يُجَٰدِلُونَكَ فِى ٱلْحَقِّ بَعْدَمَا تَبَيَّنَ كَأَنَّمَا يُسَاقُونَ إِلَى ٱلْمَوْتِ وَهُمْ يَنظُرُونَ
Commentary:
This verse refers not to the Companions of the Holy Prophet, as wrongly understood by some commentators, but to his enemies. There is absolutely no evidence in history to show that the Holy Prophet’s Companions disputed with him with regard to fighting the enemy. On the contrary, it is expressly related that when before the Battle of Badr he consulted them, they all expressed their readiness and even eagerness to accompany him and fight the enemy wherever he might take them (Hisham, ii. 13). Even the disbelievers who came out to fight the Muslims admitted that the latter looked like so many "seekers after death" on the field of battle (Tabari). What the verse, therefore, means is simply this that as the enemies of Islam abhorred the truth as one abhors death, so, as a result of this, they were going to be punished with death itself.
The verse does not refer to Muslims as wrongly understood by some Commentators, but to disbelievers. There is absolutely no evidence in history to show that the Holy Prophet’s Companions ever disputed with him with regard to fighting the enemy. On the contrary, it is related that when before the Battle of Badr he consulted them, they all expressed their complete readiness and even eagerness to accompany him and fight the enemy wherever he might take them (Hisham). Even the disbelievers who came out to fight the Muslims admitted that the latter looked like so many "seekers after death" on the field of battle (Tabari). The verse only signifies that as the enemies of Islam abhorred the truth as one abhors death, so, as a result of this, they were going to be punished with death.