Indexed OCR Text

204
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 139-143
Muslims persist with these qualities, they are bound to be victorious
ultimately.
This call of the Qur'an made broken hearts throb again. Sulking
bodies were aglow with a fresh spirit. Just imagine how Allah
Almighty groomed the men carrying His message and gave Muslims
for all times to come a principle and a rule of procedure whereby it was
made necessary that Muslims should never shed tears over dead
issues. Instead, they should do all they can to get together the means
to strength and power. Then, right along with it, it was made very
clear that supremacy and glory can be achieved through one, and only
one, basic source, which is, having faith and fulfilling its demands.
The demands of Faith include among other things, preparations which
must be made in view of an impending war. It means that it is neces-
sary to consolidate military power, assemble and make ready all rele-
vant hardware, and harness all other means to that end, of course, in
proportion to ability and capacity. The events of the Battle of Uhud,
from the beginning to the end, are a testimony to all these considera-
tions.
The second verse that follows gives consolation to Muslims from
another angle. It has been said that if Muslims were wounded or hurt
in that particular battle, so also were those fighting against them. If
seventy Muslim men were martyred with many wounded, is it not that
they had condemned an identical number of their enemies to Hell, and
wounded many, a year ago? Then, in this very battle, many a men
from the enemy ranks were killed and wounded initially. So, when the
text says:
إِنْ تَمْسَسُكُمْ قَرٌْ فَقَدٌ مَسَ الْقَوْمَ قَرْحٌ مِثْلُهُ ﴿ وَتِلُكَ الْآَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ
If you receive a wound, they have received a similar wound.
And such days we rotate among the people ...
it guides us to another important principle and rule of procedure.
In this mortal world, the customary practice of Allah Almighty is to
cause the days of hardship and ease, pain and comfort, suffering and
peace occur among people by turns. If, for some reason, a falsely-
motivated power succeeds in getting a short-lived upper hand, the
group motivated by the truth should not lose heart and come to think

205
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 144-145
that, from this point onwards, they are always doomed to nothing but
defeat. Instead of taking this negative attitude, they should rather go
about finding out the causes of that defeat, and once they have discov-
ered those, they should take corrective measures and eliminate all
possibilities of repeating those mistakes. In the end, the group moti-
vated by the truth shall emerge as the ultimate victor.
Verses 144 - 145
وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّ رَسُولٌ قَدْخَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرّسُلُ، أَفَأْئِنْ مَّاتَ
أَوْقُتِلَ انْقَلَئُهُمْ عَلَى اَعْقَائِكُمُ، وَمَنُ تَنْقَلِبُ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ فَنْ
يَضُرَ اللَّهَ شَيْئًا، وَسَيَجْزِى اللَّهُ الشّكِرِيْنَ ﴿١٤٤﴾ وَمَا كَانَ
لِنَفْسِ أَنْ تَمْتَ إلَّ بِذْنِ اللَّهِ ◌ِثُبًّا تُؤَجَلَا، وَمَنْ تُّرِدُ ثَوَابَ
الدُّنْيَا نُؤْتِهٍ مِنْهَا، وَمَنُ يُرِدُ ثَوَابَ الْآخِرَةِ نُؤْتِهٍ مِنْهَاء
وَسَنَجُزِى الشّكِيْنَ ﴿١٤٥﴾
And Muhammad is but a messenger, there have been
messengers before him. So, if he dies or is killed, would
you turn back on your heels? And whoever turns back
on his heels can never harm Allah at all. And Allah
shall soon reward the grateful. [144] And it is not the
choice of a person to die without the will of Allah,
death being a time-bound destiny. And whoever seeks
the return in this world, We shall give him out of it, and
whoever seeks the return in the Hereafter, We shall
give him out of it. And We shall soon reward the
grateful. [145]
Commentary
Related to the battle of Uhud, these verses recount events which
have a particular significance of their own for several reasons. As
such, the Holy Qur'an devotes four to five sections of the Surah 'Al-
'Imran to the sequence of victory and defeat at the battle of Uhud and
to the natural points of guidance underlying these.
In the first verse out of those appearing above, the warning which
is rather frightening, given to the noble Companions on an act of indis-
cretion by some of them, actually settles a matter of principle. A little

