would be to offer obedience and honourable words that is words that are kind to you. Then when the matter has been resolved upon that is to say when fighting has been prescribed if they are loyal to God in faith and obedience it will be better for them the sentence beginning with law ‘if’ constitutes the response to idhā ‘when’.
- 47:2121
طَاعَةٌ وَقَوْلٌ مَعْرُوفٌ ۚ فَإِذَا عَزَمَ الْأَمْرُ فَلَوْ صَدَقُوا اللَّهَ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ
Obedience and modest speech (would have been more becoming). And when the matter has been determined it is best for them to be true to God.
- common.revelation-Medinan
- common.hizb : 203