Tafsir of Surah Aal Imran - Verse 126

Allah said _"Allah made it not but as a message of good news for you and as an assurance to your hearts"_. This Ayah means, "Allah sent down angels and told you about their descent to encourage you and to comfort and reassure your hearts. You should know that victory only comes from Allah and that if He willed, He would have defeated your enemy without you having to fight them." For instance, Allah said after commanding the believers to fight,

ذلِكَ وَلَوْ يَشَآء اللَّهُ لاَنْتَصَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَـكِن لّيَبْلُوَ بَعْضَكُمْ بِبَعْضٍ وَالَّذِينَ قُتِلُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَلَن يُضِلَّ أَعْمَـلَهُمْ سَيَهْدِيهِمْ وَيُصْلِحُ بَالَهُمْ وَيُدْخِلُهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ عَرَّفَهَا لَهُمْ

(But if it had been Allah's will, He Himself could certainly have punished them (without you). But (He lets you fight) in order to test some of you with others. But those who are killed in the way of Allah, He will never let their deeds be lost. He will guide them and set right their state. And admit them to Paradise which He has made known to them) 47:4-6.

This is why Allah said here,

وَمَا جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ بُشْرَى لَكُمْ وَلِتَطْمَئِنَّ قُلُوبُكُمْ بِهِ وَمَا النَّصْرُ إِلاَّ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ

(Allah made it not but as a message of good news for you and as an assurance to your hearts. And there is no victory except from Allah, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise) 3:126.

This Ayah means, "Allah is the Almighty Whose power can never be undermined, and He has the perfect wisdom in His decrees and in all His decisions." Allah said,

لِيَقْطَعَ طَرَفاً مِّنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ

(That He might cut off a part of those who disbelieve,) 3:127 meaning, out of His wisdom, He commands you to perform Jihad and to fight.

Allah then mentions the various consequences of performing Jihad against the disbelievers. For instance, Allah said,

لِيَقْطَعَ طَرَفاً

(That He might cut off a part...) meaning, to cause a part of a nation to perish,

مِّنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَوْ يَكْبِتَهُمْ

(of those who disbelieve, or expose them to infamy,) by disgracing them and forcing them to return with only their rage, having failed in their aim to harm you. This is why Allah said next,

أَوْ يَكْبِتَهُمْ فَيَنقَلِبُواْ

(or expose them to infamy, so that they retire) to go back to their land,

خَآئِبِينَ

(frustrated) without achieving their aims.

Allah then mentions a statement that testifies that the decision in this life and the Hereafter is for Him Alone without partners. (3:127)

لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الاٌّمْرِ شَىْءٌ

(Not for you is the decision) 3:128

meaning, "The matter is all in My Hand." Allah also said,

فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَـغُ وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ

(your duty is only to convey (the Message) and on Us is the reckoning.) 13:40, and,

لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ

(Not upon you is their guidance, but Allah guides whom He wills.) 2:272, and,

إِنَّكَ لاَ تَهْدِى مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ

(Verily, you guide not whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills) 28: 56.

Muhammad bin Ishaq said that Allah's statement,

لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الاٌّمْرِ شَىْءٌ

(3:128... Not for you is the decision;), means, "No part of the decision regarding My servants is yours, except what I command you." Allah then mentions the rest of the consequences of Jihad,

أَوْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ

(whether He pardons them) concerning the acts of disbelief that they commit, thus delivering them from misguidance to the guidance.

أَوْ يُعَذِّبَهُمْ

(or punishes them;) in this life and the Hereafter because of their disbelief and errors,

فَإِنَّهُمْ ظَـلِمُونَ

(verily, they are the wrongdoers), and thus, they deserve such a fate.(3:128 end)

Al-Bukhari recorded that, Salim bin `Abdullah said that his father said that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying -- when he raised his head from bowing in the second unit of the Fajr prayer -- "O Allah! Curse so-and-so," after saying; Sami` Allahu Liman Hamidah, Rabbana wa lakal-Hamd. Thereafter, Allah revealed this Ayah,

لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الاٌّمْرِ شَىْءٌ

(Not for you is the decision;) This was also recorded by An-Nasa'i. Imam Ahmad recorded that Salim bin `Abdullah said that his father said that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying,

«اللَّهُمَّ الْعَنْ فُلَانًا، اللَّهُمَّ الْعَنِ الْحَارِثَ بْنَ هِشَامٍ، اللَّهُمَّ الْعَنْ سُهَيْلَ بْنَ عَمْرٍو، اللَّهُمَّ الْعَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنَ أُمَيَّة»

(O Allah! Curse so-and-so. O Allah! Curse Al-Harith bin Hisham. O Allah! Curse Suhayl bin `Amr. O Allah! Curse Safwan bin Umayyah.)

Thereafter, this Ayah was revealed;

لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الاٌّمْرِ شَىْءٌ أَوْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَوْ يُعَذِّبَهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ ظَـلِمُونَ

(Not for you is the decision; whether He turns in mercy to (pardon) them or punishes them; verily, they are the wrongdoers) 3:128.

