Perperangan Badr
624 A.C
(Ingatlah) ketika dua puak dari kamu (pada hari peperangan Uhud itu) terasa lemah semangat (untuk meneruskan perjuangan) kerana takut, padahal Allah Penolong dan Pelindung mereka; dan (jika sudah demikian) kepada Allah sahajalah hendaknya orang-orang yang beriman itu bertawakal.
(Quran:
3:122)
(Quran: 3:21)
After a number of chapters we have been through, the early history of Muslims in Makkah depicts most parts as a record of the violent atrocities of the Makkan Musyrikin.
The boycotting years
of Makkan Musyrikin manifest cruelties, where it became unbearable that gradually all
the Muslims left Makkah for Madinah. Within just two months they all had gone,
with the exception of Rasulullah ﷺ, Sayidina Abu Bakr RA, and Sayidina Ali ra.
There, as we have related, the Makkan Musyrikin thought was the time to kill Rasulullah ﷺ,
but Rasulullah ﷺ heard of this advance and with the pursuers hot on his trail,
and with help of Allah Rabbul Jalalluh continue to escape and arrived in
Madinah in safety.
Here the Muslims
were able to practice their religion in peace without fear of molestation. Many
mosques were built wherein the people assembled to pray five times a day: many
more converts were made to Islam, and gradually the Muslims gained in power and
influence. But while they were at liberty in Madinah, the fire of hatred and
malice raised high in the hearts of Makkan Musyrikin who, when they heard of the success
of Muslims in Madinah, were determined not to remain inactive.
The time when Rasulullah ﷺ yet to arrive in Madinah, the people of were thinking of electing Abdullah bin Ubayy, a prominent person of great influence, their new overlord. When Rasulullah ﷺ arrived in Madinah, they changed their minds about it, which made Abdullah bin Ubayy extremely angry. The Makkan Musyrikin, knowing this, endeavored to persuade him to expel the Muslims from Madinah, but already many of his own tribes had embraced Islam, and Abdullah was afraid to take a such step since it would probably lead to his own people turning against him.
Next, the Makkan Musyrikin, people of importance and respected by the whole of Arabia because they're being the custodian of Kaabah, turned to the tribes that dwelt between Makkah and did their best to excite them against the Muslims. Meanwhile, Abdullah bin Ubayy had not been idle in Madinah. Secretly he had engineered a deep and growing feeling of opposition and the Muslims were once more in danger. On all sides, they found themselves amongst enemies. They were in constant fear of being attacked at any moment from within, as well as from beyond the four walls of Madinah.
The Makkan Musyrikin, though not quite prepared, were. Nevertheless, eager to come to blows with, nevertheless, eager to come to blows with the Muslim, and anxiously on the lookout for an opportunity to pick a quarrel. They began by sending men out in small parties right out to the walls of Madinah to reconnoiter the land and if possible stir up trouble. The Muslims realized that sooner or later they would have to fight the Makkan Musyrikin and it was then that Rasulullah ﷺ received the Divine Revelation permitting the use of the sword in self-defense. The holy Quran proves this in the following verse:
“Fight in the way of Allah against
those who fight you, and do not transgress the limits of war”
(Quran: 22:39)
Rasulullah ﷺ, now being assured that war was inevitable, decided to get some information about the plans of the Makkah Musyrikin. The Muslims, too, began to go out in small parties, in order to keep an eye on the movement of the enemy, and also to get on friendly terms with other tribes in the vicinity of Madinah so that they might be a help to them in time of need. A few tribes made compacts with the Muslims, but these compacts were purely for their own safety, the terms of most of them amounting to nothing more than that they would come to the help of the Muslims on condition that, should they attacked, the Muslim would come to their help.
The Muslims continued going out in small parties to gather as much information concerning the enemy as possible. Each party that was sent out was under strict orders from Rasulullah ﷺ to seek a quarrel with no man. If the Makkan Musyrikin were anxious for war, they must strike the first blow. Unfortunately, in the month of Jumada 11, 2 AH (624 A.C) a few men were sent out under the leadership of Abdullah bin Jahsh RA, with sealed orders, the contents which were not to be read until two days had passed.
After two days Abdullah bin Jahsh ra open the enveloped and learned that if the party proceeded to Nakla certain information might be obtained with regards to the plans of the Makkan Musyrikin. On reaching Nakla they came across a few Makkan Musyrikin on their way back from Syria (Syam), but on seeing Abdullah bin Jahsh completely lost his head and in flat contravention of the strict orders of Rasulullah ﷺ slew one of them, by name of ‘Amru bin Hazrami’. On hearing of this Rasulullah, ﷺ was grieved; for he knew that now the Makkan Musyrikin had, at last, got the opportunity for which they were longing.
In this way, the Battle of Badr came about. About the same time by most unfortunate
coincidence, a trading caravan belonging to the Makkan Musyrikin and led by Abu Sufyan
was on his way back from Syria (Syam). Abu Sufyan sent words to Makkah that he
urgently wanted protection, though he was well aware that the caravan was in no
danger. On receiving his message the Makkan Musyrikin in Makkah came to the conclusion that
the Muslims were preparing to attack the caravan. There was, of course, no
truth in this; for the caravan had already passed Madinah, and was nearing its
destination without having been attacked in any way. But the Makkan Musyrikin made this
another excuse for the Battle of Badr, the real cause of which was the anxiety
of the Makkan Musyrikin to stamp out utterly the steadily growing power of Islam.
