سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 140
إِن يَمْسَسْكُمْ قَرْحٌ فَقَدْ مَسَّ ٱلْقَوْمَ قَرْحٌ مِّثْلُهُۥ ۚ وَتِلْكَ ٱلْأَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَيَتَّخِذَ مِنكُمْ شُهَدَآءَ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ﴿140﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
If a wound (and killing) has touched you, be sure a similar wound (and killing) has touched the others. And so are the days (good and not so good), We give to men by turns, that Allâh may test those who believe, and that He may take martyrs from among you. And Allâh likes not the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِن
in
If
يَمْسَسْكُمْ
yamsaskum
touched you
قَرْحٌۭ
qarḥun
a wound
فَقَدْ
faqad
so certainly
مَسَّ
massa
(has) touched
ٱلْقَوْمَ
l-qawma
the people
قَرْحٌۭ
qarḥun
wound
مِّثْلُهُۥ ۚ
mith'luhu
like it
وَتِلْكَ
watil'ka
And this
ٱلْأَيَّامُ
l-ayāmu
[the] days
نُدَاوِلُهَا
nudāwiluhā
We alternate them
بَيْنَ
bayna
among
ٱلنَّاسِ
l-nāsi
the people
وَلِيَعْلَمَ
waliyaʿlama
[and] so that makes evident
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe[d]
وَيَتَّخِذَ
wayattakhidha
and take
مِنكُمْ
minkum
from you
شُهَدَآءَ ۗ
shuhadāa
martyrs
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
لَا
lā
(does) not
يُحِبُّ
yuḥibbu
love
ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
l-ẓālimīna
the wrongdoers
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 141,140) ➊ {اِنْ يَّمْسَسْكُمْ قَرْحٌ … :} That is, if on the day of "Uhud" you suffered harm at the hands of the polytheists, then you too had inflicted similar harm upon them on the day of Badr, so this is not something to be overly distressed about. { ”اَلْحَرْبُ سِجَالٌ“} (There are turns in battle) Whenever there has been a war between two groups, sometimes one side has prevailed, sometimes the other.
➋ {وَ تِلْكَ الْاَيَّامُ …:} In the Battle of Uhud, the Muslims suffered heavy casualties. The taunts of the Jews and hypocrites further added to the pain. The hypocrites used to say that if you (ﷺ) were a true Prophet, then why would the Muslims suffer such loss and humiliation, etc. In these verses, the Muslims are comforted that victory and defeat are things that alternate, they are not the criteria of truth and falsehood. If today you have been wounded, then yesterday, in the Battle of Badr, they too suffered similar wounds at your hands, and at the very beginning of this battle, many of their men were killed, as is evident from this verse: «اِذْ تَحُسُّوْنَهُمْ بِاِذْنِهٖ » [ آل عمران : ۱۵۲ ] (When you were cutting them down by His command). There are many hidden wisdoms in your defeat as well; one is that a distinction was made between faith and disbelief, and sincerity and hypocrisy, the believers and hypocrites became separated. If the Muslims had always been victorious, the hypocrisy of the hypocrites would not have become apparent. Secondly, the believers attained martyrdom, which is, as stated: «وَ يَتَّخِذَ مِنْكُمْ شُهَدَآءَ» a great honor in the sight of Allah. The temporary victory of the disbelievers does not mean that Allah loves the wrongdoers and polytheists, as stated: «وَ اللّٰهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الظّٰلِمِيْنَ» "And Allah does not love the wrongdoers." Thirdly, that He may purify the believers, and if there is any deficiency among them, He may remove it, as stated: «وَ لِيُمَحِّصَ اللّٰهُ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا» "And that Allah may purify those who believe." And fourthly, that the aim is to eliminate the power of the disbelievers, «وَ يَمْحَقَ الْكٰفِرِيْنَ» in such a way that, becoming arrogant over their temporary victory, they will come to fight again, and at that time they will be so crushed that they will never dare to turn in this direction again. Thus, at the occasion of the Battle of Ahzab, this is exactly what happened: after that, the disbelievers fought defensive battles but never dared to attack themselves. (Razi, Shawkani)
➋ {وَ تِلْكَ الْاَيَّامُ …:} In the Battle of Uhud, the Muslims suffered heavy casualties. The taunts of the Jews and hypocrites further added to the pain. The hypocrites used to say that if you (ﷺ) were a true Prophet, then why would the Muslims suffer such loss and humiliation, etc. In these verses, the Muslims are comforted that victory and defeat are things that alternate, they are not the criteria of truth and falsehood. If today you have been wounded, then yesterday, in the Battle of Badr, they too suffered similar wounds at your hands, and at the very beginning of this battle, many of their men were killed, as is evident from this verse: «اِذْ تَحُسُّوْنَهُمْ بِاِذْنِهٖ » [ آل عمران : ۱۵۲ ] (When you were cutting them down by His command). There are many hidden wisdoms in your defeat as well; one is that a distinction was made between faith and disbelief, and sincerity and hypocrisy, the believers and hypocrites became separated. If the Muslims had always been victorious, the hypocrisy of the hypocrites would not have become apparent. Secondly, the believers attained martyrdom, which is, as stated: «وَ يَتَّخِذَ مِنْكُمْ شُهَدَآءَ» a great honor in the sight of Allah. The temporary victory of the disbelievers does not mean that Allah loves the wrongdoers and polytheists, as stated: «وَ اللّٰهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الظّٰلِمِيْنَ» "And Allah does not love the wrongdoers." Thirdly, that He may purify the believers, and if there is any deficiency among them, He may remove it, as stated: «وَ لِيُمَحِّصَ اللّٰهُ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا» "And that Allah may purify those who believe." And fourthly, that the aim is to eliminate the power of the disbelievers, «وَ يَمْحَقَ الْكٰفِرِيْنَ» in such a way that, becoming arrogant over their temporary victory, they will come to fight again, and at that time they will be so crushed that they will never dare to turn in this direction again. Thus, at the occasion of the Battle of Ahzab, this is exactly what happened: after that, the disbelievers fought defensive battles but never dared to attack themselves. (Razi, Shawkani)
