Tafseer of The Family of Imraan · Aal-i-Imraan · 3:140
If a wound should touch you - there has already touched the [opposing] people a wound similar to it. And these days [of varying conditions] We alternate among the people so that Allah may make evident those who believe and [may] take to Himself from among you martyrs - and Allah does not like the wrongdoers -
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the saying: إِنْ يَمْسَسْكُمْ قَرْحٌ فَقَدْ مَسَّ الْقَوْمَ قَرْحٌ مِثْلُهُ (If a wound afflicts you, then a similar wound has already afflicted the people.)
Abū Jaʿfar said: The reciters differ over the reading of this.
The general reading of the reciters of the Hijaz, Medina, and Basra is: ( إِنْ يَمْسَسْكُمْ قَرْحٌ فَقَدْ مَسَّ الْقَوْمَ قَرْحٌ مِثْلُهُ ), both with a fatḥa on the "qāf" (qarḥ), in the meaning of: if slaying and woundings afflict you, O company of the Companions of Muḥammad, then the people of your enemies among the polytheists (mushrikīn) have already been afflicted by a wound = slaying and woundings = of a like kind.
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And the general reading of the reciters of Kufa is: ( إِنْ يَمْسَسْكُمْ قُرْحٌ فَقَدْ مَسَّ الْقَوْمَ قُرْحٌ مِثْلُهُ ). [Both with a ḍamma on the qāf (qurḥ).]
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Abū Jaʿfar said: And the more correct of the two readings is the reading of the one who recites: "in yamsaskum qarḥ fa-qad massa l-qawma qarḥun mithluhu", with a fatḥa on the "qāf" in both words, on account of the consensus (ijmāʿ) of the people of exegesis that its meaning is: the slaying and the woundings. That indicates that the reading with the fatḥa is the correct one.
And some of the philologists claimed that "al-qarḥ" and "al-qurḥ" are two dialectal forms with one meaning. But what is known among the scholars of the Arabic language is what we have said.
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*Mention of those who said that "al-qarḥ" means the woundings and the slaying.
7893 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, on the authority of ʿĪsā, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid concerning His saying: "if a wound afflicts you, then a similar wound has already afflicted the people" — he said: woundings and slaying.
7894 — Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, he said: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, the like of it.
7895 — Muḥammad ibn Sinān related to me, he said: Abū Bakr al-Ḥanafī related to us, on the authority of ʿAbbād, on the authority of al-Ḥasan concerning His saying: "if a wound afflicts you, then a similar wound has already afflicted the people" — he said: if on the day of Uḥud they killed one of you, then on the day of Badr you killed one of them.
7896 — Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying: "if a wound afflicts you, then a similar wound has already afflicted the people" — and the qarḥ is the wounding, and that was on the day of Uḥud. On that day the slaying and the wounding spread among the Companions of the Prophet of Allah ﷺ. Then Allah, Mighty and Exalted, informed them that the people had been afflicted with the like of what had afflicted them, and that what had afflicted them was a chastisement.
7897 — Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Isḥāq related to us, he said: Ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ concerning His saying: "if a wound afflicts you, then a similar wound has already afflicted the people" — he said: that was on the day of Uḥud; among the Muslims the woundings spread, and among them the slaying spread. That is His saying: "if a wound afflicts you, then a similar wound has already afflicted the people", He says: if a wound has afflicted you, then the like has afflicted your enemy = by which He consoles the Companions of Muḥammad ﷺ and urges them to the fight.
7898 — Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to me, he said: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: "if a wound afflicts you, then a similar wound has already afflicted the people" — and the qarḥ is the woundings.
7899 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq: "if a wound afflicts you", that is to say: wounding = "then a similar wound has already afflicted the people", that is to say: a similar wounding.
7900 — Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Isḥāq related to us, he said: Ḥafṣ ibn ʿUmar related to us, he said: al-Ḥakam ibn Abān related to us, on the authority of ʿIkrima, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, he said: the Muslims slept while the wounds were upon them = he means the day of Uḥud = ʿIkrima said: and concerning them was revealed: "if a wound afflicts you, then a similar wound has already afflicted the people, and those days We alternate among mankind". And concerning them was revealed: إِنْ تَكُونُوا تَأْلَمُونَ فَإِنَّهُمْ يَأْلَمُونَ كَمَا تَأْلَمُونَ وَتَرْجُونَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لا يَرْجُونَ (If you suffer pain, then they suffer pain just as you suffer pain, while you hope from Allah what they do not hope) [Surah An-Nisāʾ: 104].
* * *
And as for the explanation of His saying: "if a wound afflicts you", that is: if you are afflicted, as:
7901 — Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, he said: my father related to me, he said: my uncle related to me, he said: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: "if it afflicts you" — if you are afflicted.
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The explanation of the saying: وَتِلْكَ الأَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ (And those days We alternate among mankind.)
