Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 3 Ali 'Imran, Ayat 156-172

يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَا تَكُوۡنُوۡا كَالَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا وَقَالُوۡا لِاِخۡوَانِهِمۡ اِذَا ضَرَبُوۡا فِى الۡاَرۡضِ اَوۡ كَانُوۡا غُزًّى لَّوۡ كَانُوۡا عِنۡدَنَا مَا مَاتُوۡا وَمَا قُتِلُوۡا ۚ لِيَجۡعَلَ اللّٰهُ ذٰ لِكَ حَسۡرَةً فِىۡ قُلُوۡبِهِمۡ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ يُحۡىٖ وَيُمِيۡتُ​ؕ وَ اللّٰهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ بَصِيۡرٌ‏  ﴿3:156﴾ وَلَـئِنۡ قُتِلۡتُمۡ فِىۡ سَبِيۡلِ اللّٰهِ اَوۡ مُتُّمۡ لَمَغۡفِرَةٌ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ وَرَحۡمَةٌ خَيۡرٌ مِّمَّا يَجۡمَعُوۡنَ‏ ﴿3:157﴾ وَلَـئِنۡ مُّتُّمۡ اَوۡ قُتِلۡتُمۡ لَا اِلَى اللّٰهِ تُحۡشَرُوۡنَ‏ ﴿3:158﴾ فَبِمَا رَحۡمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ لِنۡتَ لَهُمۡ​ۚ وَلَوۡ كُنۡتَ فَظًّا غَلِيۡظَ الۡقَلۡبِ لَانْفَضُّوۡا مِنۡ حَوۡلِكَ​ فَاعۡفُ عَنۡهُمۡ وَاسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَهُمۡ وَشَاوِرۡهُمۡ فِى الۡاَمۡرِ​ۚ فَاِذَا عَزَمۡتَ فَتَوَكَّلۡ عَلَى اللّٰهِ​ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُحِبُّ الۡمُتَوَكِّلِيۡنَ‏ ﴿3:159﴾ اِنۡ يَّنۡصُرۡكُمُ اللّٰهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَـكُمۡ​ۚ وَاِنۡ يَّخۡذُلۡكُمۡ فَمَنۡ ذَا الَّذِىۡ يَنۡصُرُكُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِهٖ ​ؕ وَعَلَى اللّٰهِ فَلۡيَتَوَكَّلِ الۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ‏  ﴿3:160﴾ وَمَا كَانَ لِنَبِىٍّ اَنۡ يَّغُلَّ​ؕ وَمَنۡ يَّغۡلُلۡ يَاۡتِ بِمَا غَلَّ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيٰمَةِ​ ۚ ثُمَّ تُوَفّٰى كُلُّ نَفۡسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتۡ وَهُمۡ لَا يُظۡلَمُوۡنَ‏  ﴿3:161﴾ اَفَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضۡوَانَ اللّٰهِ كَمَنۡۢ بَآءَ بِسَخَطٍ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ وَمَاۡوٰٮهُ جَهَنَّمُ​ؕ وَ بِئۡسَ الۡمَصِيۡرُ‏ ﴿3:162﴾ هُمۡ دَرَجٰتٌ عِنۡدَ اللّٰهِ ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ بَصِيۡرٌۢ بِمَا يَعۡمَلُوۡنَ‏ ﴿3:163﴾ لَقَدۡ مَنَّ اللّٰهُ عَلَى الۡمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ اِذۡ بَعَثَ فِيۡهِمۡ رَسُوۡلًا مِّنۡ اَنۡفُسِهِمۡ يَتۡلُوۡا عَلَيۡهِمۡ اٰيٰتِهٖ وَيُزَكِّيۡهِمۡ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الۡكِتٰبَ وَالۡحِكۡمَةَ  ۚ وَاِنۡ كَانُوۡا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ لَفِىۡ ضَلٰلٍ مُّبِيۡنٍ‏  ﴿3:164﴾ اَوَلَمَّاۤ اَصَابَتۡكُمۡ مُّصِيۡبَةٌ قَدۡ اَصَبۡتُمۡ مِّثۡلَيۡهَا ۙ قُلۡتُمۡ اَنّٰى هٰذَا​ؕ قُلۡ هُوَ مِنۡ عِنۡدِ اَنۡفُسِكُمۡ ​ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ قَدِيۡرٌ‏ ﴿3:165﴾ وَمَاۤ اَصَابَكُمۡ يَوۡمَ الۡتَقَى الۡجَمۡعٰنِ فَبِاِذۡنِ اللّٰهِ وَلِيَعۡلَمَ الۡمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَۙ‏ ﴿3:166﴾ ​وَلِيَعۡلَمَ الَّذِيۡنَ نَافَقُوۡا  ۖۚ وَقِيۡلَ لَهُمۡ تَعَالَوۡا قَاتِلُوۡا فِىۡ سَبِيۡلِ اللّٰهِ اَوِ ادۡفَعُوۡا ​ۚ قَالُوۡا لَوۡ نَعۡلَمُ قِتَالًا لَّا تَّبَعۡنٰكُمۡ​ؕ هُمۡ لِلۡكُفۡرِ يَوۡمَـئِذٍ اَقۡرَبُ مِنۡهُمۡ لِلۡاِيۡمَانِ​ۚ يَقُوۡلُوۡنَ بِاَفۡوَاهِهِمۡ مَّا لَيۡسَ فِىۡ قُلُوۡبِهِمۡ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ اَعۡلَمُ بِمَا يَكۡتُمُوۡنَ​ۚ‏ ﴿3:167﴾ اَلَّذِيۡنَ قَالُوۡا لِاِخۡوَانِهِمۡ وَقَعَدُوۡا لَوۡ اَطَاعُوۡنَا مَا قُتِلُوۡا ​ؕ قُلۡ فَادۡرَءُوۡا عَنۡ اَنۡفُسِكُمُ الۡمَوۡتَ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ صٰدِقِيۡنَ‏ ﴿3:168﴾ وَلَا تَحۡسَبَنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ قُتِلُوۡا فِىۡ سَبِيۡلِ اللّٰهِ اَمۡوَاتًا ​ؕ بَلۡ اَحۡيَآءٌ عِنۡدَ رَبِّهِمۡ يُرۡزَقُوۡنَۙ‏ ﴿3:169﴾ فَرِحِيۡنَ بِمَاۤ اٰتٰٮهُمُ اللّٰهُ مِنۡ فَضۡلِهٖ ۙ وَيَسۡتَبۡشِرُوۡنَ بِالَّذِيۡنَ لَمۡ يَلۡحَقُوۡا بِهِمۡ مِّنۡ خَلۡفِهِمۡۙ اَ لَّا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُوۡنَ​ۘ‏  ﴿3:170﴾ يَسۡتَبۡشِرُوۡنَ بِنِعۡمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ وَفَضۡلٍۙ وَّاَنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يُضِيۡعُ اَجۡرَ الۡمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ  ۛۚ‏ ﴿3:171﴾ اَلَّذِيۡنَ اسۡتَجَابُوۡا لِلّٰهِ وَالرَّسُوۡلِ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَاۤ اَصَابَهُمُ الۡقَرۡحُ  ۛؕ لِلَّذِيۡنَ اَحۡسَنُوۡا مِنۡهُمۡ وَاتَّقَوۡا اَجۡرٌ عَظِيۡمٌ​ۚ‏ ﴿3:172﴾

