Verses 123 and 124 of Sura Al 'Imran and Ghadir

Ayah Specifications
Surah Name	Al 'Imran
Ayah Number	123 and 124
Juz'	4
Ayah Content
Place of Revelation	Medina
Topic	The assistance of the angels to the Muslims during the Battle of Badr

Verses 123 and 124 of Sura Al 'Imran refer to an event mentioned within them, namely the assistance given to Muslims by angels in the Battle of Badr, which was alluded to by the Prophet (s) when he placed a turban on the head of Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali (a). This topic has been addressed in a narration from Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali (a).

The historical context for the reference to Verses 123 and 124 of Sura Al 'Imran has been depicted as follows: One of the ceremonies performed atop the minbar of Ghadir was the Prophet (s) placing a turban on the head of Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali (a). This act, based on an Arab tradition, held significant meaning regarding his succession. At Ghadir, the Prophet (s) placed his own turban, named "Sahab" (Cloud), as a crown of honor on the head of Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali (a). He then explained the specific style of this turban, recalling the Battles of Badr and Hunayn, stating that in these two battles, God sent angels to aid him, and they wore turbans in this manner.

Verses 123 and 124 of Sura Al 'Imran recount the story of the Battle of Badr, where the number of disbelievers was three times that of the Muslims, and God states concerning this: In that battle, God aided you. The Prophet (s) said to the people in that battle: "Is it not enough that God aided you with three thousand angels?... Now, if you are patient, God will send five thousand angels with the sign of the Muslims to aid you."

Verses Related to Specific Occasions at Ghadir

Verses 123 and 124 of Sura Al 'Imran are among the verses used in the event of Ghadir. Considering that Ghadir was an elaborate three-day ceremony, besides the verses directly revealed during those days, other verses were also alluded to in the discourse, and their meanings were explained. These instances are mentioned in the exegesis of eighteen verses.

Among these verses are Verses 123 and 124 of Sura Al 'Imran:

وَلَقَدْ نَصَرَکُمُ اللَّهُ بِبَدْرٍ وَأَنْتُمْ أَذِلَّةٌ ۖ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّکُمْ تَشْکُرُونَ(123)

Certainly Allah helped you at Badr when you were a small force. So be wary of Allah, so that you may give thanks.

إِذْ تَقُولُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِینَ أَلَنْ یَکْفِیَکُمْ أَنْ یُمِدَّکُمْ رَبُّکُمْ بِثَلَاثَةِ آلَافٍ مِنَ الْمَلَائِکَةِ مُنْزَلِینَ(124).

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

Verses in the Text of the Narration

Verses 123 and 124 of Sura Al 'Imran have been considered related to the event of Ghadir in a narration from Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali (a): The Prophet (s) tied a turban on my head on the day of Ghadir Khumm and let its end hang over my shoulder, and he said: 'God aided me on the day of Badr and Hunayn with angels wearing such turbans.

Historical Context of the Reference to the Verses

The historical context for the reference to Verses 123 and 124 of Sura Al 'Imran has been depicted as follows: One of the ceremonies performed atop the minbar of Ghadir, before the eyes of one hundred twenty thousand attendees, was the Prophet (s) placing a turban on the head of Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali (a). This act, based on an Arab tradition, held significant meaning regarding his succession. Whenever Arabs wished to announce the leadership of a great person over a people, they would place a turban on his head during a ceremony. Whenever a great person placed his own turban on the head of the chosen individual in such a ceremony, it was a sign of his trust in him.

At Ghadir, the Prophet (s) placed his own turban, named "Sahab", as a crown of honor on the head of Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali (a), and placed the end of the turban on his shoulder, saying: "The turban is the crown of the Arabs." He then explained the specific style of this turban, recalling the Battles of Badr and Hunayn, stating that in these two battles, God sent angels to aid him, and they wore turbans in this manner, and this was a reference to three verses in the Qurʾan concerning this: Verses 25 and 26 of Tawba and Verses 123 and 124 of Al 'Imran.

Qurʾanic Context of the Verses

The Qurʾanic context of Verses 123 and 124 of Sura Al 'Imran has been depicted by some researchers as follows: During the Ghadir ceremony, the Prophet (s) referred to four verses in two suras of the Qurʾan, which recount the story of angels assisting him in the two Battles of Badr and Hunayn. In Sura Al 'Imran, the story of the Battle of Badr is mentioned, where the number of disbelievers was three times that of the Muslims, and God states concerning this: In that battle, God aided you. The Prophet (s) said to the people in that battle: "Is it not enough that God aided you with three thousand angels?... Now, if you are patient, God will send five thousand angels with the sign of the Muslims to aid you."

It is stated in a hadith that in the Battles of Badr and Hunayn, these angels descended from the heavens, took on human form, and fought alongside the Muslims, killing many of the disbelievers, although the Muslims did not see them. So much so that many of the disbelievers later asked in astonishment: "At the beginning of the battle, your numbers were few. Who were these who joined your army? Those were two-colored horses and white-clad riders who killed our men." One of the characteristics of these angels was the turbans they wore, with their ends hanging over their shoulders.

References

• Biḥār al-Anwār al-Jāmiʿa li-Durar Akhbār al-Aʾimma al-Aṭhār; Muḥammad Bāqir b. Muḥammad Taqī Majlisī, Beirut: Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1403 AH.
• ʿAwālim al-ʿUlūm wa l-Maʿārif wa l-Aḥwāl min al-Āyāt wa l-Akhbār wa l-Aqwāl; ʿAbd Allāh b. Nūr Allāh Baḥrānī Iṣfahānī, edited by Muḥammad Bāqir Muwaḥḥid Abṭaḥī Iṣfahānī, Qom: Muʾassasat al-Imām al-Mahdī (a), 1382 SH.
• al-Ghadīr fī l-Kitāb wa l-Sunna wa l-Adab; ʿAbd al-Ḥusayn Amīnī, Qom: Markaz al-Ghadīr li l-Dirāsāt al-Islāmiyya, 1416 AH.
• Ghadīr dar Qurʾān, Qurʾān dar Ghadīr; Muḥammad Bāqir Anṣārī, Qom: Intishārāt Dalīl-i Mā, 1387 SH.
• Kanz al-ʿUmmāl fī Sunan al-Aqwāl wa l-Afʿāl; ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn ʿAlī b. Ḥusām al-Dīn al-Muttaqī al-Hindī, Beirut: Muʾassasat al-Risāla, n.d.