Tafseer of Those drawn up in Ranks · As-Saaffaat · 37:172
[That] indeed, they would be those given victory
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda وَلَقَدْ سَبَقَتْ كَلِمَتُنَا لِعِبَادِنَا الْمُرْسَلِينَ ("And indeed, Our Word has already preceded in favor of Our sent servants") down to where he reaches: لَهُمُ الْغَالِبُونَ ("they are the ones who will be victorious"), he said: this has preceded from Allah for them, namely that He will grant them victory.
Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning his statement وَلَقَدْ سَبَقَتْ كَلِمَتُنَا لِعِبَادِنَا الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِنَّهُمْ لَهُمُ الْمَنْصُورُونَ ("And indeed, Our Word has already preceded in favor of Our sent servants: verily, they are the ones who will be helped"), he says: with the proofs.
And some of the linguists explained it thus: and indeed, Our Word has preceded in favor of Our sent servants with felicity. And it is mentioned that in the reading of ʿAbdallāh it reads: "wa-laqad sabaqat kalimatunā ʿalā ʿibādinā al-mursalīn" (Our Word has preceded over Our sent servants), where "ʿalā" is placed in the position of the "lām," as though the meaning is: it has become due over them and for them — just as one says: "ʿalā mulk Sulaymān" (over the kingdom of Solomon) and "fī mulk Sulaymān" (in the kingdom of Solomon), since the meaning of both is one and the same.