(3:156) Believers, do not behave like those who disbelieved and say to their brothers (who meet some mishap) in the course of their journey for fighting: 'Had they remained with us, they would not have died nor been slain.' Allah makes such thoughts the cause of deep regrets in their hearts.113 For in truth it is Allah alone who grants life and deals death. Allah sees all that you do. (3:157) And were you to be slain or to die in the way of Allah, then surely Allah's forgiveness and mercy are better than all the goods they amass. (3:158) And were you to die or be slain, it is to Allah that you will all be mustered. (3:159) It was thanks to Allah's mercy that you were gentle to them. Had you been rough, hard-hearted, they would surely have scattered away from you. So pardon them, and pray for their forgiveness, and take counsel from them in matters of importance. And when you are resolved on a course of action place your trust in Allah; surely Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him). (3:160) If Allah helps you none shall prevail over you; if He forsakes you then who can help you? It is in Allah that the believers should put their trust. (3:161) It is not for a Prophet to defraud;114 and whoever defrauds shall bring with him the fruits of his fraud on the Day of Resurrection, when every human being shall be paid in full what he has earned, and shall not be wronged. (3:162) Is he who follows the good pleasure of Allah like him who is laden with Allah's wrath and whose abode is Hell? How evil that is for a resting-place! (3:163) They vary greatly in rank in the sight of Allah, and Allah sees what they do. (3:164) Surely Allah conferred a great favour on the believers when He raised from among them a Messenger to recite to them His signs, and to purify them, and to teach them the Book and Wisdom. For before that they were in manifest error. (3:165) And how come when a calamity befell you, you began to ask: 'How has this come about?'115 even though the enemy has suffered at your hands (in the Battle of Badr) double what you have suffered!116 Say: This calamity has been brought about by yourselves.117 Surely Allah is All-Powerful.118 (3:166) What befell you on the day when the two hosts met was by the leave of Allah, and in order that He might mark out those who believe (3:167) and those who are hypocrites. And when these hypocrites were asked: 'Come and fight in the wayof Allah', or (at least) 'defend yourselves', they answered: 'If we but knew that there would be fighting, we would certainly have followed.119 They were nearer then to infidelity than to faith. They utter from their mouths what is not in their hearts. Allah knows well what they conceal. (3:168) These are the ones who stayed away, saying about their brothers: 'Had they followed us, they would not have been slain.' Say: 'If you speak the truth then avert death when it comes to you.' (3:169) Think not of those slain in the way of Allah as dead.120 Indeed they are living, and with their Lord they have their sustenance, (3:170) rejoicing in what Allah has bestowed upon them out of His bounty,121 jubilant that neither fear nor grief shall come upon the believers left behind in the world who have not yet joined them. (3:171) They rejoice at the favours and bounties of Allah, and at the awareness that Allah will not cause the reward of the believers to be lost. (3:172) There were those who responded to the call of Allah and the Messenger122 after injury had smitten them123 - for all those who do good and fear Allah there is a mighty reward.

