3.167
Abbas - Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs
(And that He might know the hypocrites) and that He might see the hypocrites, 'Abdullah Ibn Ubayy and his followers, returning to Medina, (unto whom it was said) 'Abdullah Ibn Jubayr said to them: (Come) to Uhud and (fight in the way of Allah, or defend yourselves) and your wives and children against the enemy, or increase the number of believers. (They answered: If we knew) there was (aught of fighting we would follow you) to Uhud. (On that day they were nearer disbelief than faith) or the believers; it is also said that this means: their return to disbelief and the disbelievers was closer than their return to faith and the believers. (They utter with their mouths a thing which is not in their hearts) to corroborate it. (Allah is best aware of what they hide) of disbelief and hypocrisy.
And that He might also know the hypocrites and those who when it was said to them after they had fled the fighting namely ‘Abd Allāh b. Ubayy and his companions ‘Come now fight in the way of God His enemies or defend’ us against the enemy by increasing the multitude of our fighters if you are not going to fight; they said ‘If we knew how if we were skilled enough to fight we would follow you’. God then said showing them to be liars They that day were nearer to unbelief than to belief for what they manifested of their forsaking the believers whereas before they had been outwardly nearer to belief; saying with their mouths that which was not in their hearts for even if they had known how to fight they would not have followed you. And God knows best what they hide of hypocrisy.
And that He might also know the hypocrites, that is, so that the believers and the hypocrites might be distinguished at the level of differentiated knowledge.
(When a single disaster smites you), in reference to when the Muslims suffered seventy fatalities during the battle of Uhud,
قَدْ أَصَبْتُمْ مِّثْلَيْهَا
(although you smote (your enemies) with one twice as great,) during Badr, when the Muslims killed seventy Mushriks and captured seventy others,
قُلْتُمْ أَنَّى هَـذَا
(you say: "From where does this come to us'') why did this defeat happen to us
قُلْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ أَنْفُسِكُمْ
(Say, "It is from yourselves.'') Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "When Uhud occurred, a year after Badr, Muslims were punished for taking ransom from the disbelievers at Badr in return for releasing the Mushriks whom they captured in that battle. Thus, they suffered the loss of seventy fatalities and the Companions of the Messenger of Allah gave flight and abandoned him. The Messenger suffered a broken tooth, the helmet was smashed on his head and blood flowed onto his face. Allah then revealed,
(When a single disaster smites you, although you smote (your enemies) with one twice as great, you say: "From where does this come to us'' Say, "It is from yourselves''.), because you took the ransom.'' Furthermore, Muhammad bin Ishaq, Ibn Jurayj, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and As-Suddi said that the Ayah,
قُلْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ أَنْفُسِكُمْ
(Say, "It is from yourselves.'') means, because you, the archers, disobeyed the Messenger's command to not abandon your positions.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
(And Allah has power over all things.) and He does what He wills and decides what He wills, and there is none who can resist His decision.
(And what you suffered on the day the two armies met, was by the leave of Allah), for when you ran away from your enemy, who killed many of you and injured many others, all this occurred by Allah's will and decree out of His perfect wisdom,
وَلِيَعْلَمَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
(in order that He might test the believers.) who were patient, firm and were not shaken,
(And that He might test the hypocrites, it was said to them: "Come, fight in the way of Allah or defend yourselves.'' They said: "Had we known that fighting will take place, we would certainly have followed you.'') 3:167,
This refers to the Companions of `Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul who went back (to Al-Madinah) with him before the battle. Some believers followed them and encouraged them to come back and fight, saying,
أَوِ ادْفَعُواْ
(or defend), so that the number of Muslims increases, as Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ad-Dahhak, Abu Salih, Al-Hasan and As-Suddi stated. Al-Hasan bin Salih said that this part of the Ayah means, help by supplicating for us, while others said it means, man the posts. However, they refused, saying,
لَوْ نَعْلَمُ قِتَالاً لاَّتَّبَعْنَـكُمْ
("Had we known that fighting will take place, we would certainly have followed you.'') meaning, according to Mujahid, if we knew that you would fight today, we would join you, but we think you will not fight. Allah said,
(saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts.) for they utter what they do not truly believe in, such as,
لَوْ نَعْلَمُ قِتَالاً لاَّتَّبَعْنَـكُمْ
("Had we known that fighting will take place, we would certainly have followed you.'')
They knew that there was an army of idolators that came from a far land raging against the Muslims, to avenge their noble men whom the Muslims killed in Badr. These idolators came in larger numbers than the Muslims, so it was clear that a battle will certainly occur. Allah said;
وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَكْتُمُونَ
(And Allah has full knowledge of what they conceal.)
((They are) the ones who said about their killed brethren while they themselves sat (at home): "If only they had listened to us, they would not have been killed.'') had they listened to our advice and not gone out, they would not have met their demise. Allah said,
(Say: "Avert death from your own selves, if you speak the truth.'') meaning, if staying at home saves one from being killed or from death, then you should not die. However death will come to you even if you were hiding in fortified castles. Therefore, fend death off of yourselves, if you are right.
Mujahid said that Jabir bin `Abdullah said, "This Ayah 3:168 was revealed about `Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul (the chief hypocrite).''
3.165-168
Maududi - Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an
This verse is meant to remove the confusion caused in the minds of the common Muslims by the reverse at Uhd. Though the intimate Companions close to the Holy Prophet were under no delusion that his mere presence among them was a sure guarantee of success, yet the common Muslims were suffering from this misunderstanding. They thought that the disbelievers could in no way win a victory over them because the Holy Prophet was present among them and the help and succour of Allah was with them. Therefore, when contrary to their expectations, they met with a reverse at Uhd, they began to ask questions like this: why has this misfortune befallen us, who were fighting for the cause of Allah, and that, too, at the hands of the disbelievers, who had come to destroy Islam? Above all, they could not understand this because Allah had promised to help and succour them and the Holy Prophet was himself present in the battlefield. They have been told that they themselves were responsible for the disaster.
In the battle of Uhd, 70 Muslims were martyred whereas in the battle of Badr, 70 disbelievers were killed and 70 taken as prisoners.
That is, "It is the result of your own weakness and wrong acts: you did not show patience; you did things which were against piety; you disobeyed the order of your leader; you became victims of greed and you got engaged in disputes among yourselves: still you ask, "Where has this disaster come from?" defeat.
That is, "Allah is able to give victory and is also able to bring about
This was the pretext with which `Abdullah bin Ubayy returned to AlMadinah with his 300 men from his way to the battlefield. When the Muslims perceived that he was about to desert the Muslim army, they tried to persuade him to accompany them but he replied, "We are quite certain that there will be no battle today. That is why we are returning home; we would have most surely accompanied you, if we had expected any battle today."
And what afflicted you the day the two hosts encountered was by God's leave and that He might know the believers. And that He might also know the hypocrites when it was said to them "Come now fight in the way of God or defend [yourselves]" they said "If we knew how to fight we would follow you." That day they were nearer to unbelief than to belief saying with their mouths that which was not in their hearts. And God knows best what they hide. He lightened the grave calamity met by the believers and possessors of insight on the Day of Uḥud by saying that the encounter was by God's leave. Surely a trial that afflicts [one] by God's leave is sweeter than honey and more desirable than any blessing. Then He spoke of those who were not sincere comrades how they offered excuses and were lazy. Similarly when the one who is tired wants to break things off he becomes weary of being together and says "That was that." Saying with their mouths that which was not in their hearts: Verily they gave honey to drink [to their enemies] but He plotted to put poison in it for them. And they schemed; and God schemed; and God is the best of schemers [3:54].
