Do Not Lose Heart
Ali 'Imran 3:139. Also known as Wa la tahinu wa la tahzanu, Do not weaken and do not grieve, You will be superior if you are believers
وَلَا تَهِنُواْ وَلَا تَحۡزَنُواْ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلۡأَعۡلَوۡنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ ﴿١٣٩﴾
Wala tahinoo wala tahzanoo waantumu alaAAlawna in kuntum mumineena
And do not waver, nor feel remorse. You are the superior ones, if you are believers.
Verse 139 of Surah Ali 'Imran tells the believers not to weaken and not to grieve, because they are the uppermost if they are true believers. It was addressed to the Muslims after the Battle of Uhud, when they had suffered heavy losses.
People quote it today when they feel defeated or discouraged. Knowing the moment it came in helps explain both its comfort and its condition.
What it means
Do not weaken
The first instruction is not to lose strength or resolve. After a painful setback, the natural reaction is to give up, and the verse speaks against that.
Do not grieve
The second is not to be overcome by sorrow over what was lost. The verse does not deny the pain, but it does not let grief have the final word.
You are the uppermost
The reason given is that the believers are the higher ones. Commentators explain this as a higher position in truth and in the final outcome, even when a particular battle has gone badly.
If you are believers
The verse ends with a condition. The assurance is tied to faith, so the way to that higher position is to hold on to belief and keep acting on it.
Where it sits in Surah Ali 'Imran
This passage comes in the long section of Surah Ali 'Imran about Uhud. Verses 133 to 136 urge the believers to hurry toward forgiveness and describe the people of Paradise as those who spend in good times and bad, restrain anger and forgive. Verse 137 says many ways of life have passed before, so travel and see what happened to the deniers, and verse 138 calls the Quran a clear statement for people. Verse 139 then gives its encouragement. Verse 140 says that if the believers had been wounded, the other side had suffered similar wounds, and that Allah alternates such days among people. Verses 141 and 142 explain that hardship tests and purifies the believers and that Paradise is not reached without striving and patience.
Questions
When was 'do not lose heart' revealed?
Commentators agree that 3:139 was revealed after the Battle of Uhud, as part of the long passage in Surah Ali 'Imran that discusses that battle.
What does 'you will be superior' mean?
Commentators explain that the believers are higher in truth and in the final outcome, as long as they hold to faith. The verse ties this to the condition of being believers.
Is there a related verse about not weakening?
Yes. 3:146 describes earlier believers who fought alongside prophets and did not weaken or give in despite what befell them, and says Allah loves the steadfast.