Indexed OCR Text

164
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 118-120
الصُّدُوُرِ ﴿١١٩) إِنْ تَتْسَسُكُمُ حَسَنَةٌ تَسُؤُهُمْ وَإِنُ تُصِبْكُمُ
سَيِّئَةٌ يَفْرَُّوا بِهَاء وَإِنْ تَصْبِرُوْا وَتَتَّقُوا لَا يَضُكُمْ كَيُدُهُمُ
شَيْئًا، إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا يَعُمَلُونَ مُحِيُّطْ ﴿١٢٠﴾
O those who believe, do not take anyone as insider but
from your own selves. They would spare no effort to do
you mischief. They want you to be in trouble. Malice
has come out of their mouths while what is concealed
in their hearts is far worse. We have made the signs
clear to you, provided that you understand. [118]
Look, you are the ones who love them and they do not
love you. And you believe in the Book, in all of it. And
when they meet you, they say, "We believe", and when
they are alone they bite their finger-tips out of rage
against you. Say, "Die in your rage." Surely, Allah is All-
Aware of what lies in the hearts. [119]
If something good happens to you, it annoys them and
if something evil befalls you, they are delighted with it.
And if you keep patience and fear Allah, their cunning
shall not harm you at all. And Allah is All-
Encompassing of what they do. [120]
Commentary
These verses were revealed in a particular background. There were
Jewish settlements around Madinah. They had old friendly ties with
the tribes of Aws and Khazraj. Individuals from these tribes were also
on friendly terms with other individuals from the Jewish settlements.
In their tribal capacity too, Aws and Khazraj were to the Jews their
neighbours and allies. When these two tribes embraced Islam, they
continued to maintain their old ties with them. Individuals from these
tribes saw no problems in meeting their old Jewish friends with the
same love and sincerity. But, Jews were so hostile to the Holy Prophet
and the religion brought by him that they were unwilling صلى الله عليه وسلم
to be sincere and loving to anyone who had said yes to the prophetic
call and had embraced Islam. So, they outwardly went along with the
same old relationships with the Ansars of Madinah, but inwardly they
had turned into their enemies. The apparent friendship they had
allowed to remain became their cover which they utilized in their

165
Brah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 118-120
Minster efforts to foment trouble among Muslims so that their unity
could be disintegrated. They even went to the limit of banking on this
feigned friendship with Muslims to find out their organizational
secrets and pass them on to the enemies.
It is this hypocritical behaviour of theirs which Allah Almighty has
asked Muslims to guard against. We have been given an important
rule of conduct when it was said:
◌َيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا بِطَانَةً مِّنْ دُوُنِكُمْ
O those who believe, do not take anyone as insider but from
your own selves.
The word, bitanah used here means a friend, confidant, one with
whom secrets are shared. The lining or inside part of a dress which
stays close to the body is also known as bitanah. Derived from batn
(inside), it is used in everything opposed to zahr (outside). That which
is outside is zahr and that which is inside is batn. In garments, the
outer part is ziharah and the inner part touching the body such as a
lining is called bitanah. [There is an expression in English - 'hand in glove'- which
comes close to this sense, even if partly. It means 'to be on very intimate terms'.]
Similarly, the expression, bitanatu-th'thawb (,ist_) lends the meta-
phor of friend, confidant, one who comes to know internal secrets and
that is how the word, bitanah is used to carry that sense. The well-
known, and quite reliable lexicon of Arabic, Lisan al-'Arab explains
bitanah as follows:
بطانة الرجل صاحب سرة وداخلة امره الذى يشاوره فى احواله
It means that a person's bitanah is one who knows his secrets, has
access to his affairs in which he seeks his advice. Raghib al-Isfahani in
his Mufradat and al-Qurtubi in his Tafsir have given the same
meaning. (The word, 'bitanch', translated here as 'insider' is an effort
to cover some of these important shades of meaning.)
So, it has been enjoined upon Muslims through this verse that they
should not take persons other than those from their own community as
confidants and advisers, in a way that leads one into spilling the sensi-
tive secrets of one's own government, community or state. No doubt,
under the shade of its universal mercy, Islam has given unusual
instructions to Muslims in order that they treat non-Muslims with

