IMAM ABU AL-FIDA' ISMA~L IBN KATHiR 277Imxm Ahmad stated that Aha Nah Qurad related to hi, quoting 'Ikrima h.
'Ammar, quoting Sid al-Hanafi, father of Zumayl, quoting Ibn 'Ahhas, quoting
Wmar b. al-Khattab, as follows, "At the battle of Badr, the Messenger of God
(SAAS) looked over at his force numbering some 300 and viewed the polytheists,
totalling more than 1,000. He then turned in the direction of the qzbla, wearing his
shawl and pants and spoke the words, '0 God, fulfil what you promised me; 0
God, if this force perishes You will never again be worshipped on earth.'
"He kept up his appeals and prayers to his Lord until his mantle fell down. Ahii
Bakr then came and replaced it, remaining close behind hi. He then said, 'Let
your appeals to your Lord he enough now. He will fulfil what He has promised
you.' And so God revealed, 'When you sought aid from your Lord, and He
answered you, saying, "I will help you with 1,000 angels, following after one
another""' (sprat al-Anfzl; VIII, v.9).
He then related the conclusion of the hadith as will come hereafter.
Muslim, Aha Da'ad, al-Tidhi, Ibn Jarir and others all related this, from
a hadith of 'Ikrima b. 'Ammar al-Yamani. 'Ali h. al-Madini and al-Tirmidhi
declared it authentic.
Others also stated, from Ihn 'Ahb%, alSuddi, Ibn Jarir and others, that this
verse was revealed concerning the prayers said by the Prophet at Badr.
Al-Umawi and others stated that the Muslims shouted out loudly to God,
Almighty and Glorious is He, seeking His aid.
As for the words of the Lord "with 1,000 angels, following after one another",
it implies that "they are following on towards you and giving aid to your party".
AILCAwfi related this hadith from Ihn 'Ahbzs along with Muj&id, Ihn Kathir,
'Abd al-Rahman b. Zayd and others. Aba Kudayna stated, from Qahns, from Ihn
'Ahbs, that the word murd$n, i.e. "following after one another", meant that
each angel was followed by another one. In another account from him, with the
same chain of authorites murdrfin is taken to imply that each came immediately
after the other. Aha Zahysn, al-Dahhak and Qatada said this.
'Ali h. Ahii Talb al-Witlihi related from Ihn 'Abhs, who said, "God provided
His Prophet and the believers with 1,000 angels. Gabriel was there with one wing
of 500, while Michael had another wing of 500. This is very well known."
However, Ihn Jarir stated, "Al-MuthannB related to me, quoting Ishaq, quot-
ing Ya'qiih h. Muhammad al-Zuhri, quoting 'Ahd al-'Aaz h. 'Immn, from
al-Raha'i, from Aha al-Huwayrith, from Muhammad h. Juhayr, from 'Ali, who
said, "Gabriel came down along with 1,000 angels on the right flank of the
Prophet (SAAS) where Aha Bakr was, while Michael came down with 1,000
angels on the left flank of the Prophet (SAAS) where I was."'
Al-Bayhaqi related this in his work Dal&'zl (The Sagns), from a hadith of
Muhammad b. Juhayr, from 'Ali. He added the words, "And Israfil came down
with 1,000 angels."
He related in that account that he was stabbed that day by a lance, with the
result that his armpit was reddened with blood, and that 3,000 angels came down.