All these persons were pardoned (after they embraced Islam later on).

Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that when Allah's Messenger ﷺ would supplicate against or for someone, he would do so when he was finished bowing and saying; Sami` Allahu Liman Hamidah, Rabbana wa lakal-Hamd. He would then say, (the Qunut)

«اللَّهُمَّ أَنْجِ الْوَلِيدَ بْنَ الْوَلِيدِ، وَسَلَمَةَ بْنَ هِشَامٍ وَعَيَّاشَ بْنَ أَبِي رَبِيعَةَ، وَالْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، اللَّهُمَّ اشْدُدْ وَطْأَتَكَ عَلى مُضَرَ، وَاجْعَلْهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سِنِينَ كَسِنِي يُوسُف»

(O Allah! Save Al-Walid bin Al-Walid, Salamah bin Hisham, `Ayyash bin Abi Rabi`ah and the weak and the helpless people among the faithful believers. O Allah! Be hard on the tribe of Mudar and let them suffer from years of famine like that of the time of Yusuf. )

He would say this supplication aloud. He sometimes would supplicate during the Dawn prayer, "O Allah! Curse so-and-so (persons)," mentioning some Arab tribes. Thereafter, Allah revealed,

لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الاٌّمْرِ شَىْءٌ

(Not for you is the decision.)

Al-Bukhari recorded that Hamid and Thabit said that, Anas bin Malik said that the Prophet was injured during the battle of Uhud and said,

«كَيْفَ يُفْلِحُ قَوْمٌ شَجُّوا نَبِيَّهُمْ؟»

(How can a people achieve success after having injured their Prophet)

Thereafter,

لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الاٌّمْرِ شَىْءٌ

(Not for you is the decision,) was revealed.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas said that, the Prophet's front tooth was broken during the battle of Uhud and he also sustained injuries on his forehead until blood dripped on his face. The Prophet said,

«كَيْفَ يُفْلِحُ قَوْمٌ فَعَلُوا هذَا بِنَبِيِّهِمْ، وَهُوَ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلى رَبِّهِمْ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ؟»

(How can a people achieve success after having done this to their Prophet who is calling them to their Lord, the Exalted and Most Honored) Allah revealed,

لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الاٌّمْرِ شَىْءٌ أَوْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَوْ يُعَذِّبَهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ ظَـلِمُونَ

(Not for you is the decision; whether He turns in mercy to (pardons) them or punishes them; verily, they are the wrongdoers.) Muslim also collected this Hadith.

Allah then said,

وَللَّهِ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ

(3:129... And to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the Earth.) 3:129, everything is indeed the property of Allah and all are servants in His Hand.

يَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ

(He forgives whom He wills, and punishes whom He wills.) for His is the decision and none can resist His decision. Allah is never asked about what He does, while they will be asked,

وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

(and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.)(3:129 end...)

Commentary

In the previous verses, the battle of Badr was cited in relation to the battle of Uhud. Briefly stated there was the unseen support from Allah Almighty given to Muslims. In the present verses, some details of that support have been mentioned. Also stated is the wisdom behind the sending of angels.

One may naturally ask a question here. When Allah Almighty has endowed His angels with such power that just one of them could over-turn an entire habitation, very much like what happened with the land of the people of Lut (علیہ السلام) which was overturned single-handedly by the angel Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) ، why was it necessary to send out an army of angels? In addition to that, given the introduction of angels onto the battlefield, the obvious result should have been the total annihilation of every single infidel.

The Holy Qur'an has, itself, given the answer in the verse وَمَا جَعَلَهُ اللَّـهُ إِلَّا بُشْرَ‌ىٰ. It means that the purpose behind the sending of angels was not really to help score a victory on the battlefield. Instead, the purpose was to give the believers the good news of victory to comfort them and to strengthen their hearts. This is very clear from the words إِلَّا بُشْرَ‌ىٰ (only that it be a good news) and لِتَطْمَئِنَّ قُلُوبُكُم (that your hearts may be at rest) in the text. Far more clear are the words of Surah a1-Anfal about this event فَثَبِّتُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا (So, make those who believe firm - 8:12). Here, the address is to the angels and they have been asked to see that Muslims do not get anxious and that their hearts stay firm.

How can hearts be made to stay firm? There are many possible ways, one of them could be through their spiritual input, something not too dissimilar to the direct beaming of attention as practiced by mystic shaykhs.

