EVERY NATION CELEBRATES its victories. The 17th of Ramadhan marks one of our greatest victories.
To understand this story we need to go back to a night when Allah chose a man, Muhammad ﷺ, the best of creation. To him, He revealed a message and gave him a mission- to take mankind out of the darkness and into the light.
People were in a deep state of ignorance and sin, worshipping idols and eating the meat of dead animals, committing all sorts of horrible and shameful deeds, breaking the ties of kinship, treating guests poorly, and the strong among them oppressed the weak.
The Messenger ﷺ called his people to worship Allah alone, and to renounce the stone idols that they used to worship beside Allah.
He ﷺ commanded them to speak the truth, to honour promises, to be kind to relations, to be helpful to neighbours, to cease all forbidden acts, to abstain from bloodshed, to avoid indecencies and false witness, and not to take an orphan’s property nor slander innocent women.
He ﷺ ordered them to worship Allah alone and not to associate anything with him, to uphold prayer, to give charity, and to fast in the month of Ramadan.
But only some of his people believed in him and what he brought to them from Allah. Most turned away.
The cruellest amongst his people were the chiefs of the Quraysh in Makkah. For 13 long years, they attacked the believers, slandered them, tortured them, and boycotted them, to force them to reject their religion and take them back to the old immorality and the worship of idols.
But whilst Makkah rejected them, Allah opened the hearts of other people to this deen. The people of Madinah welcomed the Prophet ﷺ and his people as their leader and brothers in Islam.
When the order to emigrate came, the Muslims left their homes in Makkah and travelled to Madinah. Even then they were forced to leave behind everything, and the Quraysh were quick to seize their homes and wealth.
It is in the second year after the migration, that the story of this victory starts in earnest.
The news came to Madinah that a great caravan was passing through the desert carrying much wealth. It was headed by Abu Sufyan, a Qurayshi chieftain, and guarded by only 34 men.
Makkah and Madinah were in a state of war. The Prophet ﷺ, seeing an opportunity, called upon his sahabah to join him to raid the caravan and restore some of their lost wealth. They headed out to Badr with 2 horses and 70 camels. An easy victory was expected. For how could 34 men take on a raiding party of 313?
But Abu Sufyan was experienced and no fool. He heard that Muhammad ﷺ had left Madinah to overtake his caravan. He scouted ahead and worked out that Badr was the place of ambush. Diverting his route away from there towards the coast, he sent an urgent message to Makkah to warn the other chieftains of the threat, not only to him but to their wealth.
What an entrance this messenger made in Makkah. Ripping his shirt, rubbing himself with his camel’s blood, he shouted: ‘O people of the Quraish, the caravan, the caravan! Your wealth is with Abu Sufyan! Muhammad and his sahaba are trying to overtake it and I do not think that you can reach there. Help! Help!’
The chieftains were furious. Never in their history had anyone ever dared to raid the caravans of the Quraysh, such was their standing amongst the Arabs. This could not be allowed to happen. If it did, it would damage their reputation beyond repair. So, they gathered all their military resources, men, weapons, horses, and camels. They were filled with arrogance, insincerity, and with the clear intent to destroy Islam.
Abu Sufyan’s quick thinking to divert away from the desert saved his caravan. He informed the Quraysh that the threat had ceased. However, this news divided the Quraysh who had come out fully prepared for war. Some wanted to go back home. Others wanted to plough ahead to Badr and teach the Muslims such a lesson that there would never be any further threats to their caravans. A message had to be sent to all of Arabia- that the Quraysh were not to be taken lightly.
The Prophet ﷺ realized that the caravan had escaped him. And the Quraysh were on the warpath. The Muslims were certainly not prepared for this and some of the sahaba expressed their concerns. The changing situation called for a council of war.
The Muhajir were of the view that they should meet the Quraysh head-on. Al-Miqdad al Aswad (ra) stood and said, “We will not say as the people of Musa said: ‘So go, you and your Lord, and fight.’ But we shall fight on your right and on your left and in front of you and behind you.”
Saad ibn Muadh (ra) stood for the Ansar who formed most of the raiding party and said: ‘We firmly believe in you, and we witness that what descends on you is the truth. We swore an oath and gave you our allegiance, so go ahead with whatever you want, and we shall stand by your side. We swear by Allah Who has sent you with the truth that if you reach the sea and cross it, we will cross it hand in hand with you. No man will lag or stay behind. We are ready to go to war against our enemy tomorrow for we are patient in war and sincere in our desire to meet Allah. I hope that Allah will make us do what will make you proud of us. So, go on with whatever is in your mind. Allah blesses you.”
With such reassurances, the Muslims prepared for war in earnest. The Prophet ﷺ sent out scouts to gather information. They managed to capture two men who were collecting water from the wells of Badr. Bringing them back, the Prophet was able to learn that the Quraysh numbered between 900-1000 men and that their greatest leaders were among them.
