And do not weaken and do not grieve.

Al-Wahidi recorded from Ibn Abbas that he said: The companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, were defeated on the day of Uhud. While they were in that state, Khalid bin al-Walid approached with the cavalry of the polytheists, intending to scale the mountain above them. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, said: "O Allah, there is no strength for us except in You. O Allah, there is no one who worships You in this land except for this small group." So, Allah the Exalted revealed this verse. A group of Muslims rallied, climbed the mountain, and pelted the cavalry of the polytheists until they defeated them.

From al-Zuhri and Qatadah, it is reported that it was revealed as a consolation for the Muslims for what befell them on the day of Uhud in terms of killing and wounding. Al-Kalbi stated that it was revealed after the day of Uhud when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, commanded his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to pursue the people, even though they had suffered as many wounds as they had. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, said: "No one shall go out except those who were present with us yesterday." This was difficult for the Muslims, so Allah the Exalted revealed this verse.

Regardless, it is conjoined to His saying, "Travel in the land," in terms of wording, and it is linked to it in meaning if we say that it is a return to the details of the story of Uhud. If we do not say that—and a group has stated this, considering the mention of usury in the middle as an aside or an indication of another type of hostility toward the religion and fighting against the Muslims—then the connection becomes apparent. Other ways of explaining this link have also been mentioned.

Some people made the connection of this verse verbally depend on a deleted word, meaning: "Be diligent and do not weaken." This involves a complexity that is unnecessary. Al-wahn means weakness; meaning: do not weaken in fighting your enemies and striving in the way of Allah the Exalted due to the wounds you have received.

"And do not grieve" over what you have been afflicted with in terms of the killing of dear ones. In that battle, five of the Emigrants were killed: Hamzah bin Abdul-Muttalib; Mus'ab bin Umayr, the standard-bearer of the Messenger of Allah; Abdullah bin Jahsh, the son of the Prophet’s paternal aunt; Uthman bin Shammas; and Sa'd, the freedman of Utbah (may Allah be pleased with them all); along with seventy of the Ansar. It is also said that "do not grieve" refers to the spoils of war that you missed, but the remoteness of this is clear.

The apparent meaning is that the literal prohibition is not intended here; rather, the intention is consolation and encouragement. If the literal meaning is intended, then perhaps it refers to the voluntary actions that result from weakness and grief; meaning: do not perform actions that result from such states.

"While you are the superior ones" is a state (hal) clause relating to the subject of the two verbs, meaning: while you are the superior ones, the victors, over your enemies, for their fate is the fate of their predecessors who denied the truth. This is an explicit statement following the previous implication of victory and triumph. Al-Qurtubi narrated that they did not go out after that except that they were victorious in every army that existed during his time, peace and blessings be upon him, and likewise in every army after that, even if there was only one of the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) among them.

Or, the meaning is: while you are superior to them in status, for you are upon the truth, your fighting is to elevate the word of Allah, and your dead are in Paradise, while they are upon falsehood, their fighting is to support the word of Satan, and their dead are in the Fire. Their shared state of "superiority" here is based on appearances and their own claims. If "superiority" is taken to mean victory, there is no need for this, as war alternates, and the final outcome is for the righteous. It is also said that the meaning of "while you are the superior ones" is a state of them having already surpassed them on the day of Badr, inflicting greater losses on them than they inflicted on you today.

Some have permitted the sentence to have no grammatical place (as a parenthetical clause) between the aforementioned prohibition and His saying, "If you are believers," because it is related to it in meaning even if the answer (the result of the condition) is deleted; meaning: "If you are believers, then do not weaken and do not grieve," for faith necessitates strength of heart, increased trust in Allah the Exalted, and indifference toward His enemies. It is clear that the claim of this connection is acceptable, but judging the sentence to be "parenthetical" is challenged by its remoteness.

It is possible that this condition is related to "the superior ones" and the answer is also deleted, meaning: "If you are believers, then you are the superior ones," for faith in Allah the Exalted necessitates superiority inevitably. It is also possible that "faith" is intended to mean belief in Allah’s promise of victory and triumph over the enemies of Allah. This probability is not exclusive to the latter of the two interpretations of the connection, as the work of some might suggest. In any case, the purpose of the condition here is to confirm the statement to which it is attached, as in the words of a hired worker: "If I have worked for you, then give me my wage," or similar to your saying to your child: "If you are my child, then do not disobey me." Some interpreted the condition as causative, meaning: "Do not weaken and do not grieve because you are believers," or "You are the superior ones because of that." The statement that the meaning is "if you remain upon faith" does not have complete suitability for the context.