Abū Jaʿfar said: He — exalted be His remembrance — means [by His saying] "and those days We alternate among mankind": the days of Badr and Uḥud.
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And He means by His saying "We alternate them among mankind": We make them alternating turns (duwal) among mankind, turned about. = And He means by "mankind": the Muslims and the polytheists. For Allah, Mighty and Exalted, granted the Muslims victory over the polytheists at Badr, so that they killed seventy of them and took seventy captive. And He granted the polytheists victory over the Muslims at Uḥud, so that they killed seventy of them, besides those of them whom they wounded.
* * *
One says of this: "Allah gave so-and-so victory over so-and-so, and He gives him victory over him, with a granting of victory (idāla)", when He makes him prevail over him and takes vengeance for him upon him for that which the one over whom victory was granted had obtained from him.
* * *
And along the lines of what we have said about that, the people of exegesis have spoken.
*Mention of those who said that:
7902 — Muḥammad ibn Sinān related to me, he said: Abū Bakr al-Ḥanafī related to us, on the authority of ʿAbbād, on the authority of al-Ḥasan: "and those days We alternate among mankind" — he said: Allah made the days alternating turns; He granted the disbelievers on the day of Uḥud victory over the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
7903 — Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying: "and those days We alternate among mankind" — he said: by Allah, were it not for the alternating turns, the believers would not be afflicted, but sometimes victory is granted to the disbeliever against the believer, and the believer is tried by the disbeliever, so that Allah may know who obeys Him and who disobeys Him, and so that He may distinguish the truthful from the liar.
7904 — Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Isḥāq related to us, he said: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ concerning His saying: "and those days We alternate among mankind" — Allah, Mighty and Exalted, made His Prophet ﷺ and his Companions prevail over the polytheists on the day of Badr, and He made their enemy prevail over them on the day of Uḥud. And sometimes victory is granted to the disbeliever against the believer, and the believer is tried by the disbeliever, so that Allah may know who obeys Him and who disobeys Him, and so that He may distinguish the truthful from the liar. And as for whoever of them — of the Muslims — was tried on the day of Uḥud, that was a chastisement for their disobedience to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
7905 — Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Aḥmad related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: "and those days We alternate among mankind" — a day for you, and a day against you.
7906 — Al-Qāsim related to us, he said: al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Ḥajjāj related to me, he said: Ibn Jurayj said, Ibn ʿAbbās said: "We alternate them among mankind" — he said: He granted the polytheists victory over the Prophet ﷺ on the day of Uḥud.
7907 — Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, he said: my father related to me, he said: my uncle related to me, he said: my father related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās concerning His saying: "and those days We alternate among mankind" — the day of Uḥud was as a requital for the day of Badr; the believers were killed on the day of Uḥud, and Allah took from among them martyrs (shuhadāʾ); and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ overcame the polytheists on the day of Badr, so that He granted him victory over them.
7908 — Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Isḥāq related to us, he said: Ḥafṣ ibn ʿUmar related to us, he said: al-Ḥakam ibn Abān related to us, on the authority of ʿIkrima, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, he said: when the battle of Uḥud took place and there afflicted the Muslims what afflicted them, the Prophet ﷺ ascended the mountain. Then Abū Sufyān came and said: O Muḥammad! O Muḥammad! Will you not come out? Will you not come out? The war goes back and forth: a day for us and a day for you. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to his Companions: answer him. They said: not equal, not equal! Our slain are in the Garden (janna) and your slain are in the Fire (al-nār)! Then Abū Sufyān said: we have al-ʿUzzā, and you have no al-ʿUzzā! Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: say: Allah is our Protector, and you have no protector. Then Abū Sufyān said: exalt yourself, Hubal! Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: say: Allah is higher and more exalted! Then Abū Sufyān said: our appointment and your appointment is at Badr al-Ṣughrā = ʿIkrima said: and concerning them was revealed: "and those days We alternate among mankind".
7909 — Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Suwayd ibn Naṣr related to us, he said: Ibn al-Mubārak related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His saying: "and those days We alternate among mankind" — He granted victory against the Prophet ﷺ on the day of Uḥud.
7910 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq: "and those days We alternate among mankind", that is to say: We turn them about for mankind, as a trial and a purification (tamḥīṣ).
7911 — Ibrāhīm ibn ʿAbd Allāh related to me, he said: ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Ḥajabī informed us, he said: Ḥammād ibn Zayd related to us, on the authority of Ibn ʿAwn, on the authority of Muḥammad (ibn Sīrīn) concerning the saying of Allah: "and those days We alternate among mankind" — he said: He means the commanders.
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The explanation of the saying: وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَيَتَّخِذَ مِنْكُمْ شُهَدَاءَ وَاللَّهُ لا يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ (140) (And so that Allah may know those who believed and may take from among you martyrs; and Allah loves not the wrongdoers.) (140)
Abū Jaʿfar said: By this He — exalted be His remembrance — means the following: and so that Allah may know those who believed and may take from among you martyrs = We alternate them among mankind.
