Surat Āli Imrān - Family of Imran
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الَّذِينَ قَالُوا لِإِخْوَانِهِمْ وَقَعَدُوا لَوْ أَطَاعُونَا مَا قُتِلُوا ۗ قُلْ فَادْرَءُوا عَنْ أَنفُسِكُمُ الْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
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Allatheena qaloo li-ikhwanihimwaqaAAadoo law ataAAoona ma qutiloo qul fadraooAAan anfusikumu almawta in kuntum sadiqeen
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Those who said about their brothers while sitting [at home], "If they had obeyed us, they would not have been killed." Say, "Then prevent death from yourselves, if you should be truthful."
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The sūrah continues to uncover the true nature of their attitude which aimed to spread a state of confusion and perplexity in the Muslim ranks: “Such were they who, having themselves stayed behind, said of their brothers: If only they had listened to us, they would not have been slain.’” (Verse 168) They did not merely stay behind when the battle was imminent, with all the confusion and turmoil that resulted from their desertion. What made things worse was that `Abdullāh ibn Ubayy was still thought to be an honourable man. His hypocrisy was not yet known. God had not until that point identified him as a hypocrite, which would have much detracted from his standing among his people. They continued to raise doubt, sow discord and nurture feelings of regret, particularly among the families of those who died in battle. “Such were they who, having themselves stayed behind, said of their brothers: If only they had listened to us, they would not have been slain.”
In this way they tried to show their own desertion as both wise and beneficial, while obeying the Prophet was shown to be disadvantageous and causing harm. Furthermore, they undermined the clear Islamic concept of God’s will, which makes it inevitable that every person dies at his or her appointed time, according to God’s will. Hence, the Qur’ānic statement answers them with an irrefutable argument that makes clear all the issues involved: “Say to them: ‘Ward off death from yourselves, then, if what you say be true.’” (Verse 168) Death affects everyone: the fighter in the battlefield as well as the deserter, the brave man and the coward. It can neither be prevented by taking precautions, nor delayed by cowardice or the evasion of risk. It is this fact that the Qur’ān puts to them plainly and clearly, thereby foiling all their wicked plotting, reassuring the Muslims and giving them all the comfort faith provides.
A very interesting point in the Qur’ānic review of the events of the battle is that `Abdullāh ibn Ubayy’s desertion, which occurred before the battle had even started, is commented on only at this point. Bringing it up so late in the discussion illustrates an important feature of the Qur’ānic method of educating the Muslim community. It starts with establishing the main rules which formulate the Islamic outlook, illustrating the proper feelings nurtured in a Muslim heart and explaining the criteria by which Islamic values come into play. When the Qur’ān has done that, it makes this reference to “the hypocrites”, showing their action and how they subsequently behaved. By this time, we are well prepared to evaluate their action and understand how far removed it is from proper Islamic values. This is the right sequence and progress: to establish the right values and standards first, then to evaluate actions and behaviour according to them in order to arrive at the right conclusions.
There may be another purpose for delaying the reference to the desertion, namely, and that is to show that the deserters, particularly their chief, are viewed with contempt. He is not mentioned by name, so that he may sink into insignificance as “one of the hypocrites”. In the scales of faith, he and his action are not worth more than this humiliating reference.
- filter_vintage﴿الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ لإِخْوَنِهِمْ وَقَعَدُواْ لَوْ أَطَاعُونَا مَا قُتِلُوا﴾((They are) the ones who said about their killed brethren while they themselves sat (at home): "If only they had listened to us, they would not have been killed.'') had they listened to our advice and not gone out, they would not have met their demise. Allah said,﴿قُلْ فَادْرَءُوا عَنْ أَنفُسِكُمُ الْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـدِقِينَ﴾(Say: "Avert death from your own selves, if you speak the truth.'') meaning, if staying at home saves one from being killed or from death, then you should not die. However death will come to you even if you were hiding in fortified castles. Therefore, fend death off of yourselves, if you are right.Mujahid said that Jabir bin `Abdullah said, "This Ayah ﴿3:168﴾ was revealed about `Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul (the chief hypocrite).''