ISLAMIYAT

Battle Of Badr
Rida Fatima
BC Chemistry 2nd

The Great Expedition of Badr took place in March 624 CE/17 Ramadan, 2 AH. At the well of
Badr 70 mi (110 km) southwest of Medina. Allah called this battle 'The Day of Distinguishing.'

Allah says, 'if you believe in Allah and what We sent down on Our servant on the
Day of Distinguishing, the day the two hosts met.' (8: 41)

Life in Makkah was becoming difficult for the Muslims. The growing
oppression and tortures of the Kuffar became unbearable. The Muslims were
prevented from worshiping Allah. Consequently, Allah, the Exalted, revealed
orders to migrate. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) and his
companions secretly planned to escape the watchful disbelievers, who
intended to kill the Prophet and his companions in their own homeland and
thus bring an end to the religion of Islam. But Allah, the Exalted, aided His
Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) to immigrate to al-Medina. This
carefully planned and prudent escape of Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe
wa-sallam) and the Sahabah created great anxiety and rancor in the hearts
of the disbelievers.

Reason of the Battle of Badr:

In Ramadaan 2 A.H., the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) was informed
that Abu Sufyan was traveling for trade from Syria. He was approaching
Makkah with 50 thousand gold Deenaar guarded by 40 men.While escaping
from Makkah the Muslims were forced to leave behind all their wealth and
possession. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) saw this caravan as an
opportunity to get back some of their wealth. He (sallallahu alaihe wasallam) called for his companions and marched towards the main road
leading to Makkah and turned towards Badr. His (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam)
intent was only to capture the wealth and not war. But Allah, the Exalted, in
His Great Wisdom, willed for them to fight.
On the other hand, Abu Sufyan knew that his route was not safe. He was
further informed by his men about the Prophet's movement. He immediately
sent a man to Makkah asking for help. The man reached Makkah, cut off the
nose and ears of the camel, turned its saddle upside down, tore off his shirt
from front and back (this was their way of warning about enemies) and cried,
'O Quraysh! Your goods are with Abu Sufyan. The caravan is being stopped
by Muhammad (r) and his companions. I cannot say what would have

happened to them. Help! Help!' The disbelievers shocked with the news
rushed for Abu Sufyan's help. They took with
them a huge army of 1,300 well-equipped soldiers, including 100 horsemen
and a large number of camels to fight the Muslims.
Meanwhile, Abu Sufyan changed his route.he turned away from the main
road that passed near al-Medina and thus was out of the reach of the
Muslims. When he found himself completely out of danger, he again sent a
messenger to the people of Makkah on their way, informing them of his
escape and asking them to return back.
The news of the caravan's escape and approaching of a big army reached
Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam). It was a disturbing news, for
the small unequipped Muslim army was no match to the huge well-equipped
army of the disbelievers. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam)
immediately called for a meeting and discussed the situation with his
companions. He informed them of the gravity of the situation and explained
that it was necessary to fight the Kuffar or else they would easily take over
al-Medina and certainly cause destruction. He (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam)
then asked the Sahabah for their advice.
The Muhajir assured Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) that they
would fight along with him until the last breath. The first one to speak was
Abu Bakr (radhiallahu anhu), then Umar Ibn al-Khattab (radhiallahu anhu)
and then al-Miqdad Ibn Amr (radhiallahu anhu) .
We will obey you most willingly in whatever you command us, and by Allah,
Who has sent you with Truth, if you ask us to cross this sea (Red Sea), we
will do that most readily and not a man of us will stay behind.We hope that
Allah will show you through our hands those deeds of courage, which will
please your eyes. Kindly lead us to the battlefield in the Name of Allah!"

