Abu ‘Ubaydah said: “Al-ḥass means extermination through killing.”
“Until, when you lost heart”—that is, when you became fearful. It was also said that its meaning is: then, when you lost heart—“and disputed concerning the matter and disobeyed.” The conjunction “and” in “and disputed” is redundant; that is: until, when you lost heart, you disputed. It was also said that the wording involves inversion, its intended order being: until, when you disputed concerning the matter and disobeyed, you lost heart. Disputing means differing.
Their disagreement was that the archers differed after the idolaters had been routed. Some of them said, “The people have been defeated, so why should we remain here?” They then went towards the spoils. Others said, “Do not go beyond the command of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.” Abdullah ibn Jubayr remained firm with a small group of fewer than ten men.
When Khalid ibn al-Walid and Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl saw this, they charged the archers, killing Abdullah ibn Jubayr and his companions. They then attacked the Muslims. The wind shifted, becoming a westerly wind after it had been an easterly wind (1). The Muslims’ ranks were thrown into disorder and they became intermingled, killing one another without recognizing each other; in their confusion, some struck others without realizing it. Iblis (Satan) then cried out, “Muhammad has been killed!” This was the cause of the Muslims’ defeat.
His saying, “and disobeyed,” means: you disobeyed the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and went against his command. “After Allah had shown you what you loved,” O assembly of Muslims—that is, victory and spoils. “Among you were those who desired this world”: namely, those who abandoned their position and went after the plunder. “And among you were those who desired the Hereafter”: namely, those who remained steadfast with Abdullah ibn Jubayr until they were killed. Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud said: “I never realized that any of the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, desired this world until the day of Uhud, when this verse was revealed.”
“Then He turned you away from them”: that is, He drove you back from them through defeat. “In order to test you”: that is, to try you. It was also said: to send affliction upon you. “Yet He has pardoned you”: He did not utterly destroy you after your disobedience and defiance. “And Allah is Most Bountiful to the believers.”
“Remember when you were fleeing, without looking back at anyone, while the Messenger was calling you from behind. So He repaid you with grief upon grief, so that you would not grieve over what had escaped you or what had befallen you. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do. (153)”
“Remember when you were fleeing”: that is, He has certainly pardoned you when you fled. Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami, al-Hasan, and Qatadah recited it as tas‘aduna, with a fatḥah on the t and the ‘ayn; the well-known recitation is tuṣ‘iduna, with a dammah on the t and a kasrah on the ‘ayn.
Is‘ad means travelling across level ground, whereas su‘ud means ascending mountains and elevated surfaces. Abu Hatim said: