The Prophet’s first full battle with the
Quraysh was the Battle of Badr. This fight, in which 70
idolaters were killed and around the same number taken
captive, took place on the 17th of Ramadan, 2nd hijrah,
at the location of Badr. This battle damaged the strength and
status of the Quraysh irreparably and the major leaders of the
Quraysh were killed. The Quran called it the “Battle of Furqan,”
i.e. the fight to discern between truth and falsehood. It is
astonishing that such a great event has been hidden behind
history in such a way that it has become difficult to gain
access to facts and several questions to which answers are
unavailable are raised about the same.
The Causes of the
Battle
Historians describe the following as
being the reasons for the battle:
1. The Quraysh
were enraged by the killing of ‘Amr ibn al-Hadrami during the
sariyyah of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahash (rta) and the capture
of ‘Uthman and al-Hakam. They could not tolerate this
humiliation. Taking revenge for killing was, in any case, a
tradition of the Arabs. Thus, they began to make preparations
for war, as a result of which the Battle of Badr took place.
2. Madinah is
located along the route which runs from Makkah to Syria. The
trade convoys of the Quraysh travelled through this route to
Syria. By making cooperation agreements with the tribes living
around Madinah, Muslims had made it impossible for the Quraysh
to get permission to use this route. This was akin to cutting
off the main artery of their economy, hence war became
incumbent.
3. The spoils
of war obtained from Nakhlah had created greed for more among
Muslims. Hence, they waylaid a large trade caravan which was
returning after bringing products from Syria towards Makkah.
The Quraysh became suspicious and came out to defend their
caravans.
If these are the reasons for the Battle
of Badr, what are the characteristics that distinguish it from
ordinary wars, on the basis of which the Quran named it “The
Day of al-Furqan?” The premise behind all worldly wars is
either political or economic. Wars have been started because
of killing of people. When a nation has sensed danger to its
economy, it has picked up weapons of war. Do the prophets of
God too fight on the basis of such factors? These are the
questions to which no satisfactory answers are available with
biographers and it is necessary that we determine these.
In our view, the above are not the real
causes for the battle, because of the following reasons:
1. ‘Amr ibn al-Hadrami’s
killing and ‘Uthman and al-hakam’s captivity was certainly
humiliating for the Quraysh, and it was also used to incite
the emotions of people, but the preparation of a 1,000 soldier
strength army and attack on Madinah was completely
unnecessary. According to the Arab tradition, qisas
(retaliation for murder) could have been demanded. If the
Prophet (sws) did not cooperate, revenge could have been asked
for from the Banu Hashim tribe members who had been left in
Makkah, because the Prophet (sws) was one of them and
according to Arab custom, a tribe was held responsible for an
individual’s actions. According to some narratives, the
Prophet (sws) had offered payment of blood money, but the
offer was rejected by the Quraysh. Before the battle, the
Qurayshi leader, Hakim ibn Hizam had offered to the mayor of
Makkah, ‘Utbah ibn Rabi‘ah that he would pay blood money so
that the matter could rest. This idea was accepted by Rabi‘ah,
but other leaders opposed it. It seems, therefore, that waging
a war was not the only way to avenge a killing and that the
leaders of the Quraysh not only did not consider such
retaliation significant but also did not find it suitable to
think of the options available.
2. The stated
cause of the Syrian route becoming a danger is also
unrealistic and the outcome of a perception only. There is a
span of one whole year between the agreements with Juhaynah,
Banu Damrah and Banu Mudlaj, and the Battle of Badr. Firstly,
the wording of these agreements has been preserved and does
not include stopping the trade caravans of the Quraysh.
Secondly, during that one year, no trade convoy of the Quraysh
was asked to obtain permission, nor was any stopped. Their
convoys continued to ply on this route. If the purpose had
been to stop the trade caravans, one or two incidents would
surely have taken place. Thirdly, if it is supposed that
Muslims were not so strong during that phase to have served
such a notice, they became strong and emboldened after the
battle and could have done so. But the truth is that even in
later years, there were no signs of putting curbs on such
trade. Hence, this cause is merely based on speculation.
