كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَأَغلِبَنَّ أَنا وَرُسُلي ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِيٌّ عَزيزٌ

Allah has ordained: ‘I shall surely prevail, I and My apostles.’ Indeed Allah is all-strong, all-mighty.

EXEGESIS

The term kataba in this verse is a perfect tense verb, and in this verse it means to ordain, to decree, to prescribe, to render obligatory.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 795.”][1][/su_tooltip]} Here it occurs in relation to God and means: God has decreed,^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Mizan, 19/195; Tabrisi, 9/383; Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 795.”][2][/su_tooltip]} God has made obligatory,^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 795.”][3][/su_tooltip]} God has ordained and judged.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Mizan, 19/195; Tabrisi, 9/383; Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 795.”][4][/su_tooltip]} It can also mean in this context: God has promised.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Tabrisi, 9/383.”][5][/su_tooltip]}

The term aghlibanna is an imperfect tense verb and means to defeat, to prevail, to overpower and overwhelm the disputant till the latter becomes subservient and submissive.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Tibyan, 9/556.”][6][/su_tooltip]} The form in which this verb occurs in this verse is the heavily energetic form (denoting sustained emphasis)^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Amthal, 18/146; the ordinary non-energetic form in which this first person singular imperfect tense verb would occur is aghlibu.”][7][/su_tooltip]} – aghlibanna – where it occurs in relation to God in the first person singular. Consequently, it means: I shall surely prevail.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Mizan, 19/195; Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, pp. 691-692.”][8][/su_tooltip]} But in addition to that this verb is prefixed by the intensifying particle la (la-aghlibanna) which gives an added emphasis to the verb,^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Amthal, 18/146.”][9][/su_tooltip]} where the part of the verse beginning with the intensifying particle operates like the predicate of an oath.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Tabrisi, 9/383; Kashif, 7/278.”][10][/su_tooltip]} So it is as if the phrase Allah has ordained (kataba allāhu) has the meaning of an oath latent to it, as if the verse was saying: God has (by oath) decreed: ‘I shall surely prevail, I and My messengers!’^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Tabrisi, 9/383; Kashif, 7/278.”][11][/su_tooltip]}

EXPOSITION

Having demonstrated in the previous verse that those who oppose God and His Messenger will be subjected to humiliation and abasement, this verse mentions the glory and triumph (the contrary of humiliation and abasement) which is the lot of the believers,^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Razi, 29/498.”][12][/su_tooltip]} and this it does in emphatic terms.

It begins by emphatically stressing Allah has ordained and what God ordains must occur.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Tibyan, 9/556; Tabrisi, 9/383.”][13][/su_tooltip]} It goes on to clarify what it is that God has ordained, which is that I shall surely prevail, I and My apostles, which it does in triply emphatic terms as explained under the Exegesis. This means that there is no room for doubt that triumph will be God and His Messenger’s lot. The message of this part of the verse is reiterated in 37:171-173 and 40:51. One of God’s names is al-qāhir: he who subdues and vanquishes, and God subdues and vanquishes whoever unreasonably disputes Him, His friends, and chosen servants.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Tibyan, 9/556.”][14][/su_tooltip]}

However, that is not all, for the verse terminates with strong words in description of God, which also serve as an explanation and a justification for the first half of this verse. It says: Allah is all-strong, all-mighty, which justifies I shall surely prevail, I and My apostles. The statement, Allah is all-strong, all-mighty is preceded by the emphatic particle inna (truly; surely; indeed).^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 59.”][15][/su_tooltip]} Thus this part of the verse is rendered Indeed Allah is all-strong, all-mighty.

Hence, the entire verse is awash not only with strong words such as ordained, prevail, strong, and mighty, but it is also replete with emphases. Thus God is strong and capable of aiding His prophets and those who believe to the measure of their faith (40:51, 30:47, 3:126), while none is capable of subduing or overcoming God for His might knows no bounds, and whoever is such cannot be subdued or overcome.

There is no doubt that truth will prevail in the hereafter in the sense of the realisation of God’s promise of reward and paradise, but it can also prevail over falsehood in this world in the sense of the successful spreading of faith, the successful spreading of God’s divine teachings, their actualisation, and the overcoming of obstacles to the spreading of faith and divine teachings.

Truth overpowering and triumphing over falsehood in this world can be by several means. One of these is by means of proof and evidence (ḥujjah).^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Tibyan, 9/556; Tabrisi, 9/383; Kashif, 7/278; Mizan, 19/195.”][16][/su_tooltip]} The meaning of truth prevailing and triumphing over falsehood by means of proof and evidence is that the human being has been created in such a way that he is able to recognise and appreciate the truth and to submit to it. Hence, if truth is made clear and evident to him, from the path which he is accustomed to, then he does not tarry long before he apprehends it. When he apprehends it, his nature acknowledges and admits to it and his conscience surrenders and submits to it even if he does not surrender to it, and that may be due to him following his whims and desires or due to some obstacle preventing him from such an acknowledgment and surrender.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Mizan, 19/195.”][17][/su_tooltip]}

