[712] When the Prophet (ﷺ) was rumoured dead, some Believers, as mayhem spread in their ranks, were understandably in search of assuagement. Hence, they lent their ears to some who were in actuality Denying hypocrites who volunteered ‘consultation’.
[713] The idols they worshiped besides God without having plausible reason to justify such deification.
[714] The Qur’anic lexical term tahussūnahum is unique. In a sense, it is semantically related to ‘sensing’ whereby when one is killed, one loses one’s sense of perception (cf. al-Shinqīṭī).
[715] Victory after the Deniers rout from the battle-ground. (al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī).
[716] The first party are the archers who left their positions to collect the spoils, while the latter are those who remained at their posts. (al-Ṭabarī, al-Wāḥidī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī)
[717] When their hearts turned away from obeying the Messenger (ﷺ), they were made to forget about their enemy and take due guard against them. (al-Ṭabarī, al-Wāḥidī, al-Saʿdī, Ibn ʿĀshūr)
[718] This is a synopsis of the events of the Battle of Uḥud, where succinctly put: 1) God fulfilled His promise of victory to the Believers and made them run down and kill their enemy; 2) yet, when they saw that their desired goal, victory, was accomplished some of the archers lost conviction upon seeing that the spoils of war were being collected; 3) so, they disputed with their leader, who was of the opinion that they remained put as they had been bid by the Prophet (ﷺ); 4) when they broke rank and left their positions, the enemy, who had been lying low in hiding, bore down on them; 5) thereafter a commotion ensued and the archers fled. The rest of the account carries on in the next aya.
[719] The Believers were greatly distressed at losing ground in the battle and taking flight in the face of their enemy, but a greater concern that made them forget this one was now in store for them. At this very difficult juncture, news of the rumoured death of the Prophet (ﷺ), whom they loved more than anything in this world, hit them. They soon forgot the loot they missed out on and the defeat that had been inflicted on them. Thus, God soothed and comforted them (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Saʿdī). This is a prime example of post trauma group therapy, which was rounded off by the soothing feeling of sleepiness as in the next aya. It is human nature to brood over one’s woes and easily forget about the many blessings that they are couched in. Such blessings are only appreciated when they are lost.