THE BATTLE OF BADR THE FIRST DECISIVE BATTLE IN THE HISTORY OF ISLAM REASON OF THE BATTLE:
We have already spoken about Al‘Ushairah Invasion when a caravan belonging to Quraish had escaped
an imminent military encounter with the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and his men. When their return
from Syria approached, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) despatched Talhah bin ‘Ubaidullâh and Sa‘id
bin Zaid northward to scout around for any movements of this sort. The two scouts stayed at Al-Hawra’
for some days until Abu Sufyan, the leader of the caravan, passed by them. The two men hurried back
to Madinah and reported to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) their findings. Great wealth amounting to
50 thousand gold Dinars guarded by 40 men moving relatively close to Madinah constituted a tempting
target for the Muslim military, and provided a potentially heavy economic, political and military strike
that was bound to shake the entire structure of the Makkan polytheists.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) immediately exhorted the Muslims to rush out and waylay the
caravan to make up for their property and wealth they were forced to give up in Makkah. He did not
give orders binding to everyone, but rather gave them full liberty to go out or stay back, thinking that it
would be just an errand on a small scale.
The Muslim army was made up of 300-317 men, 82-86 Emigrants, 61 from Aws and 170 from Khazraj.
They were not well-equipped nor adequately prepared. They had only two horses belonging to Az-
Zubair bin Al‘standard was in the hand of Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh. Az-Zubair bin Al-‘Awwam was appointed to the leadership
of the right flank, Al-Miqdad bin ‘Amr to lead the left flank, and the rear of the army was at the
command of Qais bin Abi Sa‘sa‘ah. The General Commander-in-Chief was the Prophet (Peace be upon
him), of course.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him), at the head of his army, marched out along the main road leading to
Makkah. He then turned left towards Badr and when he reached As-Safrâ’, he despatched two men to
scout about for the camels of Quraish.
Abu Sufyan, on the other hand, was on the utmost alert. He had already been aware that the route he
was following was attended with dangers. He was also anxious to know about the movements of
Muhammad (Peace be upon him). His scouting men submitted to him reports to the effect that the
Muslims were lying in ambush for his caravan. To be on the safe side, he hired Damdam bin ‘Amr Al Ghifari
The effect of this hue and cry was instantaneous and the news stunned Quraish and they immediately
remembered their pride that was wounded when the Muslims had intercepted Al-Hadrami caravan.
They therefore swiftly mustered almost all of their forces and none stayed behind except Abu Lahab,
who delegated someone who owed him some money. They also mobilized some Arab tribes to
contribute to the war against the Prophet (Peace be upon him). All the clans of Quraish gave their
consent except Banu ‘Adi. Soon an excited throng of 1300 soldiers including 100 horsemen and 600
mailed soldiers with a large number of camels, was clamouring to proceed to fight the Muslims. For
food supplies, they used to slaughter an alternate number of camels of ten and nine every day. They
were however afraid that Banu Bakr, on account of old long deep-seated animosity, would attack their rear. At that critical moment, Iblis (Satan) appeared to them in the guise of Suraqa bin Malik bin
Ju‘sham Al-Mudlaji — chief of Bani Kinana — saying to them: “I guarantee that no harm will happen
from behind.”
They set out burning with indignation, motivated by a horrible desire for revenge and exterminating
anyone that might jeopardize the routes of their caravans:
l “…boastfully and to be seen of men, and hinder (men) from the path of Allâh. ” [8:47]
Or as the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:
l “
O Allâh these are the haughty and conceited; they have come defying Allâh and defying His
Messenger.”
They moved swiftly northward to Badr. On the way they received another message from Abu Sufyan
asking them to go back home because the caravan had escaped the Muslims. Incidentally, Abu Sufyan,
on learning the intention of the Muslims, led his caravan off the main route, and inclined it towards the
Red Sea. By this manoeuvre, he was able to slip past the Madinese ambush and was out of their reach.
On receiving Abu Sufyan’s message, the Makkan army showed a desire to return home. The tyrant Abu
Jahl, however haughtily and arrogantly insisted that they proceed to Badr, stay three nights there for
making festivities. Now they wanted to punish the Muslims and prevent them from intercepting their
caravans, and impress on the Arabs that Quraish still had the upper hand and enjoyed supremacy in
that area.
Abu Jahl’s threats and insistence notwithstanding, Banu Zahrah, acting on the advice of Al-Akhnas bin
Shuraiq, broke away and returned to Makkah. Thenceforth Al-Akhnas remained ‘the well-rubbed palm
tree’ for Bani Zahrah and was blindly obeyed in all relevant matters.
Banu Hashim were also inclined to break away, but Abu Jahl’s threats made them desist from that idea.
The rest of the army, now 1000 soldiers, approached Badr and encamped themselves beyond a sand
dune at Al‘
Udwat
Al-Quswa.
‘The intelligence corps’ of the Madinese army reported to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) that a
bloody encounter with the Makkans was inescapable, and that a daring step in this context had to be
taken, or else the forces of evil would violate the inviolable and would consequently manage to
undermine the noble cause of the Islam and tread upon its faithful adherents. The Muslims were afraid
that the pagan Makkans would march on and start the war activities within the headquarters of Islam,
Madinah. A move of such nature would certainly damage and produce an infamous impact on the
dignity and stance of the Muslims.
On account of the new grave developments, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) held an advisory military
emergency meeting to review the ongoing situation and exchange viewpoints with the army leaders.
Admittedly, some Muslims feared the horrible encounter and their courage began to waver; in this
regard, Allâh says:
l “
As your Lord caused you (O Muhammad [Peace be upon him) ] to go out from your home with
the Truth, and verily, a party among the believers disliked it, disputing with you concerning the
Truth after it was made manifest, as if they were being driven to death while they were looking
(at it).” [8:5, 6]
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) apprised his men of the gravity of the situation and asked for their
advice. Abu Bakr was the first who spoke on the occasion and assured the Prophet (Peace be upon him) of the unreserved obedience to his command. ‘Umar was the next to stand up and supported the views
expressed by his noble friend. Then Al-Miqdad bin ‘Amr got up and said: “O Messenger of Allâh!
Proceed where Allâh directs you to, for we are with you. We will not say as the Children of Israel said to
Moses (Peace be upon him):
l “Go you and your Lord and fight and we will stay here;”
Rather we shall say:
l “
Go you and yourLord and fight and we will fight along with you.”
By Allâh! If you were to take us to Bark Al-Ghimad, we will still fight resolutely with you against its
defenders until you gained it.”
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) thanked him and blessed him.
The three leaders who spoke were from the Emigrants, who only constituted a minor section of the
army. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) wanted, and for the more reason, to hear the Helpers’ view
because they were the majority of the soldiers and were expected to shoulder the brunt of the war
activities. Moreover, the clauses of Al‘
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) then said: “Advise me my men!”
by which he meant the Helpers, in particular. Upon this Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh stood up and said: “By Allâh, I
feel you want us (the Helpers) to speak.” The Prophet (Peace be upon him) directly said: “Oh, yes!”
Sa‘d said: “O Prophet of Allâh! We believe in you and we bear witness to what you have vouchsafed to
us and we declare in unequivocal terms that what you have brought is the Truth. We give you our firm
pledge of obedience and sacrifice. We will obey you most willingly in whatever you command us, and by
Allâh, Who has sent you with the Truth, if you were to ask us to plunge into the sea, we will do that
most readily and not a man of us will stay behind. We do not grudge the idea of encounter with the
enemy. We are experienced in war and we are trustworthy in combat. We hope that Allâh will show you
through our hands those deeds of valour which will please your eyes. Kindly lead us to the battlefield in
the Name of Allâh.”
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) was impressed with the fidelity and the spirit of sacrifice which his
companions showed at this critical juncture. Then he said to them: “Forward and be of cheer, for Allâh
has promised me one of the two (the lucrative course through capturing the booty or strife in the cause
of Allâh against the polytheists), and by Allâh it is as if I now saw the enemy lying prostrate.”
In the immediate vicinity of Badr, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and his cavemate Abu Bakr
conducted a scouting operation during which they managed to locate the camp of Quraish. They came
across an old bedouin nearby whom they manipulated and managed to extract from him the exact
location of the army of the polytheists. In the evening of the same day, he despatched three Emigrant
leaders, ‘Ali bin Abi Talib, Az-Zubair bin Al‘
Awwam admitted that they were water carriers working for Quraish. But that answer did not please some
Muslims and they beat the two boys severely in order to exact from them an answer, even if it isn’t
true, alluding to the caravan laden with wealth. The two boys thus lied, and so they were released. The
Prophet (Peace be upon him) was angry with those men and censured them saying: “On telling the
truth, you beat them, and on telling a lie, you released them!” He then addressed the two boys and
after a little conversation with them he learned a lot about the enemy: number of soldiers, their exact
location and names of some of their notables. He then turned to the Muslims and said: “Hearken,
Quraish has sent you their most precious lives.” The same night it rained on both sides. For the polytheists it obstructed further progress, whereas it
was a blessing for the Muslims. It cleaned them and removed from them the stain of Satan. Allâh sent
rain to strengthen their hearts and to plant their feet firmly therewith. They marched a little forward
and encamped at the farther bank of the valley. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) stopped at the
nearest spring of Badr. Al-Hubab bin Mundhir asked him, “Has Allâh inspired you to choose this very
spot or is it stratagem of war and the product of consultation?” The Prophet (Peace be upon him)
replied “It is stratagem of war and consultation.” Al-Hubab said: “This place is no good; let us go and
encamp on the nearest water well and make a basin or reservoir full of water, then destroy all the other
wells so that they will be deprived of the water.” The Prophet (Peace be upon him) approved of his plan
and agreed to carry it out, which they actually did at midnight.
Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh suggested that a trellis be built for the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to function as
headquarters for the Muslim army and a place providing reasonable protection for the leader. Sa‘d
began to justify his proposal and said that if they had been victorious, then everything would be
satisfactory. In case of defeat, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) would not be harmed and he could go
back to Madinah where there were more people who loved him and who would have come for help if
they had known that he was in that difficult situation, so that he would resume his job, hold counsel
with them and they would strive in the cause of Allâh with him again and again.
A squad of guards was also chosen from amongst the Helpers under the leadership of the same man,
Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh, in order to defend the Prophet (Peace be upon him) in his headquarters.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) spent the whole night preceding the day of the battle in prayer and
supplication. The Muslim army, wearied with their long march, enjoyed sound and refreshing sleep, a
mark of the Divine favour and of the state of their undisturbed minds.
l “
(Remember) when He covered you with a slumber as a security from Him, and He caused rain to
descend on you from the sky, to clean you thereby and to remove from you the Rijz (whispering,
evil suggestions, etc.) of Satan, and to strengthen your hearts, and make your feet firm
thereby.” [8:11]
That was Friday night, Ramadan 17th., the year 2 A.H.
In the morning, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) called his men to offer the prayers and then urged
them to fight in the way of Allâh. As the sun rose over the desert, the Prophet(Peace be upon him)
drew up his little army, and pointing with an arrow which he held in his hand, arranged the ranks.
Quraish, on the other hand, positioned their forces in Al-‘Udwat Al-Quswa opposite the Muslim lines. A
few of them approached, in a provocative deed, to draw water from the wells of Badr, but were all shot
dead except one, Hakeem bin Hizam, who later became a devoted Muslim. ‘Umair bin Wahab AlJumahi,
When the two parties approached closer and were visible to each other, the Prophet (Peace be upon
him) began supplicating Allâh “O Allâh! The conceited and haughty Quraishites are already here defying
You and belying Your Messenger. O Allâh! I am waiting for Your victory which You have promised me. I
beseech You Allâh to defeat them (the enemies).” He also gave strict orders that his men would not
start fighting until he gave them his final word. He recommended that they use their arrows sparingly and never resort to sword unless the enemies came too close.
Abu Jahl also prayed for victory, saying: “Our Lord, whichever of the two parties was less kind to his
relatives, and brought us what we do not know, then destroy him tomorrow.”. They were confident
ththeir superior number, equipment and experience would be decisive. The Noble Qur’ân, with a play on
the word, told them that the decision had come, and the victory — but not in the sense they had hoped
for:
l “
(O disbelievers) if you ask for a judgement, now has the judgement come unto you and if you
cease (to do wrong), it will be better for you, and if you return (to the attack), so shall we
return, and your forces will be of no avail to you, however numerous it be, and verily, Allâh is
with the believers.” [8:19]
The first disbeliever to trigger the fire of the battle and be its first victim was Al-Aswad bin ‘Abdul Asad
Al-Makhzumi, a fierce bad-tempered idolater. He stepped out swearing he would drink from the water
basin of the Muslims, otherwise, destroy it or die for it. He engaged with Hamzah bin ‘Abdul Muttalib,
who struck his leg with his sword and dealt him another blow that finished him off inside the basin.
The battle had actually started. Protected by armour and shields, ‘Utbah bin Rabi‘a stepped forth
between his brother Shaibah and his son Al-Waleed bin ‘Utbah from the lines of Quraish and hurled
maledictions at the Muslims. Three young men of the Helpers came out against them: ‘Awf and
Mu‘wwadh — the sons of Harith, and ‘Abdullah bin Rawaha. But the Makkans yelled that they had
nothing to do with them. They wanted the heads of their cousins. Upon this the Prophet (Peace be upon
him) asked ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Harith, Hamzah — his uncle, and his cousin ‘Ali (May Allah be pleased with
him) to go forward for the combat. The three duels were rapid. Hamzah killed Shaibah, while ‘Ali killed
Al-Waleed. ‘Ubaidah was seriously wounded but, before he fell, Hamzah fell upon ‘Utbah and with a
sweep of his sword, cut off his head. ‘Ali and Hamzah carried ‘Ubaidah back with his leg cut off. He died
four or five days later of a disease in the bile duct.
‘
Ali was possessed of a deep conviction that Allâh’s Words were revealed:
l “These two opponents (believers and disbelievers) dispute with each other about their
Lord.” [22:19]
These verses were revealed in connection with men of Faith who confess their Lord and seek to carry
out His Will (i.e. Muhammad ’s followers at Badr Battle), and men who deny their Lord and defy Him
(the people of Quraish).
The duel was followed by a few more duels but the Makkans suffered terrible defeats in all the combats
and lost some of their most precious lives. They were too much exasperated and enraged and fell upon
the Muslims to exterminate them once and for all. The Muslims, however, after supplicating their Lord,
calling upon Him for assistance, were made to hold to their position and conduct a defensive war plan
that was successful enough to inflict heavy losses on the attackers. The Prophet (Peace be upon him)
used to pray to his Lord ceaselessly persistently and day and night to come to their succour. When the
fierce engagement grew too hot he again began to supplicate his Lord saying:
l “O Allâh! Should this group (of Muslims) be defeated today, You will no longer be worshipped.”
He continued to call out to his Lord, stretching forth his hands and facing Al-Qiblah, until his cloak fell
off his shoulders. Then Abu Bakr came, picked up the cloak, and put it back on his shoulders and said:
“
O Prophet of Allâh, you have cried out enough to your Lord. He will surely fulfill what He has promised
you.”
Immediate was the response from Allâh, Who sent down angels from the heavens for the help and assistance of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and his companions. The Noble Qur’ân observes:
l “Verily, I am with you, so keep firm those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of
those who have disbelieved.” [8:12]
Allâh, the All-Mighty, also inspired another message to His Messenger, saying:
l “I will help you with a thousand of the angels each behind the other (following one another) in
succession.” [8:9]
The Prophet (Peace be upon him), in his trellis, dozed off a little and then raised his head joyfully
crying:
l “
O Abu Bakr, glad tidings are there for you: Allâh’s victory has approached, by Allâh, I can see
Gabriel on his mare in the thick of a sandstorm.”
He then jumped out crying:
l “
Their multitude will be put to flight, and they will show their backs.” [54:45]
At the instance of Gabriel, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) took a handful of gravel, cast it at the
enemy and said: “Confusion seize their faces!” As he flung the dust, a violent sandstorm blew like
furnace blast into the eyes of the enemies. With respect to this, Allâh says:
l “And you [i.e. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ] threw not when you did throw but Allâh
threw.” [8:17]
Only then did he give clear orders to launch a counter-attack. He was commanding the army, inspiring
confidence among his men and exhorting them to fight manfully for the sake of their Lord, reciting the
Words of Allâh:
l “
And be quick for forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as are the heavens and
the earth.” [3:133]
The spirit he infused into his men was clearly witnessed by the valour of ‘Umair, a lad of sixteen, who
flung away some dates he was eating crying out: “These (the dates) are holding me back from
Paradise.” So saying he plunged into the thick of the battle and died fighting bravely. Unique deeds of
valour, deep devotion and full obedience to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) were exhibited in the
process of the battle. The army of the faithfuls was borne forward by the power of enthusiasm which
the half-hearted warriors of Makkah miserably lacked. A large number of the polytheists were killed and
the others began to waver. No wonder! The standard-bearers of Truth were given immediate help, and
supernatural agencies (the angels), were sent to their assistance by their Lord to help them defeat the
forces of evil.
The records of Hadith speak eloquently of the fact that the angels did appear on that day and fought on
the side of the Muslims. Ibn ‘Abbas said: “While on that day a Muslim was chasing a disbeliever and he
heard over him the swashing of a whip and the voice of the rider saying: ‘Go ahead Haizum’. He
glanced at the polytheist who had (now) fallen down on his back. The Helper came to the Messenger of
Allâh (Peace be upon him) and related that event to him. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) replied:
‘You have told the truth. This was the help from the third heaven.”