Having gathered enough information about the enemy, the Prophet ﷺ led the sahaba quickly to Badr to secure its wells and the vital water supply for himself. They managed to get to Badr ahead of the Quraysh and he set camp at the farthest of the wells. Hubab ibn al-Mundhir (ra), however, asked him if this choice was a revelation or the Messenger’s own opinion. When he ﷺ responded in the latter, Hubab suggested that the Muslims occupy the well closest to the Quraishi army and block off the other ones as this would be an advantage for the Muslims. The Prophet ﷺ accepted this decision and moved right away.
When the Quraysh arrived at Badr, Abu Jahl, said: ‘O Allah, here is the one who breaks ties of family relationship more so than anyone else among us. And he has come with that which was not known before, so destroy him this morning.’ Little did he know which way Allah ﷻ would pass judgment.
Even at this stage, the Quraysh were divided. Utbah ibn Rabia, perhaps the most sensible amongst them, still had serious misgivings about the battle and called upon his people to turn back. Others too expressed concerns. Some saw warning dreams. But Abu Jahl’s arrogance prevailed over them all.
The scene was set. The two parties at Badr. The 313 against 1000.
وَلَٰكِن لِّيَقْضِىَ ٱللَّهُ أَمْرًا كَانَ مَفْعُولًا لِّيَهْلِكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ عَنۢ بَيِّنَةٍ وَيَحْيَىٰ مَنْ حَىَّ عَنۢ بَيِّنَةٍ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَسَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
‘But [it was] so that Allah might accomplish a matter already destined – that those who perished [through disbelief] would perish upon evidence and those who lived [in faith] would live upon evidence; and indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing.’ (al Anfal 42)
The night before the battle, Allah ﷻ sent blessings upon the Muslims. He covered them with deep sleep, and he sent down rain in abundance. The sleep allowed the sahabah to rest not affected by the fear that would normally beset men before the war. The rain cleaned them, removed the doubts of Shaitan, and hardened the sand under their feet so that they were able to move more easily. The Prophet ﷺ was shown a dream in which the Quraysh were few and this emboldened the Muslims when they heard about it.
The morning of the next day.
The Quraysh were taken by surprise. For the first time in Arab warfare, they were confronted by an army arranged in rows. The Arabs were used to attack and retreat, shock and awe, where they would plunge against their enemy with all their might. But here the Muslims were different. The front lines had spearmen to hold off a cavalry charge. The next rows had archers. Then reserves behind that to be used as needed. The Prophet ﷺ, as always a master strategist, was willing to try new styles to achieve his goals.
‘Stand up to go to Jannah, whose width is the heavens and the earth,’ he ﷺ inspired the sahaba with the remembrance of Allah and the life to come.
After taking all the physical measures within his power, he ﷺ turned again to Allah. Raising his hands, he called: ‘O Allah carry out for me that which You have promised me. O Allah bring forth that which You have promised me. O Allah, if you destroy this group from the people of Islam, you will not be worshipped on earth.’
Taking a handful of sand, he ﷺ threw it in the direction of the Quraysh. Allah ensured that it reached the eyes of each Quraysh causing them harm and distraction.
And so, it began.
As was customary of that time it started with a duel. The best of them against the best of us. A prelude to war which would give a morale boost to the winners.
Utbah ibn Rabia came forth with his brother Shaybah and his son al-Waleed. On the Muslim side: Ali, Hamza and Ubaidah ibn Harith (ra). Shaybah fell easily to Hamza (ra), and al Waleed similarly to Ali (ra). But the duel between Utbah and Ubaidah (ra) left both men mortally wounded. Hamzah and Ali (ra) finished off Utbah and carried back Ubaidah (ra), who died shortly after.
The Quraysh attacked. The Muslims chanting ‘Ahad, Ahad,’ held their ground. Waves of arrows met their marks. Swords clashed. Spears pierced. Blood spilled. Horses screamed. The fighting was intense. The books of history carry individual accounts of courage and how many met their end. The Muslims saw the Quraysh few, which gave them hope. The Quraysh also saw the Muslims as few, which made them reckless.
And then the angels descended! From the third heaven. Angels on horses- Haizoom. Cracking whips that felled the Quraysh and marked their faces green.
The Quraysh were in terror. An expected easy victory turned into a terrible loss. 70 killed (amongst them their greatest chiefs), 70 captured. On the Muslim side only 14 shuhadah- 6 from the Muhajireen and 8 from the Ansar.
It was over.
The first battle in our history. A clear victory. A turning point. A shock wave travelled through Arabia. The Muslims were now a force to be reckoned with. The light of Islam was gathering strength!
The Muslims spent three days at Badr after the battle. Resting. Burying our dead. Identifying and disposing of the Qurayshi dead. Distributing the spoils of war. Organizing the prisoners of war.
