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BATTLE OF BADR
In the second year of the Hijrah, during the month of
Ramadan, the Muslims came up against the infidels in the
decisive battle of Badr which was to prove the turning
point not only in the destiny of Islam but of the entire
human race.
This event in which the underequipped Muslims emerged
victorious still stands today as one of the founding
moments in Islamic history. The battle of Badr was one of
the major signs of God, in which He demonstrated that those
who believed in Him and His religion would in the end be
made victorious despite the apparently overwhelming
obstacles in store ahead. This day has been remembered in
the Holy Quran as the “Day of
Criterion (between right and wrong)”:
“If you believe in Allah and that
which We revealed unto Our slaves on the Day of Criterion
(between right and wrong), the day when two armies met.”
[Qur'aan 8:41]
The circumstances that led to this battle began with the
news received by the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam) that a great caravan with lots of money
and merchandise, was being led by Abu Sufyan on its way
back to Mecca from Syria. A state of belligerence already
existed between the Muslims and the Quraish, for the latter
was doing all in their power to harm and abuse the Muslims,
to impede their progress and to seize their rising power.
They were sparing none of their financial and physical
resources to get on the job and their armed detachments
very often waded deep into the limits of Madinah and its
pastures to pound upon the Muslims.
Abu Sufyan, was one of the worst enemies of Islam,
therefore, the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam) asked the Muslims to get ready to
intercept the caravan. However, since it was a commercial
caravan the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam) did not make any elaborate arrangements
for fighting, but merely positioned himself in order to
catch it flat-footed.
Informed of the Prophet’s
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam) decision to stop him, Abu Sufyan sent a
courier to Mecca with an urgent request for reinforcements.
Thereupon, the Quraish ably supported and accompanied by
all the notable chiefs of Mecca hastily formed an armed
force. Such support group enlisted every man available
therein from the neighbouring tribes - and this army went
forth to assist the caravan. The Quraish were so flared up
that hardly a man was left behind in Mecca.
FAITHFULNESS OF THE ANSAAR
News came to the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam) that a strong Meccan army was on its way
to engage him in a battle. The Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam) thereupon summoned his followers and
solicited for their advice. He really wanted to ascertain
the reaction of the Ansaars, for, their original oath of
allegiance with him obliged them to defend him in Madinah
and did not compel them to take part in a military
expedition outside their territory. The Muhajirin responded
first and assured him of their help and loyalty. The
Prophet (Sallallahu
'Alaihi Wa Sallam), however, repeated his appeal and
the Muhajirin gave similar reply but the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam) threw the same question once again for
the third time. Now the Ansaar realised that the question
was meant for them. S’ad b. Mu’ad immediately got up to say
in reply, “O Prophet of God, it appears that the question
is directed to us and you want to have our answer. Perhaps
you think, O Prophet of God, that the Ansaar have offered
to help you on their own territory only. I want to tell you
in behalf of the Ansaar that you may lead us wherever you
like, align with whom you may desire or break relations
with whom you may think fit; you may take whatever you
desire from our property and give us as much as you want;
for, whatever you would take from our property would be
dearer to us than what you would leave for us. We will
follow whatever you command us to do. By God, if you go
ahead until you reach Bark Ghimdan, we will accompany you,
and by God if you march into the sea, we will also do it
with you.”
Then Miqdad got up and said, “O Prophet of God, we will
not say as the Children of Israel said to Moses:
Go thou and thy Lord and fight, we
will sit here;
[Qur'aan 5:24]
We will fight with you on your left and on your right,
in your front and in your rear.”
The Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) was delighted to hear
the replies given by his companions. He said,
“Go ahead with glad tidings.”
ENTHUSIASM OF THE YOUNGSTERS
When the detachments went out from Madinahh, a boy of
sixteen, whose name was ‘Umair b. Abi Waqqas also
accompanied the warriors stealthily because he feared that
if the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) saw him, he would
send him back due to his juvenile age. When his elder
brother, S’ad b. Abi Waqqas saw ‘Umair avoiding detection
of the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam), he verified this.
“Umair replied, “I am afraid that the Prophet of God will
send me back due to my age, but I want to take part in the
battle. God may perhaps honour me with martyrdom.” When the
Prophet (Sallallahu
'Alaihi Wa Sallam) saw ‘Umair, he asked him to go
back but he started crying and so he was allowed to stay
with them. ‘Umair was killed in the battle and thus his
hearts’s desire was fullfiled.
