Uhud, Battle of Uhud

And [remember] when you, [O Muḥammad], left your family in the morning to post the believers at their stations for the battle [of Uḥud] - and Allāh is Hearing and Knowing -

When two parties among you were about to lose courage, but Allāh was their ally; and upon Allāh the believers should rely.

And already had Allāh given you victory at [the battle of] Badr while you were weak [i.e., few in number]. Then fear Allāh; perhaps you will be grateful.

[Remember] when you said to the believers, "Is it not sufficient for you that your Lord should reinforce you with three thousand angels sent down?

Yes, if you remain patient and conscious of Allāh and they [i.e., the enemy] come upon you [attacking] in rage, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand angels having marks [of distinction]."

And Allāh made it not except as [a sign of] good tidings for you and to reassure your hearts thereby. And victory is not except from Allāh, the Exalted in Might, the Wise -

That He might cut down a section of the disbelievers or suppress them so that they turn back disappointed.

Not for you, [O Muḥammad, but for Allāh], is the decision whether He should [cut them down] or forgive them or punish them, for indeed, they are wrongdoers.

If a wound should touch you - there has already touched the [opposing] people a wound similar to it. And these days [of varying conditions] We alternate among the people so that Allāh may make evident those who believe and [may] take to Himself from among you martyrs - and Allāh does not like the wrongdoers -

And that Allāh may purify the believers [through trials] and destroy the disbelievers.

Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while Allāh has not yet made evident those of you who fight in His cause and made evident those who are steadfast?

And you had certainly wished for death [i.e., martyrdom] before you encountered it, and you have [now] seen it [before you] while you were looking on.

Muḥammad is not but a messenger. [Other] messengers have passed on before him. So if he was to die or be killed, would you turn back on your heels [to unbelief]? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allāh at all; but Allāh will reward the grateful.

And it is not [possible] for one to die except by permission of Allāh at a decree determined. And whoever desires the reward of this world - We will give him thereof; and whoever desires the reward of the Hereafter - We will give him thereof. And We will reward the grateful.

And how many a prophet [fought in battle and] with him fought many religious scholars. But they never lost assurance due to what afflicted them in the cause of Allāh, nor did they weaken or submit. And Allāh loves the steadfast.

And their words were not but that they said, "Our Lord, forgive us our sins and the excess [committed] in our affairs and plant firmly our feet and give us victory over the disbelieving people."

So Allāh gave them the reward of this world and the good reward of the Hereafter. And Allāh loves the doers of good.

O you who have believed, if you obey those who disbelieve, they will turn you back on your heels, and you will [then] become losers.

But Allāh is your protector, and He is the best of helpers.

We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve for what they have associated with Allāh of which He had not sent down [any] authority.¹ And their refuge will be the Fire, and wretched is the residence of the wrongdoers.

And Allāh had certainly fulfilled His promise to you when you were killing them [i.e., the enemy] by His permission until [the time] when you lost courage and fell to disputing about the order [given by the Prophet (ﷺ)] and disobeyed after He had shown you that which you love.¹ Among you are some who desire this world, and among you are some who desire the Hereafter. Then He turned you back from them [defeated] that He might test you. And He has already forgiven you, and Allāh is the possessor of bounty for the believers.

[Remember] when you [fled and] climbed [the mountain] without looking aside at anyone while the Messenger was calling you from behind. So Allāh repaid you with distress upon distress so you would not grieve for that which had escaped you [of victory and spoils of war] or [for] that which had befallen you [of injury and death]. And Allāh is [fully] Aware of what you do.

Then after distress, He sent down upon you security [in the form of] drowsiness, overcoming a faction of you, while another faction worried about themselves, thinking of Allāh other than the truth - the thought of ignorance, saying, "Is there anything for us [to have done] in this matter?" Say, "Indeed, the matter belongs completely to Allāh." They conceal within themselves what they will not reveal to you. They say, "If there was anything we could have done in the matter, we [i.e., some of us] would not have been killed right here." Say, "Even if you had been inside your houses, those decreed to be killed would have come out to their death beds." [It was] so that Allāh might test what is in your breasts and purify what is in your hearts. And Allāh is Knowing of that within the breasts.

