Tafseer of The Family of Imraan · Aal-i-Imraan · 3:159
So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].
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 discourse on the explanation of His statement: فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ لِنْتَ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ كُنْتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لانْفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ (By a mercy from Allah you were gentle toward them; and had you been harsh and hard of heart, they would have dispersed from around you)
Abū Jaʿfar said: He — exalted be His praise — means by His word "by a mercy from Allah": by a mercy from Allah, and "mā" is a connective particle (ṣila). I have already explained the manner in which it enters into the statement in connection with His word: إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَسْتَحْيِي أَنْ يَضْرِبَ مَثَلا مَا بَعُوضَةً فَمَا فَوْقَهَا [Surah Al-Baqarah: 26] (Indeed, Allah is not ashamed to present an example, even of a mosquito or what is above it). The Arabs place "mā" as a connective particle with both the definite and the indefinite, as He said: فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِمْ مِيثَاقَهُمْ [Surah An-Nisāʾ: 155; Surah Al-Māʾida: 13] (because of their breaking of their covenant), and the meaning is: because of their breaking of their covenant. And this is with the definite. And He said concerning the indefinite: عَمَّا قَلِيلٍ لَيُصْبِحُنَّ نَادِمِينَ [Surah Al-Muʾminūn: 40] (after a little while they will surely become regretful), and the meaning is: after a little while. And sometimes it is made into a noun, while having the position of a connective particle, so that what follows it is sometimes put in the nominative by way of connection, and put in the genitive by making it follow what precedes it, as the poet said:
Indeed, it suffices us as an excellence above others than us that the Prophet Muḥammad loves us.
When you do not take "ghayr" as a connective particle, you put it in the nominative by omitting "huwa"; and when you put it in the genitive, you make it follow "man," and you decline it thus. That, then, is its rule, in accordance with what we have described concerning the indefinite cases.
As for the case in which the connected word is definite: then the most eloquent form of the statement is to make it follow, as has been said: فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِمْ مِيثَاقَهُمْ, while the nominative is permissible in Arabic.
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And in accordance with what we have said concerning His word "by a mercy from Allah you were gentle toward them," a group of the exegetes have spoken.
*Mention of who said that:
8119 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: "by a mercy from Allah you were gentle toward them," he says: by a mercy from Allah you were gentle toward them.
* * *
As for His word "and had you been harsh and hard of heart, they would have dispersed from around you": He means by "the harsh" (al-faẓẓ) the rough one, and by "the hard of heart" the one whose heart is hard, without mercy and without compassion. And such was not his character ﷺ, but rather as Allah has described him: بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ [Surah At-Tawba: 128] (toward the believers full of compassion, merciful).
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The explanation of the statement is therefore: by the mercy of Allah, O Muḥammad, and by His compassion toward you and toward those of your companions who believed in you = "you were gentle toward them," toward your followers and your companions, so that your nature showed itself pliant toward them and your character showed itself excellent toward them, until you bore the harm of whoever among them caused you harm, and you forgave the wrongdoer among them his wrong, and you overlooked much from whoever — had you treated him roughly and been hard toward him — would have left you and separated himself from you and would have followed neither you nor that mercy with which you were sent. But Allah was merciful toward them and merciful toward you together with them, so by a mercy from Allah you were gentle toward them. As:
8120 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: "and had you been harsh and hard of heart, they would have dispersed from around you," yes, by Allah, Allah purified him of roughness and hardness, and made him near, merciful toward the believers and full of compassion = And it has been mentioned to us that the description of Muḥammad ﷺ in the Tawrāt reads: "He is not harsh, nor hard, nor clamorous in the markets, and he does not requite evil with its like, but rather he forgives and overlooks."
8121 — It was related to me on the authority of ʿAmmār, he said: Ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ, something similar.
8122 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, concerning His word: "by a mercy from Allah you were gentle toward them; and had you been harsh and hard of heart, they would have dispersed from around you," he said: He mentioned his gentleness toward them and his patience with them = because of their weakness and the smallness of their endurance of harshness, had it issued from him = in everything in which they fell short of what was incumbent upon them of obedience to their prophet.
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As for His word "they would have dispersed from around you": He means by it: then they would have scattered away from you. As:
8123 — Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: Al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, he said: Ibn ʿAbbās said concerning His word: "they would have dispersed from around you," he said: they would have turned away from you.
8124 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq: "they would have dispersed from around you," that is to say: they would have left you.
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The discourse on the explanation of His statement: فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِي الأَمْرِ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ (159) (So pardon them, and ask forgiveness for them, and consult them in the matter; and when you have made a decision, then place your trust in Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who place their trust in Him) (159)
Abū Jaʿfar said: He — exalted be His mention — means by His word "so pardon them": so overlook, O Muḥammad, with regard to your followers and your companions among those who believe in you and in that with which I have sent you, what befell you of harm from them and of distress in your soul = "and ask forgiveness for them," and beseech your Lord on their behalf for forgiveness for the wrong they committed and for which they deserved from Him a punishment. As:
8125 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq: "so pardon them," that is to say: so overlook with regard to them = "and ask forgiveness for them," for the sins of whoever among the people of faith among them has committed [a transgression].
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Then the exegetes differed concerning the meaning on account of which He — exalted be His mention — commanded His prophet ﷺ to consult them, and what the matter was concerning which He commanded him to consult them.
