Al-Anfal: (43) When Allah showed them to you...

This is the second type of favor Allah bestowed upon the people of Badr.

It contains two issues:

The First Issue: {When Allah showed them to you} (idh yurīkahu Allāhu): This is in the accusative case, either due to an implied command, "Mention," or it is a second apposition (badal) to the Day of Criterion (Yawm al-Furqān), or it is related to the phrase {He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing} (samīʿun ʿalīm), meaning He knew the underlying wisdom when He made them few in your eyes.

The Second Issue: Mujahid said: Allah showed the Prophet (peace be upon him) the disbelievers of Quraysh in a dream as few in number, and he informed his companions of this. They said, "The Prophet's dream is true; the people are few." This became a reason for their boldness and the strengthening of their hearts.

If it is argued: Seeing many as few is an error; how can Allah Almighty do such a thing?

We reply: Our doctrine is that He does what He wills and decrees what He desires. Furthermore, perhaps Allah showed him some of them and not others, so the Messenger judged those he saw as being few. Al-Hasan said: This showing occurred while awake. He explained that the meaning of al-manām (sleep/dream) here is the eye that is the place of sleep (i.e., the physical sight).

Then the Almighty said: {And if He had shown them to you as many} (i.e., if He had shown them to you as numerous), you would have mentioned it to the people, and if they had heard that, they would have become disheartened and disputed among themselves. The meaning of dispute (tanāzuʿ) in the matter is the disagreement where each one tries to pull his companion away from what he is upon. The meaning is: your affair would have become disturbed, and your word would have been divided. {But Allah saved you} (walākinna Allāha sallama): meaning Allah saved you from disagreement among yourselves. Another opinion is that Allah secured their affair for them until He made them victorious over their enemy. Another opinion is that He saved them from defeat on the Day of Badr. The most apparent meaning is: But Allah saved you from dispute. {Indeed, He is All-Knowing of the innermost thoughts} (innahu ʿalīmun bi-dhāti aṣ-ṣudūr): He knows what arises within them of boldness, cowardice, patience, and panic.

7 < {And when He showed them to you, when you met, as few in your eyes, and He made you few in their eyes, so that Allah might accomplish a matter that was decreed. And to Allah are all matters returned.} > 7 !