One of the Helpers captured ‘Abbas bin ‘Abdul Muttalib, who said: “O Messenger of Allâh, by Allâh this
man did not capture me. I was captured by a man who was bald and had the most handsome face, and who was riding a piebald horse, I cannot see him here among the people.” The Helper interrupted: “I
captured him, O Messenger of Allâh.” The Prophet (Peace be upon him) replied:
l “
Be quiet, Allâh the All-Mighty strengthened you with the help of a noble angel.”
Iblîs, the archsatan, in the guise of Suraqah bin Malik bin Ju‘sham Al-Mudlaji, on seeing angels working
in favour of the Muslims, and Quraish rapidly losing ground on the battlefield, made a quick retreat
despite the polytheists’ pleas to stay on. He ran off and plunged into the sea.
The ranks of Quraish began to give way and their numbers added nothing but confusion. The Muslims
followed eagerly their retreating steps, slaying or taking captive all that fell within their reach. Retreat
soon turned into ignominious rout; and they flied in haste, casting away their armour, abandoned
beasts of burden, camp and equipage.
The great tyrant Abu Jahl, however, on seeing the adverse course of the battle, tried to stop the tidal
wave of the Islamic victory by nerving the polytheists and encouraging them by all means available and
adjuring them by Al-Lat and ‘Uzza and all symbols of paganism to stand firm in place and retaliate
against the Muslims, but to no avail. Their morale had already been drastically reduced to zero, and
their lines broken down. He then began to realize the reality of his arrogance and haughtiness. None
remained around him except a gang of doomed polytheists whose resistance was also quelled by an
Islamic irresistible storm of true devotion-based valour and Islam-orientated pursuit of martyrdom. Jahl
was deserted and left by himself on his horse waiting for death at the hand of two courageous lads of
the Helpers.
‘
Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Awf related the following interesting story in this regard: I was in the thick of the
battle when two youths, still seemingly inexperienced in the art of fighting, one on the right and the
second on the left. One of them spoke in a secret voice asking me to show him Abu Jahl. I asked about
his intention, to which he replied, that he had a strong desire to engage with him in a combat until
either of them was killed. It was something incredible to me. I turned left and the other said something
to the same effect and showed a similar desire. I acceded to their earnest pleas and pointed directly at
their target. They both rushed swiftly towards the spot, and without a moment’s hesitation struck him
simultaneously with their swords and finished him off. They went back to the Messenger of Allâh (Peace
be upon him), each claiming that he had killed Abu Jahl to the exclusion of the other. The Prophet
(Peace be upon him)asked if they had wiped the blood off their swords and they answered that they
had not. He then examined both swords and assured them that they both had killed him. When the
battle concluded, Abu Jahl’s spoils were given to Mu‘adh bin ‘Amr bin Al-Jumuh, because the other
bin Mas‘ud found him on the verge of death breathing his last. He stepped on his neck addressing him:
“Have you seen how Allâh has disgraced you?” The enemy of Islam still defiantly answered: “I am not
disgraced. I am no more than a man killed by his own people on the battlefield.” And then inquired
“Who has won the battle?” Ibn Mas‘ud replied “Allâh and His Messenger.” Abu Jahl then said with a
heart full of grudge “You have followed difficult ways, you shepherd!” Ibn Mas‘ud used to be a shepherd
working for the Makkan aristocrats.
Ibn Mas‘ud then cut off his head and took it to the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) who, on
seeing it, began to entertain Allâh’s praise:
l “Allâh is Great, praise is to Allâh, Who has fulfilled His Promise, assisted His servant and defeated
the confederates alone.”
He then set out to have a look at the corpse. There he said: “This is the Pharaoh of this nation.”
SOME SIGNIFICANT INSTANCES OF DEVOTION:
1.The Prophet (Peace be upon him) advised his companions to preserve the lives of Banu Hashim
who had gone out to Badr with the polytheists unwillingly because they had feared the censure of
their people. Among them, he named Al‘Abbas bin‘Abdul Muttalib and Abu Bukhtaribin
surprise and commented saying: “We kill our fathers, children, brothers and members of our
clan, and then come to spare Al-‘Abbas? By Allâh! If I see him I will surely strike him with my
sword.” On hearing these words, the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him), addressing ‘Umar
bin Al-Khattab, said “Is it fair that the face of the Messenger’s uncle be struck with sword?”
‘
Umar got indignant and threatened to kill Abu Hudhaifah; the latter later said that extreme fear
had taken firm grip of him and felt that nothing except martyrdom could expiate for his mistake.
He was actually killed later on during Al-Yamamah events.
2.Abu Al-Bukhtari bin Hisham had already done his best to restrain his people, the Makkans, from
committing any act of folly against the Prophet (Peace be upon him) while the latter was still in
Makkah. He also neither hurt nor was reported to have uttered anything repugnant with regard
to the Prophet (Peace be upon him). He had as well been among the people who tried to
invalidate the boycott alliance taken against Banu Hashim and Banu ‘Abdul Muttalib.
l
Here, however, in the battle of Badr he insisted on fighting unless his compatriot was spared. AlMujdhir
3. ‘Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Awf and Omaiyah bin Khalaf had been close friends during the pre-Islamic
era. When the battle of Badr ended, ‘Abdur-Rahman saw Omaiyah and his son among the
captives. He threw away the armour he had as spoils, and walked with them both. Bilal, the
Prophet’s caller for prayer, saw Omaiyah and soon all the torture he had been put to at the hand
of this man dawned upon him, and swore he would have revenge on Omaiyah. ‘Abdur-Rahman
tried to ease the tension and address embarrassing situation amicably but with no success. The
Muslims gathered around and struck Omaiyah’s son with swords. At this point, ‘Abdur-Rahman
called upon his old friend to run for his life but he was put to swords from different people and
lay down dead. ‘Abdur-Rahman, completely helpless and resigned said: May Allâh have mercy on
Bilal, for he deprived me of the spoils, and I have been stricken by the death of my two captives.
4.On the moral level, the battle of Badr was an inescapable conflict between the forces of good and
those of evil. In this context, ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab did not spare the life of any polytheist even
his uncle on the maternal side Al‘
my wealth, you wicked boy?” The son answered that it was gone with the wind.
6.When the battle ended, the Muslims began to hold some polytheists in captivity. The Prophet
(Peace be upon him) looked into the face of Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh, the Head of the Prophet’s guards,
and understood that he was hateful to taking the enemy elements as prisoners. Sa‘d agreed to
what the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said and added that it was the first victory for the Muslims
over the forces of polytheism, and he had more liking for slaying them than sparing their lives.
7.On the day of Badr, the sword of ‘Ukashah bin Mihsan Al-Asdi broke down so the Prophet (Peace
be upon him) gave him a log of wood which he shook and it immediately turned into a long
strong white sword. ‘Ukashah went on using that same sword in most of the Islamic conquests
until he died in the process of the apostasy wars.
8.When the war activities had been concluded, Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair Al-‘Abdari saw his brother, still a
polytheist, being handcuffed by a Ansari. Mus‘ab recommended that the Helper tighten the knot
for the prisoner’s mother was wealthy enough to ransom her son. ‘Abu ‘Aziz, Mus‘ab’s brother,
tried to appeal to his brother through the family ties, but the latter firmly replied that the Helper
was more eligible for brotherhood than him.
9.When the Prophet (Peace be upon him) ordered that the corpses of the polytheists be dropped
into an empty well, Abu Hudhaifah bin ‘Utbah looked sadly at his dead father, who fought on the
side of the polytheists. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) noticed that and asked him about it.
Hudhaifah said that he had never held the least doubt that his father met his fate deservedly, but
added that he wished he had been guided to the path of Islam, and that is why he felt sad. The
Prophet (Peace be upon him) whispered in his ears some comforting words. The outcome of the battle was as aforementioned an ignominious rout for the polytheists and a
manifest victory for the Muslims. Fourteen Muslims were killed, of whom six were from the Emigrants
and eight from the Helpers. The polytheists sustained heavy casualties, seventy were killed and a like
number taken prisoners. Many of the principal men of Makkah, and some of Muhammad ’s bitterest
opponents, were among the slain. Chief of these was Abu Jahl.
On the third day, the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) went out to look at the slain polytheists,
and said:
l “
What an evil tribe you were as regards your Prophet, you belied me but the others have
believed; you let me down while the others have supported me; you expelled m, whereas the
others have sheltered me.”
He stood over the bodies of twenty-four leaders of Quraish who had been thrown into one of the wells,
and started to call them by name and by the names of their fathers, saying: “Would it not have been
much better for you if you had obeyed Allâh and His Messenger? Behold, we have found that our Lord’s
promise do come true; did you (also) find that the promises of your Lord came true?” Thereupon, ‘Umar
bin Al-Khattab said: “O Messenger of Allâh! Why you speak to bodies that have no souls in them?” The
Prophet (Peace be upon him) answered: “By Him in Whose hand is Muhammad ’s soul! You do not hear
better what I am saying than they do.”
REACTION IN MAKKAH:
The polytheists having received a large dose of disciplining and heavy defeat, fled away in great
disorder in the vales and hillocks heading for Makkah panicked and too ashamed to see their people.