206
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 144-145
deliberation shows that there was a secret behind the temporary
debacle suffered by the Muslims, the wounding of the Holy Prophet
the spreading of the news that he had passed away and that some
Companions lost heart because of it: that secret. was nothing but that
Muslims should come to understand this basic principle and become
practically firm when the challenge comes. This principle of Islam was
bipolar. First of all it must be fully realized that Islam gives great
importance to the unique respect and love given to the Holy Prophet
, so much so that it has been made an integral part of Faith and the
slightest deviation or weakness in this delicate matter has been
equated with straight kufr, disbelief or infidelity. Then, at the same
time, it was equally important to ensure that Muslims should not fall
a prey to the same disease that afflicted the Nazarenes and Chris-
tians. They exaggerated the respect and love due to Sayyidna 'Isa Je
by taking it to the extremes, invested him with partnership الصلوة والسلام
in the divinity of Allah Almighty and started to worship him.
When, at the time of the temporary setback suffered by Muslims at
the battle of Uhud, someone started the rumour that the Holy Prophet
had passed away, the agony that seized the noble Companions - a
very direct, very natural reaction indeed - is something everybody
cannot experience or reckon even in its most modest measure. Only he
who has the knowledge of and feeling for the supreme love and devo-
tion the noble Companions had for the prophet could come close to
guessing the kind of agony and distress faced by them at that time. It
really takes the full knowledge and realization of the sacrifices made
by these blessed souls who, out of their unflinching devotion and love
for their most dear mentor and the messenger of Allah, staked every-
thing they had - money, property, children and their very lives for his
sake, considering their sacrifices as the most desirable achievement of
this mortal life, and proving it by their deeds.
Just imagine what would have happened to these devotees of the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم when this shocking news came to them,
specially so when the battle was in full cry, defeat was looming large
after the initial victory, Muslims were losing ground and in this heat
of the moment, they come to know the passing away of someone who
was the very pivot of their struggle and the symbol of all their hopes.
1

207
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 144-145
The natural outcome of this situation was that a large group of the
noble Companions started retreating from the battlefield in a state of
confusion. This retreat from the battlefield was no doubt a result of
fleeting confusion and in the least, without any indication of turning
away from Islam. The truth of the matter was that Allah Almighty
intended to mould into a group the Companions of His Messenger who
were pious and angelic and who could become role models for the
whole world. It was for this reason that an ordinary mistake by them
was considered to be very serious. Therefore they were addressed on
their retreating away from the battlefield in a fashion similar to what
it would have been, had they deserted the fold of Islam. With this
expressing of wrath, warning was given that all obligations of Faith,
Worship and Jihad are for Allah who is Living and Eternal. Even if
the news that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had been martyred on
the battlefield were to be true, that would have been something which
was to come to pass when appointed. Losing heart and abandoning the
dictates of Faith were responses that did not behove those in their
position. Therefore, it was said:
وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّ رَسُلٌٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ + آفَأْتِنْ تَّاتَ أَوْقُتِلَ أُنْقَلَكُمُ
عَلَى أَعْقَابِكُمْ ﴿ وَمَنْ يَنْقُلِبُ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَنْ يَضُرَّ اللَّهَ شَيْئًا﴾ وَسَيَجْزِى اللّهُ
الشّكِرِيْنَ
And Muhammad is but a messenger, there have been messen-
gers before him. So, if he dies or is killed, would you turn back
on your heels? And whoever turns back on his heels can never
harm Allah at all. And Allah shall soon reward the grateful.
Here, Muslims are being warned that the Messenger of Allah is
going to leave this mortal world on one or the other day but they have
to hold on to the Faith firmly after him as well, in the same measure
as they did during his blessed times. From here, we also come to know
that the injury caused to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم during that
temporary setback and the news of his passing away on the battlefield
was concealed divine arrangement through which all that could
happen to the noble Companions after him was revealed during his
very life-time so that any slip in their conduct of affairs could be
corrected in the very words of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم as a
result of which it could be ensured that these ardent lovers and devo-

208
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 144-145
tees of the Messenger of Allah do not lose their coolness under
exacting conditions, specially when this event of the passing away of
the Messenger of Allah does actually take place. This is exactly what
happened later on when the noble Companions, even the greatest
among them, were overwhelmed with the severest emotional shock at
the time of his passing away. At this juncture, it was Sayyidna Abu
Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, who used the authority of
Qur'anic verses such as these to explain the situation to them as a
result of which all of them were able to accept the truth and control
their emotions.
The need to learn that crucial lesson has been taken up in the
second verse as well. In order to teach steadfastness under calamities
and hardships, it has been said that the death of every human being
lies written with Allah Almighty. Fixed is its date, the day and the
time. Death cannot come to take one away before that, nor could one
continue to live after that. If so, getting scared about a certain death
means nothing.
Now, towards the end, there comes an admonition about one of the
apparent causes of this incident. As stated earlier, the Companions
who were posted by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم as guards on the
hill in the rear saw that fellow Muslims were busy collecting spoils
following the initial victory. Some of them started thinking about the
fact of victory following which there was no need for them to stay at
their post. If so, they concluded, why should they too not go in there
and take part in the collection of spoils? So, they moved away from
where they were ordered to be. Thereupon, it was said:
وَمَنُّ تُرِدُ ثَوَابَ الدُّنْيَا نُؤْتِهِ مِنْهَا وَمَنْ تُرِدُ ثَوَابَ الْأُخِرَةِ نُؤْتِهِ مِنْهَا وَسَنَجْزِى
الشّكِرِينَ
And whoever seeks the return in this world, We shall give him
out of it, and whoever seeks the return in the Hereafter, We
shall give him out of it. And We shall soon reward the
grateful. (145)
Here, it has been hinted that they made a mistake when they
abandoned the duty assigned to them by the Holy Prophet @ in order
to collect spoils. At this point, let us keep in mind that, in its real

