Tafsir of Al Imran 3:159

This is an address to the Prophet (may Allah grant him peace and blessings). The particle fa (so) signifies the sequencing of the content of this speech upon what the context implies: the deserters (at Uhud) deserved blame and rebuke from him—by the requirements of human nature—since they had turned away from him while the pools of peril were overflowing, and they girded themselves for flight while the war was in full swing. Alternatively, it signifies the sequencing upon the vastness of the expanse of His forgiveness and mercy.

The letter ba (in bima) is connected to "you were gentle" (linta). Its advancement is for the purpose of exclusivity (qasr). The ma (in bima) is an intensifier. This is the view of the eminent exegetes, and it is what is narrated from Qatadah; Al-Zajjaj reported a consensus upon it. However, this is open to scrutiny, for Al-Akhfash and others have said it is permissible for it to be an indefinite noun meaning "something," with rahmah (mercy) as a substitute for it, or it could be a descriptor of it. It has also been said that it is interrogative to express wonder; the interpretation being: "By what mercy were you gentle to them?" In any interpretation, the tanwin on rahmah is for glorification. The word min (from) is connected to a hidden descriptor of it; that is: "So by a great mercy coming from Allah, you were gentle of side toward them and did not rebuke them."

Perhaps the intention of this mercy is His—glorified and exalted is He—strengthening the Prophet’s heart and singling him out with noble character traits, making gentleness and leniency a consequence of this fortified heart. For whoever masters himself during anger possesses perfect courage.

It is said that the speech in this context yields two benefits:

1. That which indicates his courage (may Allah grant him peace and blessings).
2. That which indicates his gentleness. It is thus a matter of perfection. Both qualities combined in him (may Allah grant him peace and blessings) on the day of Uhud, where he stood firm until his companions returned to him, even though he had been struck by what had been struck, yet he did not scold them nor rebuke them for fleeing, but rather comforted them in their grief.

Meaning: rough-sided, ill-natured, harsh in social dealings in both speech and action.

Meaning: hard-hearted. Al-Kalbi said: "Harsh" (fazzan) in speech, "hard-hearted" in deeds. Some have mentioned that the fazz (harsh person) is ill-mannered in outward matters of speech and action, while the "hard-hearted" is ill-mannered in inward matters, the latter being the cause of the former; the effect was mentioned first because it is what is apparent and visible.

It is possible to say the meaning is: If you were the opposite of those two qualities—which are expressed as mercy—that is, the rashness indicated by harshness, and the poor character symbolized by hardness of heart (for a hard heart and lack of sensitivity are followed by every blameworthy trait; hence it is stated: "The hearts most distant from Allah are the hard hearts"), it seems that because of its distance, it was mentioned later.

In any interpretation, there is an ellipsis in the speech: "If you had been harsh and hard-hearted, you would not have been gentle toward them, and you would have been rough with them."

Meaning: they would have dispersed from you, turned away from you, found no comfort in you, fallen into the abysses of ruin, and the matter of their guidance and instruction toward the path would not have been organized.

This is consequential to what preceded it; that is, since the matter is such, pardon them regarding what relates to your own rights.

To Allah (Most High) regarding what relates to His rights—glorified and exalted is He—to complete the compassion and perfect the upbringing.

Meaning: in war. Ibn Abi Hatim narrated this from the path of Ibn Sirin from Ubaydah, which is the most appropriate for the context, or in this and similar matters where consultation is customarily conducted. A group has held this view.

There is a difference of opinion regarding his (may Allah grant him peace and blessings) consultation with his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in religious matters when there is no revelation. Those who reject that he had ijtihad (independent legal reasoning) held it to be impermissible, while those who do not reject it—which is the more correct view—held it to be permissible. Its benefit is to seek support from their opinions. This is supported by what Imam Ahmad narrated from Abd al-Rahman ibn Ghanam that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah grant him peace and blessings) said to Abu Bakr and Umar: "If you two agree on a consultation, I will not oppose you." Or, the benefit is to console their spirits; this is the view of Qatadah. Ibn Jarir narrated from him that he said: Allah (Most High) ordered His Prophet (may Allah grant him peace and blessings) to consult his companions in matters, even though the revelation of heaven came to him, because it is more gratifying to the souls of the people. Or, it is to be a Sunnah after him for his nation; this is the view of Al-Hasan, as Al-Bayhaqi narrated from him that he said regarding the verse: Allah (Most High) knew they had no need of it, but He wanted it to be a Sunnah for those after him. This is supported by what Ibn 'Adi and Al-Bayhaqi narrated in al-Shu'ab with a sound chain from Ibn 'Abbas who said: When {And consult them in the matter} was revealed, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah grant him peace and blessings) said: "Verily, Allah and His Messenger have no need of it, but Allah (Most High) made it a mercy for my nation. Whoever consults among them will not lack guidance, and whoever abandons it will not lack error."

