Battle of Badr: Difference between revisions

The Battle of Badr was a seminal event in the formative days of Islam. It is mentioned by name in the Qur'an (3.122 which says literally 'And certainly Allah helped you at Badr and you were weak') in a context of warfare which is usually, as a whole, read to refer a different battle (Uhud) so that the understanding of 3.122 is that Allah supported you previously at Badr and will support you again. The 8th surat, which does not name Badr, is usually understood as describing the actual events on that day.

Introduction

According to the historic traditions that have come down to us, the battle itself was an accident so far as the muslims were concerned and Muhammad was uncertain until the last moment that the bulk of his party would actually fight in his support. Victory at Badr crystalized Muhammad as a recognized effective combat leader and solidified his position in Madina.

The traditions describe the enemy at Badr as, essentially, the entire manpower of the Quraysh (although several groups are described as declining to take part). Their number is estimated at about 1000 men. Muhammad is reported to have had 314 followers.

In later days having been at Badr became so significant that Ibn Ishaq has included a complete name-by-name roster of the little army Muhammad led. There were 83 men from the Muslim Quraysh, emigrants from Mecca to Medina (almost all the able-bodied men) and 231 men from Medina. It was this battle that cemented the allegiance of the Medinans to the prophet.

A large trade caravan was reported to be travelling from Syria to Mecca, Muhammad assembled his force and attempted to intercept the caravan. The caravan managed to evade the attackers. Meanwhile, the people in Mecca collected their forces and rode out to teach Muhammad a lesson. It seems that they were expecting Muhammad to be leading no more than his Qurayshi followers whom the men from Mecca felt they could easily disperse.

The two forces met one another at the village of Badr between Medina and Mecca and, after resting overnight, fought a battle on the next day. No description of battle as a whole has come down to us and apparently the historians believed that Meccans broke almost immediately and the battle dissolved into a collection of single combats.

Preface to the battle

A few days after the arrival of Muhammad from Mecca, the Quraish addressed a letter to Abdullah ibn Ubbay, who had been the leading chief in Medina and whom the Ansar were preparing to install as their king at a royal coronation. This letter ran as follows:

"You have given shelter to our man. We tell you either to kill him or turn him out of Medina; otherwise we swear by God that we will all attack you and destroy you, and seize your women."

When Muhammad heard of this he went to Abdullah ibn Ubbay and asked him if he would fight his own sons and brothers. As a large number of Ansar had turned Muslims, Abdullah Ibn Ubbay realised the significance of Muhammad's remark, and did not comply with the commands of the Quraish.

Muhammad once rode through the habitations of the Banu Harith and Banu Khazraj tribes). He came upon a group of non-Muslims, Muslims and Jews. As the donkey moved, some dust was raised. Abdullah ibn Ubbay covered his face with a piece of cloth, and contemptuously told Muhammad not to raise dust in that manner. Muhammad saluted the gathering and recited a few Verses of the Quran. "O man", said Abdullah ibn Ubbay, "I do not like this. Even if your words are true, you need not distrub us in our meeting; better speak to those who go to you." The Muslims got ablaze at this insult and would have come blows had not Muhammad intervened and pacified the parties.

Once, during the pre-Badr period, Sa'ad ibn Mua'dh, the chief of the Banu Aus, visited Mecca to perform his Umra with Umayah ibn Khalaf,his old friend that had not embrace Islam unlike Sa'ad. One day Sa'ad and Umayya were both on the way to the Ka'ba for making a Tawaf(circmambulation round the Ka'ba), when they came across Abu Jahl.

"Who goes with you," asked Abu Jahl of Umayya. "He is Sa'ad," said Umayya. Then Abu Jahl turned to Sa'd and said, "You people have given shelter to the Sabaean". the non-Muslims of Mecca called Muhammad and the Muslims "Sabaeans", "the apostates".

I cannot bear to see you step into the Ka'ba. By my God, you would not have returned home, had not Umayah accompanied you." Sa'd replied, "If you let us not perform the Hajj, mind, we will stop your Medina route. He meant the trade route to Syria. (ref)

As custodians of the Ka'aba, the Quraish were respected all over Arabia, particularly the tribes settled over the area between Mecca and Medina recognized their leadership. The Quraish had, consequently, worked up all the tribes under their influence into hostility against Islam, so that up to the sixth year of the Hijra, the tribes of Yaman and other distant places could not visit Muhammad. In the sixth year of the Hijra a delegation from Abd al-Qais came to Muhammad from Bahrain; these men stated that the tribes of Mudarr did not let them pass to Medina and so they could only attend on him during the days of Hajj when generally wars remained suspended.

The Quraish did not stop at that. As they had informed Abdullah ibn Ubbay, they were making preparations for an attack on Medina for the extermination of Muslims. For a long time the Muhammad had to pass sleepless nights for fear of the attack. In the words of the chapter Nisa'i from the Quran, Muahmmad on his arrival in Medina had to keep awake throughout the nights.

