=- The Battle of Badr -=

Assalam o alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu.
JazakALLAH KHAIR for reading..!


In the name of Allah, the Beneficient, the Merciful.

The battle of Badr was the most important among the Islamic battles
of Destiny. For the first time the followers of the new faith were put into a
serious test. Had victory been the lot of the pagan army while the Islamic
Forces were still at the beginning of their developments, the faith of Islam
could have come to an end.
No one was aware of the importance of the outcome of the Battle as the
Prophet (S.A.W.) himself. We might read the depth of his anxiety in his
prayerbefore the beginning of the Battle when he stood up supplicating his Lord :
<blockquote>
God this is Quraish. It has come with all its
arrogance and boastfulness, trying to discredit Thy Apostle. God,
I ask Thee to humiliate them tomorrow. God, if this Muslim band will
perish today, Thou shall not be worshipped. [1]
</blockquote>
At this battle in which the pagan army consisted of 950 fighters and
314 (including the Messenger S.A.W.), the Islamic defense was a
combination of three defensive lines :

1. The personality of the Messenger, his leadership and his
   unequalled firmness. He (S.A.W.) was to the Muslims the final refuge at
   Badr and at every battle he attended.
   
2. The Hashmites (the clan of the Prophet S.A.W.), led by Ali Ibn Abu
   Talib (A.S.)who entered this battle relatively obscure and came out with
   unequalled military fame. His military performances became the popular
   subject of the Arab
   caravans conversations throughout the Arabic Peninsula.
   
3. The hundreds of companions of the Messenger whose hearts were filled
   with the faith and readiness for sacrifice. Many of them viewed matrydom to be
   a gain, equal to life and victory. These good companions were the army of Islam,
   its first line of defense and thick wall behind which the Messenger (S.A.W.)
   used to stand. Thet were the attackers and the defenders.
   

As to the clan of the Messenger they were the ones that he used to call
before any one else, to offer the heavy sacrifice. They used to stand in the
first line of defense opening for the army the way through their thrusts in the
line of the enemies. When the general offensives began and every companion
participated, the clan of the Messenger (S.A.W.) were the most damaging
to the enemies. They were so at Badr and at the following battles.

The battle began when Utbah Ibn Rabi-ah, his son Al Walid and his
brother Sheibah (all from the Ommayad) stood in front of the pagan army and
asked the Prophet (S.A.W.) to send to them their equals for a dual.
Hundreds ofcompanions were around him and many of them were expecting to be called upon by
the Prophet (S.A.W.) but he choose to start from his own family. The load was
heavy and the heavy load could be carried only by the people to whom it belonged
as he called upon Ali, Al Hamza and Obeidah Al Harith (all from the clan of
the Prophet) to face the three warriors. Ali destroyed Al Walid and Al Hamza
killed Utbah; then they both assisted Obeidah against his opponent Sheibah.
Sheibah died immediately and Obeidah was the first martyr at this battle. He
died after he lost his leg.
When the general offensive began, hundreds of companions participated in
the battle and offered sacrifices and pleased their Lord. But the members of the
house of the Messenger (S.A.W.) distinguised themselves. Ali's endeavour was
unique at this battle. When Hanthala Ibn Abu Sufyan faced him, Ali liquified his
eyes with one blow from his sword. He annihilated Al Auss Ibn Saeed, and met
Tuaima Ibn Oday and transfixed him with his spear, saying "You shall not
dispute with us in God after today."
The Messsnger (S.A.W.) took a handful of gravel when the battle was
extremely heated. He threw it at the faces of the pagans saying " May Your faces
be disfigured. God, terrify their hearts and invalidated their feet. " The
pagans ran away, turning their faces to no one.
The Muslims went on killing them and taking prisoners. 70 pagans met
their death, and the Muslims took from them 70 prisoners. History preserved in
its records only fifth of the names out of the 70 pagan loses. Twenty [2] or
twenty two [3] of them died at Ali's hand.
This battle laid the foundation of the Islamic State and made out of
the Muslims a force to be reckoned with by the dwellers of the Arabic
Peninsula.
References:

1. Abdul Malik Ibn Husham
   
   
   Al Seerah Al Nabaweyah ( Biography of the Prophet )
   
   Published by Mustafa Al Babi Al Halabi, Egypt, 1955 A.D
   
   Part 2 page. 621
   
2. Same as above
   
   Part 2 page. 708-713
   
3. Al Maghazi ( The Invasions ) published by Oxford Printing.
   
   Part 1 page. 152
   

Badr in the Qur'an


The Battle of Badr is one of the few battles explicitly discussed in the Qur'an. It is even mentioned by name as part of a comparison with the Battle of Uhud.
<blockquote>
Qur'an: Al-i-Imran 3:123–125 ^{(Yusuf Ali)}. “Allah had helped you at Badr, when ye were a contemptible little force; then fear Allah; thus May ye show your gratitude.§
Remember thou saidst to the Faithful: "Is it not enough for you that
Allah should help you with three thousand angels (Specially) sent down?§
"Yea, - if ye remain firm, and act aright, even if the enemy should
rush here on you in hot haste, your Lord would help you with five
thousand angels Making a terrific onslaught.§”
</blockquote>
According to Abdullah Yusuf Ali,
the term "gratitude" may be a reference to discipline. At Badr, the
Muslim forces had allegedly maintained firm discipline, whereas at Uhud
they broke ranks to pursue the Meccans, allowing Meccan cavalry to flank
and rout their army. The idea of Badr as a furqan, an Islamic miracle, is mentioned again in the same surah.
<blockquote>
Qur'an: Al-i-Imran 3:13 ^{(Yusuf Ali)}. “There
has already been for you a Sign in the two armies that met (in combat):
One was fighting in the cause of Allah, the other resisting Allah;
these saw with their own eyes Twice their number. But Allah doth support
with His aid whom He pleaseth. In this is a warning for such as have
eyes to see.”
</blockquote>
Badr is also the subject of Sura 8: Al-Anfal,
which details military conduct and operations. "Al-Anfal" means "the
spoils" and is a reference to the post-battle discussion in the Muslim
army over how to divide up the plunder from the Quraishi army. Though
the Sura does not name Badr, it describes the battle, and several of the
verses are commonly thought to have been from or shortly after the
battle.

WaAlikum Asalam

JazakALLAH !