70 Page Notes

03 Surah Ali-Imran (continued)

Page 70 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

3:154

3:155

3:156

3:157

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 70 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 70 of the Qur'an contains Surah Ali-Imran (Chapter 3), Verses 154 through 157.

Historically, this block of verses continues the deep spiritual and psychological evaluation of the aftermath of the Battle of Uhud. Following the heartbreak, chaos, and grief of the defeat, Allah describes a profound psychological division that occurred within the camp: a gift of divine tranquility given to the true believers, contrasted sharply against the panic, doubt, and blame spread by the hypocrites.

The prominent Hadiths and Sunnah narratives directly connected to this page include:

1. Verse 154: The Gift of Drowsiness (Nu'as) as Divine Security

"Then after distress, He sent down serenity in the form of drowsiness overcoming some of you..."

After the intense panic and grief of the ambush at Uhud subsided into a temporary lull, a miraculous physical state overcame the true believers: they began falling asleep right on the battlefield while still holding their weapons. In the Sunnah, this drowsiness is established as a sign of divine peace and reassurance, whereas drowsiness during prayer or study is considered from Satan.

• The Experience of Abu Talhah: The core structural Hadith regarding this verse features the companion Abu Talhah, who describes what it felt like to be enveloped by this divine slumber.
  "I was among those who were overcome by slumber during the Battle of Uhud. My sword fell from my hand several times; it would fall and I would pick it up, then it would fall again and I would pick it up again." > He further stated: "On the day of Uhud, I raised my head and looked around, and found that everyone's head [among the true believers] was nodding from slumber." (Recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 4068 / 4562, and Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3008, who graded it Hasan Sahih).

• The Explanatory Hadith from Ibn Mas’ud: Abdullah ibn Mas’ud clarified the nature of this event as a rule of the Sunnah:
  "Slumber (drowsiness) during battle is a sign of security and reassurance sent from Allah, whereas slumber during prayer is from Satan." (Recorded by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad and Sunan at-Tirmidhi).

2. Verse 154: The Anxiety and Doubts of the Hypocrites

"...while others were disturbed by evil thoughts about Allah—the thoughts of [pre-Islamic] ignorance. They ask, 'Do we have a say in the matter?' Say, 'All matters are destined by 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 come to die here.'..."

While the believers were granted peaceful sleep, the second group—the hypocrites (Munafiqin) led by Abdullah ibn Ubayy—remained wide awake, paralyzed by cowardice and completely consumed by self-preservation and regret.

• The Reality of the Hypocrites' Accusations: According to historical accounts in the Sunnah (recorded in Ibn Hisham's Sirah and Ibn Kathir's commentaries), the hypocrites used the tactical defeat to undermine the Prophet's ﷺ leadership. They publicly muttered that if the Prophet ﷺ had listened to their advice to stay inside the city lines of Madinah instead of marching out to Uhud, seventy of their noble men would not have been slaughtered.
  Allah exposed their internal psychological states through this verse, answering them with an uncompromising theological reality: death is fixed to an absolute deadline (Ajal), and even if they had hidden in the innermost rooms of their houses, those written to die would have walked out to their deathbeds regardless.

3. Verse 155: Forgiveness for Those Who Fled the Battle

"Indeed, those [believers] who fled on the day when the two armies met were made to slip by Satan because of their misdeeds. But Allah has pardoned them. Surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Forbearing."

When the ambush from Khalid bin al-Waleed's cavalry struck from behind, a vast portion of the Muslim army retreated up the mountain or back toward Madinah out of sheer panic. Fleeing from the battlefield is considered one of the major destructive sins in Islam; however, this verse explicitly reveals that Allah granted them a divine, absolute pardon due to the extreme circumstances.

• The Verification of Ibn Umar regarding Uthman ibn Affan: Years later, political agitators tried to use the fact that certain companions fled at Uhud to slander them. A famous interaction in the Sunnah perfectly utilizes this verse to defend them.
  A man from Egypt came to perform Hajj and tried to disparage Uthman ibn Affan in front of Abdullah ibn Umar, saying: "Did you know that Uthman fled on the day of Uhud?" > Ibn Umar replied: "Yes." >
  The man smiled maliciously. Ibn Umar then corrected him instantly, saying: "Come here, let me explain to you. As for his fleeing on the day of Uhud, I testify that Allah has already forgiven him and pardoned him!" He then recited this exact verse (3:155) to silence the agitator. (Recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3698).

4. Verses 156–157: Overcoming the "What Ifs" of Regret

"O you who have believed, do not be like those who disbelieve and who say to their brethren when they travel through the land or go out to fight, 'If they had been with us, they would not have died or been killed,' so Allah makes that a regret within their hearts..."

Allah explicitly forbids the believers from falling into the toxic psychological trap of saying "If only..." regarding death and destiny, as it breeds deep emotional anguish and spiritual despair.

• The Sunnah of Rebuffing "If Only" (Law): The Prophet ﷺ tightly integrated this specific Quranic prohibition into daily mental health and spiritual practice. Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
  "A strong believer is better and more lovable to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone. Cherish that which gives you benefit (work hard) and seek help from Allah and do not lose heart. And if anything afflicts you, do not say: 'If only I had done such-and-such, then such-and-such would have happened,' but rather say: 'Allah has decreed it, and what He wills, He does' (Qaddarallahu wa ma sha'a fa'al). For verily, the phrase 'if only' (Law) opens the door for the work of Satan." (Recorded in Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2664).