3:167 Aal-i-Imraan (The Family of Imraan)

وأنه ليتبين بذلك المؤمن من المنافق، الذين لما أمروا بالقتال، { وقيل لهم تعالوا قاتلوا في سبيل الله } أي: ذبا عن دين الله، وحماية له وطلبا لمرضاة الله، { أو ادفعوا } عن محارمكم وبلدكم، إن لم يكن لكم نية صالحة، فأبوا ذلك واعتذروا بأن { قالوا لو نعلم قتالا لاتبعناكم } أي: لو نعلم أنكم يصير بينكم وبينهم قتال لاتبعناكم، وهم كذبة في هذا. قد علموا وتيقنوا وعلم كل أحد أن هؤلاء المشركين، قد ملئوا من الحنق والغيظ على المؤمنين بما أصابوا منهم، وأنهم قد بذلوا أموالهم، وجمعوا ما يقدرون عليه من الرجال والعدد، وأقبلوا في جيش عظيم قاصدين المؤمنين في بلدهم، متحرقين على قتالهم، فمن كانت هذه حالهم، كيف يتصور أنهم لا يصير بينهم وبين المؤمنين قتال؟ خصوصا وقد خرج المسلمون من المدينة وبرزوا لهم، هذا من المستحيل، ولكن المنافقين ظنوا أن هذا العذر، يروج على المؤمنين، قال تعالى: { هم للكفر يومئذ } أي: في تلك الحال التي تركوا فيها الخروج مع المؤمنين { أقرب منهم للإيمان يقولون بأفواههم ما ليس في قلوبهم } وهذه خاصة المنافقين، يظهرون بكلامهم وفعالهم ما يبطنون ضده في قلوبهم وسرائرهم. ومنه قولهم: { لو نعلم قتالا لاتبعناكم } فإنهم قد علموا وقوع القتال. ويستدل بهذه الآية على قاعدة \"ارتكاب أخف المفسدتين لدفع أعلاهما، وفعل أدنى المصلحتين، للعجز عن أعلاهما\" ؛ [لأن المنافقين أمروا أن يقاتلوا للدين، فإن لم يفعلوا فللمدافعة عن العيال والأوطان] { والله أعلم بما يكتمون } فيبديه لعباده المؤمنين، ويعاقبهم عليه.

"وليعلم الذين نافقوا وقيل لهم تعالوا قاتلوا في سبيل الله أو ادفعوا قالوا لو نعلم قتالا لاتبعناكم" يعني بذلك أصحاب عبدالله بن أبي ابن سلول الذين رجعوا معه في أثناء الطريق فاتبعهم رجال من المؤمنين يحرضونهم على الإتيان والقتال والمساعدة ولهذا قال "أو ادفعوا" قال ابن عباس وعكرمة وسعيد بن جبير والضحاك وأبو صالح والحسن والسدي: يعني كثروا سواد المسلمين وقال الحسن بن صالح ادفعوا بالدعاء وقال غيره رابطوا فتعللوا "قائلين لو نعلم قتالا لاتبعناكم" قال مجاهد يعنون لو نعلم أنكم تلقون حربا لجئناكم ولكن لا تلقون قتالا. قال محمد بن إسحق: حدثني محمد بن مسلم بن شهاب الزهري ومحمد بن يحيى بن حيان وعاصم بن عمر بن قتادة والحصين بن عبدالرحمن بن عمرو بن سعد بن معاذ وغيرهم من علمائنا كلهم قد حدث قال: خرج علينا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يعني حين خرج إلى أحد في ألف رجل من أصحابه حتى إذا كان بالشوط بين أحد والمدينة انحاز عنه عبدالله بن أبي ابن سلول بثلث الناس فقال: أطاعهم فخرج وعصاني ووالله ما ندري علام نقتل أنفسنا ههنا أيها الناس فرجع بمن اتبعه من الناس من قومه أهل النفاق وأهل الريب واتبعهم عبدالله بن عمرو بن حرام أخو بني سلمة يقول: يا قوم أذكركم الله أن لا تخذلوا نبيكم وقومكم عندما حضر من عدوكم قالوا: لو نعلم أنكم تقاتلون ما أسلمناكم ولكن لا نرى أن يكون قتال فلما استعصوا عليه وأبوا إلا الانصراف عنهم قال: أبعدكم الله أعداء الله فسيغني الله عنكم ومضى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم. قال الله عز وجل "هم للكفر يومئذ أقرب منهم للإيمان" استدلوا به على أن الشخص قد تتقلب به الأحوال فيكون في حال أقرب إلى الكفر وفي حال أقرب إلى الإيمان لقوله "هم للكفر يومئذ أقرب منهم للإيمان" ثم قال تعالى "يقولون بأفواههم ما ليس في قلوبهم" يعني أنهم يقولون القول ولا يعتقدون صحته ومنه قولهم هذا "لو نعلم قتالا لاتبعناكم فإنهم يتحققون أن جندا من المشركين قد جاءوا من بلاد بعيدة يتحرقون على المسلمين بسب ما أصيب من أشرافهم يوم بدر وهم أضعاف المسلمين أنه كائن بينهم قتالا لا محالة ولهذا قال تعالى "والله أعلم بما يكتمون".

