The First Battle between Truth and
Falsehood
On reaching Badr, the Prophet (sws) sent
Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (rta), Zubayr ibn al-‘Awam (rta) and ‘Ali
(rta) forward to gather information about the movements of the
enemy. They found the water carriers of the Quraysh and
brought them back to the Prophet (sws). He asked them about
the leaders present among the army and was informed that
‘Utbah, Shaybah, Walid, Abu al-Bukhtari, Abu Jahal, Naḍr ibn
Harith, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, Suhayl ibn ‘Amr, ‘Amr ibn ‘Abdud,
Zam‘ah ibn Aswad, Hakim ibn Hizam, Nabiyah ibn al-Hajjaj and
Mambah ibn al-Hajjaj were present. The Prophet (sws) said to
his people: “Makkah has placed its dearest sons in front of
you.”
The Prophet (sws) inquired about the
location of the Quraysh. The water carriers informed him that
they had camped behind the hill on the other side of the
valley. When the Prophet (sws) asked about their number, they
expressed ignorance. The Prophet (sws) asked about the number
of camels being slaughtered every day, to which they replied
that these were ten. The Prophet (sws) said that the army must
be around 900-1,000 in number.
After collecting this information, he
entered the valley and ordered his soldiers to step down at
one place. One of the Companions, Hubab ibn al-Mundhir asked
if this was on the instruction of God or part of a strategy
based on personal opinion, to which the Prophet (sws) replied
that it was his strategy. At this, the Companion said that he
was familiar with the place and suggested that they proceed
ahead, and camp near a well close to where the enemy had
settled. Where they were currently, the lack of water could
create problems for them. The Prophet (sws) accepted this
advice and going forward, settled along the well. They then
dug a pit for storage of water which would enable it to be
used for ablutions and other needs.
The battle was fought between truth and
falsehood. When believers come out on the battlefield, fully
prepared to die, Allah, too, shows the power of His help and
everything in the earth and under the sky comes forward in
support of the believers. This is exactly what happened on the
field. There was shortage of water and the Muslims decided to
store water in the pit they had dug. The ground was sandy due
to which the Muslims found it difficult to keep their feet
firm. Allah sent down rain, thus addressing both problems. The
pit was filled with water and the sand settled so that it
became easier to walk. When night fell, the Companions slept
so well that, instead of being worried, they were fully
rested. They woke up refreshed and participated in the battle
with full concentration. Referring to these signs of God’s
help, the Qur’an says:
Remember He
covered you with a sort of drowsiness, to give you calm as
from Himself, and he caused rain to descend on you from
heaven, to clean you therewith, to remove from you the stain
of Satan, to strengthen your hearts, and to plant your feet
firmly therewith. (8:11)
The Companions built a shelter for the
Prophet (sws), who was accompanied by Abu Bakr (rta). Sa‘d ibn
Mu‘adh (rta) stood guard along with some members from the
Ansars. The Prophet (sws) spent his night in this shelter,
praying to God. He prayed: “O Allah! If you let this small
group of Muslims be killed today, there will be no one left to
worship you on this earth. O my Lord! Keep the promise You
have made to me.” The Prophet (sws) continued to pray for so
long that the shawl on his shoulders fell down. At this, Abu
Bakr (rta) came forward and said: “O Prophet! Let this be
sufficient. Allah will certainly keep His promise to you.”
God sent a revelation to the Prophet (sws)
not to fear the large number of disbelievers. God would send
one thousand angels to fight them, in groups, one after the
other. So, he was to develop strength and inner peace from
this and stand firm against the enemy.
