13. " indeed there has been a sign for you in the two hosts that
encountered: one fighting in the path of allah and the other disbelieving;
they (infidels) saw twice as many as they were with the
sight of the eye; and allah confirms with his aid whom he pleases.
surely there is a lesson herein for those who have insight."

commentary:
this fact has been recorded in commentary books, including:
majma`-ul-bayan, maraq­i, fakhr razi and many other ones, that this
verse concerns battle of badr. in that fighting, muslims struggled
against infidels. the number of muslims was 313 men, among whom 77
figures were from the emigrants and 236 men from the helpers (ansar)
for whom sa`d-ibn-`ibadah was the flagman. as military equipment,
muslims had only seventy camels, two horses, six armours, and eight
swords; while the opposite army, the pagans, were one thousand men
with one hundred horses. the muslims won the battle wherein twenty
two of them became martyrs: 14 martyrs from the emigrants and 8
martyrs from the helpers, when hostile pagans had to give seventy killed
persons and 170 men as captives.

this incident is a lesson for those who have intellect and sight that
how a small group of muslims with little equipment could defeat an
equipped army the number of whose fighters was three-fold of muslims.
this shows that mere material possibilities are not the enough cause of
victory.

" indeed there has been a sign for you in the two hosts that
encountered: one fighting in the path of allah and the other disbelieving;
they (infidels) saw twice as many as they were with the
sight of the eye; ..."

explanations:
1. the victory in the battle of badr, by a few persons against a
larger number of equipped fighters, is the prevalence of allah's will
over people's will. it is the best example of prevalence of truth over
untruth and faith over disbelief.

"... and allah confirms with his aid whom he pleases. ..."

2. wherever allah pleases, visions, recognitions, and thoughts
vary: with these very eyes, they see the same crowd twofold.

3. the worth of fight lies in fighting itself;

" in the way of allah."

4. it is true that allah helps anyone he wills, but the condition
of allah's aid is mentioned in another occasion where it says that
people should assist the religion of allah:

"... if you help (the cause of allah), he will help you and make
firm your feet."
1

5. all the muslim fighters have one goal: "... one fighting in the
path of allah ...",
but the disbelieving fighters have various goals and
different ways:

"... and the other disbelieving... ".

6. signs are for all, but taking lesson from these sings needs a
special insight.

"...surely there is a lesson herein for those who have insight."

7. the battle of badr was not performed with formerly
preparation. it began with the purpose of confiscation of pagans'
properties who had confiscated the emigrant muslims' properties in
mecca, but it ended with military conflict.

"... the two hosts that encountered: ..."


1 sura muhammad, no. 47, verse 7.