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thumma ʾanzala ʿalaykum min baʿdi l-ghammi ʾamanatan nuʿāsan yaghshā ṭāʾifatan minkum wa-ṭāʾifatun qad ʾahammathum ʾanfusuhum yaẓunnūna bi-llāhi ghayra l-ḥaqqi ẓanna l-jāhiliyyati yaqūlūna hal lanā mina l-ʾamri min shayʾin qul ʾinna l-ʾamra kullahū li-llāhi yukhfūna fī ʾanfusihim mā lā yubdūna laka yaqūlūna law kāna lanā mina l-ʾamri shayʾun mā qutilnā hāhunā qul law kuntum fī buyūtikum la-baraza lladhīna kutiba ʿalayhimu l-qatlu ʾilā maḍājiʿihim wa-li-yabtaliya llāhu mā fī ṣudūrikum wa-li-yumaḥḥiṣa mā fī qulūbikum wa-llāhu ʿalīmun bi-dhāti ṣ-ṣudūri
Then He sent down to you safety after grief—a drowsiness that came over a group of you—while another group, anxious only about themselves, entertained false notions about Allah, notions of [pagan] ignorance. They say, ‘Do we have any role in the matter?’ Say, ‘Indeed the matter belongs totally to Allah.’ They hide in their hearts what they do not disclose to you. They say, ‘Had we any role in the matter, we would not have been slain here.’ Say, ‘Even if you had remained in your houses, those destined to be slain would have set out toward the places where they were laid to rest, so that Allah may test what is in your breasts, and that He may purge what is in your hearts, and Allah knows well what is in the breasts.’
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah 'Ali-Imran, Verse 154
154. "Then, after that grief, He sent down security upon you (in the form of) slumber coming upon a group of you, while another group have cared only for their own selves, thinking about Allah unjustly, the thought of ignorance. They say: ' Is there anything for us in the authority? 'Say: 'Verily the authority belongs to Allah entirely '. They hide within themselves what they show not to you, saying: ' Had we had a part in the authority, we would not have been slain here '. Say: ' Even if you were in your own homes, those for whom slaughter was ordained would cel1ainly have gone forth to their deathbeds; and that Allah might try what was in your breasts and that He might purge what was in your hearts; and Allah is aware of what is in the breasts."
The night following the Battle of 'Uhud was a dreadful night, full of anxiety and fear. The Muslims anticipated that the victorious soldiers of Quraysh would return to Medina again. At this time the true strivers and the repentant who had regretted from their escape in 'Uhud, trusted to the Grace of Allah and were assured of the promises of the Prophet (S). The verse under discussion explains the event of that night. It denotes that after those heavy grieves and sorrows of the day of 'Uhud, He sent down peace and security on them. It says:
This peace was the very light sleep that fell on a group of them, but there were some others who thought of their own selves and cared nothing except their own rescue. That was why they lost the security given to them totally. It says:
Then it pays to the explanation of the talks and thoughts of hypocrites and those whose faith was not so firm and who sat up that night. They imagined something wrong about Allah, similar to the thoughts of the Age of Ignorance which existed before Islam. They had in their minds that the Prophet's promises were probably lies.
They said to each other among themselves whether it was possible, with that horrible circumstance they saw, that they overcame. It says:
That is, it is quite impossible. But the Qur'an, in answer to them, says: Yes, triumph is in the hand of Allah and if He wills, and finds you eligible for it, He will grant it to you.
The verse indicates that they conceal some affairs in their hearts and they do not make them manifest for you.
It seemed they thought the failure in 'Uhud was the sign that the religion of Islam was not right. Therefore, they said if they had been right and had a share of triumph, they would not have given so many slain in that battle. It says:
In answer to them, Allah points to two subjects. It says:
Another subject is that these events should come forth in order that the Lord tries what they had in their hearts and that the rows be recognized. Moreover, in this course, individuals might be gradually trained, and their intentions be purified, their faith be firmed, and their hearts be purged from evils.
At the end of the verse, it says:
And it is for the very reason that Allah does not reckon only the deeds of people, but He wants to try their hearts, too, and purify them from dirt of polytheism, hypocrisy, and doubt.