سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 154
ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ ٱلْغَمِّ أَمَنَةً نُّعَاسًا يَغْشَىٰ طَآئِفَةً مِّنكُمْ ۖ وَطَآئِفَةٌ قَدْ أَهَمَّتْهُمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ يَظُنُّونَ بِٱللَّهِ غَيْرَ ٱلْحَقِّ ظَنَّ ٱلْجَـٰهِلِيَّةِ ۖ يَقُولُونَ هَل لَّنَا مِنَ ٱلْأَمْرِ مِن شَىْءٍ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ ٱلْأَمْرَ كُلَّهُۥ لِلَّهِ ۗ يُخْفُونَ فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِم مَّا لَا يُبْدُونَ لَكَ ۖ يَقُولُونَ لَوْ كَانَ لَنَا مِنَ ٱلْأَمْرِ شَىْءٌ مَّا قُتِلْنَا هَـٰهُنَا ۗ قُل لَّوْ كُنتُمْ فِى بُيُوتِكُمْ لَبَرَزَ ٱلَّذِينَ كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقَتْلُ إِلَىٰ مَضَاجِعِهِمْ ۖ وَلِيَبْتَلِىَ ٱللَّهُ مَا فِى صُدُورِكُمْ وَلِيُمَحِّصَ مَا فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ ﴿154﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Then after the distress, He sent down security for you. Slumber overtook a party of you, while another party was thinking about themselves (as how to save their ownselves, ignoring the others and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) and thought wrongly of Allâh - the thought of ignorance. They said, "Have we any part in the affair?" Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "Indeed the affair belongs wholly to Allâh." They hide within themselves what they dare not reveal to you, saying: "If we had anything to do with the affair, none of us would have been killed here." Say: "Even if you had remained in your homes, those for whom death was decreed would certainly have gone forth to the place of their death," but that Allâh might test what is in your breasts; and to purify that which was in your hearts (sins), and Allâh is All-Knower of what is in (your) breasts.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ثُمَّ
thumma
Then
أَنزَلَ
anzala
He sent down
عَلَيْكُم
ʿalaykum
upon you
مِّنۢ
min
from
بَعْدِ
baʿdi
after
ٱلْغَمِّ
l-ghami
the distress
أَمَنَةًۭ
amanatan
security
نُّعَاسًۭا
nuʿāsan
slumber
يَغْشَىٰ
yaghshā
overcoming
طَآئِفَةًۭ
ṭāifatan
a group
مِّنكُمْ ۖ
minkum
of you
وَطَآئِفَةٌۭ
waṭāifatun
while a group
قَدْ
qad
certainly
أَهَمَّتْهُمْ
ahammathum
worried [them]
أَنفُسُهُمْ
anfusuhum
(about) themselves
يَظُنُّونَ
yaẓunnūna
thinking
بِٱللَّهِ
bil-lahi
about Allah
غَيْرَ
ghayra
other than
ٱلْحَقِّ
l-ḥaqi
the truth
ظَنَّ
ẓanna
(the) thought
ٱلْجَـٰهِلِيَّةِ ۖ
l-jāhiliyati
(of) [the] ignorance
يَقُولُونَ
yaqūlūna
saying
هَل
hal
Is (there)
لَّنَا
lanā
for us
مِنَ
mina
from
ٱلْأَمْرِ
l-amri
the matter
مِن
min
any
شَىْءٍۢ ۗ
shayin
thing
قُلْ
qul
Say
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱلْأَمْرَ
l-amra
the matter
كُلَّهُۥ
kullahu
all (of) it
لِلَّهِ ۗ
lillahi
(is) for Allah
يُخْفُونَ
yukh'fūna
They hide
فِىٓ
fī
in
أَنفُسِهِم
anfusihim
themselves
مَّا
mā
what
لَا
lā
not
يُبْدُونَ
yub'dūna
they reveal
لَكَ ۖ
laka
to you
يَقُولُونَ
yaqūlūna
They say
لَوْ
law
If
كَانَ
kāna
was
لَنَا
lanā
for us
مِنَ
mina
from
ٱلْأَمْرِ
l-amri
the matter
شَىْءٌۭ
shayon
anything
مَّا
mā
not
قُتِلْنَا
qutil'nā
we would have been killed
هَـٰهُنَا ۗ
hāhunā
here
قُل
qul
Say
لَّوْ
law
If
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you were
فِى
fī
in
بُيُوتِكُمْ
buyūtikum
your houses
لَبَرَزَ
labaraza
surely (would have) come out
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
كُتِبَ
kutiba
was decreed
عَلَيْهِمُ
ʿalayhimu
upon them
