Tafsir of Al Imran 3:126

...meaning: the reinforcement (al-imdad), which is understood from the implied verb indicated by the force of the speech—as if it were said: "Allah the Exalted reinforced you with what has been mentioned, and Allah the Exalted did not make that reinforcement except as glad tidings for you." It is also said that the pronoun refers to the promise of reinforcement, or to the marking (with distinguishing marks), or to the descent, or to the victory understood from your previous victory, while the object of the "glad tidings" is something else. Others say it refers to the reinforcement indicated by one of the two verbs. All of these [alternative interpretations] are insubstantial, as is evident.

The term bushra (glad tidings) is either an objective adjunct (maf‘ul lahu) if ja‘ala (to make/constitute) is construed as taking one object, or an object of the verb if it is construed as taking two objects. In the first case, the exception is mufarragh (discharged/void) from the most general of causes—meaning: "And Allah did not make your reinforcement by sending down the angels for any reason at all, except as glad tidings for you that you will be victorious." In the second case, it is mufarragh from the most general of objects—meaning: "And Allah the Exalted did not make it any thing at all except as glad tidings for you."

The sentence is the beginning of a new statement not included within the scope of the [previous] discourse. Rather, it is put forth by His Exalted Presence to clarify that outward causes are isolated from having an effect without His permission—glorified be His Names—so that the believers may place their trust in Him and not despair of Him when the causes and signs of victory are absent. It is joined to an implied verb, as we have indicated. The direction of the address toward the believers is intended to honor them and to signal that they are the ones in need of what has been mentioned; as for His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, he is independent of it due to the spiritual support and divine knowledge bestowed upon him.

(And so that your hearts might be reassured by it)—meaning: so that your hearts may find tranquility through this reinforcement, and thus not fear the large number of the enemy and the smallness of your own numbers. This is either joined to bushra regarding its position—and it is, like the one joined to it, a final cause for the "making," except that the first was put in the accusative because its conditions were met, while the second was not [in the same state] due to the lack thereof. It is also said that it is intended to point to its originality in causality and its importance in itself, as in His saying: "To ride them, and as an adornment." Or, it is attached to a deleted [verb] joined to the previous discourse—meaning: "And that your hearts might be reassured by it, He did that." This is more appropriate than estimating "He gave you glad tidings," as Abu al-Baqa’ did; the second [interpretation] is mandatory based on the second possibility of the first.

(And victory is not)—meaning: victory in the absolute sense, so the well-known victory is included in it as a primary inclusion—(except from Allah)—who has deposited in the causes, by virtue of His wisdom, a power that does not affect [anything] except by Him. Or: "And victory [the well-known one] is not except from Him," glorified be He, not from the angels; for the extent of their role is what was mentioned regarding glad tidings and strengthening hearts, and they did not fight. Or [it means]: the extent of their role was that they fought by Allah the Exalted enabling them, and they had no independent action. If Allah the Exalted had willed, they would not have acted. Moreover, their mere fighting does not necessitate victory; rather, it requires the addition of the weakness of the opposing combatants. If Allah the Exalted had willed, He would have empowered them [the believers] over them. So, in that He weakened [the enemy], strengthened [the believers], and enabled [the angels]—or did not enable them—and by this victory was achieved, that [entire process] was from Him, the Exalted. According to this, the verse is not an argument for those who claim that effects follow causes, not [that they are caused] by Him. Its verification has already passed, so remember it. Likewise, there is no evidence in it for the occurrence of their fighting nor for its absence, because it is open to both possibilities, and some have held each view.

The chosen view is what is narrated from Mujahid: that the angels did not fight in the battles of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, except in the Battle of Badr. They only attended some of them according to what Allah the Exalted knew of the benefit, similar to their presence in the circles of those who remember Allah. Sometimes they assisted without fighting, as they did in the Battle of Uhud, according to one opinion. It is reported from Ibn Ishaq that Sa‘d ibn Malik was shooting in the Battle of Uhud, and a young lad was gathering arrows for him; whenever the arrows ran out, he brought them to him and said, "Shoot, Abu Ishaq." When the battle cleared, he asked about that man, but he was not recognized.

