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Ayah
Word by Word
وَلَئِن
And if
قُتِلۡتُمۡ
you are killed
فِي
in
سَبِيلِ
(the) way
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
أَوۡ
or
مُتُّمۡ
die[d]
لَمَغۡفِرَةٞ
certainly forgiveness
مِّنَ
from
ٱللَّهِ
Allah
وَرَحۡمَةٌ
and Mercy
خَيۡرٞ
(are) better
مِّمَّا
than what
يَجۡمَعُونَ
they accumulate
وَلَئِن
And if
قُتِلۡتُمۡ
you are killed
فِي
in
سَبِيلِ
(the) way
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
أَوۡ
or
مُتُّمۡ
die[d]
لَمَغۡفِرَةٞ
certainly forgiveness
مِّنَ
from
ٱللَّهِ
Allah
وَرَحۡمَةٌ
and Mercy
خَيۡرٞ
(are) better
مِّمَّا
than what
يَجۡمَعُونَ
they accumulate
Translation
And if you are killed in the cause of Allāh or die - then forgiveness from Allāh and mercy are better than whatever they accumulate [in this world].
Tafsir
And if (wa-la-in, the laam is for oaths) you are slain in God's way, in [holy] struggle, or die (read muttum or mittum, from [singular form] maata, yamootu), that is, if death comes to you thereat, forgiveness, that is, from God, for your sins, and mercy, therefor from Him for you (the clause introduced by the laam [of lamaghfiratun, 'forgiveness'] is the response to the oath [clause of la'in], and occupies the place of the verbal action as a subject, the predicate of which [is what follows]) are better than what they amass, in this world (read tajma'oon, 'you amass', or yajma'oon, 'they amass').
"Slumber Overcame the Believers; the Fear that the Hypocrites Suffered
Allah says;
ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّن بَعْدِ الْغَمِّ أَمَنَةً نُّعَاسًا يَغْشَى طَأيِفَةً مِّنكُمْ
Then after the distress, He sent down security for you. Slumber overtook a party of you,
Allah reminds His servants of His favor when He sent down on them tranquility and slumber that overcame them while they were carrying their weapons and feeling distress and grief. In this case, slumber is a favor and carries meanings of calmness and safety. For instance, Allah said in Surah Al-Anfal about the battle of Badr,
إِذْ يُغَشِّيكُمُ النُّعَاسَ أَمَنَةً مِّنْهُ
(Remember) when He covered you with a slumber as a security from Him. (8:11)
Al-Bukhari recorded that Anas said that, Abu Talhah said,
""I was among those who were overcome by slumber during the battle of Uhud. My sword fell from my hand several times and I would pick it up, then it would fall and I would pick it up again.""
Al-Bukhari collected this Hadith in the stories of the battles without a chain of narration, and in the book of Tafsir with a chain of narrators.
At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Al-Hakim recorded from Anas that Abu Talhah said,
""On the day of Uhud, I raised my head and looked around and found that everyone's head was nodding from slumber.""
This is the wording of At-Tirmidhi, who said, ""Hasan Sahih"".
An-Nasa'i also recorded this Hadith from Anas who said that Abu Talhah said,
""I was among those who were overcome by slumber.""
The second group mentioned in the Ayah were the hypocrites who only thought about themselves, for they are the most cowardly people and those least likely to support the truth,
يَظُنُّونَ بِاللّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ ظَنَّ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ
(and thought wrongly of Allah - the thought of ignorance) for they are liars and people who have doubts and evil thoughts about Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored.
Allah said,
ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّن بَعْدِ الْغَمِّ أَمَنَةً نُّعَاسًا يَغْشَى طَأيِفَةً مِّنكُمْ
Then after the distress, He sent down security for you. Slumber overtook a party of you,
the people of faith, certainty, firmness and reliance (on Allah) who are certain that Allah shall give victory to His Messenger and fulfill his objective.
وَطَأيِفَةٌ قَدْ أَهَمَّتْهُمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ
While another party was thinking about themselves,
and they were not overcome by slumber because of their worry, fright and fear.
يَظُنُّونَ بِاللّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ ظَنَّ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ
and thought wrongly of Allah --- the thought of ignorance.
Similarly, Allah said in another statement,
بَلْ ظَنَنْتُمْ أَن لَّن يَنقَلِبَ الرَّسُولُ وَالْمُوْمِنُونَ إِلَى أَهْلِيهِمْ أَبَداً
Nay, but you thought that the Messenger and the believers would never return to their families. (48:12)
This group thought that the idolators achieved ultimate victory, when their forces took the upper hand in battle, and that Islam and its people would perish. This is typical of people of doubt and hesitation, in the event of a hardship, they fall into such evil thoughts.
Allah then described them that,
يَقُولُونَ
they said,
in this situation,
هَل لَّنَا مِنَ الَامْرِ مِن شَيْءٍ
""Have we any part in the affair?""
Allah replied,
قُلْ إِنَّ الَامْرَ كُلَّهُ لِلَّهِ يُخْفُونَ فِي أَنفُسِهِم مَّا لَا يُبْدُونَ لَكَ
Say:""Indeed the affair belongs wholly to Allah.""
They hide within themselves what they dare not reveal to you. Allah exposed their secrets, that is,
يَقُولُونَ لَوْ كَانَ لَنَا مِنَ الَامْرِ شَيْءٌ مَّا قُتِلْنَا هَاهُنَا
saying:""If we had anything to do with the affair, none of us would have been killed here.""
although they tried to conceal this thought from the Messenger of Allah.
Ibn Ishaq recorded that Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr said that Az-Zubayr said,
""I was with the Messenger of Allah when fear intensified and Allah sent sleep to us (during the battle of Uhud).
