3. Surah Aal-i-Imraan

In verse 110, it was said that among the people of the Book there are those who believe, yet most of them are disbelievers. Details appear in the present verse which gives a complementary profile of those who believed from among the people of the Book, and by becoming Muslims, they adopted the distinguishing hallmarks of the Faith that go to make believers the best of communities. Soon after praising those who had embraced Islam from among the people of the Book, the text censures those of them who did not embrace Islam and insisted on retaining their stance of disbelief, not realizing that their wealth and their children will be unable to save them from the punishment of Allah and Hell shall be their eternal abode. Verse 117 declares through a similitude that disbelievers simply waste what they spend in this worldly life, for belief in Islam is a pre-condition in order that such spendings be acceptable with Allah, of whatever sort they may be. The similitude stresses the fact that disbelievers inflict this injustice upon themselves when their spendings go to waste in this world and remain rewardless in the Hereafter. If they were not to wrong themselves, if they were to embrace Islam, they would have been like other Muslims who, on suffering a worldly loss, are compensated by Allah through reward and forgiveness of sins, as reported in ahadith.

Commentary These verses were revealed in a particular background. There were Jewish settlements around Madinah. They had old friendly ties with the tribes of Aws and Khazraj. Individuals from these tribes were also on friendly terms with other individuals from the Jewish settlements. In their tribal capacity too, Aws and Khazraj were to the Jews their neighbours and allies. When these two tribes embraced Islam, they continued to maintain their old ties with them. Individuals from these tribes saw no problems in meeting their old Jewish friends with the same love and sincerity. But, Jews were so hostile to the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the religion brought by him that they were unwilling to be sincere and loving to anyone who had said yes to the prophetic call and had embraced Islam. So, they outwardly went along with the same old relationships with'the Ansars of Madinah, but inwardly they had turned into their enemies. The apparent friendship they had allowed to remain became their cover which they utilized in their sinster efforts to foment trouble among Muslims so that their unity could be disintegrated. They even went to the limit of banking on this feigned friendship with Muslims to find out their organizational secrets and pass them on to the enemies. It is this hypocritical behaviour of theirs which Allah Almighty has asked Muslims to guard against. We have been given an important rule of conduct when it was said: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا بِطَانَةً مِّن دُونِكُمْ 0 those who believe, do not take anyone as insider but from your own selves. The word, بِطَانَةً bitanah used here means a friend, confidant, one with whom secrets are shared. The lining or inside part of a dress which stays close to the body is also known as بِطَانَةً bitanah. Derived from بِطَنَ batn (inside), it is used in everything opposed to ظھر zahr (outside). That which is outside is ظھر zahr and that which is inside is بِطَنَ batn. In garments, the outer part is ظھارہ ziharah and the inner part touching the body such as a lining is called بِطَانَةً bitanah. [ There is an expression in English - 'hand in glove'- which comes close to this sense, even if partly. It means 'to be on very intimate terms'.] Similarly, the expression, bitanatu-th'thawb (بِطَانَةً الثوب) lends the metaphor of friend, confidant, one who comes to know internal secrets and that is how the word, بِطَانَةً bitanah is used to carry that sense. The well-known, and quite reliable lexicon of Arabic, لسان العرب Lisan al-Arab explains بِطَانَةً bitanah as follows: بظانۃ الرجل صاحب سرہ و داخلۃ امرہ الذی یش اورہ فی احوالہ It means that a person's بِطَانَةً bitanah is one who knows his secrets, has access to his affairs in which he seeks his advice. Raghib al-Isfahani (رح) in his Mufradat and al-Qurtubi (رح) in his Tafsir have given the same meaning. (The word, بِطَانَةً 'bitanah', translated here as 'insider' is an effort to cover some of these important shades of meaning.) So, it has been enjoined upon Muslims through this verse that they should not take persons other than those from their own community as confidants and advisers, in a way that leads one into spilling the sensitive secrets of one's own government, community or state. No doubt, under the shade of its universal mercy, Islam has given unusual instructions to Muslims in order that they treat non-Muslims with compassion, goodwill, beneficence, kindliness and tolerance, and not leaving it at that, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has put these in actual practice in all affairs concerning non-Muslims. But, at the same time, and in perfect wisdom, binding instructions were given so as to make sure that the organized body of Muslims and its particular hall-marks stay protected. A Muslim cannot be permitted to go beyond a certain limit when developing or promoting relations (unilateral, bilateral or multi-lateral) with those who disbelieve in or practice hostility