The Beginning of
the Battle
At the end of the morning prayer, the
Prophet (sws) shed light on the importance of the upcoming
battle. He praised God for all His blessings and predicted the
high status of the fighters. Then he gave instructions to the
Companions for the layout of the army. He paid great attention
to proper alignment of his troops, keeping the swordsmen and
spear shooters in the middle and the archers to each side and
continued to give guidance about the battle. In the meanwhile,
the Quraysh sent one of their men, Umayr ibn Wahb to gather
information about the Muslim army. He returned, saying that
they were around 300, with no reserves and no one behind the
lines. All their strength was on the field and there was
complete silence among the troops. But their attitudes showed
that they were determined to first kill their adversary and
then die. If they killed a large number of the enemy, there
would be nothing left to live for. Hearing this, Hakim ibn
Hizam advised his leader, ‘Utbah ibn Rabi‘ah, to return
together with their troops. ‘Utbah, addressing his people,
opined that each person fighting would be killing one of his
relatives. They should go back and let Muhammad (sws) and the
people of Arabia fight amongst themselves. If the latter
succeeded, their purpose would be achieved. When Abu Jahal
came to know of this, he was angry with ‘Utbah and called him
a coward. The Prophet (sws), who was observing the actions of
‘Utbah, said that if the Quraysh were to take the advice of
the owner of the red camel, they would benefit. But Abu Jahal
created such barriers that ‘Utbah decided to fight.
Umayr ibn Wahb reassured the Quraysh that
he had made a thorough inspection and found that the Muslims
did not have any weapons or means to save themselves other
than their swords or spears. This report gave the Quraysh an
impression of meagre resources and perceived lowly status of
the Muslims, and, demonstrating their arrogance, they came out
to fight. When the Prophet (sws) saw them, he said: “O Allah!
These Quraysh have come here, fully equipped with arms and
ammunition and charged with adversarial designs against You
and Your Prophet. O’ Allah! Grant us the help that You have
promised. O’ Allah! Destroy them.” God accepted His Prophet’s
prayer in such a way that the Muslims saw the number of their
enemy as being very small. The feelings of awe on the strength
of the Quraysh vanished and they were ready to fight the enemy
with renewed courage. The Quraysh, who looked at the Muslims
with great contempt, came on against them. Explaining the
feelings running among the two armies, the Qur’an said:
And remember when ye met, He showed them
to you as few in your eyes, and He made you appear as
contemptible in their eyes: that Allah might accomplish a
matter already enacted. For to Allah do all questions go back
[for decision]. (8:44)
At the start of the battle, when three of
the Quraysh leaders: ‘Utbah ibn Rabi‘ah, Shaybah ibn Rabi‘ah
and Walid ibn ‘Utbah sought single combat, three young men
from the Ansars came forward. The Quraysh challengers did not
find them suitable according to their status and demanded men
of equivalent status to be sent. At this, the Prophet (sws)
ordered three dignitaries of the Banu Hashim: ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Harith
ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (rta), Hamzah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (rta)
and ‘Ali ibn Abi Ṭalib, who were his uncle and cousin
respectively to go forward. They killed all three Quraysh
leaders and caused the first blow to the enemy. ‘Ubaydah (rta)
was wounded when ‘Utbah’s sword struck him at his ankle and he
lost blood. On the way back after the battle towards Madinah,
he died. After this, the formal battle began. The Prophet (sws)
kept up the spirits of the Muslims by saying: “By He in whose
power is the life of Muhammad, whoever fights the enemy with
determination and sincerity today, goes forward and does not
turn his back, Allah will give him entry to Paradise.” This
prediction gave strength to a wagtail to fight against an
eagle. When the servants of God commit their lives to fight in
His name, he sends His angels to help them. The reinforcement
of the angels came at this stage too. They had been ordered by
the Almighty to strike at the necks of leaders of the
disbelievers one by one and break every bone in their bodies.
The angels carried this out through the sleeves of the
Mujahidun. The latter, showing total faith and trust in Allah,
turned the troops of the Quraysh upside down. Their courage
was so intense that ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf (rta) said that
when he found himself between two young men from the Ansars,
he wished that he had been accompanied by experienced
warriors. As the battle continued, the young men asked him if
he recognized ‘Abu Jahal, to which he replied in the
affirmative and was requested to tell them if he spotted him.
They wished to kill and send him to Hell. When he saw Abu
Jahal after a while, he told the young men and they moved
forward and struck him down with their swords. He fell down.
