Verses 160 and 161 of Surah Al-Imran from the Holy Quran serve as a radiant beacon guiding the believers in comprehending divine support, reliance upon the exalted essence of the Lord, and the infallibility of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him). These verses, revealed in the historical context of the Battle of Uhud, elucidate the relationship between sincere faith, sound conduct, and the triumph or defeat of religious communities. This treatise approaches these verses with a rational methodology grounded in precise analyses and, drawing upon historical, sociological, and theological perspectives, explores their multifaceted dimensions. The objective of this work is to present a comprehensive and coherent exegesis which, while preserving the spiritual essence of the verses, sheds new light on foundational issues faced by religious societies, including the absence of a righteous mentor and moral deviations.
إِن یَنصُرْکُمُ ٱللَّهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَکُمْ ۖ وَإِن یَخْذُلْکُمْ فَمَن ذَا ٱلَّذِی یَنصُرُکُم مِّن بَعْدِهِ ۚ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلْیَتَوَکَّلِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ
If Allah supports you, none can overcome you; and if He forsakes you, who is there that can support you after Him? And in Allah let the believers put their trust.
This verse from the Holy Quran, like a divine melody, promises the believers that ultimate victory and support reside in the hands of the exalted Divine Essence. The phrase "إِن یَنصُرْکُمُ ٱللَّهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَکُمْ" serves as a key that opens the gates of triumph, contingent upon the believers sincere and sound path. Theologically, this phrase underscores monotheism in support and demonstrates that no power except Divine Will can guarantee victory. Psychologically, the verse strengthens trust in Divine Providence amid critical conditions and invites the faithful to repose tranquillity beneath the canopy of reliance.
The history of religions, particularly Islamic history, testifies that repeated defeats of religious communities, including the Muslims, stemmed from a lack of sincerity and soundness in faith. Such failures, which sometimes resulted in alienation, poverty, and injustice, indicate deprivation from Divine support. From an Islamic historiographical perspective, these shortcomings relate to ethical and social weaknesses within the communities. Sociology corroborates that collective behaviour shapes the destiny of a nation. It appears that religious communities, like an unguarded garden, suffered from the absence of a righteous mentor and failed to bear the fruits of victory.
Divine support, akin to a precious gem, is granted only to those whose hearts abound with sincerity and whose conduct is sound. The Holy Quran, through this verse, invites the believers to reflect upon their intention and deeds. Islamic ethics define sincerity as a pure intention and soundness as righteous action. Psychology also reveals that pure intention is a powerful motivator for achieving success. Without these two, Divine support becomes as elusive as water flowing toward a mirage.
The phrase "وَإِن یَخْذُلْکُمْ فَمَن ذَا ٱلَّذِی یَنصُرُکُم مِّن بَعْدِهِ" warns the believers that if abandoned by God, there is no refuge except Him. Theologically, abandonment means leaving humans to themselves due to disobedience. Psychologically, this state signifies despair stemming from the absence of Divine assistance. Neither enemies are capable of aid, nor can humans, without Divine support, escape defeat. It is as though a person in such a state is like a bird with broken wings caught in a storm.
The phrase "وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلْیَتَوَکَّلِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ" calls the believers to exclusive reliance upon God, as if reliance were a steadfast fortress protecting the believer from the storms of life. Theologically, reliance implies complete trust in God; psychologically, this trust reduces anxiety and increases resilience in the face of challenges. However, this reliance is granted only to those believers endowed with sincerity and soundness, while others are deprived of this treasure.
Verse 160 of Surah Al-Imran, with eloquent and unparalleled rhetoric, directs the believers toward sincerity, soundness, and reliance upon God. This verse reflects the historical weaknesses of religious communities and emphasises the necessity of ethical and social reform. Divine support is attained solely through pure faith and righteous deeds, while Divine abandonment serves as a warning to those who stray from this path.
وَمَا کَانَ لِنَبِیٍّ أَن یَغُلَّ ۚ وَمَن یَغُلَّ یَأْتِ بِمَا غَلَّ یَوْمَ ٱلْقِیَامَةِ ۚ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّىٰ کُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا کَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا یُظْلَمُونَ
And it is not for any prophet to betray; and whoever betrays will bring what he betrayed on the Day of Resurrection. Then every soul will be fully recompensed for what it earned, and they will not be wronged.
