Al-Qur'an Surah Ali 'Imran Verse 121

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Recall the time when you left your house in the morning in order to place the believers in positions for fighting. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

˹Remember, O  Prophet,˺ when you left your home in the early morning to position the believers in the battlefield. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Ruwwad Translation Center

And [remember] when you left your home in the morning to position the believers for the battle [of ’Uhud]; and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

A. J. Arberry

When thou wentest forth at dawn from thy people to lodge the believers in their pitches for the battle -- God is All-hearing, All-knowing --

Abdul Haleem

[Prophet], remember when you left your home at dawn to assign battle positions to the believers: God hears and knows everything.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And recall what time thou settedst forth from thy household early to settle believers in positions for the fight. And Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Remember that morning Thou didst leave Thy household (early) to post the faithful at their stations for battle; And Allah heareth and knoweth all things;

Abul Ala Maududi

(O Messenger! Remind the Muslims of the occasion) when you went forth from your home at early dawn (to the battlefield of Uhud) and placed the believers in battle arrays. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Ahmed Ali

Remember when you set forth in the morning from your house assigning the faithful positions for the battle, God heard everything and knew all.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And remember O dear Prophet (Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) when you came forth from your house in the morning, appointing the believers on positions of battle; and Allah is All Hearing, All Knowing.

Ali Quli Qarai

When you left your family at dawn to settle the faithful in their positions for battle —and Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing.

Ali Ünal

(Remember, O Messenger) when you set forth from your home at dawn to place the believers in battle order – God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing (He heard and knew all that was happening and being talked about on that day).

Amatul Rahman Omar

And (recall the time) when you (O Prophet!) went forth early in the morning from your family assigning to the believers their battle-posts (in the Battle of Uhud). And Allâh is All- Hearing, All-Knowing.

English Literal

And when you went early from your family/people, you assign the believers sitting places (positions) to the fighting/killing, and God (is) hearing/listening, knowledgeable.41

Faridul Haque

And remember O dear Prophet (Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon him) when you came forth from your house in the morning, appointing the believers on positions of battle; and Allah is All Hearing, All Knowing.

Hamid S. Aziz

When two companies of you almost fell away in cowardice but Allah was their Guardian (or Protecting Friend), for on Allah surely do believers put their trust.

Hilali & Khan

And (remember) when you (Muhammad SAW) left your household in the morning to post the believers at their stations for the battle (of Uhud). And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

If good befalls you, it grieves them, and if an evil afflicts you, they rejoice at it. And if you are patient and keep your duty, their struggle will not injure you in any way. Surely Allah encompasses what they do.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And when you did go forth early in the morning from your family to lodge the believers in encampments for war and Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And when thou settedst forth at daybreak from thy housefolk to assign to the believers their positions for the battle, Allah was Hearer, Knower.

Muhammad Sarwar

(Muhammad), remember the morning when you left home to show the believers their position in the battle? God is All-hearing and All-knowing.

Qaribullah & Darwish

And when you went out at dawn from your family to lodge the believers in their positions for the battle. Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And (remember) when you left your household in the morning to post the believers at their stations for the battle (of Uhud). And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

Wahiduddin Khan

When you set out at dawn from your home to assign battle positions to the believers -- God hears all and knows all.

Talal Itani

Remember when you left your home in the morning, to assign battle-positions for the believers. God is Hearing and Knowing.

Tafsir jalalayn

And, mention O Muhammad (s), when you went forth at dawn from your family, at Medina, to assign the believers, to have [them] occupy, their places, stations for them to stand at, for battle, and God hears, what you say, knows, your circumstances; this was the day of [the battle of] Uhud. The Prophet (s) set out with 1000 or 950 men, while the idolaters numbered 3000. The Prophet pitched camp at the ravine on Saturday 7th of Shawwl in year 3 of the Hijra. He had his back and that of his troops to Uhud. He arranged their lines and placed a group of archers under the command of `Abd Allh b. Jubayr at the foot of the mountain and said to them; `Defend us with your arrows in case they come up from behind us, and remain here whether we are being defeated or on the verge of victory'.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Battle of Uhud

According to the majority of scholars, these Ayat are describing the battle of Uhud, as Ibn Abbas, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, As-Suddi and others said.

The battle of Uhud occurred on a Saturday, in the month of Shawwal on the third year of Hijrah.