Then ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (rta) saw that he still had some
life left and killed him with a last swing of his sword. There
is some confusion regarding the names of the boys who had
killed Abu Jahal. Some say that their names were Mu‘adh and
Mu‘awwadh and some say that they were both called Mu‘adh: one
was Mu‘adh ibn ‘Amr and the other Mu‘adh ibn ‘Afra’. As time
passed, the Quraysh became disheartened and the fear of
Muslims overwhelmed them.
The fighting was in full swing when the
Prophet (sws) picked up a handful of sand and, throwing it
towards the enemy, cursed them: “May their faces be
destroyed,” and then asked his companions to carry out a full
assault. The enemy was routed and began running away from the
field. The Muslims followed them, killing some and capturing
others.
Umayyah bin Khalaf and his sons were
running away when they saw ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf (rta)
holding some shields which he had removed from those killed
among the disbelievers. Umayyah said that he was more precious
than the shields. ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf (rta) threw down the
shields and captured the father and son. Bilal (rta) saw them
and shouted. ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf (rta) explained that they
had been captured. Some Ansars gathered and Bilal (rta) kept
on saying that Umayyah was the leader of disbelievers and he
should not live. Despite all efforts made by ‘Abd al-Rahman
ibn ‘Awf (rta), the Ansars killed both father and son. ‘Abd
al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf (rta) used to say that Bilal (rta) had lost
him both the shields and his captives. It must be remembered
that Bilal (rta) who was kept as a slave by the same Umayyah
was severely tortured by him.
According to reputed narratives, 70
Quraysh men were killed and around the same number were taken
captive. From among the Muslims, only 14 companions were
martyred, including eight Ansars and six Muhajirs. The Prophet
(sws), referring to some favours of Abu al-Bukhtari, said that
if he were to be found alive, he should not be killed. A
companion, Majzar (rta) found him and he let him go,
respecting the Prophet’s instructions, but he was with his
companion and was killed while trying to save him.
The Qur’an gave the information that
whatever events took place during the battle were according to
the decision of Allah and their impact, too, was from Allah.
It is not ye who slew them; it was Allah.
when thou threwest [a handful of dust], it was not thy act,
but Allah’s: in order that He might test the Believers by a
gracious trial from Himself: for Allah is He Who heareth and
knoweth [all things]. (8:17)
When the battle ended and the Prophet (sws)
was given the news of all the front line leaders of the
Quraysh having been killed, he prayed two raka‘at for
thanksgiving and said: “Thanks be to Allah, who has shown his
promise to be true, made his servant victorious and humiliated
the enemy forces.” Thus, the fact to which the Qur’an alluded
of God demonstrating His special signs by giving the truth the
upper hand and overcoming falsehood, thereby making the Battle
of Badr a punishment for the Quraysh, was admitted by the
Prophet (sws) who did not take any credit for it himself.
After this, he had the corpses of the Quraysh buried in a pit
in the battleground and addressing them, said:
“O those who inhabit the pit! You proved
to be the worst of families for your Prophet. You denied me,
whereas others believed in me. You banished me from your city,
whereas others gave me refuge. You fought me whereas others
helped me. O ‘Utbah, O Shaybah, O Umayyah, O Abu Jahal! Is
this not a fact that what your Lord had promised, you found it
to be true? What my Lord promised me, I have found it to be
true.”
In this address of the Prophet (sws), he
highlighted the crime that the Quraysh had committed in
denying the message of truth thus making themselves liable to
punishment from God. But, because God gives victory to His
messenger, he and his companions emerged successful despite
the lack of equipment and resources, thus making God’s promise
true.
