In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Abridgment of Tafsir al-Tabari,
Abridged by Dr. 'Aqil ibn Salim al-Shammari.
Surah Al 'Imran.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“When ye climbed (the hill) and paid no heed to anyone, while the messenger, in your rear, was calling you (to fight). Therefor He rewarded you grief for (his) grief, that (He might teach) you not to sorrow either for that which ye missed or for that which befell you. Allah is Informed of what ye do.” (3:153)
“When ye climbed (the hill) and paid no heed to anyone, while the messenger, in your rear, was calling you (to fight). Therefor He rewarded you grief for (his) grief, that (He might teach) you not to sorrow either for that which ye missed or for that which befell you. Allah is Informed of what ye do.” (3:153)
“When ye climbed (the hill) and paid no heed to anyone, while the messenger, in your rear, was calling you (to fight). Therefor He rewarded you grief for (his) grief, that (He might teach) you not to sorrow either for that which ye missed or for that which befell you. Allah is Informed of what ye do.” (3:153)
﴿So He repaid you with sorrow upon sorrow,
so that you would not grieve
over what escaped you
nor what befell you,
and Allah is fully aware of all that you do.﴾
Indeed, He has pardoned you, O believers,
when you were rushing up into the valley
paying no heed to anyone among you,
nor turning around to look at one another
as you fled from your enemy,
while the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
was calling out to you from behind:
"To me, O servants of Allah!"
Thus He recompensed you, O believers,
for fleeing from your Prophet
and losing heart before your enemy,
with grief piled upon grief:
by Allah depriving you
of the spoils of the polytheists and victory over them;
by the killing and wounds that befell you on that day;
by the anguish of your belief that your Prophet,
peace be upon him, had been killed;
and by the enemy charging down upon you
following your rout before them—
all so that you would not grieve
over what escaped you
and which you failed to attain
of what you had hoped
to achieve against your enemy
by triumphing over them
and taking their spoils,
nor over what struck you in your own persons,
such as the wounding of those who were wounded
and the killing of those who were slain among your brethren.
And Allah, of all that you do,
O believers,
is All-Aware and All-Knowing;
He keeps full record of it all against you
so that He may recompense you for it.
﴿Then He sent down upon you,
after sorrow,
security—a slumber
overcoming a party of you,
while another party
was cared for only by themselves,
harboring thoughts about Allah
other than the truth,
the thoughts of the Age of Ignorance,
saying, "Do we have any share
“Then, after grief, He sent down security for you. As slumber did it overcome a party of you, while (the other) party, who were anxious on their own account, thought wrongly of Allah, the thought of ignorance. They said: Have we any part in the cause? Say (O Muhammad): The cause belongeth wholly to Allah. They hide within themselves (a thought) which they reveal not unto thee, saying: Had we had any part in the cause we should not have been slain here. Say: Even though ye had been in your houses, those appointed to be slain would have gone forth to the places where they were to lie. (All this hath been) in order that Allah might try what is in your breasts and prove what is in your hearts. Allah is Aware of what is hidden in the breasts (of men).” (3:154)
“Then, after grief, He sent down security for you. As slumber did it overcome a party of you, while (the other) party, who were anxious on their own account, thought wrongly of Allah, the thought of ignorance. They said: Have we any part in the cause? Say (O Muhammad): The cause belongeth wholly to Allah. They hide within themselves (a thought) which they reveal not unto thee, saying: Had we had any part in the cause we should not have been slain here. Say: Even though ye had been in your houses, those appointed to be slain would have gone forth to the places where they were to lie. (All this hath been) in order that Allah might try what is in your breasts and prove what is in your hearts. Allah is Aware of what is hidden in the breasts (of men).” (3:154)
They hide within themselves
“Then, after grief, He sent down security for you. As slumber did it overcome a party of you, while (the other) party, who were anxious on their own account, thought wrongly of Allah, the thought of ignorance. They said: Have we any part in the cause? Say (O Muhammad): The cause belongeth wholly to Allah. They hide within themselves (a thought) which they reveal not unto thee, saying: Had we had any part in the cause we should not have been slain here. Say: Even though ye had been in your houses, those appointed to be slain would have gone forth to the places where they were to lie. (All this hath been) in order that Allah might try what is in your breasts and prove what is in your hearts. Allah is Aware of what is hidden in the breasts (of men).” (3:154)
“Then, after grief, He sent down security for you. As slumber did it overcome a party of you, while (the other) party, who were anxious on their own account, thought wrongly of Allah, the thought of ignorance. They said: Have we any part in the cause? Say (O Muhammad): The cause belongeth wholly to Allah. They hide within themselves (a thought) which they reveal not unto thee, saying: Had we had any part in the cause we should not have been slain here. Say: Even though ye had been in your houses, those appointed to be slain would have gone forth to the places where they were to lie. (All this hath been) in order that Allah might try what is in your breasts and prove what is in your hearts. Allah is Aware of what is hidden in the breasts (of men).” (3:154)
in the matter at all?"