166
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 118-120
compassion, goodwill, beneficence, kindliness and tolerance, and not
leaving it at that, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has put these in
actual practice in all affairs concerning non-Muslims. But, at the same
time, and in perfect wisdom, binding instructions were given so as to
make sure that the organized body of Muslims and its particular hall-
marks stay protected. A Muslim cannot be permitted to go beyond a
certain limit when developing or promoting relations (unilateral, bi-
lateral or multi-lateral) with those who disbelieve in or practice
hostility against the Law of Islam. This is so because such an action
throws the doors of harm and danger open both for the individuals and
the community. This arrangement is clear, reasonable, appropriate,
and very necessary to give secure frontiers to the individuals as well
as to the Muslim state.
About non-Muslims resident in Islamic states or those tied with
Muslims through a treaty, the teachings of the Holy Prophet & and
his most emphatic instructions for their protection are all part of the
Islamic law. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said:
من آذى ذميا فانا خصمه ومن كنت خصمه خصمته يوم القيمة
Whoever harms a Dhimmi (protected non-Muslim), I shall be
his opponent on the Day of Judgement and I always defeat the
one whom I oppose. (Reported by Ibn Mas'ud)
In another hadith, he said :
منعنى ربى ان اظلم معاهدا ولا غيره
My Lord has prohibited me to wrong the one protected by a
treaty, or anyone other than him. (narrated by Sayyidna 'Ali)
In yet another hadith, he said:
الامن ظلم معاهدا اوانتقصه او كلفه فوق طاقته اواخذ منه شيئا بغير طيب
نفس منه فانا حجيجه يوم القيمة
Beware, whoever wrongs a non-Muslim protected by treaty, or
usurps his right, or obligates him to do what is beyond his
power, or takes from him something without his genuine
consent, then, I shall be the advocate for him (the said non-
Muslim) on the day of Judgement.
Side by side with these concessions and considerations for non-

167
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 118-120
Muslims, instructions were given to Muslims that they should protect
their distinct group cohesion by not trusting enemies of Islam and
Muslims with their secrets. Ibn Abi Hatim narrates that Sayyidna
'Umar ibn Al-Khattab ur Uly», was asked to appoint a young non-
Muslim as the chief manager and scribe in his office since he was very
good at that. Thereupon, he said:
قد اتخذت اذا بطانة من دون المؤمنين
If I were to take him in, in that case, I will be taking an
insider from among non-Muslims (which is against the
Qur'anic authority).
Imam al-Qurtubi, famous scholar and commentator of the fifth
century says, with marked pensive longing, that contravention of this
teaching of the Qur'an has produced evil results for Muslims:
وقد انقلبت الاحوال فى هذه الازمان باتخاذ اهل الكتب كتبة وامنآء
وتسودوا بذلك عند جهلة الاغنياء من الولاة والامرآء
Things have so changed these days that Jews and Christians
were trusted with secrets and considered trustworthy through
which they were able to prevail over the ignorant rich, the
rulers and the chiefs.
Even today, in a state established under a particular ideology, a
person who does not subscribe to this ideology cannot be admitted into
the inner echelons of power as a confidant. In Russia and China, a
person who does not believe in communism is not given any respon-
sible office or, farther still, trusted with state secrets. A close study of
the decline of Muslim states would reveal several reasons behind it.
One of the oft-repeated ones will be that Muslims had entrusted their
sensitive affairs in the hands of non-Muslim confidants. This policy
was an active factor in the decline of the Ottoman Caliphate as well.
..
The reason why this command has been given is explained soon
after. Starting from su kip tý (they would spare no effort to do you
mischief) and ending at ; s &1 (provided that you understand), the
text warns Muslims that they should not take anyone other than their
own Muslim brothers as insiders on their affairs, for no other group,
be they Jews, Christians, hypocrites or other disbelievers, could be
their genuine well-wishers. Contrary to that, they are always on the

168
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 118-120
look out for opportunities to hoodwink and hurt them materially and
spiritually. They are always plotting to harm them in this worldly life
as well as to take them away from the enjoined pursuits of their Faith.
All this is what the Muslims can see for themselves, but the venom
that lies hidden in their hearts is far too fatal. However there are
times when they are enraged with their deceptive cool front thrown off
and the fangs of their deep hostility become clearly visible. Why would
an intelligent person take such people as his confidant? Allah
Almighty has pointed out who they are and what has to be done about
them. Now it is upto him who understands what is involved here.
The sentence ' Ut's, (they want you to be in trouble) is a perfect
mirror of the mentality of disbelievers. Here, the in-depth teaching is
that no non-Muslim can ever be the real friend and well-wisher of
Muslims.
After that, in verse 119:2,5,1216, Muslims have been told that
'it is certainly strange that you go about loving them as friends, yet
they are no friends of yours. Indeed, they are your worst enemies. Still
more unusual is the situation because you believe in all Scriptures
without any reservations as to the people they address, the time when
they were sent down and the prophet they were revealed to. Contrary
to this, they do not accept your Book and your Prophet. Their belief in
their own Books is not correct either. Given this state of affairs it
would have been expected that they should have been affectionate
towards you and you should have been the ones to give them a cold
shoulder. But, what is happening here is just the reverse of what it
should have been.'
The mentality of disbelievers has been further clarified by saying:
3) in the first part of verse 120 which has been translated as,
'if something good happens to you, it annoys them and if something
evil befalls you, they are delighted with it.'
How can Muslims remain protected against the aftermath of
sinster moves of the hypocrites and the deadly hostility of opponents?
For this, a simple and effective prescription was suggested in:
وَإِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا لَا يَصُّكُمْ كَيُدُهُمُ شَيِّقًا ﴿ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُوُنَ مُحِبُّطْ
And if you keep patience and fear Allah, their cunning shall