It was in the
month of Ramadhan, the year 2AH (624 A.C) that the Makkan Musyrikin approached Madinah with the view of attacking the city. Rasulullah ﷺ thought it best to meet the enemy
outside, although this meant that he would have to do without the help of the Ansar's or helpers; for the terms of the agreement were that they would help the
Muslims within the walls of Madinah. Nevertheless, when Rasulullah ﷺ propounded
his plans to them, they were ready to follow his lead and help him whatever he
went. Thus the tiny army of Muslims, including mere boys, with the helpers all
poorly armed. Marched out the city of Madinah to meet the Makkan Musyrikin. The Muslims
were in all only three hundred and thirteen, while the Makkan Musyrikin were a thousand
strong, all of them fully armed.
Marching until they reach Badr, where they found the enemy
encamped, the Muslims were dismayed to find that they we no way a match for the Makkan Musyrikin in numbers, arms or skill. Rasulullah ﷺ felt greatest anxiety for his
small band of Muslims and Helpers (Ansar's), and threw himself and his faithful
followers on the mercy of Allah Rabbul Jalalluh, praying to Him in these words;
“ O! Allah, If Thou should allow Thy small army of believers to
perish, no one will be left on earth to worship Thee and carry Thy message in the
world.” After praying to Allah Rabbul Jalalluh, Rasulullah ﷺ felt greatly
relieved, and joining his followers, he recited aloud a verse from the Holy
Quran which read:
“Soon shall the hosts be routed and they shall turn their backs”
(Quran 54:45)
The Makkan Musyrikin deemed that day of their revenge was come at last. Conditions were all in their favor. They knew that they outnumbered the Muslim army by three to one, besides being fully equipped and skilled and well trained soldiers, while the Muslim – some of them boys and most of them knowing nothing of warfare – were poorly armed, and many of them in tatters. To the mighty Makkan Musyrikin they look like a flock of sheep waiting to be butchered.
The three Muslims advanced to meet the Makkan Musyrikin, expecting never to see their companions again, but it so happened that the three Makkan Musyrikin were slain, to the astonishment of the whole Makkan Musyrikin army. A few more went out and a few more were slain, and then the battle became general. It was proof of the love the Muslims had for Islam; for father fought son and uncle fought nephew. Rasulullah ﷺ went among his men, encouraging and helping them. Umayr bin Abi Qas, a very young boy whom Rasulullah ﷺ sort to keep from the fight, said:
“Nothing can stand between me and heaven.”
With these words, he plunged into the thickest battle and was
martyr. The Makkan Musyrikin fell upon the Muslims. Bu the scene that followed was a
proof of Divine help: for the poor Muslims held their position and slew the
enemy one by one. Nearly all the chiefs and prominent men among the Makkan Musyrikin were slain, and the rest of the army, seeing all their leaders killed, turned
and fled. The Muslims pursued them and captured seventy. In all fourteen of the
Muslims army was martyred, of which six are Muslims and eight helpers (Ansars),
while of the enemy seventy fell and seventy were taken prisoners. Thus ended
the Battle of Badr, fight of the weaker against the might. But Allah Rabbul Jalalluh sent Divine help to
the weak and those in the right. Of this Battle the Holy Quran speaks in the
following verse:
“Indeed there was a sign for you in the hosts which met together
in the encounter; one party fighting in the way of Allah, and the other
unbelieving. Allah strengthens with His whom He pleases; most surely there is
in this a lesson for those who have eyes to see.”
(Quran 3:12)
During the battle, when the fight was at its fiercest, Rasulullah ﷺ, with tears streaming from his eyes, prayed to Allah, to help the poor and wounded both among the enemy and among the Muslims. While Abu Jahl, at the same time but on the opposite side, was praying to God to destroy the Muslims utterly. Another interesting incident is that the Makkan Musyrikin army, before leaving Makkah to attack the Muslims, went to the Sacred House of the Kaabah and prayed that God might grant victory to those who were in the right. So assured were they of success.
Thus, the battle of
Badr was the judgment of Allah Rabbul Jalalluh. The success of Muslims had a
startling effect on the many neighboring tribes. How, they wondered, did the
puny Muslim army manage to overpower the Makkan Musyrikin? This set them thinking, and
they came to the conclusion that the Muslims must have been helped by some
Supreme Being, and many of these after that embraced Islam. Thus we see that as
a result of the battle of Badr the strength of the Muslims was increased, while
on the other hand the power of Makkan Musyrikin was greatly weakened.
The prisoners taken by the Muslims were treated with kindness, and some of them later embraced Islam. Very often they were given the best food to eat while the Muslims ate plain dates, and conveyances to ride in while the Muslims walked. After the very cruel manner in which they had been treated by the Makkan Musyrikin here was an opportunity of paying off old scores, but, needless to say, no revenge was taken.
On the receipt of a small ransom they were set free; some of those
who were too poor to pay were allowed to go without pay. Those who were
learned were asked to instruct ten children and were then given their liberty.
A man of position who had done his best in Makkah to injure Islam, being among
the prisoners, was brought to Rasulullah ﷺ, and someone said, “ Of all the
prisoners, he at least should be punished, for he richly deserves it,” but Rasulullah
ﷺ said, “If I disfigure him, Allah will disfigure me,” so he was set free.
The Muslims
returned to Madinah, the victors of the Battle of Badr, but were left in peace
thereafter by the Makkan Musyrikin for barely one year.
