"The Son of al-Akwaʿ Has Seen Something Terrifying"

Salamah ibn al-Akwaʿ (may Allah be pleased with him) — and this is in al-Bukhārī^* — said: when the retreat started, I was fleeing. And who is this? This is Salamah ibn al-Akwaʿ. Remember the heroic stories of Salamah ibn al-Akwaʿ, spoken of more than once: the story of Dhū Qarad, when he fought the mushrikūn alone; the praise the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) gave him, that the best of our fighters on foot is Salamah ibn al-Akwaʿ. So this is not someone who was weak or not a good fighter; this is one of the best fighters. Salamah ibn al-Akwaʿ said: I was fleeing, and I had two garments on me, and they came undone, so I tied them together and started running. He said: and I passed by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saw me, he said: laqad raʾā Ibnu al-Akwaʿi fazaʿā — the son of al-Akwaʿ has seen something terrifying. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saw Salamah's face, and the way he was running, he said that he had seen something terrifying.

So the situation was dire; the situation was difficult. But even though the situation was difficult — even though the world around you, not just the battlefield, the entire world around you, may be in a mess — Allah (ʿazza wa jall) can give you sakīnah, tranquillity; He can give you peace in your heart even in difficult times like these. While on the other hand, things may be great around you, things may be peaceful, and nevertheless Allah (ʿazza wa jall) puts the exact opposite feeling in the heart: a feeling of despair, a feeling of depression. So one cannot judge matters by the outside; the judgement is based on what is inside, on what is in the hearts. If we follow the rule of Allah (ʿazza wa jall), even though we may go through moments of difficulty, Allah (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) has promised us that after difficulty there is ease: fa-inna maʿa al-ʿusri yusrā, inna maʿa al-ʿusri yusrā — with difficulty comes ease; with difficulty comes ease (94:5–6). It is a promise from Allah (ʿazza wa jall).

And that is why, at the Battle of Badr — the first meeting between the kuffār and the Muslims — it was a moment of difficulty; it was a very difficult moment for the Muslims. They did not know what the outcome would be; but what they saw with their eyes was that they were facing an adversary greater in number, better prepared and better armed, and they were few. In that difficult time, even though there were some difficult feelings in the heart, nevertheless Allah (ʿazza wa jall) says that slumber came over them (8:11): they slept; they felt this drowsiness and slept in this difficult time. And here at the Battle of Ḥunayn, Allah (ʿazza wa jall) says — even though, as was said of the situation of Salamah, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was calling the people and no one was responding; everybody was running away — after this, after this difficulty, what happened? Allah (ʿazza wa jall) says: thumma anzala Allāhu sakīnatahu ʿalā rasūlihi wa ʿalā al-muʾminīna wa anzala junūdan lam tarawhā wa ʿadhdhaba alladhīna kafarū, wa dhālika jazāʾu al-kāfirīn. Allah (ʿazza wa jall) sent down tranquillity upon the Messenger and upon the believers, and He supported them with soldiers whom you did not see.

What are the soldiers of Allah? Angels. There is one narration that says: we saw a black cloud falling from the sky, and when it landed on the ground we saw numerous ants — it was like a carpet of ants — and we thought that these were the angels who had come from Allah (ʿazza wa jall). Allah knows how authentic this may be: the verse could mean this, or it could carry a different meaning; but regardless, Allah (ʿazza wa jall) says that He provided them with soldiers. And this changed the situation, and it changed it in a way that was unimaginable — because what Abū Sufyān said, and what Kaladah ibn al-Ḥanbal said, has been seen, and the response of the Companions, most of whom retreated, with only a small number remaining with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).