Surah Al-Anfal Verse 42 - English Translation by Dr Munir Munshey
Surah Al-Anfalإِذۡ أَنتُم بِٱلۡعُدۡوَةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَهُم بِٱلۡعُدۡوَةِ ٱلۡقُصۡوَىٰ وَٱلرَّكۡبُ أَسۡفَلَ مِنكُمۡۚ وَلَوۡ تَوَاعَدتُّمۡ لَٱخۡتَلَفۡتُمۡ فِي ٱلۡمِيعَٰدِ وَلَٰكِن لِّيَقۡضِيَ ٱللَّهُ أَمۡرٗا كَانَ مَفۡعُولٗا لِّيَهۡلِكَ مَنۡ هَلَكَ عَنۢ بَيِّنَةٖ وَيَحۡيَىٰ مَنۡ حَيَّ عَنۢ بَيِّنَةٖۗ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَسَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
(That day) you were (camped) on the near side of the valley, while they were (camped) on the farther side. Their caravan was on a lower ground than yours. If you had made a prior appointment to meet each other there in battle, you would surely have failed to keep it. (But it happened as it did), so that Allah may bring to pass events that simply had to happen. So that those who perish, might perish with a clear proof; and those who live might live on with a clear proof. Allah is certainly the all-Hearing and the all-Knowing