وَ اِذْ And when غَدَوْتَ you left early morning مِنْ from اَهْلِكَ your household تُبَوِّئُ to post الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ the believers مَقَاعِدَ (to take) positions لِلْقِتَالِ ؕ for the battle وَ اللّٰهُ And Allah سَمِیْعٌ (is) All-Hearing عَلِیْمٌۙ All-Knowing 3. Ali 'Imran Page 66 اِذْ When هَمَّتْ inclined طَّآىِٕفَتٰنِ two parties مِنْكُمْ among you اَنْ that تَفْشَلَا ۙ they lost heart وَ اللّٰهُ but Allah وَلِیُّهُمَا ؕ (was) their protector وَ عَلَی And on اللّٰهِ Allah فَلْیَتَوَكَّلِ let put (their) trust الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ the believers وَ لَقَدْ And certainly نَصَرَكُمُ helped you اللّٰهُ Allah بِبَدْرٍ in Badr وَّ اَنْتُمْ while you (were) اَذِلَّةٌ ۚ weak فَاتَّقُوا So fear اللّٰهَ Allah لَعَلَّكُمْ so that you may تَشْكُرُوْنَ (be) grateful اِذْ When تَقُوْلُ you said لِلْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ to the believers اَلَنْ Is it not یَّكْفِیَكُمْ enough for you اَنْ that یُّمِدَّكُمْ reinforces you رَبُّكُمْ your Lord بِثَلٰثَةِ with three اٰلٰفٍ thousand[s] مِّنَ [of] الْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةِ [the] Angels مُنْزَلِیْنَؕ [the ones] sent down بَلٰۤی ۙ Yes اِنْ if تَصْبِرُوْا you are patient وَ تَتَّقُوْا and fear (Allah) وَ یَاْتُوْكُمْ and they come upon you مِّنْ [of] فَوْرِهِمْ suddenly هٰذَا [this] یُمْدِدْكُمْ will reinforce you رَبُّكُمْ your Lord بِخَمْسَةِ with five اٰلٰفٍ thousand[s] مِّنَ [of] الْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةِ [the] Angels مُسَوِّمِیْنَ [the ones] having marks وَ مَا And not جَعَلَهُ made it اللّٰهُ Allah اِلَّا except بُشْرٰی (as) good news لَكُمْ for you وَ لِتَطْمَىِٕنَّ and to reassure قُلُوْبُكُمْ your hearts بِهٖ ؕ with it وَ مَا And (there is) no النَّصْرُ [the] victory اِلَّا except مِنْ from عِنْدِ [near] اللّٰهِ Allah الْعَزِیْزِ the All-Mighty الْحَكِیْمِۙ the All-Wise لِیَقْطَعَ That He may cut off طَرَفًا a part مِّنَ of الَّذِیْنَ those who كَفَرُوْۤا disbelieved اَوْ or یَكْبِتَهُمْ suppress them فَیَنْقَلِبُوْا so (that) they turn back خَآىِٕبِیْنَ disappointed لَیْسَ Not لَكَ for you مِنَ of الْاَمْرِ the decision شَیْءٌ (of) anything اَوْ whether یَتُوْبَ He turns عَلَیْهِمْ to them اَوْ or یُعَذِّبَهُمْ punishes them فَاِنَّهُمْ for indeed they ظٰلِمُوْنَ (are) wrongdoers وَ لِلّٰهِ And to Allah (belongs) مَا what فِی (is) in السَّمٰوٰتِ the heavens وَ مَا and what فِی (is) in الْاَرْضِ ؕ the earth یَغْفِرُ He forgives لِمَنْ [for] whom یَّشَآءُ He wills وَ یُعَذِّبُ and punishes مَنْ whom یَّشَآءُ ؕ He wills وَ اللّٰهُ And Allah غَفُوْرٌ (is) Oft-Forgiving رَّحِیْمٌ۠ Most Merciful
(3:121) (O Messenger!94 Remind the Muslims of the occasion) when you went forth from your home at early dawn (to the battlefield of Uhud) and placed the believers in battle arrays. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
(3:122) And recall when two groups from among you were inclined to flag95 although Allah was their protector; it is in Allah that the believers should put their trust.
(3:123) For sure Allah helped you at Badr when you were utterly weak. Beware, then, of Allah; perhaps you will be thankful.
(3:124) And recall when you said to the believers: 'Will it not suffice you that your Lord will aid you by sending down three thousand angels?96
(3:125) If you are steadfast and mindful of God, even though the enemy should suddenly fall upon you, your Lord will help you even with five thousand marked angels.
(3:126) Allah has reminded you of this only as a glad tiding to you and so as to let your hearts be at rest. Help can only come from Allah, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.
(3:127) And Allah provided this aid to you in order to cut off a part of those who disbelieved and frustrate them so that they retreat in utter disappointment.
(3:128) (O Messenger!) It is not for you to decide whether He will accept their repentance or chastise them, for they surely are wrongdoers.
(3:129) Whatever is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah. He forgives whom He wills, and chastises whom He wills: Allah is indeed All-Forgiving, Most-Compassionate.97
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.