This verse from the Holy Quran, with divine firmness, absolves the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) from the accusation of treachery in the Battle of Uhud and emphasises prophetic infallibility. The phrase "وَمَا کَانَ لِنَبِیٍّ أَن یَغُلَّ" acts as a shield safeguarding the prophetic station from any deficiency or error. Theologically, this phrase underscores the immunity of the Prophet from sin, while historiographically it responds to rumours following the defeat at Uhud. At that time, some, due to the failure in battle, accused the Prophet (peace be upon him) of weak leadership, but this verse nullifies that allegation.
Within the context of the Battle of Uhud, where the Muslims faced defeat, some mistakenly believed the fault lay in the Prophets (peace be upon him) command. This verse firmly rejects such an accusation and demonstrates that treachery is incompatible with the prophetic office. From a military management perspective, this accusation stems from a misinterpretation of the defeat; from a theological viewpoint, it affirms the Prophets infallibility. It is as if the Holy Quran, through this verse, lifts the veil from the truth and shows that the defeat arose not from the Prophet, but from the weakness of faith and actions of his companions.
The phrase "وَمَن یَغُلَّ یَأْتِ بِمَا غَلَّ یَوْمَ ٱلْقِیَامَةِ" serves as a warning to those who accuse the Prophet of treachery. This accusation itself is a grave betrayal which, on the Day of Resurrection, will confront the betrayer with the heavy burden of his deeds. Theologically, this phrase refers to ultimate justice; philosophically, it emphasises accountability for ones actions. It is as if each person, like a farmer sowing seeds, will harvest the fruits of their deeds on the final day.
The phrase "ثُمَّ تُوَفَّىٰ کُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا کَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا یُظْلَمُونَ" underscores absolute Divine justice. Every soul will receive recompense according to its deeds, without any injustice done to them. Theologically, this justice relates to the order of the hereafter; psychologically, it grants believers tranquillity derived from awareness of Divine justice. The use of "مَا کَسَبَتْ" instead of "بِمَا کَسَبَتْ" indicates gentleness in Divine discourse, as if God reveals His mercy even in expressions of punishment.
Verse 161 of Surah Al-Imran, by exonerating the Prophet (PBUH) from the accusation of treason, emphasises prophetic infallibility and divine justice in reward and punishment.
Verse 161 of Surah Al-Imran, with unparalleled eloquence, absolves the Prophet (PBUH) of any deficiency and underscores divine justice on the Day of Resurrection. This verse, like a mirror, reveals the truth, demonstrating that defeats arise from the weakness of faith and deeds of the followers, not from any shortcoming in prophetic guidance. Divine justice, akin to a precise balance, weighs every action and assigns just recompense or punishment accordingly.
The history of Abrahamic religionsfrom Judaism and Christianity to Islamtestifies that these communities, due to ill will and misconduct, have been deprived of divine support and repeatedly suffered defeats. From the perspective of religious history, these failures point to shared ethical shortcomings in the religions, and from the standpoint of philosophy of religion, they highlight the relationship between faith and action. It is as though these communities, like rudderless ships, have been adrift in the turbulent sea of history.
One of the fundamental challenges of religions has been the absence of righteous mentors to implement divine commandments. Religion, like a catalogue, cannot be enacted without an engineer and guide. From the perspective of philosophy of religion, this analogy points to the necessity of proper interpretation and execution of religion, and from the sociological perspective, it emphasises the importance of righteous leadership. The lack of such mentors has led Islamic societies into alienation, poverty, and oppression, as if a garden without a gardener has turned into a thorny wilderness.
Many rulers in Islamic countries, due to oppression, theft, and falsehood, lacked the qualifications for leadership. From the political sciences viewpoint, this critique points to systemic corruption in governance, and from the philosophy of ethics, it stresses the necessity of justice in leadership. It is as though these rulers, like false shepherds, have led their flocks toward the abyss.
The verses of the Holy Quran, like natural and social laws, determine support or abandonment based on sincerity and integrity. From the perspective of philosophy of religion, these laws refer to divine order in the cosmos, and from the sociological standpoint, they show the impact of behaviour on social outcomes. It is as though every society is like a farm whose yield depends on the seed sown.
This section, with a critical view of the history of religious communities, demonstrated that ethical deviations and the lack of righteous mentors are the root causes of failures. The verses of the Holy Quran, like a blazing torch, illuminate the path of reform and emphasise the necessity of sincerity, integrity, and righteous leadership. Without these elements, religious communities will remain trapped in the whirlpool of degradation.
