The Battle of Badr (Ramadan al-Mubarak 2 AH)
The chiefs of Quraysh did not waste the opportunity they found to incite their people, and they began large-scale preparations for war against the Muslims. The most important requirement for war was military expenditure. Quraysh invested all their wealth and sent a large التجاري caravan toward Syria under the leadership of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, so that its profits could be used to prepare war equipment.
This caravan had escaped the reach of the Muslims on its outward journey. On its return, however, the soldiers of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) were lying in wait for it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) received timely information, and on the 8th of Ramadan, 2 AH, he personally set out with those Muhājirīn and Ansār who were immediately available, in order to intercept the caravan.
The number of Muslims was three hundred and thirteen. There were only two horses and seventy camels in the army. Three men would take turns riding on a single camel.
Encounter with the Makkan Army Instead of the Caravan
Meanwhile, the leader of the Quraysh caravan, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, had learned of the Muslims’ approach. Therefore, he avoided the usual route and swiftly led the caravan along the coastal path. At the same time, he sent a rider to Makkah to call for help so that Quraysh could come and protect their trade caravan.
Quraysh were already looking for an excuse to attack Madinah. As soon as this news reached Makkah, an army of nine hundred and fifty armed men set out immediately to confront the Muslims. Among them were two hundred cavalry and seven hundred camel riders. Many of the prominent chiefs of Quraysh were part of this army, and six hundred of them were fully armored.
When Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) received the news that the trade caravan had escaped and that a fully armed Quraysh army was advancing for confrontation, he consulted his companions. Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) and the other Muhājirīn expressed their firm resolve to sacrifice their lives, but he (ﷺ) wished to see the spirit of the Ansār.
The Ansār had pledged to protect him (ﷺ), which essentially meant providing protection within the boundaries of Madinah. It was not explicitly agreed that if a battle occurred outside Madinah, they would still be bound to support him. Therefore, he (ﷺ) waited to hear their opinion.
The leader of the Aws tribe, Sa’d ibn Mu’adh (رضي الله عنه), understood his intent. He stood up and said:
“You perhaps wish to know our opinion. O Messenger of Allah! Make peace with whom you will and fight whom you will. We have believed in you. By Allah! If you command us to plunge into the sea, we would do so.”
The Quraysh army was advancing toward Badr, a valley located about 70 miles (120 kilometers) south of Madinah. The Muslims also set out in that direction. The battle flag of the Muslim army was white, carried by Mus’ab ibn Umayr (رضي الله عنه). In front of the Prophet (ﷺ) were two black banners—one in the hand of Ali ibn Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه), and the other with Sa’d ibn Mu’adh (رضي الله عنه).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was arranging the ranks of the Muslims. On the suggestion of Sa’d ibn Mu’adh (رضي الله عنه), a shelter made of palm branches and leaves was constructed for him on a raised mound, so that he could stay there, oversee the battlefield, and continue issuing instructions.
Fast riders were also kept behind, so that—God forbid—if defeat occurred, there would be a possibility of safe withdrawal. Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) was appointed as the personal guard of the Prophet (ﷺ).
The First Decisive Battle Between Islam and Disbelief
Early in the morning, the army of Quraysh appeared and formed ranks at a short distance. This was the first and decisive battle between Islam and disbelief. On one side were three hundred and thirteen Muslims, with very limited war equipment. On the other side were three times as many disbelievers, fully equipped with the best weapons.
At this moment, Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was earnestly supplicating to Allah, saying:
“O Allah! If this group of believers is destroyed today, then until the Day of Judgment, no one will remain on earth to worship You.”
He (ﷺ) was making dua with such intense humility that his cloak kept slipping from his blessed shoulders. Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) would repeatedly place it back and console him, saying:
“O Messenger of Allah! You have supplicated enough to your Lord. He will surely fulfill what He has promised. Allah will certainly grant you help and victory.”
Individual Combat (Duel)
The battle began when from the ranks of the disbelievers, the elderly Utbah ibn Rabi’ah, who was a commander, stepped forward along with his brother Shaybah ibn Rabi’ah and his son Walid ibn Utbah. All three were renowned warriors. They challenged:
“O Muslims! If there is anyone to fight us, let him come forward.”
