سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 153
۞ إِذْ تُصْعِدُونَ وَلَا تَلْوُۥنَ عَلَىٰٓ أَحَدٍ وَٱلرَّسُولُ يَدْعُوكُمْ فِىٓ أُخْرَىٰكُمْ فَأَثَـٰبَكُمْ غَمًّۢا بِغَمٍّ لِّكَيْلَا تَحْزَنُوا۟ عَلَىٰ مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَلَا مَآ أَصَـٰبَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿153﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
(And remember) when you ran away (dreadfully) without even casting a side glance at anyone, and the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) was in your rear calling you back. There did Allâh give you one distress after another by way of requital to teach you not to grieve for that which had escaped you, nor for that which had befallen you. And Allâh is Well-Aware of all that you do.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ إِذْ
idh
When
تُصْعِدُونَ
tuṣ'ʿidūna
you were running uphill
وَلَا
walā
and not
تَلْوُۥنَ
talwūna
casting a glance
عَلَىٰٓ
ʿalā
on
أَحَدٍۢ
aḥadin
anyone
وَٱلرَّسُولُ
wal-rasūlu
while the Messenger
يَدْعُوكُمْ
yadʿūkum
was calling you
فِىٓ
fī
[in]
أُخْرَىٰكُمْ
ukh'rākum
(from) behind you
فَأَثَـٰبَكُمْ
fa-athābakum
So (He) repaid you
غَمًّۢا
ghamman
(with) distress
بِغَمٍّۢ
bighammin
on distress
لِّكَيْلَا
likaylā
so that not
تَحْزَنُوا۟
taḥzanū
you grieve
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
over
مَا
mā
what
فَاتَكُمْ
fātakum
escaped you
وَلَا
walā
and not
مَآ
mā
what
أَصَـٰبَكُمْ ۗ
aṣābakum
(had) befallen you
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
خَبِيرٌۢ
khabīrun
(is) All-Aware
بِمَا
bimā
of what
تَعْمَلُونَ
taʿmalūna
you do
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 153) ➊ {اِذْ تُصْعِدُوْنَ … :} This describes the state of the fleeing Muslims: the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was calling you from your rear group, who had remained steadfast, saying, "O servants of Allah! Come to me, I am here," but you were running far away and neither looking back nor listening to anyone.
➋ {فَاَثَابَكُمْ غَمًّۢا بِغَمٍّ:} That is, in return for your shortcoming, He afflicted you with grief upon grief: one was the grief of defeat, and the other was the shock of the rumor of the martyrdom of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), which was even harder than the first grief. Thus, the meaning of {”بِغَمٍّ“} is {’’عَلٰي غَمٍّ ‘‘}, and some have considered the "ba" to indicate causation, meaning He afflicted you with grief because you grieved the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), but the first meaning is more correct. (Ibn Kathir, Shawkani)
➌ {لِّكَيْلَا تَحْزَنُوْا … :} That is, He afflicted you with double grief so that you would neither grieve over the loss of spoils of war nor over being wounded, martyred, or defeated, because with the coming of successive griefs, especially great ones, the earlier griefs become lighter and a person becomes accustomed to enduring hardships.
➋ {فَاَثَابَكُمْ غَمًّۢا بِغَمٍّ:} That is, in return for your shortcoming, He afflicted you with grief upon grief: one was the grief of defeat, and the other was the shock of the rumor of the martyrdom of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), which was even harder than the first grief. Thus, the meaning of {”بِغَمٍّ“} is {’’عَلٰي غَمٍّ ‘‘}, and some have considered the "ba" to indicate causation, meaning He afflicted you with grief because you grieved the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), but the first meaning is more correct. (Ibn Kathir, Shawkani)
➌ {لِّكَيْلَا تَحْزَنُوْا … :} That is, He afflicted you with double grief so that you would neither grieve over the loss of spoils of war nor over being wounded, martyred, or defeated, because with the coming of successive griefs, especially great ones, the earlier griefs become lighter and a person becomes accustomed to enduring hardships.