(Usd ul-Ghaba, Vol. IV, p. 148)
STRENGTH OF THE CONTENDING
PARTIES
The Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) rallied forth to the
battlefield with three hundred and thirteen combatants who
were not even well-equipped. The Muslims had seventy camels
and two horses on which men rode by turns;
(Zad al-ma’ad,
Vol. I, p. 342) there was nothing to distinguish
the soldiers from the captains, not even the eminent
companions like Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (radiallahu 'anhumaa) or
the Prophet (Sallallahu
'Alaihi Wa Sallam) himself bore any mark of
distinction.
The standard banner of the army was given to Mus’ab b.
‘Umayr, the flag of the Muhajirin was with ‘Ali and that of
the Ansaar with S’ad b. Muadh.
Upon learning of the approaching Muslim army, Abu Sufyan
turned his caravan towards the seacoast. He also sent word
to the Quraish army, when he was at a safe distance from
the Muslims, to go back home as it it was no longer
essential for them to proceed ahead. Many of the Meccans
too wanted to return home but Abu Jahl insisted to charge
ahead in order to punish the raiders. His forces were a
thousand strong with all the veterans and noted fighters of
Mecca and all were well-armed. He did not want to miss the
opportunity to engage the Muslims in battle.
(Zad al-Ma’ad, Vol. I, p. 343 and Ibn Hisham, Vol. pp. 618-19)
On coming to know the names of the Meccan chiefs
accompanying Abu Jahl, the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam) remarked: “Mecca has brought the pieces
of heart to you!”
THE DEMOCRATIC WAY
The Quraish army halted on reaching a Wadi (valley) near
Badr while the Muslims pitched their tents on the other
side of the enemy. Hubab b. Al-Mundhir, however, called
upon the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) to inquire: “O Prophet of
God, is this a place which God has ordered you to occupy,
so that we cannot leave the place, or is it a matter of
opinion and military tactics?” “No”, replied the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam), “It is only a matter of opinion and
military tactics.” Hubab then said, “O Prophet of God, it
is not the place we should occupy.” He suggested another
place nearer to the water (wells of Badr), which was more
suitable for engaging the enemy. The Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam) agreed and ordered his men to move there
immediately. (Ibn
Hisham, Vol. I, p. 620)
The Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) and some of his close
companions were the first ones to arrive at the new camping
ground that evening; a cistern was built and filled with
water from which the enemy was also allowed to replenish
its drinking-vessels.
(Ibn Hisham, Vol.
I, p. 622)
God sent down rain during the night, which caused the
infidels great inconvenience by hindering their movement,
yet, it revived the vanishing spirits of the Muslims by
making the weather pleasant and turning the soft sand of
the wadi (valley) into a compact surface.
This was a sign of victory which God disclosed in the
following verse of the Qur’an:
“And he sent down water from the
sky upon you, that thereby he might purify you, and remove
from you the fear of Satan, and make strong your hearts and
firm (your) feet thereby.”
[Qur'aan 8:11]
PROPHET AS A GENERAL
We find, on this occasion, the Prophet v exhibiting the
marvelous qualities of an experienced military tactician,
which complemented his eternal mission of delivering the
universal guidance to mankind, providing yet another
indication that the inspiration received by him could have
only been from Almighty God. The way in which he organized
his troops for battle, as well as his reactions to the
sudden and surprise attacks by the superior enemy forces
despite the limited number of soldiers needs to be studied
to truly appreciate the prodigious military genius of the
Prophet (Sallallahu
'Alaihi Wa Sallam).
PREPARATION FOR THE FIGHTING
A booth of palm-branches was erected for the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam) on a hill overlooking the battlefield.
Thereafter, the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam) traversed the plain and pointed out the
spots to his companions where the enemy chiefs were to fall
dead. As it was found later on, his predictions proved
entirely correct for not a single Quraish chief was found
slain at a place different from that indicated by the
Prophet of God
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam).
When the two contending forces met, the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) said:
“O God, here come the Quraish
in their vanity and pride: they contend with Thee calling
Thy Prophet a liar.”
This was the night of Friday, the seventeenth of
Ramadan. At the first manifestation of the morning, the
entire force of the Quraish streamed out into the valley
and distributed themselves in the battlefield while the
Muslims positioned before them in the foreground.
(Zad al-Ma’ad, Vol. pp. 343-344)
BESEECHMENT AND ENTREATY TO
THE LORD
The Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) set the ranks of his
force in order and returned to the hut with Abu Bakr.
Putting his head against the earth, he supplicated and
beseeched God for divine assistance. He knew fully well
that if the victory in the battle was to be gauged by sheer
numbers and strength, prowess and weapons of the two
forces, the result was a foregone conclusion. He had no
illusion for he fully realized that the Muslims were weak
and few, and the enemy strong and numerous. He clearly saw
the situation in favour of the Quraish; and now he sought
to counteract it with a heavier weapon. Despondently, he
supplicated to the Lord of the heavens and the earth, Who
engineers all ends and means, to come to the assistance of
Muslims in their hour of difficulty. He appealed to God;
“O God! If thou were to
exterminate this small group of Muslims, Thou will not be
worshipped on Earth any more!” In a state of
extreme exaltation, his hands raised in prayer and on bent
knees supplicated the prayer:
“O God! Fulfill what thou had
promised to me! Help us Thou, O God!” So lost
was he in the prayer that the mantle on his shoulder fell
on the ground. Abu Bakr, who was too distressed to see the
Prophet of God
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) in tears, consoled
and comforted him.