169
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 118-120
not harm you at all. Surely, Allah is All-Encompassing of
what they do.
Sabr and Taqwa: Panacea for Muslims
The Holy Qur'an has prescribed sabr (patience, endurance) and
Taqwa (fear of Allah) as an effective measure against all hardships.
This elemental teaching has been conveyed to Muslims not only here
but also at many other places in the Qur'an. For instance, in the
section that follows immediately, it has been said:
بَلَّى إِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا وَيَأْتُوُكُمْ مِنٌ فَوْرِهِمْ هُذَا يُمْدِدُكُمُ رَبُّكُمُ بِخَمْسَةِ الَآتٍ
مِنَ المَلْتِكَةِ مُسَوِّمِيْنَ
Why not? If you stay patient and fear Allah and they come
upon you in this heat of theirs, your Lord will reinforce you
with five thousand of the angels having distinct marks. (3:125)
Here, the promise of divine help has been made conditional upon
Sabr and Taqwa.
In Surah Yusuf, it has been said:
إِنَّهْ مَنْ تَتَّقِ وَيَصِْرُ
Whoever fears Allah and keeps patience ... (12:90)
Here too, prosperity and success have been tied with Sabr and
Taqwa. Towards the end of this very Surah, Sabr is being proposed in
the following words:
◌َّيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا اصِرُوا وَصَائِرُوا وَرَابِطُوْا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
O those who believe, be patient, be more patient than others,
and guard your frontiers, and fear Allah so that you may be
successful. (3:200)
Once again, prosperity and success have been made dependent on
Sabr and Taqwa.
The two words, Sabr and Taqwa, though looking like a short title,
are nevertheless very comprehensive. They contain within themselves
a successful rule for all aspects of individual and collective life as well
as public, government and military affairs.
The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said, as narrated by Sayyidna

170
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 121-123
: رضى الله عنه Abu Dharr
عن أبى ذر قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلمَّ انى لاعلم اية لواخذ
الناس بها لكفتهم "ومن يتق الله يجعل له مخرجا" الاية (رواه احمد)
I know a verse which, if people were to take to it, would
suffice them. And that is: 'And whoever fears Allah, for him
He shall make a way out (of the difficulties) - 65:2.'
Verses 121 - 123
وَإِذُ غَدَوْتَ مِنْ آَهْلِكَ تُبَوِىُّ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ مَقَاعِدَ لِلْفِتَالِ، وَاللَّهُ
سَمِيعٌ عَلِيهمْ ﴿١٢١﴾ إِذُّ هَمَتُ طَائِفَتْنِ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ تَفْشَلَا وَاللّهُ
وَلِيُّهُمَاء وَعَلَى اللّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١٢٢) وَلَقَدُ نَصَرَكُمُ
اللَّهُ بِبَدْرٍ وَآَنْهُمْ آَخِلَّةٌ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمُ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿١٢٣﴾
And when you left your house in the morning in order
to place the believers in positions for fighting. And
Allah is all-Hearing, all-Knowing. [121] When two of
your groups were about to lose heart, while Allah was
their guardian. And it is in Allah alone that the
believers must place their trust. [122] And Allah
certainly supported you at Badr when you were weak.
So, fear Allah that you may be grateful. [123]
Sequence
In the previous verses, it was said that no power could harm
Muslims if they observed patience and fear of Allah (sabr and taqwa).
Now, the temporary set-back faced by Muslims during the battle of
Uhud was due to their failure to observe these rules of conduct fully.
The present verses remind Muslims of what happened during the
battle of Uhud, and also, of their victory at the battle of Badr.
Commentary:
Before we proceed to explain these verses, it is appropriate that we
have before us a sequence of events that came to pass at Uhud.
The background of the Battle of Uhud:
It was the month of Ramadan, Hijrah year 2, when the Quraysh

171
Sarah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 121-123
army and Muslim mujahidin fought a battle at Badr in which 70 well-
known kuffar (disbelievers) of Makkah were killed and an equal
number was taken prisoners. This defeat, disastrous and disgraceful
as it was, and really the first instalment of Divine punishment,
incensed the Quraysh; their search for revenge knew no bounds. The
relatives of Quraysh chiefs who were killed at Badr, appealing to the
traditional Arab pride, resolved that they would not rest until they
have avenged their defeat at Badr at the hands of the Muslims. They
proposed to Makkans that the sale proceeds from things brought in by
their trade caravan from Syria should be spent on nothing but this
war so that they can avenge the slaying of their comrades by
Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and his companions. To this, everybody
agreed and it was in the Hijrah year 3 that the Quraysh, along with
several other tribes as well, marched out to mount an attack on
Madinah. The invading force included even women so that they could
appeal to the sense of honour their men had and implore them not to
retreat, if they ever did.
When this armed force of three thousand strong, all laced with
weapons and other logistics, pitched up its tents near the mountain of
Uhud, about three or four miles outside Madinah, the Holy Prophet
went into consultation with Muslims. In his blessed opinion, warding
off the enemy by staying in Madinah was easy and more likely to
succeed. This was the first time that the leader of the hypocrites,
'Abdullah ibn Ubayy, who outwardly went along with Muslims, was
asked to give his opinion, which turned out to be the same as that of
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . But, some zealous Muslims, who were
unable to take part in the Badr encounter and were intensely eager to
lay down their lives in the cause of Islam, insisted that they should go
out and fight the enemy in the open so that the enemy does not take
them to be cowards. To this, the majority turned.
In the meantime, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم went to his house
and when he came out, he had his armour on. At that point of time,
some people thought that they had forced him, against his opinion, to
lead the fight outside Madinah in the open. Realizing what they did

