Tafseer of The Family of Imraan · Aal-i-Imraan · 3:155
Indeed, those of you who turned back on the day the two armies met, it was Satan who caused them to slip because of some [blame] they had earned. But Allah has already forgiven them. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing.
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 exposition of the interpretation of His word: ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَلَّوْا مِنْكُمْ يَوْمَ الْتَقَى الْجَمْعَانِ إِنَّمَا اسْتَزَلَّهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ بِبَعْضِ مَا كَسَبُوا وَلَقَدْ عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ﴾ (Indeed, those among you who turned away on the day the two hosts met — Satan only caused them to slip on account of part of what they had earned. And Allah has indeed pardoned them. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving, Forbearing.)
Abū Jaʿfar said: By this He means, exalted is His praise: indeed, those who turned away from the idolaters, from among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah — may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him — on the day of Uḥud, and who fled before them.
And His word "tawallaw" (they turned away) is on the pattern "tafaʿʿalū," derived from their expression: "so-and-so turned his back."
And His word "on the day the two hosts met" means: on the day that the army of the idolaters and that of the Muslims met one another at Uḥud. "Satan only caused them to slip," that is: Satan only summoned them to the transgression.
And His word "istazalla" (caused to slip) is on the pattern "istafʿala" from "al-zalla" (the slip). And "al-zalla" is the sin.
"On account of part of what they had earned" means: on account of part of the sins they had committed. "And Allah has indeed pardoned them," He says: indeed, Allah has refrained from punishing them for their sins and has remitted it for them. "Indeed, Allah is Forgiving," by this He means: He covers the sins of whoever believes in Him and follows His Messenger, through His remission of their punishment for that. "Forbearing," by this He means that He is long-suffering and is not hasty in taking vengeance upon whoever disobeys Him and transgresses His command.
Then the exegetes differed concerning the identity of the people who were meant by this verse.
Some of them said: by this was meant everyone who on the day of Uḥud turned his back to the idolaters.
Mention of who said that:
8098 — Abū Hishām al-Rifāʿī related to us, saying: Abū Bakr ibn ʿAyyāsh related to us, saying: ʿĀṣim ibn Kulayb related to us, on the authority of his father, who said: ʿUmar delivered a sermon on Friday and recited Āl ʿImrān — he liked to recite it when he delivered a sermon — and when he reached His word "Indeed, those among you who turned away on the day the two hosts met," he said: When it was the day of Uḥud, we defeated them, but afterward I fled until I climbed the mountain. I saw myself leaping like a mountain goat, while the people were crying out: "Muḥammad has been killed!" Then I said: I will find no one who says "Muḥammad has been killed" but I will kill him! — until we gathered together upon the mountain. Then it was revealed: "Indeed, those among you who turned away on the day the two hosts met," the entire verse.
8099 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: "Indeed, those among you who turned away on the day the two hosts met," the entire verse. And that was on the day of Uḥud. A number of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah — may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him — turned away from the fighting and from the Prophet of Allah on that day. And that was through the doing of Satan and his instilling of fear. Then Allah — exalted and glorified is He — revealed what you hear: that He has remitted that for them and has forgiven them.
8100 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ, concerning His word: "Indeed, those among you who turned away on the day the two hosts met," the entire verse. And he mentioned something similar to the statement of Qatāda.
Others said: by this was meant only a specific group of those who turned their backs on that day. They said: by this were meant only those among them who returned to Medina, to the exclusion of the others.
Mention of who said that:
8101 — Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Aḥmad related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, who said: When they fled on that day, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah — may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him — scattered away from him. Some of them entered Medina, and some of them made their way to the top of the mountain, to the rock, and remained standing there. Allah — exalted and glorified is He — mentioned those who fled and entered Medina, and said: "Indeed, those among you who turned away on the day the two hosts met," the entire verse.
Others said: this was rather revealed concerning particular, well-known men.
Mention of who said that:
8102 — Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, who said: ʿIkrima said concerning His word: "Indeed, those among you who turned away on the day the two hosts met": this was revealed concerning Rāfiʿ ibn al-Muʿallā and others of the Anṣār, and Abū Ḥudhayfa ibn ʿUtba and yet another man. Ibn Jurayj said: and His word "Satan only caused them to slip on account of part of what they had earned, and Allah has indeed pardoned them," that is: in that He did not punish them.
8103 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, who said: ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān fled, and ʿUqba ibn ʿUthmān, and
