Surah Al Imran Tafseer

الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ لاِخْوَانِهِمْ وَقَعَدُواْ لَوْ أَطَاعُونَا مَا قُتِلُوا

(They are) the ones who said about their killed brethren while they themselves sat (at home):"If only they had listened to us, they would not have been killed."

had they listened to our advice and not gone out, they would not have met their demise.

Allah said,

قُلْ فَادْرَوُوا عَنْ أَنفُسِكُمُ الْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

Say:"Avert death from your own selves, if you speak the truth."

meaning, if staying at home saves one from being killed or from death, then you should not die. However death will come to you even if you were hiding in fortified castles. Therefore, fend death off of yourselves, if you are right.

Mujahid said that Jabir bin Abdullah said,

"This Ayah (3:168) was revealed about Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul (the chief hypocrite).