A second means by which truth prevails over falsehood is by divine punishment such as that suffered by the transgressing people of past prophets,^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Kashif, 7/278; Mizan, 19/195.”][18][/su_tooltip]} also identified as triumph by means of hidden (divine) support and favour. Relevant examples are the various kinds of divine punishments which God sent to the deniers and beliers from the past nations such as the people of Noah (a), Hūd (a), Ṣāliḥ (a), Lot (a), Shuʿayb (a), Pharaoh’s cohorts, and others, indicated in Then We sent Our messengers in succession. Whenever there came unto a community its messenger, they would deny him. So We caused them to follow one another, and made them the objects of stories. So away with a people who believe not (23:44). God’s modus operandi was established on this norm and the following verse summarises it aptly: For every community there is a messenger, and when their messenger comes, judgement shall be rendered between them with justice, and they will not be wronged (10:47).^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Mizan, 19/195.”][19][/su_tooltip]}

A third means is by military triumph,^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Tabrisi, 9/383; Kashif, 7/278; Mizan, 19/195-196.”][20][/su_tooltip]} also identified as triumph due to the nature and quality of faith in God and His Messenger. The faith of the believer calls him to defend, support, and protect the truth and to resist against falsehood in an absolute manner. Such a person is of the opinion that if he kills he is successful, and if he is killed he is also successful. Consequently, his resolve and determination to defend the truth is unconditional and unlimited; it is steadfast and unflinching. Obviously, an absolute, unconditional, and unlimited determination and resolve will prevail and triumph over a conditional and limited determination and resolve which is subject to limitation.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Mizan, 19/195.”][21][/su_tooltip]} An example of that is the battles of the Messenger of God, which brought him victory and triumph when in fact the battles were a competition and a rivalry between him and his adversaries, where these battles had their fair share of ups and downs for the Muslims, however in the end this rivalry only ended with the success of the Muslims and their triumph over their opponents. The Islamic conquests did not come to a halt and nor did the unity of the Muslims scatter and fragment but for the corruption of their intentions, the replacement of a God-conscious lifestyle and sincerity for God for their contraries, and giving preference to the extension of power and the expansion of kingdom to that of true faith. That is because Allah never changes a blessing by which He blesses a people until they change what is in themselves, and because Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing (8:53). God had laid a condition on the Muslims when He perfected their religion and made them secure from their enemies, which was that they should fear Him: This day those who disbelieve have despaired of your religion. So fear them not, but fear Me! (5:3), while the following verse suffices to reiterate this triumph and victory where God addresses the believers, Do not falter and do not grieve for you will be ascendant if you are believers (3:139).^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Mizan, 19/196.”][22][/su_tooltip]}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

It is narrated that when the Muslims witnessed how God was granting them victory and triumph over the villages and oases, they said the following: ‘God will surely grant us victory and triumph over the Persians and Byzantines [too],’ upon which one of the hypocrites (identified as ʿAbd-Allāh ibn Ubayy)^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Razi, 29/499.”][23][/su_tooltip]} said [sarcastically]: ‘Do you [all] presume that the Persians and Byzantines are like the villages and oases that you have overcome [so far]?^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Tabrisi, 9/383; Razi, 29/499.”][24][/su_tooltip]} Never! By God, they are far more in number and military equipment,’^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Razi, 29/499.”][25][/su_tooltip]} which is when this verse was revealed.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Tabrisi, 9/383; Razi, 29/499.”][26][/su_tooltip]}

Tabatabai writes, however, that in his opinion this report is in the manner of the application of the verse’s meaning (taṭbīq al-āyah) to the event narrated for it rather than it being the actual historical event that precipitated the descent of the verse.^{‎[su_tooltip content=”Mizan, 19/198.”][27][/su_tooltip]}

[1] Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 795.
[2] Mizan, 19/195; Tabrisi, 9/383; Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 795.
[3] Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 795.
[4] Mizan, 19/195; Tabrisi, 9/383; Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 795.
[5] Tabrisi, 9/383.
[6] Tibyan, 9/556.
[7] Amthal, 18/146; the ordinary non-energetic form in which this first person singular imperfect tense verb would occur is aghlibu.
[8] Mizan, 19/195; Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, pp. 691-692.
[9] Amthal, 18/146.
[10] Tabrisi, 9/383; Kashif, 7/278.
[11] Tabrisi, 9/383; Kashif, 7/278.
[12] Razi, 29/498.
[13] Tibyan, 9/556; Tabrisi, 9/383.
[14] Tibyan, 9/556.
[15] Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 59.
[16] Tibyan, 9/556; Tabrisi, 9/383; Kashif, 7/278; Mizan, 19/195.
[17] Mizan, 19/195.
[18] Kashif, 7/278; Mizan, 19/195.
[19] Mizan, 19/195.
[20] Tabrisi, 9/383; Kashif, 7/278; Mizan, 19/195-196.
[21] Mizan, 19/195.
[22] Mizan, 19/196.
[23] Razi, 29/499.
[24] Tabrisi, 9/383; Razi, 29/499.
[25] Razi, 29/499.
[26] Tabrisi, 9/383; Razi, 29/499.
[27] Mizan, 19/198.