ﲝ ﲞ ﲟ ﲠ ﲡ ﲢ ﲣ ﲤ ﲥ ﲦ ﲧ ﲨ ﲩ ﲪ ﲫ ﲬ ﲭ ﲮ ﲯ ﲰ ﲱ ﲲ
And how many a prophet [fought and] with him fought many religious scholars. But they never lost assurance due to what afflicted them in the cause of Allah, nor did they weaken or submit. And Allah loves the steadfast.
Tafsir
Verse range: 3:146
Know that, as a completion of His admonition, the Exalted and Sublime God said to those who were routed on the Day of Uhud: Indeed, in the preceding Prophets and their followers, you have an excellent exemplar. Since the way of the followers of the preceding Prophets was patience in striving (Jihad) and refraining from flight, how fitting was this flight and rout for you?
In this verse, there are several issues:
Ibn Kathir recited it as (وكائن), following the pattern of kā'in (with a lengthened, hamzated, and lightened alif). The rest recited it as (كأين), following the pattern of ka'in (with a stressed alif), which is the dialect of Quraysh.
From the first reading is the saying of Jarir:
And how many a friend is there in the lowlands, Who would see me struck, if he were the one afflicted!
And Al-Mufaddal recited:
And how many a relative you see in the tribe,
Ibn Kathir, Nafi', and Abu Amr recited (قتل معه) [was killed with him]. The rest recited (قاتل معه) [fought with him].
On the first reading (قتل معه): The meaning is that many Prophets were killed, yet those who remained after them did not weaken in their religion; rather, they persisted in fighting their enemy and supporting their religion. Thus, your state, O Ummah of Muhammad, should have been like this.
Al-Qaffal (may God have mercy on him) said: The pause in this interpretation is on the word (قتل) [was killed]. And the phrase (معه ربيون) [with him were Rabbis/scholars] is a ḥāl (circumstantial clause) meaning: [Prophets] were killed while with them were Rabbis, or it is due to fronting and delaying, meaning: And how many a Prophet was killed, while with him were many Rabbis, yet the Rabbis did not weaken due to their large number.
There is another possibility: that the meaning is, "And how many a Prophet was killed from among his brethren, yet they proceeded with fighting their enemy." Thus, your state should have been similar. The proof for this reading is that the purpose of this verse is to recount what happened to the previous Prophets so that this Ummah may emulate them, just as God Almighty said: {And Muhammad is not but a messenger. Messengers have passed on before him} (Al Imran: 144). Therefore, what is mentioned must be the killing of the Prophets, not their fighting.
On the reading (قاتل معه): The meaning is: And how many a Prophet fought with him a large number of his companions, and they suffered wounds from their enemy, yet they did not weaken. This is because what afflicted them was only in the way of God, obedience to Him, establishing His religion, and supporting His Messenger. Therefore, you too should have done the same, O Ummah of Muhammad.
The proof for this reading is that the intent of this verse is to encourage those who were with the Prophet (PBUH) to fight, so what is mentioned must be fighting. Furthermore, it is narrated from Sa'id ibn Jubayr that he said: "We have not heard of any Prophet being killed in battle."
Al-Wahidi (may God have mercy on him) said: They agreed that the meaning of (كأين) is "how many" (كم), and its interpretation is to signify a large number of Prophets who possess this quality. Similar to this is His saying: {So how many a town We destroyed} (Al-Hajj: 45), {And how many a town We gave respite to} (Al-Hajj: 48).
The kāf in (كأين) is the kāf of similitude, which has entered upon (أي), which is used for inquiry, just as it entered upon (ذا) in (كذا) [so much] and (أن) in (كأن) [as if]. There is no meaning of similitude in it, just as there is no meaning of similitude in kadhā. You say: "I owe him kadhā wa kadhā (so and so)," meaning: I owe him a certain number. Thus, there is no meaning of similitude, but it is an obligatory addition that cannot be omitted. Know that the form of tanwīn (nunation) only occurs in the writing of this word specifically, and the usage of this word has become a single word established for signifying a large number.
The author of Al-Kashshāf said: (الربيون) means the Rabbāniyyūn (scholars/devout). It has been read with three vowel markings and with a fatḥa according to the standard rule, while the ḍamma and kasra are variations of attribution. Al-Wahidi narrated from Al-Farrā' that he said: (الربيون) means "the first ones." Al-Zajjāj said: They are the large groups; the singular is rabbī. Ibn Qutaybah said: Its origin is from ar-rubbah, which means a group. It is said: rabbī, as if it is attributed to ar-rubbah.
Al-Akhfash said: (الربيون) are those who worship the Lord (ar-Rabb). Tha'lab objected to this, saying: It should have been said rabbī to be attributed to ar-Rabb. Those who support Al-Akhfash replied by saying: When Arabs attribute something to something else, they change its vowel, just as they say Baṣrī (from Basra) in attribution, or Dahriyy (from time/age). Ibn Zayd said: (الربانيون) are the Imams and rulers, and (الربيون) are the subjects, who are attributed to the Lord.
Know that the Exalted God praised these Rabbis with two types of attributes: first, with negative attributes, and second, with affirmative attributes.
As for the praise with the attributes of the Prophet, it is His saying: {So they did not weaken because of what struck them in the way of Allah, nor did they become weak, nor did they submit}. There must be a distinction between these three things.
The author of Al-Kashshāf said: (ما وهنوا) [they did not weaken] upon the killing of the Prophet, (وما ضعفوا) [nor did they become weak] in fighting after him, and (وما استكانوا) [nor did they submit] to the enemy. This is an allusion to the weakness and brokenness that afflicted them upon the false news of their Messenger's death, and their weakness at that time in fighting the polytheists, and their submission to the disbelievers to the extent that they sought support from the hypocrite 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy and requested safety from Abu Sufyan.
Another interpretation is that wahana (weakness) is the overwhelming of fear upon them, and ḍa'afa (becoming weak) is the weakening of their faith, and doubts and ambiguities entering their hearts, while istakānah (submission) is their transition from their religion to the religion of their enemy.
There is a third view: wahana is a weakness that afflicts the heart. Absolute ḍa'f (weakness) is the impairment of physical strength and ability, and istakānah (submission) is the manifestation of that inability and weakness. All these views are sound and plausible. Al-Wahidi said: Istikānah is humility, which is to become still for one's master so that he may do with him what he wills.
Then the Exalted God said: {And Allah loves the patient}. The meaning is that whoever is patient in enduring hardships on the path of God and does not show impatience, inability, or panic, then God loves him. God's love for a servant is an expression of His will to honor him, exalt him, glorify him, and decree reward and Paradise for him—which is the ultimate goal.
Then He followed that by praising them with attributes of steadfastness, saying:
**{And their saying was not except that they said, "Our Lord, forgive us our sins and our excesses in our affair and make firm our feet and give us victory over the disbelieving people."}**
