3. Sūrat Āli ʿImrān

٣۔ سُورَةُ آل عِمرَان

3.36 Lessons from the Battle of Uhud. God's help to the believers.

٣۔٣٦ مقطع في سُورَةُ آل عِمرَان

quran:3:121

And ˹remember˺ when you, ˹O Muhammad˺, left your family in the morning to post the believers at their stations for the battle ˹of Uhud˺ - and Allah is Hearing and Knowing -  

And, mention O Muhammad (s), when you went forth at dawn from your family, at Medina, to assign the believers, to have ˹them˺ occupy, their places, stations for them to stand at, for battle, and God hears, what you say, knows, your circumstances: this was the day of ˹the battle of˺ Uhud. The Prophet (s) set out with 1000 or 950 men, while the idolaters numbered 3000. The Prophet pitched camp at the ravine on Saturday 7th of Shawwāl in year 3 of the Hijra. He had his back and that of his troops to Uhud. He arranged their lines and placed a group of archers under the command of ‘Abd Allāh b. Jubayr at the foot of the mountain and said to them: ‘Defend us with your arrows in case they come up from behind us, and remain here whether we are being defeated or on the verge of victory’.
القرآن:٣:١٢١

وَإِذْ غَدَوْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ تُبَوِّئُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَقَاعِدَ لِلْقِتَالِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ  

{و} اذكر يا محمد {إذ غدوت من أهلك} من المدينة {تبوئ} تنزل {المؤمنين مقاعد} مراكز يقفون فيها {للقتال والله سميع} لأقوالكم {عليم} بأحوالكم وهو يوم أحد خرج النبي ﷺ بألف أو إلا خمسين رجلا والمشركون ثلاثة آلاف ونزل بالشعب يوم السبت سابع شوال سنة ثلاثٍ من الهجرة وجعل ظهره وعسكره إلى أحد وسوى صفوفهم وأجلس جيشا من الرماة وأمَّر عليهم عبد الله ابن جبير بسفح الجبل وقال: انضحوا عنا بالنبل لا يأتونا من ورائنا ولا تبرحوا غُلبنا أو نُصرنا.
quran:3:122

When two parties among you were about to lose courage, but Allah was their ally; and upon Allah the believers should rely.  

When (idh, substitutes for the previous idh) two parties of you, the Banū Salima and the Banū Hāritha, the two flanks of the army, were about to lose heart, ˹about˺ to shrink from the battle and retreat, after ‘Abd Allāh b. Ubayy, the hypocrite, and his companions began to retreat. He ˹Ibn Ubayy˺ said, ‘Why should we get ourselves and our children killed?’ and he also said to Abū Jābir al-Salamī — who had said to him, ‘I implore you by God for your Prophet’s sake and yours’ — ‘If we knew how to fight, we would follow you!’ But God then made them ˹the Banū Salima and the Banū Hāritha˺ steadfast and they did not abandon ˹the field˺; and God was their Protector, their Helper, and let the believers rely on God, let them place their trust in Him and none other.
القرآن:٣:١٢٢

إِذْ هَمَّتْ طَائِفَتَانِ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ تَفْشَلَا وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّهُمَا ۗ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ  

{إذا} بدل من إذ قبله {همت طائفتان منكم} بنو سلمة وبنو حارثة جناحا العسكر {أن تفشلا} تجبنا عن القتال وترجعا لما رجع عبد الله بن أبيّ المنافقُ وأصحابه وقال: عَلام نقتلُ أنفسنا وأولادنا وقال لأبي جابر السمي القائل له أنشدكم الله في نبيكم وأنفسكم لو نعلم قتالا لا تبعناكم فثبتهما الله ولم ينصرفا {والله وليهما} ناصرهما {وعلى الله فليتوكل المؤمنون} ليثقوا به دون غيره.
quran:3:123

And already had Allah given you victory at ˹the battle of˺ Badr while you were few in number. Then fear Allah; perhaps you will be grateful.  

When they were defeated, the following was revealed as a way of reminding them of God’s favour: God already gave you victory at Badr, a location between Mecca and Medina, when you were contemptible, few in number and weapons. So fear God, in order that you might be thankful, for His blessings.
القرآن:٣:١٢٣

وَلَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ بِبَدْرٍ وَأَنْتُمْ أَذِلَّةٌ ۖ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ  

ونزل لما هزموا تذكيرا لهم بنعمة الله {ولقد نصركم الله ببدر} موضع بين مكة والمدينة {وأنتم أذلة} بقلة العدد والسلاح {فاتقوا الله لعلكم تشكرون} نعمه.
quran:3:124

˹Remember˺ when you said to the believers, "Is it not sufficient for you that your Lord should reinforce you with three thousand angels sent down?  

