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Introduction to Tafheem | Glossary | Verbs
Tafsirs: Maarif | Dawat | Ishraq | Clear
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- Cro Magnon Man
94. This marks the beginning of the fourth discourse of this surah. It was
revealed after the Battle of Uhud and contains comments on it. The previous
section ended with the assurance: 'But if you remain steadfast and mindful of
Allah their designs will not cause you harm.' (See verse 120 above.) The Muslims
did suffer a setback in the Battle of Uhud precisely because of this lack of
patience, and because of a few mistakes committed by some of them which were
indicative of insufficient piety. This discourse, therefore, is quite appropriate
and warns the Muslims against such weaknesses.
The discourse contains a precise and instructive commentary on all the main
events connected with the Battle of Uhud. In order to appreciate this it is
appropriate to refresh our minds as to the situational context of its revelations.
In the beginning of Shawwal 3 A.H., the Quraysh attacked Madina with an army
of three thousand men. In addition to their numerical superiority they were
also much better equipped. Moreover, they sought to avenge their losses in the
Battle of Badr. The Prophet (peace be on him) and his closest Companions were
of the opinion that they should defend themselves from within the boundaries
of Madina, There were, however, several young people who longed for martyrdom
and felt aggrieved at, not having had the opportunity to fight in the Battle
of Badr. They insisted that the enemy should be resisted outside the confines
of Madina. The Prophet gave in to their demands and decided to march out of
the city to meet their enemies. A thousand people accompanied him. Of these,
'Abd Allah b. Ubayy broke away along with his three hundred followers after
reaching the place called Shawt. This, happening as it did just before the commencement
of the battle, created such perplexity and confusion that the people of Banu
Salamah and Banu Harithah wanted to turn back, and it took some effort on the
part of the Companions to persuade them not to.
The Prophet advanced with the remaining seven hundred Muslims and lined up his
troops at the foot of Mount Uhud (a distance of approximately four miles from
Madina) in such a manner that the mountain was behind and the Quraysh army in
front of them. There was only one mountain pass from where the Muslims could
be subjected to a surprise attack. The Prophet posted fifty archers there as
guards under the- command of 'Abd Allah b. Jubayr, instructing him neither to
let anyone approach nor to move away from that spot. 'Even if you see birds
fly off with our flesh', the Prophet said, 'still you must not move away from
this place'. (For such instructions from the Prophet see Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat,
vol. 2, pp. 39-40 and 47, and Waqidi, Maghazi, vol. 1, pp. 224 and 229 - Ed.)
Then the battle commenced. In the beginning the Muslims proved the better side
but instead of maintaining their onslaught until they had assured complete victory,
they were overcome by the temptation of booty and turned to collecting the spoils.
When the archers whom the Prophet had posted to repel the attack of the enemy
from the rear saw that the enemy had taken to its heels and that people were
collecting booty, they too joined the melee and began to do the same.
'Abd Allah b. Jubayr tried to persuade them not to leave their posts by reminding
them of the Prophet's directive. Hardly anyone heeded him. Khalid b. Walld,
who was at that time an unbeliever and who commanded the Quraysh cavalry, seized
his opportunity. He rode with his men around Mount Uhud and attacked the flank
of the Muslim army through the pass. 'Abd Allah b. Jubayr's depleted forces
tried unsuccessfully to resist the attack.
The fleeing soldiers of the enemy also returned and joined the attack from the
front and the scales of the battle turned against the Muslims. The suddenness
of these attacks, from both the rear and the front, caused such confusion that
many fled. Then the rumour spread that the- Prophet, himself, had been martyred.
This news shattered whatever presence of mind the Companions had left, and led
many who had stood firm to lose courage altogether. At this moment there remained
around the injured and bleeding Prophet (peace be on him) no more than ten or
twelve loyal persons who had staked their lives for his sake. Defeat seemed
inevitable. Fortunately, however, the Companions realized that the Prophet was
still alive. They therefore advanced towards him from all sides, rallied around
him, and led him to the safety of the mountain. (For an account of the Battle
of Uhud in early Islamic sources, see Ibn Hisham, Slrah, yol, 1, pp. 61 ff.,
Waqidi, Maghazi, vol. 1, pp. 199 ff., especially pp. 224, 229 f. and 237 ff.,
and Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat, vol. 2, pp. 36-48, etc. - Ed.)
It remains a mystery why the unbelievers of Makka held back when victory was
within their grasp. The Muslim ranks were in such disarray that they would have
been hard pushed to resist further. (Cf. the account and conclusion of W. M.
Watt regarding the Battle of Uhud in Muhammad at Medina, Oxford University Press,
1956, pp. 21 ff., especially pp. 26-9 -Ed.)
95. This refers to Banu Salamah and Banu Harithah, whose morale had been undermined as a result of the withdrawal of 'Abd Allah b. Ubayy and his followers.
