3-172 Those who responded to the call of Allah and the Messenger after the misfortune had befallen them — for such among them who do good and keep their duty is a great reward.
الَّذينَ استَجابوا لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسولِ مِن بَعدِ ما أَصابَهُمُ القَرحُ ۚ لِلَّذينَ أَحسَنوا مِنهُم وَاتَّقَوا أَجرٌ عَظيمٌ (۱۷۲)
3-172a: The incident which is referred to in this verse is known as Hamra al-Asad. The very next day after the battle of Uhad, the Holy Prophet announced that they would be going in pursuit of the enemy. Accordingly, all those Muslims who could go joined the expedition. When the homeward bound Makkan army under Abu Sufyan reached a place called Ruhah, they started to reproach each other that they had neither killed Muhammad (PBUH), nor did they have any prisoners of war. They began talking about returning and destroying the Muslims, but they were still in the consultation phase when they got news that the Muslims were coming in their pursuit. They were so overawed by this that they broke camp and returned to Makkah. The Holy Prophet with the Muslim force went in pursuit till Hamra al-Asad, a place about three miles from Madinah but when the Holy Prophet learned that the Makkan army, on its way home, had put a lot of distance between them, he returned back. This verse is a testimony to the courage of the Holy Prophet and his Companions. Despite having suffered greatly at the hands of the enemy, they still went in pursuit of the enemy.
The wording used here is: الَّذينَ استَجابوا لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسولِ (Those who respond to the call of Allah and the Messenger) although it was only the Holy Prophet who had given the call to pursue the enemy. However, in accordance with the spirit of the Quran, obedience to the call of the Holy Prophet is obedience to Allah, hence the words used are لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسولِ rather than just الرَّسولِ.
3-173 Those to whom men said: Surely people have gathered against you, so fear them; but this increased their faith, and they said: Allah is sufficient for us and He is an excellent Guardian.
الَّذينَ قالَ لَهُمُ النّاسُ إِنَّ النّاسَ قَد جَمَعوا لَكُم فَاخشَوهُم فَزادَهُم إيمانًا وَقالوا حَسبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعمَ الوَكيلُ (۱۷۳)
3-173a: جَمَعوا لَكُم – The object is understood, that is جَمَعوا الجموع have gathered a force.
حَسبُنَا اللَّهُ – حَسۡبُ – It is used in the sense of sufficient. حَسبُنَا اللَّهُ means Allah is sufficient for us, and فَحَسبُھم جَهَنَّم means hell is sufficient for them.
Before departing from the battlefield of Uhad, Abu Sufyan shouted loudly, “O Muhammad! There will be a battle next year between us and you at Badr al-Sughra”. Next year Abu Sufyan set out from Makkah along with his compatriots but when he reached Mehr al-Zehran, he lost his courage and decided to return. In the meantime, he met with Nuaim ibn Masud Ashjahi and told him, “I had promised Muhammad that next year we will battle at Badr al-Sughra. However, there is a drought, and we wish to return, but we are afraid that this will encourage the Muslims as they will think that we do not have the power to confront them. So I want you to go to Madinah and frighten the Muslims so that they do not come out to battle us. I will give you ten camels for doing this.” Accordingly, Nuaim came to Madinah and found the Muslims getting ready for the expedition. He told the Muslims to desist because the Makkans had caused considerable loss to them and this year they will be coming with even greater preparation. The Muslims paid no heed to his warning and said: حَسبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعمَ الوَكيلُ. Accordingly, the Muslims reached Badr Sughra where a trading fair was held by the tribe of Bani Kanana. Muslims traded there and benefitted from the trading. Since the Quraish did not come, there was no fighting. When Abu Sufyan reached back to Makkah, the denizens of Makkah named the expedition as جیش السویق the barley water drinking expedition, that is it was an expedition only to drink barley water. Muslims call it the battle of Badr Sughra.
3-174 So they returned with favour from Allah and (His) grace; no evil touched them, and they followed the pleasure of Allah. And Allah is the Lord of mighty grace.a
فَانقَلَبوا بِنِعمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَفَضلٍ لَم يَمسَسهُم سوءٌ وَاتَّبَعوا رِضوانَ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ ذو فَضلٍ عَظيمٍ (۱۷۴)
3-174a: This verse mentions the return from the battle of Badr Sughra. The favor and grace refers to the trading profits from the fair in which the Muslims participated as a result of the expedition. لَم يَمسَسهُم سوءٌ indicates that they suffered no discomfort because there was no fighting. They followed the pleasure of Allah because they disregarded the warning of a large force arrayed against them and gave priority to pleasing Allah over their own life and wealth.
