আর যখন তোমরা ছিলে সমরাঙ্গনের এ প্রান্তে আর তারা ছিল সে প্রান্তে অথচ কাফেলা তোমাদের থেকে নীচে নেমে গিয়েছিল। এমতাবস্থায় যদি তোমরা পারস্পরিক অঙ্গীকারাবদ্ধ হতে, তবে তোমরা এক সঙ্গে সে ওয়াদা পালন করতে পারতে না। কিন্তু আল্লাহ তা’আলা এমন এক কাজ করতে চেয়েছিলেন, যা নির্ধারিত হয়ে গিয়েছিল যাতে সে সব লোক নিহত হওয়ার ছিল, প্রমাণ প্রতিষ্ঠার পর এবং যাদের বাঁচার ছিল, তারা বেঁচে থাকে প্রমাণ প্রতিষ্ঠার পর। আর নিশ্চিতই আল্লাহ শ্রবণকারী, বিজ্ঞ।
(And remember) when you (the Muslim army) were on the near side of the valley, and they on the farther side, and the caravan on the ground lower than you. Even if you had made a mutual appointment to meet, you would certainly have failed in the appointment, but (you met) that Allâh might accomplish a matter already ordained (in His Knowledge); so that those who were to be destroyed (for their rejecting the Faith) might be destroyed after a clear evidence, and those who were to live (i.e. believers) might live after a clear evidence. And surely, Allâh is All-Hearer, All-Knower.
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 wa-inna Allaha lasameeAAun AAaleemun
YUSUFALI: Remember ye were on the hither side of the valley, and they on the farther side, and the caravan on lower ground than ye. Even if ye had made a mutual appointment to meet, ye would certainly have failed in the appointment: But (thus ye met), that Allah might accomplish a matter already enacted; that those who died might die after a clear Sign (had been given), and those who lived might live after a Clear Sign (had been given). And verily Allah is He Who heareth and knoweth (all things).
PICKTHAL: When ye were on the near bank (of the valley) and they were on the yonder bank, and the caravan was below you (on the coast plain). And had ye trysted to meet one another ye surely would have failed to keep the tryst, but (it happened, as it did, without the forethought of either of you) that Allah might conclude a thing that must be done; that he who perished (on that day) might perish by a clear proof (of His Sovereignty) and he who survived might survive by a clear proof (of His Sovereignty). Lo! Allah in truth is Hearer, Knower.
SHAKIR: When you were on the nearer side (of the valley) and they were on the farthest side, while the caravan was in a lower place than you; and if you had mutually made an appointment, you would certainly have broken away from the appointment, but– in order that Allah might bring about a matter which was to be done, that he who would perish might perish by clear proof, and he who would live might live by clear proof; and most surely Allah is Hearing, Knowing;
KHALIFA: Recall that you were on this side of the valley, while they were on the other side. Then their caravan had to move to lower ground. Had you planned it this way, you could not have done it. But GOD was to carry out a predetermined matter, whereby those destined to be annihilated were annihilated for an obvious reason, and those destined to be saved were saved for an obvious reason. GOD is Hearer, Omniscient.