سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 156
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَقَالُوا۟ لِإِخْوَٰنِهِمْ إِذَا ضَرَبُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَوْ كَانُوا۟ غُزًّى لَّوْ كَانُوا۟ عِندَنَا مَا مَاتُوا۟ وَمَا قُتِلُوا۟ لِيَجْعَلَ ٱللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ حَسْرَةً فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ ﴿156﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! Be not like those who disbelieve (hypocrites) and who say to their brethren when they travel through the earth or go out to fight: "If they had stayed with us, they would not have died or been killed," so that Allâh may make it a cause of regret in their hearts. It is Allâh that gives life and causes death. And Allâh is All-Seer of what you do.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O you
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe[d]
لَا
lā
(Do) not
تَكُونُوا۟
takūnū
be
كَٱلَّذِينَ
ka-alladhīna
like those who
كَفَرُوا۟
kafarū
disbelieved
وَقَالُوا۟
waqālū
and they said
لِإِخْوَٰنِهِمْ
li-ikh'wānihim
about their brothers
إِذَا
idhā
when
ضَرَبُوا۟
ḍarabū
they traveled
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the earth
أَوْ
aw
or
كَانُوا۟
kānū
they were
غُزًّۭى
ghuzzan
fighting
لَّوْ
law
If
كَانُوا۟
kānū
they had been
عِندَنَا
ʿindanā
with us
مَا
mā
not
مَاتُوا۟
mātū
they (would have) died
وَمَا
wamā
and not
قُتِلُوا۟
qutilū
they (would have) been killed
لِيَجْعَلَ
liyajʿala
So makes
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
that
حَسْرَةًۭ
ḥasratan
a regret
فِى
fī
in
قُلُوبِهِمْ ۗ
qulūbihim
their hearts
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
يُحْىِۦ
yuḥ'yī
gives life
وَيُمِيتُ ۗ
wayumītu
and causes death
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
and Allah
بِمَا
bimā
of what
تَعْمَلُونَ
taʿmalūna
you do
بَصِيرٌۭ
baṣīrun
(is) All-Seer
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.
156. O you who believe! Do not be like those disbelievers who, when their brothers set out on a journey or went forth to fight, said, "Had they stayed with us, they would not have died or been killed." Allah makes such statements a cause of regret in their hearts [151]. It is Allah Who gives life and causes death, and Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.
[149] Here, the disbelievers refer to those hypocrites who used to mingle among the Muslims. Outwardly, they professed faith while concealing disbelief in their hearts.
[150]
The Regretful Words of Khalid bin Walid at the Time of Death:
To hold such a belief or to utter such words is against the belief in destiny, which is the sixth part of faith in the unseen. In this respect as well, these people became disbelievers. Because the time of death is fixed, as is the place. Whatever happens, death will come at its appointed time and will certainly come. There can be no advancement or delay in its time. Similarly, wherever it is destined for one to die, a person, by some means or another, reaches there himself. And when the time of death has not come, even if a person spends his entire life in battles, death will not come to him. Thus, Khalid bin Walidؓ, who fought battles all his life and on whose body there was not a single part left unmarked by the sword or arrow, when death came to him, it came at home. Accordingly, at the time of his own death, he himself said these words: "There is not a span on my body that is free from the wound of a sword or spear, yet today I am dying like a camel (at home)."
[151] Such thoughts as, "If he had not gone on such-and-such journey or jihad, perhaps he would have survived," are nothing but regret upon regret. Otherwise, the one whom Allah keeps alive at home, He can keep alive in jihad as well, and the one whom He can cause to die in jihad, He can cause to die at home as well. To keep alive and to cause death are all within His power. It is within His knowledge.
[149] Here, the disbelievers refer to those hypocrites who used to mingle among the Muslims. Outwardly, they professed faith while concealing disbelief in their hearts.
[150]
The Regretful Words of Khalid bin Walid at the Time of Death:
To hold such a belief or to utter such words is against the belief in destiny, which is the sixth part of faith in the unseen. In this respect as well, these people became disbelievers. Because the time of death is fixed, as is the place. Whatever happens, death will come at its appointed time and will certainly come. There can be no advancement or delay in its time. Similarly, wherever it is destined for one to die, a person, by some means or another, reaches there himself. And when the time of death has not come, even if a person spends his entire life in battles, death will not come to him. Thus, Khalid bin Walidؓ, who fought battles all his life and on whose body there was not a single part left unmarked by the sword or arrow, when death came to him, it came at home. Accordingly, at the time of his own death, he himself said these words: "There is not a span on my body that is free from the wound of a sword or spear, yet today I am dying like a camel (at home)."
[151] Such thoughts as, "If he had not gone on such-and-such journey or jihad, perhaps he would have survived," are nothing but regret upon regret. Otherwise, the one whom Allah keeps alive at home, He can keep alive in jihad as well, and the one whom He can cause to die in jihad, He can cause to die at home as well. To keep alive and to cause death are all within His power. It is within His knowledge.