Ibn Ishaq related that the first herald of bad tidings was Al-Haisaman bin ‘Abdullah Al-Khuza‘i. He
narrated to them how their notables were killed. People there did not believe him at first and thought
that he had gone mad, but soon the news was confirmed and a state of incredible bewilderment
overwhelmed the whole Makkan scene. Abu Sufyan bin Al-Harith gave Abu Lahab a full account of the
massacre and the disgraceful rout they sustained, with emphasis on the role that the angels played in
bringing about their tragic end. Abu Lahab could not contain himself and gave vent to his feelings of
resentment in beating, abusing and slapping Abu Rafi‘, a Muslim, but reticent on his conversion, for
reiterating the role of the angels. Umm Al-Fadl, another Muslim woman, greatly exasperated by Abu
Lahab’s thoughtless behaviour, struck him with a log and cracked his head. Seven days later, he died of
an ominous ulcer and was left for three days unburied. His sons, however, for fear of shameful
rumours, drove him to a pit and keeping their distance, hurled stones and dust at him.
The defeat was a matter of great shame and grief for the Makkans. In almost every house there were
silent tears for the dead and the captives. They were burning with humiliation and were thirsting for
revenge. Wailing, lamenting and crying however were decreed strictly forbidden lest the Muslims should
rejoice at their affliction.
MADINAH RECEIVES THE NEWS OF VICTORY:
Two heralds, ‘Abdullah bin Rawahah and Zaid bin Harithah were despatched to Madinah, to convey the
glad tidings of victory to the Muslims there.
The multi-ethnic and ideological structure of Madinah featured different respective reactions. Rumourmongersleading to Badr.
Usamah bin Zaid related that they received the news of the manifest victory shortly after Ruqaiyah, the
Prophet ’s daughter, and the wife of ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan had been committed to earth. She had been
terminally ill and the Prophet (Peace be upon him) had asked ‘Uthman to stay in Madinah and look after
her.
Before leaving the scene of the battle, dispute concerning the spoils of war arose among the Muslim
warriors, as the rule relating to their distribution had not yet been legislated. When the difference grew
wider, the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) suspended any solution whereof until the Revelation
was sent down.
‘
Ubadah bin As-Samit said: “We went out with the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) and I
witnessed Badr with him. The battle started and Allâh, the Exalted, defeated the enemy. Some of the
Muslims sought and pursued the enemy, some were intent on collecting the spoils from the enemy
camp, and others were guarding the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) and were on the alert for
any emergency or surprise attack. When night came and the Muslims gathered together, those who had
collected the booty said: “We collected it, so no one else has any right to it.” Those who had pursued
the enemy said: “You do not have more right to it than we do; we held the enemy at bay and then
defeated them.” As for the men who had been guarding the Prophet (Peace be upon him), they also
made similar claims to the spoils.
At that very time, a Qur’ânic verse was revealed saying:
l “
They ask you [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ] about the spoils of war. Say: ‘The spoils are
for Allâh and the Messenger.’ So fear Allâh and adjust all matters of difference among you, and
obey Allâh and His Messenger [Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ], if you are believers.” [8:1]
On their way back to Madinah, at a large sand hill, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) divided the spoils
equally among the fighters after he had taken Al-Khums (one-fifth). When they reached As-Safra’, he
ordered that two of the prisoners should be killed. They were An-Nadr bin Al-Harith and ‘Uqbah bin Abi
Muait, because they had persecuted the Muslims in Makkah, and harboured deep hatred towards Allâh
and His Messenger (Peace be upon him). In a nutshell, they were criminals of war in modern
terminology, and their execution was an awesome lesson to oppressors. ‘Uqbah forgot his pride and
cried out, “Who will look after my children O Messenger of Allâh?” The Prophet (Peace be upon him)
answered, “The fire (of Hell). ” Did ‘Uqbah not remember the day when he had thrown the entrails of a
sheep onto the head of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) while he was prostrating himself in prayer,
and Fatimah had come and washed it off him? He had also strangled the Prophet (Peace be upon him)
with his cloak if it had not been for Abu Bakr to intervene and release the Prophet (Peace be upon him).
The heads of both criminals were struck off by ‘Ali bin Abi Talib.
At Ar-Rawhâ’, a suburb of Madinah, the Muslim army was received by the joyous Madinese who had
come to congratulate the Prophet (Peace be upon him) on the manifest victory that Allâh had granted
him. Usaid bin Hudair, acting as a mouthpiece of the other true believers, after entertaining Allâh’s
praise, he excused himself for not having joined them on grounds that the Prophet ’s intention was
presumably, an errand aiming to intercept a caravan of camels only, he added that if it had occurred to
him that it would be real war, he would have never tarried. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) assured
Usaid that he had believed him.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) now entered Madinah as a man to be counted for in a new dimension
—
the military field. In consequence, a large number of the people of Madinah embraced Islam, which
added a lot to the strength, power and moral standing of the true religion.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) exhorted the Muslims to treat the prisoners so well to such an extent
that the captors used to give the captives their bread (the more valued part of the meal) and keep thedates for themselves.
Prisoners of war constituted a problem awaiting resolution because it was a new phenomenon in the
history of Islam. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) consulted Abu Bakr and ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab as to
what he should do with the prisoners. Abu Bakr suggested that he should ransom them, explaining this
by saying: “They are after all our relatives, and this money would give us strength against the
disbelievers, moreover, Allâh could guide them to Islam.” ‘Umar advised killing them, saying, “They are
the leaders of Kufr (disbelief).” The Prophet (Peace be upon him) preferred Abu Bakr’s suggestion to
that of ‘Umar’s. The following day, ‘Umar called on the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr to
see them weeping. He shextreme astonishment and inquired about the situation so that he might weep
if it was worth weeping for, or else he would feign weeping.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said that a Qur’ânic verse had been revealed rebuking them for
taking ransom from the captives rather than slaying them:
l “It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war (and free them with ransom) until he
had made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the land. You desire the good of this world
(i.e. the money of ransom for freeing the captives), but Allâh desires (for you) the Hereafter. And
Allâh is All-Mighty, All-Wise. Were it not a previous ordainment from Allâh, a severe torment
would have touched you for what you took.” [8:67,68]
The previous Divine ordainment went as follows,
l “
Thereafter (is the time) either for generosity (i.e. free them without ransom) or ransom.” [47:4]
Which included an area providing permission to take ransom, that is why no penalty was imposed. They
were rebuked only for taking prisoners before subduing all the land of disbelief. Apart from this, the
polytheists taken to Madinah were not only prisoners of war but rather archcriminals of war whom
modern war penal law brings to justice to receive their due sentence of death or prison for life.
The ransom for the prisoners ranged between 4000 and 1000 Dirhams in accordance with the captive’s
financial situation. Another form of ransom assumed an educational dimension; most of the Makkans,
unlike the Madinese, were literate and so each prisoner who could not afford the ransom was entrusted
with ten children to teach them the art of writing and reading. Once the child had been proficient
enough, the instructor would be set free. Another clan of prisoners were released unransomed on
grounds of being hard up. Zainab, the daughter of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), paid the ransom of
her husband Abul
Madinah, which he actually did.
In captivity, there was also an eloquent orator called Suhail bin ‘Amr. ‘Umar suggested that they pull
out his front teeth to disable him from speaking, but the Prophet (Peace be upon him) turned down his
suggestion for fear Quraish should retaliate in the same manner on one hand, and on the other for fear
of Allâh’s wrath on the Day of Resurrection.
Sa‘d bin An-Nu‘man, a lesser pilgrim detained in Makkah, was released in return for setting Abu
Sufyan’s son, a captive, free.
THE BATTLE OF BADR IN ITS QUR'ANIC CONTEXT:
The Chapter of Al-Anfal (spoils of war) was revealed on the occasion of the battle of Badr, Ramadan
17th 2 A.H. It constituted a unique Divine commentary on this battle.
Allâh, the All-High, in the context of this Chapter draws on major issues relating to the whole process of Islamization. Allâh, here draws the attention of the Muslims to the still lingering moral shortcomings in
their character. He wants them to build an integrated, purified society. He speaks about the invisible
assistance he sent down to His obedient servants to enable them to accomplish their noble objectives.
He wants the Muslims to rid themselves of any trait of haughtiness or arrogance that might sneak in.
He wants them to turn to Him for help, obey Him and His Messenger (Peace be upon him).
After that He delineated the noble objectives for which the Messenger (Peace be upon him) launched
that bloody battle, and directed them to the merits and qualities that brought about the great
victory.The polytheists, hypocrites, the Jews and prisoners of war were also mentioned, being
admonished to surrender to the Truth and adhere to it only. The question of the spoils of war was
resolved and the principles and basics relevant to this issue were clearly defined.
