Dread and delinquency on the part of some Muslims the causes of the misfortune in the Battle of Uhud-after the promised victory, The delinquents murmuring.

Aal ’Imran Verses 149 – 155

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ تُطِيعُوا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَرُدُّوكُمْ عَلَىٰ أَعْقَابِكُمْ فَتَنْقَلِبُوا خَاسِرِينَ

“O’ ye who believe! if ye obey the disbelievers they will make you to turn on your heels so ye will turn back losers.” (3:149)

بَلِ اللَّهُ مَوْلَاكُمْ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ النَّاصِرِينَ

“Nay! God is your Guardian and He is the Best of the Helpers.” (3:150)

سَنُلْقِي فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الرُّعْبَ بِمَا أَشْرَكُوا بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَمَأْوَاهُمُ النَّارُ وَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الظَّالِمِينَ

“We will cast a dread into the hearts of the disbelievers because they have associated with God, that for which He hath sent down no authority and their abode shall be the fire1; And how bad is the abode of the unjust.” (3:151)

وَلَقَدْ صَدَقَكُمُ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ إِذْ تَحُسُّونَهُمْ بِإِذْنِهِ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا فَشِلْتُمْ وَتَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي الْأَمْرِ وَعَصَيْتُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَرَاكُمْ مَا تُحِبُّونَ مِنْكُمْ مَنْ يُرِيدُ الدُّنْيَا وَمِنْكُمْ مَنْ يُرِيدُ الْآخِرَةَ ثُمَّ صَرَفَكُمْ عَنْهُمْ لِيَبْتَلِيَكُمْ وَلَقَدْ عَفَا عَنْكُمْ وَاللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“And indeed hath God made2good to you His promise, when ye were extirpating them3by His permission, till when ye flinched4and disputed about the command, and ye disobeyed, after that (He) had showed you that which ye loved; Of you some desire this world, and some hereafter, Then Ye turned you away from them (ran away), so that He may test5(prove) you (in the sincerity of your faith): and (in spite of this) He hath forgiven you; And verily God is the Lord of Grace6for the believers.7” (3:152)

إِذْ تُصْعِدُونَ وَلَا تَلْوُونَ عَلَىٰ أَحَدٍ وَالرَّسُولُ يَدْعُوكُمْ فِي أُخْرَاكُمْ فَأَثَابَكُمْ غَمًّا بِغَمٍّ لِكَيْلَا تَحْزَنُوا عَلَىٰ مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَلَا مَا أَصَابَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

“Remember when ye ran8off precipitately on the heights and (even) looked9not back any one, while the Apostle (Muhammad) calling you from the rear! So He hath inflicted (upon) you with anguish after anguish10, that ye might (learn) not to grieve at what ye lose11, nor at what befell you; and God is (fully) aware of what ye do12.” (3:153)

ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ الْغَمِّ أَمَنَةً نُعَاسًا يَغْشَىٰ طَائِفَةً مِنْكُمْ وَطَائِفَةٌ قَدْ أَهَمَّتْهُمْ أَنْفُسُهُمْ يَظُنُّونَ بِاللَّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ ظَنَّ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَقُولُونَ هَلْ لَنَا مِنَ الْأَمْرِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ قُلْ إِنَّ الْأَمْرَ كُلَّهُ لِلَّهِ يُخْفُونَ فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ مَا لَا يُبْدُونَ لَكَ يَقُولُونَ لَوْ كَانَ لَنَا مِنَ الْأَمْرِ شَيْءٌ مَا قُتِلْنَا هَاهُنَا قُلْ لَوْ كُنْتُمْ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ لَبَرَزَ الَّذِينَ كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَتْلُ إِلَىٰ مَضَاجِعِهِمْ وَلِيَبْتَلِيَ اللَّهُ مَا فِي صُدُورِكُمْ وَلِيُمَحِّصَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ

“Then after the anguish God sent down security upon you: (in the form of) slumber over-come upon a group of you, while the other group who cared only for their own selves-thinking quite unjustly about God; thoughts of ignorance; Say they “Is there anything13for us in the authority?” Say (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!) “Verily the authority resteth wholly14with God;” They hid in their selves what they would not reveal unto thee, Say they “Had we had anything15in the authority16, we would not have been slain at this place;” Say (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!)”Had ye remained in your homes they who were decreed to be slain would have gone forth to the places where they (now) lie; and that God might test17what was in your breasts and he might purge what was in your hearts; for verily God knoweth what is (hidden) in your breasts.” (3:154)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَلَّوْا مِنْكُمْ يَوْمَ الْتَقَى الْجَمْعَانِ إِنَّمَا اسْتَزَلَّهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ بِبَعْضِ مَا كَسَبُوا وَلَقَدْ عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ

“Verily those of you who turned back on the day18(of Uhud) when the hosts met, (it was) only Satan made them slip on account of some of their (sinful) actions; But indeed God hath pardoned them; For God is Oft-Forgiving, Forbearing.” (3:155)

Commentary

Verse 149

Warning the Muslims against yielding themselves to the infidels for they would persecute them and would not rest until the Muslims renounce their faith. This is said to have been revealed when the Jews of Bani Qaniqaa endeavoured to set up quarrels between the two Muslim tribes Aus and Khazraj of the Ansars.

Verse 150

Assuring the Muslims of God’s help if they be sincere and steadfast in their faith, for God alone is their Lord and the Best Helper.

Verse 151

God’s work was quite obvious in Uhud. The enemy, i.e., the Meccans, were in four times greater number and were fully prepared and completely equipped. The Muslims were only one fourth the strength of their enemy. After themselves plunging into the most miserable and disadvantageous state owing to their own blunder, were in a miserable chaos and in a hopeless disorder liable to be very easily crushed and wiped out for ever. The enemy chose to fly away from the field terror-stricken and made their way back to Mecca dreading the Muslims who were themselves labouring hard under the infliction of a state of defeat. The enemy could have very easily invaded Madina and rendered it into a ruin and slain every man and woman and child leaving no trace of any life in the city. But never was terror so obviously inflicted by’ God upon a people who had not the least reason to harbour any such feeling.

It will be only reasonable and just to say that the heavenly terror upon the enemy was affected on that day through none but ‘Ali, the Lion of God, whose matchless faith, invaluable services through his dauntless courage and valour was so loudly acknowledged by God through the Messenger Angel Gabriel announcing aloud:

‘La fata illah ‘Ali, La Saif illah Zulfiqar.’ (M.S.)

There is no victorious youth save ‘Ali, There is no effective weapon save ‘Zulfiqar’ (the Sword of ‘Ali).

Verse 152

This refers to the promise of help from God saying that it was fulfilled but when they were in flagrant disobedience to the commands of the Holy Prophet, the Muslims themselves deserted their given position and fell easy victims to their own lust for their worldly benefit and engaged themselves in the plunder. What else could they expect but the miserable discomfiture they themselves earned by their own doings.

Verse 153

The reference here is to the stupid conduct of the Muslims. While they had to stick fast together in the position given to them by the Holy Prophet, a party of them left the position and got engaged in the plunder of the booty and then fled away even in spite of repeated calls for them to return to fight. It is a matter of disgrace that the same commentators have never referred even in the least as to who are the companions who fled away from the field of Uhud leaving the Holy Prophet to the mercy of the enemy. But the famous historians viz. Tabari and Ibne Hisham and the Tarikh al-Khamis have not spared them and have given the names.

Verse 154

When after the first fight put up by the Muslims the enemy not being able to bear the dash from the Muslim fighters, had retreated suffering a very bad reverse. There was a lull, the wounded among the Muslims rested and those who had strained the most and had fought hard, were visited by a kindly sleep. But the hypocrites doubted if they would ever succeed as it had been promised by the Holy Prophet and murmured as to what might ultimately happen. This mental distress of the hypocrites was caused by their own hidden rancour against the Muslims and the gross lack of faith in God and the Holy Prophet.

Those whose faith in God and the Holy Prophet was perfect, had the conviction as to what would ultimately happen, and they rested carefree. The sleep the true believers had on that day is mentioned in this Verse as a divine blessing which could necessarily be only a miraculous feat conferred upon the really faithful ones as a recompense for the selfless and the devotional risk, they had been taking in defending the divine cause of truth with a doubtless faith in the Holy Prophet, for otherwise no fighting rank would ever go to sleep in the very battle-field.

