The Quran

وَإِذ يُريكُموهُم إِذِ التَقَيتُم في أَعيُنِكُم قَليلًا وَيُقَلِّلُكُم في أَعيُنِهِم لِيَقضِيَ اللَّهُ أَمرًا كانَ مَفعولًا ۗ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرجَعُ الأُمورُ

Muhammad Asad

And so, when you met in battle, He made them appear as few in your eyes - just as He made you appear as of little account in their eyes - so that God might accomplish a thing [which He willed] to be done:¹ for all things go back to God [as their source].

See note 45 above. Since at the time of the actual encounter the Muslims could no longer be in doubt as to the great number of the enemy force, the phrase "He made them appear as few in your eyes" has obviously a metaphorical meaning: it implies that, by that time, the Prophet's followers were so full of courage that the enemy appeared insignificant to them. The Quraysh, on the other hand, were so conscious of their own power and numerical superiority that the Muslims appeared but of little account to them - a mistake which ultimately cost them the battle and a great number of lives.