209
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 146-148
sense, the collection of spoils is not the same as the unabashed pursuit
of the material which has been condemned in the Shari'ah of Islam. On
the contrary, collecting spoils, depositing it in safe custody and
spending it where it must be spent is all a part of Jihad, and for that
matter, an act of worship. So, the Companions who took part in this
mission never did it for sheer material gain, for they would have been
entitled to receive their due share in the spoils of war even if they had
not actively participated in the collection of spoils as guaranteed under
the Islamic Law. Therefore, it cannot be said that these blessed
Companions abandoned their post of duty under the temptation of
worldly gains. But, as explained earlier under comments on the first
verse (144), even minor mistakes made by major people draw more
attention. Even an ordinary deviation from their duty is taken to be
serious and they are admonished for that. This applies here as well.
Granted that their collecting of spoils could be related with the desire
to make worldly gains, at the most in some minor way; and equally
granted is the possibility that this small connection had not influenced
their hearts; yet, it was to take the morals of the noble Companions to
the highest possible level that this act of theirs was identified as 'the
seeking of return in this world' so that even the tiniest speck of
worldly temptation fails to find its way into their hearts.
Verses 146 - 148
وَكَاَيِّنُ قِنُ نَبِيٍّ قُتَلَ مَعَهْ رِبِّتُونَ كَفِيُ، فَمَا وَهَنُوا لِمَّ
أَصَابَهُمْ فِى سَبِِّلِ اللَّهِ وَمَا ضَعُفُوْا وَمَا اسْتَكَانُوَاء وَاللهُ
يُحِبُّ الصُّبِرِينَ ﴿١٤٦) وَمَا كَانَ قَوْلَهُمْ إِلَّ آَنُ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا
اغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِىٌّ آمُرِنَا وَثَبِّتُ آقْدَامَنَا وَانْصُرْنَا
عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكُفِرِ بْنَ ﴿١٤٧﴾ فَاتُهُمُ اللَّهُ ثَوَابَ الدُّنْيَا وَ حُسْنَ
ثَوَابٍ الْأُخِرَةِ، وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُسِنِيْنَ ﴿١٤٨)
And there has been a number of prophets along with
whom have fought many men of Allah, and they did not
lose heart for what they suffered in the way of Allah,

210
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 146-148
nor did they become weak, nor did they yield. And
Allah loves the steadfast. [146] And they had nothing
else to say except that they said: 'Our Lord, forgive us
our sins and our excesses in our conduct, make firm
our feet and help us against the disbelieving people.'
[147] So, Allah gave them the return in this world and
also the better rewards in the Hereafter. And Allah
loves those who do good. [148]
Connected with previous verses where Muslims were admonished
for some of their shortcomings during the battle of Uhud, the present
verses cite examples set by men of Allah from earlier communities
showing how steadfast they were on the battlefield, something which
should be emulated by the present addressees.
The explanation of some words:
1. Ribbiy un (3): a derivation from Rabb (3) like Rabbani (26)
meaning 'of the Rabb or Lord' which has been rendered as men of
Allah in the present translation. According to Ruh al-Ma'ani, here the
use of the vowel sound 'i' in place of 'a' is irregular. Some commenta-
tors take 'Ribbiy un': 3%, to mean 'many groups'. In their view, this is
derived from the word, 'Ribbah' (",) which means 'the group'. Now, as
to who is meant here by 'Ribbiyun': 325, (men of Allah), it has been
reported from Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas and Hasan al-Basri that
this refers to 'ulama' (religious scholars) and 'fuqaha (juriconsults).
(Ruh al-Ma'ani).
2. 'Istakanu (('ka) has been derived from 'istak anch' (26) and
means 'to be subdued and rendered weak and immobile' (Baydawi).
3. 'Wahanu' ((') has been derived from 'wahn' (,3,) and means 'to
lose heart under suffering' or 'wilt under pressure.
Commentary
After citing the example of men of Allah fighting along with
previous prophets who remained undeterred and unweakened against
heavy odds, the Holy Qur'an mentions another great quality of the
men of Allah who, inspite of their own sacrificing conduct, kept
praying to Allah Almighty to:
1. Forgive their past sins,

211
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 146-148
2. Condone any shortcomings that may have crept in during their
present Jihad efforts,
3. Enable them to remain steadfast and
4. Make them prevail over enemies.
These prayers carry some important guidelines for Muslims by
implication.
Never be proud of a good deed
A true Muslim who knows things as they are is not supposed to
wax proud of what he accomplishes by way of a good deed. No matter
how great the accomplishment or how exacting the struggle in the way
of Allah, he just does not have the right to pat himself on his back, for
his very accomplishment of a good deed, in all reality, is the direct
outcome of nothing but the grace and mercy of Allah Almighty. In fact,
no good deed can even issue forth without it. It appears in a hadith:
فو الله لولا الله ما اهتدينا
ولا تصدقنا ولا صلينا
Had it not been for the grace and mercy of Allah, we would
have not received guidance in the straight path, nor we would
have been able to pay zakah and perform salah.
Seek Forgiveness from Allah under all conditions:
As for a good deed one gets the ability to perform, the truth lies in
realizing that it is not within one's control to perform that deed exactly
in accordance with the demands of the supreme magnificence of the
One who holds the reins of the Creation and Command in His hands.
No matter how hard one tries to do things correctly but falling short is
inevitable, specially when it comes to doing things as is the due and
right of Allah. Therefore, the seeking of forgiveness is also necessary
during the very course of such a deed.
Pray for steadfastness and consistency in good deeds:
It is not possible to predict the continuity of a good deed. Who can
say for sure that he will be given the ability to go on doing his good
deed in the future also just as he is doing it now? All this is a matter of
what is known as Taufiq, the God-given ability to perform what is
good. Therefore, we should repent over any shortcomings in what we
are doing in the present and pray that Allah makes us steadfast and

