8907 - My father narrated to us, Abu Salih narrated to us, Mu'awiyah ibn Salih narrated to me from 'Ali ibn Abi Talhah, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—raised his hand and said: "O Lord, if You destroy this small band, You will never be worshipped on earth again." So Gabriel—peace be upon him—said to him: "Take a handful of dust." He took a handful of dust and threw it in their faces. Not a single polytheist remained but that dust from that handful struck his eyes, nostrils, and mouth, so they turned their backs and fled.

8908 - Abu Yazid al-Qaratisi informed us—in what he wrote to me—Asbagh narrated to us, Ibn Zayd reported regarding the saying of Allah: "And you threw not when you threw," he said: This was on the day of Badr. The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—took three pebbles, and he threw one pebble at the right flank of the army, one at the left flank of the army, and one between them, and he said: "May the faces be disfigured," and they were defeated. That is the saying of Allah: "And you threw not when you threw, but it was Allah who threw."

The Second Aspect:

8910 - Yunus ibn 'Abd al-A'la narrated to us, 'Abd Allah ibn Wahb reported, Yunus reported from Ibn Shihab, Ibn al-Musayyib informed me, saying: On the day of Uhud, Ubayy ibn Khalaf began to gallop his horse until he drew near to the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Some of the Muslims intercepted Ubayy ibn Khalaf to kill him, so the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said to them: "Stand back," so they stood back. The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—took his spear in his hand and threw it at Ubayy ibn Khalaf, breaking one of his ribs. Ubayy ibn Khalaf returned to his companions in pain, and they carried him while they were retreating. They began to say: "There is nothing [serious] to worry about," but Ubayy, when they said that to him, replied: "By Allah, if this had happened to the rest of the people, it would have killed them! Did he not say: 'I will kill you'—if Allah the Almighty wills?" His companions took him along, covering him until he died on the way, and they buried him. Ibn al-Musayyib said: And regarding this, the Almighty and Majestic revealed: "And you threw not when you threw," the verse.

The Third Aspect:

8911 - Abu Nashit Muhammad ibn Harun narrated to us, Abu al-Mughirah—meaning 'Abd al-Quddus ibn al-Hajjaj—narrated to us, Safwan narrated to us, from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Jubayr that the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—on the day of [the battle against] Ibn Abi al-Huqayq, called for a bow. A long bow was brought to him, and he said: "Bring me another bow." So they brought him...