Surah Ali 'Imran
وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ ٱلرُّسُلُ ۚ أَفَإِي۟ن مَّاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ ٱنقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَعْقَـٰبِكُمْ ۚ وَمَن يَنقَلِبْ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَن يَضُرَّ ٱللَّهَ شَيْـًٔا ۗ وَسَيَجْزِى ٱللَّهُ ٱلشَّـٰكِرِينَ
Wa mā muḥammadun illā rasūl(un), qad khalat min qablihir-rusul(u), afa'im māta au qutilanqalabtum ‘alā a‘qābikum, wa may yanqalib ‘alā ‘aqibaihi falay yaḍurrallāha syai'ā(n), wa sayajzillāhusy-syākirīn(a).
Muhammad is not but a messenger. [Other] messengers have passed on before him. So if he was to die or be killed, would you turn back on your heels [to unbelief]? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allah at all; but Allah will reward the grateful.
📝 Footnotes
122) Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the messenger of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. The messengers before him have already passed away. Therefore, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) will also pass away just like the previous messengers. When the Battle of Uhud was raging, a rumor spread that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had been killed. This news caused chaos among the Muslims, leading some to seek protection from Abu Sufyan (the leader of the Quraysh). Meanwhile, the hypocrites argued that if Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) were truly a prophet, he would not have been killed. Thus, Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, revealed this verse to reassure the Muslims and refute the words of the hypocrites.