Shaytan makes Evil seem fair and makes false promises:

When the disbelievers prepared to march towards al-Medina, Shaytan came
to the disbelievers in the form of Suraqah Ibn Malik and made their evil
action of fighting the Muslims seem fair to them. He encouraged them for the
battle by making them believe that no one could defeat them.
Allah says about the promises of Shaytan,

"He (Shaytan) makes promises to them, and arouses in them false

desires; and Shaytan's promises are nothing but deception." [(4):
120]
It is from the tricks of Shaytan that he makes false promises to the people
and makes them believe that they are winners in this world and the
Hereafter.

Lack of Means of the Muslims:

The Muslim army was not more than 313-317 men, including 82-86 Muhajir
and the others were the Ansaar. They had only two horses and 70 camels to
ride. Most of them did not even possess simple weapons to fight; some had
swords but no bows and arrows while others possessed spears but no
swords. The army was not well equipped, nor well prepared for war. the
Muslims were old, sick, starving and weak. But pleased with the words and
willingness of the Sahabah to fight the disbelievers and putting all trust in
Allah, the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) marched towards the wells of
Badr.

Allah's Blessing for the believers:

Before the Muslims arrived at Badr, the disbelievers had already taken over
the raised piece of land and so the Muslims had to take the low lying sandy
spot. And between them remained a sandy piece of land. Ibn Abbas
(radhiallahu anhu) said: Muslims felt weak and the Shaytan cast frustration
into their hearts. He whispered to them, 'You claim that you are Allah's
supporters and that His Messenger is among you! However, the disbelievers
have taken over the water resource from you, while you pray needing purity!
So, Allah sent rain as a blessing for the believers but for the disbelievers the
rain was an obstacle that prevented them from further progress.
Allah mentions this great blessing in the Quraan:
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 Shaytan, and to strengthen your hearts, and
make your feet firm thereby." [Soorah al-Anfal (8): 11]

The blessing of rain strengthened the believer's hearts and encouraged them
to fight the enemies of Allah. They experienced a sense of security. Then
Allah descended another blessing on them; slumber overcame the Muslims
and they slept sound the whole night without fear.
"Remember when He covered you with a slumber as a security from
Him" [Soorah al-Anfal (8): 11]

Day of battle:
At midnight on 13 March, the Quraish broke camp and marched into the
valley of Badr. It had rained the previous day and they struggled to move
their horses and camels up the hill of Aqanqal. After they descended from
'Aqanqal, the Meccans set up another camp inside the valley. While they
rested, they sent out a scout, Umayr ibn Wahb to reconnoitre the Muslim
lines. Umayr reported that Muhammad's army was small, and that there
were no other Muslim reinforcements which might join the battle. However,
he also predicted extremely heavy Quraishi casualties in the event of an
attack
(One hadith refers to him seeing "the camels of Medina laden with
certain death").
Now both armies began showering each other with arrows. A few Muslims
and an unknown number of Quraish warriors were killed. Before the battle,
Muhammad(sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam). had given orders for the Muslims to
attack first with their ranged weapons and only afterword advance to engage
the Quraish with melee weapons. Now he gave the order to charge, throwing
a handful of pebbles at the Meccans in what was probably a traditional
Arabian gesture while yelling "Defaced be those faces!".The Muslim army
yelled "Y manr amit! "O thou whom God hath made victorious, slay!" and
rushed the Quraishi lines. The Meccans, understrength and unenthusiastic
about fighting, promptly broke and ran. The battle itself only lasted a few
hours and was over by the early afternoon. The Quran describes the force of
the Muslim attack in many verses, which refer to thousands of angels
descending from Heaven at Badr to terrify the Quraish. Muslim sources take
this account literally, and there are several hadith where Muhammad
discusses the Angel Jibreel and the role he played in the battle.

