It gives rise to the surmise that most of the resistance was...

It gives rise to the surmise that most of the resistance was from the Helpers' side and that the Emigrants had left the battleground long before them. In short, these verses explain the error and mistake in sorrowing and grieving; then turn to another matter resulting from that grief, that is, their critical attitude towards the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a), thinking that it was he who had brought them to that disaster and put them into that perdition.

It may be inferred from their talk alluded to herein: "Had they been with us, they would not have died and they would not have been slain." In other words, if they had listened to them and not obeyed the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a) they would have been alive today. It means that it was he who had led them to the slaughter.

The verses make it clear that it was not meet for the Prophet that he should deceive anyone; he is Allah's Messenger, noble of heart, sublime in character; he is lenient to them by mercy of Allah, pardons them and seeks Allah's forgiveness for them and takes their counsel by permission of Allah; and Allah has conferred His favor on them by sending him to them in order that he may take them out of error bringing them to the guidance. QUR'AN: O you who believe! be not like those who disbelieve . .

. and Allah sees what you do: The word, "those who disbelieve", refers to the unbelievers not to the hypocrites, as some people think. It is not the hypocrisy, per se, which incites such talks — although the hypocrites had uttered these words. Such talk, in reality, is a product of disbelief. Thus it was necessary to ascribe it to the unbelievers. ad-Darb fil-ard (lit., striking in the earth) metaphorically means travelling.

Al-Ghuzza is plural of al-ghaizi (fighter) like at-talib and at-tullab or ad-darib and ad-durrab "so Allah makes this to be an intense regret in their hearts", i.e., so that Allah may punish them through this intense regret; it has thus put the means in place of the end. The words, "Allah gives life and causes death", explain the reality about which the unbelievers had gone astray, and had said, "Had they been with us, they would not have died and they would not have been slain.

" The words, "death", as used here, covers natural death as well as slaughter - we have explained earlier that when used alone, this word covers every type of death.