212
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 149-150
persistent in the future. For a true Muslim, this prayer should become
his second nature.
It should be noted that the prayer for the forgiveness of past sins,
appearing first, is a subtle hint to the fact that pain caused or defeat
suffered in this mortal life is, more than often, a reflection of one's past
sins which can be cured through repentance and seeking of forgive-
ness.
The last verse promises a good reward for the men of Allah in this
world as well as in the other. It means that, right here in this mortal
world, Allah Almighty gives them ultimate supremacy over the
enemies and grants them success in their mission. Then comes the
reward in the Hereafter. That reward is certainly the real one, an
ideal state of peace and happiness which will never fade out. This
factor has been pointed out by the addition of the word 322 : (husn:
beauty) before 'return in the Hereafter' which makes it read:
وَحُسُنَ ثَوَابٍ اُلْآخِرَةِ
And the better reward in the Hereafter. (148)
Verses 149 - 150
◌َيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُآ إِنْ تُطِبْعُوا الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرًا يَهُ وُكُمْ عَلَى
أَعْقَابِكُمْ فَتَنْقَلِبُوا خُسِرِيِّنَ ﴿١٤٩) بَلِ اللَّهُ مَوْ لَكُمٌ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ
النَّصِرِيُنَ ﴿١٥٠)
O those who believe, if you obey those who disbelieve
they will make you turn back on your heels, then you
shall turn losers. [149] Instead, Allah is your Lord, and
He is the best of all helpers. [150]
When Muslims faced a temporary setback during the battle of
Uhud and rumours went around that the Prophet : صلى الله عليه وسلم has
been martyred, the hypocrites found an occasion for mischief under
the shadows of a battle nearly lost. They said to Muslims: 'Now, that
the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is no more with us, why should we not go
back to our old faith and thus get rid of all conflicts between us?' This
shows how ugly the conduct of hypocrites was and how avowed an
enemy they were to Muslims.

213
Surah 'Al-Imran 3 : 151-152
In the verses appearing above, Muslims have been instructed not
to listen to such enemies, nor to make them a party to any consulta-
tions among themselves, nor follow any advice given by them.
In the previous verses, it will be recalled, the instruction was to
follow the men of Allah; here, the instruction is not to act upon the
advice of hypocrites and anti-Islam people. Indeed, the instruction is
to continue taking guard against them.
The Qur'anic expression, 'they will make you turn back on your
heels', means that the real objective of anti-Islam people is to disen-
gage Muslims from their Faith through engineered suspicion either
overtly or covertly, the later method being designed and implemented
in a manner which serves to gradually decrease the love and honour of
Islam from their hearts resulting in a reversal of their position. Thus,
those aiming to push Muslims in a state of loss cannot be their friends,
even if they claim to be.
The statement, ' ... Allah is your Lord and He is the best of helpers'
tells Muslims to place their trust in Allah and rely on His help alone.
Even if their antagonists come up with plans of help, Muslims should
not go by these against the injunctions of Allah and the Messenger.
Verses 151 - 152
سُلْقِى فِىُ قُلُبِ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا الرُّعْبَ ◌ِّا اشْرَكُوا بِاللَّهِ مَالَمْ
مُنَزِّلُ بِهِ سُلُطْنَاءَ وَ مَأُوْسَهُمُ النَّارُهُ وَبِئْسَ مَنْوَى الظُّلِمِيْنَ
﴿١٥١) وَلَقَدْ صَدَقَكُمُ اللَّهُ وَعْدَةٌ إِذْ تَحْسُوْنَهُمْ بِإِذْنِهٍ حَتَّى إِذَا
فَشِلُهُمْ وَ تَنَازَعُهُمُ فِى الْآَمْرِ وَعَصَمْيُمْ مِنُ بَعْدِ مَّاَرِيكُمْ
مَّا تُحِبُّونَ مِنْكُمُ قَنُ تُرِّدُ الدُّنْيَا وَمِنْكُمُ ثَنْ ◌ُرِبُّدُ الْآخِرَكَ ثُمَّ
صَرَفَكُمُ عَنُّهُمْ لِيَبْتَلِيَكُمْ وَلَقَدْعَفَا عَنْكُمْ، وَاللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ
عَلَى الْمُمِنِينَ ﴿١٥٢)
We shall put awe into the hearts of those who
disbelieve, since they have associated with Allah
something for which He has not sent any authority.

