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﴿ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

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Exegesis of the verse: (( There has certainly been for you a sign in the two armies that met: one army fighting in the cause of Allah and the other disbelieving... ))

Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Already there has been for you a sign in the two armies which met قد كان لكم آية في فئتين التقتا
[Ali 'Imran 3:13]
There has certainly been قد كان
It is possible that this is part of the previous statement, meaning:
Say to those who disbelieve, "You will be overcome and gathered together to Hell قل للذين كفروا ستغلبون وتحشرون إلى جهنم
[Ali 'Imran 3:12]
This verse may be part of the previous statement in His saying:
(12) Say to those who disbelieve, "You will be overcome and gathered together to Hell, and wretched is the resting place." (13) Already there has been for you a sign in the two armies which met - one fighting in the cause of Allah and another of disbelievers. They saw them [to be] twice their [own] number by [their] eyesight. But Allah supports with His victory whom He wills. Indeed in that is a lesson for those of vision. قل للذين كفروا ستغلبون وتحشرون إلى جهنم وبئس المهاد قد كان لكم
[Ali 'Imran 3:12-13]
Thus, it becomes part of the statement, meaning: Say to them, "Take heed of the example I have set for you"
there has been for you a sign كان لكم آية
[Ali 'Imran 3:13]
that is, a sign that you will be victorious, because the word "ayah" in the language means a sign; a sign that you will be victorious
in the two armies which met في فئتين التقتا
[Ali 'Imran 3:13]
meaning in the battle between them. "Fay'ah" means a group. Is the intended meaning of "two armies" two actual, real armies? Or is it by way of example? Most exegetes hold that they are two actual armies in a real event. Some exegetes said that it is by way of example, meaning, let us suppose there are two armies in this manner: one fighting in the cause of Allah and the other disbelieving. And if we say they are two armies in a real case, those who hold this view said that the intended meaning is the army of the disbelievers and the believers at Badr. So they are two armies: one fighting in the cause of Allah, namely the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and those with him, and a disbelieving army fighting in the cause of the taghut, as Allah the Exalted said:
Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who disbelieve fight in the cause of Taghut الذين آمنوا يقاتلون في سبيل الله والذين كفروا يقاتلون في سبيل الطاغوت
[An-Nisa 4:76]
— Allah is the Greatest —
So fight against the allies of Satan فقاتلوا أولياء الشيطان
[An-Nisa 4:76]
To whom is the address? To the believers.
So fight against the allies of Satan. Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak. فقاتلوا أولياء الشيطان إن كيد الشيطان كان ضعيفا
[An-Nisa 4:76]
Glory be to Allah, if we took this verse and we were truly believers fighting in the cause of Allah, these people would be in our hands like moths. But the matter is as you know. His saying:
a sign in the two armies آية في فئتين
[Ali 'Imran 3:13]
meaning two groups of people
that met التقتا
meaning they met each other.
one fighting in the cause of Allah فئة تقاتل في سبيل الله
[Ali 'Imran 3:13]
A group فئة
is the subject, and
fighting تقاتل
is its predicate. It is permissible for the subject to be indefinite because it is for division. It has passed us that if there is division, it is permissible to begin with an indefinite noun. From this is the saying of the poet:
A day is against us and a day is for us, a day is equal and a day we are superior
So he began with an indefinite noun for the sake of division. Here he said:
an army fighting فئة تقاتل
So he began with an indefinite noun because the context is one of division.
fighting in the cause of Allah تقاتل في سبيل الله
[Ali 'Imran 3:13]
in the cause of Allah, meaning in His path.
Source alathar.net

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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