the subject (third person singular)
AAan: upon
Bayyinatin: clear proof
Note: the root is B-Y-N and it means in concrete between. The action of the verb is betweening. This betweening can mean clarifying because one can know better the difference between two things. It also can mean distancing because the betweening makes things become apart. BYYINA means clear proof or clarifying entity and so on.
Wayahya: and to thrive/ and to make thrive/ to make live
Note: WA is a letter that links what is before with what is after. This link is through inclusion, either one is included in the other or they are all included in the bigger sentence or bigger picture. WA is often translated as an addition (and), but inclusion probably covers the meaning a little better. YAHYA is derived from the root Ha-Y-W and it means life or movement. The two are related since movement is a sign of life to the Arabs. Conceptually, the term can take other meanings including greetings and shyness as well according to the context. The relationship is that Arabs before Islam used to greet each other by wishing a good and long life. In here, it takes the meaning of greetings. YAHYA is an action that is being completed or will be completed. It means: the living or thriving or making live or thrive is happening or will be happening by the subject (third person singular)
Man: who
Hayya: lived/ thrived
Note: the root is Ha-Y-W and it means life or movement. The two are related since movement is a sign of life to the Arabs. Conceptually, the term can take other meanings including greetings and shyness as well according to the context. The relationship is that Arabs before Islam used to greet each other by wishing a good and long life. In here, it takes the meaning of greetings. HAYYA is an action that is completed. It means: the action of living or thriving happened by the subject (third person singular)
Bayyinatin: clear proof
Note: the root is B-Y-N and it means in concrete between. The action of the verb is betweening. This betweening can mean clarifying because one can know better the difference between two things. It also can mean distancing because the betweening makes things become apart. BYYINA means clear proof or clarifying entity and so on.
Wainna: and/ and indeed
Allaha: Allah
lasameeAAun: indeed listening
Note: LA is for emphasis. SAMeeAAuN is derived from the root is S-M-Ain and and it means hearing or hearing and understanding or knowing and retaining at the same time. It also can mean hearing and approving or concurring at times. SAMeeAAUN means very listening and understanding and responding.
AAaleemun : knowledgeable/ knowing
Note: the root is Ain-L-M and it means knowing/knowledge or knowledge of facts. AAaLEEM is the one that is very knowledgeable
Hussein