THE TRUE POSITION AND STATURE
OF THE MUSLIMS
The prayer of the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam), although brief, speaks volumes of his
pure-hearted companions, his unflinching confidence in the
assistance of God in the hour of crisis, his feelings of
humility and meekness before God and the serenity of his
own heart. At the same time, the prayer sets forth, in
crystal- clear terms, the true position and stature of the
Muslims amidst the nations of the world; it brings out the
value and necessity of the people who are charged with the
responsibility of taking his mission ahead. It is, in fact,
a plain and clear admission and declaration of the
responsibility lying ahead against these people to submit
in obedience to God.
And so the Prophet’s
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam) prayer was answered by God with a
resounding victory which was beyond the bounds of every
reason and probability. It was but a demonstration of the
truth as well as affirmation of the true character of his
followers.
The Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) returned to his men
before the battle and delivered a short speech stressing
the merits of fighting in the way of God. In the meantime
‘Utbah b. Rabi’a, together with his brother and son, Shayba
and Waleed, stepped forward in a fashion typical of the
Arabs. Three of the Ansaar came forward to contest them,
but the three Quraishites asked, “Who are you?” “We are
Ansaar,” they answered. “You are of noble blood,” said the
Quraish, “But send our peers, the men of our own tribe.”
The Prophet then said, “Go ahead, O ‘Ubayda b. al-Harith,
Hamza and ‘Ali, advance all three of you and grapple with
them.”
The Quraish then said, “Yes. You are noble and our
peers.”
Now ‘Ubayda being the eldest, confronted ‘Utbah b.Rabi’a.
Hamza faced Shayba and ‘Ali came full blast against Waleed.
With a swift dispatch, Hamza and ‘Ali slew their opponents,
but ‘Ubayda and ‘Utba struggled with one another. Hamza and
‘Ali then charged at ‘Utba and got away with him. They
defeated him and brought ‘Ubayda back to their ranks for he
had been badly injured. Later on ‘Ubayda died due to
excessive loss of blood.
(Ibn Hisham, Vol.
I, p. 625).
THE GENERAL ATTACK
The Quraish were now filled with a renewed fury. With a
cry of rage, they darted and assailed the Muslim champions
whereupon the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam) cried, “Rise
for the Paradise which breadth is equal to the heveans and
the earth!”
THE FIRST MARTYR
“Umayr b. al-Hunaim heard the Prophet’s
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) call and asked, “Is the
Paradise equal to the heavens and the earth, O Prophet of
God?” “Yes”, replied the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam). “How great it is”, he said and when the
Prophet (Sallallahu
'Alaihi Wa Sallam) asked what had made him say that,
he replied, “Nothing, O Prophet of God, but I hope that I
might be amongst its inhabitants.” The Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam) told him that he would be among them.
‘Umayr then took some dates out of his quiver and began to
eat them, but suddenly he said, “If I live till my date
last, it would mean delaying it for long.” So he threw away
the dates in his hand and ran to the battlefield and fought
wit the enemy until he was dead. He was the first martyr on
the day of Badr.
(Zad al-Ma’ad, Vol. I, p. 345 and Ibn Hisham, Vol. II, p. 215)
The Muslims fought the Meccans like a firm, united and
disciplined army with the name of God on their lips. Up to
that moment the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam) had remained quiet and collected, but now
he charged into the ranks of the enemy. None was now braver
than he, none dared engage the enemy so closely.
(Ibn Kathir ,
Vol. II, p. 425) God then sent down his angels
to assist the Muslims. The enemy suddenly seemed to be
tamed down and appeared to be driven back by a fierce
charge of invisible warriors.
“When thy Lord inspired the angels
(saying) I am with you. To make those who believe stand
firm. I will throw fear into the hearts of those who
disbelieve. Then smite their necks and smite of them each
finger.”