3-175 It is the devil who only frightens his friends, but fear them not, and fear Me, if you are believers.
إِنَّما ذٰلِكُمُ الشَّيطانُ يُخَوِّفُ أَولِياءَهُ فَلا تَخافوهُم وَخافونِ إِن كُنتُم مُؤمِنينَ (۱۷۵)
3-175a: ذٰلِكُمُ الشَّيطانُ – The reference in the use of the term الشَّيطانُ is to Nuaim or to the delegation of Abd Qais and ذٰلِكُمُ points to this. Some have taken this to mean the actual Satan.
يُخَوِّفُ أَولِياءَهُ – This can be interpreted in two ways: يُخَوِّفُکم باولِياءَهٗ (so that the first object is understood) and the meaning would be frightens you from his friends and companions, that is frightens the Muslims that the unbeliever’s force is very large. The same threat is expressed elsewhere: وَيُخَوِّفونَكَ بِالَّذينَ مِن دونِهِ (And they seek to frighten thee with those besides Him) (39:36). The other interpretation can be that by أَولِياءَ are meant those people who did not go out to battle out of the fear of a large enemy force, or in other words these were the hypocrites. The meaning then becomes that Satan can frighten his friends, the hypocrites, but not so the believers who are unafraid.
3-176 And let not those grieve thee who run into disbelief precipitately; surely they can do no harm to Allah. Allah intends not to assign them any portion in the Hereafter; and for them is a grievous chastisement.
وَلا يَحزُنكَ الَّذينَ يُسارِعونَ فِي الكُفرِ ۚ إِنَّهُم لَن يَضُرُّوا اللَّهَ شَيئًا ۗ يُريدُ اللَّهُ أَلّا يَجعَلَ لَهُم حَظًّا فِي الآخِرَةِ ۖ وَلَهُم عَذابٌ عَظيمٌ (۱۷۶)
3-176a: الَّذينَ يُسارِعونَ فِي الكُفرِ – The description fits the hypocrites who were inclined towards disbelief and the words in the next verse: اشتَرَوُا الكُفرَ بِالإيمانِ (buy disbelief at the price of faith) (3:177) also fits the description of hypocrites. Muslims are consoled that they will not be harmed by the plans of the hypocrites. By لَن يَضُرُّوا اللَّهَ شَيئًا are meant the friends of Allah.
Allah’s intention not to assign the hypocrites any portion in the Hereafter is the result of their actions and their strong inclination towards disbelief. On top of this, they participated in planning and other mischief to destroy Islam. It is for this reason that Allah’s decree was issued against them that they have no portion in the Hereafter.
3-177 Those who buy disbelief at the price of faith can do no harm to Allah, and for them is a painful chastisement.
إِنَّ الَّذينَ اشتَرَوُا الكُفرَ بِالإيمانِ لَن يَضُرُّوا اللَّهَ شَيئًا وَلَهُم عَذابٌ أَليمٌ (۱۷۷)
3-178 And let not those who disbelieve think that our granting them respite is good for themselves. We grant them respite only that they may add to their sins; and for them is an humiliating chastisement.
وَلا يَحسَبَنَّ الَّذينَ كَفَروا أَنَّما نُملي لَهُم خَيرٌ لِأَنفُسِهِم ۚ إِنَّما نُملي لَهُم لِيَزدادوا إِثمًا ۚ وَلَهُم عَذابٌ مُهينٌ (۱۷۸)
3-178a: نُملي – It is derived from ملا . A long time is called مَلاوَۃٌ من الدھر or مِلیٌّ من الدھر (R), as in: وَاهجُرني مَلِيًّا (And leave me for a time) (19:46). From this, the meaning of املاء is to give respite or give time.
