Translation of the meanings Surah Āl-‘Imrān - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary (in progress) - Page Number 70 - The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia

154 : 3

ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ ٱلۡغَمِّ أَمَنَةٗ نُّعَاسٗا يَغۡشَىٰ طَآئِفَةٗ مِّنكُمۡۖ وَطَآئِفَةٞ قَدۡ أَهَمَّتۡهُمۡ أَنفُسُهُمۡ يَظُنُّونَ بِٱللَّهِ غَيۡرَ ٱلۡحَقِّ ظَنَّ ٱلۡجَٰهِلِيَّةِۖ يَقُولُونَ هَل لَّنَا مِنَ ٱلۡأَمۡرِ مِن شَيۡءٖۗ قُلۡ إِنَّ ٱلۡأَمۡرَ كُلَّهُۥ لِلَّهِۗ يُخۡفُونَ فِيٓ أَنفُسِهِم مَّا لَا يُبۡدُونَ لَكَۖ يَقُولُونَ لَوۡ كَانَ لَنَا مِنَ ٱلۡأَمۡرِ شَيۡءٞ مَّا قُتِلۡنَا هَٰهُنَاۗ قُل لَّوۡ كُنتُمۡ فِي بُيُوتِكُمۡ لَبَرَزَ ٱلَّذِينَ كُتِبَ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡقَتۡلُ إِلَىٰ مَضَاجِعِهِمۡۖ وَلِيَبۡتَلِيَ ٱللَّهُ مَا فِي صُدُورِكُمۡ وَلِيُمَحِّصَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِكُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمُۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ

(154) Then He descended on you after distress comforting sleepiness engulfing a group of you^[720], and another group^[721] of you were ˹very˺ concerned about themselves, they think of Allah that which is not true; thoughts of ignorance^[722]. They say: “Do we have a say in this affair?” Say ˹Muhammad˺: “The whole affair belongs to Allah”^[723]. They hide in their hearts what they do not reveal to you. They say: “Had we had a say in this, we would not have been killed here”. Say: “Had you been in your homes, those who were decreed to be killed would have made their way to their mowing down ˹places˺. ˹You were led to come˺ So that Allah would test what lurks in your chests and put what is in your hearts to trial—Allah is Knowledgeable of what the hearts hold.

[720] The real Believers.
[721] In other words, the hypocrites (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī). Those who were so consumed by their thoughts of the state they found themselves in. They were too tense and anxious to feel such a comforting, subtle sleepiness. In essence, their hearts were not pure enough to receive the blessing.
[722] al-Jāhiliyyah, the age of ignorance; the life the Arab pagans lead before the advent of Islam in which their perceptions about God were, to say the least, muddled. Here, seeing the Believers take the blows, they thought that God would not come to their help: “Nay but you thought that the Prophet and Believers would never go back to their homes, and that ˹thought˺ was to take hold of your hearts; you caught the evil thought—indeed you are people laid to waste” (48:12).
[723] The infinitely Wise God Almighty disposes of matters as He wills.

155 : 3

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَوَلَّوۡاْ مِنكُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡتَقَى ٱلۡجَمۡعَانِ إِنَّمَا ٱسۡتَزَلَّهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ بِبَعۡضِ مَا كَسَبُواْۖ وَلَقَدۡ عَفَا ٱللَّهُ عَنۡهُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٞ

(155) Those who fled on the day when the two hosts met ˹did so because˺ Satan had entrapped them owing to some sins ˹they committed˺, but Allah forgave them—Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Forbearing.

156 : 3

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَكُونُواْ كَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَقَالُواْ لِإِخۡوَٰنِهِمۡ إِذَا ضَرَبُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَوۡ كَانُواْ غُزّٗى لَّوۡ كَانُواْ عِندَنَا مَا مَاتُواْ وَمَا قُتِلُواْ لِيَجۡعَلَ ٱللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ حَسۡرَةٗ فِي قُلُوبِهِمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحۡيِۦ وَيُمِيتُۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ بَصِيرٞ

(156) You who Believe, do not be like those who Denied and said to their brothers^[724] when they^[725] set about travelling ˹in trade˺ or on a raid^[726]: “Had they been with us, they would not have died or gotten killed”^[727]. Thus Allah makes their hearts remorse-stricken; Allah ˹alone˺ gives life and causes death—Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.

[724] Their brethren with whom they find a certain bond.
[725] The latter.
[726] Ghuzzan is the plural of ghāzī, the one who sets out on a fighting foray. (Ibn Qutaybah, Gharīb al-Qur’ān, p. 114, al-Sijistānī, Gharīb al-Qur’ān, p. 354)
[727] Here God makes the Believers privy to this devilishly inspired soliloquy of lament and deep regret of the Deniers/hypocrites at the misfortune that hit their so-called brothers. Without God, the lives they led were utterly inconsolable! A Believer should know for certain that all matters, including life and death, are in the Hands of God alone.

157 : 3

وَلَئِن قُتِلۡتُمۡ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَوۡ مُتُّمۡ لَمَغۡفِرَةٞ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَحۡمَةٌ خَيۡرٞ مِّمَّا يَجۡمَعُونَ

(157) If you are killed in the cause of Allah or ˹yet˺ died, ˹be sure that˺ forgiveness from Allah and mercy are better than what they hoard.^[728]

[728] The reward with God for those who dedicate themselves to His cause is, by far, better than any worldly gain.