214
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 151-152
Their ultimate place is the Fire. And evil is the abode of
the unjust. [51] And Allah has surely fulfilled His
promise to you when you, with His will, were killing
them off 1 until you showed weakness and disputed in
the matter and disobeyed after He had shown you what
you liked. Among you there were some who were
seeking the mundane and among you there were
others who were seeking the Hereafter. After that He
reversed your position against them, so that He may
test you. And, of course, He has forgiven you. And Allah
is All-Gracious to the believers. [152]
The previous verses referred to Allah Almighty as 'the best of
helpers'; recounted here are some incidents of Allah's help.
The word, sultan, rendered here as 'authority' includes all revealed
or rational bases of their position. The promise of casting awe and fear
into the hearts of the disbelievers in this verse was made in the back-
ground of the battle of Uhud when the disbelievers of Arabia marched
back to Makkah without any obvious reason and inspite of defeat over-
taking Muslims (Baydawi). However, after having covered a certain
distance on their way to Makkah, they awoke to their folly. When
they thought of marching back to Madinah, Allah Almighty filled their
hearts with such awe and fear that they could not muster the courage
to do so. The most they could do was to hire a Madinah-bound villager
to go there and tell Muslims that they were coming back. But, this
صلى الله عليه وسلم whole deal came into the knowledge of the Holy Prophet
in Madinah through revelation. He marched to Hamra' al-Asad to
apprehend them but they had already run away from there.
This was the background in which the present verse was revealed.
The verses that follow recount, as pointed out earlier, Allah's help
and support for Muslims in the battle of Uhud.
Commentary:
The High Station of the Noble Companions:
As obvious, the noble Companions made an error of judgement
during the battle of Uhud which forms the subject of admonition and
1. These verses refer to the battle of Uhud.

215
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 151-152
correction in the previous continuity of verses. But, equally worth
noticing here are the graces of Allah Almighty showered on the noble
Companions side by side with the element of warning. To begin with,
by saying ' (so that He may test you) it was made clear that this
temporary setback did not come as punishment, rather, it was to test
them. Then, comes the statement, "Hus M, , which very clearly
proclaims: 'And, of course, We have forgiven you.'
Did the Noble Companions tilt towards the material?
As stated in the verses, the noble Companions were split in two
groups at that time; some sought the mundane while others sought the
Hereafter. The question is as to what was done by these revered
Companions which identifies them with the seekers of the mundane.
Obviously, it was their intention to go and collect spoils which has
been equated with the seeking of the mundane. Let us now figure out
the reality. If they had held on to their assigned post of duty and, as a
result, had not taken part in the collection of spoils, would it have
made their due share in the spoil any lesser? And, did their participa-
tion entitle them to some larger share? The Law of Spoils as authenti-
cally proved by the Qur'an and Hadith is common knowledge. They, as
the first observers of the operation of the Law, knew it beyond doubt
that their due share in the spoils was under no condition subject to
being more or less. The fact was that their share in the spoils would
have remained the same whether they helped in the collection of spoils
or remained on guard at the appointed place of duty.
Keeping this in view, it is obvious that their action cannot be
classed as the unqualified pursuit of the material. Instead of that, it is
participation in what mujahidin are supposed to do. However, given
the workings of human nature, the thought of spoils entering their
hearts at that time is not totally unimaginable. But, Allah Almighty
has His ways with people; He very much likes to see the hearts of the
Companions of His Messenger clean and untouched even by the
remotest idea of any tilt towards material possession. So, this very
idea of going to possess things of dunya has been equated with 'seeking
of the mundane' which explains the element of divine distaste for the
action.

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Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 153-155
Verses 153 - 155
إِذْ تُصْعِدُونَ وَلَا تَلُونَ عَلَى أَحَدٍ وَالَرَسُولُ يَدُهُكُمْ فِى
أُخُرُبِكُمْ فَثَابَكُمْ، نَّا بِغَمِ لِكَيْلَا تَّخْزَنُوا عَلَى مَا فَاتَكُمُ وَلَ
مَا أَصَابَكُمْ، وَاللَّهُ خَيْ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٥٢﴾ ثُمَّ انَزَّلَ مَلَئِكُمُ
مِنُ بَعْدِ الْغَيِّ آمَنَةً تُعَاِسًا تَغْشِى طَائِفَةً مِّنْكُمْ وَطَائِفَةٌ قَدْ
اَهَتَّتُهُمْ أَنْفُسُهُمْ يَظُنُوْنَ بِاللَّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ ◌َنَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةُ
يَقُؤْلُوُنَ هَلْ لَّنَا مِنَ الْآَمْرِ مِنْ شَيْىٍ قُلُ إِنَّ الْآَمْرَ كُلَّهُ لِلَّهِ
يُخُفُونَ فِىٌ آَنْفُسِهِمْ مَّالاَ بُدُدُونَ لَكَ يَقُلُونَ لَوْكَانَ لَنَا مِنَ
الْآَمُرِ شَىْءٌ قَا قُتِلُنَا هُهُنَاء قُلْ لَّوَكُنْهُمْ فِىُ بُيُوتِكُمُ لَبَرَزَ
الَّذِّيْنَ كُتِبَ تَلَيُهِمْ الْقَتْلُ إِلى مَضَاجِعِهِمْ، وَلِيَبْتَلِىَ اللهُ مَا
فِىُ صُدُوُرِكُمْ وَلِبُمَّصَ مَا فِىُ قُلُؤُبِكُمُ، وَاللَّهُ عَلِمَّ يِذَاتِ
الصُّدُوُرِ ﴿١٥٤) إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ تَوَلَّوًا مِنْكُمُ يَوْمَ الْتَقَّى الْجَمْعَنِ؟
إِنََّا اسْتَزَلَّهُمُ الشَّيْطُنُ بِبَعْضِ مَاكَسَبُوُاٌ وَلَقَدُ عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنْهُمُ+
إِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُرْ حَلِيمٌ ﴿١٥٥)
When you were going away, not even turning to look at
anyone, and the Messenger was calling you from
behind you. So, He awarded you sorrow for sorrow, so
that you should not grieve (in future) on what you lost,
nor on what you suffered. And Allah is All-Aware of
what you do. [153]
Then, after the grief, He sent down tranquility upon
you - a drowsiness overtaking a group of you. And
another group was worrying about their own selves,
cherishing thoughts about Allah which were not true -
thoughts of ignorance. They were saying, "Is there
anything in our hands?" Say, "The whole thing belongs
to Allah." They conceal in their hearts what they do not
disclose to you. They say, "If we had any say in the
matter, we would have not been killed here." Say, "If
you were in your homes, those destined to be killed

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would have come out all the way to their (final) lying-
places." And (all this was done) so that Allah may test
your inner qualities and may purify what is in your
hearts. And Allah is All-Aware of what lies in the
hearts. [154]
Surely, those of you who turned back on the day when
the troops faced each other, Satan had but made them
slip for some of their deeds. And, of course, Allah has
forgiven them. Certainly, Allah is Most-Forgiving,
Forbearing. [155]
These verses form part of the several previous verses relating to
the battle of Uhud. The first verse here mentions the sorrows of the
sahabah, the noble Companions of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم .The
long succeeding verse describes the antidote. The third verse reiter-
ates that the form of defeat they faced was no punishment. It was a
test to separate the true and sincere Muslims from the hypocrites.
Finally comes the repeated proclamation that the mistake made by the
noble Companions has been forgiven.
Commentary :
In the first verse here, the Holy Qur'an describes the exit of the
Companions from the battlefield, their inability to come back even
when called by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in person, the conse-
quent grief that afflicted him because of their conduct and, later on,
the incidence of the Companions feeling sorry for the sorrow they
brought on their master. According to hadith narrations, when Sayy-
idna Ka'b ibn Malik called out to them, Muslims heard his call and
reassembled.
The author of Ruh al-Ma'ani resolves this by saying that the first
call came from the Messenger of Allah himself which could not be
heard by the Companions and they kept going the way they were
going. That was the time when Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Malik called. Every-
body heard him and reassembled.
In Bayan al-Qur'an, Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanavi has said that the
real reason for this confusion was the news that the Holy Prophet
has fallen a martyr on the battlefield. When he called, there was obvi-
ously no refutation of the news with the call. Even if his voice can be

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Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 153-155
taken to have reached the retreating Companions, the possibility
remains that it was not recognized. Finally, when Sayyidna Ka'b ibn
Malik called out, his call included a refutation of this news mentioning
the fact that the Messenger of Allah was alive. On hearing this, every-
body took a sigh of relief and reassembled. As far as the displeasure of
Allah and the sorrow of His Messenger are concerned, these can be
explained by saying - if they had stayed unagitated and firm, they
could have recognized the calling voice.
The Hardships at Uhud: A Test, not Punishment :
The noble Companions as evident from :ُ154) وَلِيَبْتُلِيَ اللَّهُ مَا فِى صُورِكُم), were
actually tested through their sufferings at the battle of Uhud. This was
no punishment. The objective was to make true and sincere Muslims
distinct from the hypocrites. The mode was a 'test of inner qualities'.
The eloquent Qur'anic expression Lei (He awarded you sorrow),
which is suggestive of punishment, can be resolved by saying that the
outward form was, no doubt, that of punishment but the real purpose
was a sort of affectionate correction, something similar to a well-
meaning reprimand from a father to his son or a teacher to his
student. In common usage, this can be called a punishment of some
sort, but this is, in all reality, a form of training and correction. This is
very different from a pure legal punishment.
Why did Muslims suffer at Uhud ?
The last part of verse 154 beginning with '2g (so that Allah may
test) seems to indicate that the cause of hardships faced by Muslims
was this wise divine arrangement. But, the statement: 2215,
pest can in the verse (15) following immediately seems to suggest that
some past mistake of theirs is the cause of this Satanic effect.
The answer is that the particular past mistake was the obvious
reason which gave Satan the incentive to make them slip once again,
an effort in which the Satan incidentally succeeded. But there was
much more to it; there were wise arrangements made by the Creator
behind this slip and its outcome. These have been covered under the
expression ' :'so that Allah may test'. In Ruh al-Ma'ani, a report
from Zajjaj says that the Satan made them recall some of their sins in
the presence of which they hesitated to appear before their Lord. So
they moved away from Jihad hoping to fight later on following

