This ayat translates to “Didn’t he place their scheme into continual waste?”

Meaning of Kaid

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) used the word “kaid” which means “scheme”. He didn’t use the word “muhajama” which means “attack”. Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) could have said he destroyed their attack. They had an elephant, a huge force, so the expected word is attack because when they are that powerful, they don’t need to plan much. But Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala), used the word scheme to inform us that on the face, it appears an attack but, there was a much bigger economic and political plan in place. What they thought would restore their economic power ended up becoming the domino effect of the fall of their economic and political influence.

In such brief words, Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala), is unfolding such profound reality. The entire chapters of history are captured in a word or two.

Meaning of Tadleel

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) used the word “tadleel” here. Observe that Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) didn’t use the word “dalaal” here, which means waste. He instead used the word “tadleel” which means “waste that creates waste that creates waste and so on”. This can be thought of like a domino effect. In very brief language, the Quran captures some very complicated history.

Meaning of Ayat #2

Didn’t he place their scheme into continual waste?