The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 664
CH. 8 AL-ANFĀL 32. And when Our verses are recited to them, they say, 'We have heard. If we wished we could certainly utter the like of this. This is nothing but mere tales of the ancients. '1120 PT. 9 وَإِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ أَيْتُنَا قَالُوْا قَدْ سَمِعْنَا لَوْ نَشَاءُ لَقُلْنَا مِثْلَ هَذَا إِنْ هُذَا إِلَّا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ "6:26; 68:16; 83:14. Sometime after the flight, a Meccan army proudly issued forth from Mecca and proceeded to Badr, a place near Medina, little dreaming that it was going to its own ruin. All this was arranged and decreed by God, Who is the best of planners. He so arranged that the army which had come forth with such pomp and display of power returned from Badr an utterly routed and disorderly rabble, leaving its proud leaders either dead on the battlefield or captives in the hands of those whom they hated and despised. It should be noted that the word ✓. (plan) used in this verse does not necessarily mean an evil plot. It is general in its significance, comprising both good and evil planning, according to the purpose for which it is contrived. The plots of the enemies of truth were, of course, evil; but God never has recourse to evil design. He planned things in such a way as to frustrate the evil designs of the enemy and make the cause of Islam triumph. The very fact that the Quran prefixes the word ✗(best) to the word (planners) shows that the word has been used in a good sense with respect to God; for the word (meaning good, better or best) is invariably prefixed to words which are used in a good sense. See also 3:55. The present verse has been placed most fittingly between the verses relating to the Battle of Badr; for after speaking of that great battle, the Quran reminds the Holy Prophet and his Companions of the plots of the enemy against him and draws his attention to the wonderful way in which God had helped him at the time of his flight, frustrating the designs of the enemy and turning them to the advantage of Islam. He would do it again when needed and the Battle of Badr was another instance of the kind. 1120. Commentary: The disbelievers alleged that they could produce a composition like that of the Quran. It was, however, nothing but an empty boast on their part, which they never attempted to carry into effect; and the challenge of the Quran, which declared that they would never be able to produce even a short chapter like any chapter of the Quran, has ever remained unanswered. The disbelievers also thought that the Quran contained 1104