3:152
Allah did indeed fulfil His promise to you when ye with His permission Were about to annihilate your enemy,-until ye flinched and fell to disputing about the order, and disobeyed it after He brought you in sight (of the booty) which ye covet. Among you are some that hanker after this world and some that desire the Hereafter. Then did He divert you from your foes in order to test you but He forgave you: For Allah is full of grace to those who believe.
These verses respond to criticisms raised by opponents and hypocrites who questioned the promise of divine support for Muslims after the events of the Battle of Uḥud. Some detractors argued that if believers truly received assistance from God and His angels, they would not have experienced a setback. The Qur’an addresses this claim by explaining that divine help had indeed been granted during the early stages of the battle, when Muslim forces initially gained the upper hand and the opposing army began to retreat.
According to classical exegetical accounts, the turning point occurred when a group of archers assigned by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to guard a strategic hilltop abandoned their positions. The Prophet had explicitly instructed them to remain at their post under all circumstances. However, believing that victory was imminent, many of them left their positions to collect spoils of war. This difference in motivation—some seeking immediate worldly gain while others remained focused on the Hereafter—is highlighted as a significant factor in the subsequent reversal of fortune.
The Qur’anic narrative presents this event as a form of divine trial intended to distinguish between differing intentions within the community. By allowing circumstances to change, believers were reminded of the importance of discipline and obedience to prophetic guidance. Historians and early biographers generally agree that the Muslim forces were initially successful, nearly overwhelming their opponents before the lapse in strategic positioning allowed the enemy to launch a surprise counterattack from the rear. The resulting confusion among the Muslim ranks led to a temporary setback, which the Qur’an frames not as a failure of divine promise but as a consequence of human error and a test of faith.
References:
Islahi, Amin Ahsan. Pondering Over The Qur’an: Surah Ali Imran (p. 268-269). Islamic BookTrust. Kindle Edition.