The Quran

Preface

قَد كانَ لَكُم آيَةٌ في فِئَتَينِ التَقَتا ۖ فِئَةٌ تُقاتِلُ في سَبيلِ اللَّهِ وَأُخرىٰ كافِرَةٌ يَرَونَهُم مِثلَيهِم رَأيَ العَينِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يُؤَيِّدُ بِنَصرِهِ مَن يَشاءُ ۗ إِنَّ في ذٰلِكَ لَعِبرَةً لِأُولِي الأَبصارِ

Yusuf Ali

“There has already been for you a Sign in the two armies that met (in combat)¹: One was fighting in the cause of God, the other resisting God. these saw with their own eyes Twice their number². But God doth support with His aid whom He pleaseth. In this is a warning for such as have eyes to see.”

This refers to the battle of Badr in Ramadān in the second year of the Hijrat. The little exiled community of Meccan Muslims, with their friends in Madman, had organised themselves into a God-fearing community, but were constantly in danger of being attacked by their Pagan enemies of Mecca, in alliance with some of the disaffected elements (Jews and Hypocrites) in or near Madmah itself. The design of the Meccans was to gather all the resources they could, and with an overwhelming force, to crush and annihilate Muḥammad and his party. To this end Abū Sufyan was leading a richly-laden caravan from Syria to Mecca. He called for armed aid from Mecca. The battle was fought in the plain of Badr, about 50 miles southwest of Madmah. The Muslim force consisted of only about 313 men, mostly ill-armed, but they were led by Muḥammad, and they were fighting for their Faith. The Meccan army, well-armed and well-equipped, numbered over a thousand and had among its leaders some of the most experienced warriors of Arabia, including Abū Jahl, the inveterate foe and persecutor of Islam. Against all odds the Muslims won a brilliant victory, and many of the enemy leaders, including Abū Jahl, were killed (Cf. 30:40). (R).
It was impossible, without the miraculous aid of God, for such a small and ill-equipped force as was the Muslim band, to defeat the large and well-found force of the enemy. But their firmness, zeal, and discipline won them divine aid. Enemy prisoners stated that the enemy ranks saw the Muslim force to be many times larger than it was.