Notes

113. Such ideas had no solid ground. God's decree regarding the time of one's death cannot be deferred. Those who lack faith in God and think that everything is dependent on their own scheming and effort rather than on the overpowering Will of God become victims of perpetual remorse, since they never cease to reflect how a slightly different circumstance or slightly altered strategy could have led to an altogether different and wholesome result.

114. When the archers, whom the Prophet had posted to defend the army against any attack from the rear, saw that the spoils of the enemy were being collected, they feared that the spoils might fall in their entirety to the lot of the soldiers who were then collecting them, and that they might, therefore, be deprived of their share. It was this idea which had impelled them to leave their posts. When the Prophet returned to Madina after the battle he asked them to explain the cause of their disobedience. When he had heard their unconvincing stories he told them: 'You thought that we would act dishonestly and would not deliver you your share.' (See Alusi. Ruh al-Ma'ani, commentary on this verse - Ed.) The verse alludes to this here. The purpose is to impress upon them that the Messenger of God himself was the commander of their army and that all their affairs were in his hands alone. What made them feel that their interests were not secure even in the hands of God's Messenger? Did they think that a division of spoils under the direct supervision of the Prophet Would be made in any manner other than that dictated by absolute honesty, trustworthiness and justice?

115. The more high ranking Companions were too well aware of reality to fall prey to any misunderstandings. The ordinary believers, however, had thought that as long as God's Messenger was in their midst and as long as they enjoyed God's support and help the unbeliever, could never triumph over them. Hence, when they suffered defeat at the Battle of Uhud, their expectations were shaken and they began to wonder why things had taken the course they had. They wondered why they had been defeated even though they had fought for the sake of God's true religion with God's support, and the Messenger of God was with them on the battlefield. Furthermore, they were worried that the defeat had been at the hands of those who were out to destroy God's true religion. These verses seek to allay this sense of anxiety and rid their minds of doubt and suspicion.

116. In the Battle of Uhud seventy Muslims were martyred. In the Battle of Badr. seventy unbelievers were killed and seventy taken as captives.

117. The calamity that had befallen them was the outcome of their own weaknesses and mistakes. They had not remained sufficiently patient, they had acted, in certain respects, in a manner inconsistent with the dictates of piety, they had disobeyed the command that had been given them, they were lured by material wealth and they disputed and quarrelled among them-selves. After all this, was it still necessary to ask what caused the debacle?

118. If God has the power to make them victorious He also has the power to bring about their defeat.

119. When 'Abd Allah b. Ubayy decided to withdraw from the battlefield with his men several Muslims attempted to persuade him not to do so. Ibn Ubayy replied that he was sure that there would be no fighting that day, and he assured them that had he expected fighting to take place, he would have gone along with them.

120. For an explanation see (Surah 2. n. 155) above.

121. There is a Tradition from the Prophet that he who leaves the world after having lived righteously is greeted with a life so felicitous that he never wishes to return to the world. The only exception to this are martyrs who wish to be sent back to the world so that they may once again attain martyrdom and thereby enjoy that unique joy, bliss and ecstasy which one experiences at the time of laying down one's life for God. (Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, vol. Ill, 103, 126, 153, 173, 251, 276, 278, 284, 289; Bukhari, 'Tafsir al-Qur'an', 6 and 21: Muslim, 'Al-Imarah', 108, 109. 121 - Ed.)

122. When, after the Battle of Uhud, the Makkan polytheists had travelled several stages of their journey, they began to tell themselves what a mistake they had made in allowing the opportunity to crush the power of Muhammad to slip out of their hands. At one place they halted and deliberated among themselves about launching a second attack on Madina. They failed, however, to muster sufficient courage and carried on to Makka. The Prophet, for his part, also realized that they might attack once again. On the second day of Uhud, therefore, he gathered the Muslims and urged them to pursue the unbelievers. Even though this was a highly critical moment, the true men of faith girded their loins and were prepared to lay down their lives at the behest of the Prophet. They accompanied him to Hamra' al-Asad, eight miles from Madina. The present verse refers to these dedicated men.

123. These few verses were revealed almost one year after the Battle of Uhud. As they are connected with the events of the battle they were included in the present discourse.