Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (سيرة 1/337)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

then rain down upon us stones from the sky, or bring upon us a painful punishment” (Al-Anfāl, 32). Thereupon the verse was revealed: “Allah would never punish them while you are in their midst, nor would Allah punish them while they seek forgiveness” (Al-Anfāl, 32); and again: “Allah would not punish them while they seek forgiveness” (Al-Anfāl, 33). This report is agreed upon.

Ibn ʿAbbās, commenting on the words: “And what is there to keep Allah from punishing them” (Al-Anfāl, 34), said: “That was on the Day of Badr—by the sword.” This was transmitted by ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṣāliḥ, from Muʿāwiyah ibn Ṣāliḥ, from ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭalḥah, from him.

With the same chain Ibn ʿAbbās explained the verse: “And when Allah promised you one of the two parties” (Al-Anfāl, 7): “The Meccan caravan had set out for Syria—so he said—and word of it reached the people of Madinah. They went out, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with them, aiming at the caravan. When the Meccans heard of this they quickened their pace, and the caravan passed ahead of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Allah had promised them one of the two parties; they would have preferred to meet the caravan, for it was less formidable and its booty closer at hand.

“So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ advanced toward the army, but the Muslims disliked the march because of the enemy’s strength. He and the Muslims halted, with a patch of deep sand between them and the water. The Muslims were severely weakened, and Satan cast despair into their hearts, whispering, ‘You claim to be Allah’s friends while His Messenger is among you, yet the idolaters have taken control of the water, and you are in such-and-such a plight.’ Then Allah sent down a heavy rain; the Muslims drank and purified themselves, and Allah removed Satan’s filth from them. The sand became firm—meaning packed down—and Allah supported them with a thousand angels.

“Iblīs came with a host of devils, carrying his standard in the guise of men from the tribe of Mudlij; the devil appeared in the likeness of Suraqah ibn Mālik ibn Juʿshum and said to the polytheists, ‘No one among mankind can defeat you today, and I am your protector’ (Al-Anfāl, 48). When the lines were drawn up, Abū Jahl said:

فَأَمْطِرْ عَلَيْنَا حِجَارَةً مِنَ السَّمَاءِ أَوِ ائْتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ﴾ ، [الأنفال: ٣٢] ، فنزلت: ﴿وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنْتَ فِيهِمْ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ﴾ [الأنفال: ٣٢] ، فنزلت: ﴿وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ﴾ [الأنفال: ٣٣] ، متفق عليه. وعن ابن عباس في قوله: ﴿وَمَا لَهُمْ أَلَّا يُعَذِّبَهُمُ اللَّهُ﴾ [الأنفال: ٣٤] ، قال: يوم بدر بالسيف قاله عبد الله بن صالح، عن معاوية بن صالح، عن علي بن أبي طلحة، عنه. وبه عنه في قوله: ﴿وَإِذْ يَعِدُكُمُ اللَّهُ إِحْدَى الطَّائِفَتَيْنِ﴾ [الأنفال: ٧] ، قال: أقبلت عير أهل مكة تريد الشام -كذا قال- فبلغ أهل المدينة ذلك, فخرجوا ومعهم رسول الله ﷺ يريدون العير. فبلغ ذلك أهل مكة فأسرعوا السير، فسبقت العير رسول الله ﷺ، وكان الله وعدهم إحدى الطائفتين. وكانوا أن يلقوا العير أحب إليهم، وأيسر شوكة وأحضر مغنما. فسار رسول الله ﷺ يريد القوم، فكره المسلمون مسيرهم لشوكة القوم، فنزل رسول الله ﷺ والمسلمون، وبينهم وبين الماء رملة دعصة، فأصاب المسلمين ضعف شديد، وألقى الشيطان في قلوبهم القنط يوسوسهم: تزعمون أنكم أولياء الله وفيكم رسوله، وقد غلبكم المشركون على الماء، وأنتم كذا. فأنزل الله عليهم مطرا شديدا، فشرب المسلمون وتطهروا، فأذهب الله عنهم رجز الشيطان، وصار الرمل؛ يعني ملبدا. وأمدهم الله بألف من الملائكة. وجاء إبليس في جند من الشياطين، معه رايته في صورة رجال بني مدلج، والشيطان في صورة سراقة بن مالك بن جعشم، فقال للمشركين: ﴿لا غَالِبَ لَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَإِنِّي جَارٌ لَكُمْ﴾ [الأنفال: ٤٨] ، فلما اصطف القوم قال أبو جهل: