Tafsir of Al Imran 3:124

(إِذْ تَقُولُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ) "When you say to the believers..." is an adverbial phrase for "He helped you" (in the preceding verse). It refers to an extended period of time. It was preceded by the command to fear God to demonstrate the perfection of care. It is also said that it is a second substitute for "when you went forth" (idh ghadawta). According to the first view, this statement occurred at Badr, which is the opinion of al-Hasan and others.

Ibn Abi Shaybah, Ibn al-Mundhir, and others narrated from al-Sha'bi that the Muslims received word on the day of Badr that Kurz ibn Jabir al-Muharibi intended to reinforce the polytheists, which weighed heavily upon them. So, Allah the Exalted revealed: "Is it not enough for you..." and so on. When the news of the defeat reached Kurz, he did not reinforce the polytheists. According to the second view, the statement was at Uhud, and it was contingent upon patience and fear of God regarding disobedience. Since these were not found in them, they were not reinforced. This is attributed to Ikrimah and Qatadah in one of his two narrations.

(أَلَن يَكْفِيَكُمْ أَن يُمِدَّكُم رَبُّكُم بِثَلَاثَةِ آلَافٍ مِّنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مُنزَلِينَ) "Is it not enough for you that your Lord should reinforce you with three thousand angels sent down?" Sufficiency (kifayah) is the fulfillment of a need, and beyond it is enrichment, based on the principle that it is the addition to the negation of need. Reinforcement (imdad) originally means giving something state after state. It is said, "he extended (madda) in the journey" if he continued in it, and "the journey was extended (imtadda) with them" if it became long and continuous. Some say that regarding strengthening and aiding, it is said amadda-yumiddu-imdadan, while regarding increase, it is said madda-yamuddu-maddan. It is also said that madda is used for evil, while amadda is used for good. The hamza is for the negation of the idea that this would not suffice them. The particle lan is used to emphasize the negation, according to those who hold that view. It conveys a sense that they were, at that time, like those despairing of victory due to the smallness of their numbers and equipment. The expression by the title of Lordship, combined with the pronoun of those addressed, contains an unmistakable subtlety and strengthening of the denial. The phrase "that He reinforces you" (an yumiddakum) is an interpretation of a verbal noun acting as the subject of "suffices you" (yakfikum). "Of the angels" (min al-mala'ikah) is an explication or an attribute of the "three thousand," or of what is being added. "Sent down" (munzalina) is an attribute of the three thousand; it is also said to be a state (hal) of the angels. Describing them as such indicates that they are among the noblest of angels. They were sent down—according to what the Greatest Sheikh (al-Shaykh al-Akbar), may his secret be sanctified, mentioned—from the third heaven, and he mentioned the secret of this in al-Futuhat. It has been recited (munazzalin) with a shadda for intensification or for gradualness. It has also been read in the active voice from both forms, meaning "sending down" terror into the hearts of your enemies or victory to you. The majority hold the view of the kasra on the ta in "three" (thalathati). It has been vocalized with a sukun in anomalous recitations, and one may stop at it by replacing it with a ha, also treating the connection as a stop in both cases, though this is weak, as the possessor and the possessed are like one thing.