172
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 121-123
was wrong, they submitted to him that he could act according to his
opinion and stay in Madinah. The answer was: 'It does not behove a
prophet, once he has put on his armour and taken up his arms, to put
them off without fighting.' This one sentence is sufficient to clarify the
difference between a prophet and a non-prophet. A prophet cannot
show weakness in that capacity. Then, here lies a lesson for the
community as well.
When the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم left Madinah on his way to
confront the enemy, he had about a thousand men with him, but the
hypocrite 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy broke off enroute with about three
hundred men, saying: 'When my advice was rejected and action was
taken on the advice of others, why should we fight and why should we
endanger our lives?' Obviously, most of his comrades were hypocrites,
yet there were some Muslims too who swallowed the bait and tugged
along with them.
Finally, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم reached the battlefield with
a total of seven hundred mujahidin. He personally took charge of the
action area setting up all arrangements in a formal military manner.
The formations of his men were so placed that the mount of Uhud
remained on their rear. Sayyidna Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr was made the
standard-bearer and Sayyidna Zubayr ibn 'Awwam, the commander of
the mounted troops. Sayyidna Hamzah was given the command of the
unarmoured. On the rear, there was some likelihood that the enemy
may cut his way in from that side. So, he positioned a company of fifty
archers (arrow-shooters) on a hillock in the rear and ordered them to
stand on guard against any attack from that side. They were specifi-
cally instructed not to bother about the fighting down the hill, irre-
spective of whether they win or lose, and were told that they just do
not have to move from their appointed place.
The command of the company of archers was given to Sayyidna
'Abdullah ibn Jubayr. As for the Quraysh, they had gone through the
battle of Badr and they too went into battle formations in an orderly
manner.

173
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 121-123
The Battle of Uhud 1
When the battle started, Muslims had an upper hand right from
the beginning, so much so that the enemy forces went into total
disarray. Muslims thought they had won and turned toward the spoils.
At this point, the archers who were appointed by the Holy Prophet
to guard the rear also noticed that the enemy was on the run and they
too started coming down from the mountain leaving their assigned
battle station. Their commander, Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn Jubayr
reminded them of the emphatic command of the Holy Prophet @ not
to move from their place of duty and tried his best to stop. them. But,
except a few, others took the plea that as the order was tied with time
they should now go and be with the rest. Khalid ibn Walid, who had
not yet embraced Islam, was commanding a company of Makkan
disbelievers. Making timely use of this opportunity, he went round the
hill, went up through a pass and made a surprise attack. Sayyidna
'Abdullah ibn Jubayr Le Algo, and the small number of men left with
him tried their best to stop them but they were unable to do so and the
chargers were able to pounce on Muslim forces down the hill all of a
sudden. This situation made the running enemy turn back and rein-
force the attack. The fate of the battle was totally reversed. Muslims
were so confused with this unexpected turn of the battle that a major
portion of them scattered away from the battle field. However, some
Companions were still holding on resolutely. In the meantime, a
rumour went round that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has met his
shah adah (martyrdom). This shattered the nerves of his Companions
and most of them lost heart. At that time, the Holy Prophet @> was in
the midst of about ten or twelve very devoted Companions. He was
1. The strategy used in this battle shows that the Prophet of Islam was not
only a perfect leader and teacher, but also a creative military strategist,
something not known in the world of that time. Comparing the battle
plans of the two camps, Tom Under, a twentieth century historian says in
his book, The Life of Muhammad that his opponents had courage and
bravery but it was he who broke new ground in the management of
warfare. The Makkan disbelievers fought recklessly and haphazardly
while he used great foresightedness, strict discipline and efficient organi-
zation as additional assets.

