At-Tawba • EN-TAFSIR-MAARIF-UL-QURAN
﴿ لَقَدِ ٱبْتَغَوُا۟ ٱلْفِتْنَةَ مِن قَبْلُ وَقَلَّبُوا۟ لَكَ ٱلْأُمُورَ حَتَّىٰ جَآءَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَظَهَرَ أَمْرُ ٱللَّهِ وَهُمْ كَٰرِهُونَ ﴾
“Indeed, even before this time have they tried to stir up discord and devised all manner of plots against thee, [O Prophet,] until the truth was revealed and God's will became manifest, however hateful this may have been to them.”
The opening sentence of the sixth verse (48): لَقَدِ ابْتَغَوُا الْفِتْنَةَ مِن قَبْلُ (They sought disorder even earlier...) refers to what had happened in the battle of 'Uhud. The statement وَظَهَرَ أَمْرُ اللَّـهِ وَهُمْ كَارِهُونَ (… and the will of Allah prevailed, though they disliked it) at the end of the verse indicates that victory is in the hands of Allah. This has been proved on earlier occasions when the Holy Prophet ﷺ was blessed with victory. The same will happen in this Jihad as well when all tricks played by hypocrites will fail.