Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala says regarding the participants of Uhud

وَإِذْ غَدَوْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ تُبَوِّئُ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ مَقَاعِدَ لِلْقِتَالِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيْعٌ عَلِيْمٌ إِذْ هَمَّتْ طَّائِفَتَانِ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ تَفْشَلَا وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّهُمَا ۗ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ

And [remember] when you, [O Muhammad], left your family in the morning to post the believers at their stations for the battle, and Allah is All Hearing and All Knowing, when two parties among you were about to lose courage, but Allah was their ally; and upon Allah the believers should rely.[1]

وَلَقَدْ صَدَقَكُمُ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ إِذْ تَحُسُّوْنَهُمْ بِإِذْنِهِ ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا فَشِلْتُمْ وَتَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي الْأَمْرِ وَعَصَيْتُمْ مِّنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَرَاكُمْ مَّا تُحِبُّوْنَ ۚ مِنْكُم مَّنْ يُرِيْدُ الدُّنْيَا وَمِنْكُم مَّنْ يُرِيْدُ الْآخِرَةَ ۚ ثُمَّ صَرَفَكُمْ عَنْهُمْ لِيَبْتَلِيَكُمْ ۖ وَلَقَدْ عَفَا عَنْكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ ذُوْ فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ

And Allah had certainly fulfilled His promise to you when you were killing them [i.e., the enemy] by His permission until [the time] when you lost courage and fell to disputing about the order and disobeyed after He had shown you that which you love. Among you are some who desire this world, and among you are some who desire the Hereafter. Then He turned you back from them [defeated] that He might test you. And He has already forgiven you, and Allah is the possessor of bounty for the believers.[2]

Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala says regarding the time when Rasul salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam ordered the Sahabah to pursue the disbelievers after the battle was over:

الَّذِيْنَ اسْتَجَابُوْا لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُوْلِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَصَابَهُمُ الْقَرْحُ ۚ لِلَّذِيْنَ أَحْسَنُوْا مِنْهُمْ وَاتَّقَوْا أَجْرٌ عَظِيْمٌ الَّذِيْنَ قَالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوْا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيْمَانًا وَقَالُوْا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيْلُ فَانقَلَبُوْا بِنِعْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَفَضْلٍ لَّمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوْءٌ وَاتَّبَعُوا رِضْوَانَ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ ذُوْ فَضْلٍ عَظِيْمٍ

Those [believers] who responded to Allah and the Messenger after injury had struck them. For those who did good among them and feared Allah is a great reward. Those to whom people [i.e., hypocrites] said, “Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them.” But it [merely] increased them in faith, and they said, “Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.” So, they returned with favour from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty.[3]

This verse was revealed referring to the event of Hamra’ al Asad, after the disbelievers afflicted severe losses to the believers (at Uhud) they began returning to their city. Whilst on the journey back, they started to regret as to why they did not prepare to launch an attack on the people of Madinah and finish them off. When news of this reached Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam he instructed the Sahabah to pursue their trail to frighten them and to show them the steadfastness and force of the believers. Despite being severely wounded and exceptionally worn out, the Sahabah complied readily in submission to Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala and His Rasul salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

An objection can be made that Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala mentions in the verse that among them are those who are desirous of this world when Allah said:

مِنْكُم مَّنْ يُرِيْدُ الدُّنْيَا وَمِنْكُم مَّنْ يُرِيْدُ الْآخِرَةَ

Among you are some who desire this world, and among you are some who desire the Hereafter.

The answer is that this does not reproach the essence of their iman, and this is proven by the rest of the verse when Allah mentions thereafter that He has forgiven them. And this forgiveness, as indicated to in the verse, was a bounty given to them by Allah because of their firm iman. Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala says:

وَلَقَدْ عَفَا عَنْكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ ذُوْ فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ

And He has already forgiven you, and Allah is the possessor of bounty for the believers.

NEXT⇒ Allah says regarding those who were present at the peace treaty of Hudaybiyyah

[1] Surah Al ‘Imran: 121-122.

[2] Surah Al ‘Imran: 152.

[3] Surah Āl ‘Imran: 172-174.

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