The laws and rules pertinent to war and peace were legalized and codified, especially at this advanced
stage of the Islamic action. Allâh wanted the Muslims to follow war ethics dissimilar to those of preIslamic
practices.
l “And remember when you were few and were reckoned weak in the land, and were afraid that
men might kidnap you, but He provided a safe place for you, strengthened you with His help,
and provided you with good things so that you might be grateful.” [8:26]
Previous Chapter
We have already spoken about Al‘Ushairah Invasion when a caravan belonging to Quraish had escaped
an imminent military encounter with the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and his men. When their return
from Syria approached, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) despatched Talhah bin ‘Ubaidullâh and Sa‘id
bin Zaid northward to scout around for any movements of this sort. The two scouts stayed at Al-Hawra’
for some days until Abu Sufyan, the leader of the caravan, passed by them. The two men hurried back
to Madinah and reported to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) their findings. Great wealth amounting to
50 thousand gold Dinars guarded by 40 men moving relatively close to Madinah constituted a tempting
target for the Muslim military, and provided a potentially heavy economic, political and military strike
that was bound to shake the entire structure of the Makkan polytheists.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) immediately exhorted the Muslims to rush out and waylay the
caravan to make up for their property and wealth they were forced to give up in Makkah. He did not
give orders binding to everyone, but rather gave them full liberty to go out or stay back, thinking that it
would be just an errand on a small scale.
The Muslim army was made up of 300-317 men, 82-86 Emigrants, 61 from Aws and 170 from Khazraj.
They were not well-equipped nor adequately prepared. They had only two horses belonging to Az-
Zubair bin Al‘standard was in the hand of Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh. Az-Zubair bin Al-‘Awwam was appointed to the leadership
of the right flank, Al-Miqdad bin ‘Amr to lead the left flank, and the rear of the army was at the
command of Qais bin Abi Sa‘sa‘ah. The General Commander-in-Chief was the Prophet (Peace be upon
him), of course.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him), at the head of his army, marched out along the main road leading to
Makkah. He then turned left towards Badr and when he reached As-Safrâ’, he despatched two men to
scout about for the camels of Quraish.
Abu Sufyan, on the other hand, was on the utmost alert. He had already been aware that the route he
was following was attended with dangers. He was also anxious to know about the movements of
Muhammad (Peace be upon him). His scouting men submitted to him reports to the effect that the
Muslims were lying in ambush for his caravan. To be on the safe side, he hired Damdam bin ‘Amr Al Ghifari
The effect of this hue and cry was instantaneous and the news stunned Quraish and they immediately
remembered their pride that was wounded when the Muslims had intercepted Al-Hadrami caravan.
They therefore swiftly mustered almost all of their forces and none stayed behind except Abu Lahab,
who delegated someone who owed him some money. They also mobilized some Arab tribes to
contribute to the war against the Prophet (Peace be upon him). All the clans of Quraish gave their
consent except Banu ‘Adi. Soon an excited throng of 1300 soldiers including 100 horsemen and 600
mailed soldiers with a large number of camels, was clamouring to proceed to fight the Muslims. For
food supplies, they used to slaughter an alternate number of camels of ten and nine every day. They
were however afraid that Banu Bakr, on account of old long deep-seated animosity, would attack their rear. At that critical moment, Iblis (Satan) appeared to them in the guise of Suraqa bin Malik bin
Ju‘sham Al-Mudlaji — chief of Bani Kinana — saying to them: “I guarantee that no harm will happen
from behind.”
They set out burning with indignation, motivated by a horrible desire for revenge and exterminating
anyone that might jeopardize the routes of their caravans:
l “…boastfully and to be seen of men, and hinder (men) from the path of Allâh. ” [8:47]
Or as the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:
l “
O Allâh these are the haughty and conceited; they have come defying Allâh and defying His
Messenger.”
They moved swiftly northward to Badr. On the way they received another message from Abu Sufyan
asking them to go back home because the caravan had escaped the Muslims. Incidentally, Abu Sufyan,
on learning the intention of the Muslims, led his caravan off the main route, and inclined it towards the
Red Sea. By this manoeuvre, he was able to slip past the Madinese ambush and was out of their reach.
On receiving Abu Sufyan’s message, the Makkan army showed a desire to return home. The tyrant Abu
Jahl, however haughtily and arrogantly insisted that they proceed to Badr, stay three nights there for
making festivities. Now they wanted to punish the Muslims and prevent them from intercepting their
caravans, and impress on the Arabs that Quraish still had the upper hand and enjoyed supremacy in
that area.
Abu Jahl’s threats and insistence notwithstanding, Banu Zahrah, acting on the advice of Al-Akhnas bin
Shuraiq, broke away and returned to Makkah. Thenceforth Al-Akhnas remained ‘the well-rubbed palm
tree’ for Bani Zahrah and was blindly obeyed in all relevant matters.
Banu Hashim were also inclined to break away, but Abu Jahl’s threats made them desist from that idea.
The rest of the army, now 1000 soldiers, approached Badr and encamped themselves beyond a sand
dune at Al‘
Udwat
Al-Quswa.
‘The intelligence corps’ of the Madinese army reported to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) that a
bloody encounter with the Makkans was inescapable, and that a daring step in this context had to be
taken, or else the forces of evil would violate the inviolable and would consequently manage to
undermine the noble cause of the Islam and tread upon its faithful adherents. The Muslims were afraid
that the pagan Makkans would march on and start the war activities within the headquarters of Islam,
Madinah. A move of such nature would certainly damage and produce an infamous impact on the
dignity and stance of the Muslims.
On account of the new grave developments, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) held an advisory military
emergency meeting to review the ongoing situation and exchange viewpoints with the army leaders.
Admittedly, some Muslims feared the horrible encounter and their courage began to waver; in this
regard, Allâh says:
l “
As your Lord caused you (O Muhammad [Peace be upon him) ] to go out from your home with
the Truth, and verily, a party among the believers disliked it, disputing with you concerning the
Truth after it was made manifest, as if they were being driven to death while they were looking
(at it).” [8:5, 6]
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) apprised his men of the gravity of the situation and asked for their
advice. Abu Bakr was the first who spoke on the occasion and assured the Prophet (Peace be upon him) of the unreserved obedience to his command. ‘Umar was the next to stand up and supported the views
expressed by his noble friend. Then Al-Miqdad bin ‘Amr got up and said: “O Messenger of Allâh!
Proceed where Allâh directs you to, for we are with you. We will not say as the Children of Israel said to
Moses (Peace be upon him):
l “Go you and your Lord and fight and we will stay here;”
Rather we shall say:
l “
Go you and yourLord and fight and we will fight along with you.”
By Allâh! If you were to take us to Bark Al-Ghimad, we will still fight resolutely with you against its
defenders until you gained it.”
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) thanked him and blessed him.
The three leaders who spoke were from the Emigrants, who only constituted a minor section of the
army. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) wanted, and for the more reason, to hear the Helpers’ view
because they were the majority of the soldiers and were expected to shoulder the brunt of the war
activities. Moreover, the clauses of Al‘
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) then said: “Advise me my men!”
by which he meant the Helpers, in particular. Upon this Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh stood up and said: “By Allâh, I
feel you want us (the Helpers) to speak.” The Prophet (Peace be upon him) directly said: “Oh, yes!”
Sa‘d said: “O Prophet of Allâh! We believe in you and we bear witness to what you have vouchsafed to
us and we declare in unequivocal terms that what you have brought is the Truth. We give you our firm
pledge of obedience and sacrifice. We will obey you most willingly in whatever you command us, and by
Allâh, Who has sent you with the Truth, if you were to ask us to plunge into the sea, we will do that
most readily and not a man of us will stay behind. We do not grudge the idea of encounter with the
enemy. We are experienced in war and we are trustworthy in combat. We hope that Allâh will show you
through our hands those deeds of valour which will please your eyes. Kindly lead us to the battlefield in
the Name of Allâh.”
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) was impressed with the fidelity and the spirit of sacrifice which his
companions showed at this critical juncture. Then he said to them: “Forward and be of cheer, for Allâh
has promised me one of the two (the lucrative course through capturing the booty or strife in the cause
of Allâh against the polytheists), and by Allâh it is as if I now saw the enemy lying prostrate.”
In the immediate vicinity of Badr, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and his cavemate Abu Bakr
conducted a scouting operation during which they managed to locate the camp of Quraish. They came
across an old bedouin nearby whom they manipulated and managed to extract from him the exact
location of the army of the polytheists. In the evening of the same day, he despatched three Emigrant
leaders, ‘Ali bin Abi Talib, Az-Zubair bin Al‘
Awwam admitted that they were water carriers working for Quraish. But that answer did not please some
Muslims and they beat the two boys severely in order to exact from them an answer, even if it isn’t
true, alluding to the caravan laden with wealth. The two boys thus lied, and so they were released. The
Prophet (Peace be upon him) was angry with those men and censured them saying: “On telling the
truth, you beat them, and on telling a lie, you released them!” He then addressed the two boys and
after a little conversation with them he learned a lot about the enemy: number of soldiers, their exact
location and names of some of their notables. He then turned to the Muslims and said: “Hearken,
Quraish has sent you their most precious lives.” The same night it rained on both sides. For the polytheists it obstructed further progress, whereas it
was a blessing for the Muslims. It cleaned them and removed from them the stain of Satan. Allâh sent
rain to strengthen their hearts and to plant their feet firmly therewith. They marched a little forward
and encamped at the farther bank of the valley. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) stopped at the
nearest spring of Badr. Al-Hubab bin Mundhir asked him, “Has Allâh inspired you to choose this very
spot or is it stratagem of war and the product of consultation?” The Prophet (Peace be upon him)
replied “It is stratagem of war and consultation.” Al-Hubab said: “This place is no good; let us go and
encamp on the nearest water well and make a basin or reservoir full of water, then destroy all the other
wells so that they will be deprived of the water.” The Prophet (Peace be upon him) approved of his plan
and agreed to carry it out, which they actually did at midnight.
Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh suggested that a trellis be built for the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to function as
headquarters for the Muslim army and a place providing reasonable protection for the leader. Sa‘d
began to justify his proposal and said that if they had been victorious, then everything would be
satisfactory. In case of defeat, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) would not be harmed and he could go
back to Madinah where there were more people who loved him and who would have come for help if
they had known that he was in that difficult situation, so that he would resume his job, hold counsel
with them and they would strive in the cause of Allâh with him again and again.
A squad of guards was also chosen from amongst the Helpers under the leadership of the same man,
Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh, in order to defend the Prophet (Peace be upon him) in his headquarters.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) spent the whole night preceding the day of the battle in prayer and
supplication. The Muslim army, wearied with their long march, enjoyed sound and refreshing sleep, a
mark of the Divine favour and of the state of their undisturbed minds.
l “
(Remember) when He covered you with a slumber as a security from Him, and He caused rain to
descend on you from the sky, to clean you thereby and to remove from you the Rijz (whispering,
evil suggestions, etc.) of Satan, and to strengthen your hearts, and make your feet firm
thereby.” [8:11]
That was Friday night, Ramadan 17th., the year 2 A.H.
In the morning, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) called his men to offer the prayers and then urged
them to fight in the way of Allâh. As the sun rose over the desert, the Prophet(Peace be upon him)
drew up his little army, and pointing with an arrow which he held in his hand, arranged the ranks.
Quraish, on the other hand, positioned their forces in Al-‘Udwat Al-Quswa opposite the Muslim lines. A
few of them approached, in a provocative deed, to draw water from the wells of Badr, but were all shot
dead except one, Hakeem bin Hizam, who later became a devoted Muslim. ‘Umair bin Wahab AlJumahi,
When the two parties approached closer and were visible to each other, the Prophet (Peace be upon
him) began supplicating Allâh “O Allâh! The conceited and haughty Quraishites are already here defying
You and belying Your Messenger. O Allâh! I am waiting for Your victory which You have promised me. I
beseech You Allâh to defeat them (the enemies).” He also gave strict orders that his men would not
start fighting until he gave them his final word. He recommended that they use their arrows sparingly and never resort to sword unless the enemies came too close.
Abu Jahl also prayed for victory, saying: “Our Lord, whichever of the two parties was less kind to his
relatives, and brought us what we do not know, then destroy him tomorrow.”. They were confident
ththeir superior number, equipment and experience would be decisive. The Noble Qur’ân, with a play on
the word, told them that the decision had come, and the victory — but not in the sense they had hoped
for:
l “
(O disbelievers) if you ask for a judgement, now has the judgement come unto you and if you
cease (to do wrong), it will be better for you, and if you return (to the attack), so shall we
return, and your forces will be of no avail to you, however numerous it be, and verily, Allâh is
with the believers.” [8:19]
The first disbeliever to trigger the fire of the battle and be its first victim was Al-Aswad bin ‘Abdul Asad
Al-Makhzumi, a fierce bad-tempered idolater. He stepped out swearing he would drink from the water
basin of the Muslims, otherwise, destroy it or die for it. He engaged with Hamzah bin ‘Abdul Muttalib,
who struck his leg with his sword and dealt him another blow that finished him off inside the basin.
The battle had actually started. Protected by armour and shields, ‘Utbah bin Rabi‘a stepped forth
between his brother Shaibah and his son Al-Waleed bin ‘Utbah from the lines of Quraish and hurled
maledictions at the Muslims. Three young men of the Helpers came out against them: ‘Awf and
Mu‘wwadh — the sons of Harith, and ‘Abdullah bin Rawaha. But the Makkans yelled that they had
nothing to do with them. They wanted the heads of their cousins. Upon this the Prophet (Peace be upon
him) asked ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Harith, Hamzah — his uncle, and his cousin ‘Ali (May Allah be pleased with
him) to go forward for the combat. The three duels were rapid. Hamzah killed Shaibah, while ‘Ali killed
Al-Waleed. ‘Ubaidah was seriously wounded but, before he fell, Hamzah fell upon ‘Utbah and with a
sweep of his sword, cut off his head. ‘Ali and Hamzah carried ‘Ubaidah back with his leg cut off. He died
four or five days later of a disease in the bile duct.
‘
Ali was possessed of a deep conviction that Allâh’s Words were revealed:
l “These two opponents (believers and disbelievers) dispute with each other about their
Lord.” [22:19]
These verses were revealed in connection with men of Faith who confess their Lord and seek to carry
out His Will (i.e. Muhammad ’s followers at Badr Battle), and men who deny their Lord and defy Him
(the people of Quraish).
The duel was followed by a few more duels but the Makkans suffered terrible defeats in all the combats
and lost some of their most precious lives. They were too much exasperated and enraged and fell upon
the Muslims to exterminate them once and for all. The Muslims, however, after supplicating their Lord,
calling upon Him for assistance, were made to hold to their position and conduct a defensive war plan
that was successful enough to inflict heavy losses on the attackers. The Prophet (Peace be upon him)
used to pray to his Lord ceaselessly persistently and day and night to come to their succour. When the
fierce engagement grew too hot he again began to supplicate his Lord saying:
l “O Allâh! Should this group (of Muslims) be defeated today, You will no longer be worshipped.”
He continued to call out to his Lord, stretching forth his hands and facing Al-Qiblah, until his cloak fell
off his shoulders. Then Abu Bakr came, picked up the cloak, and put it back on his shoulders and said:
“
O Prophet of Allâh, you have cried out enough to your Lord. He will surely fulfill what He has promised
you.”
Immediate was the response from Allâh, Who sent down angels from the heavens for the help and assistance of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and his companions. The Noble Qur’ân observes:
l “Verily, I am with you, so keep firm those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of
those who have disbelieved.” [8:12]
Allâh, the All-Mighty, also inspired another message to His Messenger, saying:
l “I will help you with a thousand of the angels each behind the other (following one another) in
succession.” [8:9]
The Prophet (Peace be upon him), in his trellis, dozed off a little and then raised his head joyfully
crying:
l “
O Abu Bakr, glad tidings are there for you: Allâh’s victory has approached, by Allâh, I can see
Gabriel on his mare in the thick of a sandstorm.”
He then jumped out crying:
l “
Their multitude will be put to flight, and they will show their backs.” [54:45]
At the instance of Gabriel, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) took a handful of gravel, cast it at the
enemy and said: “Confusion seize their faces!” As he flung the dust, a violent sandstorm blew like
furnace blast into the eyes of the enemies. With respect to this, Allâh says:
l “And you [i.e. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ] threw not when you did throw but Allâh
threw.” [8:17]
Only then did he give clear orders to launch a counter-attack. He was commanding the army, inspiring
confidence among his men and exhorting them to fight manfully for the sake of their Lord, reciting the
Words of Allâh:
l “
And be quick for forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as are the heavens and
the earth.” [3:133]
The spirit he infused into his men was clearly witnessed by the valour of ‘Umair, a lad of sixteen, who
flung away some dates he was eating crying out: “These (the dates) are holding me back from
Paradise.” So saying he plunged into the thick of the battle and died fighting bravely. Unique deeds of
valour, deep devotion and full obedience to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) were exhibited in the
process of the battle. The army of the faithfuls was borne forward by the power of enthusiasm which
the half-hearted warriors of Makkah miserably lacked. A large number of the polytheists were killed and
the others began to waver. No wonder! The standard-bearers of Truth were given immediate help, and
supernatural agencies (the angels), were sent to their assistance by their Lord to help them defeat the
forces of evil.
The records of Hadith speak eloquently of the fact that the angels did appear on that day and fought on
the side of the Muslims. Ibn ‘Abbas said: “While on that day a Muslim was chasing a disbeliever and he
heard over him the swashing of a whip and the voice of the rider saying: ‘Go ahead Haizum’. He
glanced at the polytheist who had (now) fallen down on his back. The Helper came to the Messenger of
Allâh (Peace be upon him) and related that event to him. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) replied:
‘You have told the truth. This was the help from the third heaven.”
One of the Helpers captured ‘Abbas bin ‘Abdul Muttalib, who said: “O Messenger of Allâh, by Allâh this
man did not capture me. I was captured by a man who was bald and had the most handsome face, and who was riding a piebald horse, I cannot see him here among the people.” The Helper interrupted: “I
captured him, O Messenger of Allâh.” The Prophet (Peace be upon him) replied:
l “
Be quiet, Allâh the All-Mighty strengthened you with the help of a noble angel.”
