After the Second Pledge of ‘Aqabah, Muhammad (sas) instructed the companions to migrate to Yathrib in ones and twos, but he himself waited for the permission of Allah, the Exalted.
When the Quraish observed that Muhammad (sas) was left alone in Makkah, they thought of this as the perfect opportunity and about 100 people from the Quraish assembled in Darun-Nadwah to deliberate about how to deal with him. After discussing various suggestions, Abu Jahl’s proposal was accepted. According to his proposal, the task of killing Muhammad (sas) would be jointly carried out by all the tribes, such that every tribe would assign one young man with an unsheathed sword to carry out the task. Then these people would attack Muhammad (sas) together as one man. In this manner, his blood shall be distributed throughout all the tribes of the Quraish, and the Banu ‘Abd Manaf will not have the courage to fight all those people.
While this consultation was going on, Allah the Exalted informed the Prophet of the enemy’s evil plans through the angel Gabriel (as) and permitted him to immediately migrate to Yathrib.
Muhammad (sas) went to the house of Abu Bakr (ra) and informed him about the permission to migrate. Abu Bakr (ra), who had been anxiously waiting for this moment, immediately said:
اَلصُّحْبَةُ یَا رَسُولَ اللّٰہِ
O Messenger of Allah! Can I accompany you?1
Muhammad (sas) agreed. Abu Bakr (ra) sobbed out of joy and said, “O Messenger of Allah! I have been rearing two she-camels in preparation for the migration—please accept one of them.” Muhammad (sas) said, “Yes, I accept it but on the condition that I will pay for it.” Abu Bakr (ra) reluctantly agreed and thus the preparation for the migration began. After reviewing the plan with Abu Bakr (ra), Muhammad (sas) returned home to give instructions to his cousin ‘Ali bin Abi Talib (ra). He told ‘Ali (ra), “Sleep in my bed tonight, and return all the items that people have entrusted me with for safekeeping before you leave Makkah.”
The night was dark and the youth of Makkah had besieged the house of Muhammad (sas). They were waiting for the time of dawn to attack Muhammad (sas) according to their vicious plan. They could never imagine that in spite of their vigilance, Muhammad (sas) could depart in the first part of the night, defeating all of their plans.
Muhammad (sas) carefully observed the besiegers outside the house and, finding a gap in their vigil, slipped out right through their midst very quietly passing through the streets of Makkah and heading towards the Cave of Thaur.2 Abu Bakr (ra) met Muhammad (sas) en route and both of them reached the Cave of Thaur as planned. First, Abu Bakr (ra) entered the cave and cleared the cave and then Muhammad (sas) followed him.
At the time of dawn, the Quraish discovered that Muhammad (sas) had quietly slipped out of their hands. They tried their best to find him, but in vain. Some people of Quraish even traced their path to the entrance of the Cave of Thaur, but by the decree of God, a spider spun a web on the tree at the entrance of the cave. One of the persons from Quraish looking for them said to his companion, “Look inside the cave!” The other said, “Have you lost your mind? Who could hide in this dark and dangerous cave?”
It is narrated that Abu Bakr (ra) heard the voice of the person from the Quraish talking outside the cave. He whispered to Muhammad (sas), “O Messenger of Allah, the Quraish are so close to us that we can see their feet, and if they bend down a little, they will be able to find us.” Muhammad (sas) answered with great assurance:
لَا تَحۡزَنۡ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ مَعَنَا
Grieve not, for Allah is with us.3
Muhammad (sas) and Abu Bakr (ra) spent three nights in the Cave of Thaur. During this time, according to the instructions of Abu Bakr (ra), ‘Abdullah bin Abu Bakr kept them informed each night about the movement and the activities of the Quraish while ‘Amir bin Fuhairah, the servant of Abu Bakr (ra) delivered goat milk. When on the third day, the Quraish’s hunt lost its momentum, Muhammad (sas) and Abu Bakr (ra) came out of the cave during the night. This was a Monday, and either the 1st or the 4th of Rabi‘ul-Awwal, (two traditions differ on the date) and the 14th Nabawi according to the Islamic calendar.
‘Abdullah bin Ariqat was hired as the guide for Muhammad (sas) and Abu Bakr (ra). According to the agreement, he brought two she-camels belonging to Abu Bakr (ra). Muhammad (sas) rode on one and Abu Bakr (ra) and his servant rode on the other. At the time of departure, Muhammad (sas) looked for the last time towards the blessed town of Makkah and said with great despair:
O town of Makkah! You are dearer to me than all other places, but your people do not let me live here.4
Hearing these words of Muhammad (sas), Abu Bakr (ra) said,
These people drove out their prophet; indeed they shall be destroyed.5
Because of the risk of the Quraish’s possible pursuit, the caravan of Muhammad (sas) left the usual path, and took an alternate route next to the shoreline for Yathrib. As the Quraish had announced a prize of 100 camels for capturing and bringing Muhammad (sas) back, several people had set out to capture him to win this precious prize. Abu Bakr (ra) repeatedly looked back to see if anyone was following them. Once when Abu Bakr (ra) looked back, he was worried to see a large cloud of dust behind them. He said to Muhammad (sas), “O Messenger of Allah, someone is following us.” Muhammad (sas) said:
لَا تَحۡزَنۡ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ مَعَنَا
Grieve not, for Allah is with us.6
It was Suraqah bin Malik chasing them. Suraqah later narrated:
When I reached quite close to Muhammad (sas) and his companions, my horse tripped and I fell down. But I quickly got up and cast a lot. The cast came against me, but I ignored it and rode the horse again and moved forward. This time, I reached so close to Muhammad (sas) that I could hear him reciting the Qur’an. A bit further on, my horse tripped again and I fell to the ground. I again cast the lot and it again came against me. This time I gave up my plan and pleaded to Muhammad (sas) to make peace with me, and told him everything. Muhammad (sas) told me to go back and not to mention the event to anyone. As I had acquired the conviction that Muhammad’s star was prosperous and that he would definitely gain supremacy over the entire country, I requested him to give me a letter with a guarantee of peace. Muhammad (sas) signaled ‘amir bin Fuhairah to write me a letter with a guarantee of peace on a piece of leather. Thereafter Muhammad (sas) continued his journey.