96. When the Muslims saw that their enemies numbered three thousand while three hundred out of their army of one thousand had departed they began to lose heart. It was on this occasion that the Prophet spoke these words to them.
97. When the Prophet was injured he uttered words of imprecation against the unbelievers: 'How can a people that injures its own Prophet attain salvation?' These verses are in response to that utterance.
98. The major cause of the setback suffered at Uhud was that precisely at the moment of their victory the Muslims succumbed to the desire for worldly possessions, and turned to collecting booty rather than completing their task of crushing the enemy. Hence God thought fit to raise a barrier against this excessive adoration of money, and to urge them to give up usury which keeps man constantly absorbed in considering ways and means of amassing wealth and generally whets his appetite for money.
99. The existence of interest in a society generates two kinds of moral disease. It breeds greed and avarice, meanness and selfishness among those who receive interest. At the same time, those who have to pay interest develop strong feelings of hatred, resentment, spite and jealousy. God intimates to the believers that the attributes bred by the spread of interest are the exact opposite of those which develop as a result of spending in the way of God, and that it is through the latter rather than the former that man can achieve God's forgiveness and Paradise. (For further explanation see (Surah 2, n. 320 above.)
100. This alludes to the Battle of Badr. The intention is to point out to the Muslims that if the unbelievers were not demoralized by the setback they suffered at Badr then the Muslims should not be disheartened by the setback thev suffered in the Battle of Uhud.
101. The actual words of this verse, can be interpreted in two ways. One meaning could be that God wanted to select some of them so that He could bestow upon them the honour of martyrdom. The second meaning could be that out of the hotch-potch of true believers and hypocrites which their community consisted of at that moment, God wanted to sift those who were truly His witnesses over all mankind. See( Qur'an 2: 143 - Ed.)
102. This is with reference to those Companions who had urged the Prophet to go out of Madina and take on the enemy there because of their ardent desire for martyrdom. (See Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat, vol. 2, p. 38 - Ed.)
103. When the rumour of the Prophet's martyrdom spread during the battle, it disheartened most of the Companions. The hypocrites who were in the Muslim camp began to advise the believers to approach 'Abd Allah b. Ubayy so that he might secure protection for them from Abu Sufyan. Some went so far as to say that had Muhammad really been the Messenger of God he would not have been put to death, and for that reason they counselled people to revert to their ancestral faith. It is in this context that the Muslims are now told that if their devotion to the truth is wholly bound up with the person of Muhammad (peace be on him), and if their submission to God is so lukewarm that his demise would cause them to plunge back into the disbelief they had cast off, then they should bear in mind the fact that Islam does not need them.
104. The purpose of this directive is to bring home to the Muslims that it would be futile for them to try to flee from death. No one can either die before or survive the moment determined for death by God. Hence one should not waste one's time thinking how to escape death. Instead, one should take stock of one's activities and see whether one's efforts have either been directed merely to one's well-being in this world or to well-being in the Hereafter.
105. The word thawab denotes recompense and reward. The 'reward of this world' signifies the totality of benefits and advantages which a man receives as a consequence of his actions and efforts within the confines of this world. The 'reward of the Other World' denotes the benefits that a man will receive in the lasting World to Come as the fruits of his actions and efforts. From the Islamic point of view, the crucial question bearing upon human morals is whether a man keeps his attention focused on the worldly results of his endeavours or on the results which will acrue to him in the Next World.
106. The 'ones who are grateful' are those who fully appreciate God's favour
in making the true religion available to them, and thereby intimating to them
knowledge of a realm that is infinitely vaster than this world. Such people
appreciate that God has graciously informed them of the truth so that the consequences
of human endeavour are not confined to the brief span of earthly life but cover
a vast expanse, embracing both the present life and the much more important
life of the Hereafter.
A grateful man is he who, having gained this breadth of outlook and having developed
this long-range perception of the ultimate consequences of things, persists
in acts of righteousness out of his faith in God and his confidence in God's
assurance that they will bear fruit in the Hereafter. He does so even though
he may sometimes find that, far from bearing fruit, righteousness leads to privation
and suffering in this world. The ungrateful ones are those who persist in a
narrow preoccupation with earthly matters. They are those who disregard the
evil consequences of unrighteousness in the Hereafter, seizing everything which
appears to yield benefits and advantages in this world, and who are not prepared
to devote their time and energy to those acts of goodness which promise to bear
fruit in the Hereafter and which are either unlikely to yield earthly advantages
or are fraught with risks. Such people are ungrateful and lack appreciation
of the valuable knowledge vouchsafed to them by God.
107. They did not surrender to the followers of falsehood merely because of their numerical inferiority and lack of resources.
