IMAM ABU AL-FIDA' ISMA~L IBN KATH~R 269Al-Bukhm- also quotes from the same source as follows, "I and Ibn Wmar
were deemed too young to participate in the battle of Badr. The Emigrants there
numbered some 60 men, while the Helpers totalled some 240."
Imm Abad related from Nqr b. Ri'xb, from Hajjxj, from al-Hakarn, from
Muqsim, from Ibn 'Abb%, who said, "Those participating at Badr totalled 313,
while the Emigrants numbered 76. The defeat occurred on Friday, 17th Ramadw."
God Almighty stated, "And recall when God showed them to you in your
sleep as few; and if He had showed them to you as many, you would have lost
courage, and would have disputed about the matter. However, God granted sal-
vation" (stirat al-AnjZl; VIII, v.43).
That related to a dream he had that night. It is said that he slept in the shelter
and that he told his men that they should not fight until they received permission.
When the @raysh force approached, Abn Bakr began to wake hi up, saying,
"0 Messenger of God, they are getting close! Wake up!" God had showed them
to him in his sleep as being few in number.
Al-Umawi related this, and it is very strange.
The Almighty stated, "And when He showed them to you, when you met, as
few in number in your sight, as He diminished you in theirs, in order to bring
about a matter already decreed" (stirat al-Anfzl; VIII, v.44).
When the two sides were to engage in battle, God made each of them fewer in
the view of the other so that they would have courage to face each other, there
being very great wisdom in this.
This is not contrary to the statement of God Almighty: "There was a sign for
you in the two sides battling together, one fighting for God, the other unbeliev-
ing and seeing them by their own sight as twice their own like. And God aids
with His victory those He wishes" (stirat Al-'Imrzn; 111, v.12).
The meaning according to the most authentic statements is that the
unbelievers did indeed view the believers as twice their number. This was when
the battle and swordsmanship had begun, God cast weakness and terror into the
hearts of the unbelievers. He first led them on by showing them as few in the
initial engagement and then aided the believers by making them seem twice
as many as they were so that the enemy was weakened and overcome. For
this reason God stated, "God aids with his help those He wishes. And there is a
lesson in that for those who have vision" (szirat Al-'Imrzn; 111, v.12).
Isra'il stated, from Abn Ishnq, Abn Whayd and 'Abd All*, "They were made
fewer in number in our sight on the day of the battle of Badr, to the point where
I said to a man by my side, 'Do you think they are 70 strong?' He replied, 'I see
them as 100!"'
Ibn IshZq stated that Abii Is&q b. Yasar and other scholars related to him that
sheikhs of the Helpers had said, "When the Quraysh force felt secure they sent
out Wmayr b. Wahb al-Jumahi with orders to estimate the size of the force of
the Messenger of God (SAAS).