from their Lord and by Gardens beneath which rivers flow; there they shall abide. How good is the reward of those who earnestly labour! (137) Many eras have passed before you. Go about, then, in the land and behold the end of those who rejected (the directives and commands of Allah), calling them lies. (138) This is a plain exposition for mankind, and a guidance and admonition for the God-fearing.
(139) Do not, then, lose heart or grieve: for you shall surely gain the upper hand if you are believers. (140) If you have suffered a wound the people opposed to you have suffered a similar wound.29 These are vicissitudes of time which We deal out in turn among people so that Allah might mark out those who truly believe ▶
29 This alludes to the Battle of Badr. The purpose 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 they suffered in the Battle of Uhud.
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and select from among you those who really bear witness (to the Truth):30 for Allah does not love the wrong-doers, (141) and He makes men go through trials in order that He might purge the believers and blot out those who deny the Truth. (142) Did you think that you would enter Paradise even though Allah has not yet seen who among you strove hard in His Way and remained stead- fast? (143) You previously longed for death (in the way of Allah): now you have faced it, observing it with your own eyes.
(144) Muhammad is no more than a Messenger, and Messengers have passed away before him. Then, if he were to die or be slain, will you turn about on your heels? Whoever turns about on his heels can in no way harm Allah. ▶
30 The actual words of this verse, wa yattakhidha minkum shuhada’ 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 hotchpotch of true believers and hypocrites of which their community was comprised at that moment, God wanted to sift those who were truly His witnesses over all mankind, i.e. those who were capable of fulfilling the responsibility of carrying out the mission assigned to them.
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As for the grateful ones, Allah will soon reward them.
(145) It is not given to any soul to die except with the leave of Allah, and at an appointed time. He who desires his reward in this world, We shall grant him the reward of this world; and he who desires the reward of the Other World, We shall grant him the reward of the Other World. And soon shall We reward those that are grateful. (146) Many were the Prophets on whose side fought a large number of people devoted to God: they neither lost heart for all they had to suffer in the Way of Allah nor did they weaken nor did they abase themselves. Allah loves such steadfast ones. (147) And all they said was this: “Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, and our excesses in our affairs, and set our feet firm, and succour us against those who deny the Truth.” (148) Thereupon Allah granted them the reward of this world as well as a better reward of the World to Come. Allah loves those who do good.
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(149) Believers! If you follow those who deny the Truth, they will drive you back on your heels; and you will turn about, losers. (150) But Allah is your Protector, and He is the Best of helpers. (151) We will cast terror into the hearts of those who have denied the Truth since they have associated others with Allah in His Divinity, for which He has sent down no sanction. The Fire is their abode; how bad the resting place of the wrong-doers will be!
(152) Allah surely fulfilled His promise (of succour) when you were slaying them by His leave until the moment when you flagged and quarrelled among yourselves about the matter, and disobeyed (the Prophet) after He showed you what you intensely desire; for some of you sought this world and some of you sought the Next. Thereupon, in order to put you to a test He turned you away from your foes. Still He pardoned you after that for Allah is Bounteous to those who believe.
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(153) Recall when you were fleeing without casting even a side glance at anyone, and the Messenger was calling out to you from the rear.31 Then Allah requited you by inflicting grief after grief upon you so as to instruct you neither to grieve for the losses you might suffer or for the afflictions that might befall you. Allah knows all that you do.
(154) Then, after inflicting this grief, He sent down an inner peace upon you, a sleep which overtook some of you.32 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.” ▶
31 When subjected to a sudden two-pronged attack, the Muslims scattered; some fled to Madinah while others climbed Mount Uhud. Despite this, the Prophet (peace be on him) did not budge 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.
32 A strange phenomenon was experienced at the time by some Muslim soldiers. Abu Talhah, who took part in the battle, states that the Muslims were seized by such drowsiness that their swords began to slip from their hands.
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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.” All this happened so that Allah might test the thoughts you enter- tained in your hearts and purge your hearts of all impurities. Allah knows well what is in the breasts of men.
(155) Surely those of them who turned their backs on the day when the two armies met did so because Satan made them slip because of some of their lapses. But Allah has pardoned them; He is All- Forgiving, All-Forbearing.
(156) Believers, do not be like those who disbelieved and said to their brethren (who met some suffering) in the course of journey or fighting: “Had they remained with us, they would not have died nor been slain.” Allah makes such thoughts the cause of deep regrets in their hearts. ▶
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For in truth it is Allah alone Who grants life and deals death. Allah sees all that you do. (157) If you were to be slain or to die in the Way of Allah, then surely Allah’s forgiveness and mercy are better than all the goods that people amass. (158) Were you to die or be slain, it is to Allah that all of you will