against the Law of Islam. This is so because such an action throws the doors of harm and danger open both for the individuals and the community. This arrangement is clear, reasonable, appropriate, and very necessary to give secure frontiers to the individuals as well as to the Muslim state. About non-Muslims resident in Islamic states or those tied with Muslims through a treaty, the teachings of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his most emphatic instructions for their protection are all part of the Islamic law. The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said: من آذی ذمیا فانا خصمہ و من کنت خصمہ خصمتہ یوم القیامہ Whoever harms a Dhimmi (protected non-Muslim), I shall be his opponent on the Day of Judgment and I always defeat the one whom I oppose. (Reported by Ibn Masud) In another hadith, he said : منعنی رَبِّی ان اظلم معاھدا ولا غیرہ My Lord has prohibited me to wrong the one protected by a treaty, or anyone other than him. (narrated by Sayyidna ` AIi ؓ ) In yet another hadith, he said: الا من ظلم معاھداً او انتقصہ او کلفہ فوق طاقتہ او اخذ منہ شیٔاً بغیر طیب نفس منہ فَاَنَا حجیجہ یوم القیامہ Beware, whoever wrongs a non-Muslim protected by treaty, or usurps his right, or obligates him to do what is beyond his power, or takes from him something without his genuine consent, then, I shall be the advocate for him (the said non-Muslim) on the Day of Judgment. Side by side with these concessions and considerations for non-Muslims, instructions were given to Muslims that they should protect their distinct group cohesion by not trusting enemies of Islam and Muslims with their secrets. Ibn Abi Hatim ؓ narrates that Sayyidna ` Umar ibn Al-Khattab ؓ was asked to appoint a young non-Muslim as the chief manager and scribe in his office since he was very good at that. Thereupon, he said: قد اتخذت اذا بطانۃ من دون المؤمنین If I were to take him in, in that case, I will be taking an insider from among non-Muslims (which is against the Qur'anic authority). Imam al-Qurtubi (رح) ، famous scholar and commentator of the fifth century says, with marked pensive longing, that contravention of this teaching of the Qur'an has produced evil results for Muslims: وقد انقلبت الاحوال فی ھذہ الازمان باتخاذ اھل الکتب کتبۃ و امنآء و تسودوا بذلک عند جھلۃ الاغنیاء من الولاۃ و الاُمرآء Things have so changed these days that Jews and Christians were trusted with secrets and considered trustworthy through which they were able to prevail over the ignorant rich, the rulers and the chiefs. Even today, in a state established under a particular ideology, a person who does not subscribe to this ideology cannot be admitted into the inner echelons of power as a confidant. In Russia and China, a person who does not believe in communism is not given any responsible office or, farther still, trusted with state secrets. A close study of the decline of Muslim states would reveal several reasons behind it. One of the oft-repeated ones will be that Muslims had entrusted their sensitive affairs in the hands of non-Muslim confidants. This policy was an active factor in the decline of the Ottoman Caliphate as well. The reason why this command has been given is explained soon after. Starting from لَا يَأْلُونَكُمْ خَبَالًا (they would spare no effort to do you mischief) and ending at إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ (provided that you understand), the text warns Muslims that they should not take anyone other than their own Muslim brothers as insiders on their affairs, for no other group, be they Jews, Christians, hypocrites or other disbelievers, could be their genuine well-wishers. Contrary to that, they are always on the lookout for opportunities to hoodwink and hurt them materially and spiritually. They are always plotting to harm them in this worldly life as well as to take them away from the enjoined pursuits of their Faith. All this is what the Muslims can see for themselves, but the venom that lies hidden in their hearts is far too fatal. However there are times when they are enraged with their deceptive cool front thrown off and the fangs of their deep hostility become clearly visible. Why would an intelligent person take such people as his confidant? Allah Almighty has pointed out who they are and what has to be done about them. Now it is upto him who understands what is involved here. The sentence وَدُّوا مَا عَنِتُّمْ ; (they want you to be in trouble) is a perfect mirror of the mentality of disbelievers. Here, the in-depth teaching is that no non-Muslim can ever be the real friend and well-wisher of Muslims.

After that, in verse هَا أَنتُمْ أُولَاءِ تُحِبُّونَهُمْ ; Muslims have been told that it is certainly strange that you go about loving them as friends, yet they are no friends of yours. Indeed, they are your worst enemies. Still more unusual is the situation because you believe in all Scriptures without any reservations as to the people they address, the time when they were sent down and the prophet they were revealed to. Contrary to this, they do not accept your Book and your Prophet ﷺ . Their belief in their own Books is not correct either. Given this state of affairs it would have been expected that they should have been affectionate towards you and you should have been the ones to give them a cold shoulder. But, what is happening here is just the reverse of what it should have been.'