"We would not have been killed here."
Say, "Even if you had been
in your homes,
“Then, after grief, He sent down security for you. As slumber did it overcome a party of you, while (the other) party, who were anxious on their own account, thought wrongly of Allah, the thought of ignorance. They said: Have we any part in the cause? Say (O Muhammad): The cause belongeth wholly to Allah. They hide within themselves (a thought) which they reveal not unto thee, saying: Had we had any part in the cause we should not have been slain here. Say: Even though ye had been in your houses, those appointed to be slain would have gone forth to the places where they were to lie. (All this hath been) in order that Allah might try what is in your breasts and prove what is in your hearts. Allah is Aware of what is hidden in the breasts (of men).” (3:154)
death would have marched to their resting places."
“Then, after grief, He sent down security for you. As slumber did it overcome a party of you, while (the other) party, who were anxious on their own account, thought wrongly of Allah, the thought of ignorance. They said: Have we any part in the cause? Say (O Muhammad): The cause belongeth wholly to Allah. They hide within themselves (a thought) which they reveal not unto thee, saying: Had we had any part in the cause we should not have been slain here. Say: Even though ye had been in your houses, those appointed to be slain would have gone forth to the places where they were to lie. (All this hath been) in order that Allah might try what is in your breasts and prove what is in your hearts. Allah is Aware of what is hidden in the breasts (of men).” (3:154)
“Then, after grief, He sent down security for you. As slumber did it overcome a party of you, while (the other) party, who were anxious on their own account, thought wrongly of Allah, the thought of ignorance. They said: Have we any part in the cause? Say (O Muhammad): The cause belongeth wholly to Allah. They hide within themselves (a thought) which they reveal not unto thee, saying: Had we had any part in the cause we should not have been slain here. Say: Even though ye had been in your houses, those appointed to be slain would have gone forth to the places where they were to lie. (All this hath been) in order that Allah might try what is in your breasts and prove what is in your hearts. Allah is Aware of what is hidden in the breasts (of men).” (3:154)
And Allah is All-Knowing of what is in the breasts.﴾
Then, O believers, Allah sent down
security following that grief
upon the people of sincerity and conviction among you;
this security was a slumber
that overcame this group of believers.
As for the other faction, they were the hypocrites,
concerned with nothing but their own skins;
out of dread of being killed
and sheer terror of death, they were so distracted
that sleep vanished entirely from their eyes.
They harbored false assumptions about Allah,
the assumptions of the Jahiliyyah held by the people of polytheism,
doubting the command of Allah
and belying His Prophet, peace be upon him.
They said, "We have no say in the matter at all,"
“Then, after grief, He sent down security for you. As slumber did it overcome a party of you, while (the other) party, who were anxious on their own account, thought wrongly of Allah, the thought of ignorance. They said: Have we any part in the cause? Say (O Muhammad): The cause belongeth wholly to Allah. They hide within themselves (a thought) which they reveal not unto thee, saying: Had we had any part in the cause we should not have been slain here. Say: Even though ye had been in your houses, those appointed to be slain would have gone forth to the places where they were to lie. (All this hath been) in order that Allah might try what is in your breasts and prove what is in your hearts. Allah is Aware of what is hidden in the breasts (of men).” (3:154)
meaning: "Had we had any say in the decision,
we would not have marched out to fight."