174
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 121-123
injured. Defeat was about to come when, in the right moment, the
Companions scattered on the battlefield came to know that the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was alive. They regrouped themselves around
him and moved him away towards the hill safely.
This defeat which made Muslims terribly upset was temporary,
and there were causes behind it. The Holy Qur'an comments on each
cause in extremely measured words and exhorts Muslims to be
cautious in the future.
Lessons from the events of Uhud :
The events of the battle of Uhud have in them a treasure of good
advice and wise guidance for all Muslims. It will be recalled that the
Qurayshi disbelievers had brought women with them so that they
could excite them to fight and, in case of a retreat, put them to shame
and exhort them to go back into the battle. The Holy Prophet @ saw
that Hindah, the wife of Abu Sufyan, was leading a group of women
who were chanting poetical compositions to arouse the fighting
passions of their men. They were saying:
ونفرش النمارة
ان تقبلوا نعانق
فراق وامق
اوتدبروانفارق
that is, 'if you fight right on and win, we shall embrace you and make
a soft bed for you, but, if you turn back, we shall make you miss our
love.'
In contrast, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم may Allah bless him,
was saying this in his prayer:
اللهم بك اصول وبك اقاتل حسبى الله ونعم الوكيل
that is, 'O Allah, from Thee I draw my strength and for Thee and in
Thy name, I attack and fight. Sufficient for me is Allah, the only one
good to trust.'
This prayer, every word in it, is demonstrating how Muslims
should strengthen their connection with Allah not only in peace, but
also in war, a pattern of behaviour which is drawing a line of clear
distinction between Muslims and other nations.
2. Victory in war comes from Allah and not from piles of hardware.

175
Surah 'Al- Imran 3 : 121-123
Let us look at this lesson through the tightly-held frame of this battle.
Is'nt it that the noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them
all, left behind them indelible marks of gallantry, sacrifice and dedica-
tion, the class of which would be difficult to match in history? Sayy-
idna Abu Dujanah ae Ul +, had turned his body into a shield for his
beloved Prophet taking all in-coming arrows on his back. Sayyidna
Talhahas Ul yo, had his body all perforated with arrow-heads, but he
still did not leave his blessed master unprotected. Sayyidna Anas ibn
al-Nadir رضى الله عنه , the uncle of Sayyidna Anas ibn Malik رضى الله عنه was
absent from the battle of Badr which he regretted very much and
longed to make amends whenever he could get the first opportunity to
take part in a Jihad in the company of the Holy Prophet &
A little later, came the battle of Uhud and Sayyidna Anas ibn al-
Nadir was in it. When Muslims had scattered away and the disbe-
lievers of Quraysh were coming in overwhelming strength, he started
to mount his charge, sword in hand, when he met Sayyidna Sa'd who
was going with the group of those who had scattered away from the
battlefield. He called out to him, "O Sa'd, where are you going? I smell
the scent of Paradise in this valley of Uhud.' Saying this, he charged
ahead and it was after a tough fight that he finally laid his life in the
way of Allah. (Ibn Kathir)
Sayyidna Jabir Mi , says, "when Muslims became scattered,
there were only eleven Companions left with the Holy Prophet ,
Sayyidna Talhahe Aly, being one of them. The forces of Quraysh
were surging forward. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, 'Who is
going to take care of them?' Sayyidna Talhah __ Uly», responded
immediately, 'I shall do that, O Messenger of Allah.' Another
Companion, an Anșarī, said, 'I am at your service.' He asked the Ansari
Companion to go, who fought, and fell a martyr. Then came another
pressure wave. He asked the same question again. Sayyidna Talhah
offered himself as before. He was all impatient to hear the command of
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم so that he could go ahead. He, once
again, sent some other Ansari Companion and Sayyidna Talhah's wish
remained unfulfilled. Thus, it was seven times that the Holy Prophet
asked the question and every time Sayyidna Talhah was صلى الله عليه وسلم
not permitted to go while other Companions were permitted to go and

176
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 121-123
meet their shahadah (martyrdom).
3. Muslims were few in number, yet they won at Badr. Compara-
tively, they were more in number at Uhud, yet they lost. Here too, for
Muslims there is a lesson to learn: Muslims should not rely on their
numerical or material strength, military hardware or logistic support,
but they should make sure that they take victory as something which
comes by the grace of Allah Almighty and therefore, they must always
watch out that their relationship with Allah remains strong.
What happened at the battle of Yarmuk is worth remembering.
The officer-in-command at the war front wrote to Sayyidna 'Umar, the
Khalifah at Madinah, requesting reinforcements in view of a reduced
number of fighters. The reply that he gave is reproduced below:
"قد جاءنى كتابكم تستمدوننى وانى ادلكم على من هو اعز نصراً
واحصن جندا الله عزوجل فاستنصروه فان محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم قد
نصر فى يوم بدر فى اقل من عدتكم فاذا جاءكم كتابى هذا فقاتلوهم ولا
تراجعونی ". (مسند أحمد، ابن كثير)
"Your letter reached me. You have requested reinforcements
and I direct you to One who is most-powerful support-wise
and most-protecting army-wise, that is, Allah, the Mighty, the
Exalted. So, seek help from Him - because Muhammad, may
Allah bless him, was helped on the day of Badr despite their
being fewer in numbers. So, when this letter of mine reaches
you - fight. And do not turn back to me." (Ibn Kathir, with reference
to the Musnad of Ahmad)
The narrator says, when they received this letter, they mounted an
attack in the name of Allah, all of a sudden, against the formidable
forces of disbelievers who were defeated. Sayyidna 'Umar knew that
victory or defeat for Muslims does not depend upon numbers. Instead,
it depends upon trust in Allah, and on His help. This fact has been
clearly stated by the Holy Qur'an with reference to the battle of
Hunayn:
يَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ إِذْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ كَثْرَتُكُمْ فَلَمْ تُغْنٍ عَنْكُمُ شَيْئًا
"(Remember) the day of Hunayn when you became proud
about your numbers, then, nothing worked to your advantage.
(9:25)

