Transliteration:( Iz tus'idoona wa laa talwoona 'alaaa ahadinw war Rasoolu yad'ookum feee ukhraakum fa asaabakum ghammam bighammil likailaa tahzanoo 'alaa maa faatakum wa laa maaa asaabakum; wallaahu khabeerum bimaa ta'maloon )
"Remember when you were going away (fleeing) and did not look back towards anyone [330], while the Messenger [331] was calling you from behind (at Uhud), so Allah rewarded you with sorrow upon sorrow [332], so that you do not grieve [333] over what escaped you (of victory and spoils of war) or over what befell you (of injury and death). And Allah is fully aware of what you do [334].”
When the non-believers at Uhud attacked the Muslims from behind, the Muslims fled from the battlefield out of fear. But the Holy Prophet ﷺ and some of his Noble Companions stood their ground resolutely. They were calling upon the fleeing Muslims to return to the battlefield, but due to fear and agitation, his voice could not reach them. This verse refers to that incident.
Hence, the Battle of Uhud cannot truly be regarded as a defeat for the Muslims. Defeat is only considered real when the General of the Army himself flees from the battlefield—which never happened.
From this, emerge two key points:
The action of the Companions is counted as the action of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, for though the Companions were calling, it is said in the verse that the Messenger was calling.
When verses command not to call anyone besides Allah Almighty, it means not to worship anyone besides Allah. Otherwise, in times of difficulty, it is permissible to seek help from Allah's chosen servants, as was the case in this very incident where help was sought from the Prophet’s companions.
By this, Allah Almighty means that since you grieved Our Prophet, We gave you the sorrow of defeat in return.
From this, emerge three issues:
At times, the mistake of a few can bring hardship to all, as the leaving of the Pass by a group of archers caused the overall setback of the Muslims.
Allah Almighty lovingly reproaches His chosen servants for even their smallest mistake—such as the example of Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him) being censured for a minor error.
Reprimand and worldly trials serve as atonement for them, ensuring they will be fully cleared in the Hereafter.
This declaration of forgiveness served as a balm to your wounded hearts, as in its joy, some of you were martyred, some wounded—yet this reminder helped you forget your sorrow.
By "informed", Allah means He is fully aware of your deeds and intentions. Allah Almighty knew that the Companions who fled from the battlefield did not do so out of evil or selfish intent—rather, it was a momentary lapse, a human error.
The tafsir of Surah Imran verse 153 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Imran ayat 149 which provides the complete commentary from verse 149 through 153.
(3:153) Recall when you were fleeing without casting even a side glance at anyone, and the Messenger was calling out to you from the rear.[110] Then Allah requited you by inflicting grief after grief upon you[111] so as to instruct you neither to grieve for the losses you might suffer nor for the afflictions that might befall you. Allah knows all that you do.
110. When subjected to a sudden two-pronged attack the Muslims scattered; some fled to Madina while others climbed Mount Uhud. Despite this, the Prophet (peace be on him) did not move 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. (See Waqidi, Maghazi, vol. 1, pp. 237, 240 and 241 – Ed.)
111. The ‘grief referred to in this verse had many causes: (i) by the setback the Muslims suffered on the battlefield and by the rumour that the Prophet (peace be on him) had been martyred; (ii) by the fact that a large number of believers had been killed and wounded; and (iii) by the fact that nothing was known about what was happening to the Muslim families left behind in Madina. For it was possible that the enemy was greater in numbers than the total population of Madina, and that it might break through the defences of the battered
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