The Battle of Badr was the first
organized war fought by the Muslims. They obtained a large
amount of booty from it. Because the number of captives was
large, many Muslims were busy in making arrangements for them
while others kept a watch to protect the Prophet (sws). The
rest of the companions gathered the booty. Then differences
appeared on who had the right over the booty. The ones who had
collected it were of the opinion that they had rights over it,
while those who captured the Quraysh claimed it as their
right. Had they not faced the enemy, where would this booty
have come from? The protectors of the Prophet (sws) asked for
their share. As the debate developed, it became apparent that
the piety, mutual trust and submission to the will of God and
His Prophet (sws), which were the basic ingredients of true
faith had not yet developed within the group. At this stage,
the Qur’an gave the concept of war booty being possessed
collectively: one-fifth of which would be used by the state
for the collective good while the rest would be distributed
among the participants of the battle. The Prophet (sws),
therefore, ordered for the booty to be collected at one place,
separated the share of the state and then distributed the
remaining among the Mujahidun. He also gave a share to the
eight Companions who had remained behind in Madinah for
specifically assigned responsibilities.
In order to train the believers in the
light of the weakness shown by some people in the matter of
distribution of the war booty, the Qur’an clarified the
characteristics of true believers. It said that true believers
were those who were conscious of God’s greatness and glory
which would prevent them from being oblivious of the right
path. When they were given an instruction or order according
to the shari‘ah, they accepted it open heartedly and, this, in
turn, caused their faith to be strengthened. They placed trust
in their Lord and they believed that whatever had been ordered
by their Lord was good for them; whatever circumstances they
faced were better for them. True believers remained faithful
to their Lord. They sorted out their mutual differences in a
conciliatory and peaceful manner and were regular in prayers
and giving of alms. They did not show any hesitation in
fulfilling these instructions.
Return from Badr
Taking the captives and the booty, the
Prophet (sws) proceeded towards Madinah. The captives were
held by the Companions who had arrested them and the booty was
given in the custody of ‘Abdullah bin Ka‘b (rta), who belonged
to the Banu Najjar. On the way, while they rested in a pass,
the Prophet (sws) distributed the booty among those who had
participated, keeping the share of those who had remained in
Madinah aside. When he reached a place called Al-Rawha’, many
Muslims and Companions came from Madinah to congratulate him.
Salamah ibn Salamah Ansari (rta), addressing the people, said:
“What are you congratulating us for? We faced old women who
had come out of their homes. They were like camels which we
slaughtered.” Hearing this, the Prophet (sws) smiled and said:
“Nephew, do not say that. After all, they were the leaders of
the Quraysh.”
When the captives reached Madinah, the
Mother of the faithful, Sawdah (rta) saw Suhayl ibn ‘Amr, who
was sitting in a corner with his hands tied to his neck. She
said: “Abu Yazid, why did you not die with dignity?” The
Prophet (sws) heard this and said: “O Sawdah! Are you inciting
him against Allah and His messenger?” She replied:” O
Messenger of Allah! By Him who blessed you with prophet hood
with truth, it just came out casually from my mouth when I saw
him with his hands tied around his neck.”
The Prophet (sws) instructed the
Companions who had the captives to treat them well. As a
consequence, the families would eat dates and gave bread to
their captives. Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr (rta)’s brother ‘Abu ‘Aziz
said that in such a situation, when he tried to return the
bread to a member of the house, he would not take it and gave
it back to him.
News of the Defeat in Makkah
The first person who arrived in Makkah
with the news of defeat was Haythaman ibn ‘Abdullah al-Khuza‘i.
He was surrounded by people. When he gave the news of several
leaders having been killed, people did not believe him. Ṣafwan
ibn Umayyah was sitting inside the hatim of the Ka‘bah. When
he heard this, he said: “This person has become deranged. To
assess his sanity, ask him about me.” People asked him as to
what was Ṣafwan doing at that time. He replied that he was
sitting inside the hatim and, swearing by God, he said that he
had seen with his own eyes his father and brother being
killed.
Abu Lahab was informed that his nephew
Mughirah ibn Harith had returned from the front and he asked
for him to be brought to him. When he came, other people too
gathered around him. Abu Lahab asked: “Nephew, what
transpired?” He answered: “In short, we came face to face and
we bent our heads. They struck at our necks as they wished and
made us their captives as they wished”.
