These verses exhort and encourage the believers to obey none except their Lord...

These verses exhort and encourage the believers to obey none except their Lord, because He alone is their Guardian and Helper; it calls them as witness that Allah had fulfilled His promise to them, and the debacle and disaster which they suffered on that day was brought upon them by their own hands, because they had transgressed the limits of what Allah had told them and His Messenger had invited them to; in spite of that Allah has forgiven them of their sins because He is Forgiving, Forbearing.

QUR'AN: O you who believe! if you obey those who disbelieve . . . He is the best of the helpers: It may possibly be inferred from the context that the unbelievers - after the battle of Uhud, when these verses were revealed - were putting ideas in the believers' minds (just as "friendly" advice!) to hold them back from fighting and to incite strife and disunity among them, in order to create rift and division in the camp of Islam.

This implication might probably get support from the verses 173-175 coming later: Those to whom the people said: "Surely men have gathered against you, therefore fear them". . . It is only the Satan that frightens his friends; so do not fear them, and fear Me if you are believers. It has also been said that the verse alludes to the shouting by the Jews and the hypocrites on the day of Uhud, "Muhammad has been killed; you should return to Your families." But this explanation is nothing.

The verse first made it clear to the Muslims that if they obeyed the unbelievers and were inclined towards their friendship seeking their help, they would suffer a great loss, that is, they would turn back to infidelity, would become unbelievers themselves. Then it strikes at this idea by showing them the bright reality that "Allah is your Guardian and He is the best of the helpers." QUR'AN: We will cast terror into the hearts. . .

and evil is the abode of the unjust: It is a beautiful promise to the believers that Allah will help them through terror and scare. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) used to mention "scare" among the special bounties which Allah had reserved for him - not giving it to any other prophet. Such traditions have been narrated by both sects.

The clause, "because they set up with Allah that for which He has sent down no authority", points to the fact that the polytheists set up such things as partners or colleagues for Allah, which have got no authority, no proof for it.