3. Muslims
would have become greedy after obtaining the war booty of
Nakhlah, if the Prophet (sws) had praised them and patted them
on their backs. Contrary to this, biographers narrate that he
was unhappy with this incident and kept the booty aside. It
was only distributed after the Battle of Badr. Was this
behavior of the Prophet (sws) a deterrent to war or an
incitement?
According to
narratives, when Abu Sufyan was informed about the sariyyah
of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahash (rta), he was in Syria. He felt that
Muslims could attack his convoy while he was en route to
Makkah passing by Madinah. He sent a man named Damdam ibn ‘Amr
to Makkah to alert them of the potential danger so that they
could send a group of soldiers. When this man arrived in
Makkah, panic erupted. As a result, they formed a full army
and marched towards Madinah. These narratives are not correct
because it was impossible in those times for the news to have
reached Syria from Makkah, for someone to travel from Syria to
Makkah again, for the Quraysh to have made full preparations
for war and then to reach Madinah which was a week’s distance
away, all within six weeks. Such an activity would have
required at least 10-12 weeks, provided the travel time of the
man from Syria to Makkah was excluded. According to another
narrative, Damdam was not sent from Syria, but from when the
convoy was a little distance away from Madinah. The same
objections can be applied to this because of the travel time
in those days. Had this been the case, the caravan would have
been very close to Badr, whereas the messenger was quite far
away. [The time taken for travel can be assessed by
considering the fact that it took 10 days to travel between
Makkah and Madinah. The Prophet (sws) had arrived at northern
side of Arabia for the Battle of Tabuk after travelling for 24
days].
What is more likely, therefore, is that
the Quraysh may have made plans for war and prepared all the
war equipment, and wanted to make the safety of the trade
route an excuse. The scheme could have been that a man would
come as a representative from Abu Sufyan, and the Quraysh army
would move just when the trade convoy would be close by. The
man reached Makkah, tore his clothes, toppled the saddle of
the camel and starting lamenting, calling upon the people to
beware of their convoy as Muhammad (sws) and his companions
had waylaid them. This made the people of Makkah angry and
they participated in the battle, according to the scheme of
their leaders. Even if such a description is accepted,
questions on the attack of the trade convoys remain.
Firstly, no incident of robbing any
convoy before the sariyyah of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahash had taken
place. The trade convoys of the Quraysh used to travel without
any barriers to and from Syria. Without any previous bitter
experience, Abu Sufiyan could not have been concerned about
the safety of his convoy. News about the incident that
occurred in Nakhlah could not have reached Abu Sufyan in time
for him to send a messenger to obtain timely help from the
Quraysh. It has to be admitted that sending Damdam ibn ‘Amr
was part of another plan which had no connection with the news
of the sariyyah of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahash.
Secondly, if protection of the convoy has
been the purpose of the Quraysh, it would have sufficed to
send a few hundred individuals. Instead, the Quraysh had
prepared for a battle on a large scale and ensured that every
person participated. This arrangement was far in excess of any
need for protection of the convoy and greatly imbalanced.
Thirdly, if the Muslims had wanted to rob
Abu Sufyan’s convoy, they would have started from the
north-west of Madinah, where they would have achieved their
objective before the Quraysh army arrived. Before proceeding
towards Badr, the Prophet (sws) had sent two spies in that
direction. All biographers agree that when the Prophet (sws)
prepared his army, he moved it towards Badr, which is 80 miles
away from Madinah towards Makkah. Proceeding towards Makkah to
rob the convoy would have been a dangerous tactic. It is
impossible to imagine such a huge technical error on the part
of Muslims.
Fourthly, According to historians, the
idolaters knew before they reached Badr that Abu Sufyan had
taken the convoy safely out towards Makkah through the coast
and he no longer needed any protection. If the Quraysh had
come only to protect the convoy, there was no reason for them
to go on to Badr despite this news. This proves that their
purpose was different.
In the light of these points, it can be
deduced that the trade convoy coming from Syria was not the
factor behind the Battle of Badr, although biographers have
given it more importance.