Abu Lahab had sent another man in his
place to save himself but he could not keep himself safe from
God’s punishment. Just a few days after the battle, he
contracted small pox and his entire body became full of
pustules. To avoid contagion, none of his relatives would go
near him. He died after suffering great pain. His children
were afraid to bury his corpse which lay for 2-3 days and
started to smell. Some black men pulled the corpse to one side
against a wall and struck blows upon the latter so that it
fell down upon the corpse. This mound became his grave.
Makkah went into a state of mourning due
to the large number of dead. Women pulled at their hair and
wailed. Men, in a state of frustration, wounded several
animals. The leaders of the Quraysh realized that such
behavior would create humiliation for them in the entire
country and Muslims would get a chance to ridicule them. Hence
they announced that no one should mourn. There were to be no
hasty efforts to bring back the captives, otherwise Muhammad (sws)
and his companions would demand a high ransom.
The Day of Furqan
The Qur’an has called the Battle of Badr
the Day of Furqan: the battle that distinguishes truth from
falsehood. This battle determined who was on the side of truth
and who on falsehood? Who had God on their side and who did
not? Which group was fated for what and why? Additionally,
this battle also tested the faith of the believers. There are
several reasons as evidence for this battle being the Furqan.
1. It is known that the Muslim army
was smaller, weaker and less equipped than the enemy in every
way. This is why one of the groups showed their weakness and
kept advising that they should fight the trade convoy. But God
created such circumstances that each and every Muslim had to
fight the enemy with full focus and concentration and Muslims
succeeded in this.
2. Very close relatives came face to
face in this battle and Muslims proved beyond doubt that the
bond of faith was dearer to them than that of blood. Abu Bakr
Siddiq’s (rta) son had not yet become a Muslim and came to
fight. After he accepted Islam, he told his father that at one
stage, he had come within his range but he did not raise his
sword because of their relationship. Abu Bakr (rta) replied
that if he had come within his range, he would not have let
him go. Al-‘As ibn Hisham was ‘Umar (rta)’s maternal uncle and
was killed at his hands. Abu Hudhayfah (rta) was ‘Utbah’s son.
When the latter’s corpse was being put into a pit, the Prophet
(sws) happened to look at Abu Hudhayfah’s face which was pale
and said: “Abu Hudhayfah, are you feeling something for your
father?” He replied:” No, indeed, O Prophet of God! By God, my
views have not changed because of my father or his death. The
fact is that I had always known my father to hold a balanced
opinion, and to be patient and gracious. I had expected that
these qualities would attract him towards Islam. Now that I
have seen his fate and when I remember the state of denial in
which he died, this is what makes me sorrowful.” When the
Prophet (sws) heard this, he prayed for Abu Hudhayfah (rta).
Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr (rta) went by an Ansari who was taking his
brother prisoner. He said to him: “Bind him tight; his mother
is very wealthy; she will pay a high ransom for him.” His
brother said: “Brother, you are advising him against me.”
Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr (rta) said: “You are not my brother: this
Ansari is.” Among the captives of this battle were the Prophet
(sws)’s uncle ‘Abbas, two cousins, Aqil ibn Abi Ṭalib and
Nawfal ibn Harith and one son in law, ‘Abu al-‘As ibn Rabi‘ah,
who had to gain freedom after payment of ransom and were not
treated differently from other prisoners. The Battle of Badr
taught the lesson that the criteria for attachment to the
faithful was faith and not blood or nationality.
3. The Quraysh believed themselves to
be on the right path in the battle and they thought that the
Prophet (sws) had committed a great sin by breaking blood
relationships in their tribes. Hence, they entered the
battlefield with this prayer: “O God! Kill him who breaks off
relationships and brings new ideas within our religion.” In
their arrogance of being right, they gave great significance
to the result of the battle and announced that whichever group
was successful would be on the right path. When this decisive
battle ended, the Qur’an demanded that they accept the
decision of the battle in the light of their announcement. It
said: “(O Unbelievers!) if ye prayed for victory and judgment,
now hath the judgment come to you: if ye desist (from wrong),
it will be best for you: if ye return (to the attack), so
shall We. Not the least good will your forces be to you even
if they were multiplied: for verily Allah is with those who
believe! (8:19)”
4. The glories of God’s help, as
explained above, were observed during every stage of the
battle. Believers felt the support of angels and obtained
reassurance from this. The idolaters also saw that they were
facing some supernatural forces. This is why their nerves were
shattered and their illusion of power evaporated. Muslims
killed whoever they wanted and took prisoner whoever they
wanted. Biographers have written that, of all the leaders who
had conspired to kill the Prophet (sws) in Dar al-Nadwah, only
three were left alive: all others were killed in the Battle of
Badr. These three had the honour to accept Islam in later
stages.
