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Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:13) [Divine Help in the Battle of Badr]

Commentary of the Quran

Shafaqna – Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:13) – By: Mohammad Sobhanie

Divine Help in the Battle of Badr

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

قَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ آيَةٌ فِي فِئَتَيْنِ الْتَقَتَا ۖ فِئَةٌ تُقَاتِلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَأُخْرَىٰ كَافِرَةٌ يَرَوْنَهُم مِّثْلَيْهِمْ رَأْيَ الْعَيْنِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يُؤَيِّدُ بِنَصْرِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۗ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِّأُولِي الْأَبْصَارِ ‎﴿١٣﴾‏

Translation:

2:13 Already there has been for you a sign in the two armies which met – one fighting in the cause of Allah (SWT) and another of disbelievers. They saw them with their own eyes twice their number. And Allah (SWT) supports with Divine Help whom God Wills. Indeed, in that is a lesson for those who have insight.

Commentary: The verse refers to the Battle of Badr, which was fought between the Prophet (PBUH) and the tribe of the Quraysh in the second year of Al-Hijra near the city of Medina. The Quraysh’s army was defeated despite their superiority in strength, the vast number of warriors, and the quality and quantity of their equipment. The Battle of Badr exemplifies the preceding verse that promises the vanquish of disbelievers [1]:

قُل لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَتُغْلَبُونَ وَتُحْشَرُونَ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ ۚ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ ‎﴿١٢﴾

3: 12 Say to those who reject Faith: “Soon will ye be vanquished and gathered together to Hell-an evil bed indeed (to lie on)!”

The army of Quraish was led by Amr bin Hisham known as Abu Jahl. They were equipped with 100 horses and more than 1,000 well-armed warriors. In contrast, the Muslim army consisted of 313 fighters, 70 camels, two horses, six pieces of armor, and eight swords. Despite the disparity between the two armies, the Muslims killed 70 of the Quraysh’s warriors and took another 70 captives. They returned to Madinah with a complete victory and lost 22 of their companions [2].

The verse states, “In the two armies that met (in the Battle of Badr), there was indeed a sign for you.”  (قَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ آيَةٌ فِي فِئَتَيْنِ الْتَقَتَا) “One group fighting in the cause of Allah (SWT) and another of disbelievers.” (فِئَةٌ تُقَاتِلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَأُخْرَىٰ كَافِرَةٌ) “They (Quraysh) saw them (believers) twice their number with their own eyes.” (يَرَوْنَهُم مِّثْلَيْهِمْ رَأْيَ الْعَيْنِ)

The pronouns (هُم) and (هِمْ) in (يَرَوْنَهُم) and (مِّثْلَيْهِمْ), respectively, refer to believers. Hence, the phrase (يَرَوْنَهُم مِّثْلَيْهِمْ) means that the disbelievers saw them (believers) as twice their actual number [3]. That is, the disbelievers saw 626 Muslim soldiers instead of 313. Verse 8:44 (Al-Anfal) provides further detail:

وَإِذْ يُرِيكُمُوهُمْ إِذِ الْتَقَيْتُمْ فِي أَعْيُنِكُمْ قَلِيلًا وَيُقَلِّلُكُمْ فِي أَعْيُنِهِمْ لِيَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ أَمْرًا كَانَ مَفْعُولًا ۗ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ ‎﴿٤٤﴾

8:44 And (remember) when Allah (SWT) showed them (disbelievers) to you, when you met, as few in your eyes, and God made you (appear) as few in their eyes so that Allah (SWT) might accomplish a matter already destined. And to Allah (SWT) are (all) matters returned.

Before the start of the war, Allah (SWT) made the two armies appear as few in each other’s eyes. The army of Quraysh consisted of more than 1,000 soldiers, and the Muslim army consisted of 313 soldiers. The Quraysh’s army saw the number of Muslim fighters as less than what they were. Hence, they underestimated the Muslim corps and considered them feeble adversaries. At the same time, the Muslims saw the Quraysh’s army as equal to their army. Hence, they entered the battlefield with high morale and self-confidence. During the battle, the equation changed; the number of Muslim fighters suddenly appeared twice in the eyes of the Quraysh. The disbelievers panicked, lost control of their army, and eventually lost the war.

The verse goes on to state, “And Allah (SWT) supports with Divine Help whom God Wills.” (وَاللَّهُ يُؤَيِّدُ بِنَصْرِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ) “Indeed, in that is a lesson for those who have insight.” (إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِّأُولِي الْأَبْصَارِ) Allah’s will is accompanied by wisdom, and He endorses those who have the merit of being supported.

The (الْأَبْصَارِ) is plural of (اَلْبَصَرْ) means sight and eye. (لِّأُولِي الْأَبْصَارِ) refers to the owners of the eyes and implies those who have the faculty of insight, see events well, are able to scrutinize them, reach the depths of truth, or simply those who have insight.

Word-for-Word Translation:

3:13 [قَدْ] Surely [كَانَ] it was [لَكُمْ] for you [آيَةٌ] a sign [فِي] in [فِئَتَيْنِ] the two hosts [الْتَقَتَا] which met. [فِئَةٌ] One group [تُقَاتِلُ] fighting [فِي] in [سَبِيلِ] the way [اللَّهِ] of Allah [وَأُخْرَىٰ] another [كَافِرَةٌ] disbelievers. [يَرَوْنَهُم] They (disbelievers) seeing them (Muslims) [مِّثْلَيْهِمْ] twice of them, [رَأْيَ] with the sight [الْعَيْنِ] of their eyes. [وَاللَّهُ] An Allah [يُؤَيِّدُ] supports [بِنَصْرِهِ] with his help [مَن] whom [يَشَاءُ] God Wills. [إِنَّ] Indeed [فِي] in [ذَٰلِكَ] that [لَعِبْرَةً] surely is a lesson [لِّأُولِي] for the owners [الْأَبْصَارِ] of vision.

[1] Aal-i-Imran 3:10-12

[2] Tafseer-e-Namoona, Vol.2, P.452

[3] Tafseer-e-Namoona, Vol.2, P.454

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