THE AMBITION OF TWO BROTHERS:

Full of enthusiasm,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 brothers 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 `alayhi 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.
Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi 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.
the Quran 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'an 3:123]

The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi 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 `alayhi 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.
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)

TREATMENT OF THE CAPTIVES:

The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi 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
`alayhi 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)

RANSOM OF THE PRISONERS:

The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) accepted ransom for the prisoners
according to their means.the Quraish kinsmen of the captives paid sums of
money in exchange for their liberty, while those who could not pay any
ransom were set free without any payment. The Prophets uncle Abbas b.
Abdul Muttalib, his cousin, Aqil b. Abi Talib,(Ibn Hisham Vol. II, p. 3) his sonin-law, Abul As b. Ar-RabI, who was married to his daughter Zaynab, were
among the prisoners of war but none was shown any favour all were treated
like the other captives.
There were some prisoners who were unable to pay any ransom. But as they
were literate they were allowed to earn their freedom by teaching the art of
reading to the children of Ansaar, with ten children each for every prisoner
available.
The Prophet commands the companions to treat prisoners well
Abu Aziz, the brother of Musab ibn Umair, reported: I was among the
prisoners of war on the day of Badr. The Messenger of Allah, peace and
blessings be upon him, said, I enjoin you to treat the captives well. After I
accepted Islam, I was among the Ansar and when the time of lunch or dinner
arrived, I would feed the prisoners dates for I had been fed bread due to the
command of the Prophet.

OTHER EXPEDITIONS:
The ironclad oath of Abu Sufyan, as mentioned earlier, bound him to refrain
from even splashing water over his head until he had wreaked havoc on the
Muslims. The chief of the Jewish tribe of Bani an-Nadir, who offered the
information he desired about Madeenah. Thereupon Abu Sufyan succeeded
in getting away after killing two of the Ansaars.

The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) got a warning of the evil raiders
and went out in their pursuit. Abu Sufyan eluded the Prophet (sallallahu
`alayhi wa sallam) but was obliged to throw away a good deal of his
provisions consisting of foodgrains, especially parched corn or al-sawiq, and
hence the expedition goes by such a name. (Ibn Hisham, Vol. II, pp. 144-45)
Banu Qaynuqa operated a market in Madeenah and practised crafts such as
that of the Goldsmith. (Zad al-Maad, Vol. p. 348) They were forced to
abandon the city although the number of people who could bear arms among

RESULTS OF THE BATTLE:

UNITY OF LEADERSHIP
MILITARY COMPETENCE
NEW TROOP-DISPOSITION PLAN
HIGH SPIRITS
CLARITY OF PURPOSE
HAVING A SUBLIME END

Allah says:
"Allah has promised those among you who believe and do
righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them
succession to (the present rulers) in the earth, as He granted
it to those who before them, and He will grant them the
authority to practice their religion that which He has chosen
for them (i.e. Islam). And He will surely give them in exchange
security after their fear (provided) they (believers) worship Me
and do not associate anything (in worship) with Me. But
whosoever disbelieves after this, they are the Fasiqun
(rebellious, disobedient to Allah)." [Soorah an-Nur (24): 55]

Hadith on Badr:
The conclusion of the Battle of Badr and proof that in general the dead
cannot hear the living
Anas ibn Malik reported:
We were with Umar between Mecca and Medina and began to look
for the new moon. I was a man with sharp eye sight, so I could see it
but none saw it but me. I began to say to Umar, Do you not see it?

But he did not see it. Umar said, I will soon be able to see it. Then he
mentioned the people of Badr to us and said, The Messenger of Allah,
peace and blessings be upon him, showed us one day before the battle
the places where people would die at Badr and he would say: This will
be the place of death for so-and-so tomorrow, if Allah wills. Umar said,
By Him who sent him with the truth, they did not miss their places
which the Messenger of Allah had appointed for them. Then they were
all thrown into the well one after another. The Messenger of Allah went
to them and said, O so-and-so son of so-and-so, have you found what
Allah and His Messenger have promised you to be true? I have found
what Allah has promised me to be true. Umar said, O Messenger of
Allah, how are you talking to these bodies without souls? He said,
You cannot hear more distinctly than them of what I say, but with the
exception that they have no ability to reply.