When (idh, an adverbial qualifier of nasarakum, ‘He gave you victory’ ˹in the previous verse˺) you were saying to the believers, promising them as reassurance ˹for them˺: ‘Is it not sufficient for you that your Lord should reinforce you, ˹that˺ He should succour you, with three thousand angels sent down? (read munzalīn or munazzalīn, ‘sent down’).
القرآن:٣:١٢٤

إِذْ تَقُولُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَلَنْ يَكْفِيَكُمْ أَنْ يُمِدَّكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ بِثَلَاثَةِ آلَافٍ مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مُنْزَلِينَ  

{إذ} ظرف لنصركم {تقول للمؤمنين} توعدهم تطمينا {ألن يكفيكم أن يمدّكم} يعينكم {ربكم بثلاثة آلافِ من الملائكة مُنْزَلينَ} بالتخفيف والتشديد.
quran:3:125

Yes, if you remain patient and conscious of Allah and the enemy come upon you ˹attacking˺ in rage, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand angels having marks ˹of distinction˺  

Yea, it is sufficient for you. In ˹sūrat˺ al-Anfāl ˹it is stated˺ with a thousand ˹Q. 8:9˺, because at first He reinforced them with this ˹thousand˺, then it became three ˹thousand˺ then five ˹thousand˺, as God says: if you are patient, in encountering the enemy, and fear, God in not contravening ˹His command˺, and they, the idolaters, come against you instantly, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand angels accoutred’ (read musawimmīn or musawammīn), that is to say, distinctively marked ˹for the battle˺. Indeed, they were patient and God fulfilled His promise to them, so that the angels fought together with them riding upon piebald horses wearing yellow or white turbans, let loose down to their shoulders.
القرآن:٣:١٢٥

بَلَىٰ ۚ إِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا وَيَأْتُوكُمْ مِنْ فَوْرِهِمْ هَٰذَا يُمْدِدْكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ بِخَمْسَةِ آلَافٍ مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مُسَوِّمِينَ  

{بلى} يكفيكم ذلك وفي الأنفال بألف لأنه أمدهم أولا بها ثم صارت ثلاثة ثم صارت خمسة كما قال تعالى {إن تصبروا} على لقاء العدو {وتتقوا} الله في المخالفة {ويأتوكم} أي المشركون {من فورهم} وقتهم {هذا يمددكم ربكم بخمسة آلاف من الملائكة مُسَوَّمينَ} بكسر الواو وفتحها أي معلمين وقد صبروا وأنجز الله وعده بأن قاتلت معهم الملائكة على خيل بلق عليهم عمائم صفر أو بيض أرسلوها بين أكتافهم.
quran:3:126

And Allah made it not except as ˹a sign of˺ good tidings for you and to reassure your hearts thereby. And victory is not except from Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Wise -  

What God ordained, that is, of reinforcement, was only as a good tiding to you, of victory, and that your hearts might be at peace, ˹that˺ they might be at rest, and not be terrified by the large number of the enemy as compared to your small number. Victory comes only from God, the Mighty, the Wise, He gives it to whomever He will, and ˹victory comes˺ not because of a large army.
القرآن:٣:١٢٦

وَمَا جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بُشْرَىٰ لَكُمْ وَلِتَطْمَئِنَّ قُلُوبُكُمْ بِهِ ۗ وَمَا النَّصْرُ إِلَّا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ  

{وما جعله الله} أي الإمداد {إلا بشرى لكم} بالنصر {ولتطمئن} تسكن {قلوبكم به} فلا تجزع من كثرة العدو وقلَّتكم {وما النصر إلا من عند الله العزيز الحكيم} يؤتيه من يشاء وليس بكثرة الجند.
quran:3:127

That He might cut down a section of the disbelievers or suppress them so that they turn back disappointed.  

And that He might cut off (li-yaqta‘, is semantically connected to the clause containing nasarakum, ‘He gave you victory’), that is to say, that He might destroy, a party of the disbelievers, by slaying them or making them fall captive, or suppress them, humiliate them through defeat, so that they fall back, return, frustrated, not having secured what they desired.
القرآن:٣:١٢٧

لِيَقْطَعَ طَرَفًا مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَوْ يَكْبِتَهُمْ فَيَنْقَلِبُوا خَائِبِينَ  

{ليقطع} متعلق ينصركم أي ليُهلك {طرفا من الذين كفروا} بالقتل والأسر {أو يكبتهم} يذلهم بالهزيمة {فينقلبوا} يرجعوا {خائبين} لم ينالوا ما راموه.