Quran Garden

Session 486

Chapter 3

Verses 156, 157 and 158

You who believe, do not be like those who disbelieved and said of their brothers who went out on travel in the land or a raid, 'If only they had stayed with us, they would not have died or been killed,' for God will make such thoughts a source of anguish in their hearts.  It is God who gives life and death; God sees everything you do.  (Chapter 3: Verse 156)

To "travel in the land" is to seek God's bounty and preach faith.  But the disbelievers want to associate death with striving for God, seeking His bounty, or fighting for His cause.  They say, "If only they had stayed with us, they would not have died or been killed." We reply with: Have you not seen anyone die in their bed?  Don't you know of any person who died in a car accident, a kitchen fire, or after a slip on a flight of stairs? 

In this verse, Allah highlights two facts about the disbelievers: First is their foolishness in interpreting reality.  For example, they associate death with the battlefield and dismiss the fact the people die in their homes.  This leads us to the logical conclusion:  If their judgment is wrong in obviously visible matters, it is no wonder that they cannot be trusted regarding God and faith. 

The second fact is how Allah uses their foolishness to punish them.  He says, "for God will make such thoughts a source of anguish in their hearts." How, you may ask?  We answer that the disbelievers say, "If only they had stayed with us, they would not have died or been killed;" In other words, they partially blame themselves for the death of their friends and family.  They anguish over the fact that had they convinced them to stay, they would still be alive.  Thus, we find that every time they remember their dead, they blame themselves and pile sorrow into their hearts.  Had they turned the matter to God, it would have brought them comfort and relieved them of this terrible burden.  They were foolish in interpreting the events of life, ignoring the signs of their Lord, and inserting themselves in the matters of life and death when it is not their place to do so.  God says, "It is God who gives life and death."

Allah is the One who gives life and takes it away; It is not traveling through the land or fighting in battle that causes a person to die.  Khaled ibn Al-Waleed, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I took part in over a hundred raids, and there is not an inch on my body which does not have a scar from a spear's stab, a sword's slash, or a thrust from a lance.  Yet here I am dying in my bed like any man dies of his disease.  Is there any excuse for left for cowards?" 

And the poet says:

Ah! You who is stopping me from going to battle

If I were to stay, can you guarantee eternal life?

You cannot stop death, so let me face it as I choose.

The verse ends with, "God sees everything you do."  The disbelievers had stooped so low that they no longer concealed their sins and did it blatantly in public.  Thus, "God sees everything you do" is more impactful than "God knows everything you do."  How, you may ask?  We answer that "God knows" implies that the sinner still has some decency to conceal his or her sins, but God's knowledge exposes them.  On the other hand, "God sees" means that sins are public and there is no shame.  Let’s move to the next verse of Al Imran.  God says,

Whether you are killed for God's cause or die, God's forgiveness and mercy are better than anything people amass.  (Chapter 3: Verse 157)

Why do people avoid going to battle for God's cause?  Undoubtedly it is their fear of death.  What does fear of death mean?  In reality, it is the fear of missing out on life and all that is good in it.  We tell such people: It is good to seek the best in life, but keep in mind that your earnings in life are according to how hard you work.  You need strength, knowledge, wisdom, and action.  As for what you enjoy when you meet God as a martyr, it is according to His grace, mercy, and unbounded gifts.  So by choosing to stay behind, you have denied yourself the difference between you capability and God's capability, your wealth and God's wealth, and your knowledge and God's knowledge.  How foolish of you!  God says in the next two Ayas of Al Imran,

Whether you are killed for God's cause or die, God's forgiveness and mercy are better than anything people amass.  Whether you die or are killed, it is to God that you will be gathered.  (Chapter 3: Verses 157 and 158)

Take note in verse 157, Allah mentioned martyrdom before natural death, while in verse 158, He says, "whether you die or are killed," prioritizing death.  The Quran is God's word, so we must pay close attention.  In aya 157, God says, "Whether you are killed for God's cause or die" because He is mainly addressing the fighters thinking about joining a battle, or may already be on their way, so martyrdom is a distinct near possibility.  On the other hand, verse 158, "Whether you die or are killed, it is to God that you will be gathered," is general to all people, and most will die of illness or natural causes.  Thus, death was mentioned first.  God's every word is accurate and placed precisely in the proper position.