Al-Anfaal (The Spoils of War)

19. “(O' infidels!) If (Islam's) victory you are seeking, the victory has already come upon you, and if you desist, it will be better for you. But if you return, We (too) shall return, and your forces shall avail you nothing though they may be many, and (know) that Allah is with the believers.”

The addressee of this verse may be either the pagans who were defeated in the Battle of Badr, or the Muslims who disputed upon the division of the spoils of war. The evidence for the first meaning is the connection of this verse with the previous one which says:

“...and that Allah weakens the plan of disbelievers...”

Also, it was the expression of Abujah, the commander of pagan troops, which he uttered when he was going to come out of Mecca. He held the curtain of Ka'ba, and said:

“O' God! make victorious of these two groups the one that is more guided.”

When he said this sentence, he was sure of his own victory, but later he defeated.

And, if it addresses the Muslims, it is a warning to them, saying that after that victory they would leave put their protests. Therefore, if they had returned to their murmurs and protests, Allah would have also withheld His grace from them again. In that case, the enemies would be delivered and overcome them.

However, Allah's wrath and grace depend on our choice and our treatment. Allah has completed the argument and has shut all the doors of seeking excuses and pretexts. The verse says:

“(O' infidels!) If (Islam's) victory you are seeking, the victory has already come upon you, and if you desist, it will be better for you...”

The largeness of population has no role or function before Allah's wrath, and certainly Allah is with the believers. The verse says:

“...But if you return, We (too) shall return, and your forces shall avail you nothing though they maybe many, and (know) that Allah is with the believers.”