177
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 121-123
Now, let us turn to the explanation of these verses:
1. Verse 121 begins with the words, ◌َوَإِذْ غَدَوْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِك (When you left
your house in the morning in order to place the believers in positions
for fighting).
This is an example of the miraculous style of the Holy Qur'an,
specially when it reports events. It does not describe any event in its
total detail as a matter of general principle. Events, or their details
are taken up only when they carry with them implied points of guid-
ance. For instance, a particular secondary detail, such as the time of
leaving the house, has been identified through the word, 3,x
('ghadawta'); and hadith narrations prove that this morning was that of
the seventh of Shawwal, Hijrah year 3.
Then comes the description of the point from where this expedition
صلى الله عليه وسلم indicates that the Holy Prophet مِنْ أَهْلِكَ ,started. The word
was with his family at that time and when the time came to leave, he
left, leaving his family behind him, even though this attack was aimed
at Madinah. These secondary details have guidance built in them.
When there is the command of Allah, it is expected that the love of
family and home should not stop one from obeying it. It will be noticed
that details of what happened between the period of leaving the house
and reaching the war front remain undescribed. Instead, the first
, مُوِّئُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَقَاعِدٌ لِلْقِتَالِ thing done on the war front has been described as
the placing of believers in positions for fighting.
The verse ends with the words, 26 2 2'll, (And Allah is All-
Hearing, All-Knowing). By reminding Muslims of these attributes of
Allah, it has been pointed out that everything said by the two parties
at that time was all in the knowledge of Allah Almighty, and abso-
lutely nothing of what happened to the two of them remains hidden
from Him, and so shall it be with the end of the war; that too, is not
hidden from Him.
إِذْ هَمَكُ طَائِفَتْنِ مِنْكُمْ آن ,Next comes verses 122 beginning with the words
Sua® (When two of your groups tended to lose heart while Allah was
their guardian). These 'two groups' refer to the Bani Harithah of the
tribe of Aws and Bani Salamah of the tribe of Khazraj. These 'two
groups' lost the courage to fight when they saw the hypocrite,

178
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 121-123
'Abdullah ibn Ubayy and his men breaking away. But, Allah, in his
grace, helped them come out of this state of apprehensiveness. Here,
the fact was that their weakness was caused by the thought, and
certainly not because of any weakness in faith. Ibn Hisham, the
famous historian of Muslim battles has made this very clear. Then, the
very Qur'anic statement, wa,0), (while Allah was their guardian) is a
testimony to their perfect faith. Therefore, some elders from these two
tribes used to say: "No doubt, the verse contains a complaint against
us, but at the same time it bears a good news for us in the words: 'i;
Kg (while Allah was their guardian).
3. Towards the end of the verse, it has been said: "And it is in Allah
alone that the believers must place their trust." Here, it has been
made clear that Muslims should not rely on their superiority in men
and materials. Not that they have to ignore material needs of the
combat; of course, they should have whatever they can get together
subject to their means, but the crucial thing is that they must place
their total trust in Allah, and Allah alone. The apprehension of weak-
ness that overtook Banu Harithah and Banu Salamah was caused by
this material lack of strength. Therefore, tawakkul or trust in Allah
was suggested as the treatment of all sorts of apprehensions.
Tawakkul is one of the superior human qualities. It does not mean
that one should cut off all his connections with the effort to collect
material support. On the contrary, one should collect what is obviously
needed to the best of his ability, use it, and then, let Allah take care of
the outcome. It is also necessary that one should not become proud of
what has been collected as material assets, instead, "We trust in
Allah" should be the sole concern. The good example of the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is before us. That he himself organized the
fighting strength of Muslims during this Jihad, assembled weapons
and other war materials to the best of his ability, prepared battle
plans appropriate to the time and place. Once on the war front, he set
up entrenchments with combat-ready Companions placed therein.
These were all part of the material-functional management of the
battle. By making use of these with his own blessed hands, our
beloved master, the last and foremost of prophets, demonstrated that
material facilities are also a blessing of Allah Almighty. Ignoring them