The Cause of the
Battle of Badr
The battle of Badr, was, in reality, a
clash between the forces of truth and falsehood. Its purpose
was to punish a nation that had humiliated the Prophet of God
and to strike at the roots of those who denied him by killing
its leaders. A total annihilation of the Quraysh as punishment
for denying the Prophet (sws) was not part of God’s scheme, as
explained above. But their frontline leadership was destroyed
in this battle. In their arrogance, the leaders of the Quraysh
had set out to stamp out the voice of truth forever, but
instead, God’s strategy worked and truth prevailed. Evidence
of the fact that the Quraysh had left Makkah, armed with
religious fervor, with aims to defeat Islam and break the
strength of the Muslims is found in books of history. Let us
look at the situation among the Quraysh.
1. The Quraysh
involved every individual tribe in the preparation for war by
formal instruction and obtained their cooperation through
arms, wealth and in kind contribution. Thus, the entire nation
participated in the war.
2. It was
arranged that no important person was left behind. Such a
psychological ambiance had been created that anyone who stayed
behind was worried about being stigmatized. The leader of the
Quraysh, ‘Utbah ibn Rabi‘ah had no intention of participating,
but he was so criticized that his son Shaybah said: “if we
remain apart from our nation today, this fact will become a
reason for our disrepute always”. Abu Lahab was hesitant to
join in, but Abu Jahal went to him and said: “Get up, Abu
‘Utbah, By God, we are only going to war for the glory of your
and your forefather’s religion.” At this, Abu Lahab put al-‘As
ibn Hisham al-Maghirah in his place, forgiving him the debt
the latter owed to the former in lieu of this service. Umayyah
ibn Khalaf was a heavy set man. He expressed his inability to
go to the front, but Abu Jahal incited him by calling out to
his honour: “O Abu Ṣafwan, you are the leader of the
inhabitants of this valley. If you stay at home, others too
will not come out.” Abu Jahal kept after him until he agreed
and said: “If you are blaming me, by God, I shall buy the most
pure bred camel and come with you, riding it.”
3. The Quraysh
leaders took on the responsibility to feed the entire army for
one day each. For this, the names of Abu Jahal, Umayyah ibn
Khalaf, Suhayl ibn ‘Amr, Shaybah, ‘Utbah, ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib,
Abu al-Bukhtari, Nabih ibn al-Hajjaj and Manbah ibn al-Hajjaj
have been given. This shows that this battle was accorded the
status of a national war. Accompanying the army were women who
played the tambourine, sang songs ridiculing Muslims and
keeping the idolators happy.
4. The Quraysh
were at odds with the tribe of the Banu Bakr. They were
worried that on their way to Badr, the tribe may attack them
from behind. Using diplomatic sources, it was ensured that
they would not carry out any such attacks. Obviously, if they
had been going merely to protect their convoy, they would not
have needed to worry of such a happening.
5. When
departing from Makkah, the idolaters prayed while holding on
to the drapes of the Ka‘bah: “O Allah! whichever army is
better, which group is more honourable, whichever tribe is
better, help it.” They prayed thus in the belief that they
were superior to the Muslims and because they were leaving for
a formal battle with them.
6. Abu Jahal
prayed the night before the battle: “O Allah! that man (the
Prophet) has cut our relationships. He gives us a message with
which we are unfamiliar. O Allah! Destroy that man tomorrow.”
This prayer of Abu Jahal reflects the same fervor and feelings
with which the Quraysh had entered war.
7. When the
Quraysh reached Juhfah, before Badr, they knew that the trade
convoy had left the route to Badr and was moving towards
Makkah through the coastal route and was safe from any attack
by the Muslims. Hearing this news, Banu Zahrah and Banu ‘Adi
said that their interest was limited to the protection of
their people and property. They would, therefore, return to
Makkah. Abu Jahal was adamant that they would not go back and
would put up camp at Badr. The army moved on without taking
these two tribes into consideration and they did not take part
in the battle.
8. After
reaching Badr, when the faithful too reached it, some peace
loving individuals, including Hakim ibn Hizam who was at the
forefront, advised ‘Utbah to avoid any fighting. But the
Quraysh elite insisted that they would not leave without
destroying the Muslims.
There is no mention of the protection of
the trade convoy or any other reason for the war in any of the
above incidents. These incidents are completely irrelevant
with regard to the convoy. In reality, the Quraysh, infused by
emotions for the religion of their forefathers, had left their
homes, aiming to destroy the Muslims and praying for the same.