5. The Qur’an told the Quraysh that
they had demanded God’s punishment from the Prophet (sws) and
it was not met. They would pray: “O God! If this is the Truth
from you and we are denying it, then send upon us a rain of
stones or any other punishment.” But, in answer to this, there
were no stones that rained, nor was there any other
punishment. The reason for this was that the Prophet (sws) of
God and his companions were amongst them at that time. They
prayed constantly for forgiveness. God was considerate of
their prayers and behests; therefore, the Quraysh, too,
remained safe from God’s punishment. Once that barrier was no
more why would God keep them safe from punishment, when they
prevented people from coming to the Ka’aba and were not worthy
of being its custodians? This sin of theirs was so great that
in future, they would only smash their heads against the
believers. They would put all their wealth and possessions
into this effort but the frustration of the loss would be a
thorn in their hearts. Despite this, they could not gain
victory. Defeat would be their destiny.
Prisoners of War
Seventy men of the Quraysh were taken
prisoner during the Battle of Badr. Obtaining their freedom
was a matter of great humiliation for the Quraysh. Relatives
of the prisoners came to the Prophet (sws) to request their
release. In Surah Muhammad, he had been instructed to take the
enemy prisoner in case of a war; then, if he let them go as a
favour, or took ransom and then released them, both ways would
be acceptable. In the light of this instruction, he took a
maximum of 4,000 and a minimum of 1,000 dirhams per person
according to his economic status. Those who did not have any
wealth were asked to teach Muslim children how to read and
write. Some were even released on promise of remaining
neutral. The prisoners included the Prophet (sws)’s uncle
‘Abbas and son in law Abu al-‘As. ‘Abbas was a wealthy man.
The Prophet (sws) obtained ransom for two of his nephews,
‘Aqil ibn Abi Talib and Nawfal ibn Harith as well as an ally
‘Utbah ibn ‘Amr. As ransom, to have Abu al-‘As released, the
Prophet (sws)’s daughter, Zaynab (rta) sent her gold necklace,
which her mother Khadijah had given to her at her wedding,
from Makkah. Seeing this, the Prophet (sws) became tearful.
After approval from the Muslims, he returned the necklace and
released Abu al-‘As on the condition that as soon as he
reached Makkah, he would bring Zaynab (rta) to Madinah.
The Quraysh were downhearted because they
suffered such a defeat in the very first battle with the
Prophet (sws) that would cause them much humiliation in the
entire Arab world. They then decided to run yet another
propaganda campaign. It seems that Jewish minds must have been
behind this plan. They started to say that prophets of God in
reality were those who guided people towards the right path,
preached truth to them, adopted the way of piety themselves
and also called others to the same. They were not attracted to
the ways of the world and fighting wars was not a matter that
suited their status. Why would they be happy in killing people
and taking them prisoner? The prophets of the People of the
Book preached piety to people, focused on worship and taught
them monastic ways of living. They neither took their enemies
captive nor killed them.
This propaganda was so poisonous that it
could have influenced the common people negatively, especially
in situations where they knew about monasteries of Christians
and were familiar with their prayer rituals. The Qur’an,
therefore, countered this itself and said:
When they advanced to
meet Goliath and his forces, they prayed: “Our Lord! Pour out
constancy on us and make our steps firm: Help us against those
that reject faith.” By Allah’s will they routed them; and
David slew Goliath; and Allah gave him power and wisdom and
taught him whatever [else] He willed. And did not Allah check
one set of people by means of another, the earth would indeed
be full of mischief: But Allah is full of bounty to all the
worlds. (2:250-251)
Referring to Badr in
particular, in which 70 kafirs were killed and the same number
were taken prisoner, and much war booty was taken, the Qur’an
said that messengers tried to prevent situations that could
result in war, in which people would be killed and captured.