They conceal, O Muhammad—
those hypocrites—within themselves
their disbelief and doubt in Allah.
“Then, after grief, He sent down security for you. As slumber did it overcome a party of you, while (the other) party, who were anxious on their own account, thought wrongly of Allah, the thought of ignorance. They said: Have we any part in the cause? Say (O Muhammad): The cause belongeth wholly to Allah. They hide within themselves (a thought) which they reveal not unto thee, saying: Had we had any part in the cause we should not have been slain here. Say: Even though ye had been in your houses, those appointed to be slain would have gone forth to the places where they were to lie. (All this hath been) in order that Allah might try what is in your breasts and prove what is in your hearts. Allah is Aware of what is hidden in the breasts (of men).” (3:154)
They say,
"Had going out to fight
those whom we marched out to combat
among the polytheists been left up to us,
we would not have marched out against them,
and none of us would have been slain."
Say, O Muhammad:
“Then, after grief, He sent down security for you. As slumber did it overcome a party of you, while (the other) party, who were anxious on their own account, thought wrongly of Allah, the thought of ignorance. They said: Have we any part in the cause? Say (O Muhammad): The cause belongeth wholly to Allah. They hide within themselves (a thought) which they reveal not unto thee, saying: Had we had any part in the cause we should not have been slain here. Say: Even though ye had been in your houses, those appointed to be slain would have gone forth to the places where they were to lie. (All this hath been) in order that Allah might try what is in your breasts and prove what is in your hearts. Allah is Aware of what is hidden in the breasts (of men).” (3:154)
Even if you had not taken your stand alongside the believers,
those decreed
to fall in battle
among them, upon whom
death was decreed,
would surely have gone forth to the very spot
where it was destined
for them to be struck down.
And that Allah might test
the doubt that is in your breasts
and distinguish it by what He exposes
of your hypocrisy to the believers,
so that they may clearly see what lies in your hearts
regarding faith in Allah
and His Messenger, peace be upon him,
and whether you bear enmity or loyalty toward the believers.
And Allah is All-Knowing
of all that is inside the breasts of His creation,
whether good or evil,
faith or disbelief;
nothing whatsoever of their affairs is hidden from Him.
“Lo! those of you who turned back on the day when the two hosts met, Satan alone it was who caused them to backslide, because of some of that which they have earned. Now Allah hath forgiven them. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Clement.” (3:155)
﴿...on the day the two hosts met,
Satan only caused them to slip
Satan only caused them to slip
because of some of what they had earned;
but Allah has already pardoned them.
Indeed, Allah is Forgiving, Forbearing.﴾
Truly, those who turned their backs on the polytheists
among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah,
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
on the day of Uhud,
and were routed when the two hosts met—
the army of the polytheists
and that of the Muslims at Uhud—
Satan only led them into that stumble
on account of some of the sins they had committed.
Yet Allah has indeed pardoned those
“Lo! those of you who turned back on the day when the two hosts met, Satan alone it was who caused them to backslide, because of some of that which they have earned. Now Allah hath forgiven them. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Clement.” (3:155)
For Allah covers the sins
of whoever believes in Him
and follows His Messenger, by His pardon;
He is Forebearing, never hastening
to exact retribution against those who disobey Him.
﴿O you who have believed,
do not be like those who disbelieved
and said to their brethren
and said to their brethren
“O ye who believe! Be not as those who disbelieved and said of their brethren who went abroad in the land or were fighting in the field: If they had been (here) with us they would not have died or been killed: that Allah may make it anguish in their hearts. Allah giveth life and causeth death; and Allah is Seer of what ye do.” (3:156)
or were on a military expedition:
“O ye who believe! Be not as those who disbelieved and said of their brethren who went abroad in the land or were fighting in the field: If they had been (here) with us they would not have died or been killed: that Allah may make it anguish in their hearts. Allah giveth life and causeth death; and Allah is Seer of what ye do.” (3:156)
"nor would they have been killed"—
so that Allah may make that
a regret in their hearts.
