4.71 – You who believe! Take your precautions. Go forth in detachments or go forth all together
These commands begin an extended passage that seems to picture a battle scene. The passage continues till verse 104. This is now the third in sequence of the Quran’s long opening sūras that includes a significant battle passage. In the interests of global peaceable coexistence, readers should consider carefully the material in these passages.
The impression that these passages describe battles is not an attempt by non-Muslims to portray Islam in a negative way. Rather, Muslim tradition has linked each of these passages to a particular battle in the story of Islamic origins. In the case of the following verses, Muslim commentaries and narratives have linked them with the “battle of Uḥud.”