[Qur'aan 8:12]
THE AMBITION OF TWO BROTHERS
Full of enthusiasm, everybody seemed to be bent upon
outdoing others in deeds of valor and the acquisition of
martyrdom. Even close friends and true brothers vied with
one another to excel over the other. ‘Abdur Rahman b. Auf
says: “I was fighting in my row on the day of Badr, when,
lo! I saw on my right and left two very young boys; and did
not feel quite happy to see them on my sides. Suddenly, one
of them asked me in a low voice, so that his companion
should not hear: O my uncle! Show me Abu Jahl! I said: O my
brother’s son! What have you to do with him? - He answered:
I have vowed before God that I shall kill him when I see
him, or shall be killed by him! - And the other boy spoke
to me likewise in a low voice, so that his companion should
not hear. I pointed him out to them, and they threw
themselves upon the person in question like two hawks and
struck him down. They were the sons of ‘Afra.”
When Abu Jahl was killed, the Prophet of God
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) remarked, “This is Abu
Jahl, the Pharoah of this nation.”
THE GREAT VICTORY
The day of Badr drew towards its close with the Muslims
sensing and already assured of success whereas the infidels
were being trampled in the dust. On this occasion the
Prophet (Sallallahu
'Alaihi Wa Sallam) paid homage to God, saying:
“Praise be to Allah who fulfilled His promise, and helped
His servant and alone routed all the enemies.” That was
exactly what had happened, for the Qur’an also says:
“Allah had given you the
victory at Badr, when you were contemptible. So observe
your duty to Allah in order that you may be thankful.”
[Qur'aan 3:123]
The Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) ordered that the dead
among the infidels should be thrown into a pit. As the
Muslims casted them into the dug hole, the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam) went there and said standing over the
place: “O people of the pit, did you find that what your
Lord said is true? For I have found what my God promised me
to be true.” (Bukhari,
on the authority of Bara b. ‘Azib).
On the day of Badr, seventy infidels were slain and an
equal number were taken captive. Casualties among the
Muslims were fourteen, six belonging to the Muhajirin and
eight to the Ansaar.
(Ibn Kathir, Vol. II, p. 463)
EFFECTS OF BADR’S VICTORY
The Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) returned to Madinah
at the head of a victorious army. The enemies of Islam were
appalled and disheartened by the victory at Badr. Tthe
Prophet’s (Sallallahu
'Alaihi Wa Sallam) prestige sored in Madinah and his
influence extended over the surrounding district. A large
number of persons who had been hesitant for so long from
the place accepted the faith of the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam).
‘Abdallah b. Rawaha was one of the two persons sent by
the Prophet (Sallallahu
'Alaihi Wa Sallam) to Madinah in advance, before he
returned to the city. He gave the good news to the people,
saying, “Rejoice, O Ansaar for the Prophet of God is safe
and infidels have been killed and captured”. Then he
enumerated the names of the Qurayshite nobles that
accompanied the delegation as they found him singing song
of joy; some took the news to be true while others were
confounded. Then the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam) returned to Madinah followed by the
prisoners of war with the Prophet’s
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam) slave Shuqran keeping an eye on them.
(Ib Kathir, Vol.
II, pp. 470-73). When the Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi
Wa Sallam) reached Ruha, the Muslims met and
congratulated him and his companions on the victory God had
given them.
The defeat suffered by the polytheists plunged Mecca
into gloom. There was not a house in the city, which did
not go into mourning.
(Ibn Hisham, Vol.
pp. 647-48). The Meccans stood aghast and
agitated. Abu Sufyan swore that until he had fought with
the Prophet (Sallallahu
'Alaihi Wa Sallam) again he would not take a bath.
The suppressed Muslims of Mecca, on the other hand,
breathed a sigh of relief and felt elated as well as
vindicated.
TIES OF BLOOD OR FAITH
Of the captives was Abu ‘Aziz b. ‘Umayr. B. Hashim, a
real brother of Mus’ab b. ‘Umayr. The two brother were the
standard bearers of the rival armies.
Mus’ab b. ‘Umyr passed by his brother when an Ansaari
young man was tying up the hands of Abu ‘Aziz b. ‘Umayr.
Mus’ab called out, “Bind him fast, for his mother is
sufficiently rich; perhaps she would pay a handsome
ransom.”
Turning to Mus’ab in amazement, Abu ‘Aziz b. ‘Umayr
said, “Brother, is it you to give this counsel?” “You are
not my brother”, replied ‘Umayr, “He is my brother who is
tying up your hands.”
TREATMENT OF THE CAPTIVES
The Prophet
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) ordered his followers
to treat the prisoners generously. He said, “Deal kindly
with them.” Abu ‘Aziz b. ‘Umayr relates that he had lodged
with an Ansaari family after being brought from Badr. They
gave him bread for the morning and evening meals but they
themselves took only dates as ordered by the Messenger of
God (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam). If anybody had a morsel
of bread, he gave it to Abu ‘Aziz although he felt ashamed
and refused it, but they returned it untouched and insisted
on his acceptance of it.
(Ibn Kathir, Vol.
II, p. 475) |