Translation of the meanings Surah Āl-‘Imrān - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary (in progress) - Page Number 72 - The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia

Ayah: 166

وَمَآ أَصَٰبَكُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡتَقَى ٱلۡجَمۡعَانِ فَبِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِيَعۡلَمَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ

(166) What befell you on the day when the two hosts met was with Allah’s permission, so that He makes known the ˹real˺ Believers,

Ayah: 167

وَلِيَعۡلَمَ ٱلَّذِينَ نَافَقُواْۚ وَقِيلَ لَهُمۡ تَعَالَوۡاْ قَٰتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَوِ ٱدۡفَعُواْۖ قَالُواْ لَوۡ نَعۡلَمُ قِتَالٗا لَّٱتَّبَعۡنَٰكُمۡۗ هُمۡ لِلۡكُفۡرِ يَوۡمَئِذٍ أَقۡرَبُ مِنۡهُمۡ لِلۡإِيمَٰنِۚ يَقُولُونَ بِأَفۡوَٰهِهِم مَّا لَيۡسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا يَكۡتُمُونَ

(167) and those who pretend^[743]. It was said to them: “Come and fight in the cause of Allah, or ˹at least˺ push back^[744]”. They said: “Had we any knowledge of a fighting, we would have followed you”^[745]. They were on that day closer to Denial than Belief. They say with their mouths what is not in their hearts—Allah knows best what they hide.

[743] al-ladhīna nāfaqū, the hypocrites lurking within the Believing community.
[744] Defend yourselves.
[745] Their lame excuse being that they did not think the Believers would actually engage the Deniers in battle. They claimed that they saw battle as only a remote possibility. (al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī)

Ayah: 168

ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُواْ لِإِخۡوَٰنِهِمۡ وَقَعَدُواْ لَوۡ أَطَاعُونَا مَا قُتِلُواْۗ قُلۡ فَٱدۡرَءُواْ عَنۡ أَنفُسِكُمُ ٱلۡمَوۡتَ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ

(168) Those who remained behind and said to their brothers: “Had they obeyed us, they would not have been killed”. Say ˹Muhammad˺: “Ward off death from yourselves, if you are speaking the truth!”

Ayah: 169

وَلَا تَحۡسَبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قُتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَمۡوَٰتَۢاۚ بَلۡ أَحۡيَآءٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ يُرۡزَقُونَ

(169) Do not think that those who got killed in the cause of Allah^[746] are dead. Nay but they are alive with their Lord ˹being handsomely˺ provided for^[747].

[746] Martyrs.
[747] Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “When your brothers were struck down in the Battle of Badr, Allah placed their souls in the ˹abdominal˺ cavities of green fowls, they drink from the rivers of Paradise, eat from its fruits and come back at the end of the day to repose in chandeliers hung in the Shadow of the ˹Majestic˺ Throne. For all of this, they ˹the martyred Believers˺ said: “Who would tell our brothers about us; that we are in Paradise being handsomely provided for so that they may not give up fighting in the cause of Allah or cower in war?” Allah Almighty said: “I will tell them on your behalf”. Then He revealed: “Do not think that those who got killed in the cause of Allah are dead. Nay but they are alive with their Lord ˹being handsomely˺ provided for”. (Abū Dāwūd: 2520, Aḥmad: 2388; another version is found in Muslim: 1887)

Ayah: 170

فَرِحِينَ بِمَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضۡلِهِۦ وَيَسۡتَبۡشِرُونَ بِٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يَلۡحَقُواْ بِهِم مِّنۡ خَلۡفِهِمۡ أَلَّا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ

(170) Delighted with what Allah gave them from His Grace and are cheerful ˹in anticipation˺ for those who did not yet join them; that behind them they^[748] will have no fear nor will they feel sorrowful;

[748] The latter.

Ayah: 171

۞ يَسۡتَبۡشِرُونَ بِنِعۡمَةٖ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَفَضۡلٖ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجۡرَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ

(171) they are cheerfully anticipant of Bounty and Grace from Allah and that Allah casts aside not the reward of the Believers.

Ayah: 172

ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتَجَابُواْ لِلَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَآ أَصَابَهُمُ ٱلۡقَرۡحُۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحۡسَنُواْ مِنۡهُمۡ وَٱتَّقَوۡاْ أَجۡرٌ عَظِيمٌ

(172) Those who responded to ˹the call of ˺ Allah and the Messenger after they have been deeply wounded^[749]; of whom these who do well and are Mindful, theirs is a great reward.

[749] Those of the Believers who did the Prophet’s (ﷺ) bidding and chased after the retreating Makkan army until they reached the outpost of Ḥamrā’ al-Asad, on the outskirts of Madinah. These Believers had been deeply wounded and bruised in the Battle of Uḥud. (al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī)

Ayah: 173

ٱلَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّ ٱلنَّاسَ قَدۡ جَمَعُواْ لَكُمۡ فَٱخۡشَوۡهُمۡ فَزَادَهُمۡ إِيمَٰنٗا وَقَالُواْ حَسۡبُنَا ٱللَّهُ وَنِعۡمَ ٱلۡوَكِيلُ

(173) Those who ˹when˺ people said to them: “People have regrouped for you, so fear them”^[750], their Belief ˹only˺ grew firmer and they said: “Allah suffices us, He is the best of Keepers”^[751].

[750] The Deniers’ army, under the leadership of Abū Sufyān, were reported to be bracing themselves for another attack. (al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr)
[751] This pronouncement is one of the greatest forms of Dhikr (remembrance) during times of hardship. Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) narrated: “Ḥasbunā Allāh wa niʿma al-Wakīl (Allah suffices us, He is the best of Keepers), was said by Ibrāhīm (عليه السلام) when he was thrown in the fire and was said by Muhammad (ﷺ) when it was said: “People have regrouped for you, so fear them”, their Belief ˹only˺ grew firmer and they said: “Allah suffices us, He is the best of Keepers”.” (al-Bukhārī: 4563)