Iblîs, the archsatan, in the guise of Suraqah bin Malik bin Ju‘sham Al-Mudlaji, on seeing angels working
in favour of the Muslims, and Quraish rapidly losing ground on the battlefield, made a quick retreat
despite the polytheists’ pleas to stay on. He ran off and plunged into the sea.
The ranks of Quraish began to give way and their numbers added nothing but confusion. The Muslims
followed eagerly their retreating steps, slaying or taking captive all that fell within their reach. Retreat
soon turned into ignominious rout; and they flied in haste, casting away their armour, abandoned
beasts of burden, camp and equipage.
The great tyrant Abu Jahl, however, on seeing the adverse course of the battle, tried to stop the tidal
wave of the Islamic victory by nerving the polytheists and encouraging them by all means available and
adjuring them by Al-Lat and ‘Uzza and all symbols of paganism to stand firm in place and retaliate
against the Muslims, but to no avail. Their morale had already been drastically reduced to zero, and
their lines broken down. He then began to realize the reality of his arrogance and haughtiness. None
remained around him except a gang of doomed polytheists whose resistance was also quelled by an
Islamic irresistible storm of true devotion-based valour and Islam-orientated pursuit of martyrdom. Jahl
was deserted and left by himself on his horse waiting for death at the hand of two courageous lads of
the Helpers.
‘
Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Awf related the following interesting story in this regard: I was in the thick of the
battle when two youths, still seemingly inexperienced in the art of fighting, one on the right and the
second on the left. One of them spoke in a secret voice asking me to show him Abu Jahl. I asked about
his intention, to which he replied, that he had a strong desire to engage with him in a combat until
either of them was killed. It was something incredible to me. I turned left and the other said something
to the same effect and showed a similar desire. I acceded to their earnest pleas and pointed directly at
their target. They both rushed swiftly towards the spot, and without a moment’s hesitation struck him
simultaneously with their swords and finished him off. They went back to the Messenger of Allâh (Peace
be upon him), each claiming that he had killed Abu Jahl to the exclusion of the other. The Prophet
(Peace be upon him)asked if they had wiped the blood off their swords and they answered that they
had not. He then examined both swords and assured them that they both had killed him. When the
battle concluded, Abu Jahl’s spoils were given to Mu‘adh bin ‘Amr bin Al-Jumuh, because the other
bin Mas‘ud found him on the verge of death breathing his last. He stepped on his neck addressing him:
“Have you seen how Allâh has disgraced you?” The enemy of Islam still defiantly answered: “I am not
disgraced. I am no more than a man killed by his own people on the battlefield.” And then inquired
“Who has won the battle?” Ibn Mas‘ud replied “Allâh and His Messenger.” Abu Jahl then said with a
heart full of grudge “You have followed difficult ways, you shepherd!” Ibn Mas‘ud used to be a shepherd
working for the Makkan aristocrats.
Ibn Mas‘ud then cut off his head and took it to the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) who, on
seeing it, began to entertain Allâh’s praise:
l “Allâh is Great, praise is to Allâh, Who has fulfilled His Promise, assisted His servant and defeated
the confederates alone.”
He then set out to have a look at the corpse. There he said: “This is the Pharaoh of this nation.”
SOME SIGNIFICANT INSTANCES OF DEVOTION:
1.The Prophet (Peace be upon him) advised his companions to preserve the lives of Banu Hashim
who had gone out to Badr with the polytheists unwillingly because they had feared the censure of
their people. Among them, he named Al‘Abbas bin‘Abdul Muttalib and Abu Bukhtaribin
surprise and commented saying: “We kill our fathers, children, brothers and members of our
clan, and then come to spare Al-‘Abbas? By Allâh! If I see him I will surely strike him with my
sword.” On hearing these words, the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him), addressing ‘Umar
bin Al-Khattab, said “Is it fair that the face of the Messenger’s uncle be struck with sword?”
‘
Umar got indignant and threatened to kill Abu Hudhaifah; the latter later said that extreme fear
had taken firm grip of him and felt that nothing except martyrdom could expiate for his mistake.
He was actually killed later on during Al-Yamamah events.
2.Abu Al-Bukhtari bin Hisham had already done his best to restrain his people, the Makkans, from
committing any act of folly against the Prophet (Peace be upon him) while the latter was still in
Makkah. He also neither hurt nor was reported to have uttered anything repugnant with regard
to the Prophet (Peace be upon him). He had as well been among the people who tried to
invalidate the boycott alliance taken against Banu Hashim and Banu ‘Abdul Muttalib.
l
Here, however, in the battle of Badr he insisted on fighting unless his compatriot was spared. AlMujdhir
3. ‘Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Awf and Omaiyah bin Khalaf had been close friends during the pre-Islamic
era. When the battle of Badr ended, ‘Abdur-Rahman saw Omaiyah and his son among the
captives. He threw away the armour he had as spoils, and walked with them both. Bilal, the
Prophet’s caller for prayer, saw Omaiyah and soon all the torture he had been put to at the hand
of this man dawned upon him, and swore he would have revenge on Omaiyah. ‘Abdur-Rahman
tried to ease the tension and address embarrassing situation amicably but with no success. The
Muslims gathered around and struck Omaiyah’s son with swords. At this point, ‘Abdur-Rahman
called upon his old friend to run for his life but he was put to swords from different people and
lay down dead. ‘Abdur-Rahman, completely helpless and resigned said: May Allâh have mercy on
Bilal, for he deprived me of the spoils, and I have been stricken by the death of my two captives.
4.On the moral level, the battle of Badr was an inescapable conflict between the forces of good and
those of evil. In this context, ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab did not spare the life of any polytheist even
his uncle on the maternal side Al‘
my wealth, you wicked boy?” The son answered that it was gone with the wind.
6.When the battle ended, the Muslims began to hold some polytheists in captivity. The Prophet
(Peace be upon him) looked into the face of Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh, the Head of the Prophet’s guards,
and understood that he was hateful to taking the enemy elements as prisoners. Sa‘d agreed to
what the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said and added that it was the first victory for the Muslims
over the forces of polytheism, and he had more liking for slaying them than sparing their lives.
7.On the day of Badr, the sword of ‘Ukashah bin Mihsan Al-Asdi broke down so the Prophet (Peace
be upon him) gave him a log of wood which he shook and it immediately turned into a long
strong white sword. ‘Ukashah went on using that same sword in most of the Islamic conquests
until he died in the process of the apostasy wars.
8.When the war activities had been concluded, Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair Al-‘Abdari saw his brother, still a
polytheist, being handcuffed by a Ansari. Mus‘ab recommended that the Helper tighten the knot
for the prisoner’s mother was wealthy enough to ransom her son. ‘Abu ‘Aziz, Mus‘ab’s brother,
tried to appeal to his brother through the family ties, but the latter firmly replied that the Helper
was more eligible for brotherhood than him.
9.When the Prophet (Peace be upon him) ordered that the corpses of the polytheists be dropped
into an empty well, Abu Hudhaifah bin ‘Utbah looked sadly at his dead father, who fought on the
side of the polytheists. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) noticed that and asked him about it.
Hudhaifah said that he had never held the least doubt that his father met his fate deservedly, but
added that he wished he had been guided to the path of Islam, and that is why he felt sad. The
Prophet (Peace be upon him) whispered in his ears some comforting words. The outcome of the battle was as aforementioned an ignominious rout for the polytheists and a
manifest victory for the Muslims. Fourteen Muslims were killed, of whom six were from the Emigrants
and eight from the Helpers. The polytheists sustained heavy casualties, seventy were killed and a like
number taken prisoners. Many of the principal men of Makkah, and some of Muhammad ’s bitterest
opponents, were among the slain. Chief of these was Abu Jahl.
On the third day, the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) went out to look at the slain polytheists,
and said:
l “
What an evil tribe you were as regards your Prophet, you belied me but the others have
believed; you let me down while the others have supported me; you expelled m, whereas the
others have sheltered me.”
He stood over the bodies of twenty-four leaders of Quraish who had been thrown into one of the wells,
and started to call them by name and by the names of their fathers, saying: “Would it not have been
much better for you if you had obeyed Allâh and His Messenger? Behold, we have found that our Lord’s
promise do come true; did you (also) find that the promises of your Lord came true?” Thereupon, ‘Umar
bin Al-Khattab said: “O Messenger of Allâh! Why you speak to bodies that have no souls in them?” The
Prophet (Peace be upon him) answered: “By Him in Whose hand is Muhammad ’s soul! You do not hear
better what I am saying than they do.”
REACTION IN MAKKAH:
The polytheists having received a large dose of disciplining and heavy defeat, fled away in great
disorder in the vales and hillocks heading for Makkah panicked and too ashamed to see their people.