It is said the benefit is to test them, to distinguish the sincere from the deceitful, but this is nothing. Al-Jassas argued that the command for consultation being for the sake of comforting souls is invalid, because if it were known to them that if they exerted their efforts in deducing the truth and then it was not acted upon, that would not be a consolation to their souls, but rather an alienation, implying their opinions were unacceptable and unreliable. He affirmed that his (may Allah grant him peace and blessings) consultation must have a benefit, which is seeking support through what they possess, and that the Prophet (may Allah grant him peace and blessings) practicing a form of ijtihad with them; whatever aligned with his opinion was acted upon, and whatever contradicted it was abandoned without blame. This contains guidance toward ijtihad, its permissibility in his presence (may Allah grant him peace and blessings), and an indication of the status of the companions, that they were all people of ijtihad, and that their inner states were pleasing to Allah (Most High).

This is open to scrutiny. For whoever reflects upon his own conscience finds that when a superior says to an inferior, "What do you see in such-and-such a matter, and what do you have on it?", it is a consolation and a stimulus for them to acquire opinions and exercise thought, especially if their opinion occasionally coincides with the superior's, even if the action is not based on their conforming opinion, but rather on the right opinion. His claim that if an opinion is not acted upon it causes alienation is not accepted, especially in our situation, due to the companions' (may Allah be pleased with them) knowledge of the loftiness of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah grant him peace and blessings), and that their intellects relative to his noble intellect are like the star Suhail relative to the morning sun. Furthermore, those who said the benefit is to console the soul pointed out that since the revelation came to him, he was independent of it; thus, the intention of consolation is more complete and apparent, as it exposes them to what might agree with the revelation. Alienation due to non-action here is even more remote, because its basis is following the revelation, and it is known to them that it is worthier of being followed because it is from Allah, the Subtle, the Aware, as is not hidden.

Furthermore, what was mentioned—that this implies all companions were people of ijtihad—is open to dispute. For a ruler ordering his deputy to consult the people of his city in his affairs does not necessitate that he consult every single one of them; rather, that is hardly the intention at all. The intention is to consult those among them who are people of opinion and experience. That all companions were as such is a claim that requires proof; the Battle of the Camel and the Battle of Siffin are evidence against it.

Meaning: When you have set your heart upon an action and its execution after consultation, as the fa (so) indicates.

Meaning: rely upon Him, trust in Him, and entrust your affair to Him, for He is the most knowing of what is most beneficial. The basis of tawakkul (reliance) is showing incapacity, relying on another, and finding sufficiency in them for an action that is needed. According to us, tawakkul upon Allah (subhanahu) does not negate the observance of means; rather, it is achieved by observing the means while entrusting the affair to Him (exalted is His majesty). "Tie your camel and trust" guides to this. Among our masters, the Sufis, it is the total abandonment of planning.

Khaled ibn Zayd is reported to have read {fadha 'azamtu} in the first-person form. The meaning: "When I have decided on something for you and specified it, trust in Me and do not consult anyone about it." The shift in pronoun is to cultivate awe and to provide the rationale for tawakkul and the command for it, for the title of Divinity, which encompasses all attributes of perfection, necessitates relying upon Him and the command for it.

[Upon Him], those who trust in Him and are cut off from all save Him. He supports them and guides them to what is best for them, as necessitated by love. The sentence is an explanation for tawakkul upon Him (subhanahu).

The verse has observed a beautiful order. For he (may Allah grant him peace and blessings) was first commanded to pardon them regarding matters concerning his own person. Once they reached this station, he was commanded to ask for forgiveness for them regarding what is between them and Allah (Most High), so that the two burdens might be removed from them. When they arrived at this point, he was commanded to consult them in the matter, as they had become cleansed of the two burdens. Then, he (may Allah grant him peace and blessings) was commanded to rely upon Allah (Most High) and be cut off from all else, because He (subhanahu) is the most firm support and the greatest refuge, through Whom alone means have an effect and without Whom no need is satisfied.