Al Imran: (13) Qad kāna lakum...

Issues in the Verse:

There are two interpretations:

1. It refers to the meaning (the event itself), implying: "The coming of this event was a sign for you."
2. Al-Farra' stated that the masculine form is used to separate the preceding phrase {لكم} (for you) from the word {آية}.

We previously mentioned that the preceding verse, {ستغلبون وتحشرون} (You will be defeated and gathered), was revealed concerning the Jews. When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) called them to Islam, they showed defiance, saying, "Are we not like Quraysh in weakness and lack of fighting knowledge? Rather, we possess the might and knowledge of warfare that overcomes anyone who challenges us."

Allah Almighty told them that even if they were strong and well-equipped, they would be defeated. Then, Allah mentioned what serves as a proof for that judgment: {قد كان لكم آية في فئتين التقتا} (Indeed, there was for you a sign in two groups that met).

The event of Badr served as this sign. In that battle, the majority, equipment, and numbers were on the side of the disbelievers, while the Muslims were few and lacked weaponry. Yet, Allah subdued the disbelievers and made the Muslims victorious and aided. This indicates that their victory was through Allah's support and aid. Whoever has this support will be victorious over all adversaries, whether they are strong or not. This serves as evidence that the Prophet (PBUH) would defeat these Jews, even if they possessed weapons and strength. Thus, this verse acts as proof for the truthfulness of the statement: {قل للذين كفروا ستغلبون} (Say to those who disbelieve, "You will be defeated"). This explains the connection of the verses.

{الفئة} means a company or group. The commentators unanimously agree that the two groups refer to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and his companions at the Battle of Badr, and the polytheists of Mecca.

It is narrated that the polytheists at Badr numbered 950 men, including Abu Sufyan and Abu Jahl. They led 100 horses and had 700 camels. All horsemen were fully armored, and there were 100 men with horses. Other men also had armor. The Muslims numbered 313 men; every four men shared one camel, and they had only six pieces of armor and a few horses.

Undoubtedly, the victory of the Muslims over the disbelievers under these circumstances was a clear sign and an overwhelming miracle.

Scholars mentioned several aspects explaining why this event was a clear sign:

1. The Muslims possessed numerous causes for weakness: few in number, they did not set out intending war (they were unprepared), lacked weapons and horses, and it was the beginning of warfare for them (the first major battle).
2. The disbelievers possessed the opposites: large numbers, they set out prepared for war, had abundant weapons and horses, and they were experienced in fighting from past times. Given this disparity, it was contrary to custom for such a small, weak, poorly armed, and inexperienced group to overcome such a large, well-equipped army. Since this deviated from custom, it was miraculous.

The Second Aspect: The Prophet (PBUH) had informed his people that Allah would grant him victory over Quraysh, saying: {وإذ يعدكم الله إحدى الطائفتين أنها لكم} (And [recall] when Allah was promising you one of the two groups—that it would be yours) (Al-Anfal: 7), referring to the Quraysh army or Abu Sufyan's caravan. Before the battle, he had also specified where certain individuals would fall. When the news he foretold about the future materialized exactly as he said, it was a miracle of foretelling the unseen.

The Third Aspect: This is explained by the subsequent verse: {يرونهم مثليهم رأى العين} (They see them as twice their number, to the eye). The soundest interpretation is that the seers were the polytheists, and the seen were the believers. This means the polytheists saw the Muslims as double their own number (nearly 2,000), or double the number of Muslims (about 600). This is miraculous.

• Objection: Allowing the vision of something non-existent leads to sophistry.
• Response: We interpret the vision as strong conjecture/assumption, as intense fear can make a small group appear overwhelmingly large. Alternatively, Allah sent down angels, increasing the Muslim ranks. The first explanation is closer, as the discussion is limited to the two groups mentioned.

The Fourth Aspect: Al-Hasan said that Allah aided the Prophet (PBUH) in that battle with 5,000 angels, based on the verses: {فإني ممدكم بألف} (I will reinforce you with a thousand) (Al-Anfal: 9) and {يمددكم ربكم بخمسة آلاف من الملائكة} (Your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand angels) (Al Imran: 125). The thousand plus the four thousand make five thousand angels. Their distinguishing mark was white wool on the tails and forelocks of their horses, which is what is meant by {والله يؤيد بنصره من يشاء} (And Allah supports with His victory whom He wills).

Then Allah Almighty said: {فئة تقاتل فى سبيل الله وأخرى كافرة} (A group fighting in the cause of Allah, and another, disbelieving).

The famous reading is nominative ({فئةٌ}) for both phrases, meaning: "One group fights in the cause of Allah, and another is disbelieving." It is also read genitive ({فئةٍ}) as an apposition (badal) to {فئتين}. It is also read accusative ({فئةً}) either as an object of specification or as a circumstantial adverb (haal) referring to the pronoun in {التقتا}. Al-Wahidi favored the nominative reading because the meaning is that "one of them fights in the cause of Allah," making it a new, independent clause (istināf).

The group fighting in the cause of Allah refers to the Muslims, as they fought to support Allah's religion. The disbelieving group refers to the polytheists of Quraysh.

Then Allah Almighty said: {يرونهم مثليهم رأى العين} (They see them as twice their number, to the eye).

1. Nāfi' and Abān (from 'Āṣim) read it with a Tā' (imperative/present tense): {ترونهم} (You [plural] see them).
   • If the address is to the Jews (as the preceding context suggests), it means: "O Jews, you see the Muslims as double the disbelieving group, or double the disbelieving group's number."
   • If the address is to the polytheists of Quraysh, it means: "O polytheists of Quraysh, you see the Muslims as double your disbelieving group."
2. The rest read it with a Yā' (third person): {يرونهم} (They see them). This follows the shift in discourse after the description of the two groups: "A group fighting in the cause of Allah, and another, disbelieving—they see them as twice their number." This refers to one of the two groups seeing the other.