If some people suggested that the convoy was safe and there
was no need for fighting, the Quraysh leaders gave no weight
to these views and insisted that they would not go back
without wiping out the Muslims.
As far as the camp of the Muslims is
concerned, our early biographers have stated their purpose of
leaving Madinah as attacking the trade convoy. The same story
has been repeated by historians so often that it has been
taken as a fact. However, there are several incidents that
prove that the purpose in front of the Prophet (sws) in
leaving Madinah was to fight the Quraysh. Please deliberate
upon the following facts:
1. According to
narratives, although the Prophet (sws) had sent two
companions, Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah (rta) and Sa‘id ibn Zayd (rta),
10 days before departing for Badr, to the trade route in the
west of Madinah, but without waiting for their return or
arranging for an alternate to bring information about the
convoy, he had ordered the army to proceed towards Badr. When
Talhah (rta) and Sa‘id (rta) returned to Madinah, the Prophet
(sws) had left for Badr.
2. Historians
say that the Ansars were not included in any of the earlier
skirmishes, but in this, both Muhajirs and Anṣars were present
in full. There were 86 Muhajirs, 61 Ansars belonging to the
tribe of Aws and 170 from the tribe of Khazraj. Even
adolescent boys signed up for the army, but they were not
allowed to go. It seems that just as the Quraysh made
preparations to take its entire people along, so did the
Prophet (sws) prepare to take all able bodied Muslims.
Biographers say
that no nationwide call for war had been made and no blame was
attached to those who stayed behind. But they do not state who
had stayed behind. The eight men who did and whose names
appear were the ones who had been instructed by the Prophet (sws)
to take on different responsibilities and who had been awarded
the war bounty. Hence, the above statement of historians is
not acceptable.
3. The desire
for jihad and martyrdom among the Muslims shows that
they had confrontation with the Quraysh in mind. Even children
tried to take part. For example, ‘Umayr ibn Abi Waqqas (rta)
participated despite his youth and was martyred. Similarly, it
was necessary for either Khaythamah (rta) or his son, Sa‘d ibn
Khaythamah (rta) to stay at home. When the father attempted to
stop his son, the latter said: “if it had not been a matter of
Paradise, I would have given you priority over myself. I am
going in hope of martyrdom. Please give me permission.”
4. The Prophet
(sws) stopped at the well of Abi Anba’ outside Madinah to
inspect his forces, and sent back some children, ‘Abdullah ibn
‘Umar, Uthamah ibn Zayd, Rafay’ ibn Khudayj, Bara’a ibn ‘Azib,
Zayd ibn Thabit, Usayd ibn Hudayr and Zayd ibn Arqam due to
their tender age. It is obvious that he was looking at the
certainty of a war with the Quraysh and wanted to take only
people who would be most suitable for it.
5. During the
mission of Dhu al-‘Ashirah, he had come to know that Abu
Sufyan’s contingent comprised of only 30-40 horse riders. Only
horse riders could be appropriate against them and only two
companions possessed horses in the Muslim army. Secondly,
there were 300 foot soldiers in the Battle of Badr, which were
too many to attack the trade convoy. In other words, just as
the army of the Quraysh was very imbalanced compared to the
need for protection of the trade convoy, so too was the army
of the Prophet (sws) too numerous for the purpose of attacking
the trade convoy.
6. It was a
custom among the Arabs that some people would participate in
wars among other parties, greedy for war bounty. When two
idolatrous warriors, Khubayb ibn Sayyaf and Qays ibn Muhrith
expressed their wish to do so, the Prophet (sws) replied: “No
one who is not on our faith will go with us.” The reason for
this refusal could be that he was not considering that battle
between Islam and its enemies to be an ordinary one.
7. All
historians have stated this prayer of the Prophet (sws) before
the battle: “O Allah! If you destroy this small group of the
people of Islam, there would be no one left to worship You on
this earth.” The words of this prayer indicate that the
Prophet (sws) had submitted his entire possessions; otherwise
such a prayer would not have been suitable. At that time, he
was not thinking of the trade convoy but of the equipped army
of the Quraysh.