The possibility of doing this in several less complex forms also exists. For instance, they may simply assure the believers that angels are standing ready to help them - by appearing before them, by their voice signs or by some other method - as was witnessed in the battle of Badr where all these methods were used. In fact, in one exegetic explanation of the verse فَاضْرِ‌بُوا فَوْقَ الْأَعْنَاق (So, strike over the necks - 8:12), this address is to the angels. According to some hadith narrations, when an angel decided to attack a disbeliever, the head of the disbeliever slid of his body all by itself.1 It has also been reported that some noble Companions heard the voice of Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) saying, 'Charge, Haizum!'2 Some of them saw some angels (Muslim). All these sensory experiences are part of the same chain of Divine support. Evidences prove that the angels of Allah did a few things to impress upon Muslims that the angels too are participating in fighting as a sort of assurance that His support through the angels is there. As said earlier, their objective was far from winning a war for the believers. Their real mission was to comfort Muslims and to give their hearts strength. That the obligation of Jihad has been placed on men in this mortal world, and that is how they are enabled to deserve merits and ranks in the Hereafter, is a clear proof of this view. If Allah Almighty had willed that countries be conquered through armies of angels, the very name of disbelief and disbelievers would have been effaced from the face of the earth, not to say much about governments and empires. But, in this system of the material world, Allah Almighty has not just willed it so. Here, disbelief and faith, obedience and sin shall continue to exist side by side. The great divide shall come on the Day of Resurrection when the true and the false shall become all distinct.

1\. From Sabi ibn Hanif vide Al-Hkim and Baihaqi.

2\. The steed of Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) .

The rationale of the promises:

Let us now turn to the promises of angelic help in the battle of Badr. The verse of Surah al-Anfal carries the promise of one thousand angels. In the present verse of Surah 'Al-` Imran, the promise begins with three thousand, then goes up to five. What is the wisdom behind this?

The fact is that Muslims noticed the thousand-strong force of the enemy in the battle of Badr, as stated in Surah al-Anfal, and compared it with their total count of three hundred and thirteen, so they invoked the help of Allah Almighty against such heavy odds. Thereupon, came the promise of one thousand angels, implying thereby that the number of their enemy shall be matched by an identical number of angels. The words of the verse are:

إِذْ تَسْتَغِيثُونَ رَ‌بَّكُمْ فَاسْتَجَابَ لَكُمْ أَنِّي مُمِدُّكُم بِأَلْفٍ مِّنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مُرْ‌دِفِينَ ﴿9﴾

When you were calling your Lord for help, so He responded to you (saying): I am going to support you with one thousand of the angels, one following the other. (8:9)

Even after this verse, the same purpose behind the sending of angels was made clear by saying:

وَمَا جَعَلَهُ اللَّـهُ إِلَّا بُشْرَ‌ىٰ وَلِتَطْمَئِنَّ بِهِ قُلُوبُكُمْ

"And Allah did it, only that it be a good news for you, and that your hearts may be at rest with it."

Then comes the present verse of Surah 'Al-` Imran. Here, the promise of three thousand angels was probably made due to the reports received by Muslims that Kurz ibn Jabir. Muharibi was marching towards the battlefield of Badr with his tribal forces in support of the disbelievers of Makkah (as in Ruh al-Ma` ani). The actual position in the confrontation was that the enemy forces were already three times larger than those of Muslims, who were somewhat disturbed by this news. Thereupon, a promise of three thousand angels was made so that the ratio is reversed and the number of Muslims goes three times higher than that of the enemy.

After that, right there towards the end of this verse, this number was increased, subject to conditions, to five thousand. The conditions were:

A. That Muslims shall hold on firmly to the great qualities of صبر sabr (patience) and تقوی Taqwa (fear of Allah).

B. That they come under enemy attack all of a sudden.

Out of these two conditions, the second one did not just materialize, therefore, the promise of the number, five thousand, did not remain effective. Granted that the second condition of the promise did not come to pass, major commentators and historians differ as to the actual fulfillment of the promise - was it in the form of five thousand or three thousand only? All these positions have been mentioned in Ruh al-Ma'ani.

From the verse لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ‌ شَيْءٌ (You have no authority in the matter) (128), the text returns to the main event of Uhud after a brief mention of the event of Badr in between. This verse was revealed in the background of the battle of Uhud where the Holy Prophet ﷺ lost one of his teeth, the lower right premolar, to be exact. His face injured, he is reported to have uttered: 'How shall such people prosper, people who do this to their prophet, although that prophet is calling them towards God?'. Thereupon, this verse was revealed.

According to yet another story from the Sahih al-Bukhari, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been reported to have invoked evil fate for some disbelievers, whereupon came the revelation of this verse in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been counseled to remain patient and forbearing.1

1\. Bayan al-Qura'n.

Believers should never be upset at any lack of manpower or resources. When small in number, they should have the conviction that God will amply compensate for this by sending angels down to help them. When confronted with inadequate resources, they should trust God to create such situations as will compensate for this deficiency. Success depends more on patience and being God-fearing (taqwa) than on material resources. Those who fear and trust God can receive His divine succour in two ways: first, by His causing a section of the enemy to be brought to repentance and submission, thus reducing their number; and second, by His bringing about their outright defeat. The first kind of God’s succour comes by way of dawah work. God opens to the truth the hearts of those opponents, who have some receptivity in them, and thus they join the believers. In this way they weaken the enemy forces and strengthen the believers’ ranks. By the second method, God gives strength and courage to the believers and enables them to emerge victorious.