سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 143
وَلَقَدْ كُنتُمْ تَمَنَّوْنَ ٱلْمَوْتَ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَلْقَوْهُ فَقَدْ رَأَيْتُمُوهُ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ ﴿143﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
You did indeed wish for death (Ash-Shahâdah - martyrdom) before you met it. Now you have seen it openly with your own eyes.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَقَدْ
walaqad
And certainly
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you used to
تَمَنَّوْنَ
tamannawna
wish
ٱلْمَوْتَ
l-mawta
(for) death
مِن
min
from
قَبْلِ
qabli
before
أَن
an
[that]
تَلْقَوْهُ
talqawhu
you met it
فَقَدْ
faqad
then indeed
رَأَيْتُمُوهُ
ra-aytumūhu
you have seen it
وَأَنتُمْ
wa-antum
while you (were)
تَنظُرُونَ
tanẓurūna
looking on
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
143. Before this, you used to long for death (martyrdom); now you have seen it before your very eyes (in the Battle of Uhud) [130].
[130]
Do Not Wish for Death or Confrontation with the Enemy:
In this verse, another scene from the Battle of Uhud is presented. When the Muslims initially faced defeat, those Companions ؓ who had been deprived of participating in the Battle of Badr, after hearing about the virtues of the martyrs of Badr, used to wish that if Allah granted such an opportunity again, they would give their lives in the path of Allah and attain the ranks of martyrdom. At the time of consultation, it was these very Companions ؓ who insisted that the battle should be fought outside Madinah in the open field. However, when defeat occurred, some among these Companions ؓ also fled. In this verse, the address is to those very people: what you desired has come before you. Now, what is the meaning of retreating? In this context, there is a hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ said: Do not wish for confrontation with the enemy. And when such a situation arises, then show steadfastness.
[بخاری، کتاب التمنی، باب کراھیہ تمنی لقاء العدو نیز کتاب الجہاد، باب لاتمنوا لقاء العدو]
[130]
Do Not Wish for Death or Confrontation with the Enemy:
In this verse, another scene from the Battle of Uhud is presented. When the Muslims initially faced defeat, those Companions ؓ who had been deprived of participating in the Battle of Badr, after hearing about the virtues of the martyrs of Badr, used to wish that if Allah granted such an opportunity again, they would give their lives in the path of Allah and attain the ranks of martyrdom. At the time of consultation, it was these very Companions ؓ who insisted that the battle should be fought outside Madinah in the open field. However, when defeat occurred, some among these Companions ؓ also fled. In this verse, the address is to those very people: what you desired has come before you. Now, what is the meaning of retreating? In this context, there is a hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ said: Do not wish for confrontation with the enemy. And when such a situation arises, then show steadfastness.
[بخاری، کتاب التمنی، باب کراھیہ تمنی لقاء العدو نیز کتاب الجہاد، باب لاتمنوا لقاء العدو]
