Commentary

Being enumerated from the very beginning are blessings of Allah Ta` ala which descended upon His obedient servants. The events of the battle of Badr are parts of the same chain. Out of the many blessings bestowed by Allah Ta` ala during the battle of Badr, the very first blessing is the bringing out of Muslims for this Jihad, which finds mention in: كَمَا أَخْرَ‌جَكَ رَ‌بُّكَ (When your Lord made you leave your home - 5). The second blessing is the promise of providing the support of angels which has been made وَإِذْ يَعِدُكُمُ اللَّـهُ (And when Allah was promising you - 7). The third blessing is the answer to the prayer made and the fulfill-ment of the promise of support given, which has been mentioned in: إِذْ تَسْتَغِيثُونَ رَ‌بَّكُمْ (When you were calling your Lord for help - 9). The fourth blessing finds its description in the first of the set of four verses cited immediately above (11). Mentioned here are two blessings for the believers: (1) The removal of anxiety and fatigue through a mass descension of drowsiness; and (2) the provision of water for them through rains which also made the battlefield smooth for them and muddy for the enemy.

According to the details of what happened there, when this first ever confrontation between kufr (disbelief, infidelity) and Islam turned into a certain battle, the army of the disbelievers of Makkah had already reached and set up camp at a place which was located on high grounds with water close to them. When the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the Companions ؓ arrived at that place, the lower part of valley fell to their lot. The Holy Qur'an has portrayed the layout of this battlefield in verse 42 of this very Surah by saying: إِذْ أَنتُم بِالْعُدْوَةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُم بِالْعُدْوَةِ الْقُصْوَىٰ (When you were on the nearest cliff, and they were on the farthest one - 8:42) a detailed description of which shall appear later.

The spot reaching where the Holy Prophet ﷺ had first camped was considered strategically inappropriate by Sayyidna Hubab ibn al-Mundhir ؓ who knew this territory well. Keeping this in view, he respectfully inquired: 'Ya Rasulallah! Does this place you have selected happen to be in compliance to a command from Allah Ta` ala in which we have no say, or it has been taken to as simply based on opinion and expedience?' He said: No, this is not something Divinely ordained. This can be changed or relocated.' After that, Sayyidna Hubab ibn al-Mundhir ؓ submitted: 'If so, it is better to move forward from this spot, reach a water source close to the armed force of Makkan chiefs and take it over. We are sure to have an abundant supply of water there.' The Holy Prophet ﷺ accepted his proposal, marched ahead, took over the spot with water, had a water tank built there and saw to it that an ample supply of water has been stored in it.

After he had taken care of this strategic need, Sayyidna Sa'd ibn Mu` adh ؓ said: "Ya Rasulallah! We would like to put up a shaded structure for you at a secure place where you could stay and where your riding animals could be nearby you. The plan behind this arrangement is that we shall wage our Jihad against the enemy and if Allah were to bless us with victory, then, our plan is well-served for this is what we like for you. But, God forbid, should things turn out otherwise, then, you would be in a position to ride your camel and go back to join the rest of your Companions left behind in Madinah - because, I am strongly inclined to believe that they are no less than us in terms of sacrifice for the cause and love for you. In fact, if they had any idea of the eventuality that you will have to fight against this armed force, then, none of them would have chosen to stay behind. I am sure when you are back in Madinah, they will continue to be your companions in the mission.' On this gallant and noble offer, the Holy Prophet ﷺ prayed for them. So, a ragtag awning of some modest sort was set up for him in which there was no one but he himself and Sayyidna Abu Bakr ؓ . Sayyidna Mu` adh ؓ sword in hand, stood on the door, guarding.

This was the first night of confrontation. A bunch of three hundred and thirteen mostly unarmed souls stood against a thousand strong armed forces, being three times more in numbers. They had already occupied the better spot of the battlefield. The lower part of the valley which was sandy and difficult to move around had fallen to the lot of Muslims. Everyone was concerned. Anxiety was natural also started instigating some people: Here you are, claiming to be on the path of truth and at a time so crucial you are busy making Tahajjud prayers rather than go and take some rest. But, cast a look at the ground reality - you will see your enemy casting his heavy shadows on you being far superior to you from all angles. Under these conditions, Allah Ta` ala cast a unique kind of drowsiness on Muslims which made every Muslim, whether or not he intended to sleep, go to sleep compulsively.

Hafiz al-Hadith, Abu Ya` la reports that Sayyidna Ali al-Murtada ؓ said: On that night of the battle of Badr, there remained no one from among us who did not go to sleep. Only the Holy Prophet ﷺ remained awake throughout the night and kept busy with the Salah of Tahajjud right through dawn.

