His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "Indeed, those who turned back among you on the day the two armies met, it was Satan who caused them to slip by some of what they earned. And indeed, Allah has forgiven them. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing." The interpreters have differed regarding who is meant by His saying, the Most High: "Indeed, those who turned back among you on the day the two armies met?" Al-Faruq Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: It refers to all who turned away that day from the enemy. Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: He means by it all aspects of turning away that was not a retreat from fighting. Al-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated that Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, delivered a sermon on Friday and recited [Surah Al-Imran]. He liked to recite it when he delivered a sermon. When he reached the saying: "Indeed, those who turned back among you on the day the two armies met," he said: On the day of Uhud, we were defeated, and I fled until I climbed the mountain. I saw myself leaping as if I were a deer, and the people were saying: Muhammad has been killed. I said: I do not find anyone saying: Muhammad has been killed except that I killed him, until we gathered on the mountain. Then this entire verse was revealed. Qatadah said: This verse is for everyone who fled due to the fear and deception of Satan, and Allah forgave them for this slip. Ibn Furak said: On that day, only thirteen men remained with the Prophet: Abu Bakr, Ali, Talhah, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, Abdul Rahman ibn Awf, and the rest of them from the Ansar, Abu Talhah and others. Al-Suddi and others said: When the Muslims turned away from the attack of the polytheists against them, some climbed the mountain, and others fled until they reached Medina. Allah mentioned in this verse those who fled to Medina specifically. Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: He made fleeing to the mountain a joining of a group. Al-‘Ikrimah said: This verse was revealed regarding those who fled among the believers in great numbers, among them was Rafi' ibn al-Mu'allah, Abu Hudhayfah ibn 'Utbah, and another man. Ibn Ishaq said: "Uthman ibn Affan fled, and 'Uqbah ibn 'Uthman and his brother Sa'd, and two men from the Ansar who were blue-eyed, until they reached the Jablab - a mountain near Medina that is adjacent to Al-Awqas - and they stayed there for three days, then they returned to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, who said to them: 'You have gone in a wide path.'" Ibn Zayd said: I do not know whether He forgave this group specifically or all the believers. And "caused them to slip" means: He sought for them to slip, for that is the implication of his whispering and frightening. And His saying, the Most High: "by some of what they earned" is apparent to the majority of the interpreters that they had sins for which Allah punished them by allowing Satan to cause them to slip, and by creating what they earned, meaning also their fleeing. Al-Zajjaj and others went to the meaning that Satan reminded them of their previous sins, so they disliked death before repenting from them and turning away from them. Al-Mahdawi said: By what they earned from the love of spoils and the eagerness for life.

The judge Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The wording of the verse can imply that the reference in His saying: "by some of what they earned" is to this lesson. That is, the devil had a temptation for them in this action which they earned, so he is a partner in some of it. Then Allah, the Exalted, informed of His pardon for them. The majority of the scholars interpreted it as the removal of responsibility in this world and the Hereafter. Likewise, Uthman ibn Affan interpreted it in his hadith with Ubaidullah ibn Adi ibn al-Khiyar. Similarly, Ibn Umar interpreted it in his hadith with the Iraqi man. Ibn Jurayj said: The meaning of the verse is: Allah forgave them since He did not punish them. Fleeing from the battle is a major sin by consensus, as far as I know, and the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, counted it among the destructive sins along with polytheism, killing a soul, and others.