Ikrimah said that Uhud occurred in the middle of the month of Shawwal, and Allah knows best.
The Reason Behind the Battle of Uhud

The idolators suffered many casualties among their noble men at the battle of Badr. The caravan that Abu Sufyan led (before Badr) returned safely to Makkah, prompting the remaining Makkan leaders and the children of those who were killed at Badr to demand from Abu Sufyan to, "Spend this money on fighting Muhammad!"

Consequently, they spent the money from the caravan on warfare expenses and mobilized their forces including the Ahabish tribes (tribes living around the city). They gathered three thousand soldiers and marched until they camped near Uhud facing Al-Madinah.

The Messenger of Allah led the Friday prayer and when he finished with it, he performed the funeral prayer for a man from Bani An-Najjar called Malik bin Amr. The Prophet then asked the Muslims for advice, if they should march to meet the disbelievers, or fortify themselves in Al-Madinah.

Abdullah bin Ubayy (the chief hypocrite) advised that they should remain in Al-Madinah, saying that if the disbelievers lay siege to Al-Madinah, the siege would be greatly disadvantageous to them. He added that if they decide to attack Al-Madinah, its men would face off with them, while women and children could throw rocks at them from above their heads; and if they decide to return to Makkah, they would return with failure.

However, some companions who did not attend the battle of Badr advised that the Muslims should go out to Uhud to meet the disbelievers.

The Messenger of Allah went to his home, put on his shield and came out. The companions were weary then and said to each other, "Did we compel the Messenger of Allah to go out?" They said, "O Messenger of Allah! If you wish, we will remain in Al-Madinah."

The Messenger of Allah said,

مَا يَنْبَغِي لِنَبِيَ إِذَا لَبِسَ لَااْمَتَهُ أَنْ يَرْجِعَ حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ اللهُ لَه

It is not for a Prophet to wear his shield for war then lay down his arms before Allah decides in his favor.

The Messenger of Allah marched with a thousand of his Companions.

When they reached the Shawt area, Abdullah bin Ubayy went back to Al-Madinah with a third of the army, claiming he was angry the Prophet did not listen to his advice. He and his supporters said, "If we knew that you would fight today, we would have accompanied you. However, we do not think that you will fight today."

The Messenger of Allah marched until he reached the hillside in the area of Uhud, where they camped in the valley with Mount Uhud behind them.

The Messenger of Allah said,

لَاا يُقَاتِلَنَّ أَحَدٌ حَتَّى نَأْمُرَهُ بِالْقِتَال

No one starts fighting until I issue the command to fight.

The Messenger prepared his forces for battle, and his army was seven hundred men. He appointed Abdullah bin Jubayr, from Bani Amr bin Awf, to lead the archers who were fifty men. The Prophet said to them,

انْضَحُوا الْخَيْلَ عَنَّا وَلَا نُوْتَيَنَّ مِنْ قِبَلِكُمْ وَالْزَمُوا مَكَانَكُمْ إِنْ كَانَتِ النَّوْبَةُ لَنَا أَوْ عَلَيْنَا وَإِنْ رَأَيْتُمُونَا تَخْطَفُنَا الطَّيْرُ فَلَ تَبْرَحُوا مَكَانَكُم

Keep the horsemen away from us, and be aware that we might be attacked from your direction. If victory was for or against us, remain in your positions. And even if you see us being picked up by birds, do not abandon your positions.

The Prophet wore two protective shields and gave the flag to Mus`ab bin Umayr of Bani Abd Ad-Dar. The Prophet also allowed some young men to participate in fighting, but not others, whom he allowed to participate in the battle of Al-Khandaq two years later.

The Quraysh mobilized their forces of three thousand men with two hundred horsemen on each flank. They appointed Khalid bin Al-Walid to lead the right side of the horsemen and Ikrimah Ibn Abi Jahl on the left side. They also gave their grand flag to the tribe of Bani Abd Ad-Dar. Allah willing, we will mention the details of this battle later on, if Allah wills.

Allah said here,

وَإِذْ غَدَوْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ تُبَوِّىءُ الْمُوْمِنِينَ مَقَاعِدَ لِلْقِتَالِ

And (remember) when you left your household in the morning to post the believers at their stations for the battle,

designating them to various positions, dividing the army to the left and right sides and placing them wherever you command them.

وَاللّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ



And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

He hears what you say and knows what you conceal in your hearts.

Allah said next,

إِذْ هَمَّت طَّأيِفَتَانِ مِنكُمْ أَن تَفْشَلَ وَاللّهُ وَلِيُّهُمَا وَعَلَى اللّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُوْمِنُونَ