Tafsir of Al Imran 3:127

This phrase is connected to His, the Exalted, saying: {And indeed Allah helped you at Badr}. The text intervening between them serves to verify the truth of this assistance and to clarify the manner of its occurrence. This is the view held by a group of scholars of verification, and it is evident if "when you said" is treated as an adverbial time for "your assistance," not for "when you set out," so as not to separate it by something extraneous, and because that [event] was on the day of Uhud.

The apparent meaning is that this pertains to the affair of Badr, and what is restricted to the reasoning provided by the aforementioned "glad tidings" and "reassurance" is only the support by the angels in the manner mentioned. Therefore, it does not invalidate the reasoning for the assistance itself through "severing" and what is conjoined to it.

It is permissible that it relates to that to which the predicate in His, the Glorified, saying: {And victory is not but from Allah} relates, assuming it is an expression for the known victory. The matter reasoned for by the glad tidings and reassurance is only the apparent support, not the spiritual victory contained within it, which is the foundation of the matter and its pillar.

It has been said: It relates to the word "patience" itself. This has been objected to on the grounds that—in addition to the separation between the verbal noun and its object by an extraneous element—it is the predicate, and it disrupts the soundness of the meaning. How could it not, when its meaning is restricting the specific victory—reasoned for by a specific cause—to its acquisition from the side of the Exalted? The intent is nothing other than restricting the reality of victory, as in the first [view], or the known victory, as in the second. The claim that it relates to an implied [verb], with the estimation being "He did that arrangement" or "He supported you with angels to sever," is disconnected from acceptance.

"Severing" (al-qat') means annihilation, and the intent by "a part" (taraf) is a faction of them. It is said: The term "a part" was used instead of "the middle" because the extremities of a thing are the means to weaken and eliminate it. It is also said: Because the extremity is closer to the believers, similar to His saying: {Fight those who are near to you of the disbelievers}. It is also said: To indicate that they were the nobles; in al-Asas, it is stated that it refers to the "extremities" (atraf) of the Arabs, meaning their nobles. Perhaps the term "extremities" is applied to the nobles due to their precedence in procession. From this they say: "The extremities are the abodes of the nobles." Thus, the objection that "the middle" also denotes nobility does not apply. The meaning is: to destroy the leaders and chiefs of those who disbelieved through killing and captivity. That occurred at Badr, as stated by al-Hasan, al-Rabi’, and Qatadah, for seventy of them were killed and seventy were captured. Considering this in relation to Uhud, where eighteen of their leaders were killed, is the opinion of some of them, though they deemed it unlikely, as we have indicated.

{Or suppress them} (aw yakbitahum), meaning: disgrace them. Qatadah and al-Rabi’ said this, and from this is the saying of Dhu al-Rummah: "I do not forget our position in Hira, between a joyful one and a suppressed one." Al-Jubba’i and al-Kalbi said: It means to drive them back in defeat. Al-Suddi said: It means to curse them. The root of al-kabt is intense, agonizing rage. It is also said: To throw something face-down. It is said that kabt is in the meaning of kabd (liver), as in ra’ahu (he saw him) meaning he struck his lung. From this is the saying of al-Mutanabbi: "To suppress (la-akbit) an envier and see an enemy as if they were bidding you farewell in departure." The verse is interpreted accordingly, and this view is supported by the recitation "or strike their livers" (aw yakbidahum). The "or" is for diversification, not for alternation, because both matters occurred.

{Then they turn back disappointed} (fa-yanqalibu kha’ibin), meaning: they retreat with their hopes cut off. Disappointment (al-khaybah) is the severance of hope. A distinction is made between it and despair (al-ya’s) in that disappointment only occurs after hope, whereas despair can occur after or before it. The opposite of disappointment is victory, and the opposite of despair is hope.