لِيَزدادوا إِثمًا – The use of لام in the sense of the final outcome or in the end is extensive in the Quran. It is called لام عاقبت. An example from elsewhere in the Quran is: فَالتَقَطَهُ آلُ فِرعَونَ لِيَكونَ لَهُم عَدُوًّا وَحَزَنًا (So Pharaoh’s people took him up that he might be an enemy and grief for them (28:8). It was not the object of Pharaoh’s wife in taking the child that he should be their enemy. They wanted to adopt the child as a son or to get some benefit from him: عَسىٰ أَن يَنفَعَنا أَو نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَدًا (maybe he will be useful to us, or we may take him for a son) (28:9). However, ultimately he did become their enemy. Another example from the Quran is: جَعَلوا لِلَّهِ أَندادًا لِيُضِلّوا عَن سَبيلِهِ (And they set up equals with Allah to lead astray from His path) (14:30). The objective here was to gain nearness to Allah, as stated elsewhere: ما نَعبُدُهُم إِلّا لِيُقَرِّبونا إِلَى اللَّهِ (We serve them only that they may bring us nearer to Allah (39:3). So, the meaning of لِيُضِلّوا is that these actions ultimately lead one astray. The mention elsewhere of: أَوَلَم نُعَمِّركُم ما يَتَذَكَّرُ فيهِ مَن تَذَكَّرَ (Did We not give you a life long enough , for him to be mindful who would mind?) (35:37). This shows that the life span that Allah gives is so that a person may be mindful. So the لام in لِيَزدادوا إِثمًا can only be لام عاقبت , and the meaning is the result of giving them respite. Some have suggested that this is لام for تعلیل or justification but the end result as far as the meaning is concerned is the same as for لام عاقبت .
In the battle of Uhad, the unbelievers escaped a truly positive punishment and so they thought that they had succeeded, This verse states that this is only a respite. If they use this respite for their benefit, it would be beneficial for them, but if they use this respite to further their mischief and plan more trouble, the result of this respite would be that they would only increase their inventory of evil and the time may come for their punishment. What is this punishment? It is a clear calamity or a disgraceful and painful punishment. Accordingly, the Makkans were ultimately disgraced and brought before the Holy Prophet, vanquished and helpless.
3-179 Allah will not leave the believers in the condition in which you are until He separates the evil from the good.a Nor is Allah going to make you acquainted with the unseen, but Allah chooses of His messengers whom He pleases. So believe in Allah and His messengers. And if you believe and keep your duty, you will have a great reward.b
ما كانَ اللَّهُ لِيَذَرَ المُؤمِنينَ عَلىٰ ما أَنتُم عَلَيهِ حَتّىٰ يَميزَ الخَبيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ ۗ وَما كانَ اللَّهُ لِيُطلِعَكُم عَلَى الغَيبِ وَلٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَجتَبي مِن رُسُلِهِ مَن يَشاءُ ۖ فَآمِنوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ ۚ وَإِن تُؤمِنوا وَتَتَّقوا فَلَكُم أَجرٌ عَظيمٌ (۱۷۹)
3-179a: يَميزَ – The meaning of ميز and يَميزَ is الفَصۡلُ بین المتشابھت (to separate things that appear similar) (R).
الطَّيِّبِ – طیب is from طاب for which see 2-58a. A طیب person is one who is free from ignorance, sinfulness and evil actions and is beautified by knowledge, faith and good actions (R), as in: تَتَوَفّاهُمُ المَلائِكَةُ طَيِّبينَ (angels cause to die in purity) (16:32) and سَلامٌ عَلَيكُم طِبتُم from Thee a goodly offspring) (3:38). The opposite of this is خَبيثَ who is a person with false beliefs, is a liar and commits evil actions. See note 2-268a.
The need for trials and tribulations: This verse explains why pious people are put through hard trials. Allah cannot just be made happy with verbal talk because some of the talkers may be genuine and others not, or some may be pious and other hypocrites. In order to separate them into distinct groups, they are put through hard trials. The genuine believers are steadfast and faithful in their belief while the hypocrites falter. It is for this reason that Allah tries the people to separate the good from the wicked.
ما أَنتُم عَلَيهِ – The addresses in ما أَنتُم عَلَيهِ are the hypocrites because it was they who objected why they are put through trials and because they panicked whenever some difficulty arose.
3-179b: يَجتَبي – The meaning of جبیت الماء is I collected water in the tank and for this reason, a tank or cistern is called جابیة and its plural is جواب . An example is جِفانٍ كَالجَوابِ (bowls (large) as watering-troughs) (34:13). The meaning of اِجۡتِباء is الجمع علےٰ طریق الاصطفاء (R) that is, to collect by way of selection. The meaning of اجتباء in the context of Allah’s selection of His servants is that He chooses to make special, purely as a blessing and without any effort on the servant’s part, one from whom many different blessings can be obtained, and this is reserved for prophets and for some people from the truthful and faithful ones who obtain nearness to Him (R).
