MILITARY CAMPAIGNS
The Battle of Badr
The emigration to Medina had not, however, put an end to Meccan plots to overthrow Hazrat Muhammad, ﷺ and the winter of 624 A.D. saw the invasion of Medina by a strong force of Meccan soldiers. Three notable Meccan warriors, Abu Sufyan, Utba, (the father-in-law of Abu Sufyan) and Abu Jahl (an uncle of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) had combined forces to invade Medina with an army of 1,000 strong with 700 camels and 100 horse. .
Muhammad, ﷺ bearing a white banner and with Ali AlaihisSalam at his side, came out at the head of 313 ill-equipped the valley of Badr.
soldiers to meet the invaders in In those days warfare followed a different pattern from the bloody carnage of modern times. Before the general battle began, a number of duels were fought between the leading warriors on each side. At Badr, as had been customary in all Arabian battles since pre- historic times, the champions of each force came out of the ranks before the commencement of operations, be-littled their opponents, boasted of their valour, enu- merated their heroic achievements and those of their ancestors and asked the other side to depute champions to fight them in single combat. It was only after these duels that the general battle was ensued.
Ali fights the duel
Clad in steel armour and equipped with scimitars, Utba, the father-in-Law of Abu Sufyan, his brother Shaiba and the notable flower of the Meccan Arabs. Al-walid (father of Khalid) fell out of the lines of the Meccan pagans and challenged the Muslims to come out and fight in single combat with them. In response three Ansars of Medina eager to shed blood in the cause of God and to earn the rewards of martyrdom, stepped out. This greatly enraged the Meccans who cried out at the top of their voices, “Surely we have not come all the way to cross arms with the Medinites against whom we have no grudge. We want the heads of our cousins, men of our own tribe-those renegades of Mecca who have had the audacity to defy us and flee from Mecca people who now hardly dare to risk a duel with us.”
“At the taunt of the Quriashites” says Col Bodley,’ “Ali dashed out of the Muslim ranks, glittering in breast plate and helmet. He was soon followed by Ubaydah bin al-Harith, a paternal cousin of Muhammad ﷺ and Humza who wore an ostrich feather on his cuirass. The three companions were thus closely related to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and fulfilled the Quraish lust for Hashimite blood.”.
“The three duels were as rapid as they were mur- derous. Humza killed Shaiba, while Ali killed al-Walid. Ubaydah was mortally wounded but before he fell, Humza and Ali were able to come to his rescue. Humza hurled himself at Utba and, with a sweep of his sword, cut off his head. In a few minutes three of Mecca’s most important warriors had been sent to find out the truth about the hell which Prophet Muhammad ﷺ promised them.”
“With a cry of rage three more Meccans darted from under Abu Jahl’s banner and assailed the Muslim champions (Ali and Humza). They too went down before the sword of Islam. A further three were dealt with the same fate. There was a moment of hesitancy 1. Col. R.V.C. Bodley-The Messenger. Page 143.
among the Quraishites. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did not miss his advantage. With a sharp order he sent his soldiers into a general attack.”
hurtling In the general battle that followed, the Meccans were defeated and the flower of the pagan army- warriors like Abu Jahl and Utba whose very names had struck terror in the hearts of the Arabs-were among the fallen. Even more important was the effect of the victory on the morale of the newly-sprung Muslim community.
The Quranic version of the Battle of Badr
The Battle of Badr is narrated in the Qur’an as follows:-
“When you sought help of your Lord and He answered you (saying) I will help you with a thou- sand of the angels, rank on rank. Allah appointed it only as good tidings, and that your hearts thereby might be at rest. Victory cometh only by the grace of Allah. Lo, Allah is Mighty, Wise. When He made the slumber fall upon you as a re- assurance from Him and sent down water from the clouds upon you, that thereby He might purify you, and remove from you the fear of Satan, and make strong your hearts and firm (your) feet thereby. When thy Lord inspired the angels (saying): I am
with you. So make those who believe stand firm. I will throw fear into the heart of those who dis- believe. Then smite the necks and smite of them each finger.
That is because they opposed Allah and His Apostle. Whoso opposeth Allah and His Messenger, (for him) Lo! Allah is severe in punishment.
That (is the award), so taste it, and (know) that for the disbelievers is the torment of the Fire.”
(Qur’an 8:9-14)
Aal-e-Qutub Aal-e-Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi 