Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever did this and that, then the young men hastened towards it, and the elders (those of greater age) remained steadfast under the banners. When Allah granted them victory, the young men came and began to demand what had been assigned for them, and the elders said: We were your helpers and we were under the banners. So Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed this verse: 'They ask you about the spoils of war. Say: The spoils of war belong to Allah and the Messenger. So fear Allah and set matters right among yourselves.'"

Ikrimah narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) a similar narration, and he reported this addition: We were your supporters; if you have become prominent, it is for our sake that you have become prominent.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said on the occasion of the Battle of Badr: "Whoever accomplishes this feat, for him there will be this reward." So the young men went forth, while the elders remained stationed under the banners. When Allah granted them victory, the young men came and began to demand the spoils of war, while the elders said: We were under the banners and we were your supporters; if you had been defeated, then you would not have given us preference. So Allah the Exalted revealed this verse: "They ask you about the spoils of war. Say: The spoils of war are for Allah." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited (from the beginning of Surah Al-Anfal) until he reached: "Just as Allah brought you out of your home with the truth, while a group of the believers disliked it." Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) distributed the spoils of war equally among them.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that on the day of the Battle of Badr, while the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was in a tent, he said: "O Allah! I ask You by Your covenant and Your promise." Then Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah! You have supplicated to your Lord with great persistence. Then he (the Prophet) came out (of the tent), and was saying: "To Him belongs greatness in the heavens. Rather, the appointed time for them is the Day of Resurrection, and the Day of Resurrection is a great calamity and a very distressing thing."