Indeed, those of you who turned back on the day the two armies met [at Uḥud] - it was Satan who caused them to slip because of some [blame] they had earned. But Allāh has already forgiven them. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Forbearing.

O you who have believed, do not be like those who disbelieved and said about their brothers when they traveled through the land or went out to fight, "If they had been with us, they would not have died or have been killed," so Allāh makes that [misconception] a regret within their hearts. And it is Allāh who gives life and causes death, and Allāh is Seeing of what you do.

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].

And whether you die or are killed, unto Allāh you will be gathered.

So by mercy from Allāh, [O Muḥammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allāh. Indeed, Allāh loves those who rely [upon Him].

If Allāh should aid you, no one can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him? And upon Allāh let the believers rely.

It is not [attributable] to any prophet that he would act unfaithfully [in regard to war booty]. And whoever betrays, [taking unlawfully], will come with what he took on the Day of Resurrection. Then will every soul be [fully] compensated for what it earned, and they will not be wronged.

So is one who pursues the pleasure of Allāh like one who brings upon himself the anger of Allāh and whose refuge is Hell? And wretched is the destination.

They are [varying] degrees in the sight of Allāh, and Allāh is Seeing of whatever they do.

Certainly did Allāh confer [great] favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book [i.e., the Qur’ān] and wisdom,¹ although they had been before in manifest error.

Why [is it that] when a [single] disaster struck you [on the day of Uḥud], although you had struck [the enemy in the battle of Badr] with one twice as great, you said, "From where is this?" Say, "It is from yourselves [i.e., due to your sin]." Indeed, Allāh is over all things competent.

And what struck you on the day the two armies met [at Uḥud] was by permission of Allāh that He might make evident the [true] believers

And that He might make evident those who are hypocrites. For it was said to them, "Come, fight in the way of Allāh or [at least] defend." They said, "If we had known [there would be] battle, we would have followed you." They were nearer to disbelief that day than to faith, saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts. And Allāh is most knowing of what they conceal -

Those who said about their brothers while sitting [at home], "If they had obeyed us, they would not have been killed." Say, "Then prevent death from yourselves, if you should be truthful."

And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allāh as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision,

Rejoicing in what Allāh has bestowed upon them of His bounty, and they receive good tidings about those [to be martyred] after them who have not yet joined them - that there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.

They receive good tidings of favor from Allāh and bounty and [of the fact] that Allāh does not allow the reward of believers to be lost -

Those [believers] who responded to Allāh and the Messenger after injury had struck them. For those who did good among them and feared Allāh is a great reward -

Those to whom people [i.e., hypocrites] said, "Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them." But it [merely] increased them in faith, and they said, "Sufficient for us is Allāh, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs."¹

So they returned with favor from Allāh and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allāh, and Allāh is the possessor of great bounty.

That is only Satan who frightens [you] of his supporters. So fear them not, but fear Me, if you are [indeed] believers.

And do not be grieved, [O Muḥammad], by those who hasten into disbelief. Indeed, they will never harm Allāh at all. Allāh intends that He should give them no share in the Hereafter, and for them is a great punishment.

Indeed, those who purchase disbelief [in exchange] for faith - never will they harm Allāh at all, and for them is a painful punishment.

And let not those who disbelieve ever think that [because] We extend their time [of enjoyment] it is better for them. We only extend it for them so that they may increase in sin, and for them is a humiliating punishment.

Allāh would not leave the believers in that [state] you are in [presently] until He separates the evil from the good. Nor would Allāh reveal to you the unseen. But [instead], Allāh chooses of His messengers whom He wills, so believe in Allāh and His messengers. And if you believe and fear Him, then for you is a great reward.

And let not those who [greedily] withhold what Allāh has given them of His bounty ever think that it is better for them. Rather, it is worse for them. Their necks will be encircled by what they withheld on the Day of Resurrection. And to Allāh belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth. And Allāh, of what you do, is [fully] Aware.