But the responsibility for the war at Badr could not be put
upon the Prophet (sws): the Quraysh themselves were
responsible for this. Desire for the world was not the way of
prophets: this was the habit of those who consider the world
to be all in all. The attitude which they had adopted towards
the Prophet (sws) of God demanded that a great punishment
descend upon them, but God had decided to give them more time.
Then the Qur’an reassured the faithful that taking the war
spoils and using them was a legitimate and pure act. They
should not be worried about the propaganda of the kafirs and
use the war booty legitimately. It said:
It is not fitting for
an apostle that he should have prisoners of war until he hath
thoroughly subdued the land. Ye look for the temporal goods of
this world; but Allah looketh to the Hereafter: And Allah is
Exalted in might, Wise. Had it not been for a previous
ordainment from Allah, a severe penalty would have reached you
for the [ransom] that ye took. But (now) enjoy what ye took in
war, lawful and good: but fear Allah. for Allah is
Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. O Messenger. say to those who
are captives in your hands: “If Allah findeth any good in your
hearts, He will give you something better than what has been
taken from you, and He will forgive you: for Allah is
Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.” But if they have treacherous
designs against thee, [O Messenger], they have already been in
treason against Allah, and so hath He given (thee) power over
them. And Allah so He Who hath [full] knowledge and wisdom.
(8:67-71)
The prediction in
these verses indicated, as mentioned above, that the Quraysh
would be allowed more time to reform and correct themselves.
But if they failed to refrain from their treachery, they would
face humiliation again.
These verses of Surah
Anfal indicate that the activity regarding spoils of war was
neither against Islamic teaching nor wisdom. It was carried
out with God’s will and it had expectations associated with
it. Therefore, some narratives that consider this activity to
be a case of anger against the Prophet (sws) are not
authentic. According to these narratives, the decision of the
Prophet (sws) about prisoners was wrong and that he had
accepted ransom for them in a desire for worldly goods. At
this, he was threatened, God forbid, with great punishment.
When saying this, people forget that prophets are innocent
beings and every action of theirs is performed under God’s
guidance. If there is any possibility of a wrong act, he is
stopped from it. In the Battle of Badr, the handful of dust
thrown in the eyes of the enemy was attributed to God Himself,
but it is strange that if, as a result of the decision about
70 prisoners, he was threatened with dire consequences, the
decision was not overturned. The reality is that instructions
had been revealed already in Surah Mohammed (sws) that
prisoners of war could be either released after ransom or
without, as a mark of favour.
Therefore, when ye
meet the Unbelievers [in fight], smite at their necks; At
length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond
firmly [on them]: thereafter [is the time for] either
generosity or ransom: Until the war lays down its burdens.
Thus [are ye commanded]): but if it had been Allah’s Will, He
could certainly have exacted retribution from them [Himself];
but [He lets you fight] in order to test you, some with
others. But those who are slain in the Way of Allah,- He will
never let their deeds be lost. (47:4)
The words “when ye
meet the Unbelievers [in fight]” in these verses are
sufficient to prove that these instructions were revealed
before the Battle of Badr and they were acted upon exactly in
that battle. No other battle had shed as much blood of the
enemy as that one. Apart from this, several were taken
prisoner and ransomed. Services were taken from those who
possessed nothing and then they were released.
The prisoners of war
had the opportunity to observe the culture of Madinah, the
behaviour of the Muslims, their desire to make sacrifices for
Islam and the revolutionary situation created by Islam, and
this impressed them considerably. When they were released,
they were informed that Muslims had no interest in ransom: the
real interest was for them to accept Islam’s guidance. They
were being released in the expectation that they would be
convinced soon of the truth of Islam and become part of its
circle, and would not fight Islam along with the idolators in
future. If they did not value their life being given back to
them, God would place them again within the control of
Muslims.
