Surah Al-Anfaal (8) — Ayah 9

(Ayah 9) ➊ {اِذْ تَسْتَغِيْثُوْنَ رَبَّكُمْ … :} Due to the enemy being more than three times their number and equipped with every kind of weapon, all the Muslims were crying out to their Lord for help. Especially the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was supplicating with utmost humility and persistence. Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) says that when the day of Badr came, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) looked towards the polytheists; they were one thousand, and his companions were three hundred and nineteen men. So the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) turned towards the Qiblah, spread his hands, and began to cry out loudly to his Lord: "O Allah! Fulfill for me what You have promised me. O Allah! Fulfill for me what You have promised me. O Allah! If this group of Muslims is destroyed, then You will not be worshipped on the earth." He continued to cry out loudly to his Lord and supplicate with his hands raised, until his cloak fell from his shoulders. Then Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came to him, picked up his cloak, placed it on his shoulders, then clung to him from behind and said: "O Prophet of Allah! Your beseeching your Lord is sufficient for you, for surely He will fulfill what He has promised you." So Allah the Exalted revealed this verse: «{ اِذْ تَسْتَغِيْثُوْنَ رَبَّكُمْ فَاسْتَجَابَ لَكُمْ }» Then Allah the Exalted helped him with the angels. [ مسلم، الجہاد، باب الإمداد بالملائکۃ فی غزوۃ بدر… : ۱۷۶۳ ] Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says that after Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said this, he came out saying: «{ سَيُهْزَمُ الْجَمْعُ وَ يُوَلُّوْنَ الدُّبُرَ }» [ القمر : ۴۵ ] "This group will be defeated and they will turn their backs and flee." [ بخاری، المغازی، باب قول اللہ تعالٰی : « إذ تستغیثون ربکم…» : ۳۹۵۳ ]

➋ {اَنِّيْ مُمِدُّكُمْ بِاَلْفٍ مِّنَ الْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةِ مُرْدِفِيْنَ:} One after another, meaning coming in succession. Thus, at Badr, the angels descended, as is narrated in Sahih Bukhari from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said on the day of Badr: "This is Jibreel, holding the reins of his horse, dressed in battle armor." [ بخاری، المغازی، باب شہود الملائکۃ بدراً: ۳۹۹۵ ] Here, the promise of one thousand angels descending is mentioned, who indeed descended. Rifaa bin Rafi’ Qarzi Badri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that Jibreel (peace be upon him) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and asked: "How do you consider the people of Badr among yourselves?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "The best of the Muslims." Or he said something similar in meaning. (Jibreel, peace be upon him) said: "Likewise, those angels who participated in Badr are (the most virtuous)." [ بخاری، المغازی، باب شہود الملائکۃ بدرًا : ۳۹۹۲ ] In Surah Al-Imran, the promise of three thousand and five thousand angels is mentioned; for reconciliation, see Al-Imran (124, 125).

9. 1. In this battle, the number of Muslims was 313, while the disbelievers were three times that (i.e., about a thousand). Moreover, the Muslims were unarmed and without resources, whereas the disbelievers had an abundance of weapons. In these circumstances, the only support for the Muslims was Allah alone, to whom they were earnestly pleading for help. The Prophet ﷺ himself was in a separate tent, deeply engaged in supplication with great humility and insistence (Sahih Bukhari). Thus, Allah accepted the prayers, and a thousand angels, one after another in succession, came to help the Muslims.

9. When you were calling upon your Lord for help [10], He responded to you, "I will reinforce you with a thousand angels, coming one after another [11]."

[10]
The Prophet’s ﷺ Supplication in the ‘Arish:

When both armies encamped face to face at Badr, and you ﷺ saw that the Muslims were less than a third of the disbelievers, unarmed, and lacking supplies, you ﷺ ordered a tent to be set up for yourself, which is called ‘Arish. In it, you ﷺ spent the whole night in supplication and lamentation before Allah, as is clear from the following hadith. Sayyiduna Umar ؓ says that on the day of Badr, when the Prophet ﷺ looked at the polytheists, they were one thousand, and the Muslims were 319. You ﷺ faced the Qiblah and stretched out both hands, then began to implore your Lord. You ﷺ supplicated in this way: “O Allah! Fulfill what You have promised me. O Allah, if You destroy this group of Muslims, then there will be none left on earth to worship You.” You ﷺ remained facing the Qiblah with hands outstretched for a long time, until your cloak fell from your shoulders. Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq ؓ came, picked up the cloak, and placed it on your shoulders. Then he clung to you ﷺ from behind and said: O Prophet of Allah ﷺ, you have pleaded with your Lord enough. Surely Allah will fulfill His promise to you. Then Allah the Exalted revealed this verse.
[مسلم، کتاب الجہاد، باب الامداد بالملائکۃ فی غزوۃ بدر]

[11]
The Descent of the Angels:

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas ؓ says that a Muslim was chasing a disbeliever when he heard the sound of a whip above him and also the voice of a rider, who was saying, “Hayzum” (apparently the name of his horse), “go forward.” Suddenly, that Muslim saw that the disbeliever had fallen flat before him. There was a mark on his nose and his head was split open, as if someone had struck him with a whip. Then his whole body turned green. That Ansari came to the Prophet ﷺ and related the whole incident. You ﷺ said, “You speak the truth. These angels had come from the third heaven to help.”
[مسلم، کتاب الجہاد، باب الامداد بالملائکۃ فی غزوۃ بدر]
Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas ؓ says that you ﷺ said: “This is Jibreel Amin, holding the head of his horse, and upon him are the weapons of war.”
[بخاری، کتاب المغازی، باب شھود الملائکۃ بدرا]
It is also narrated from him that the Muslims killed seventy disbelievers and captured seventy. [مسلم، كتاب الجهاد، باب الامداد بالملائكة فى غزوة بدر] Also see Surah Al-Imran, verse 125.