144

With regard to their being routed, when it was rumoured that the Prophet had been killed and the hypocrites had said to the believers, 'If he has been killed, go back to your [previous] religion', the following was revealed: Muhammad is only a Messenger (rasūl); messengers (rusul) have passed away before him. Why, if he should die or is slain, like others, will you turn back on your heels, will you return to unbelief (the last statement is the locus of the interrogative of denial, in other words, 'he was not a worshipped being, so that [if he were to die] you should turn back [to your previous religion]). If any man should turn back on his heels, he will not harm Allahu ta’ālā in any way, but will be harming himself, and Allahu ta’ālā will requite those that are thankful, for His graces by staying firm.