219
Surah 'Al-Imran 3 : 153-155
personal correction and thus meet Allah as martyrs in Jihad.
One sin becomes the Cause of another:
From the last verse we discover that one sin drags in yet another
sin, very much like one good deed which pulls in another good deed. In
other words, all deeds - good and bad - have a sort of magnetic pull of
their own. When a person accomplishes a good deed, experience shows
that other good deeds become easy on him. His very heart starts
desiring to do what is good and righteous. Similarly, a person who
commits a sin finds that it has cleared the way for other sins. His very
heart starts desiring to do what is sinful. Therefore, some elders say: 31
the ready reward of a good' من جزاء الحسنة الحسنة بعدها، وأن من جزاء السّيئة السيئه بعدها
deed is another good deed which a person is enabled to accomplish and
the ready punishment of an evil deed is another evil deed the way to
which has been cleared by the first.'
In Masa'ilus-Suluk, Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanavi has said: 'As
explained in hadith, sin makes the heart dark and when the heart goes
dark, Satan prevails.
The position of the Noble Companions in the sight of Allah
Almighty :
As briefly stated earlier, the mistakes made by some noble
Companions at the battle of Uhud were intrinsically serious. The
majority from among the fifty Companions who were commanded by
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to guard a hill-top strategic point, with
clear instruction not to leave their duty-post, no matter what happens
at the battle front underneath, moved away from their assigned place.
Granted that the reason for their abandonment of the post of duty was
an erroneous independent judgement, as they thought their side had
won the battle. The order to guard their post, according to their view,
had been carried out, therefore, they thought, they could go down and
join in with the rest of Muslims. But, in reality, their action was in
clear contravention of definite instructions given by the Holy Prophet
. This mistake of theirs motivated them to leave the battlefield, no
matter how this is explained, as reported earlier from Zajjaj. Moreover,
this retreat from the battlefield took place while the Messenger of
Allah was with them unmoved from the front line and calling them
back from behind them. If this situation is viewed without reference to

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Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 153-155
personalities and circumstances that action would certainly be classed
as a very serious breach of conduct in a military encounter. In fact, of
the many blames imputed to various Companions under the unfortu-
nate genre of Mush ajarat (the mutual quarrels and armed confronta-
tions between the noble Companions which took place after the Holy
Prophet
this would be rated as the most serious.
But, something more worthy of consideration is what Allah
Almighty has done in their case inspite of all their mistakes. Stated
right here in the present verses, is how their grief was physically
changed into tranquility through drowsiness. Then, they were told
that their suffering was no punishment; it was a matter of test. Then
came the clearly worded proclamation of forgiveness for them. It will
be recalled that these have appeared earlier, yet they have been reaf-
firmed here. There is an element of wisdom behind this repetition. The
first time it was said, the purpose was to comfort the noble Compan-
ions themselves. Incidentally, here is a refutation of what the hypo-
crites said to Muslims. They chided them for not acting on their
advice, as a result of which they (the Muslims) suffered all those hard-
ships.
In short, all these related verses make it very clear that the
Companions of the Messenger of Allah hold a unique position of affec-
tion in His sight inspite of such serious mistakes made by them. Not
only that they have been pardoned and forgiven but actually they have
been blessed with much more. They have been made special recipients
of Allah's grace and mercy. This is what comes from Allah Almighty
Himself through the authentic words of the Holy Qur'an. A similar
case, as reported in hadith, relating to Sayyidna Hațib ibn Abi Bilta'ah
was brought before the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . He had written a
letter to the mushrik in (disbelievers) of Makkah in which he had
passed on information about Muslims living in Madinah. When the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was told about it through a revelation, the
letter was intercepted. The noble Companions were very angry with
Sayyidna Hațib ibn Abi Bilta'ah for what he had done. Sayyidna
'Umar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, asked for permission
to behead that 'hypocrite'. But, the Holy Prophet @ knew that Hatib
was no hypocrite; he was a true, sincere Muslim but he had made a

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Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 153-155
mistake inadvertently. So, he forgave him his mistake and declared
that he was was one of the people (veterans) of Badr and, perhaps,
Allah Almighty has enforced general pardon for all participants of
Badr. (This narration appears in all authentic books of ahadith).
The Noble Companions: Lesson for Muslims :
It is based on this affirmation that the followers of Sunnah and
Jama'ah (ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah: Muslims who adhere to the
practice of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and that of his blessed
Companions رضى الله عنهم أجمعين) find the confirmation of their belief and
practice. That is, even though the noble Companions are not above sin,
for sins can be and have been committed by them, but despite this, it
is not permissible for the Muslim community to ascribe any evil or
defect to them in a derogatory manner. When Almighty and His
Messenger forgave such serious slips and errors coming from them
and dealt with them generously and mercifully and gave them the
great station of رضى الله عنهم ورضوا عنه :'may Allah be pleased with them and
may they be pleased with Allah,' how can anyone claim to have the
right to talk about anyone of them in a derogatory manner ?
This is why Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar Le Ju, , on hearing
somebody satirize Sayyidna 'Uthman al-Ghani and some noble
Companions by saying that they had run away from the battlefield,
the reference being to this incidence at Uhud, said, 'Nobody has the
right to criticize that which Allah has expressly proclaimed to have
been forgiven (Şahiņ al-Bukhari).
Therefore, all doctrinal source-books of the ahl al-Sunnah wa al-
Jama'ah unanimously agree that it is wajib or necessary to honour the
position of the noble Companions and to abstain from criticizing,
mocking or speaking ill of them. It appears in al-'Aqa'id an-Nasfiyah:
ويكف عن ذكر الصحابه الا بخير
It is necessary that one should not talk about the Companions
except in a good manner.
In Sharh al-Musamarah, Ibn Humam has said:
اعتقاد أهل السنة تزكية جميع الصحابة والثناء عليهم
The belief of the followers of the Sunnah is that all Compan-

