Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 13

(Ayah 13) ➊ {قَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ اٰيَةٌ … :} That is, regarding the prophecy mentioned above about the defeat of the (Jewish) disbelievers and their being destined for Hell, there was a great sign (proof) in the Battle of Badr for its truthfulness.
➋ {يَّرَوْنَهُمْ مِّثْلَيْهِمْ : } This can have two meanings: one is that the Muslims were seeing the disbelievers as only twice their own number, even though they were three times as many, so that the Muslims would remain steadfast, and thus the Muslims achieved victory. The second is that the disbelievers were seeing the Muslims as twice their own number, even though their number was close to one thousand and the Muslims were only 313 in total, but the Muslims appeared double because Allah sent angels to help them, and Allah grants strength with His help to whomever He wills. Most commentators have preferred the first meaning, and some have preferred the second. (Ibn Kathir, Shawkani) See also Surah Al-Anfal (43, 44).

13. 1. That is, each group saw the other as twice their own number. The number of disbelievers was close to one thousand; they saw the Muslims as about two thousand. The purpose of this was to instill awe of the Muslims in their hearts. And the number of Muslims was a little over three hundred (or 313); they saw the disbelievers as between 60 and 70. Whereas their actual number was close to a thousand (three times their number). The purpose of this was to increase the determination and courage of the Muslims. If they had seen them as three times their own number, the Muslims might have become intimidated. But when they appeared as only twice their number instead of three times, their courage did not falter. However, this state of seeing double was at the beginning; then, when both groups lined up face to face, Allah made them appear fewer in each other's eyes, so that neither group would avoid the fight, but each would strive to advance (Ibn Kathir). This detail is mentioned in (وَاِذْ يُرِيْكُمُوْهُمْ اِذِ الْتَقَيْتُمْ فِيْٓ اَعْيُنِكُمْ قَلِيْلًا وَّ يُقَلِّلُكُمْ فِيْٓ اَعْيُنِهِمْ لِيَقْضِيَ اللّٰهُ اَمْرًا كَانَ مَفْعُوْلًا ۭوَاِلَى اللّٰهِ تُرْجَعُ الْاُمُوْرُ 44؀) 8:44. This is the incident of the Battle of Badr, which took place in the second year after the Hijrah between the Muslims and the disbelievers. This battle was extremely important in several respects: firstly, because it was the first battle; secondly, it happened without any war planning. The Muslims had set out for Abu Sufyan's caravan, which was returning from Syria with trade goods to Makkah, but due to the information received, he managed to save his caravan. However, the disbelievers of Makkah, in their arrogance of power and numbers, attacked the Muslims, and at the place of Badr, this first battle took place. Thirdly, the Muslims received special help from Allah in this battle. Fourthly, the disbelievers suffered a humiliating defeat, which demoralized them for the future.

13. There is a sign for you in the two groups that confronted each other (at Badr): one group fighting in the way of Allah, and the other disbelieving, who saw the Muslims with their own eyes as twice their number. But Allah supports with His help [14] whom He wills. Surely, in this is a lesson for those with insight.

[14]
Disbelievers Seeing the Muslims as Double in Number:

In this verse, the address is to all kinds of disbelievers, and in it, Allah Almighty has presented the scene of the battlefield of Badr. The Muslims were less than a third in number—three hundred and thirteen—and this was exactly the same number as the army of Talut. Whereas the polytheists of Makkah numbered one thousand. In the battlefield, despite being few in number, Allah Almighty granted victory and help to His obedient servants. In the field of Badr, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arranged the Muslims in such a way that they appeared to the disbelievers as double their actual number, and this was one of his military strategies. Although the Muslims were weaker than the disbelievers in every respect—numbers, weapons, war equipment, and provisions—Allah Almighty, by His support, helped the Muslims and granted them a splendid victory, making them a living force against all the disbelievers.

The Initial Scene of the Battle of Badr and the Arish:

The Battle of Badr was, in fact, the initial encounter between disbelief and Islam. On one side, the disbelievers were proud of their large numbers, abundance of weapons, and their military expertise, while on the other side, the Muslims relied solely on Allah. On one side, there was a round of wine and feasting, and gatherings of dance and merriment were being held, while on the other side, the Muslims were engaged in prayers and supplications before Allah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself had set up a separate tent, in which he spent the whole night in supplication with weeping and lamentation. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq ؓ came into the tent and, seeing his condition, said: "Now, please stop; you have reached the limit in supplicating." After supplicating, the Prophet ﷺ said: "O Allah! If You destroy this handful of people today, then there will remain no one to worship You on earth until the Day of Judgment." When, after making these supplications, he came out of the tent, signs of satisfaction were apparent on his face, and he had already received the glad tidings of victory from Allah.
[بخاري، كتاب التفسير، زير آيت :
__QUR_0__ ]

Forms of Divine Support in the Field of Badr:

The field of Badr was a sandy plain. But the disbelievers, having arrived first, had occupied a firm ground, and for the Muslims, there was nothing but the sandy field for their encampment. Now, Allah's support came to the Muslims in such a way that the wind began to blow, and its direction was toward the army of the disbelievers. The sand, blowing in their direction, became a cause of their distress. Then, after this, it rained, which made the encampment of the disbelievers slippery, while the feet of the Muslims, instead of slipping, became firm. The third divine support was that Allah sent tranquility and reassurance into the hearts of the Muslims, and with complete patience and steadfastness, they stood firm against the disbelievers. The fourth support was that Allah sent angels to assist the Muslims. Due to this successive divine support, the Muslims achieved a great victory, and the back of disbelief was broken. It should be remembered that Allah's support was not limited to the Companions of Badr alone. Even before this, Allah had supported His servants in the same way, and He did so afterward as well, and will continue to do so in the future. The only condition is that the Muslims should be sincere worshippers of Allah and rely solely on Him. As a poet has said:
Create the atmosphere of Badr, and angels for your help
Can still descend from the heavens, rank upon rank.