Religious guidance, like a therapeutic visit, must be individualised and based on competence, not collective or propagandistic. From the philosophy of education viewpoint, this approach refers to personalising guidance, and from psychology, it demonstrates the impact of individual relationships on behavioural change. It is as if every human is like a patient who requires a unique prescription to heal their soul.
Collective education, such as delivering speeches to thousands, is like water poured onto stonefruitless and ineffective. From the sociological perspective, this critique addresses the inefficacy of collective methods, and from psychology, it stresses the necessity of individual attention. It is as though collective preaching is a shout in the desert, unanswered.
The Infallible Imams (A.S.), by employing an individualised educational method, refrained from mass sermons. From the viewpoint of biographical studies, this method points to personal guidance, and from historiography, it reveals the limitations faced by the Imams. It is as if these exalted figures, like skilled physicians, treated each individual with precision.
The Umayyads and Abbasids, through propagandistic and collective methods, deviated from true guidance. From Islamic historiography, this deviation points to political exploitation of religion, and from philosophy of religion, it emphasises the error of using improper methods. It is as if these rulers, like opportunistic merchants, turned religion into a commodity for profiteering.
Using loudspeakers or distributing mass pamphlets, like prescribing for thousands, lacks educational impact. From the sociological perspective, these methods indicate resource wastage, and from educational philosophy, they stress the necessity of targeted approaches. It is as though these actions are seeds scattered over barren soil.
Finding a righteous mentor, like seeking a doctor or mechanic, is an individual responsibility. From the philosophy of education perspective, this duty points to self-reliance, and from psychology, it underscores the necessity of individual effort. It is as if a goat, to find grass, must stretch its neck.
A learned scholar, by feigning simplicity, concealed his wisdom and jurisprudence to remain safe from the attention of the unworthy. From the perspective of social historiography, this method refers to precautionary concealment by scholars, and from psychology, it addresses identity management under social pressure. It is as though this scholar, like a gem within a shell, protected his truth from impure eyes.
This section, emphasising the individual educational approach, showed that religious guidance, like delicate surgery, requires precision and attention to each individual. The critique of collective and propagandistic methods, including those of the Umayyads and Abbasids, highlights their inefficacy. Finding a righteous mentor is a responsibility imposed on every individual, and only through personal endeavour is the path to guidance opened.
The verses of the Holy Quran, like an enchanting poem, express the message of trust and divine support with unparalleled eloquence and articulacy. From the perspective of Quranic rhetoric, this beauty refers to the impact of divine speech, and from comparative literature, it demonstrates the superiority of the Quran over literary works such as Hariris Maqamat. It is as if divine speech is a melody guiding heart and soul towards truth.
The gentleness of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is a result of divine mercy, while others, lacking this mercy, incline towards anger and protest. From Islamic ethics, this gentleness points to prophetic virtue, and from psychology, it shows the effect of mercy on behaviour. It is as though the Prophet, like a pure spring, quenched thirsty hearts with his compassion.
The Prophet (PBUH) is tasked to respond with kindness towards those deprived of divine blessings, as gratitude for Gods mercy. From ethical philosophy, this gratitude signifies practical appreciation, and from psychology, it shows the influence of kindness on relationships. It is as if the Prophet, like a kind gardener, provided water and light even to the weakest plants.
The subsequent verses distinguish between followers of divine pleasure and wrath, revealing two opposing paths. Followers of pleasure attain divine ranks, whereas followers of wrath suffer Hell and the worst fate. From theology, this duality pertains to the hereafter, and from ethical philosophy, it stresses reward and punishment after death.
This section, by emphasising the eloquence of the Holy Quran and the gentleness of the Prophet (PBUH), demonstrated that divine speech and prophetic conduct are two precious jewels in human guidance. The Quran, with its articulacy, draws hearts toward truth, and the Prophet, with divine mercy, shows kindness even to the misguided. These two, like two wings, enable believers to soar towards divine pleasure.
Verses 160 and 161 of Surah Al-Imran, like blazing torches, illuminate the path of faith, trust, and prophetic infallibility. These verses, emphasising divine support conditional upon sincerity and integrity, offer a profound critique of historical and social deviations within religious communities. The absence of righteous mentors, deviation of rulers, and inefficacy of collective methods have been primary obstacles to realising divine support. The individual educational approach, like a healing prescription, paves the way for guidance, while the eloquence of the Quran and the Prophets gentleness, like two precious gems, smooth this path. This exegesis is an invitation to reassess social conduct, return to sincerity and integrity, and seek righteous mentors to fulfil divine aspirations.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