ٱلْقَتْلُ
l-qatlu
[the] death
إِلَىٰ
ilā
towards
مَضَاجِعِهِمْ ۖ
maḍājiʿihim
their places of death
وَلِيَبْتَلِىَ
waliyabtaliya
And that might test
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
مَا
mā
what
فِى
fī
(is) in
صُدُورِكُمْ
ṣudūrikum
your breasts
وَلِيُمَحِّصَ
waliyumaḥḥiṣa
and that He may purge
مَا
mā
what
فِى
fī
(is) in
قُلُوبِكُمْ ۗ
qulūbikum
your hearts
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
عَلِيمٌۢ
ʿalīmun
(is) All-Aware
بِذَاتِ
bidhāti
of what
ٱلصُّدُورِ
l-ṣudūri
(is in) the breasts
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.
154. Then, after that sorrow, Allah sent down tranquility in the form of drowsiness [143] that overcame a group of you. But another group, whose only concern was for themselves [144], began to entertain false assumptions about Allah, assumptions of ignorance. They said, "Do we have any say in this matter [145]?" Say, "Indeed, all authority in this matter belongs to Allah." They conceal within themselves what they do not reveal to you, saying, "If we had any say in this matter, we would not have been killed here." Say, "Even if you had stayed in your homes, those for whom death was decreed would have surely gone forth to their places of death [146]." And this happened so that Allah might test what is in your chests [147] and purify what is in your hearts. And Allah knows well what is hidden in the hearts.
[143] After such intense sorrows, Allah’s causing drowsiness to overcome the Muslims was an unexpected blessing and extraordinary help. Drowsiness brings both physical and spiritual peace. Bodily fatigue is removed and sorrows are suddenly forgotten. Thus, Hazrat Abu Talhaؓ says that on the day of Uhud, right in the midst of battle, drowsiness overcame me; the sword was about to fall from my hand, I would catch it, then it would be about to fall again, and I would catch it again. [بخاري كتاب التفسير]
[144]
The Condition of the Weak in Faith and the Hypocrites:
Not all the Muslims who participated in the Battle of Uhud were equally strong in faith, resolute, and brave; rather, there were also some weak-hearted ones, and among the Ansar, there were some hypocrites as well. They participated in the battle due to being relatives of the Ansar. And these were in addition to the companions of Abdullah bin Ubayy. These were the people who neither cared for Islam nor for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; they only cared for their own lives. They were thinking, “If Abu Sufyan attacks again, what will become of us?” Sometimes they wondered, “Where are the promises of victory and help that Allah and His Messenger made?” Regarding these people, the narration in Tirmidhi is as follows: “This second group was of the hypocrites, who cared for nothing but their own affairs; they were the most cowardly, the most overawed, and the most averse to supporting the truth among the people.” [ترمذي، ابواب التفسير]
[145] That is, can our opinion also be considered worthy of attention in military strategies and related consultations? In reality, the people of this group also held the view and opinion that the battle should be fought while staying in Madinah, and this opinion was not based on any sound judgment but merely on cowardice. Now, after the defeat, they got the opportunity to say that if their opinion had been acted upon, this bad day would not have been seen, nor would their kinsmen have been killed here.
