insolence and pride. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “O Allah, here is Quraysh, coming with its arrogance and boastfulness, disputing with You and calling Your Messenger a liar. O Allah, grant us the help You promised me.”

It is said: When Abu Sufyan saw that he had secured his caravan, he sent word to Quraysh: “You set out only to protect your caravan, and Allah has saved it; so return.” But Abu Jahl said: “By Allah, we will not return until we reach Badr.” Badr was the site of one of the Arabs’ annual fairs, where a market was held every year. “We will stay there for three days, slaughter camels, provide food, drink wine, and have singing-girls perform for us. The Arabs will hear of us, and they will never cease to fear us.” So they came there and drank the cups of death instead of wine, while mourning women wailed over them instead of the singing-girls. Thus Allah forbade His believing servants from being like them, and commanded them to make their intentions sincere and seek His reward in supporting His religion and aiding His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. (1)

Allah Most High says: “And when Satan made their deeds seem pleasing to them.” Satan’s making their deeds seem pleasing was that, when Quraysh assembled to set out, they recalled the war that stood between them and Banu Bakr, and this nearly caused them to turn back. Then Iblis came to them with a troop of devils, carrying his banner, and appeared to them in the form of Suraqah ibn Malik ibn Ju‘sham. He said to them: “No one among the people can overcome you today, and I am your protector”—that is, I will protect you from Kinana.

“But when the two forces came in sight of one another”—that is, when the two armies met—Iblis saw the angels descending from heaven and knew that he had no power to withstand them. “He turned on his heels.” Al-Dahhak said: “He turned and fled.” Al-Nadr ibn Shumayl said: “He retreated backward, fleeing.”

Al-Kalbi said: When they met, Iblis was standing in the ranks of the idolaters in the form of Suraqah, holding the hand of al-Harith ibn Hisham. Then he turned on his heels, and al-Harith said to him: “Are you fleeing without fighting?” He began to hold on to him, but Iblis pushed him in the chest and fled, and the people were routed. When they arrived in Mecca, they said, “Suraqah routed the people.” When news of this reached Suraqah, he said: “I have heard that you claim I routed the people. By Allah, I did not even know that you had set out until I heard of your defeat!” They said: “Did you not come to us on such-and-such a day?” But he swore to them that he had not. When they embraced Islam, they learned that it had been Satan.

Al-Hasan said regarding His words, “I am free of you. I see what you do not see”: Iblis saw Jibril with a striped cloak wrapped around his head, walking before the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with the reins in his hand, leading a horse that had never been ridden.

Qatadah said: Iblis spoke the truth when he said, “I see what you do not see.” But he lied when he said, “I fear Allah.” By Allah, he had no fear of Allah; rather, he knew that he had neither strength nor protection. So he led them onward and then abandoned them. Such is the way of Allah’s enemy with those who obey him: when truth and falsehood meet, he abandons them and disavows them.

‘Ata’ said: “I fear Allah lest He destroy me along with those whom He destroys.”