The Madinan Period, Part 12: The Battle of Uḥud, Part Four
Section 2 of 14 · The Life of the Prophet Muhammad: The Madinan Period
You Are Superior, Even Though You Lost
Number two: Allah (swt) says:
وَلَا تَهِنُوا۟ وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا۟ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلْأَعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
“Do not lose heart and do not grieve, and you are the upper-most if you are believers.” (3:139)
Do not weaken and do not grieve, and you are superior if you are true believers. This was revealed after the defeat of Uḥud. When spirits were low, Allah (swt) was telling the believers: do not weaken and do not grieve when you are superior — you are superior, even though you lost. So the believers should never forget this: they are superior to every other nation, no matter what — even if the Ummah is defeated, even if the Ummah is weak, even if it is oppressed, this Ummah is still the best Ummah. And the ayah that says "you were the best nation brought forth for mankind" is an ayah in Sūrah Āl ʿImrān, which was likewise revealed after the defeat of Uḥud:
كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ ۗ وَلَوْ ءَامَنَ أَهْلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُم ۚ مِّنْهُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ
“You are the best ‘Ummah ever raised for mankind. You bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair, and you believe in Allah. If the people of the Book had believed, it would have been better for them. Among them, there are believers, while most of them are sinners.” (3:110)
This ayah did not come after Badr; it did not come after the conquest of Makkah; it did not come when the Islamic empire was covering two-thirds of the earth. It was revealed after the worst defeat the Muslims suffered in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and that is the Battle of Uḥud. So Allah is telling them: remember who you are, keep that in mind.