8. To establish the purpose of war, it is said in the Qur’an:
“But Allah intended to establish the truth by His words and to
eliminate the disbelievers.” (8:7) It is not possible to
destroy a strong group of disbelievers by robbing one of its
trade convoys. The only way to do this is to humiliate an
equipped army and destroy its leadership.
However, it is a fact that the period of
the return of the Quraysh convoy from Syria created serious
psychological and emotional feelings within both Muslims and
the Quraysh and played an active role in pitting the two
groups against each other. It also created several
misunderstandings that caused people to make huge errors in
recognizing the true nature of this battle between truth and
falsehood.
A Possible
Trajectory of Events and Causes
Keeping all evidence and the time
required for travel between the various convoys in mind, a
more plausible explanation is that when Abu Sufyan heard that
a large group of Muslims had arrived at Dhu al-‘Ashirah when
he had left it on his way from Makkah to Syria, he assumed
that they were planning to rob his convoy, and that although
he had been safe until then, they might be waiting for him and
the convoy could be in danger. To pre-empt this, he sent a
man, Damdam ibn ‘Amr to the Quraysh with the message that they
should make special preparations to protect the convoy on its
way back. After sending the message, he proceeded to Syria.
When Damdam reached Makkah, the incident of the sariyyah
of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahash had just happened and the Quraysh
began to see this dim assumption as a reality. Some idolaters
also said that the Muslims had the wrong perception that they
could repeat the incident of Nakhlah. The Quraysh leaders used
this danger to incite the feeling of honour among their
people, but the plan they made was to use the protection of
the convoy as a ploy to eliminate the Muslims forever. Hence
they made elaborate arrangements which suited their real
purpose of waging war. They had plenty of time for this, as
the convoy would take time to come from Syria. As the time of
the convoy’s arrival came near, God showed a dream to His
Prophet (sws) that a trade convoy was coming from one side,
and the Quraysh army from the other. He instructed the Prophet
(sws) to call the Muslims out, and promised him that Muslims
would be granted victory over one of these two groups. The
Prophet (sws) gathered his people together, told them about
his dream and about both possibilities and gave orders to
prepare for war. Because the fight would be tough, he gave
instructions to prepare accordingly. The Muslims were
oppressed, poor and without many possessions. Some expressed
the wish that they should not have to fight in such conditions
of poverty and that they be allowed to attack the trade
convoy. Other companions saw in this a confrontation between
Islam and disbelief and they understood that the time had come
for the promise for the defeat of falsehood to be fulfilled.
Biographers, referring to this situation, write: “When the
Prophet (sws) motivated his people for war, some took it as an
ordinary happening, but others felt its weight. This happened
because people did not believe that the Prophet (sws) would
face war”.
We believe that this is a description of
the psychological condition of two groups of Muslims. One
understood the seriousness of the issue and prepared
accordingly. The other remained under the presumption of
meeting the trade convoy, and thought that the idea of a war
was too farfetched. Coincidentally, the narratives that have
been collected by the oldest biographers represent those
related to the second group; this is why historians have not
given importance to the first view, although events show that
the majority held these views.
Possibility of War with an Equipped Army
The Prophet (sws) placed both
possibilities he had seen in his dream before his people, but
he showed by his actions that he was considering only the
battle with the Quraysh army. This was also more in line with
his status, that he would keep the more difficult situation in
mind. Thus, he gave orders for war. At this, the people who
wanted to confront the convoy became worried and started to
argue with the Prophet that it was not the right time for a
big showdown with the Quraysh. The Quran said about such
people:
[It is] just as when your Lord brought
you out of your home [for the battle of Badr] in truth, while
indeed, a party among the believers was unwilling; arguing
with you concerning the truth after it had become clear, as if
they were being driven toward death while they were looking
on. (8:5-6)
What is being said here is at the time of
departure from Madinah. If the Prophet (sws) had wished to
attack the convoy, the Muslims would not have opposed this.
However, his purpose was very clear to him: that of facing the
Quraysh army. Some people left their homes unwillingly.