If there were no "wāw" (and) in the sentence, His saying "so that He may know" would be connected to what precedes it, and it would read: وَتِلْكَ الأَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ (and those days We alternate among mankind), so that Allah may know those who believed. But when the "wāw" entered into it, it announced that the sentence is connected to what precedes it, and that after it there follows a sought-after statement, and that the lām which is in His saying "and so that He may know" is connected to that.
* * *
If a questioner were to say: and how is it said "and so that Allah may know those who believed" in the definite form (maʿrifa), while in speech you do not permit: "I asked and so I knew ʿAbd Allāh", by which you mean: I knew his person, unless you mean: I knew his quality and what he is?
To that it is answered: that is permitted only with "alladhīna" (those who), because in "alladhīna" there lies the meaning of "man" (who) and "ayy" (which). And likewise the like of it is permitted with "the alif and the lām" (the definite article), as He — exalted be His remembrance — has said: فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَاذِبِينَ (Allah will surely know those who spoke the truth, and He will surely know the liars) [Surah Al-ʿAnkabūt: 3], because in "the alif and the lām" there lies something of the meaning of "ayy" and "man", equal to what lies in "alladhī". And if one were to place alongside the definite noun a noun in which there lies an indication of "ayy", it would be permitted, as one says: "I asked in order to know ʿAbd Allāh from ʿAmr", by which is meant: to distinguish this one from that one.
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Abū Jaʿfar said: The explanation of the sentence is therefore: and so that Allah may know those who believed among you, O people, from those among you who were hypocrites (nāfaqū), We alternate them among mankind. = Thus His saying "and so that Allah may know those who believed among you" sufficed, without the mention of His saying "from those who were hypocrites", on account of the indication of that in the sentence. For in His saying "those who believed" lies the meaning of "ayy" as we have described. It is as though it were said: and so that Allah may know which of you is the believer, as He — exalted be His praise — has said: لِنَعْلَمَ أَيُّ الْحِزْبَيْنِ أَحْصَى (so that We may know which of the two parties better reckoned) [Surah Al-Kahf: 12], except that "the alif and the lām", and "alladhī" and "man", when they are placed in the place of "ayy" alongside the proper noun, come in the accusative through the falling of the proper noun upon them, as has been said: وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَاذِبِينَ (and He will surely know the liars); whereas as for "ayy", it stands in the nominative.
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Abū Jaʿfar said: And as for His saying "and may take from among you martyrs", by it He means: "and so that Allah may know those who believed" and so that He may take from among you martyrs, that is to say: so that He may honor from among you with martyrdom (shahāda) whomever He wished to honor thereby.
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= And "al-shuhadāʾ" (the martyrs) is the plural of "shahīd" (martyr), as:
7912 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq: "and so that Allah may know those who believed and may take from among you martyrs", that is to say: so that He may distinguish between the believers and the hypocrites, and so that He may honor with martyrdom whomever He honored of the people of faith.
7913 — Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Suwayd ibn Naṣr related to us, he said: Ibn al-Mubārak informed us, recited to Ibn Jurayj, concerning His saying: "and so that Allah may know those who believed and may take from among you martyrs" — he said: the Muslims used to ask their Lord: "Our Lord, show us a day like the day of Badr, on which we may fight the polytheists, show You therein the good, and seek martyrdom therein"! Then they met the polytheists on the day of Uḥud, and He took from among them martyrs.
7914 — Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying: "and so that Allah may know those who believed and may take from among you martyrs" — thus Allah honored His friends with martyrdom by the hands of their enemy, after which the outcomes of affairs and their ends belong to the people of obedience to Allah.
7915 — Al-Qāsim related to us, he said: al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj: "and so that Allah may know those who believed and may take from among you martyrs" — he said: Ibn ʿAbbās said: they used to ask for martyrdom, and then they met the polytheists on the day of Uḥud, and He took from among them martyrs.
7916 — It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn ibn al-Faraj, he said: I heard Abū Muʿādh saying: ʿUbayd ibn Sulaymān informed us, he said: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk saying concerning His saying: "and so that Allah may know those who believed and may take from among you martyrs" — the Muslims used to ask their Lord to show them a day like the day of Badr, on which they would show the good, receive martyrdom thereon, and receive the Garden, the life, and the provision. Then they met the polytheists on the day of Uḥud, and Allah took from among them martyrs; and they are those whom Allah, Mighty and Exalted, mentioned when He said: وَلا تَقُولُوا لِمَنْ يُقْتَلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتٌ (And do not say of those who are killed in the way of Allah that they are dead) — the verse, [Surah Al-Baqarah: 154].
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Abū Jaʿfar said: And as for His saying "and Allah loves not the wrongdoers", by it He means: those who wronged themselves through their disobedience to their Lord, as:
7917 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq: "and Allah loves not the wrongdoers", that is to say: the hypocrites, who show obedience with their tongues while their hearts persist in disobedience.
