Page 51
qad kāna lakum ʾāyatun fī fiʾatayni ltaqatā fiʾatun tuqātilu fī sabīli llāhi wa-ʾukhrā kāfiratun yarawnahum mithlayhim raʾya l-ʿayni wa-llāhu yuʾayyidu bi-naṣrihī man yashāʾu ʾinna fī dhālika la-ʿibratan li-ʾulī l-ʾabṣāri
There was certainly a sign for you in the two hosts that met: one host fighting in the way of Allah and the other faithless, who saw them as visibly twice as many. Allah strengthens whomever He wishes with His help. There is indeed a moral in that for those who have insight.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah 'Ali-Imran, Verse 13
13. "Indeed there has been a sign for you in the two hosts that encountered: one fighting in the path of Allah and the other disbelieving; they (infidels) saw twice as many as they were with the sight of the eye; and Allah confirms with His aid whom He pleases. Surely there is a lesson herein for those who have insight."
This fact has been recorded in books, including: Majma'-ul-Bayan, Maraqi, Fakhr Razi and many other ones that this verse concerns Battle of Badr. In that fighting, Muslims struggled against infidels. The number of Muslims was 313 men, among whom 77 figures were from the Emigrants and 236 men from the Helpers (Ansar) for whom Sa'd-ibn-'lbadah was the flagman. As military equipment, Muslims had only seventy camels, two horses, six armours, and eight swords; while the opposite army, the pagans, were one thousand men with one hundred horses.
The Muslims won the battle wherein twenty two of them became martyrs: 14 martyrs from the Emigrants and 8 martyrs from the helpers, when hostile pagans had to give seventy killed persons and 170 men as captives. This incident is a lesson for those who have intellect and sight that how a small group of Muslims with little equipment could defeat an equipped army the number of whose fighters was three-fold of Muslims. This shows that mere material possibilities are not the enough cause of victory.
Explanations
1. The victory in the Battle of Badr, by a few persons against a larger number of equipped fighters, is the prevalence of Allah's Will over people's will. It is the best example of prevalence of Truth over untruth and Faith over disbelief.
2. Wherever Allah pleases, visions, recognitions, and thoughts vary: with these very eyes, they see the same crowd twofold.
3. The worth of fight lies in fighting itself;
4. It is True that Allah helps anyone He wills, but the condition of Allah's aid is mentioned in another occasion where it says that people should assist the religion of Allah:
5. All the Muslim fighters have one goal: "... one fighting in the path of Allah ...", but the disbelieving fighters have various goals and different ways:
6. Signs are for all, but taking lesson from these sings needs a special insight.
7. The Battle of Badr was not performed with formerly preparation. It began with the purpose of confiscation of pagans' properties who had confiscated the emigrant Muslims' properties in Mecca, but it ended with military conflict.
Footnotes