108. That is, they would push them back into the same state of unbelief from which they had extricated themselves. Since the Battle of Uhud the hypocrites and the Jews had constantly propagated the idea that, had Muhammad been a true Prophet, he would not have suffered the reverse that he encountered in that battle. This reverse was offered as proof that Muhammad (peace be on him) was an ordinary person whose fortunes varied, like those of other men, between victory and defeat. They further contended that the support and patronage of God which Muhammad claimed to enjoy was a sham.
109. The failure of the Muslims was of such a serious nature that had God not pardoned them they might have been obliterated there and then. It was out of God's grace, support and patronage that after the Muslims had been overpowered by the enemy the latter were seized with perplexity and confusion, and withdrew.
110. When subjected to a sudden two-pronged attack the Muslims scattered; some fled to Madina while others climbed Mount Uhud. Despite this, the Prophet (peace be on him) did not move from his position. The enemy surrounded him on all sides and only a small party of ten to twelve followers was left with him. Even at that critical moment his feet remained firm and he continued to summon his fleeing followers towards himself. (See Waqidi, Maghazi, vol. 1, pp. 237, 240 and 241 - Ed.)
111. The 'grief referred to in this verse had many causes: (i) by the setback the Muslims suffered on the battlefield and by the rumour that the Prophet (peace be on him) had been martyred; (ii) by the fact that a large number of believers had been killed and wounded; and (iii) by the fact that nothing was known about what was happening to the Muslim families left behind in Madina. For it was possible that the enemy was greater in numbers than the total population of Madina, and that it might break through the defences of the battered
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.)
113. Such ideas had no solid ground. God's decree regarding the time of one's death cannot be deferred. Those who lack faith in God and think that everything is dependent on their own scheming and effort rather than on the overpowering Will of God become victims of perpetual remorse, since they never cease to reflect how a slightly different circumstance or slightly altered strategy could have led to an altogether different and wholesome result.
114. When the archers, whom the Prophet had posted to defend the army against any attack from the rear, saw that the spoils of the enemy were being collected, they feared that the spoils might fall in their entirety to the lot of the soldiers who were then collecting them, and that they might, therefore, be deprived of their share. It was this idea which had impelled them to leave their posts. When the Prophet returned to Madina after the battle he asked them to explain the cause of their disobedience. When he had heard their unconvincing stories he told them: 'You thought that we would act dishonestly and would not deliver you your share.' (See Alusi. Ruh al-Ma'ani, commentary on this verse - Ed.) The verse alludes to this here. The purpose is to impress upon them that the Messenger of God himself was the commander of their army and that all their affairs were in his hands alone. What made them feel that their interests were not secure even in the hands of God's Messenger? Did they think that a division of spoils under the direct supervision of the Prophet Would be made in any manner other than that dictated by absolute honesty, trustworthiness and justice?
115. The more high ranking Companions were too well aware of reality to fall prey to any misunderstandings. The ordinary believers, however, had thought that as long as God's Messenger was in their midst and as long as they enjoyed God's support and help the unbeliever, could never triumph over them. Hence, when they suffered defeat at the Battle of Uhud, their expectations were shaken and they began to wonder why things had taken the course they had. They wondered why they had been defeated even though they had fought for the sake of God's true religion with God's support, and the Messenger of God was with them on the battlefield. Furthermore, they were worried that the defeat had been at the hands of those who were out to destroy God's true religion. These verses seek to allay this sense of anxiety and rid their minds of doubt and suspicion.
116. In the Battle of Uhud seventy Muslims were martyred. In the Battle of Badr. seventy unbelievers were killed and seventy taken as captives.
117. The calamity that had befallen them was the outcome of their own weaknesses and mistakes. They had not remained sufficiently patient, they had acted, in certain respects, in a manner inconsistent with the dictates of piety, they had disobeyed the command that had been given them, they were lured by material wealth and they disputed and quarrelled among them-selves. After all this, was it still necessary to ask what caused the debacle?
118. If God has the power to make them victorious He also has the power to bring about their defeat.
119. When 'Abd Allah b. Ubayy decided to withdraw from the battlefield with his men several Muslims attempted to persuade him not to do so. Ibn Ubayy replied that he was sure that there would be no fighting that day, and he assured them that had he expected fighting to take place, he would have gone along with them.
120. For an explanation see (Surah 2. n. 155) above.
121. There is a Tradition from the Prophet that he who leaves the world after having lived righteously is greeted with a life so felicitous that he never wishes to return to the world. The only exception to this are martyrs who wish to be sent back to the world so that they may once again attain martyrdom and thereby enjoy that unique joy, bliss and ecstasy which one experiences at the time of laying down one's life for God. (Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, vol. Ill, 103, 126, 153, 173, 251, 276, 278, 284, 289; Bukhari, 'Tafsir al-Qur'an', 6 and 21: Muslim, 'Al-Imarah', 108, 109. 121 - Ed.)