5:34

Salaam all,

This is 5:34
إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ تَابُواْ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَقْدِرُواْ عَلَيْهِمْ فَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Illa allatheena taboo min qabli an taqdiroo AAalayhim faiAAlamoo anna Allaha ghafoorun raheemun

The Aya says:
Except those who repented from before you (plural) overpowered them, then know that Allah is indeed forgiving, merciful.

My personal note:
The Aya brings about the important exception to the rule of the previous Aya. It says that if the people in question repented and stopped their activities before the Muslims overpowered them, then the punishments of the previous Aya will not apply anymore.

The Aya ends up with emphasizing to us that Allah is protectively covering/forgiving and merciful. It is a subtle reminder to us to try to do the same. Of course, we can never grasp the great degree of forgiveness and mercy that Allah has bestowed on humanity despite it’s transgressions against Him. That is a great source of hope for the believers.

Translation of the transliterated words:
Illa: except/ if not
Allatheena: those who
Taboo: repented/ ultimately returned to Allah’s path
Note: the root is T-W-B and it means repentance or the ultimate return to GOD. The concrete word that is related is TABOOT and it means coffin which is what takes us to our ultimate return to GOD or repentance. TABOO is an action that is completed. It means: the action of repentance or ultimate return (to God) happened by the subject (third person plural).
Min: from

Qabli: before
Note: the root Qaf-B-L and it means front. This is then carried in time or space or any plain of thought. If it is in time, then front means before, while place would be in front. It is used to mean acceptance and reception since we receive and accept using our fronts. QABLI here is front in time and that is before of.
An; that
Taqdiroo: you (plural) become capable/ you become overpowering/ you impose limits
Note: the root is Qaf-D-R and it means in concrete cooking the meat in the pot. Conceptually it takes the meaning of measuring, putting limits on an entity and capability to cover the exact need and task. TAQDIROO is an action that is being completed or will be completed. It means: the action of capability or overpowering or imposing limits upon an object (third person plural) is happening or will be happening by the subject (second person plural).
AAalayhim: upon them
faiAAlamoo: then know/ know for fact
Note: Fa means then or therefore or so. iAALAMOO is derived from the root Ain-L-M and it means knowing/knowledge or knowledge of facts. iAALaMOO is an order or a request addressed to a group. It means: know or know for fact.
Anna: that indeed
Allaha: Allah
Ghafoorun: forgiving/ provider of protective cover/ protectively covering
Note: the root is GH-F-R and it means covering for protection. The concrete word is the helmet of the fighter. GHAFOORUN is the one that covers to protect. This, in turn means protection from committing the sin and protection from the consequences of sin, which also means forgiving
Raheemun: Merciful
Note: the root is R-Ha-M and it means womb in concrete. This term is used to mean mercy and all the good that the womb provides. RAHEEM is the one with the womb-like mercy.

Salaam all and have a great day.

Hussein