And Allah gives life and causes death,
and Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.﴾
O you who have
affirmed the truth of Allah and His Messenger!
Do not be like those who disbelieved in Allah
and in His Messenger,
and said regarding their brethren
among the disbelievers
“O ye who believe! Be not as those who disbelieved and said of their brethren who went abroad in the land or were fighting in the field: If they had been (here) with us they would not have died or been killed: that Allah may make it anguish in their hearts. Allah giveth life and causeth death; and Allah is Seer of what ye do.” (3:156)
who departed from their homelands,
traveling for trade,
or whose departure
from their land was for battle,
and then died on their journey
or were killed in their raid:
"Had they not gone out from our presence,
“O ye who believe! Be not as those who disbelieved and said of their brethren who went abroad in the land or were fighting in the field: If they had been (here) with us they would not have died or been killed: that Allah may make it anguish in their hearts. Allah giveth life and causeth death; and Allah is Seer of what ye do.” (3:156)
That Allah might make that statement of theirs
a source of grief and sorrow in their hearts.
Yet they are ignorant that all of that belongs to Allah alone;
for Allah is the One who brings about death
for whomever He wills, whence He wills,
and causes to die whomever He wills, however He wills.
Indeed, Allah sees all that you do,
both good and evil;
so fear Him, O believers,
for He records all of it
to requite every doer according to his deeds.
“And what though ye be slain in Allah's way or die therein? Surely pardon from Allah and mercy are better than all that they amass.” (3:157)
﴿...or you die,
forgiveness from Allah...﴾
“And what though ye be slain in Allah's way or die therein? Surely pardon from Allah and mercy are better than all that they amass.” (3:157)
“And what though ye be slain in Allah's way or die therein? Surely pardon from Allah and mercy are better than all that they amass.” (3:157)
or if you die,
Allah will surely grant you forgiveness
and will surely have mercy upon you,
and that forgiveness and mercy
are far better than all that they amass.
﴿And whether you die or are killed,
unto Allah you will surely be gathered.﴾
And whether you die or are slain,
O believers,
to Allah alone is your return
and your gathering,
whereupon He will recompense you for your deeds.
“It was by the mercy of Allah that thou wast lenient with them (O Muhammad), for if thou hadst been stern and fierce of heart they would have dispersed from round about thee. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult with them upon the conduct of affairs. And when thou art resolved, then put thy trust in Allah. Lo! Allah loveth those who put their trust (in Him).” (3:159)
﴿...you were gentle with them.
And had you been harsh and hard-hearted,
they would have disbanded from around you.
So pardon them
and ask forgiveness for them
and consult them in the matter.
Then when you have resolved,
put your trust in Allah.﴾
“It was by the mercy of Allah that thou wast lenient with them (O Muhammad), for if thou hadst been stern and fierce of heart they would have dispersed from round about thee. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult with them upon the conduct of affairs. And when thou art resolved, then put thy trust in Allah. Lo! Allah loveth those who put their trust (in Him).” (3:159)
So it was by mercy from Allah that
you were gentle with your companions,
showing them your noble character,
to the point of bearing with patience the hurt
that you endured from them.
And had you been severe of heart,
void of mercy and compassion,
they would surely have dispersed from around you.
Therefore, O Muhammad, overlook
on the part of your companions
whatever harm has reached you from them,
supplicate your Lord to grant them forgiveness,
And consult them in whatever distresses you
regarding the enemy's affairs.
Then, once your resolve is firmly established
through Our making you steadfast
and guiding you aright,
proceed with what We have commanded you,
and rely upon Allah in all that you undertake
and all that you leave aside;
place your trust entirely in Him in all of that,
for indeed, Allah loves those who rely upon Him.
If Allah helps you,
none can overcome you;
but if He forsakes you,
“If Allah is your helper none can overcome you, and if He withdraw His help from you, who is there who can help you after Him? In Allah let believers put their trust.” (3:160)
who is there that can help you after Him?
And upon Allah alone
let the believers rely.
