You say, “You travelled onward” when you proceeded straight ahead, and “you ascended” when you climbed a mountain or something else. Al-Mubarrad said: “As‘ada means to go far away in one’s departure.” Both recitations are correct, for among those who fled that day were some travelling onward across the land and others ascending. Al-Mufaḍḍal said: “Sa‘ida, as‘ada, and ṣa‘‘ada all have one meaning.”

“And not looking back at anyone”: that is, you neither turned aside nor paused for anyone, and none of you looked back at another. “While the Messenger was calling you from behind”: that is, from the rear of your ranks and behind you: “Come to me, servants of Allah! I am the Messenger of Allah. Whoever turns back shall have Paradise.” (1)

“So He repaid you”: that is, He requited you. Here, recompense is used in the sense of punishment, although it is originally used for good deeds, since it has been placed in the position of reward—just as Allah Most High says: “So give them glad tidings of a painful punishment,” using glad tidings in connection with punishment. (2) Its meaning is that He gave you grief in place of the reward you had been hoping for. (3)

“Grief upon grief”: it was also said that the preposition means “upon”; that is, grief upon grief. It was also said: grief joined to grief. The first grief was the victory and spoils that escaped them, while the second was the killing and defeat that befell them.

It was also said that the first grief was the killing and wounds they suffered, while the second was the report they heard that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, had been killed; this made them forget the first grief.

It was also said that the first grief was Khalid ibn al-Walid’s appearance above them with the cavalry of the idolaters, and the second was when Abu Sufyan appeared above them. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, went forth that day calling the people until he reached the companions at the rock. When they saw him, one man placed an arrow in his bow and intended to shoot him, but he said, “I am the Messenger of Allah.” They rejoiced when they found the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, ⦗71/b⦘ and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, rejoiced when he saw that some of his companions were able to hold their ground. They began speaking of the victory and what they had missed of it, and recalling their companions who had been killed. Then Abu Sufyan and his men came forward until they stopped at the entrance of the mountain pass. When the Muslims saw them, this distressed them, and they thought that they would attack them and kill them. This made them forget what had befallen them.

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “They must not prevail over us. O Allah, if You allow this company to be killed, You will not be worshipped on earth.” He then urged his Companions on, and they pelted them with stones until they drove them down.

It was also said that they distressed the Messenger by disobeying his command, so Allah repaid them for that grief with the grief of killing and defeat.

Allah Most High says: “So that you would not grieve over what had escaped you”—of victory and spoils—“or what had befallen you”: that is, what had befallen you of killing and defeat. “And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.”