The mentality of disbelievers has been further clarified by saying: إِن تَمْسَسْكُمْ حَسَنَةٌ in the first part of verse 120 which has been translated as, 'if something good happens to you, it annoys them and if something evil befalls you, they are delighted with it.' How can Muslims remain protected against the aftermath of sinister moves of the hypocrites and the deadly hostility of opponents? For this, a simple and effective prescription was suggested in: وَإِن تَصْبِرُ‌وا وَتَتَّقُوا لَا يَضُرُّ‌كُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْئًا ۗ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ ﴿120﴾ And if you keep patience and fear Allah, their cunning shall not harm you at all. Surely, Allah is All-Encompassing of what they do. Sabr صبر and تقوی Taqwa: Panacea for Muslims The Holy Qur'an has prescribed Sabr (patience, endurance) and Taqwa (fear of Allah) as an effective measure against all hardships. This elemental teaching has been conveyed to Muslims not only here but also at many other places in the Qur'an. For instance, in the section that follows immediately, it has been said: بَلَىٰ ۚ إِن تَصْبِرُ‌وا وَتَتَّقُوا وَيَأْتُوكُم مِّن فَوْرِ‌هِمْ هَـٰذَا يُمْدِدْكُمْ رَ‌بُّكُم بِخَمْسَةِ آلَافٍ مِّنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مُسَوِّمِينَ ﴿125﴾ Why not? If you stay patient and fear Allah and they come upon you in this heat of theirs, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand of the angels having distinct marks. (3:125) Here, the promise of divine help has been made conditional upon Sabr and Taqwa-. In Sarah Yusuf, it has been said: إِنَّهُ مَن يَتَّقِ وَيَصْبِرْ‌ Whoever fears Allah and keeps patience ... (12:90) Here too, prosperity and success have been tied with Sabr and Taqwa. Towards the end of this very Surah, Sabr is being proposed in the following words: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اصْبِرُ‌وا وَصَابِرُ‌وا وَرَ‌ابِطُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿200﴾ O those who believe, be patient, be more patient than others, and guard your frontiers, and fear Allah so that you may be successful. (3:200) Once again, prosperity and success have been made dependent on Sabr and Taqwa. The two words, Sabr and Taqwa, though looking like a short title, are nevertheless very comprehensive. They contain within themselves a successful rule for all aspects of individual and collective life as well as public, government and military affairs. The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said, as narrated by Sayyidna Abu Dharr ؓ عن ابی ذر قال : قال رسول اللہ ﷺ انی لاعلم ایۃ لواخذ الناس بھا لکفتھم ۔ ومن یتق اللہ یجعل لہ مخرجا۔ الایہ (رواہ احمد) I know a verse which, if people were to take to it, would suffice them. And that is: And whoever fears Allah, for him He shall make a way out (of the difficulties) - 65:2.

Sequence In the previous verses, it was said that no power could harm Muslims if they observed patience and fear of Allah (sabr and Taqwa ). Now, the temporary setback faced by Muslims during the battle of Uhud was due to their failure to observe these rules of conduct fully. The present verses remind Muslims of what happened during the battle of Uhud, and also, of their victory at the battle of Badr. Commentary: Before we proceed to explain these verses, it is appropriate that we have before us a sequence of events that came to pass at Uhud. The background of the Battle of Uhud: It was the month of Ramadan, Hijrah year 2, when the Quraysh army and Muslim mujahidin fought a battle at Badr in which 70 well-known kuffar (disbelievers) of Makkah were killed and an equal number was taken prisoners. This defeat, disastrous and disgraceful as it was, and really the first installment of Divine punishment, incensed the Quraysh; their search for revenge knew no bounds. The relatives of Quraysh chiefs who were killed at Badr, appealing to the traditional Arab pride, resolved that they would not rest until they have avenged their defeat at Badr at the hands of the Muslims. They proposed to Makkans that the sale proceeds from things brought in by their trade caravan from Syria should be spent on nothing but this war so that they can avenge the slaying of their comrades by Muhammad ﷺ and his companions. To this, everybody agreed and it was in the Hijrah year 3 that the Quraysh, along with several other tribes as well, marched out to mount an attack on Madinah. The invading force included even women so that they could appeal to the sense of honour their men had and implore them not to retreat, if they ever did. When this armed force of three thousand strong, all laced with weapons and other logistics, pitched up its tents near the mountain of Uhud, about three or four miles outside Madinah, the Holy Prophet ﷺ went into consultation with Muslims. In his blessed opinion, warding off the enemy by staying in Madinah was easy and more likely to succeed. This was the first time that the leader of the hypocrites, ` Abdullah ibn Ubayy, who outwardly went along with Muslims, was asked to give his opinion, which turned out to be the same as that of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . But, some zealous Muslims, who were unable to take part in the Badr encounter and were intensely eager to lay down their lives in the cause of Islam, insisted that they should go out and fight the enemy in the open so that the enemy does not take them to be cowards. To this, the majority turned. In the meantime, the Holy Prophet ﷺ went to his house and when he came out, he had his armour on. At that point of time, some people thought that they had forced him, against his opinion, to lead the fight outside Madinah in the open. Realizing what they did was wrong, they submitted to him that he could act according to his opinion and stay in Madinah. The answer was: 'It does not behoove a prophet, once he has put on his armour and taken up his arms, to put them off without fighting.' This one sentence is sufficient to clarify the difference between a prophet and a non-prophet. A prophet cannot show weakness in that capacity. Then, here lies a lesson for the community as well. When the Holy Prophet ﷺ left Madinah on his way to confront the enemy, he had about a thousand men with him, but the hypocrite ` Abdullah ibn Ubayy broke off enroute with about three hundred men, saying: 'When my advice was rejected and action was taken on the advice of others, why should we fight and why should we endanger our lives?' Obviously, most of his comrades were hypocrites, yet there were some Muslims too who swallowed the bait and tugged along with them. Finally, the Holy Prophet ﷺ reached the battlefield with a total of seven hundred mujahidin. He personally took charge of the action area setting up all arrangements in a formal military manner. The formations of his men were so placed that the mount of Uhud remained on their rear. Sayyidna Mus` ab ibn ` Umayr ؓ was made the standard-bearer and Sayyidna Zubayr ibn ` Awwam ؓ ، the commander of the mounted troops. Sayyidna Hamzah ؓ was given the command of the unarmoured. On the rear, there was some likelihood that the enemy may cut his way in from that side. So, he positioned a company of fifty archers (arrow-shooters) on a hillock in the rear and ordered them to stand on guard against any attack from that side. They were specifically instructed not to bother about the fighting down the hill, irrespective of whether they win or lose, and were told that they just do not have to move from their appointed place. The command of the company of archers was given to Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Jubayr ؓ . As for the Quraysh, they had gone through the battle of Badr and they too went into battle formations in an orderly manner. Battle of Uhud1 When the battle started, Muslims had an upper hand right from the beginning, so much so that the enemy forces went into total disarray. Muslims thought they had won and turned toward the spoils. At this point, the archers who were appointed by the Holy Prophet ﷺ to guard the rear also noticed that the enemy was on the run and they too started coming down from the mountain leaving their assigned battle station. Their commander, Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Jubayr ؓ reminded them of the emphatic command of the Holy Prophet ﷺ not to move from their place of duty and, tried his best to stop them. But, except a few, others took the plea that as the order was tied with time they should now go and be with the rest. Khalid ibn Walid, who had not yet embraced Islam, was commanding a company of Makkan disbelievers. Making timely use of this opportunity, he went round the hill, went up through a pass and made a surprise attack. Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Jubayr ؓ and the small number of men left with him tried their best to stop them but they were unable to do so and the chargers were able to pounce on Muslim forces down the hill all of a sudden. This situation made the running enemy turn back and reinforce the attack. The fate of the battle was totally reversed. Muslims were so confused with this unexpected turn of the battle that a major portion of them scattered away from the battle field. However, some Companions ؓ were still holding on resolutely. In the meantime, a rumour went round that the Holy Prophet ﷺ has met his shahadah (martyrdom). This shattered the nerves of his Companions ؓ and most of them lost heart. At that time, the Holy Prophet ﷺ was in the midst of about ten or twelve very devoted Companions ؓ . He was injured. Defeat was about to come when, in the right moment, the Companions ؓ scattered on the battlefield came to know that the Holy Prophet ﷺ was alive. They regrouped themselves around him and moved him away towards the hill safely. 1. The strategy used in this battle shows that the Prophet of Islam was not only a perfect leader and teacher, but also a creative military strategist, something not known in the world of that time. Comparing the battle plans of the two camps, Tom Under, a twentieth century historian says in his book, The Life of Muhammad that his opponents had courage and bravery but it was he who broke new ground in the management of warfare. The Makkan disbelievers fought recklessly and haphazardly while he used great foresightedness, strict discipline and efficient organization as additional assets. This defeat which made Muslims terribly upset was temporary, and there were causes behind it. The Holy Qur'an comments on each cause in extremely measured words and exhorts Muslims to be cautious in the future. Lessons from the events of Uhud اُحُد : The events of the battle of Uhud have in them a treasure of good advice and wise guidance for all Muslims. It will be recalled that the Qurayshi disbelievers had brought women with them so that they could excite them to fight and, in case of a retreat, put them to shame and exhort them to go back into the battle. The Holy Prophet ﷺ saw that Hindah, the wife of Abu Sufyan, was leading a group of women who