وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌۭ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ ٱلرُّسُلُ ۚ أَفَإِي۟ن مَّاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ ٱنقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَعْقَٰبِكُمْ ۚ وَمَن يَنقَلِبْ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَن يَضُرَّ ٱللَّهَ شَيْـًۭٔا ۗ وَسَيَجْزِى ٱللَّهُ ٱلشَّٰكِرِينَ
Wa maa Muhammadun illaa Rasoolun qad khalat min qablihir Rusul; afa'im maata aw qutilan qalabtum 'alaaa a'qaabikum; wa mai yanqalib 'alaa aqibihi falai yadurral laaha shai'aa; wa sayajzil laahush shaakireen
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.

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Tafsir

80%61%62%Al-JalalaynIbn AbbasIbn Kathir
Scholars largely agree on this ayah

With regard to their being routed when it was rumoured that the Prophet had been killed and the hypocrites had said to the believers ‘If he has been killed go back to your previous religion’ the following was revealed Muhammad is only a messenger; messengers have passed away before him. Why if he should die or is slain like others will you turn back on your heels will you return to unbelief the last statement is the locus of the interrogative of denial in other words ‘he was not a worshipped being so that if he were to die you should turn back to your previous religion’. If any man should turn back on his heels he will not harm God in any way but will be harming himself and God will requite those that are thankful for His graces by staying firm.

Related Hadiths

Sahih al-Bukhari #3512'Aisha said (in another narration), ("When the Prophet (ﷺ) was on his death-bed) he looked up and said thrice, (Amongst) the Highest Companion (See Qur'an 4.69)' Aisha said, Allah benefited the people by their two speeches. 'Umar frightened the people some of whom were hypocrites whom Allah caused to abandon Islam because of 'Umar's speech. Then Abu Bakr led the people to True Guidance and acquainted them with the right path they were to follow so that they went out reciting:Sahih
-- "Muhammad is no more than an Apostle and indeed many Apostles have passed away before him.." (3.144)
Sunan Abu Dawud #2762Narrated Nu'aym ibn Mas'ud:Da'if
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say when they (messengers sent by Musaylimah) read the letter of Musaylimah: What do you believe yourselves? They said: We believe as he believes. He said: I swear by Allah that were it not that messengers are not killed, I would cut off your heads.
Sahih Muslim #4745It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Qatada that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood up among them (his Companions) to deliver his sermon in which he told them that Jihad in the way of Allah and belief in Allah (with all His Attributes) are the most meritorious of acts. A man stood up and said:Sahih
Messenger of Allah, do you think that if I am killed in the way of Allah, my sins will be blotted out from me? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Yes, in case you are killed in the way of Allah and you were patient and sincere and you always fought facing the enemy, never turming your back upon him. Then he added: What have you said (now)? (Wishing to have further assurance from him for his satisfaction), he asked (again): Do you think if I am killed in the way of Allah, all my sins will be obliterated from me? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Yes, it you were patient and sincere and always fought facing the enemy and never turning your back upon him, (all your lapses would be forgiven) except debt. Gabriel has told me this.
Sunan an-Nasa'i #4139It was narrated from Masruq that:Sahih
The Messenger of Allah said: "Do not revert to disbelievers after I am gone." It is Mursal.
Sunan an-Nasa'i #3159It was narrated from Ibn Abi 'Amirah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:Sahih
"There is no Muslim soul among the people that is taken by its Lord and wishes it could come back to you, even if it had this world and everything in it, except the martyr." Ibn Abi 'Amirah said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'If I were to be killed in the cause of Allah, that would be dearer to me that if all the people of the deserts and the cities were to be mine.'" Meaning: If they were all my slaves and I set them free.

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About Quran 3:144