AL IMRAN 166-170

وَمَا أَصَابَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْتَقَى الْجَمْعَانِ فَبِإِذْنِ اللّهِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
{166}

[Yusufali 3:166] What ye suffered on the day the two armies Met, was with the leave of Allah, in order that He might test the believers,-




وَلْيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ نَافَقُواْ وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْاْ قَاتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ أَوِ ادْفَعُواْ قَالُواْ لَوْ نَعْلَمُ قِتَالاً لاَّتَّبَعْنَاكُمْ هُمْ لِلْكُفْرِ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَقْرَبُ مِنْهُمْ لِلإِيمَانِ يَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَاهِهِم مَّا لَيْسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاللّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَكْتُمُونَ {167}

[Yusufali 3:167] And the Hypocrites also. These were told: "Come, fight in the way of Allah, or (at least) drive (The foe from your city)." They said: "Had we known how to fight, we should certainly have followed you." They were that day nearer to Unbelief than to Faith, saying with their lips what was not in their hearts but Allah hath full knowledge of all they conceal.




الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ لإِخْوَانِهِمْ وَقَعَدُواْ لَوْ أَطَاعُونَا مَا قُتِلُوا قُلْ فَادْرَؤُوا عَنْ أَنفُسِكُمُ الْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ {168}

[Yusufali 3:168] (They are) the ones that say, (of their brethren slain), while they themselves sit (at ease): "If only they had listened to us they would not have been slain." Say: "Avert death from your own selves, if ye speak the truth."




وَلاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَاء عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ {169}

[Yusufali 3:169] Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord;




فَرِحِينَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ وَيَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِالَّذِينَ لَمْ يَلْحَقُواْ بِهِم مِّنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلاَّ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ {170}

[Yusufali 3:170] They rejoice in the bounty provided by Allah: And with regard to those left behind, who have not yet joined them (in their bliss), the (Martyrs) glory in the fact that on them is no fear, nor have they (cause to) grieve.


*****


166
And what afflicted you, the day the two hosts encountered, at Uhud, was by God's leave, by His will, and that He might know, through knowledge manifested outwardly, the, true, believers.



167
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 Allah 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.



168
Those who (alladhina substitutes for the previous alladhina, or constitutes an adjectival qualification [of it]) said to their brothers, in religion, whilst they themselves, had, stayed put, [refraining] from [joining] the struggle, 'Had they, the martyrs at Uhud or those who stayed put with us, obeyed us, they would not have been slain.' Say, to them, 'Then avert, ward off, death from yourselves, if you speak the truth', in that staying put delivers one from it [sc. from death].



169
The following was revealed regarding martyrs: Count not those who were slain (read qutilu or quttilu) in God's way, that is, for the sake of His religion, as dead, but rather, that they are, living with their Lord, their spirits inside green birds that take wing freely wherever they wish in Paradise, as reported in a hadith); provided for [by Him], with the fruits of Paradise.

170
Rejoicing (farihina, a circumstantial qualifier referring to the person governing yurzaqun, 'sustained') in what God has given them of His bounty, and, they are, rejoicing, joyful, for the sake of those who have not joined them but are left behind, from among their believing brothers (alladhina, 'those who', may be substituted by [what follows, sc. 'rejoicing…that no fear']): that no fear shall befall them, those that have not yet joined them, neither shall they grieve, in the Hereafter, meaning, they rejoice for their [brothers' future] security and felicity (alla [of alla khawfun] is an-la, meaning, bi-an la).