were chanting poetical compositions to arouse the fighting passions of their men. They were saying: ان تقبلوا نعانق و نفرش النمارق او تدبروا نفارق فراق وامق that is, 'if you fight right on and win, we shall embrace you and make a soft bed for you, but, if you turn back, we shall make you miss our love.' In contrast, the Holy Prophet may Allah bless him, was saying this in his prayer: الھم بک اصول و بک اقاتل حسبی اللہ و نعم الوکیل that is, '0 Allah, from Thee I draw my strength and for Thee and in Thy name, I attack and fight. Sufficient for me is Allah, the only one good to trust.' This prayer, every word in it, is demonstrating how Muslims should strengthen their connection with Allah not only in peace, but also in war, a pattern of behaviour which is drawing a line of clear distinction between Muslims and other nations. 2. Victory in war comes from Allah and not from piles of hardware. Let us look at this lesson through the tightly-held frame of this battle. Isn’ t it that the noble Companions ؓ ، may Allah be pleased with them all, left behind them indelible marks of gallantry, sacrifice and dedication, the class of which would be difficult to match in history? Sayyidna Abu Dujanah ؓ had turned his body into a shield for his beloved Prophet ﷺ taking all incoming arrows on his back. Sayyidna Talhah ؓ had his body all perforated with arrow-heads, but he still did not leave his blessed master unprotected. Sayyidna Anas ibn al-Nadir ؓ ، the uncle of Sayyidna Anas ibn Malik ؓ was absent from the battle of Badr which he regretted very much and longed to make amends whenever he could get the first opportunity to take part in a Jihad in the company of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . A little later, came the battle of Uhud and Sayyidna Anas ibn al-Nadir ؓ was in it. When Muslims had scattered away and the disbelievers of Quraysh were coming in overwhelming strength, he started to mount his charge, sword in hand, when he met Sayyidna Sa'd ؓ who was going with the group of those who had scattered away from the battlefield. He called out to him, "0 Sa'd, where are you going? I smell the scent of Paradise in this valley of Uhud.' Saying this, he charged ahead and it was after a tough fight that he finally laid his life in the way of Allah. (Ibn Kathir) Sayyidna Jabir ؓ says, "when Muslims became scattered, there were only eleven Companions left with the Holy Prophet ﷺ Sayyidna Talhah ؓ being one of them. The forces of Quraysh were surging forward. The Holy Prophet ﷺ said, 'Who is going to take care of them?' Sayyidna Talhah ؓ responded immediately, 'I shall do that, 0 Messenger of Allah.' Another Companion, an Ansari, said, 'I am at your service.' He asked the Ansari Companion to go, who fought, and fell a martyr. Then came another pressure wave. He ﷺ asked the same question again. Sayyidna Talhah ؓ offered himself as before. He was all impatient to hear the command of the Holy Prophet ﷺ that he could go ahead. He, once again, sent some other Ansari Companion and Sayyidna Talliah's wish remained unfulfilled. Thus, it was seven times that the Holy Prophet ﷺ asked the question and every time Sayyidna Talhah ؓ was not permitted to go while other Companions were permitted to go and meet their shahadah (martyrdom). 3. Muslims were few in number, yet they won at Badr. Comparatively, they were more in number at Uhud, yet they lost. Here too, for Muslims there is a lesson to learn: Muslims should not rely on their numerical or material strength, military hardware or logistic support, but they should make sure that they take victory as something which comes by the grace of Allah Almighty and therefore, they must always watch out that their relationship with Allah remains strong. What happened at the battle of Yarmuk یرموک is worth remembering. The officer-in-command at the war front wrote to Sayyidna ` Umar, the Khalifah at Madinah, requesting reinforcements in view of a reduced number of fighters. The reply that he gave is reproduced below: قد جاءنی کتابکم تستمدوننی وانی ادلکم علی من ھو اعز نصراً واحصن جندا اللہ عزوجلّ فاستنصروہ فان محمداً ﷺ نصر فی یوم بدر فی اقل من عدتکم فاذا جاء کم کتابی ھذا فقاتلوہم ولا تراجعونی (مسند احمد، ابن کثیر) "Your letter reached me. You have requested reinforcements and I direct you to One who is most-powerful support-wise and most-protecting army-wise, that is, Allah, the Mighty, the Exalted. So, seek help from Him - because Muhammad, may Allah bless him, was helped on the day of Badr despite their being fewer in numbers as compared of yours. So, when this letter of mine reaches you - fight. And do not turn back to me." (Ibn Kathir, with reference to the Musnad of Ahmad) The narrator says, when they received this letter, they mounted an attack in the name of Allah, all of a sudden, against the formidable forces of disbelievers who were defeated. Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ knew that victory or defeat for Muslims does not depend upon numbers. Instead, it depends upon trust in Allah, and on His help. This fact has been clearly stated by the Holy Qur'an with reference to the battle of Hunayn حُنَيْنٍ : يَوْمَ ۙ إِذْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ كَثْرَ‌تُكُمْ فَلَمْ تُغْنِ عَنكُمْ شَيْئًا ' (Remember) the day of Hunayn when you became proud about your numbers, then, nothing worked to your advantage. (9:25) Now, let us turn to the explanation of these verses: 1. Verse 121 begins with the words, وَإِذْ غَدَوْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ (When you left your house in the morning in order to place the believers in positions for fighting). This is an example of the miraculous style of the Holy Qur'an, especially when it reports events. It does not describe any event in its total detail as a matter of general principle. Events or their details are taken up only when they carry with them implied points of guidance. For instance, a particular secondary detail, such as the time of leaving the house, has been identified through the word, غَدَوْتَ ('ghadawta' ); and hadith narrations prove that this morning was that of the seventh of Shawwal, Hijrah year 3. Then comes the description of the point from where this expedition started. The word مِنْ أَهْلِكَ , indicates that the Holy Prophet ﷺ was with his family at that time and when the time came to leave, he left, leaving his family behind him, even though this attack was aimed at Madinah. These secondary details have guidance built in them. When there is the command of Allah, it is expected that the love of family and home should not stop one from obeying it. It will be noticed that details of what happened between the period of leaving the house and reaching the war front remain undescribed. Instead, the first thing done on the war front has been described as تُبَوِّئُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَقَاعِدَ لِلْقِتَالِ the placing of believers in positions for fighting. The verse ends with the words, وَاللَّـهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ (And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing). By reminding Muslims of these attributes of Allah, it has been pointed out that everything said by the two parties at that time was all in the knowledge of Allah Almighty. and absolutely nothing of what happened to the two of them remains hidden from Him, and so shall it be with the end of the war; that too, is not hidden from Him.

Next comes verses 122 beginning with the words إِذْ هَمَّت طَّائِفَتَانِ مِنكُمْ أَن تَفْشَلَا (When two of your groups tended to lose heart while Allah was their guardian). These 'two groups' refer to the Bani Harithah of the tribe of Aws and Bani Salamah of the tribe of Khazraj. These 'two groups lost the courage to fight when they saw the hypocrite, ` Abdullah ibn Ubayy and his men breaking away. But, Allah, in his grace, helped them come out of this state of apprehensiveness. Here, the fact was that their weakness was caused by the thought, and certainly not because of any weakness in faith. Ibn Hisham, the famous historian of Muslim battles has made this very clear. Then, the very Qur'anic statement, وَاللَّـهُ وَلِيُّهُمَا (while Allah was their guardian) is a testimony to their perfect faith. Therefore, some elders from these two tribes used to say: "No doubt, the verse contains a complaint against us, but at the same time it bears a good news for us in the words: وَاللَّـهُ وَلِيُّهُمَا ; (while Allah was their guardian). 3. Towards the end of the verse, it has been said: وَعَلَى اللَّـهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ "And it is in Allah alone that the believers must place their trust." Here, it has been made clear that Muslims should not rely on their superiority in men and materials. Not that they have to ignore material needs of the combat; of course, they should have whatever they can get together subject to their means, but the crucial thing is that they must place their total trust in Allah, and Allah alone. The apprehension of weakness that overtook Banu Harithah and Banu Salamah was caused by this material lack of strength. Therefore, توکل tawakkul or trust in Allah was suggested as the treatment of all sorts of apprehensions. Tawakkul توکل is one of the superior human qualities. It does not mean that one should cut off all his connections with the effort to collect material support. On the contrary, one should collect what is obviously needed to the best of his ability, use it, and then, let Allah take care of the outcome. It is also necessary that one should not become proud of what has been collected as material assets, instead, "We trust in Allah" should be the sole concern. The good example of the Holy Prophet ﷺ is before us. That he himself organized the fighting strength of Muslims during this Jihad, assembled weapons and other war materials to the best of his ability, prepared battle plans appropriate to the time and place. Once on the war front, he set up entrenchments with combat-ready Companions placed therein. These were all part of the material-functional management of the battle. By making use of these with his own blessed hands, our beloved master, the last and foremost of prophets, demonstrated that material facilities are also a blessing of Allah Almighty. Ignoring them or turning away from them cannot be called what توکل tawakkul is. Here, the attitude of a Muslim slightly differs from that of a non-Muslim. A Muslim would, given his ability and means, collect all sorts of necessary material support, yet when it comes to trust and tawakkul that he would place in none but Allah. The non-Muslim is bereft of this spiritual dimension for he relies on his brute material strength. The manifestation of this difference has been common sight throughout all Islamic battles. 4. The focus now turns to a particular battle where Muslims had demonstrated perfect توکل tawakkul and Allah Almighty had blessed them with support and success. The reference to the battle of Badr, in the following words, has appeared in this very context.

وَلَقَدْ نَصَرَ‌كُمُ اللَّـهُ بِبَدْرٍ‌ وَأَنتُمْ أَذِلَّةٌ And Allah certainly supported you at Badr when you were weak. (123) Badr : Location and Importance Badr is located about eighty miles south-west of Madinah and used to be a halting-place while travelling between Makkah and Madinah, before the modern Tariq al-Hijrah was commissioned into service which by passes it. At that time, Badr was known for its abundance of water, something very important in the desert zones of Arabia. The first armed encounter between believers and disbelievers came to pass at this spot on Friday, Ramadan al-Mubarak, Hijrah year 2 which fell on March 11, 624 A.D. On a superficial view, this battle appears to be a local tribal war, but the truth is that it has charted a revolutionary course in the history of the world, therefore, the Holy Qur'an calls it Yawm al-Furgan یوم الفرقان (a day of distinction). According to Professor Philip Hitti, this was Islam's first clear victory. The expression وَأَنتُمْ أَذِلَّةٌ translated as 'when you were weak' means that 'you were, at that time, few in numbers and materials'. According to strong and authentic narrations, the number of Muslims was 313. This 'army' had two horses and seventy camels. On these, they took their turns while riding. The verse ends with the statement: فَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُ‌ونَ (So, fear Allah, that you may be grateful). This may remind one of the many places in the Holy Qur'an where Taqwa (fear of Allah) and Sabr (patience) have been prescribed as a security shield against the machinations of the hypocrites and the harmful effects of hostile enemies. Right here, in these two behaviour models, there lies the secret of an entire organized struggle, and clear victory, that comes in its wake. As mentioned elsewhere, Taqwa and Sabr have not been mentioned here, in conjunction. Instead, Taqwa has been considered sufficient for, in reality, Taqwa is such a comprehensive human attribute that صبر Sabr too gets to be included therein.

Commentary In the previous verses, the battle of Badr was cited in relation to the battle of Uhud. Briefly stated there was the unseen support from Allah Almighty given to Muslims. In the present verses, some details of that support have been mentioned. Also stated is the wisdom behind the sending of angels. One may naturally ask a question here. When Allah Almighty has endowed His angels with such power that just one of them could over-turn an entire habitation, very much like what happened with the land of the people of Lut (علیہ السلام) which was overturned single-handedly by the angel Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) ، why was it necessary to send out an army of angels? In addition to that, given the introduction of angels onto the battlefield, the obvious result should have been the total annihilation of every single infidel. The Holy Qur'an has, itself, given the answer in the verse وَمَا جَعَلَهُ اللَّـهُ إِلَّا بُشْرَ‌ىٰ. It means that the purpose behind the sending of angels was not really to help score a victory on the battlefield. Instead, the purpose was to give the believers the good news of victory to comfort them and to strengthen their hearts. This is very clear from the words إِلَّا بُشْرَ‌ىٰ (only that it be a good news) and لِتَطْمَئِنَّ قُلُوبُكُم (that your hearts may be at rest) in the text. Far more clear are the words of Surah a1-Anfal about this event فَثَبِّتُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا (So, make those who believe firm - 8:12). Here, the address is to the angels and they have been asked to see that Muslims do not get anxious and that their hearts stay firm. How can hearts be made to stay firm? There are many possible ways, one of them could be through their spiritual input, something not too dissimilar to the direct beaming of attention as practiced by mystic shaykhs. The possibility of doing this in several less complex forms also exists. For instance, they may simply assure the believers that angels are standing ready to help them - by appearing before them, by their voice signs or by some other method - as was witnessed in the battle of Badr where all these methods were used. In fact, in one exegetic explanation of the verse فَاضْرِ‌بُوا فَوْقَ الْأَعْنَاق (So, strike over the necks - 8:12), this address is to the angels. According to some hadith narrations, when an angel decided to attack a disbeliever, the head of the disbeliever slid of his body all by itself.1 It has also been reported that some noble Companions heard the voice of Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) saying, 'Charge, Haizum!'2 Some of them saw some angels (Muslim). All these sensory experiences are part of the same chain of Divine support. Evidences