179
bsurah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 121-123
or turning away from them cannot be called what tawakkul is. Here,
the attitude of a Muslim slightly differs from that of a non-Muslim. A
Muslim would, given his ability and means, collect all sorts of neces-
gary material support, yet when it comes to trust and tawakkul that he
would place in none but Allah. The non-Muslim is bereft of this spiri-
tual dimension for he relies on his brute material strength. The mani-
festation of this difference has been common sight throughout all
Islamic battles.
4. The focus now turns to a particular battle where Muslims had
demonstrated perfect tawakkul and Allah Almighty had blessed them
with support and success. The reference to the battle of Badr, in the
following words, has appeared in this very context.
وَلَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللهُ بِبَدْرِ وَآَنْهُمْ آَخِلَّةٌ
And Allah certainly supported you at Badr when you were
weak. (123)
Badr : Location and Importance
Badr is located about eighty miles south-west of Madinah and used
to be a halting-place while travelling between Makkah and Madinah,
before the modern Tariq al-Hijrah was commissioned into service
which bypasses it.
At that time, Badr was known for its abundance of water, some-
thing very important in the desert zones of Arabia. The first armed
encounter between believers and disbelievers came to pass at this spot
on Friday, Ramadan al-Mubarak, Hijrah year 2 which fell on March
11, 624 A.D. On a superficial view, this battle appears to be a local
tribal war, but the truth is that it has charted a revolutionary course
in the history of the world, therefore, the Holy Qur'an calls it Yawm al-
Furqan (a day of distinction). According to Professor Philip Hitti, this
was Islam's first clear victory.
The expression "JsiBi, translated as 'when you were weak' means
that 'you were, at that time, few in numbers and materials'. According
to strong and authentic narrations, the number of Muslims was 313.
This 'army' had two horses and seventy camels. On these, they took
their turns while riding.

180
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 124-129
The verse ends with the statement :َفَاتَّقُوا اللَّهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُون (So, fear Allah,
that you may be grateful). This may remind one of the many places in
the Holy Qur'an where Taqwa (fear of Allah) and Sabr (patience) have
been prescribed as a security shield against the machinations of the
hypocrites and the harmful effects of hostile enemies. Right here, in
these two behaviour models, there lies the secret of an entire orga-
nized struggle, and clear victory, that comes in its wake. As mentioned
elsewhere, taqwa and sabr have not been mentioned here, in conjunc-
tion. Instead, taqwa has been considered sufficient for, in reality,
taqwa is such a comprehensive human attribute that sabr too gets to
be included therein.
Verses 124 - 129
إِذْ تَقُولُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ آلَنْ يَكْفِيَكُمْ آَنْ تُمِدَّكُمْ رَبُّكُمُ بِثَلْثَةِ آلافٍ
◌ِّنَ الْلِكَةِ مُنْزَلِيْنَ ﴿١٢٤) بَلَّى إِنُ تَصِرُوْا وَتَتَّقُوا وَبَأْتُؤُكُمُ
مِنُ فَوْرِهِمْ هُذَا يُمْدِدُكُمْ رَبُّكُمُ بِخَمْسَةِ الْآَفٍ مِّنَ الْمُلَفِكَةِ
مُسَوِّمِيْنَ ﴿١٢٥) وَمَا جَعَلَهُ اللّهُ إِلَّ بُكُرَى لَكُمْ وَلِتَطْمَئِنَّ
قُلُوبُكُمْ بِهِ* وَمَا النَّهُهُ إِلَّ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيْمِ
﴿ ١٢٦﴾ لِيَقْطَعَ طَرَفًا قِنَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُؤًا آَوْ يَكْبِتَهُمُ فَيَنْقَلِّبُا
خَانِيْنَ ﴿١٢٧) لَيُسَ لَكَ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ شَىْءٍ أَوْ يَتُوُبَ عَلَيْهِمْ
أَوْ يُعَذِّبَهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمُ ظُلِمُونَ ﴿١٢٨﴾ وَ لِلَّهِ مَافِى الْتَمُوتِ وَمَا
فِى الْأَرْضِ يَغْفِرْ لِمَنُ ◌َشَاءُ وَ يُعَذِّبُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورُ
رَحِيمٌ ﴿١٢٩﴾
When you were saying to the believers, "Shall it not
suffice you that your Lord should help you with three
thousand of the angel sent down (for you)?" [124] Why
not? If you stay patient and fear Allah and they come
upon you even in this heat of theirs, your Lord will
reinforce you with five thousand of the angels having
distinct marks. [125] And Allah did it only that it be a
good news for you and that your hearts may be at rest
with it. And help is from none but Allah, the All-
· ====