If Allah grants you victory,
O believers,
over those who oppose you,
then no one shall ever defeat you,
as long as you adhere to His command
and remain upright in obedience to Him
and in obedience to His Messenger.
But if your Lord forsakes you
due to your defying His command
and abandoning obedience to Him
and to His Messenger,
He will leave you to yourselves;
so despair then of any help from people.
Rather, upon your Lord alone,
O believers,
place your trust,
be well-pleased with Him,
and submit to His decree.
“It is not for any prophet to embezzle. Whoso embezzleth will bring what he embezzled with him on the Day of Resurrection. Then every soul will be paid in full what it hath earned; and they will not be wronged.” (3:161)
And whoever defrauds
“It is not for any prophet to embezzle. Whoso embezzleth will bring what he embezzled with him on the Day of Resurrection. Then every soul will be paid in full what it hath earned; and they will not be wronged.” (3:161)
then every soul will be repaid in full for what it has earned,
and they will not be wronged.
It is not fitting for any prophet
to betray his companions
regarding what Allah has bestowed upon them as spoils of war
from the wealth of their enemies.
And whoever defrauds anything of the spoils
of the Muslims or their war booty,
or anything else,
will bring what he embezzled on the Day of Resurrection,
to the Gathering.
Then every soul will be given
the full recompense of what it earned
through its deeds, in full, without any diminution;
nothing will be done to them
except what is rightfully due
to be done to them,
without any injustice being committed against them.
“Is one who followeth the pleasure of Allah as one who hath earned condemnation from Allah, whose habitation is the Fire, a hapless journey's end?” (3:162)
and his refuge is Hellfire,
and wretched is the destination.
Is one who refrains from defrauding
and from what Allah has forbidden
of acts of disobedience,
and acts in obedience to Allah,
pursuing in all of that
the pleasure of Allah and avoiding His wrath,
like one who returns laden with the displeasure and anger of Allah,
having rightfully earned Hell as an abode?
And wretched is the destination to which he arrives!
“There are degrees (of grace and reprobation) with Allah, and Allah is Seer of what they do.” (3:163)
And Allah is All-Seeing of what they do.
“Is one who followeth the pleasure of Allah as one who hath earned condemnation from Allah, whose habitation is the Fire, a hapless journey's end?” (3:162)
And whoever incurs the wrath of Allah—
they hold differing ranks with Allah;
for whoever pursues the good pleasure of Allah, there is honor,
and for whoever incurs the wrath of Allah, there is humiliation.
And it is said
the meaning is: they have varying degrees before Allah.
And Allah is All-Knowing of what they do,
both the people of His obedience and of His disobedience.
“Allah verily hath shown grace to the believers by sending unto them a messenger of their own who reciteth unto them His revelations, and causeth them to grow, and teacheth them the Scripture and wisdom; although before (he came to them) they were in flagrant error.” (3:164)
“Allah verily hath shown grace to the believers by sending unto them a messenger of their own who reciteth unto them His revelations, and causeth them to grow, and teacheth them the Scripture and wisdom; although before (he came to them) they were in flagrant error.” (3:164)
reciting to them His verses,
purifying them, and teaching them
the Book and wisdom,
although they were before that
Allah has indeed bestowed a great favor upon the believers
when He sent among them a prophet from their own tongue,
reciting to them the verses of His Book and His revelation,
purifying them from their sins,
teaching them the Book of Allah and its meanings,
and teaching them the Sunnah,
whereas before Allah favored them
by sending His Messenger,
they were in manifest ignorance,
clear to anyone who reflects on it with reason and considers it with understanding,
showing that they possessed neither uprightness nor guidance.
Why is it that when a disaster struck you,
although you had struck [the enemy] with twice as much,
you said, "Where did this come from?"
“And was it so, when a disaster smote you, though ye had smitten (them with a disaster) twice (as great), that ye said: How is this? Say (unto them, O Muhammad): It is from yourselves. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things.” (3:165)
Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.
That is: when a calamity befell you, O believers, at Uhud,
you, O believers, had already inflicted upon the polytheists
twice the like of this calamity which they inflicted upon you,
which was the blow struck by the Muslims
against the polytheists at Badr,
in that they killed seventy of them
and took seventy captive.
