Al-Qur'an Surah Ali 'Imran Verse 124

Mufti Taqi Usmani

When you were saying to the believers, “Shall it not suffice you that your Lord should help you with three thousand of the angels sent down (for you)?”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

˹Remember, O  Prophet,˺ when you said to the believers, “Is it not enough that your Lord will send down a reinforcement of three thousand angels for your aid?”

Ruwwad Translation Center

[Remember] when you said to the believers, “Will it not suffice you that your Lord will help you by sending down three thousand angels?”

A. J. Arberry

When thou saidst to the believers, 'Is it not enough for you that your Lord should reinforce you with three thousand angels sent down upon you?

Abdul Haleem

Remember when you said to the believers, ‘Will you be satisfied if your Lord reinforces you by send-ing down three thousand angels?

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And Recall what time thou saidst to the believers: sufficieth it not unto that your lord should reinforce you with three thousand angels sent down.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Remember thou saidst to the Faithful; "Is it not enough for you that Allah should help you with three thousand angels (Specially) sent down?

Abul Ala Maududi

And recall when you said to the believers: 'Will it not suffice you that your Lord will aid you by sending down three thousand angels?

Ahmed Ali

Remember when you said to the faithful: "Is it not sufficient that your Lord should send for your help three thousand angels from the heavens?

Ahmed Raza Khan

When you O dear Prophet (Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) said to the believers, “Is it not sufficient for you that your Lord may support you by sending down three thousand angels?”

Ali Quli Qarai

When you were saying to the faithful, ‘Is it not enough for you that your Lord should aid you with three thousand angels sent down?’

Ali Ünal

When you said to the believers: "Does it not suffice you that your Lord will come to your help with three thousand angels sent down?"

Amatul Rahman Omar

(Recall the time) when you said to the believers, `Does it not suffice you that your Lord should reinforce you with three thousand angels sent down (by Him)?

English Literal

If/when you say to the believers: "Is it not enough/sufficient for you that your Lord extends (supplies) you with three thousand from the angels sent descending?"

Faridul Haque

When you O dear Prophet (Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon him) said to the believers, “Is it not sufficient for you that your Lord may support you by sending down three thousand angels?”

Hamid S. Aziz

Yea, if you persevere and avoid evil, and the enemy attacks you suddenly, your Lord will assist you with five thousand of His angels with force.

Hilali & Khan

(Remember) when you (Muhammad SAW) said to the believers, "Is it not enough for you that your Lord (Allah) should help you with three thousand angels; sent down?"

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And Allah certainly helped you at Badr when you were weak. So keep your duty to Allah that you may give thanks.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

When you said to the believers: Does it not suffice you that your Lord should assist you with three thousand of the angels sent down?

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

When thou didst say unto the believers: Is it not sufficient for you that your Lord should support you with three thousand angels sent down (to your help)?

Muhammad Sarwar

Also, remember when you said to the believers, "Is it not enough that your Lord is helping you with a force of three thousand angels sent (from the heavens)?"

Qaribullah & Darwish

When you said to the believers: 'Is it not enough for you that your Lord should reinforce you with three thousand angels sent down upon you?

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

(Remember) when you said to the believers, "Is it not enough for you that your Lord should help you with three thousand angels sent down"

Wahiduddin Khan

[And remember] when you said to the believers, "Does it not suffice that your Lord helps you by sending down three thousand angels?

Talal Itani

When you said to the believers, “Is it not enough for you that your Lord has reinforced you with three thousand angels, sent down?”

Tafsir jalalayn

When (idh, an adverbial qualifier of nasarakum, `He gave you victory' [in the previous verse]) you were saying to the believers, promising them as reassurance [for them]; `Is it not sufficient for you that your Lord should reinforce you, [that] He should succour you, with three thousand angels sent down? (read munzaln or munazzaln, `sent down').

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Support of the Angels

Allah says,

إِذْ تَقُولُ لِلْمُوْمِنِينَ أَلَن يَكْفِيكُمْ أَن يُمِدَّكُمْ رَبُّكُم بِثَلَثَةِ الَافٍ مِّنَ الْمَليِكَةِ مُنزَلِينَ



(Remember) when you said to the believers, "Is it not enough for you that your Lord should help you with three thousand angels sent down!"

The scholars of Tafsir differ over whether the promise contained in these Ayat referred to the battle of Badr or Uhud.

The First View;

There are two opinions about this,

one of them saying that Allah's statement,
إِذْ تَقُولُ لِلْمُوْمِنِينَ
((Remember) when you said to the believers) is related to His statement,
وَلَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللّهُ بِبَدْرٍ
(And Allah has already made you victorious at Badr), (3;123).

This was reported from Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Amr Ash-Sha`bi, Ar-Rabi bin Anas and several others, Ibn Jarir also agreed with this opinion.

Abbad bin Mansur said that Al-Hasan said that;

Allah's statement,
إِذْ تَقُولُ لِلْمُوْمِنِينَ أَلَن يَكْفِيكُمْ أَن يُمِدَّكُمْ رَبُّكُم بِثَلَثَةِ الَافٍ مِّنَ الْمَليِكَةِ
((Remember) when you said to the believers, "Is it not enough for you that your Lord should help you with three thousand angels"), is about the battle of Badr;

Ibn Abi Hatim also recorded this statement.

Ibn Abi Hatim then reported that Amr Ash-Sha`bi said,

"On the day of Badr, the Muslims received information that Kurz bin Jabir (a prominent tribe chief) was aiding the idolators, and this news was hard on them, so Allah revealed;
أَلَن يَكْفِيكُمْ أَن يُمِدَّكُمْ رَبُّكُم بِثَلَثَةِ الَافٍ مِّنَ الْمَليِكَةِ مُنزَلِينَ
("Is it not enough for you that your Lord (Allah) should help you with three thousand angels sent down"), until,
مُسَوِّمِينَ
(having marks (of distinction)), (3;124,125). The news of the defeat of the idolators (at Badr) reached Kurz and he did not reinforce them, and thus, Allah did not reinforce the Muslims with the five (thousands of angels)."

As for Ar-Rabi bin Anas, he said,

"Allah supported the Muslims with one thousand (angels), then the number reached three thousand, then five thousand."

If one asks, according to this opinion, how can we combine between this Ayah and Allah's statement about Badr,
إِذْ تَسْتَغِيثُونَ رَبَّكُمْ فَاسْتَجَابَ لَكُمْ أَنِّي مُمِدُّكُم بِأَلْفٍ مِّنَ الْمَليِكَةِ مُرْدِفِينَ
((Remember) when you sought help of your Lord and He answered you (saying);"I will help you with a thousand angels, each behind the other (following one another) in succession.") until,
إِنَّ اللّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
(Verily! Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise) (8;9-10), we say that the one thousand mentioned here does not contradict the three thousand mentioned in the above Ayah (3;124).

The word "in succession" means they follow each other and thus indicates that thousands more will follow them.

The two Ayat above (8;9 and 3;124) are similar in meaning and it appears that they both were about the battle of Badr, because the angels did fight in the battle of Badr, as the evidence indicates.

Allah knows best.

Allah's statement