181
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 124-129
Powerful, the All-Wise. [126] That He may cut off a flank
of disbelievers or throw them down in disgrace, and
they go back frustrated. [127] You have no authority in
the matter, unless Allah forgives them or punishes
them, as they are unjust. [128] And to Allah belongs
what is in the heavens and what is in the earth. He
forgives whomsoever He wills and punishes whom-
soever He wills. And Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very-
Merciful. [129]
Commentary
In the previous verses, the battle of Badr was cited in relation to
the battle of Uhud. Briefly stated there was the unseen support from
Allah Almighty given to Muslims. In the present verses, some details
of that support have been mentioned. Also stated is the wisdom behind
the sending of angels.
One may naturally ask a question here. When Allah Almighty has
endowed His angels with such power that just one of them could over-
turn an entire habitation, very much like what happened with the
land of the people of Lut WJILL which was overturned single-
handedly by the angel Jibra'il, why was it necessary to send out an
army of angels? In addition to that, given the introduction of angels
onto the battlefield, the obvious result should have been the total anni-
hilation of every single infidel.
The Holy Qur'an has, itself, given the answer in the verse Nite ts
Ja!'5). It means that the purpose behind the sending of angels was not
really to help score a victory on the battlefield. Instead, the purpose
was to give the believers the good news of victory to comfort them and
to strengthen their hearts. This is very clear from the words (only
that it be a good news) and 'of' (that your hearts may be at rest)
in the text. Far more clear are the words of Surah al-Anfal about this
event: 1130,25 (So, make those who believe firm - 8:12). Here, the
address is to the angels and they have been asked to see that Muslims
do not get anxious and that their hearts stay firm.
How can hearts be made to stay firm? There are many possible
ways, one of them could be through their spiritual input, something
not too dissimilar to the direct beaming of attention as practiced by
mystic shaykhs.
.

182
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 124-129
The possibility of doing this in several less complex forms also
exists. For instance, they may simply assure the believers that angels
are standing ready to help them - by appearing before them, by their
voice signs or by some other method - as was witnessed in the battle of
Badr where all these methods were used. In fact, in one exegetic expla-
nation of the verse ◌ِفَاضُرُوا فَوْقَ الْأَعْنَاق (So, strike over the necks - 8:12), this
address is to the angels. According to some hadith narrations, when an
angel decided to attack a disbeliever, the head of the disbeliever slid of
his body all by itself.1 It has also been reported that some noble
Companions heard the voice of Jibra'il saying, 'Charge, Haizum!' 2
Some of them saw some angels (Muslim). All these sensory experiences
are part of the same chain of Divine support. Evidences prove that the
angels of Allah did a few things to impress upon Muslims that the
angels too are participating in fighting as a sort of assurance that His
support through the angels is there. As said earlier, their objective
was far from winning a war for the believers. Their real mission was to
comfort Muslims and to give their hearts strength. That the obligation
of Jihad has been placed on men in this mortal world, and that is how
they are enabled to deserve merits and ranks in the Hereafter, is a
clear proof of this view. If Allah Almighty had willed that countries be
conquered through armies of angels, the very name of disbelief and
disbelievers would have been effaced from the face of the earth, not to
say much about governments and empires. But, in this system of the
material world, Allah Almighty has not just willed it so. Here, disbelief
and faith, obedience and sin shall continue to exist side by side. The
great divide shall come on the Day of Resurrection when the true and
the false shall become all distinct.
The rationale of the promises:
Let us now turn to the promises of angelic help in the battle of
Badr. The verse of Surah al-Anfal carries the promise of one thousand
angels. In the present verse of Surah 'Al-'Imran, the promise begins
with three thousand, then goes up to five. What is the wisdom behind
this?
The fact is that Muslims noticed the thousand-strong force of the
1. From Sahl ibn Hanif vide Al-Hakim and Baihaqi.
2. The steed of Jibra'il.

183
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 124-129
enemy in the battle of Badr, as stated in Surah al-Anfal, and compared
it with their total count of three hundred and thirteen, so they invoked
the help of Allah Almighty against such heavy odds. Thereupon, came
the promise of one thousand angels, implying thereby that the number
of their enemy shall be matched by an identical number of angels. The
words of the verse are:
إِذْ تَسْتَغِيْنُوْنَ رَبَّكُمْ فَاسْتَجَابَ لَكُمْ أَنِّى ◌ُّكُمُ بِالْفٍ مِنَ الْلَئِكَةِ مُرْدِفِيْنَ
When you were calling your Lord for help, so He responded to
you (saying): I am going to support you with one thousand of
the angels, one following the other. ( 8:12)
Even after this verse, the same purpose behind the sending of angels
was made clear by saying: "And Allah did it, only that it be a good
news for you, and that your hearts may be at rest with it."
Then comes the present verse of Surah 'Al-'Imran. Here, the
promise of three thousand angels was probably made due to the
reports received by Muslims that Kurz ibn Jabir Muharibi was
marching towards the battlefield of Badr with his tribal forces in
support of the disbelievers of Makkah (as in Ruh al-Ma'ani). The actual
position in the confrontation was that the enemy forces were already
three times larger than those of Muslims, who were somewhat
disturbed by this news. Thereupon, a promise of three thousand angels
was made so that the ratio is reversed and the number of Muslims
goes three times higher than that of the enemy.
After that, right there towards the end of this verse, this number
was increased, subject to conditions, to five thousand. The conditions
were:
A. That Muslims shall hold on firmly to the great qualities of sabr
(patience) and taqwa (fear of Allah).
B. That they come under enemy attack all of a sudden.
Out of these two conditions, the second one did not just materi-
alize, therefore, the promise of the number, five thousand, did not
remain effective. Granted that the second condition of the promise did
not come to pass, major commentators and historians differ as to the
actual fulfillment of the promise - was it in the form of five thousand
or three thousand only? All these positions have been mentioned in