They differed over that distinguishing mark. Urwah ibn al-Zubayr said: “The angels rode piebald horses and wore yellow turbans.” Ali and Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, said: “They wore white turbans, with their ends hanging down between their shoulders.” (Hisham ibn Urwah and al-Kalbi said: “Yellow turbans, draped over their shoulders.”) (1) Al-Dahhak and Qatadah said: “They had marked the forelocks and tails of their horses with dyed wool.” It is related that, on the day of Badr, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to his Companions: “Wear distinguishing marks, for the angels have distinguished themselves with white wool on their caps and helmets.” (2)

“And Allah made it only as glad tidings for you and to reassure your hearts thereby. Victory comes only from Allah—the Almighty, the All-Wise—so that He may cut off a portion of those who disbelieve, or defeat them, and they return disappointed. You have no part in the matter: whether He accepts their repentance or punishes them, for they are wrongdoers. To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (126–129)

Regarding His words, “And Allah made it”: that is, this promise and reinforcement, “only as glad tidings for you”—that is, good news by which you may rejoice—“and to reassure your hearts thereby,” so that your hearts may be at rest and you may not be distressed by the great number of your enemy and your own small numbers. “Victory comes only from Allah—the Almighty, the All-Wise”: that is, do not ascribe victory to the angels and the troops, for victory comes from Allah, exalted is He. So seek His help and place your trust in Him, for might and judgment belong to Him.

Regarding His words, “so that He may cut off a portion of those who disbelieve”: He says that Allah granted you victory at Badr in order to cut off a portion—that is, to destroy a group—of those who disbelieved. Al-Suddi said: Its meaning is that He may demolish one of the pillars of polytheism through killing and capture. Thus, seventy of their leaders and chiefs were killed on the day of Badr, and seventy were taken captive. Those who understand the verse to refer to the battle of Uhud say that sixteen of them were killed that day. Victory belonged to the Muslims until they disobeyed the Messenger’s command, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, whereupon the tide turned against them.

“Or defeat them”: al-Kalbi said: “Defeat them.” Yaman said: “Throw them face-down.” Al-Suddi said: “Curse them.” Abu Ubaydah said: “Destroy them.” It was also said: “Make them grieve”; the defeated one is the grief-stricken one. It was further said that its origin is yakbidahum, meaning that grief and rage strike their livers ⦗68/b⦘; the letters ta and dal may alternate, just as one says sabata or sabada of someone’s head when one has shaved it. It was also said: He defeats them through disappointment. “And they return disappointed”: that is, they fail to attain anything of the victory over you which they had hoped for.

Regarding His words, “You have no part in the matter,” and the rest of the verse: they differed concerning the reason for the revelation of this verse. Some said: It was revealed