Quoting the Sahih, Ibn Kathir reports that, on that night, when the Holy Prophet ﷺ was busy with the Salah of Tahajjud in his ` Arish, the twig-roofed hutment set up for him, he too was somewhat affected by drowsiness. But, immediately coming out of it with a smile, he said: "0 Abu Bakr, here comes good news for you. This is Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) standing near the cliff' and saying this, he walked out of the hutment reciting the verse which follows: سَيُهْزَمُ الْجَمْعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ الدُّبُرَ‌ ﴿45﴾ (Soon the gathered group of the enemy will be defeated and they will turn [ their ] backs - 54:45). According to some narrations, when he came out, he pointed towards various spots and said: 'This is the spot where Abu Jahl will be killed, and this is for so and so, and this is for so and so.' Then, events turned out to be precisely as he had indicated. (Tafsir Mazhari)

And as it happened during the battle of Badr where Allah Ta'ala cast a particular kind of drowsiness on all Companions ؓ of the Prophet ﷺ in order to remove their fatigue and tension, so it did during the battle of 'Uhud.

Sufyan al-Thawri (رح) reports ‘Abdullah ibn Masud ؓ that sleep during the state of war is a sign of peace and tranquility from Allah Ta` ala - and sleep during the state of Salah is from the Satan. (Ibn Kathir)

The second blessing Muslims received that night was that rains came and totally overturned all battle plans. The spot occupied by the Quraysh army was hit by heavy rains which made it muddy and difficult to walk through. Then, the spot where the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his Companions ؓ were camped was sandy and difficult to walk through at the very outset. When rains came, this spot received the lighter part of it which helped firm up the sandy surface making the ground nice and easy to walk on.

The first of the four verses appearing above (11) mentions these very two blessings - sleep and rain - which, by upturning the blueprint of the battlefield, washed off the Satanic scruples which were bothering some weak combatants, scruples like: 'Here we are, on the side of truth, yet appear to be all subdued and overshadowed while there stands our enemy who is, despite being on the side of falsehood, basking in the sunshine of power, majesty and confidence!'

So, Muslims are being told in this verse to remember the time when Allah was covering them up with drowsiness to make tranquility from Him descend upon them, and He was sending down rains upon them so that He purifies them with that water - and removes from them the impurity of Satanic instigations and scruples, and strengthens their hearts, and makes their feet firm.

Mentioned in the second verse (12) is the fifth blessing which was beamed at Muslims in this battlefield of Badr. That came through the command addressed to the angels sent by Allah Ta` ala to help Muslims, in which He said: 'I am with you. So, you make believers firm. I am going to cast terror into the hearts of disbelievers. So, strike over their necks, and smite them [ so as to even reach ] every finger-joint of theirs.'

Here, the angels have been charged with two duties: (1) That they should encourage, exhort and empower Muslims with steadfastness which can be done either by appearing on the battlefield, increase their group strength and participate with them in fighting, or also by using their unobserved ability to dispose matters تَصَرُّف (tasarruf) they would make the hearts of Muslims firm and empower them to operate more effectively. (2) The second duty entrusted with them was that the angels should themselves engage in fighting and attack disbelievers. From this verse (at least for the purpose on hand), it is apparent that the angels did both. They acted upon the hearts of Muslims, increased their courage and strength, and took part in the actual fighting as well. This is also confirmed by some Hadith narrations which have been reported in details in Tafsir Al-Durr Al-Manthur and Mazhari and where eye witnesses to the participation of angels in actual fighting have been documented on the authority of the noble Sahabah.

In the third verse (13), it was said that the reason for whatever happened during this confrontation between kufr and Islam was that those disbelievers were hostile to Allah and His Messenger and whoever becomes hostile to Allah and His Messenger, then, for him the punishment of Allah is customarily severe. This tells us that, on the one hand, Muslims were the blessed ones in the battle of Badr for victory became theirs. On the other hand, by sending punishment on disbelievers through Muslims, they were chastised a little for their evil doings - while, the much heavier punishment awaits them in the Hereafter - both of which have been described in the fourth verse (14) by saying: ذَٰلِكُمْ فَذُوقُوهُ وَأَنَّ لِلْكَافِرِ‌ينَ عَذَابَ النَّارِ‌ ﴿14﴾ (That is what you have to taste, and for the disbelievers there is the punishment of the Fire).

In other words, what is being said here is: This is a little punishment from Us. So, taste it and better realize that, after this, the punishment of the fire of Jahannam is due to come for disbelievers, a punishment which is severe, lasting and unimaginable.