3. Sura al-Imran

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّن بَعْدِ الْغَمِّ أَمَنَةً نُّعَاسًا يَغْشَى طَآئِفَةً مِّنكُمْ...

3: 154. After (the excitement) of the distress, He sent down calm on a band of you overcome with slumber,

C465. After the first surprise, when the enemy turned on them, a great part of the Muslims did their best, and seeing their mettle, the enemy withdrew to his camp. There was a lull; the wounded had rest; those who had fought the hard fight were visited by kindly Sleep, sweet Nature's nurse. In contrast to them was the band of Hypocrites, whose behaviour is described in the next note.

...وَطَآئِفَةٌ قَدْ أَهَمَّتْهُمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ يَظُنُّونَ بِاللّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ ظَنَّ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ...

while another band was stirred to anxiety by their own feelings, moved by wrong suspicions of Allah, suspicions due to ignorance.

...يَقُولُونَ هَل لَّنَا مِنَ الأَمْرِ مِن شَيْءٍ...

They said: "What affair is this of ours?"

C466. The Hypocrites withdrew from the fighting. Apparently they had been among those who had been counseling the defence of Madinah within the walls instead of boldly coming out to meet the enemy.

Their distress was caused by their own mental state: the sleep of the just was denied them: and they continued to murmur of what might have been. Only fools do so: wise men face actualities.

...قُلْ إِنَّ الأَمْرَ كُلَّهُ لِلَّهِ يُخْفُونَ فِي أَنفُسِهِم مَّا لاَ يُبْدُونَ لَكَ...

Say thou: "Indeed, this affair is wholly Allah's."

They hide in their minds what they dare not reveal to thee.

...يَقُولُونَ لَوْ كَانَ لَنَا مِنَ الأَمْرِ شَيْءٌ مَّا قُتِلْنَا هَاهُنَا...

They say (to themselves): "If we had had anything to do with this affair, we should not have been in the slaughter here."

...قُل لَّوْ كُنتُمْ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ لَبَرَزَ الَّذِينَ كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَتْلُ إِلَى مَضَاجِعِهِمْ...

Say: "Even if you had remained in your homes, those for whom death was decreed would certainly have gone forth to the place of their death;"

...وَلِيَبْتَلِيَ اللّهُ مَا فِي صُدُورِكُمْ وَلِيُمَحَّصَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ...

but (all this was) that Allah might test what is in your breasts and purge what is in your hearts:

C467. That testing by Allah is not in order that it may add to His knowledge, for He knows all. It is in order to help us subjectively, to mould our will, and purge us of any grosser motives, that will be searched out by calamity.

If it is a hardened sinner, the test brings conviction out of his own self

Cf. also 3:140.

...وَاللّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ﴿١٥٤﴾

for Allah knoweth well the secrets of your hearts.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَلَّوْاْ مِنكُمْ يَوْمَ الْتَقَى الْجَمْعَانِ إِنَّمَا اسْتَزَلَّهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ

Others version:

3: 154

Asad …………And [all this befell you] so that God might put to a test all that you harbor in your bosoms, and render your innermost hearts [note 116] pure of al dross: for God is aware of what is in the hearts [of men].

Pickthall Then, after grief, He sent down security for you. As slumber did it overcome a party of you, while (the other) party, who were anxious on their own account, thought wrongly of Allah, the thought of ignorance. They said: Have we any part in the cause? Say (O Muhammad): The cause belongeth wholly to Allah. They hide within themselves (a thought) which they reveal not unto thee, saying: Had we had any part in the cause we should not have been slain here. Say: Even though ye had been in your houses, those appointed to be slain would have gone forth to the places where they were to lie. (All this hath been) in order that Allah might try what is in your breasts and prove what is in your hearts. Allah is Aware of what is hidden in the breasts (of men).

Transliteration Summa anzala 'alaikum mim ba'dil gammi amanatan nu'a_say yagsya_ ta_'ifatam minkum, wa ta_'ifatun qad ahammathum anfusuhum yazunnu_na billa_hi gairal haqqi zannal ja_hiliyyah(ti), yaqu_lu_na hal lana_ minal amri min syai'(in), qul innal amra kullahu_ lilla_h(i), yukhfu_na fi anfusihim ma_ la_ yubdu_na lak(a), yaqu_lu_na lau ka_na lana_ minal amri syai'um ma_ qutilna_ ha_huna_, qul lau kuntum fi buyu_tikum labarazal lazina kutiba'alaihimul qatlu ila_ mada_ji'ihim, waliyabtaliyalla_hu ma_ fi sudu_rikum wa liyumahhisa ma_ fi qulu_bikum, walla_hu'alimum biza_tis sudu_r(i).