Once Muhammad expressed the wish that a proper man other than himself could keep watch that night. Sa'ad ibn Waqqas, fully armed, kepth watch that night; and then Muhammad could sleep (ref 1, 2).

Furthermore, there is a report in Hakim in the following words:

"When Muhammad and the Companions came to Medina and the Ansar gave them shelter, all Arabia was up in arms against them; and the Companions had to sleep all night long with their weapons on their persons."

Before the battle had started, the Muslims had received the followin revelation:

(Quran 22:39-40 by Rodwell) A sanction is given to those who, because they have suffered outrages, have taken up arms; and verily, God is well able to succour them: Those who have been driven forth from their homes wrongfully, only because they say "Our Lord is the God." And if God had not repelled some men by others, cloisters, and churches, and oratories, and mosques, wherein the name of God is ever commemorated, would surely have been destroyed. And him who helpeth God will God surely help: for God is right Strong, Mighty: -

since Muslims had suffered in Mecca to the point of choosing between death or migration, they believed that they fulfilled the requirements of the verse and therefor hade been given divine permission to wage war.

Ibn Jarir, in his Commentary, says that the first Verse of the Quran that enjoined the Muslims to take up arms was:

(Quran 2:190-192 by Rodwell) And fight for the cause of God against those who fight against you: but commit not the injustice of attacking them first: God loveth not such injustice: And kill them wherever ye find them, and turn them out of that whereof they have dispossessed you, for temptation [to idolatry] is more grievous than slaughter: Yet fight not against them in the holy temple, until they attack you therein; but if they attack you, slay them [there]. This shall be the reward of the infidels. But if they desist, then verily God is Gracious, Merciful.

(In other translations, "for temptation [to idolatry]" is translated as "persecution" or "tumult and oppression" ) Muslims argue that both these Versed allow the Muslims to fight only those who are aggressors and that it is then evident that the they were in fact forced to appeal to arms.

Since the migration, Muhammad had not only responsibility against himself, his Meccan migrators and the Medina tribes that had joined him. He had also a responsibility towards the rest of Medina, because the Quraish had decided to exterminate the latter for having given shelter to the Muslims, and had wrought up the tribes to the same heat of fury against Medinites.

Muhammad had two main plans:

• The first was to close for the Quraish the trade route from Mecca to Syria, the life blood of their power and pride, and thus bring them round to negotiate peace. It may be recalled that it was this step with which Sa'ad ibn Mu'adh had threatened Abu Jahl at Mecca.

• The second was to make alliances with the tribes round about Medina to maintain peace with the Muslims.

Expeditions preceding the battle

Parties of fifty or a hundred persons came to be despatched in expeditions along the road to Mecca. Muhmmad did not join any of them before the one sent to Abwa, in the hijri month of Safar 2 a.h.

Three earlier expeditions where sent with Hamza, Ubaida ibn al-Harith and Sa'ad ibn Abu Waqqas as thier commanders. Howeverm there was no bloodshedding on any of those occasions; either the Quraish managed to avoid an encounter or the parties yielded to the intervention of some peace-maker.

Historians report that these three expeditions were intended to stop the trade caravans from having smooth sailing, just as warned by Sa'ad ibn Mua'adh, the object was to close the Syrian route for the Quraish.

Later critiques have claimed that this three expedition wher designed to train the sahaba in loot and plunder. Islam declares loot and plunder to be a heinous crime and there is not a single report that claims the sahaba ever seized the merchandise of the caravan. Also the only Caravans that where targeted wher Meccans.

peace treaties

Several expeditions where sent to the neighbouring tribes in order to signe peace treaties.

Banu Juhaina

The first was despatched to the Banu Juhaina, a tribe settled at a distance of three marches or 30 miles from Medina.

Their country was a long range of hills.

It was settled with them that they would remain on equal terms with both the parties i.e., take sides with neither.

Banu Dumra

In the month of Safar in 2 a.h., Muhammad set out from Medina with 60 Muhajirs and reached a place known as Abwa, a

place where the Prophet's mother lay buried. (near this place Muhammad fought a battle known as the Ghazwa of Abwa or the

Ghazwa of Waddan) The town of Fara was inhabited by the Banu Muzaina. It was the chief town of Abwa, in a

distance of 8 marches or 80 miles from Medina, a place the marked farthest boundary of the area appertaining to Medina.

Banu Dumra was settled in the neighbouring country and they were in possession of that of land. Muhammad stayed there

for a few days and concluded a treaty with Mukhshi Ibn Amr, the chief of Banu Dumra.

The text of the treaty follows:

"This is a document from Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, for the people of Dumra. Their lives and property shall be

secure, and they shall be helped against any invader (the promise to be binding at all times) except when they fight against

a religious cause. On their part they shall come to the help of the Prophet when called by him."