A victory would not be complete without some lessons for us to ponder upon.
Victory comes only from Allah.
The Muslim victory at Badr should be impossible. The numbers just do not compute. But victory is not related to resources, numbers or weapons. It is solely in the hands of Allah ﷻ. Look at how He aided the Believers. It does not matter how hard we work or how dedicated we are, we can never think that victory comes from us.
وَمَا ٱلنَّصْرُ إِلَّا مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
‘And victory is not but from Allah. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.’ (al Anfal 10)
Any nation that starts to think that it controls victory is arrogant and that leads to downfall. Also if a nation just considers the numbers, it can hold them back from victory. If the sahabah held back thinking about their numbers and their lack of weapons and horses and camels, then there would be no Badr.
Rather, they had tawakkul in Allah and sure knowledge in death and the Hereafter that drove them to act. This should give the ummah hope in these times of fitnah.
Change requires effort
The battle of Badr was known as the ‘the day of Furqaan’. Furqaan is that which divides apart or makes clear and distinguishes. Badr distinguished the falsehood from the truth, establishing the latter and demolishing the former.
لِيُحِقَّ ٱلْحَقَّ وَيُبْطِلَ ٱلْبَٰطِلَ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ
‘That He might cause the Truth to triumph and bring falsehood to nothing, even though the mujrimun hate it.’ (al Anfal 8 )
But this does not come about without effort. Truth does not cause itself to triumph and falsehood does not turn to nothing by itself. Rather steps must be taken to cause the truth to triumph and to bring falsehood to nothing. We saw that with the effort, planning, and sacrifice that the Prophet ﷺ and the sahabah undertook.
Badr also distinguished and separated the time when the Muslims were weak and fearful, from a time that they were strong and fearless.
وَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ إِذْ أَنتُمْ قَلِيلٌ مُّسْتَضْعَفُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ تَخَافُونَ أَن يَتَخَطَّفَكُمُ ٱلنَّاسُ فَـَٔاوَىٰكُمْ وَأَيَّدَكُم بِنَصْرِهِۦ وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
‘And remember when you were few and oppressed in the land, fearing that people might abduct you, but He sheltered you, supported you with His victory, and provided you with good things – that you might be grateful.’ (al Anfal 26)
Seeing the wider picture
This event happened in Ramadhan when the Muslims were fasting. The Muslims were not hesitant to avail themselves of an opportunity. Today we often think of Ramadhan as a time to isolate ourselves, work on individual spiritualism and forget the world around us. That is not the way of the Muslims. Ramadhan has always been a month of victory for us. Our greatest victories, such as the conquest of Makkah, the conquest of al Andalus, Hitteen against the Crusaders, and Ain Jalut against the Mongols, all occurred in Ramadhan and arose from a very different view of Islam.
The bond of Islam is the only bond.
‘Ahad, ahad’ revealed what bonded the Muslims and what they fought for. It was not about kinship or tribalism or patriotism or nationalism. It was about Allah alone.
When Utbah ibn Rabia pleaded with the Quraysh not to fight, he said: ‘For indeed, if you do that (go to war), the effect of your actions will continue to remain in your hearts. Each person among you will be looking (when he looks at himself) at the killer of his brother and the killer of his father. So, return to your homes.’
Compare this with the interaction between Abu Bakr (ra) and his disbelieving son Abdur Rahman. Abdur Rahman later recalls how he feared fighting his father on the battlefield at Badr. Abu Bakr (ra) replied that he would not have had any hesitation at killing Abdur Rahman had he come across him.
It is iman and not blood that tie people together. This has always been the case with Islam and produced a society where people were judged according to taqwa and not colour, class or any other artificial divide. This is a lesson in great need today whether ‘Black lives still matter’, or ‘Me too’ or nations fighting for greed and self-interest.
The questioning mentality
The advice of Hubab (ra) is interesting. He had specialist knowledge that the Muslims could benefit from. He understood that there was a difference between that which was the opinion of the Prophet ﷺ and that which was revelation. If revelation, he knew that the only response was to hear and obey. But if it was an opinion, he wanted to give good advice. And the Prophet took his advice with good results.
Today many of us do not have a questioning mentality. We just accept everything as it is. We do not enquire if a hadith is sound. We are reluctant to ask for evidence from our ulema (not to undermine them but to learn from them). We do not lend our expertise for the good of the ummah.
Conclusion and why we need to know our history.
The ummah is deliberately kept disconnected from our Islamic past so that we continue to feel weak and self-hating and turn to everything but Islam to solve our problems.
But our history gives us identity, knowledge of what we achieved, and how we got to where we are today. That we once reached greater heights and made significant contributions to society, civilization, and science. We were strong and united under a common idea and authority, without borders.
That realisation inspires and motivates us.
If we did it before, we can do it again.
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Living For Islam 