Ibn Ishaq related that the first herald of bad tidings was Al-Haisaman bin ‘Abdullah Al-Khuza‘i. He
narrated to them how their notables were killed. People there did not believe him at first and thought
that he had gone mad, but soon the news was confirmed and a state of incredible bewilderment
overwhelmed the whole Makkan scene. Abu Sufyan bin Al-Harith gave Abu Lahab a full account of the
massacre and the disgraceful rout they sustained, with emphasis on the role that the angels played in
bringing about their tragic end. Abu Lahab could not contain himself and gave vent to his feelings of
resentment in beating, abusing and slapping Abu Rafi‘, a Muslim, but reticent on his conversion, for
reiterating the role of the angels. Umm Al-Fadl, another Muslim woman, greatly exasperated by Abu
Lahab’s thoughtless behaviour, struck him with a log and cracked his head. Seven days later, he died of
an ominous ulcer and was left for three days unburied. His sons, however, for fear of shameful
rumours, drove him to a pit and keeping their distance, hurled stones and dust at him.
The defeat was a matter of great shame and grief for the Makkans. In almost every house there were
silent tears for the dead and the captives. They were burning with humiliation and were thirsting for
revenge. Wailing, lamenting and crying however were decreed strictly forbidden lest the Muslims should
rejoice at their affliction.
MADINAH RECEIVES THE NEWS OF VICTORY:
Two heralds, ‘Abdullah bin Rawahah and Zaid bin Harithah were despatched to Madinah, to convey the
glad tidings of victory to the Muslims there.
The multi-ethnic and ideological structure of Madinah featured different respective reactions. Rumourmongersleading to Badr.
Usamah bin Zaid related that they received the news of the manifest victory shortly after Ruqaiyah, the
Prophet ’s daughter, and the wife of ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan had been committed to earth. She had been
terminally ill and the Prophet (Peace be upon him) had asked ‘Uthman to stay in Madinah and look after
her.
Before leaving the scene of the battle, dispute concerning the spoils of war arose among the Muslim
warriors, as the rule relating to their distribution had not yet been legislated. When the difference grew
wider, the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) suspended any solution whereof until the Revelation
was sent down.
‘
Ubadah bin As-Samit said: “We went out with the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) and I
witnessed Badr with him. The battle started and Allâh, the Exalted, defeated the enemy. Some of the
Muslims sought and pursued the enemy, some were intent on collecting the spoils from the enemy
camp, and others were guarding the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) and were on the alert for
any emergency or surprise attack. When night came and the Muslims gathered together, those who had
collected the booty said: “We collected it, so no one else has any right to it.” Those who had pursued
the enemy said: “You do not have more right to it than we do; we held the enemy at bay and then
defeated them.” As for the men who had been guarding the Prophet (Peace be upon him), they also
made similar claims to the spoils.
At that very time, a Qur’ânic verse was revealed saying:
l “
They ask you [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ] about the spoils of war. Say: ‘The spoils are
for Allâh and the Messenger.’ So fear Allâh and adjust all matters of difference among you, and
obey Allâh and His Messenger [Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ], if you are believers.” [8:1]
On their way back to Madinah, at a large sand hill, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) divided the spoils
equally among the fighters after he had taken Al-Khums (one-fifth). When they reached As-Safra’, he
ordered that two of the prisoners should be killed. They were An-Nadr bin Al-Harith and ‘Uqbah bin Abi
Muait, because they had persecuted the Muslims in Makkah, and harboured deep hatred towards Allâh
and His Messenger (Peace be upon him). In a nutshell, they were criminals of war in modern
terminology, and their execution was an awesome lesson to oppressors. ‘Uqbah forgot his pride and
cried out, “Who will look after my children O Messenger of Allâh?” The Prophet (Peace be upon him)
answered, “The fire (of Hell). ” Did ‘Uqbah not remember the day when he had thrown the entrails of a
sheep onto the head of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) while he was prostrating himself in prayer,
and Fatimah had come and washed it off him? He had also strangled the Prophet (Peace be upon him)
with his cloak if it had not been for Abu Bakr to intervene and release the Prophet (Peace be upon him).
The heads of both criminals were struck off by ‘Ali bin Abi Talib.
At Ar-Rawhâ’, a suburb of Madinah, the Muslim army was received by the joyous Madinese who had
come to congratulate the Prophet (Peace be upon him) on the manifest victory that Allâh had granted
him. Usaid bin Hudair, acting as a mouthpiece of the other true believers, after entertaining Allâh’s
praise, he excused himself for not having joined them on grounds that the Prophet ’s intention was
presumably, an errand aiming to intercept a caravan of camels only, he added that if it had occurred to
him that it would be real war, he would have never tarried. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) assured
Usaid that he had believed him.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) now entered Madinah as a man to be counted for in a new dimension
—
the military field. In consequence, a large number of the people of Madinah embraced Islam, which
added a lot to the strength, power and moral standing of the true religion.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) exhorted the Muslims to treat the prisoners so well to such an extent
that the captors used to give the captives their bread (the more valued part of the meal) and keep thedates for themselves.
Prisoners of war constituted a problem awaiting resolution because it was a new phenomenon in the
history of Islam. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) consulted Abu Bakr and ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab as to
what he should do with the prisoners. Abu Bakr suggested that he should ransom them, explaining this
by saying: “They are after all our relatives, and this money would give us strength against the
disbelievers, moreover, Allâh could guide them to Islam.” ‘Umar advised killing them, saying, “They are
the leaders of Kufr (disbelief).” The Prophet (Peace be upon him) preferred Abu Bakr’s suggestion to
that of ‘Umar’s. The following day, ‘Umar called on the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr to
see them weeping. He shextreme astonishment and inquired about the situation so that he might weep
if it was worth weeping for, or else he would feign weeping.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said that a Qur’ânic verse had been revealed rebuking them for
taking ransom from the captives rather than slaying them:
l “It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war (and free them with ransom) until he
had made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the land. You desire the good of this world
(i.e. the money of ransom for freeing the captives), but Allâh desires (for you) the Hereafter. And
Allâh is All-Mighty, All-Wise. Were it not a previous ordainment from Allâh, a severe torment
would have touched you for what you took.” [8:67,68]
The previous Divine ordainment went as follows,
l “
Thereafter (is the time) either for generosity (i.e. free them without ransom) or ransom.” [47:4]
Which included an area providing permission to take ransom, that is why no penalty was imposed. They
were rebuked only for taking prisoners before subduing all the land of disbelief. Apart from this, the
polytheists taken to Madinah were not only prisoners of war but rather archcriminals of war whom
modern war penal law brings to justice to receive their due sentence of death or prison for life.
The ransom for the prisoners ranged between 4000 and 1000 Dirhams in accordance with the captive’s
financial situation. Another form of ransom assumed an educational dimension; most of the Makkans,
unlike the Madinese, were literate and so each prisoner who could not afford the ransom was entrusted
with ten children to teach them the art of writing and reading. Once the child had been proficient
enough, the instructor would be set free. Another clan of prisoners were released unransomed on
grounds of being hard up. Zainab, the daughter of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), paid the ransom of
her husband Abul
Madinah, which he actually did.
In captivity, there was also an eloquent orator called Suhail bin ‘Amr. ‘Umar suggested that they pull
out his front teeth to disable him from speaking, but the Prophet (Peace be upon him) turned down his
suggestion for fear Quraish should retaliate in the same manner on one hand, and on the other for fear
of Allâh’s wrath on the Day of Resurrection.
Sa‘d bin An-Nu‘man, a lesser pilgrim detained in Makkah, was released in return for setting Abu
Sufyan’s son, a captive, free.
THE BATTLE OF BADR IN ITS QUR'ANIC CONTEXT:
The Chapter of Al-Anfal (spoils of war) was revealed on the occasion of the battle of Badr, Ramadan
17th 2 A.H. It constituted a unique Divine commentary on this battle.
Allâh, the All-High, in the context of this Chapter draws on major issues relating to the whole process of Islamization. Allâh, here draws the attention of the Muslims to the still lingering moral shortcomings in
their character. He wants them to build an integrated, purified society. He speaks about the invisible
assistance he sent down to His obedient servants to enable them to accomplish their noble objectives.
He wants the Muslims to rid themselves of any trait of haughtiness or arrogance that might sneak in.
He wants them to turn to Him for help, obey Him and His Messenger (Peace be upon him).
After that He delineated the noble objectives for which the Messenger (Peace be upon him) launched
that bloody battle, and directed them to the merits and qualities that brought about the great
victory.The polytheists, hypocrites, the Jews and prisoners of war were also mentioned, being
admonished to surrender to the Truth and adhere to it only. The question of the spoils of war was
resolved and the principles and basics relevant to this issue were clearly defined.
The laws and rules pertinent to war and peace were legalized and codified, especially at this advanced
stage of the Islamic action. Allâh wanted the Muslims to follow war ethics dissimilar to those of preIslamic
practices.
l “And remember when you were few and were reckoned weak in the land, and were afraid that
men might kidnap you, but He provided a safe place for you, strengthened you with His help,
and provided you with good things so that you might be grateful.” [8:26]
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