Tafsir of verse 154
Al-Mukhtasar
Then He sent down on you, after the pain and distress, peace and security. A group among you, who trusted in the promise of Allah, became overcome by sleep because of the peace and serenity in their hearts. Another group were not blessed with security or sleep, and they were the hypocrites, who only worried about their own safety, and felt upset and scared. They thought badly of Allah, thinking that He would not help His Prophet or support His servants, like those of the time of ignorance before Islam did, who did not understand Allah’s reality. These hypocrites said, due to their ignorance of Allah, that they did not have a say in whether they went out to fight; and if they had, they would not have done so. Tell them, O Prophet, in reply, that everything that happens is up to Allah, and that He decreed that they would go out to fight. These hypocrites hide in themselves doubt and bad opinion which they do not show to you, saying that if they had a say in whether they had gone to fight, then people would not have been killed in this place. Tell them, O Prophet, in reply, that if they had been in their houses far from the places of battle and death, those whom Allah had destined to be killed would inevitably go out to the places of their death. Allah only did this to test the intentions and motives in your hearts, and to reveal the faith and hypocrisy in them. Allah knows what is in the hearts of people, and nothing is hidden from Him.
Tafsir of the whole Surah Ali ’Imran
Other translations of verse 154
Then He sent down tranquility upon you after distress: a slumber overtaking a group of you70, while another group71 cared only about themselves, having false thoughts about Allah, the untrue thoughts of ignorance, saying, “Do we have any say in the matter?” Say, “All matters belong to Allah.” They conceal in their hearts what they do not reveal to you. They say, “If we had any say in the matter, none of us would have been killed here.” Say, “Even if you had been in your homes, those among you who were destined to be killed would have come out to their killing places.” But Allah did this so that He may test your inner thoughts and distinguish what is in your hearts. For Allah is All-Knowing of what is in the hearts.
Notes
[70] The real believers.
[71] The hypocrites.
Then after the distress, He sent down security for you. Slumber overtook a party of you, while another party was thinking about themselves (as how to save their ownselves, ignoring the others and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) and thought wrongly of Allâh - the thought of ignorance. They said, "Have we any part in the affair?" Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "Indeed the affair belongs wholly to Allâh." They hide within themselves what they dare not reveal to you, saying: "If we had anything to do with the affair, none of us would have been killed here." Say: "Even if you had remained in your homes, those for whom death was decreed would certainly have gone forth to the place of their death," but that Allâh might test what is in your breasts; and to purify 30 that which was in your hearts (sins), and Allâh is All-Knower of what is in (your) breasts.
Notes
[30] (V.3:154) The Arabic word yumahhis has three meanings: (1) To test, (2) To purify, (3) To get rid of (TafsirAl-Qurtubi ).
Then, after grief, He sent down security for you. As slumber did it overcome a party of you, while (the other) party, who were anxious on their own account, thought wrongly of Allah, the thought of ignorance. They said: Have we any part in the cause? Say (O Muhammad): The cause belongeth wholly to Allah. They hide within themselves (a thought) which they reveal not unto thee, saying: Had we had any part in the cause we should not have been slain here. Say: Even though ye had been in your houses, those appointed to be slain would have gone forth to the places where they were to lie. (All this hath been) in order that Allah might try what is in your breasts and prove what is in your hearts. Allah is Aware of what is hidden in the breasts (of men).
After (the excitement) of the distress, He sent down calm on a band of you overcome with slumber, while another band was stirred to anxiety by their own feelings, Moved by wrong suspicions of Allah-suspicions due to ignorance. They said: "What affair is this of ours?" Say thou: "Indeed, this affair is wholly Allah's." They hide in their minds what they dare not reveal to thee. They say (to themselves): "If we had had anything to do with this affair, We should not have been in the slaughter here." Say: "Even if you had remained in your homes, those for whom death was decreed would certainly have gone forth to the place of their death"; but (all this was) that Allah might test what is in your breasts and purge what is in your hearts. For Allah knoweth well the secrets of your hearts.
Then after sorrow He sent down security upon you, a calm coming upon a party of you, and (there was) another party whom their own souls had rendered anxious; they entertained about Allah thoughts of ignorance quite unjustly, saying: We have no hand in the affair. Say: Surely the affair is wholly (in the hands) of Allah. They conceal within their souls what they would not reveal to you. They say: Had we any hand in the affair, we would not have been slain here. Say: Had you remained in your houses, those for whom slaughter was ordained would certainly have gone forth to the places where they would be slain, and that Allah might test what was in your breasts and that He might purge what was in your hearts; and Allah knows what is in the breasts.
Thereafter He sent down upon you, even after suffering, secure (reassurance), a drowsiness enveloping a section of you; and a section already (became) anxious, surmising other than the truth about Allah, the surmise (s) of (pagan) ignorance. They say, "Have we anything to do with the Command?" Say, "Surely the Command is entirely to Allah." They conceal within themselves what they do not display to you; they say, "If we had had anything to do with the Command, we would not have been killed here now." Say, "If you had been in your homes, the ones for whom killing was prescribed would indeed have gone forth to their recumbencies." And that (is so that) Allah might try whatever was in your breasts, and that He might prove whatever is in your hearts; and Allah is Ever-Knowing of whatever is within the breasts (Literally: what the breasts own).
