Prophet), it was thanks to Allah’s mercy that you were gentle to them. Had you been rough, hard- hearted, they would surely have scattered away from you. So pardon them, and pray for their forgiveness, and take counsel from them in matters of importance. And when you are resolved on a course of action put your trust in Allah. Surely Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him). (160) If Allah helps you, none shall prevail over you, and if He forsakes you, then who can help you? It is in Allah that the believers should put all their trust.
(161) It is not for a Prophet to defraud; and whoever defrauds shall bring with him the fruits of his fraud ▶
135
Al [Imran 3: 162–66
on the Day of Resurrection, when every human being shall be paid in full what he has earned, and shall not be wronged. (162) Is he who follows the good pleasure of Allah like him who is laden with Allah’s wrath and whose abode is Hell? How evil that is for a resting place! (163) They vary greatly in rank in the sight of Allah, and Allah sees what they do. (164) Surely Allah conferred a great favour on the believers when He raised from among them a Messenger to recite to them His Signs, and to purify them, and to teach them the Book and Wisdom. For before that they were in manifest error.
(165) And how come when a calamity befell you, even though the enemy had suffered at your hands (in the Battle of Badr) twice what you have suffered, you began to ask: “How has this come about?” Say: “This calamity has been brought about by yourselves. Surely Allah has power over everything.” (166) What befell you on the day when the two hosts met was by the leave of Allah, ▶
136
Al [Imran 3: 167–71
and in order that He might mark out those who believe (167) from those who are hypocrites. And when these hypocrites were asked: “Come and fight in the Way of Allah,” or (at least) “defend your- selves,” they answered: “If we but knew that there would be fighting, we would certainly have followed.” They were then nearer to infidelity than to faith. They utter from their mouths what is not in their hearts. Allah knows well what they conceal. (168) These are the ones who stayed away, saying about their brothers: “Had they followed us, they would not have been slain.” Say: “If you speak the truth then avert death when it comes to you.”
(169) Think not of those slain in the Way of Allah as dead. Indeed they are living, and with their Lord they have their sustenance, (170) rejoicing in what Allah has bestowed upon them out of His bounty, jubilant that neither fear nor grief shall come upon the believers who have been left behind in the world and have not yet joined them. (171) They rejoice at the favours and bounties of Allah, ▶
137
Al [Imran 3: 172–4
and at the awareness that Allah will not cause the reward of the believers to be lost. (172) There were those who responded to the call of Allah and the Messenger after injury had smitten them.33 There is mighty reward for all those who do good and fear Allah. (173) When people said to them: “Behold, a host has gathered around you and you should fear them,” it only increased their faith and they answered: “Allah is Sufficient for us; and what an excellent Guardian He is!” (174) So they returned with a mighty favour and a great bounty from Allah having suffered no harm. They followed the good pleasure of Allah, ▶
33 When, after the Battle of Uhud, the Makkan polytheists had travelled several stages of their journey, they began to say among themselves what a mistake they had made in allowing the opportunity to crush the power of Muhammad to slip out of their hands. At one place they halted and deliberated among themselves about launching a second attack on Madinah. They failed, however, to muster sufficient courage and carried on to Makkah. The Prophet (peace be on him), for his part, also realized that the Makkans might attack once again. The second day after the Battle of Uhud, therefore, he gathered the Muslims and urged them to pursue the unbelievers. Even though this was a highly critical moment, those who were truly faithful girded their loins and were prepared to lay down their lives at the behest of the Prophet (peace be on him). They accompanied him to Hamra’ al-Asad, eight miles from Madinah. The present verse refers to those dedicated men.
138
Al [Imran 3: 175–7
and Allah is the Lord of great bounty.34 (175) It was Satan who urged you to have fear of his allies. But do not fear them; fear Me, if you truly believe.
(176) Let not those who run towards unbelief grieve you; they shall not hurt Allah in the least. Allah will not provide for them any share in the Next Life. A mighty chastisement awaits them. (177) Indeed those who have purchased unbelief in exchange for faith shall not hurt Allah in the least. Theirs shall be a painful chastisement. ▶
34 While returning from the Battle of Uhud, Abu Sufyan challenged the Muslims to another encounter at Badr the following year. But when the appointed time arrived, Abu Sufyan’s courage failed him on account of the famine prevailing in Makkah that year. As a face-saving device he arranged to send an agent to Madinah who spread the rumour that tremendous war preparations were afoot among the Quraysh, and that they were trying to muster a huge army which would be too powerful to be resisted by any power in the whole of Arabia. The effect of this measure was such that when the Prophet (peace be on him) urged the Muslims to accompany him to Badr the initial response was not encouraging. Finally, the Prophet (peace be on him) publicly announced that if no one would accompany him, he would go alone. In response, fifteen hundred devotees expressed their willingness and accompanied him to Badr. As for the camp of unbelievers, Abu Sufyan did not turn up to give battle. The Prophet (peace be on him) and his Companions stayed at Badr for eight days awaiting the promised encounter. Meanwhile, they conducted business with a trade caravan which yielded them considerable profit.
139
Al [Imran 3: 178–80
(178) Let not the unbelievers imagine that the respite We grant them is good for them. We grant them respite so that they may grow in wickedness. A humiliating chastisement awaits them.
(179) Allah will not let the believers stay in the state they are: He will set the wicked apart from the good. Allah is not going to disclose to you what is hidden in the realm beyond the reach of perception35 but He chooses from among His Messengers whom He wills (to intimate such knowledge). So believe in Allah and in His Messengers; and if you believe and become God-fearing, yours will be a great reward.
(180) Those who are nig- gardly about what Allah has granted them out of His bounty think that niggardliness is good for them; rather, it is bad for them. What they were niggardly about will turn into a halter round their necks on the Day of Resurrection. ▶
35 This means that God does not resort to revelation to provide information regarding specific persons whether they are true men of faith or hypocrites.
140
Al [Imran 3: 181–3