Hearing this, three young men from the Ansār—Mu‘ādh, ‘Awf, and Abdullah ibn Rawahah (رضي الله عنه)—stepped forward. ‘Utbah asked, “Who are you?” When they introduced themselves, he said, “We have no concern with you. Send those who are equal to us.”
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), who was commanding the battle from the mound, called them back and said:
“O Ubaydah ibn al-Harith! Rise. O Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib! Rise. O Ali ibn Abi Talib! Rise.”
These three were from Quraysh and were distinguished warriors—Ubaydah ibn al-Harith (رضي الله عنه) was sixty-five years old, Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib (رضي الله عنه) was fifty-seven, and Ali ibn Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) was only twenty-five.
Now the contest was evenly matched: on the opposing side, ‘Utbah was elderly, Shaybah somewhat younger, and Walīd was a young man.
The three companions advanced toward them. Their faces and heads were covered, so ‘Utbah asked, “Who are you?” When they revealed their names, he said, “Yes, you are equal to us.”
Ubaydah ibn al-Harith (رضي الله عنه) engaged ‘Utbah ibn Rabī‘ah, Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib (رضي الله عنه) attacked Shaybah, and Ali ibn Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) struck at his opponent Walīd.
Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib (رضي الله عنه) did not even give Shaybah the chance to strike and killed him with a single blow. Ali ibn Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) also quickly overcame Walīd and killed him.
However, Ubaydah ibn al-Harith (رضي الله عنه) and ‘Utbah were both experienced swordsmen, so they fought for a longer time. Their swords clashed repeatedly until Ubaydah ibn al-Harith (رضي الله عنه) was severely wounded and fell.
When Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib (رضي الله عنه) and Ali ibn Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) saw him fall, they rushed toward ‘Utbah and finished him. Then they carried Ubaydah ibn al-Harith (رضي الله عنه) back to the Prophet (ﷺ).
Placing his cheek at the blessed feet of the Prophet (ﷺ), he asked:
“O Messenger of Allah! Am I a martyr?”
The Mercy to the worlds (ﷺ) replied:
“I bear witness that you are a martyr.”
He then said:
If Abu Talib were alive today, he would have acknowledged that I am truly deserving of his verses.
وَنُسْلِمُه حتى نُصْرَعُ حَوْلَهُ وَنَذْهَلُ عَنْ أَبْنَائِنَا وَ الْحَلَائِل
We will never hand over Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) to anyone, even if we are put to death. For his sake, we would forget our sons and our wives.
The Fierce Battle
After the killing of Utbah ibn Rabi’ah, Shaybah ibn Rabi’ah, and Walid ibn Utbah, an intense and fierce battle began. At that moment, Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) encouraged the Muslims, saying:
“By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, whoever today fights these polytheists with patience and steadfastness and does not turn his back, Allah will grant him a place in Paradise.”
The Death of Abu Jahl
The enthusiasm of the Ansār youth in the battle was remarkable. Two Ansār brothers, Mu’adh ibn Afra (رضي الله عنه) and Mu’awwidh ibn Afra (رضي الله عنه), who were standing near Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf (رضي الله عنه), asked him:
“Uncle, do you recognize Abu Jahl?”
He replied, “Yes, I recognize him very well. What do you need with him?”
At that moment, Abu Jahl was passing by on horseback, motivating his companions. Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf (رضي الله عنه) pointed him out and said, “There he is.”
Upon hearing this, both young men rushed on foot toward him. At the same time, another Ansār, Mu’adh ibn Amr (رضي الله عنه), who had already been waiting for an opportunity, attacked him and struck his leg with such force that it was severed.
When Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl saw his father wounded, he struck Mu’adh ibn Afra (رضي الله عنه) on the shoulder, cutting off his arm, though it remained hanging by a piece of skin. Finding it difficult to fight, Mu’adh ibn Afra (رضي الله عنه) placed his foot on it and tore it off completely, then continued fighting.
Meanwhile, Mu’awwidh ibn Afra (رضي الله عنه) launched another attack on Abu Jahl, severely wounding him, and he himself attained martyrdom while fighting.
The Final Blow
Abu Jahl, drenched in blood, had fallen from his horse. Mu’adh ibn Afra (رضي الله عنه) and Mu’adh ibn Amr (رضي الله عنه) thought he was dead. They hurried to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and informed him.