Why every person does not receive revelation: When it is stated that Allah puts people through trials so that believers can reach the peak of their excellence, a question that arises is that if the objective is to reach excellence, then why does Allah not inform one about the unseen, that is, about the ways of His pleasure so that one can walk in these ways and achieve excellence. The question then becomes why does revelation not come to everyone individually so that one can achieve excellence. The response given to this line of questioning is that the majesty of Allah’s holiness precludes a direct connection with impure souls. It is first essential to purify oneself and to do this the system He has put in place is that He chooses a Messenger, without any effort on the part of the chosen one, and through Divine beneficence the Messenger purifies others. This is exactly as stated elsewhere: لَن نُؤمِنَ حَتّىٰ نُؤتىٰ مِثلَ ما أوتِيَ رُسُلُ اللَّهِ (We will not believe till we are given the like of that which Allah’s messengers are given) (6:124). The response given to this there is the same as given here: اللَّهُ أَعلَمُ حَيثُ يَجعَلُ رِسالَتَهُ (Allah best knows where to place His message) (6:124). This is the reason why immediately after: يَجتَبي مِن رُسُلِهِ مَن يَشاءُ , it is stated: فَآمِنوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ , that is, this is the way you can achieve excellence. The meaning here is not that Allah does not tell you the names of the hypocrites but does tell you the names of His Messengers.
3-180 And let not those who are niggardly in spending that which Allah has granted them out of His grace, think that it is good for them. Nay, it is evil for them. They shall have a collar of their niggardliness on their necks on the Resurrection day. And Allah’s is the heritage of the heavens and the earth. And Allah is Aware of what you do.a
وَلا يَحسَبَنَّ الَّذينَ يَبخَلونَ بِما آتاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضلِهِ هُوَ خَيرًا لَهُم ۖ بَل هُوَ شَرٌّ لَهُم ۖ سَيُطَوَّقونَ ما بَخِلوا بِهِ يَومَ القِيامَةِ ۗ وَلِلَّهِ ميراثُ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِما تَعمَلونَ خَبيرٌ (۱۸۰)
3-180a: يَبخَلونَ – بُخۡل – It is the opposite of جُود meaning generous, and the meaning of بُخۡل is to stop spending your wealth from where it is not appropriate to stop (R).
يُطَوَّقونَ – طَوۡق is something that is put around the neck regardless of whether it is by birth such as the ring around the neck of a pigeon or is put physically such as a worn necklace. The meaning of يُطَوَّقونَ is that a collar would be put around their neck (R). This is a metaphorical statement, and this is supported by a hadith: یاتی اَحَد کم یوم القیامة شُجاعٌ اقرعُ لهٗ زَبِیۡبَتَانِ فیتطَوَّق به فیقول انا الذکوٰۃ التی منعتنی the reference here to becoming a collar is metaphorical (R). In actual fact the Quran has expressed the effect of deeds to be bound to the neck: وَكُلَّ إِنسانٍ أَلزَمناهُ طائِرَهُ في عُنُقِهِ (And We have made every man’s actions to cling to his neck) (17:13). Just as all other actions become a collar around a person’s neck, so too will niggardliness become a collar around a person’s neck. The meaning of such statements is not that all the wealth with regard to which a person was niggardly will be collected and put as a necklace around his neck. The purport is that he will have to face the consequences of his actions.
ميراثُ – It is derived from ورث . The meaning of وراثة and اِرۡث is the transfer of wealth from one person to another without any agreement or an act that is a substitute for an agreement (R). For this reason, the word is used for inheritance obtained from the death of a person. Wealth that is shifted is called ميراثُ and اِرۡث in the sense of heritage is derived from it, as in the saying of the Holy Prophet: فانکم علی اِرثِ اَبِیۡکُم (You are of the same heritage as your father) (R). Similarly, the word وارث is spoken of a thing that one obtains without any effort or hard work. Allah has spoken about Himself as وارث because everything will return to Him (R). It is in that sense that the word ميراثُ is used here. In a similar vein, it is stated elsewhere: وَنَحنُ الوارِثونَ (and We are the Inheritors) (15:23).
Bayan-ul-Quran 