At that time, every man among us (except the hypocrites) was nodding off. By Allah! As if in a dream, I heard the words of Mu`attib bin Qushayr, `If we had anything to do with the affair, none of us would have been killed here.'
I memorized these words of his, which Allah mentioned later on,
يَقُولُونَ لَوْ كَانَ لَنَا مِنَ الَامْرِ شَيْءٌ مَّا قُتِلْنَا هَاهُنَا
(saying:""If we had anything to do with the affair, none of us would have been killed here.)""
Ibn Abi Hatim collected this Hadith.
Allah the Exalted said,
قُل لَّوْ كُنتُمْ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ لَبَرَزَ الَّذِينَ كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَتْلُ إِلَى مَضَاجِعِهِمْ
Say:""Even if you had remained in your homes, those for whom death was decreed would certainly have gone forth to the place of their death,""
meaning, this is Allah's appointed destiny and a decision that will certainly come to pass, and there is no escaping it.
Allah's statement,
وَلِيَبْتَلِيَ اللّهُ مَا فِي صُدُورِكُمْ وَلِيُمَحَّصَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ
that Allah might test what is in your breasts; and to purify that which was in your hearts,
means, so that He tests you with whatever befell you, to distinguish good from evil and the deeds and statements of the believers from those of the hypocrites.
وَاللّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ
and Allah is All-Knower of what is in the breasts,
and what the hearts conceal.
Some of the Believers Give Flight on the Day of Uhud
Allah then said
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَلَّوْاْ مِنكُمْ يَوْمَ الْتَقَى الْجَمْعَانِ إِنَّمَا اسْتَزَلَّهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ بِبَعْضِ مَا كَسَبُواْ
Those of you who turned back on the day the two hosts met, Shaytan only caused them to err because of some of what they had earned.
because of some of their previous errors.
Indeed, some of the Salaf said,
""The reward of the good deed includes being directed to another good deed that follows it, while the retribution of sin includes committing another sin that follows it.""
Allah then said,
وَلَقَدْ عَفَا اللّهُ عَنْهُمْ
but Allah, indeed, has forgiven them,
their giving flight.
إِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ
surely, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Forbearing.
He forgives sins, pardons and exonerates His creatures.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Shaqiq said,
""Abdur-Rahman bin Awf met Al-Walid bin Uqbah, who said to him, `Why did you desert Uthman, the Leader of the Faithful?'
Abdur-Rahman said, `Tell him that I did not run away during Uhud, remain behind during Badr, nor abandon the Sunnah of Umar.'
Al-Walid told Uthman what Abdur-Rahman said.
Uthman replied, `As for his statement, `I did not run away during Uhud,' how can he blame me for an error that Allah has already forgiven. Allah said,
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَلَّوْاْ مِنكُمْ يَوْمَ الْتَقَى الْجَمْعَانِ إِنَّمَا اسْتَزَلَّهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ بِبَعْضِ مَا كَسَبُواْ وَلَقَدْ عَفَا اللّهُ عَنْهُمْ
Those of you who turned back on the day the two hosts met, Shaytan only caused them to err because of some of what they had earned. But Allah, indeed, has forgiven them.
As for his statement that I remained behind from participating in Badr, I was nursing Ruqayyah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, until she passed away. The Messenger of Allah gave me a share in the booty of Badr, and whoever gets a share in the booty from the Messenger of Allah will have participated in battle.
As for his statement that I abandoned the Sunnah of Umar, neither I nor he are able to endure it. Go and convey this answer to him.""
Prohibiting the Ideas of the Disbeleivers about Death and Predestination
Allah forbids His believing servants from the disbelievers' false creed, seen in their statement about those who died in battle and during travel; ""Had they abandoned these trips, they would not have met their demise.""
Allah said,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ لَا تَكُونُواْ كَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَقَالُواْ لاِخْوَانِهِمْ
O you who believe! Be not like those who disbelieve (hypocrites) and who say to their brethren,
about their dead brethren,
إِذَا ضَرَبُواْ فِي الَارْضِ
when they travel through the earth,
for the purpose of trading and otherwise,
أَوْ كَانُواْ غُزًّى
or go out to fight,
participating in battles,
لَّوْ كَانُواْ عِندَنَا
""If they had stayed with us,""
in our area,
مَا مَاتُواْ وَمَا قُتِلُواْ
""they would not have died or been killed,""
they would not have died while traveling or been killed in battle.
Allah's statement,
لِيَجْعَلَ اللّهُ ذَلِكَ حَسْرَةً فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ
so that Allah may make it a cause of regret in their hearts.
means, Allah creates this evil thought in their hearts so that their sadness and the grief they feel for their loss would increase.
Allah refuted them by saying,
وَاللّهُ يُحْيِـي وَيُمِيتُ
It is Allah that gives life and causes death.
for the creation is under Allah's power, and the decision is His Alone. No one lives or dies except by Allah's leave, and no one's life is increased or decreased except by His decree.
وَاللّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
And Allah is All-Seer of what you do.
for His knowledge and vision encompasses all His creation and none of their affairs ever escapes Him.
Allah's statement,
وَلَيِن قُتِلْتُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ أَوْ مُتُّمْ لَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ اللّهِ وَرَحْمَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ
And if you are killed or die in the way of Allah, forgiveness and mercy from Allah are far better than all that they amass.
indicating that death and martyrdom in Allah's cause are a means of earning Allah's mercy, forgiveness and pleasure.
This, indeed, is better than remaining in this life with its short lived delights. Furthermore, whoever dies or is killed will return to Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored, and He will reward him if he has done good deeds, or will punish him for his evil deeds.
Allah said,
وَلَيِن مُّتُّمْ أَوْ قُتِلْتُمْ لاِلَى الله تُحْشَرُونَ
And whether you die or are killed, verily, unto Allah you shall be gathered."
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