Surah Ali 'Imran, Ayah 177

Comforting the Messenger of Allah ﷺ

Allah said to His Prophet,

وَلاَ يَحْزُنكَ الَّذِينَ يُسَـرِعُونَ فِى الْكُفْرِ

(And let not those grieve you who rush with haste to disbelieve) 3:176.

Because the Prophet was eager for people's benefit, he would become sad when the disbelievers would resort to defiance, rebellion and stubbornness. Allah said, `Do not be saddened by this behavior,'

إِنَّهُمْ لَن يَضُرُّواْ اللَّهَ شَيْئاً يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَلاَّ يَجْعَلَ لَهُمْ حَظّاً فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ

(verily, not the least harm will they do to Allah. It is Allah's will to give them no portion in the Hereafter.) for He decided with His power and wisdom that they shall not acquire any share in the Hereafter,

Previous verses mentioned the treachery and ill-will of the hypocrites. The present verses comfort the Holy Prophet ﷺ asking him not to grieve over the mischief made by the disbelievers for they cannot harm him in any way.

The last verse (178) carries a refutation of the false notion about disbelievers: How can they, while obviously prospering in the present world, be regarded as victims of Allah's wrath and rejection?

The battle of Uhud took place at a distance of two miles from Madinah. After the battle, the enemy, led by Abu Sufyan, marched back and camped at a place called Hamra-ul-Asad, at a distance of eight miles from Madinah. After having camped there, it occurred to those who denied the truth that they had made a great mistake in leaving Uhud, as it was there that they had the best opportunity to pursue the Muslims as far as Madinah and crush their power forever. In the meantime, they met a trader’s caravan belonging to the tribe of Abdul Qays, going on to Madinah. They gave the people of the caravan some money and induced them to spread rumours in Madinah that would strike terror into the hearts of the Muslims. When they reached Madinah, they started saying that they had seen themselves that the Makkans were gathering a large force and intended to attack Madinah once again. However, the Muslims’ total trust in God was a guarantee that the planning of the enemies would prove counter-productive. The rumour about the Makkans actually benefited the Muslims, as they were now forewarned of their enemies’ intentions. Consequently, the Prophet along with his companions immediately marched towards Hamra-ul-Asad, prior to the Makkan army advancing on Madinah. When the Makkans learnt that the Muslim force was advancing towards them, they thought that the Muslims had mustered fresh forces. They immediately fled to Makkah, giving up all thoughts of attacking Madinah again.