Tafsir Ibn Abbas: Al-Anfaal, Ayah 44
Common Words
Other Scholars on This Ayah
Tafsir
And when God made you see them O believers when you met — in your eyes as few as 70 or 100 when they were in fact 1000 so that you would advance against them; and He made you seem as few in their eyes so that they would advance and not turn back from fighting you — this was before close combat had begun but when it began He made them the disbelievers see these believers as twice their number as stated in sūrat Āl ‘Imrān Q. 313 — so that God might conclude a matter that was to be done; and to God all things are returned reverting.
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(They were so few) that if I so liked I could count their number in his head, and he further said: (That is) he did not dye. Abu Bakr, however, dyed them and so did 'Umar dye them with pure henna.
Ibn Abbas Commentary
(And when He made you (Muslims), when ye met (them)) on the Day of Badr, (see them with your eyes as few) such that He emboldened you vis-�-vis them, (and lessened you in their eyes) such that they were emboldened vis-�-vis you, ((it was) that Allah might conclude a thing) so that Allah might give victory and the spoils of war to the Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions and bring about death and defeat for Abu Jahl and his host (that must be done) that has to be. (Unto Allah all things) the end results of things (are brought back) in the Hereafter.