The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 138
CH. 3 ĀL-E-‘IMRĀN PT. 4 بِبَعْضِ مَا كَسَبُوا وَلَقَدْ عَفَا الله slip because of certain doings of theirs. But certainly Allah has already pardoned them. Verily, Allah is Most Forgiving, Forbearing 438 R. 17. 17 عَنْهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ يَايُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ O ye who believe! be not. 157 كَفَرُوا وَقَالُوا لِإِخْوَانِهِمْ إِذَا ضَرَبُوا like those who have disbelieved, and who say of فِي الْأَرْضِ أَوْ كَانُوا وَكَانُوا their brethren when they travel in the land or go forth to war: عِنْدَنَا مَا مَا تُوْاوَمَا قُتِلُوا لِيَجْعَلَ اللهُ Had they been with us, they ذلِكَ حَسْرَةً فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ يُحْيِ وَيُمِيتُ وَاللهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ would not have died or been slain. ' This is so, that Allah may make it a cause of regret in their hearts. And Allah gives life and causes death and Allah is Mindful of what you do. 439 believers that even if the hypocrites had kept back from the very beginning they would have cheerfully gone forth to the battlefield, or the place of death, as it was commonly thought to be. All this happened that God might purify and ennoble the Faithful. 438. Commentary: The "slipping" spoken of in the verse refers to the disobeying of the order given to the party stationed on the hill at the back of the main body of the Faithful. It may also refer to the running away of some Muslims from the battlefield. But God, out of His great mercy, and considering all the attending circumstances, pardoned them all. 578 The words, because of certain doings of theirs, contain an implied praise. These men were truly righteous people. It was only "some" of their misdeeds that brought them this temporary disgrace. All their doings were not bad; only some were bad. The words also embody a warning that a true believer should not rest satisfied even if most of his deeds are righteous. He is never quite out of danger unless all of his deeds are good. He can, however, hope for forgiveness, if he manages to make the majority of his deeds good. 439. Commentary: The expression, when they travel in the land, means, when they travel in the land in the cause of God. This