According to some narratives, the Prophet (sws) stopped after
leaving Madinah, at a place called the Well of Abi Anba’ to
inspect his forces. He saw some children who had joined,
motivated by the desire to fight the idolaters. He did not
allow them to go on but after seeing proof of war skills by
some boys, let them travel.
After this inspection, he ordered the
army to march towards Badr, because that was the place where
the route to Syria and Makkah joined and they could meet one
of the two groups of the Quraysh. He traversed this route fast
and whoever he found on his way, he would ask about the
movements of both the convoy and the army. Since the situation
was not clear yet, some Muslims were hoping to meet the convoy
and others were expecting to confront the Quraysh army.
Test of the Desire for
Jihad amongst the
People of Faith
The Prophet (sws) sent two companions;
Busbus ibn ‘Amr Juhni (rta) and ‘Adi ibn Abi al-Zaghba (rta)
to bring information about the movements of the enemy. When he
camped at the valley of Dhafran en route, he received the
first information about the Quraysh’s movements and it became
necessary to take his companions into confidence. He informed
his army about the situation and asked for advice. First, Abu
Bakr (rta) and ‘Umar (rta) spoke and expressed their
commitment to fighting the enemy. The Prophet (sws) praised
their desire for jihad and expressed his happiness. After
this, he again addressed the people and asked for advice. At
this, Miqdad ibn al-Aswad said: “O Prophet of Allah! Do what
Allah has instructed you to. We are with you in every
situation. By Allah! We will not give the answer that was
given by the Israelites to Moses (sws); you and your Lord go
and fight, we sitting here.” The Prophet (sws) praised him
also. Then he repeated: “O People! Advise me.” At this, Sa‘d
ibn Mu‘adh go up from amongst the Ansars and said: “O Prophet
(sws)! Perhaps you are referring to us. We have believed in
your prophethood and confirmed everything that you have said.
We are witness that the faith you have brought is true. We
have promised that we shall obey all that you say. O Prophet!
Bring to fruition what your purpose is. We are with you. You
take action. We swear by He who has made you His Prophet that
if you were to enter the sea with us, we would jump into it
and not one amongst us would remain behind. We are people who
will remain steadfast in war and strong and true in
confrontation. Allah may well show you that which would make
you happy. Please accord us the honour of being with you by
the grace of God.” Hearing this speech, the Prophet (sws)
expressed his satisfaction and said: “O People! Hear this
interpretation because Allah has promised me to overcome one
of the two groups. By Allah! I see the enemy being
annihilated.” Thus, getting all of his companions focused and
fired with the desire for jihad, the Prophet (sws) moved on
from the valley of Dhafran.
When he reached Badr, two pieces of news
came. One was that the trade convoy had gone on towards Makkah,
by using the coastal route and the other, that the army of the
Quraysh had reached the mountains behind the other side of
Badr. This was a God sent situation that three groups, without
mutual links or information, had reached places close to the
valley of Badr. A decisive situation was reached in which the
possibility of confrontation with the trade convoy had ended
and that with the army of the Quraysh had become a certainty.
The Quran described this as follows:
[Remember] when you were on the near side
of the valley, and they were on the farther side, and the
caravan was lower [in position] than you. If you had made an
appointment [to meet], you would have missed the appointment.
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.
(8:42)
This was the stage when the Quraysh would
not have accepted any advice to return without fighting. The
aims of the leaders of the Quraysh were obvious: they wanted
to wipe out the Muslims. So when Hakim ibn Hizam and some
others suggested that they go back and refrain from war, the
idea was resisted. For the Muslims too, there was no way other
than to fight the Quraysh. If they had followed the trade
convoy, they would have been caught between the two groups and
it was uncertain whether they would have been able to capture
their possessions. If they had shown weakness in front of the
Quraysh army, they would have been cut and sliced and the
Quraysh would have destroyed Madinah completely. Those among
them who had wished to rob the convoy had had their
misunderstandings removed by then, and the demand of their
faith that they should defend it with their full strength and
defeat falsehood was before them. Thus, God made the convoy a
means of bringing the Muslims and the Quraysh face each other
at the front and when they came, He picked up the convoy so
that the two forces could fight each other to defend their
respective aims.
(Translated by Nikhat Sattar)
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