When you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely upon Him.
“When you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely upon Him.”
Due to Allah’s great mercy, your character, O Prophet, was made to be gentle with your Companions. If you were harsh in your words and actions and hard-hearted, they would have left you.
The plain meaning, from Al-Mukhtasar fi at-Tafsir
فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلْقَلْبِ لَٱنفَضُّوا۟ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ ۖ فَٱعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْرِ ۖ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ
So by mercy from Allah, O Muḥammad, you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude in speech and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely upon Him.
What does Quran 3:159 mean?
The verse is a sequence, and the quoted clause is its last step. It begins by telling the Prophet (peace be upon him) that his gentleness was itself a mercy — had he been harsh they would have scattered — then: pardon them, seek forgiveness for them, consult them in the matter. Only after the consulting comes the deciding, and only after the deciding comes reliance. Trust in Allah is placed at the end of the work, not instead of it.
Written from Al-Mukhtasar fi at-Tafsir