Surah 3:166
Show Full Scripture Context (3:165-168) — 4 Verses
أَوَلَمَّآ أَصَٰبَتۡكُم مُّصِيبَةٞ قَدۡ أَصَبۡتُم مِّثۡلَيۡهَا قُلۡتُمۡ أَنَّىٰ هَٰذَاۖ قُلۡ هُوَ مِنۡ عِندِ أَنفُسِكُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ
Why, when a smiting smote you – you had already smitten twice (as many in comparison to) it – did you say, ‘How is this?’ Say: ‘You yourselves are to blame. Surely God is powerful over everything.’
وَمَآ أَصَٰبَكُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡتَقَى ٱلۡجَمۡعَانِ فَبِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِيَعۡلَمَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ
What smote you on the day when the two forces met (happened) by the permission of God, so that He might know the (true) believers,
وَلِيَعۡلَمَ ٱلَّذِينَ نَافَقُواْۚ وَقِيلَ لَهُمۡ تَعَالَوۡاْ قَٰتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَوِ ٱدۡفَعُواْۖ قَالُواْ لَوۡ نَعۡلَمُ قِتَالٗا لَّٱتَّبَعۡنَٰكُمۡۗ هُمۡ لِلۡكُفۡرِ يَوۡمَئِذٍ أَقۡرَبُ مِنۡهُمۡ لِلۡإِيمَٰنِۚ يَقُولُونَ بِأَفۡوَٰهِهِم مَّا لَيۡسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا يَكۡتُمُونَ
and that He might know those who played the hypocrite. It was said to them, ‘Come, fight in the way of God, or defend!’ But they said, ‘If we knew (how) to fight, we would indeed follow you.’ They were nearer to disbelief that day than to belief. They were saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts. But God knows what they were concealing –
ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُواْ لِإِخۡوَٰنِهِمۡ وَقَعَدُواْ لَوۡ أَطَاعُونَا مَا قُتِلُواْۗ قُلۡ فَٱدۡرَءُواْ عَنۡ أَنفُسِكُمُ ٱلۡمَوۡتَ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ
those who said of their brothers, when they (themselves) sat (at home), ‘If they had obeyed us, they would not have been killed.’ Say: ‘Avert death from yourselves, if you are truthful.’
Allah said,
{When a single disaster smites you}, in reference to when the Muslims suffered seventy fatalities during the battle of Uhud,
during Badr, when the Muslims killed seventy Mushriks and captured seventy others,
why did this defeat happen to us?
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that 'Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "When Uhud occurred, a year after Badr, Muslims were punished for taking ransom from the disbelievers at Badr [in return for releasing the Mushriks whom they captured in that battle]. Thus, they suffered the loss of seventy fatalities and the Companions of the Messenger of Allah gave flight and abandoned him. The Messenger suffered a broken tooth, the helmet was smashed on his head and blood flowed onto his face. Allah then revealed,
because you took the ransom." Furthermore, Muhammad bin Ishaq, Ibn Jurayj, Ar-Rabi' bin Anas and As-Suddi said that the Ayah,
{Say, "It is from yourselves"} means, because you, the archers, disobeyed the Messenger's command to not abandon your positions.
{And Allah has power over all things.} and He does what He wills and decides what He wills, and there is none who can resist His decision.
Allah then said,
for when you ran away from your enemy, who killed many of you and injured many others, all this occurred by Allah's will and decree out of His perfect wisdom,
who were patient, firm and were not shaken,
{And that He might test the hypocrites, it was said to them: "Come, fight in the way of Allah or defend yourselves." They said: "Had we known that fighting will take place, we would certainly have followed you."} 3:167,
This refers to the Companions of 'Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul who went back (to Al-Madinah) with him before the battle. Some believers followed them and encouraged them to come back and fight, saying,
{or defend}, so that the number of Muslims increases, as Ibn 'Abbas, 'Ikrimah, Sa'id bin Jubayr, Ad-Dahhak, Abu Salih, Al-Hasan and As-Suddi stated. Al-Hasan bin Salih said that this part of the Ayah means, help by supplicating for us, while others said it means, man the posts. However, they refused, saying,
meaning, according to Mujahid, if we knew that you would fight today, we would join you, but we think you will not fight. Allah said,
This Ayah indicates that a person passes through various stages, sometimes being closer to Kufr and sometimes closer to faith, as evident by,
Allah then said,
for they utter what they do not truly believe in, such as,
They knew that there was an army of idolators that came from a far land raging against the Muslims, to avenge their noble men whom the Muslims killed in Badr. These idolators came in larger numbers than the Muslims, so it was clear that a battle will certainly occur. Allah said;
"(They are) the ones who said about their killed brethren while they themselves sat (at home): "If only they had listened to us, they would not have been killed.""
had they listened to our advice and not gone out, they would not have met their demise. Allah said,
meaning, if staying at home saves one from being killed or from death, then you should not die. However death will come to you even if you were hiding in fortified castles. Therefore, fend death off of yourselves, if you are right.
Mujahid said that Jabir bin 'Abdullah said, "This Ayah 3:168 was revealed about 'Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul (the chief hypocrite)."
— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 2, Page 314-317)