Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa said: “We besieged Qurayzah and al-Nadir (1) for as long as Allah willed, but no opening was granted to us, so we returned. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called for water to wash himself, and as he was washing his head, Gabriel, peace be upon him, came to him and said, ‘Have you laid down your weapons while the angels have not laid down their arms?’ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then called for a cloth, wrapped it around his head, and did not wash it. He then called out to us, and we set out until we came to Qurayzah and al-Nadir (2). On that day, Allah, exalted is He, reinforced us with three thousand angels, and granted us an easy victory.”

Al-Dahhak and Ikrimah said: This was on the day of Uhud. Allah promised them reinforcements if they remained steadfast, but they did not remain steadfast, and so they were not reinforced with them (3).

Regarding His words, “that your Lord should reinforce you”: reinforcement means aiding one army with another army. It is also said that what denotes strength and assistance is expressed by the verb amadda, “to reinforce,” whereas what denotes increase is expressed by madda, “to increase” or “extend.” An example is His words: “and the sea replenished by it” (Luqman 27). It is also said that madd is used in connection with evil, whereas imdad is used in connection with good. This is indicated by His words: “And He prolongs them in their transgression as they wander blindly” (al-Baqarah 15), and, “And We will extend for him a prolonged punishment” (Maryam 79). With respect to good, He says: “I will reinforce you with a thousand angels, following one another,” and He says: “And We reinforced you with wealth and sons” (al-Isra 26).

Regarding His words, “with three thousand angels sent down”: Ibn Amir recited it with a doubled zay, indicating multiplicity, as in His words: “And if We had sent down the angels to them” (Surah al-An'am 111). The others recited it with a single zay, as indicated by His words: “Why have the angels not been sent down to us?” (al-Furqan 21), and His words: “And He sent down soldiers whom you did not see” (al-Tawbah 26).

Then He says: “Yes indeed, We will reinforce you” (4), “if you remain steadfast” against your enemy “and are mindful”—that is, refrain from disobeying your Prophet—“and they come upon you,” meaning the polytheists, “from this very quarter.” Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Qatadah, al-Hasan, and most commentators said: “from this very direction” (5). Mujahid and al-Dahhak said: “from this very anger,” because they returned to fight on the day of Uhud out of their anger over the day of Badr. “Your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand angels”: this does not mean five thousand apart from the three thousand previously mentioned (6); rather, He meant five thousand along with them. His words, “clearly marked,” mean marked. Ibn Kathir, Abu Amr, and Asim recited it with the waw vowelled with kasrah, while the others recited it with fathah. Those who recited it with kasrah understood it to mean that the angels had marked their horses; those who recited it with fathah understood it to refer to the angels themselves. Taswim means marking, derived from simah, meaning a mark.