The Quran

117

Preface

لَقَد تابَ اللَّهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ وَالمُهاجِرينَ وَالأَنصارِ الَّذينَ اتَّبَعوهُ في ساعَةِ العُسرَةِ مِن بَعدِ ما كادَ يَزيغُ قُلوبُ فَريقٍ مِنهُم ثُمَّ تابَ عَلَيهِم ۚ إِنَّهُ بِهِم رَءوفٌ رَحيمٌ

Yusuf Ali

God turned with favour to the Prophet, the Muhājirs,¹ and the Anṣār,- who followed him in a time of distress, after that the hearts of a part² of them had nearly swerved (from duty); but He turned to them (also): for He is unto them Most Kind, Most Merciful.

Cf. 9:100. The Muhājirs were the people who originally forsook their homes in Mecca and followed al Muṣṭafā in exile to Medīna. The Anṣār were the Medīna people who received them with honour and hospitality into their city. Both these groups were staunch supports of Islam, and proved their Faith by great sacrifices. But in the difficult days of the Tabuk expedition some of them, not perversely, but out of lethargy and human weakness, had failed to follow the standard. They were forgiven, and they afterwards acquitted themselves with zeal.
Note that the “swerving from duty” was merely an inclination due to the weakness of human nature in the face of new difficulties; that it only affected a part of the men for a time; and that it was overcome even in their case by the grace of God, so that they all did their duty, and were freely forgiven their incipient weakness, which they conquered. There were three exceptions, which are referred to in the next verse.