Strategy for Muslims
after the Battle of Badr
The Battle of Badr was
a lash of punishment which struck the Quraysh as a result of
their denial of the Prophet (sws). It was, however, not of
such a nature that all idolaters perished, but it was a way to
open their eyes so that those who were more far sighted among
them could come to Islam. The Qur’an said:
Say to the
Unbelievers, if (now) they desist (from Unbelief), their past
would be forgiven them; but if they persist, the punishment of
those before them is already (a matter of warning for them).
(8:38)
This meant that if the
Quraysh did not refrain from their heinous activities, they
were to remember that they would face the same Sunnah of God
which had been demonstrated in the case of previous nations:
‘Ad, Thamud, Madyan, nation of Lot etc in the form of severe
punishment. A prophet is the last measure to bring a wayward
nation to conclusion of the arguments which would bring them
back to the right path. This is the reason why the nation that
denies its prophet is not allowed to exist on the earth.
The plan of action
that was given to the Muslims after the Battle of Badr was
that they were to continue fighting the Quraysh and their
allies until the mischief of stopping Muslims from the
religion of truth through force was eliminated and no
possibility of oppressing or becoming a barrier towards anyone
who accepted Islam remained. The purpose of this effort was
that no religion except Islam, which was the religion of
Abraham (sws) would remain in the land of the Ka‘bah and those
custodians who had destroyed the aims of the Ka‘bah would be
ousted from it. The Qur’an said:
And fight them on
until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail
justice and faith in Allah altogether and everywhere; but if
they cease, verily Allah doth see all that they do. (8:39)
This verse shows very
clearly that if the idolaters corrected their attitude, God
would not consider the mistakes of their past but the actions
of their future. But, if they remained fixated upon their
obduracy and stubbornness, their large numbers and excess
wealth would not be of any benefit to them. God would show His
power in subsequent wars, just as He had done in that battle.
To implement this plan
of action it became necessary to give specific guidance to the
Muslims. Thus, the following instructions were revealed after
the Battle of Badr.
1. Muslims fit for
fighting were to be organized and horses trained so that
effective battles could be fought. The military strength of
the Muslims was to be such that the enemy could not consider
them easy prey.
2. Muslims were not
to worry about their small numbers. If they developed the
qualities of perseverance and patience, they would be
victorious if they faced armies ten times larger than theirs.
3. If facing the
enemy involved organized fighting, deserting the battle field
was considered as serious a crime as denial or apostasy. Those
who backed out from the battle were worthy of God’s anger and
their place was in Hell.
4. Muslims had
stood up to establish submission and obedience to God. Hence,
submission and service to God was to remain predominant in
their actions. Even when coming out for a battle, they were
not to be arrogant and pompous and show off their strength.
They were never to be proud of their numbers and resources.
Real strength was not in equipment and numbers, but in the
support and closeness of God.
5. Steadfastness
was a necessary condition to gain God’s support while facing
the enemy on the battle field. It is only when His servants
put all their skills into the war that God provides His help.
If they do not fulfill their obligations, they are deprived of
God’s support.
6. It is essential
to remember God during battle. This is an effective way to
achieve steadfastness. The source of all courage and
determination within a believer’s heart is the remembrance of
God. It creates faith which strengthens the heart.
7. Difference of
opinion while implementing orders is extremely dangerous. It
causes anarchy within the group, causing lowering of morale
amongst troops and their defeat.
8. The believer
relies on God, not upon his own strength. God’s power is
indefatigable. No one’s strategy can work against God’s
strategy. Believers keep their faith in God and He becomes a
friend to those who trust in Him.
9. At any stage, if
the Quraysh desired truce, their request was not to be
rejected. If they tried to do this through deception or
mischievousness, Muslims were to remember that God was with
them and He was sufficient to counter their mischief.
All of these
instructions were given in Surah Anfal. They include all
necessary clauses for Islamic rules for wars. If anything
remained, it was covered by commenting upon the performance of
Muslims in later wars.
(Translated by Nikhat Sattar)
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