The Reason and Wisdom Behind the Defeat at Uhud

Allah said,

أَوَ لَمَّا أَصَـبَتْكُمْ مُّصِيبَةٌ

(When a single disaster smites you), in reference to when the Muslims suffered seventy fatalities during the battle of Uhud,

قَدْ أَصَبْتُمْ مِّثْلَيْهَا

(although you smote (your enemies) with one twice as great,) during Badr, when the Muslims killed seventy Mushriks and captured seventy others,

قُلْتُمْ أَنَّى هَـذَا

(you say: "From where does this come to us") why did this defeat happen to us

قُلْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ أَنْفُسِكُمْ

(Say, "It is from yourselves.") Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "When Uhud occurred, a year after Badr, Muslims were punished for taking ransom from the disbelievers at Badr in return for releasing the Mushriks whom they captured in that battle. Thus, they suffered the loss of seventy fatalities and the Companions of the Messenger of Allah gave flight and abandoned him. The Messenger suffered a broken tooth, the helmet was smashed on his head and blood flowed onto his face. Allah then revealed,

أَوَ لَمَّا أَصَـبَتْكُمْ مُّصِيبَةٌ قَدْ أَصَبْتُمْ مِّثْلَيْهَا قُلْتُمْ أَنَّى هَـذَا قُلْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ أَنْفُسِكُمْ

(When a single disaster smites you, although you smote (your enemies) with one twice as great, you say: "From where does this come to us" Say, "It is from yourselves".), because you took the ransom." Furthermore, Muhammad bin Ishaq, Ibn Jurayj, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and As-Suddi said that the Ayah,

قُلْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ أَنْفُسِكُمْ

(Say, "It is from yourselves.") means, because you, the archers, disobeyed the Messenger's command to not abandon your positions.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

(And Allah has power over all things.) and He does what He wills and decides what He wills, and there is none who can resist His decision.

Allah then said,

وَمَآ أَصَـبَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْتَقَى الْجَمْعَانِ فَبِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

(And what you suffered on the day the two armies met, was by the leave of Allah), for when you ran away from your enemy, who killed many of you and injured many others, all this occurred by Allah's will and decree out of His perfect wisdom,

وَلِيَعْلَمَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(in order that He might test the believers.) who were patient, firm and were not shaken,

وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ نَافَقُواْ وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْاْ قَاتِلُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَوِ ادْفَعُواْ قَالُواْ لَوْ نَعْلَمُ قِتَالاً لاَّتَّبَعْنَـكُمْ

(And that He might test the hypocrites, it was said to them: "Come, fight in the way of Allah or defend yourselves." They said: "Had we known that fighting will take place, we would certainly have followed you.") 3:167,

This refers to the Companions of `Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul who went back (to Al-Madinah) with him before the battle. Some believers followed them and encouraged them to come back and fight, saying,

أَوِ ادْفَعُواْ

(or defend), so that the number of Muslims increases, as Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ad-Dahhak, Abu Salih, Al-Hasan and As-Suddi stated. Al-Hasan bin Salih said that this part of the Ayah means, help by supplicating for us, while others said it means, man the posts. However, they refused, saying,

لَوْ نَعْلَمُ قِتَالاً لاَّتَّبَعْنَـكُمْ

("Had we known that fighting will take place, we would certainly have followed you.") meaning, according to Mujahid, if we knew that you would fight today, we would join you, but we think you will not fight. Allah said,

هُمْ لِلْكُفْرِ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَقْرَبُ مِنْهُمْ لِلإِيمَـنِ

(They were that day, nearer to disbelief than to faith,)

This Ayah indicates that a person passes through various stages, sometimes being closer to Kufr and sometimes closer to faith, as evident by,

هُمْ لِلْكُفْرِ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَقْرَبُ مِنْهُمْ لِلإِيمَـنِ

(They were that day, nearer to disbelief than to faith,)

Allah then said,

يَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَهِهِم مَّا لَيْسَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ

(saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts.) for they utter what they do not truly believe in, such as,

لَوْ نَعْلَمُ قِتَالاً لاَّتَّبَعْنَـكُمْ

("Had we known that fighting will take place, we would certainly have followed you.")

They knew that there was an army of idolators that came from a far land raging against the Muslims, to avenge their noble men whom the Muslims killed in Badr. These idolators came in larger numbers than the Muslims, so it was clear that a battle will certainly occur. Allah said;

وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَكْتُمُونَ

(And Allah has full knowledge of what they conceal.)

الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ لإِخْوَنِهِمْ وَقَعَدُواْ لَوْ أَطَاعُونَا مَا قُتِلُوا

((They are) the ones who said about their killed brethren while they themselves sat (at home): "If only they had listened to us, they would not have been killed.") had they listened to our advice and not gone out, they would not have met their demise. Allah said,

قُلْ فَادْرَءُوا عَنْ أَنفُسِكُمُ الْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـدِقِينَ

(Say: "Avert death from your own selves, if you speak the truth.") meaning, if staying at home saves one from being killed or from death, then you should not die. However death will come to you even if you were hiding in fortified castles. Therefore, fend death off of yourselves, if you are right.

Mujahid said that Jabir bin `Abdullah said, "This Ayah 3:168 was revealed about `Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul (the chief hypocrite)."

And that He might also know the hypocrites and those who when it was said to them after they had fled the fighting namely ‘Abd Allāh b. Ubayy and his companions ‘Come now fight in the way of God His enemies or defend’ us against the enemy by increasing the multitude of our fighters if you are not going to fight; they said ‘If we knew how if we were skilled enough to fight we would follow you’. God then said showing them to be liars They that day were nearer to unbelief than to belief for what they manifested of their forsaking the believers whereas before they had been outwardly nearer to belief; saying with their mouths that which was not in their hearts for even if they had known how to fight they would not have followed you. And God knows best what they hide of hypocrisy.

Immediately later, in verse 166, the words fa bi idhnillahi: فَبِإِذْنِ اللَّـه indicate that whatever happened there was with the leave and will of Allah Almighty operating behind which are many wise divine arrangements, some of them having been explained earlier. One such wise arrangement is that Allah will 'see' His true believers, and the hypocrites too, that is, the sincerity of Muslims and the hypocrisy of the hypocrites will become so clear that everybody could see it for himself. Here, the reference to Allah's knowing or seeing means seeing in the perspective of our own sense-experience in the mortal world. Otherwise, as far as Allah is concerned, He knows and sees everything, all the time. So, the wise arrangement became all the more clear when, at the time of the trial, the hypocrites bowed out of the harm's way while true Muslims stood undaunted' in the middle of the battle front.