seventy-seven of whom were Emigrants and two hundred and thirty-six of whom were Ansar. The bearer of the Emigrants’ banner was Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, and the bearer of the Ansar’s banner was Saʿd ibn ʿUbadah. They had seventy camels and two horses: one belonging to al-Miqdad ibn ʿAmr and the other to Marthad ibn Abi Marthad. Most of them were on foot, and they possessed six coats of mail and eight swords.

Regarding His words, “and the other was disbelieving”: that is, another disbelieving group—the polytheists of Mecca. They were nine hundred and fifty fighting men, led by ʿUtbah ibn Rabiʿah ibn ʿAbd Shams, and they had one hundred horses. The battle of Badr was the first campaign attended by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.

“You saw them as twice your number.” The people of Medina and Yaʿqub recited it with the letter ta, meaning: You, O assembly of Jews, saw the people of Mecca as twice the number of the Muslims. This was because a group of Jews attended the fighting at Badr to see to whom the outcome would belong. They saw the polytheists as twice the number of the Muslims, yet they saw victory granted to the Muslims despite that. This was a miracle and a sign.

The others recited it with the letter ya, and differed over its meaning. Some held that the seeing referred to the Muslims, with two possible interpretations. The first is that the Muslims saw the polytheists as twice their own number, as they actually were. If it is asked, “How could He say, ‘twice their number,’ when they were three times their number?” the answer is that this resembles a man who has one dirham and says, “I need two like this dirham,” meaning two additional dirhams like it, making three dirhams altogether.

The second interpretation—and it is the sounder one—is that the Muslims saw the polytheists as twice their own number. Allah Most High made them appear few in their eyes, until they saw them as six hundred and twenty-six; then, on another occasion, Allah made them appear few until they saw them as equal to their own number. Ibn Masʿud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “We looked at the polytheists and saw them as twice our number. Then we looked at them again and did not see them exceeding us by even one man.” Thereafter, Allah Most High also made them appear few in their eyes, until they saw them as a small number, fewer than themselves. (1) Ibn Masʿud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “I said to a man beside me, ‘Do you think there are seventy of them?’ He said, ‘I think there are one hundred.’”

Others said that the seeing referred to the polytheists; that is, the polytheists saw the Muslims as twice their own number. Before the fighting, Allah made the Muslims appear few in the eyes of the polytheists, so that the polytheists would dare to confront them and would not turn away. Then, once they engaged in battle, Allah made the Muslims appear numerous in the eyes of the polytheists so that they would lose courage, while He made them appear few in the eyes of the believers so that the believers would be emboldened. This is indicated by His words: “And when He showed them to you, when you met, as few in your eyes, and made you appear few in their eyes.” (al-Anfal 8:44)

Regarding His words, “with their own eyes”: that is, in the sight of the eye. It is in the accusative because the preposition has been omitted. “Allah strengthens whom He wills with His help. Surely in that”—in what I have mentioned—“is a lesson for people of insight”: that is, people of understanding. It was also said that it refers to those who saw the two armies.

“Made appealing to people is the love of desires: women, children, piled-up stores of gold and silver, fine branded horses, livestock, and cultivated land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but with Allah is the best return.” (14)

Regarding His words, “Made appealing to people is the love of desires”: “desires” is the plural of “desire,” which is that to which the soul is drawn. “Women.”