Tafheem ul Quran
Surah 3 Ali 'Imran, Ayat 154-154
ثُمَّ اَنۡزَلَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ الۡغَمِّ اَمَنَةً نُّعَاسًا يَّغۡشٰى طَآئِفَةً مِّنۡكُمۡۙ وَطَآئِفَةٌ قَدۡ اَهَمَّتۡهُمۡ اَنۡفُسُهُمۡ يَظُنُّوۡنَ بِاللّٰهِ غَيۡرَ الۡحَـقِّ ظَنَّ الۡجَـاهِلِيَّةِؕ يَقُوۡلُوۡنَ هَلۡ لَّنَا مِنَ الۡاَمۡرِ مِنۡ شَىۡءٍؕ قُلۡ اِنَّ الۡاَمۡرَ كُلَّهٗ لِلّٰهِؕ يُخۡفُوۡنَ فِىۡۤ اَنۡفُسِهِمۡ مَّا لَا يُبۡدُوۡنَ لَكَؕ يَقُوۡلُوۡنَ لَوۡ كَانَ لَنَا مِنَ الۡاَمۡرِ شَىۡءٌ مَّا قُتِلۡنَا هٰهُنَا ؕ قُلۡ لَّوۡ كُنۡتُمۡ فِىۡ بُيُوۡتِكُمۡ لَبَرَزَ الَّذِيۡنَ كُتِبَ عَلَيۡهِمُ الۡقَتۡلُ اِلٰى مَضَاجِعِهِمۡۚ وَلِيَبۡتَلِىَ اللّٰهُ مَا فِىۡ صُدُوۡرِكُمۡ وَلِيُمَحِّصَ مَا فِىۡ قُلُوۡبِكُمۡؕ وَاللّٰهُ عَلِيۡمٌۢ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُوۡرِ
﴿3:154﴾
(3:154) Then, after inflict-ing this grief, He sent down an inner peace upon
you - a sleep which overtook some of you.112 Those who were concerned
merely about themselves, entertaining false notions about Allah - the notions
of the Age of Ignorance - asked: 'Have we any say in the matter?' Tell them:
'Truly, all power of decision rests solely with Allah.' Indeed, they conceal
in their hearts what they would not reveal to you, saying: 'If we had any power
of decision, we would not have been slain here.' Say: 'Even if you had been
in your houses, those for whom slaying had been appointed would have gone forth
to the places where they were to be slain.' And all this happened so that Allah
might test your secret thoughts and purge your hearts of all impurities. Allah
knows well what is in the breasts of men.
Notes
112. A strange phenomenon was then experienced by certain Muslim soldiers.
Abu Talhah, who took part in the battle, states that the Muslims were seized
by such drowsiness that their swords were slipping from their hands. (For several
Traditions stating this incident, including one related by Abu Talhah, see Waqidi,
Maghazi, vol. 1, pp. 295-6 - Ed.)