Historians and Sahi Bukhari call this the first expedition ledd by muhammad.

cattle

Nearly a month later, the pasture lands of Medina was attacked and some cattle belonging to Muhammad was lifted. That was

done by one of the leaders of Mecca, Kurz ibn Jabir Fihri. He was chased but escape. (insert in bigrapy: Later on this Kurz embraced Islam and was killed when passing alone along a street at the time of the

Conquest of Mecca.)

Banu Mudlaj

Three months after this attack, in the hijri month of Jamadi ul-Thani, Muhmmad left Medina accompanied by 200 Muhajirs

towards a place known as Dhu'l-'Ashira, a place that lay at a distance of nine marches from Medina, near Yanbu.

A treaty was made with the Banu Mudlaj, the allies of the Banu Dumra.

Since Banu Dumra had already entered a treaty with Muhammad, Banu Mudlaj accepted the same terms.

The Batn Bakhla affair

A few days later in the hijri month of Rajab, Muhammad sent Abdulah ibn Jahash with 12 persons to a place known as [[Batn

Nakhlah]] to a place one day and night journey from both Mecca and Ta'if.

Muhammad had given 'Abdullah a letter and ordered him to open it after two days. After two days Abdullah opened it and found

it containing instructions to stop at Batn Bakhla and report on the movements of the Quraish.

By chanse, he spoted a party of the Quraish returning from Syria with some mechandise that passed that way. [[Abdullah Ibn

Jahash]] attacked them, and resulting in the death of One of them Amr Ibn al-Hadrami. Two others captured with some booty.

When he returned to Medina, Abdullah ibn Jahash told the event to Muhmmad and presented the booty. Muhammad reminded

[[Abdullah that he had not been permitted to act like that and refused to accept the booty.

The Sahaba were highly engaged and said, to Abdulah, "You did something for which you had no orders, and fought during

the Prohibited month, which you were not permitted to do"

The one killed was Amr ibn al-Hadrami, the son of Abdullah ibn Hadrami and ally of Harb ibn Umayya, the father of

Abu Sufyan ibn Harb. Harb was the leading chief of the Quraish and had succeeded Abd al-Muttalib to an over al leadership.

The two captured where Uthman and Naufal, the grand-sons of Mughira ibn x.

Mughira was the father of Walid ibn Mughira and grand father of Khalid ibn walid. Mughira ibn x was next to Harb ibn Umayya in power.

This event infuriated all the Quraish tribes and was the stard of a clan war, iminently resulting in the battle of Badr.

'Urwa Ibn Zubair' son of Asma', sister of 'A'isha, explained that the root cause of all the battles with the Quraish, including Badr, was that Hadrami was killed. Tabari also agrees with this view in these words :

"And the thing that caused the battle of badr and all the subsequent battles between the Prophet and the unbelievers was the death of Hadrami at the hands of Waqid Sehmi."

The battle of Badr ledd to all other battles.

Aftermath

• Khubayb ibn Adiy was captuered by the Meccans and executioned in a horrible way as revenge.
• Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib had his liver eaten in the battle of Uhud by Hind bint Utbah

Lists

Ibn Ishaq reports (name-by-name) that 6 men from the Quraysh and 8 men from Medina were killed among the muslims and that 50 men from Mecca were killed and 43 more taken prisoner. It should be noted that Mecca was not crushed and got revenge at the later battle of Uhud.

Muslim participants

List Muslim participants in the battle of Badr:

Muhajerin

• 1 Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib - contribution
• 2 Ali ibn Abu Talib - contribution
• 3 Muhammad - contribution
• 4 Bilal ibn Ribah - contribution
• 5 Ammar ibn Yasir - contribution
• 6 Khabbab ibn al-Aratt - contribution
• 7 Obaidah ibn al-Harith, died - contribution

Ansar

• 1 Muawwaz ibn Amr - contribution
• 2 Muaaz ibn Amr - contribution

Other

• Mu‘awwadh bin Al-‘Afrâ, died
• Abu Hudaifah ibn Utbah
• Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf - contribution

Meccan participants

List Meccan participants in the battle of Badr:

1. Abu Jahl, died - contribution
2. Umayah ibn Khalaf, died - contribution
3. Walid ibn Utba, died - contribution
4. Uqbah ibn Abu Mu'ayt died - contribution
5. Walid ibn Mughira, died - contribution
6. Utba ibn Rabi'ah, died - contribution
7. As ibn Sa'id, died - contribution
8. Nawfal ibn Khuwaylid , died - contribution
9. Wahb ibn Umayr, POW - contribution
10. Safwan ibn Umayah, fled - contribution
11. Umayr ibn Wahb, fled - contribution
12. Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, fled - contribution

External links

• The Battle of Badr
• The first battle of Islam at Badr: Islamic Occasions Network
• Chronology of early Islam
• parts of Sirat un Nabi by Shibli Nomani.
• Badr