It is reported that the sword was automatically falling on the enemy from the hands of the greatest hero of the faith, ‘Ali, the Lion of God. While the truly faithful ones had been experiencing the divinely caused miraculous slumber, the hypocrites in the Muslim ranks sat idle murmuring about what would be the ultimate result of the conflict against the tremendous strength of so well equipped of such strongly numbered an enemy.

What most of the Sahabas, i.e., Companions of the Holy Prophet did that day in flying away from the battle-field when the enemy surprised the Muslims from their rear through the passage which was foolishly vacated by the band of the Muslims, the commentators have quietly avoided without the least reference to it. On the other hand, the disgraceful conduct on the part of those hypocritical Muslims that day had been camouflaged by colourful descriptions of the events and peculiar arguments against the behaviour of such cowards in the Muslim ranks who deserted the Holy Prophet and ran away like wild goats jumping from rock to rock on the mountain.

“So that Allah knows what is in your hearts” meaning so that He makes it known also to what is in your hearts.

Verse 155

The delinquency on the part of the deserters at Uhud was due to the hearts having been conditioned for ages together in idolatry and Satan still having easy access to their hearts which had still an opening in them for distrust to enter into them to disturb their faith in God and the Holy Prophet which they had not acquired by conviction but under some unavoidable circumstances for convenience or for policy’s sake.

There is no doubt the mention of God’s pardon for the deserters but there could not have been any justification or any room for reviling such persons if they had not repeated the same trait over and over and if they had not set themselves up as the leaders of the faith the title to which they so miserably lacked. In regards to the position of those who fail to act duly against the enemy who attacks them, let us refer to the following Verses:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا لَقِيتُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا زَحْفًا فَلَا تُوَلُّوهُمُ الْأَدْبَارَ

“O ye who believe! When ye meet them who disbelieve in battle, turn ye not your backs to them.” (8:15)

وَمَنْ يُوَلِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ دُبُرَهُ إِلَّا مُتَحَرِّفًا لِقِتَالٍ أَوْ مُتَحَيِّزًا إِلَىٰ فِئَةٍ فَقَدْ بَاءَ بِغَضَبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَمَأْوَاهُ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ

“Whoso on that day turneth his back to them, unless manoeuvring for battle or intent to join a company, he truly hath incurred wrath of God, and his habitation will be hell, a helpless journey.” (8:16)

Embracing Islam means selling away one’s self to God to earn His pleasure19.

Once a thing is sold it must readily be handed over to the purchaser and those who do not do this, have not in fact sold their selves to God and want to deceive God.

• 1. Hell.
• 2. Fulfil.
• 3. The enemy at ‘Uhud’.
• 4. Disobeyed orders Refer to Verse 121.
• 5. Make distinguished, Prove. Refer to Verse 3:139; 29:3; 67:2.
• 6. Gracious- full of grace Refer to Verses 3:139, 29:3, 67:2.
• 7. Refer to Verse 3:124; 3:138; 3:152 and 3:143.
• 8. In the battle of Uhud -when all the Companions of the Holy Prophet fled away-only ‘Ali and few others stood with him- and fought turning the defeat into victory for Islam. Refer to Verses 3:121; 3:151, 3:154.
• 9. Did not care for any one of them behind even for the Holy Prophet.
• 10. Or in exchange for sorrow.
• 11. The booty.
• 12. The same deserters after the Holy Prophet posed themselves as the greatest devotees of God. the chiefs of the people and the leaders of the faith.
• 13. Any share.
• 14. In its entirety- Legislative, judiciary and administrative.
• 15. Any share.
• 16. God’s own, Belongs only to God. Refer to Verse 42:38.
• 17. Prove - make known. Refer to Verses 3:139, 29:3, 67:2.
• 18. Refer to Verse 138 143 152 When all companions ran away from the battle field deserting the Holy Prophet, and disappeared for days together. Only ‘Ali Ibn Abu Talib and Hamza stood fast- Humza was martyred and ‘Ali with a few others turned the defeat into a victory for Islam. For details see history.
• 19. Refer to Verse 9:111.