Abu Bakr al-Asamm denied the reinforcement by angels and said: "A single angel is sufficient to destroy all the inhabitants of the earth, as Gabriel, peace be upon him, did with the cities of the people of Lot. If he were present, commanded to fight, what need would there be for humans to fight alongside [the believers] against the disbelievers? Furthermore, what use would there be in sending the rest of the angels with him, while he is 'the Powerful, the Trustworthy'? Also, the major disbelievers present in the battles—it is known which of the Companions killed each of them, and it is not known that any of the angels killed any of them. Also, if they had fought, they would either be visible to people or not. In the first case, the army of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, at the Battle of Badr would have been seen as thousands strong, but no one said that; this is also contrary to His saying, 'And He made you appear few in their eyes.' If they were in a form other than that of the son of Adam, severe terror would have occurred in the hearts of the creation, and that was not reported; if it had occurred, it would certainly have been reported. In the second case, it would necessitate the decapitation and disembowelment of the disbelievers without witnessing the doer of these actions. Such a thing would be among the greatest of miracles, and it occurred between two gatherings, those intact and those broken, so it should have been transmitted mutawatir (mass-transmitted) and become famous among both the supporter and the opponent. Since it did not become famous, it indicates that it did not occur. Also, if they were dense bodies, all should have seen them; if they were subtle aerial bodies, it would be impossible for them to remain mounted on horses." [End of Al-Asamm's quote].

It is not hidden that these doubts are not worthy of being presented within the laws of the Sharia, nor by one who confesses that He, the Exalted, is capable of what He wills and is "Doer of what He intends." Nothing would have befitted Al-Asamm except to be mute regarding this, for the text of the Quran is articulate regarding the reinforcement, and its transmission in the reports is close to mutawatir. It is as if Al-Asamm were deaf to hearing it or blind to seeing its traces. It is reported from ‘Abd ibn ‘Umayr who said: "When the Quraysh returned from Uhud, they began to talk in their gatherings about what they had seized, saying: 'We did not see the dappled horses nor the white men whom we used to see on the day of Badr.'"

The verification in this matter, as some researchers have stated, is that religious obligation (taklif) is incompatible with compulsion (ilja’). Although He, the Exalted, is capable of destroying all the disbelievers in a single moment with a single angel—nay, with less than that, indeed without any cause—and is likewise capable of forcing them to Islam and compelling them, He, the Exalted, willed to manifest this religion gradually and slowly by way of invitation, trial, and obligation. Thus, He necessarily conducted affairs according to what He conducted them. To Him belongs praise for what He granted, and to Him belongs the judgment in the Hereafter and the first life. By this, many of those doubts are repelled. The destruction of the people of Lot, peace be upon him, was after the end of their period of obligation; it was at the time of the descent of the punishment. Thus, Allah the Exalted necessarily manifested Power and turned it [the city] upside down. In the Battle of Uhud, the time was a time of obligation; thus, He necessarily manifested Wisdom so that the believer might be distinguished from the hypocrite, and the steadfast from the shaken. If He had conducted the matter there as He conducted it at Badr, the matter would have likely led to the point of compulsion, which negates obligation and the binding of reward and punishment.

Furthermore, it is not hidden that angels are either subtle luminous bodies or noble holy spirits. In both cases, they have the capability of appearing in the forms of the sons of Adam, for example, without the essence changing or the reality shifting, as those gnostics among the researchers have stated regarding the appearance of Gabriel, peace be upon him, in the form of Dihyah al-Kalbi. A likeness of this—from one perspective, and to Allah belongs the highest example—is what is established regarding the manifestation of Allah the Exalted to those who stand [on the Day of Resurrection] in a form, and He says to them, "I am your Lord," and they deny Him; for the judgment in that case is true, even though Allah, the Exalted and Holy, is beyond that, and He, the Exalted, in that manifestation remains upon His absoluteness, even beyond the restriction of absoluteness. Whoever accepts this—and only one with a sound heart accepts it—will find no difficulty with the reinforcement by angels and their appearance upon invisible horses, remaining upon them according to what Divine Wisdom and Lordly benefit dictate. It does not necessitate that every person with sight should see them, for it is possible for an impediment to be created, either in the viewer or the viewed. There is no obstacle to them being seen at times and hidden at others, or being seen by some and hidden from others; the bridle of that is with the Wise, the Knowing. What He willed occurred, and what He did not will did not occur. When a thing is possible and the text has come from the Truthful [Prophet] regarding it, it is mandatory to accept it. Mere distancing [by reason] does not yield any benefit; if it were permissible to interpret [it away] for that reason, it would be necessary to interpret the majority of this Sharia, nay, the entire religion, which might lead to a grave matter. Therefore, what is necessary is to accept everything possible that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, has brought, and to delegate the details of that and its modality to Allah.

(The Mighty)—meaning: the Victorious, who is not overcome in what He has decreed. It is also said: the One capable of exacting His revenge from the disbelievers by the hands of the believers. Including this attribute here for Him, the Exalted, is a signal of the reason for the exclusivity of victory to Him, the Exalted. (The Wise)—meaning: the One who places things in their proper positions and acts according to what wisdom necessitates in all His actions. Among that is His granting victory to the believers through the sending down of the angels. In bringing this attribute is a rebuttal to the likes of Al-Asamm in their denial of what the apparent [texts] have articulated. So, glorified is He, the Knowing, the Wise, the Mighty, the Forbearing.