The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 116
CH. 3 ĀL-E-‘IMRĀN PT. 4 لِيَقْطَعَ طَرَفًا مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا اَوْ God will do so that He. 128 might cut off a part of the disbelievers or abase them so that they might go back frustrated. 412 يَكْبِتَهُمْ فَيَنْقَلِبُوا خَاسِبِيْنَ لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ شَيْ اَوْ يَتُوبَ Thou hast no concern in. 129 EV JE عَلَيْهِمْ أَوْ يُعَذِّبَهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُونَ the matter: He may turn to them in mercy or punish them, for they are wrongdoers. 413 many as five thousand angels in order to cheer and strengthen their hearts and to hint that a very large number of the hidden forces of nature were working in their favour. For the work and duties of angels, see 2:31. It may incidentally be noted here that some believers, and even some disbelievers, are reported to have actually seen the angels at the Battle of Badr (Jarīr, iv. 47). See also 8:11. 412. Important Words: ✓✓✓ (abase) is derived from 5. They say i. e. (1) he overthrew or prostrated him; (2) he humbled or abased him; (3) he turned him away; (4) he turned him back with his fury; (5) he destroyed him or caused him to perish (Aqrab). Commentary: The words, or abase them, mean that if the disbelievers attacked the Muslims, they would be punished and a part of them killed, and if they did not attack the Muslims, they would retreat in abasement and disgrace. Actually, it was the lesser of the two alternatives that came to pass; for when the Holy Prophet, learning that 556 the Meccans were contemplating an immediate attack on Medina, marched out with his followers, the Meccans fled in disgrace and abasement (see note on 3:126). The verse also shows that God sometimes makes conditional prophecies, i. e. He predicts two alternative events of which only one is to occur, according as circum- stances demand. In the present case, God knew that only the latter alternative would come to pass, yet He did not foretell it definitely. The coming of the angels, it may be noted further, was meant as a guarantee of the punishment or disgrace of the enemy, as the case might be. 413. Commentary: This verse is erroneously supposed to contain a sort of admonition or warning to the Holy Prophet for his having prayed to God for the destruction of the Meccans. There is no mention of any such prayer here, nor was there any occasion for such a prayer. In fact, a Prophet never prays for the destruction of any people without the permission of God.