prove that the angels of Allah did a few things to impress upon Muslims that the angels too are participating in fighting as a sort of assurance that His support through the angels is there. As said earlier, their objective was far from winning a war for the believers. Their real mission was to comfort Muslims and to give their hearts strength. That the obligation of Jihad has been placed on men in this mortal world, and that is how they are enabled to deserve merits and ranks in the Hereafter, is a clear proof of this view. If Allah Almighty had willed that countries be conquered through armies of angels, the very name of disbelief and disbelievers would have been effaced from the face of the earth, not to say much about governments and empires. But, in this system of the material world, Allah Almighty has not just willed it so. Here, disbelief and faith, obedience and sin shall continue to exist side by side. The great divide shall come on the Day of Resurrection when the true and the false shall become all distinct. 1. From Sabi ibn Hanif vide Al-Hkim and Baihaqi. 2. The steed of Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) . The rationale of the promises: Let us now turn to the promises of angelic help in the battle of Badr. The verse of Surah al-Anfal carries the promise of one thousand angels. In the present verse of Surah 'Al-` Imran, the promise begins with three thousand, then goes up to five. What is the wisdom behind this? The fact is that Muslims noticed the thousand-strong force of the enemy in the battle of Badr, as stated in Surah al-Anfal, and compared it with their total count of three hundred and thirteen, so they invoked the help of Allah Almighty against such heavy odds. Thereupon, came the promise of one thousand angels, implying thereby that the number of their enemy shall be matched by an identical number of angels. The words of the verse are: إِذْ تَسْتَغِيثُونَ رَ‌بَّكُمْ فَاسْتَجَابَ لَكُمْ أَنِّي مُمِدُّكُم بِأَلْفٍ مِّنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مُرْ‌دِفِينَ ﴿9﴾ When you were calling your Lord for help, so He responded to you (saying): I am going to support you with one thousand of the angels, one following the other. (8:9) Even after this verse, the same purpose behind the sending of angels was made clear by saying: وَمَا جَعَلَهُ اللَّـهُ إِلَّا بُشْرَ‌ىٰ وَلِتَطْمَئِنَّ بِهِ قُلُوبُكُمْ "And Allah did it, only that it be a good news for you, and that your hearts may be at rest with it." Then comes the present verse of Surah 'Al-` Imran. Here, the promise of three thousand angels was probably made due to the reports received by Muslims that Kurz ibn Jabir. Muharibi was marching towards the battlefield of Badr with his tribal forces in support of the disbelievers of Makkah (as in Ruh al-Ma` ani). The actual position in the confrontation was that the enemy forces were already three times larger than those of Muslims, who were somewhat disturbed by this news. Thereupon, a promise of three thousand angels was made so that the ratio is reversed and the number of Muslims goes three times higher than that of the enemy. After that, right there towards the end of this verse, this number was increased, subject to conditions, to five thousand. The conditions were: A. That Muslims shall hold on firmly to the great qualities of صبر sabr (patience) and تقوی Taqwa (fear of Allah). B. That they come under enemy attack all of a sudden. Out of these two conditions, the second one did not just materialize, therefore, the promise of the number, five thousand, did not remain effective. Granted that the second condition of the promise did not come to pass, major commentators and historians differ as to the actual fulfillment of the promise - was it in the form of five thousand or three thousand only? All these positions have been mentioned in Ruh al-Ma'ani. From the verse لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ‌ شَيْءٌ (You have no authority in the matter) (128), the text returns to the main event of Uhud after a brief mention of the event of Badr in between. This verse was revealed in the background of the battle of Uhud where the Holy Prophet ﷺ lost one of his teeth, the lower right premolar, to be exact. His face injured, he is reported to have uttered: 'How shall such people prosper, people who do this to their prophet, although that prophet is calling them towards God?'. Thereupon, this verse was revealed. According to yet another story from the Sahih al-Bukhari, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been reported to have invoked evil fate for some disbelievers, whereupon came the revelation of this verse in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been counseled to remain patient and forbearing.1 1. Bayan al-Qura'n.