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Surah 'Al-Imran 3 : 156-158
ions were purified and that they be remembered with praise.
This is what appears in Sharh Muwaqif:
يجب تعظيم الصحابة كلّهم والكف عن القدح فيهم
It is obligatory to honour the Companions, all of them; and
avoiding satire or criticism against them is equally manda-
tory.
Abridged below is what Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah has said in al-
'Aqidatul Wasițiyah:
"It is a cardinal belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah that
Muslims must refrain from accusing or criticizing any
Companion of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in the matter of
disagreements or armed conflicts which may have come up
among them. There is a reason for this. Most of the narrations
imputing drawbacks in them which have creept into history are
a pack of lies planted by enemies. They simply have no truth in
them. Then, there are others in which the reality has been
reversed by additions and alterations. Even if, there was some
truth about something, that has to be taken as the independent
judgement of the Companions in which they have no choice.
Going a step further, we can assume a situation where they
may not be helpless but be capable of using their choice, then,
what works there is the Divine Law ◌ِإِنَّ الْحُسَنَاتِ مُذُهِبِنَ السَّبِّئَات that is,
good deeds make up for the bad ones. And it is more than
obvious that nobody can claim equality with them in the matter
of good deeds. The good they did cannot be matched by the good
done by anybody else. Similarly, nobody else can be more
deserving of the mercy and forgiveness of Allah Almighty as
compared to them. Therefore, nobody has the right to sit on
judgement against them and call their deeds to account and in
that process, criticise or speak ill of them."
Verses 156 - 158
◌َآَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا لَا تَكُرُّنُوا كَالَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا وَقَالُوا لِإِخْوَانِهِمْ
إِذَا ضَرَبُوا فِى الْآَرُضِ آَوْكَانُوا مُمَّى لَّؤْكَانُوا عِنْدَنَا مَا مَاتُوْا

223
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 159
وَمَا قُتِلُؤا؛ لِيَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ ذْلِكَ حَسْتَةً فِىٌ قُلُوبِهِمْ، وَاللهُ يُحْى
وَيُمِيْتُ، وَاللّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُوُّنَ بَصِبٌْ ﴿١٥٦) وَلَئِنُ قُتِلْهُمْ فِىُ
سَبِيْلِ اللهِ آَوْمُّمُ لَغْفِرَةٌ مِنَ اللهِ وَرَحْمَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِمَا يَجْمَعُونَ
﴿١٥٧﴾ وَ لَئِنْ تُمِّمُ آؤُقُتِلُهُمْ لَا الَى اللَّهِ تُحْشَرُونَ ﴿١٥٨)
O those who believe, do not be like those who disbe-
lieve and say about their brethren while they travel on
the earth or are involved in fighting, "Had they been
with us, they would have not died nor would they have
been killed." The result is that Allah makes it a remorse
resting in their hearts. And Allah gives life and brings
death. And of what you do, Allah is watchful. [156]
And if you are killed in the way of Allah or die, the
forgiveness from Allah, and mercy, is far better than
what they accumulate. [157] And if you die or get killed,
it is towards Allah that you shall be gathered. [158]
The saying of the hypocrites in verse 156 here is an extension of
what was cited in verse 154 earlier :لَوْ كَانَ لَنَا مِنَ الْأَمْرِ شَرٌ مَمَا قُتِلُنَا فُهُنَا :"If we had
any say in the matter, we would have not been killed here." Since
there were chances that sincere Muslims may be affected by such
doubt-creating devices used by hypocrites, Muslims were asked
through these verses to remain unconcerned with such sayings and
doings and adhere to the belief that the span of life and the time of
death are ordained by Allah alone.
Verse 159
فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ لِنْتَ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ كُنْتَ فَظًّا غَلِيْظَ الْقَلْبِ
لَ نُفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكٌَ فَاعُفُ عَنْهُمْ وَاسْتَغُفِرْلَهُمْ وَشَاوِرُهُمْ
فِى الْآَمْرِ، فَإِذَا مَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ
المُوَكِّلِيْنَ ﴿١٥٩)
So, it is through mercy from Allah that you are gentle
to them. Had you been rough and hard-hearted, they
would have dispersed from around you. So, pardon
them and seek Forgiveness for them. And consult them