This phrase allows for four main possibilities based on who is seeing whom, and what the multiplier refers to:

Possibility 1: The disbelieving group are the seers, and the Muslims are the seen. They saw the Muslims as double the number of the disbelievers (nearly 2,000).

Possibility 2: The disbelieving group are the seers, and the Muslims are the seen. They saw the Muslims as double the number of the Muslims (about 620+). The wisdom here is that Allah magnified the Muslims in the eyes of the polytheists so they would fear them and hesitate to fight.

• Objection: This contradicts the verse in Al-Anfal: {ويقللكم فى أعينهم} (and He made you seem few in their eyes) (Al-Anfal: 44).
• Response: The reduction and magnification occurred at different times. First, they were made few so the disbelievers would dare to attack. When they met, Allah magnified them in their eyes so they would be defeated. The sequence of reduction followed by magnification is more indicative of power and a clear sign.

Possibility 3: The Muslims are the seers, and the disbelievers are the seen. The Muslims saw the disbelievers as double the number of the Muslims (about 600+). The wisdom is that Allah commanded every single Muslim to face two disbelievers, based on {إن يكن منكم مائة صابرة يغلبوا مائتين} (If there are twenty of you, patient ones, they will overcome two hundred) (Al-Anfal: 66).

• Objection: How could they see them as double their number when they were actually three times their number?
• Response: Allah only revealed to the Muslims the number of disbelievers they could overcome (two times their number) to strengthen their hearts and remove fear.

Possibility 4: The Muslims are the seers, and they saw the disbelievers as fewer than their actual number. This view is rejected because it implies fear was instilled in the believers, which contradicts the purpose of the sign.

Possibility 5 (Related to the initial reading): If the address is to the Jews (as per Nāfi's reading), they saw the polytheists as double the strength/might of the believers. (The objection regarding the 3:1 ratio still applies here, as addressed in Possibility 3).

• Possibilities 1 and 2 imply that something non-existent (a doubled number) became visible. This is rationally impossible, so the vision must be interpreted as strong conjecture.
• Possibility 3 implies that something existent (the full number of disbelievers) was not seen (only double the Muslim number). This is permissible according to our scholars (Ash'arites), as perception is contingent upon the necessary conditions being met, not absolutely obligatory. Since this was an era of miracles, such a miraculous perception is plausible.
• The Mu'tazila argue that perception is obligatory when conditions are met. Al-Qadi (Al-Baqillani) offered excuses for this: (1) During intense fighting, one cannot fully focus their gaze to contemplate the entire army; (2) Dust raised during battle might obscure part of the view; (3) Allah might have created something in the air that prevented the perception of one-third of the army.

It is argued that the disbelievers being the seers is more apparent for three reasons:

1. The connection of the verb to the nearest preceding noun (the object) is stronger than connecting it to the farther one. The nearest preceding noun is {وأخرى كافرة} (the disbelieving group), making them the subject (seers).
2. If we adopt Nāfi's reading ({ترونهم} - You see them), the address is to the disbelievers, meaning they see the Muslims doubled. This reading only supports the disbeliever being the seer.
3. Allah made this situation a sign for the disbelievers ({قد كان لكم آية} - Indeed, there was a sign for you). Therefore, the sight must be witnessed by the disbeliever to serve as proof against him. If it were only witnessed by the believer, it would not be a proof against the disbeliever.

Argument for the Believers being the Seers: If the disbelievers were the seers, it necessitates seeing what does not exist (impossible). If the believers were the seers, it necessitates not seeing what exists (possible, as discussed above).

The word Ru'yah (seeing) is sometimes specific to dreams (e.g., Ru'yā). Here, {رأى العين} means "seen by the eye." It can be in the accusative case as an adverbial accusative (maf'ūl muṭlaq) or as an adverb of place, similar to saying "in front of you."

Then Allah Almighty said: {والله يؤيد بنصره من يشاء} (And Allah supports with His victory whom He wills).

Allah aided the Muslims in two ways:

1. Aid through victory in battle (like Badr).
2. Aid through proof/argument (Hujjah). Even if a group of believers were defeated, they would still be aided because they are aided by the argument and the good outcome (Akhirah).

The purpose of the verse is that victory and triumph are achieved only through Allah's support, not through the abundance of numbers, might, or weaponry.

Then Allah Almighty said: {إن فى ذالك لعبرة لأولى الأبصار} (Indeed, in that is a lesson for those who have insight).

{العبرة} (lesson/admonition) means contemplation. It is the sign by which one passes from the station of ignorance to knowledge. Its root is ‘ubūr (crossing over), meaning passing from one side to another. This is related to ‘ibārah (expression), which conveys meaning to the addressee, and the interpretation of dreams (ta'bīr ar-ru'yā).

{لأولى الأبصار} means for those with intellects, as it is said: "So-and-so has baṣar (insight) into this matter," meaning knowledge and understanding.

7 < {زين للناس حب الشهوات من النسآء والبنين والقناطير المقنطرة من الذهب والفضة والخيل المسومة والأنعام والحرث ذالك متاع الحيواة الدنيا والله عنده حسن المأب} > 7 !

7. Beautified for people is the love of [worldly] things: women, sons, heaped-up treasures of gold and silver, fine horses, cattle, and crops. That is the enjoyment of the worldly life, but Allah—with Him is the best of returns.