Yet you said, when your calamity struck you at Uhud,
"How and from where did this happen to us,
while we are Muslims and they are polytheists,
and among us is the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)?"
Say to them: "This came from yourselves,
due to your disobeying my command and abandoning obedience to me."
Indeed, regarding all that He wills for His creation—
whether pardon, punishment, favor, or retribution—
Allah is All-Powerful.
And what struck you on the day the two hosts met—the Muslims
and the polytheists—of death and wounds,
was by His decree and destiny concerning you,
and so that He might distinguish those who truly believe in Allah and His Messenger,
the true believers among you from the hypocrites,
so that they are recognized and the condition of both groups is not hidden.
what is not in their hearts.
“And that He might know the hypocrites, unto whom it was said: Come, fight in the way of Allah, or defend yourselves. They answered: If we knew aught of fighting we would follow you. On that day they were nearer disbelief than faith. They utter with their mouths a thing which is not in their hearts. Allah is Best Aware of what they hide.” (3:167)
He—exalted is His mention—means by that
'Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul,
the hypocrite, and his companions,
who turned back and deserted the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
when the Prophet of Allah set forth
toward the polytheists at Uhud to fight them.
The Muslims said to them,
"Come, fight the polytheists alongside us,
or help defend us by swelling our ranks."
But they said,
"If we knew that you would actually fight,
we would have marched with you toward them,
but we do not think any fighting will take place between you and these people."
Thus they disclosed the hypocrisy of their souls that they used to conceal,
and they uttered with their tongues the opposite of what they harbored and hid
of enmity toward the Messenger of Allah
and toward those who believe in him.
And Allah knows far better than these hypocrites,
and He encompasses all that they hide and is fully aware of it.
“Those who, while they sat at home, said of their brethren (who were fighting for the cause of Allah): If they had been guided by us they would not have been slain. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Then avert death from yourselves if ye are truthful.” (3:168)
“Those who, while they sat at home, said of their brethren (who were fighting for the cause of Allah): If they had been guided by us they would not have been slain. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Then avert death from yourselves if ye are truthful.” (3:168)
“Those who, while they sat at home, said of their brethren (who were fighting for the cause of Allah): If they had been guided by us they would not have been slain. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Then avert death from yourselves if ye are truthful.” (3:168)
And that Allah might make evident those who acted hypocritically,
who said to their brothers,
while these hypocrites sat back, saying,
"Had those of our brothers and kinsmen who were killed at Uhud obeyed us, they would not have been slain there."
Say, O Muhammad:
"Then avert death from yourselves,
if you, O hypocrites, are truthful in your claim
that had our brothers obeyed us, they would not have been slain there by the sword."
“Think not of those, who are slain in the way of Allah, as dead. Nay, they are living. With their Lord they have provision.” (3:169)
“Think not of those, who are slain in the way of Allah, as dead. Nay, they are living. With their Lord they have provision.” (3:169)
“Jubilant (are they) because of that which Allah hath bestowed upon them of His bounty, rejoicing for the sake of those who have not joined them but are left behind: That there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.” (3:170)
“Jubilant (are they) because of that which Allah hath bestowed upon them of His bounty, rejoicing for the sake of those who have not joined them but are left behind: That there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.” (3:170)
“Jubilant (are they) because of that which Allah hath bestowed upon them of His bounty, rejoicing for the sake of those who have not joined them but are left behind: That there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.” (3:170)
And never think of those who were slain at Uhud from among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah as dead;
feeling nothing, experiencing no pleasure, and enjoying no bliss.
Rather, they are alive with Me, provided for and rejoicing in My sustenance,
joyful and delighted with the honor and bounty I have granted them,
and with the abundant reward and gifts I have bestowed upon them.
And they rejoice over those of their brothers left behind whom they departed, who are still alive in the world,
knowing that if they are martyred,
they will attain of the honor of Allah the like of what they themselves have attained;
no fear shall come upon them, for they are secure from Allah's punishment,
nor shall they grieve over whatever worldly ties they left behind.
Summary from Tafsir al-Tabari.