toward the idolaters, who were one thousand strong, while his own Companions numbered three-hundred and seventeen. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then turned to face the qiblah, raised his hands, and began to call upon his Lord:

“O Allah, fulfil for me what You have promised me. O Allah, grant me what You have promised me. O Allah, if this small band of Muslims is destroyed, You will no longer be worshipped on earth.”

He continued imploring his Lord, hands outstretched and facing the qiblah, until his cloak slipped from his shoulders. Abū Bakr came, picked up the cloak and placed it back on his shoulders, then embraced him from behind and said, “O Prophet of Allah, enough of your entreaty to your Lord; He will certainly carry out for you what He has promised.”

Thereupon Allah—Mighty and Majestic—revealed:

“When you cried out to your Lord for help, He answered you: ‘I am going to reinforce you with a thousand angels, following one another.’” (Al-Anfāl 8:9)

So Allah supported him with the angels.

Abū Zumayl reported: Ibn ʿAbbās told me that while a man from the Muslims that day was pursuing a man from the idolaters ahead of him, he suddenly heard the crack of a blow—