Sura 3, al-Imran, Medina

The Quranic text and Ali’s version

إِن يَمْسَسْكُمْ قَرْحٌ فَقَدْ مَسَّ الْقَوْمَ قَرْحٌ مِّثْلُهُ...

3:140. If a wound hath touched you, be sure a similar wound hath touched the others.

C457. These general considerations apply in particular to the disaster at Uhud.

1. In a fight for truth, if you are hurt, be sure the adversary has suffered hurt also, the more so as he has no faith to sustain him.

2. Success or failure in this world comes to all at varying times: we must not grumble, as we do not see the whole of Allah's Plan.

3. Men's true mettle is known in adversity as gold is assayed in fire;

Cf. also 3:154, n. 467.

4. Martyrdom is in itself an honour and a privilege:

how glorious is the fame of Hamza the Martyr?

5. If there is any dross in us, it will be purified by resistance and struggle.

6. When evil is given rope a little, it works out its own destruction;

the orgies of cruelty indulged in by the Pagans after what they supposed to be their victory at Uhud filled up their cup of iniquity; it lost them the support and adherence of the best in their own ranks, and hastened the destruction of Paganism from Arabia.

Cf. 3:127 and n. 448.

...وَتِلْكَ الأيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ ...

Such days (of varying fortunes) We give to men and men by turns:

that Allah may know those that believe,

... وَيَتَّخِذَ مِنكُمْ شُهَدَاء...

and that He may take to Himself from your ranks martyr-witnesses (to Truth).

...وَاللّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿١٤٠﴾

And Allah loveth not those that do wrong.

وَلِيُمَحِّصَ اللّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَيَمْحَقَ الْكَافِرِينَ ﴿١٤١﴾

3:141. Allah's object also is to purge those that are true in faith and to deprive of blessing those that resist faith.

C458. The purge or purification was in two senses.

1. It cleared out the Hypocrites from the ranks of the Muslim warriors.

2. The testing-time strengthened the faith of the weak and wavering: for suffering has its own mission in life.

The Prophet's example -wounded but staunch, and firmer than ever- put new life into the Community.

أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ اللّهُ الَّذِينَ جَاهَدُواْ مِنكُمْ وَيَعْلَمَ الصَّابِرِينَ ﴿١٤٢﴾

3:142. Did ye think that ye would enter heaven without Allah testing those of you who fought hard (in His cause) and remained steadfast?

C459. Cf. 2:214.

Asad’s version

3:140 If misfortune touches you, (know that) similar misfortune has touched (other) people as well; for it is by turns that We apportion unto men such days ( of fortune and misfortune); and (this) to the end that God might mark out those who have attained to faith, and choose from among you such as bear witness to the truth ………..

3: 142 Do you think that you could enter paradise unless God takes cognizance of your having striven hard (in His cause), and takes cognizance of your having been patient in adversity?