He (ﷺ) asked, “Which of you killed him?”
Both replied together, “I did.”
He (ﷺ) asked, “Have you cleaned your swords?”
They replied, “No.”
He (ﷺ) examined their swords, and the blood on the sword of Mu’adh ibn Amr (رضي الله عنه) indicated that he had delivered the fatal blow. However, to encourage both, he (ﷺ) said:
“You both have killed him.”
He then decided that the belongings and armor of Abu Jahl should be given to Mu’adh ibn Amr (رضي الله عنه).
Decisive Defeat of the Disbelievers
At the most intense stage of the battle, Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) descended from the mound and joined the battlefield.
Ali ibn Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) said that during the fiercest moments of the Battle of Badr, they would take shelter behind the Prophet (ﷺ).
When the battle reached its peak intensity, the Prophet (ﷺ) took a handful of dust and threw it toward the enemy, saying:
“May these faces be disgraced. O Allah! Fill their hearts with fear and shake their feet.”
Then he (ﷺ) commanded the companions to launch a decisive attack.
Allah the Almighty referred to this event in the Noble Qur’an, saying:
فَلَمْ تَقْتُلُوهُمْ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَتَلَهُمْ ۚ وَمَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَمَىٰ ۚ وَلِيُبْلِىَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْهُ بَلَآءً حَسَنًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ ١٧
So, it is not you who killed them, but in fact Allah killed them. And you did not throw when you threw but Allah did throw, so that He might bless the believers with a good favour. Surely, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (8:17)
Miraculously, this dust fell into the eyes of each of the disbelievers, causing confusion and panic among them. At that moment, the noble companions launched a powerful attack, and the polytheists were defeated and fled. The Muslims pursued them, killing many and taking others as prisoners.
Help Through Angels – Miracles of the Companions
In this battle, Allah Almighty helped the Muslims through angels. In Surah Al-Anfal, it is mentioned:
“Remember when you were calling upon your Lord for help, and He responded to you, saying: ‘I will reinforce you with one thousand angels, coming in succession.’”
With the arrival of the angels, awe and fear were cast into the hearts of the disbelievers, and they realized that divine support was with the Muslims. The angels may have struck down a few of the polytheists, but they did not practically take part in the battle. A single angel could have destroyed all the disbelievers of the world; rather, their purpose was to strengthen the morale of the Muslims and instill fear in disbelief.
The Martyrs of Badr and the Losses of the Disbelievers
In the Battle of Badr, only fourteen Muslims were martyred—six from the Muhājirīn and eight from the Ansār. Among them was the young brother of Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas (رضي الله عنه), namely Umayr ibn Abi Waqqas (رضي الله عنه), who was martyred in this battle.
Ubaydah ibn al-Harith (رضي الله عنه), who had been severely wounded while fighting Utbah ibn Rabi’ah, attained martyrdom on the return journey after the battle. Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) personally placed him in his grave.
Seventy men from Quraysh were killed, including their prominent leaders and commanders, and an equal number were taken captive. Among the prisoners were the Prophet’s (ﷺ) uncle Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, his son-in-law Abu al-As ibn al-Rabi, and his brother Aqil ibn Abi Talib. All of them later accepted Islam.
The Impact of the Battle of Badr
The victory of Badr established the dominance of the people of Madinah throughout Arabia. It proved that Islam had firmly taken root in the world and that its followers were not only capable of defending themselves but also of giving a decisive response to their opponents.
The triumph of a small group of Muslims over an enemy three times their number on the battlefield of Badr was clear evidence that divine support was with them. This event marked the beginning of a great transformation in Arabia, the echo of which was heard far and wide.
While the Muslims were filled with joy and happiness, mourning spread throughout Makkah. Abu Lahab died nine days after hearing the news of this defeat. Quraysh swore to avenge those who had been killed at Badr.
https://pk.islamteaching.com/%d8%ba%d8%b2%d9%88%db%81-%d8%a8%d8%af%d8%b1-%d8%b1%d9%85%d8%b6%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1%da%a9-%d9%a2%da%be%d8%ac%d8%b1%db%8c/
