Surah Al Imran 3:123
ﱏ ﱐ ﱑ ﱒ ﱓ ﱔ ﱕ ﱖ ﱗ ﱘ ﱙ
And already had Allah given you victory at [the battle of] Badr while you were few in number. Then fear Allah; perhaps you will be grateful.
Tafsir of Al Imran 3:123
Tafsir
Al-Kashshaf
Verse range: 3:123
Al-Imran: 123 **"And Allah had already given you victory..."**
He commanded them to rely on none but Him and to entrust their affairs to no one else. Then, He reminded them of what necessitates this reliance: the victory He facilitated for them at Badr while they were in a state of fewness (qilla) and humiliation (dhilla).
Dhilla (humiliation) is the plural of dhalla, while dhillan is the plural of kathra (abundance). He used the plural of paucity to indicate that, despite their humiliation, they were few in number. Their humiliation was due to their weak state, lack of weaponry, wealth, and mounts; they went out on camels, taking turns riding one camel, and they had only one horse.
Their fewness was that they were three hundred and a dozen-odd men, while their enemy was in a state of abundance—nearly a thousand combatants—equipped with a hundred horses, armor, and weaponry. Badr is the name of a well between Mecca and Medina, named after a man called Badr.
"So fear Allah" In remaining steadfast with His Messenger.
"That you may be grateful" For the victory He bestowed upon you through your piety, or so that Allah may bestow upon you another blessing for which you will be grateful. He placed "gratitude" in the place of "blessing" because it is the cause of it.
"When you were saying" This is an adverbial phrase for "He gave you victory," meaning He said this to them on the day of Badr, or it is a second substitution for:
"And when you set out" Meaning He said it to them on the day of Uhud. If you ask: "How is it correct that He said this on the day of Uhud when the angels did not descend?" I say: He said it to them conditional upon patience and piety. But they were not patient regarding the spoils, nor were they pious, as they disobeyed the command of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Therefore, the angels did not descend. Had they fulfilled the conditions, they would have descended.
He presented the promise of the angels' descent to strengthen their hearts, resolve them to steadfastness, and make them trust in Allah’s victory. The meaning of:
"Is it not sufficient for you" Is a denial that the reinforcement of three thousand angels would not be sufficient for them. He used *lan* (which is for emphasizing negation) to signal that, due to their fewness, weakness, and the enemy's abundance and weaponry, they were like those who had despaired of victory.
"Yes" An affirmation of what follows *lan*, meaning: "Yes, the reinforcement by them is sufficient for you." He affirmed the sufficiency, then said:
"But if you remain patient and fear Allah" And they come to you—meaning the polytheists—
"From this immediate onset of theirs" From the expression "he departed from his *fawr* (immediate moment) to another expedition." It is derived from "the pot boiled (*fārat*)," then borrowed for speed. It is then used for a state where there is no delay or hesitation. The meaning is: if they come to you at this very moment,
"Your Lord will reinforce you" With angels at the moment of their arrival; their descent will not be delayed. He intends that Allah hastens your victory and facilitates your conquest if you are patient and pious.
"Marked" (*musawwimīn*) Meaning marked, or marking themselves or their horses. Al-Kalbi said: Marked with yellow turbans hanging over their shoulders. Ad-Dahhak said: Marked with white wool on the forelocks and tails of the animals. Mujahid said: Their horses' tails were cropped. Qatada said: They were on piebald horses. Urwah ibn al-Zubayr said: Al-Zubayr’s turban on the day of Badr was yellow, and the angels descended likewise. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to his companions: *"Mark yourselves, for the angels have marked themselves."*
"And Allah did not make it" The pronoun refers to the reinforcement. Allah did not make your reinforcement with angels except as glad tidings for you that you will be victorious,
"And so that your hearts might be assured by it" Just as the *Sakīnah* (tranquility) was for the Children of Israel—glad tidings of victory and assurance for their hearts.
Victory is only from Allah, not from the combatants when they are numerous, nor from the angels or tranquility. Rather, these are things by which Allah strengthens the hope of victory and the desire for mercy, and by which He binds the hearts of the mujahideen.
"The Exalted in Might" Who cannot be overcome in His decree.
"The Wise" Who grants victory or withholds it according to what He sees as beneficial.
"That He might cut off a section of the disbelievers" To destroy a group of them through killing and captivity. This was what happened at Badr with the killing of seventy and the capture of seventy of the leaders and chiefs of Quraysh.
"Or suppress them" Or disgrace them and enrage them with defeat,
"So they turn back disappointed" Having not attained what they sought. Similar to: "And Allah turned back those who disbelieved in their rage, not having obtained any good" (Al-Ahzab: 25). It is said kabatahu (he suppressed him) meaning he struck his liver (kabid) with rage and burning.
The lam (in "to cut off") is connected to His saying: "And Allah had already given you victory," or to His saying: "And victory is not but from Allah."