[146] Because Allah’s decree is that wherever someone’s death is destined to occur, he will, by some means, reach that place at his appointed time. Which place will it be? This is something that no one knows except Allah, as stated in the Divine Word:
﴿ وَمَا تَدْرِيْ نَفْسٌۢ بِاَيِّ اَرْضٍ تَمُوْتُ﴾ [31: 34]
(No one knows in which land he will die.) That is, even if the battle had not taken place, those whose death was destined here would have, by some means, reached here; and if their death was destined in the battlefield, and they made a thousand efforts not to come to the battlefield, they would have, by some excuse or another, reached here. Because Allah’s decree prevails over all other matters.
[147] One benefit that was gained from this battle and the subsequent defeat was that everyone came to know about each Muslim—how strong he was in his faith, how brave and resolute he was; and likewise, everyone came to know about the weak in faith, the cowards, and the hypocrites. In other words, this battle was a testing ground that made clear what was in everyone’s heart. And another benefit is that sincere Muslims can remove their weaknesses, and Allah may purify their hearts from doubts and weaknesses for the future, and the hypocrisy of the hypocrites may become manifest so that people can be protected from their inner evil.
[143] After such intense sorrows, Allah’s causing drowsiness to overcome the Muslims was an unexpected blessing and extraordinary help. Drowsiness brings both physical and spiritual peace. Bodily fatigue is removed and sorrows are suddenly forgotten. Thus, Hazrat Abu Talhaؓ says that on the day of Uhud, right in the midst of battle, drowsiness overcame me; the sword was about to fall from my hand, I would catch it, then it would be about to fall again, and I would catch it again. [بخاري كتاب التفسير]
[144]
The Condition of the Weak in Faith and the Hypocrites:
Not all the Muslims who participated in the Battle of Uhud were equally strong in faith, resolute, and brave; rather, there were also some weak-hearted ones, and among the Ansar, there were some hypocrites as well. They participated in the battle due to being relatives of the Ansar. And these were in addition to the companions of Abdullah bin Ubayy. These were the people who neither cared for Islam nor for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; they only cared for their own lives. They were thinking, “If Abu Sufyan attacks again, what will become of us?” Sometimes they wondered, “Where are the promises of victory and help that Allah and His Messenger made?” Regarding these people, the narration in Tirmidhi is as follows: “This second group was of the hypocrites, who cared for nothing but their own affairs; they were the most cowardly, the most overawed, and the most averse to supporting the truth among the people.” [ترمذي، ابواب التفسير]
[145] That is, can our opinion also be considered worthy of attention in military strategies and related consultations? In reality, the people of this group also held the view and opinion that the battle should be fought while staying in Madinah, and this opinion was not based on any sound judgment but merely on cowardice. Now, after the defeat, they got the opportunity to say that if their opinion had been acted upon, this bad day would not have been seen, nor would their kinsmen have been killed here.
[146] Because Allah’s decree is that wherever someone’s death is destined to occur, he will, by some means, reach that place at his appointed time. Which place will it be? This is something that no one knows except Allah, as stated in the Divine Word:
﴿ وَمَا تَدْرِيْ نَفْسٌۢ بِاَيِّ اَرْضٍ تَمُوْتُ﴾ [31: 34]
(No one knows in which land he will die.) That is, even if the battle had not taken place, those whose death was destined here would have, by some means, reached here; and if their death was destined in the battlefield, and they made a thousand efforts not to come to the battlefield, they would have, by some excuse or another, reached here. Because Allah’s decree prevails over all other matters.
[147] One benefit that was gained from this battle and the subsequent defeat was that everyone came to know about each Muslim—how strong he was in his faith, how brave and resolute he was; and likewise, everyone came to know about the weak in faith, the cowards, and the hypocrites. In other words, this battle was a testing ground that made clear what was in everyone’s heart. And another benefit is that sincere Muslims can remove their weaknesses, and Allah may purify their hearts from doubts and weaknesses for the future, and the hypocrisy of the hypocrites may become manifest so that people can be protected from their inner evil.