Some of them said: Allah commanded His prophet ﷺ by His word "and consult them in the matter" to consult his companions in the stratagems of war and in encountering the enemy, in order thereby to set their hearts at ease and to win them over for their religion, and so that they would see that he listens to them and seeks their aid — even though Allah, Mighty and Exalted is He, had made him independent of them through His management of his affairs, His guidance of him, and His ordering of his matters.
*Mention of who said that:
8126 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: "and consult them in the matter; and when you have made a decision, then place your trust in Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who place their trust in Him": Allah, Mighty and Exalted is He, commanded His prophet ﷺ to consult his companions in matters, while the revelation from heaven was coming to him, because that is more reassuring for the hearts of the people = and because a people, when they consult one another and thereby seek the Face of Allah, He guides them to the most sound of it.
8127 — It was related to me on the authority of ʿAmmār, he said: Ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ: "and consult them in the matter," he said: Allah commanded His prophet ﷺ to consult his companions in matters, while the revelation from heaven was coming to him, because that is more reassuring for their hearts.
8128 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq: "and consult them in the matter," that is to say: so that you may show them that you listen to them and seek their aid, even though you are independent of them, in order thereby to win them over for their religion.
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And others said: No, He commanded him that therein so that the correct opinion and the most sound course in management might become clear to him, because of the excellence which He — exalted be His mention — knew to be in consultation.
*Mention of who said that:
8129 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: My father related to us, on the authority of Salama ibn Nubayṭ, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk ibn Muzāḥim, concerning His word: "and consult them in the matter," he said: Allah, Mighty and Exalted is He, commanded His prophet ﷺ to the consultation only because of the excellence which He knew to be in it.
8130 — Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: Al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Muʿtamir ibn Sulaymān related to us, on the authority of Iyās ibn Daghfal, on the authority of al-Ḥasan: Never did a people hold consultation but that they were guided to the most sound of their affairs.
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And others said: Allah commanded him only to consult his companions in that concerning which He commanded him to consult them — despite His independence of their opinions through His guidance of him and His ordering of his affairs — so that the believers after him might follow his example in what would burden them of a matter of their religion, and so that they would follow his way (sunna) therein, and follow the example which they saw him perform during his lifetime — namely his consulting, despite the position he holds with Allah, of his companions and his followers in the matter that befalls them concerning something of their religion and their worldly life — so that they would consult one another and then carry out what their assembly unanimously agreed upon. For when the believers consult one another in the matters of their religion, following the truth therein, then Allah, Mighty and Exalted is He, does not deny them His benevolence and His inspiration to what is correct in opinion and statement concerning it. They said: and that is comparable to His word, Mighty and Exalted is He, with which He praised the people of faith: وَأَمْرُهُمْ شُورَى بَيْنَهُمْ [Surah Ash-Shūrā: 38] (and their affair is by consultation among them).
*Mention of who said that:
8131 — Sawwār ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-ʿAnbarī related to us, saying: Sufyān ibn ʿUyayna said concerning His word: "and consult them in the matter," he said: It is for the believers, that they consult one another in that concerning which no report has reached them from the Prophet ﷺ.
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Abū Jaʿfar said: And the most correct of the statements concerning it is that one says: Indeed, Allah, Mighty and Exalted is He, commanded His prophet ﷺ to consult his companions in that which burdened him of the matter of his enemy and of the stratagems of war, in order thereby to win over the one whose insight into Islam was not such that he would be safe with him from the temptation of the devil = and in order thereby to give his community knowledge of the manner in which the matters that would burden them after him should be approached and pursued, so that they would follow his example therein in the events that befall them, so that they would consult one another, just as they saw him do during his lifetime ﷺ. As for the Prophet ﷺ: Allah used to make known to him the import of the aspects of what burdened him of matters through His revelation or through His inspiring to him what is correct therein. And as for his community: indeed, when they consult one another, following his way therein, in mutual sincerity and in the pursuit of the truth, and with the desire of all of them for what is correct, without inclination to desire and without deviation from guidance, then it is Allah who keeps them on the straight path and guides them to what is correct.
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As for His word "and when you have made a decision, then place your trust in Allah": He means by it: and when your decision is firm through Our confirmation of you and Our guidance of you in that which befell and burdened you of the matter of your religion and your worldly life, then carry out what We have commanded you in the manner in which We commanded it to you, whether that agrees with the opinions of your companions and what they have advised you, or is contrary to it = "and place your trust," in what you undertake and refrain from of your affairs, and what you plan or accomplish, in your Lord; so trust in Him in all of that, and be content with His decree in all of that, and not with the opinions of the rest of the creatures and their assistance = "indeed, Allah loves those who place their trust in Him," and they are those who are content with His decree and submit to His judgment over them, whether that agrees with their desire or is contrary to it. As:
8132 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq: "and when you have made a decision, then place your trust in Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who place their trust in Him" = "and when you have made a decision," that is to say: concerning a matter that came to you from Me, or a matter of your religion in the jihād against your enemy in which no good comes to you nor to them except that, then carry out what you have been commanded, despite the opposition of whoever opposes you and the agreement of whoever agrees with you = and "place your trust in Allah," that is to say: be content with Him instead of with the servants = "indeed, Allah loves those who place their trust in Him."
8133 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: "and when you have made a decision, then place your trust in Allah": Allah commanded His prophet ﷺ that, when he decided upon a matter, he should carry it out, remain steadfast upon Allah's command, and place his trust in Allah.
8134 — It was related to me on the authority of ʿAmmār, on the authority of Ibn Abī Jaʿfar, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ, concerning His word: "and when you have made a decision, then place your trust in Allah" — the āyah —: Allah commanded him that, when he decided upon a matter, he should carry it out and place his trust in Him.
