Tafsir of Al-Anfal 8:9

Muslims invoke Allah for Help, Allah sends the Angels to help Them Allah said;

إذ تستغيثون ربكم فاستجاب لكم أني ممدكم بٲلف من المﻼيكة مردفين

(Remember) when you sought help of your Lord and He answered you (saying): "I will help you with a thousand of the angels Murdifin.'' Al-Bukhari wrote in the book of battles (in his Sahih) under "Chapter; Allah's statement,

إذ تستغيثون ربكم فاستجاب لكم

((Remember) when you sought help of your Lord and He answered you) until,

فٳن الله شديد العقاب

(then verily, Allah is severe in punishment)'' (8:9-13) that Ibn Mas`ud said, "I was a witness to something that Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad did, that I would like more than almost anything else to have been the one who did it. Al-Miqdad came to the Prophet while he was invoking Allah against the idolators and proclaimed, `We will not say as the people of Musa said, "So go you and your Lord and fight you two.'' Rather, we will fight to your right, to your left, before you and behind you.' I saw the Prophet's face beaming with pleasure because of what Al-Miqdad said to him.'' Al-Bukhari next narrated from Ibn Abbas that on the day of Badr, the Prophet said,

اللهم أنشدك عهدك ووعدك اللهم إن شيت لم تعبد

O Allah! I invoke You for Your covenant and promise (victory). O Allah! If You decide so (cause our defeat), You will not be worshipped. Abu Bakr held the Prophet's hand and said, "Enough.'' The Prophet went out proclaiming,

سيهزم الجمع ويولون الدبر

Their multitude will be put to flight, and they will show their backs. An-Nasa'i also collected this Hadith. Allah's statement,

بٲلف من المﻼيكة مردفين

(with a thousand of the angels Murdifin), means, they follow each other in succession, according to Harun bin Hubayrah who narrated this from Ibn Abbas, about,

مردفين

(Murdifin), meaning each behind the other in succession. Ali bin Abi Talhah Al-Walibi reported that Ibn Abbas said, "Allah supported His Prophet and the believers with a thousand angels, five hundred under the leadership of Jibril on one side and five hundred under the leadership of Mika'il on another side.'' Imams Abu Jafar bin Jarir At-Tabari and Muslim recorded that Ibn Abbas said that Umar said, "While a Muslim man was pursuing an idolator (during the battle of Badr), he heard the sound of a whip above him and a rider saying, `Come, O Hayzum!' Then he looked at the idolator, who fell to the ground. When he investigated, he found that the idolator's nose had wound and his face torn apart, just as if he received a strike from a whip on it, and the entire face had turned green. The Ansari man came to the Messenger of Allah and told him what had happened and the Messenger replied,

صدقت ذلك من مدد السماء الثالثة

You have said the truth, that was from the reinforcements from the third heaven. The Muslims killed seventy (pagans) in that battle and captured another seventy. Al-Bukhari also wrote a chapter in his Sahih about the participation of the angels in Badr. He collected a Hadith from Rifa`h bin Rafi Az-Zuraqi, who participated in Badr, Jibril came to the Prophet and asked him, "How honored are those who participated in Badr among you?'' The Prophet said,

من أفضل المسلمين

Among the best Muslims. Jibril said, "This is the case with the angels who participated in Badr.'' Al-Bukhari recorded this Hadith. At-Tabarani also collected it in Al-Mu`jam Al-Kabir, but from Rafi` bin Khadij, which is an apparent mistake. The correct narration is from Rifa`h, as Al-Bukhari recorded it. In the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that; the Messenger of Allah said to Umar, when Umar suggested that the Prophet have Hatib bin Abi Balta`ah executed,

إنه قد شهد بدرا وما يدريك لعل الله قد اطلع على أهل بدر فقال اعملوا ما شيتم فقد غفرت لكم

He (Hatib) participated in Badr. How do you know that Allah has not looked at the people of Badr and proclaimed, `Do whatever you want, for I have forgiven you.' Allah said next,