When Suraqah was about to turn back, Muhammad (sas) said to him, “Suraqah, how would you feel when the bangles of Khosrau will be put on your wrists?” Flabbergasted, Suraqah inquired, “Khosrau, son of Hormizd, the Emperor of Iran?” “Yes,” Muhammad (sas) responded. Suraqah’s eyes opened wide with wonder. This prophecy was fulfilled during the Khilafat of ‘Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) when Persia was conquered and the spoils of war included the bangles of Khosrau. In order to literally fulfill the prophecy of Muhammad (sas), ‘Umar (ra) put the bangles of Khosrau on Suraqah’s wrists.7
Thereafter, the caravan continued forward and after traveling for eight consecutive days, reached Madinah on the 12th of Rabi‘ul-Awwal, 14th Nabawi, equivalent to June 27th, 622 A.D. The Islamic calendar of A.H. (Hijrah) starts from this year of the Migration.
The people of Yathrib were unaware of the three days stay of Muhammad (sas) in the Cave of Thaur and expected Muhammad (sas) to arrive earlier. Every day, they would go quite a distance outside Yathrib to welcome the Prophet’s party, but return disappointed. That day as well, after waiting quite a while, they were returning to Yathrib when a Jew standing at a high place saw the distant white clothes of Muhammad (sas) and his companions, and loudly shouted, “O people of Arabia, the one you wait upon has come!” The faces of the people waiting lit up with joy on hearing this blessed news, and they took up their arms and dashed out of Madinah to greet them.8
After reaching close to Madinah, Muhammad (sas) for some unknown reason did not enter the city right away and went to the nearby town of Quba’, which is two and a half miles on the outskirts of Madinah. There, he stayed as a guest at the house of a sincere person, Kulthum bin al-Hadam (ra). Three days later, ‘Ali (ra) also joined them after returning all the trusts of the people.
After arriving at Quba’, Muhammad (sas) first laid the foundation of a mosque with his blessed hands, which was completed in the next few days by the Companions. Muhammad (sas) had so much love for this mosque that even afterwards he would go there once a week to offer Salat.
Muhammad (sas) stayed for ten or twelve days in Quba’, and thereafter left for Madinah on a Friday. The time of Jumu’ah (Friday Prayers) arrived on the way; therefore, he stopped in the neighborhood inhabited by Banu Salim bin ‘Auf to lead the Friday prayers and delivered the Friday sermon. Historians write that this was the first formal Friday prayer service which was performed. Once the caravan reached Madinah, whichever Muslim’s house the caravan would pass, would request to offer his belongings and life out of his fervour and love. Muslim women and girls sang songs upon the roofs of their houses out of joy and excitement:
طَلَعَ الْبَدْرُ عَلَیْنَا مَنْ ثَنِیَّاتِ الْوَدَاعِ
وَجَبَ الشُّکْرُ عَلَیْنَا مَا دَعٰی لِلّٰہِ دَاعِ
The Full Moon rose over us from the Valley of Wada’ (Farewell Valley),
Therefore, gratitude (to Allah) has become incumbent upon us as long as those who call Allah continue to do so.
Children, youth, and elders celebrated in their own ways, and everyone desired to have the honour of hosting Muhammad (sas) at his house. Muhammad (sas) said, “Let go my camel, for she is being guided.” This meant that it would stop wherever God wanted it to stop. When the camel stopped, Muhammad (sas) stepped down and inquired about the nearest Muslim’s house. This was the house of Abu Ayyub Ansari (ra), who immediately stepped forward and pointing to his house invited Muhammad (sas) to enter his house. Muhammad (sas) stayed in his house for about seven months; according to another tradition, he stayed there until Safar, 2 A.H.
After entering Madinah, Muhammad (sas) first purchased a piece of land at the place where his camel had stopped at a price of 10 dinars from two Muslim orphan boys and built a mosque known as Masjid an-Nabawi. Muhammad (sas) and his companions took part in the building of this mosque similar to Masjid al-Quba’. As the floor of the mosque was unpaved, when it rained, the dripping roof would turn the floor to mud. The floor was later replaced with a floor of gravel.
The residential quarters of Muhammad (sas) were also constructed right next to the mosque, and one of the doors of the residential quarter opened directly into the mosque. Muhammad (sas) would use this door to go into the mosque from his quarters to offer Salat and attend other matters.
Since it was not possible in Makkah to openly offer Salat, no arrangements had been made to openly call Muslims for Salat. Now that the Muslims were enjoying peace in Madinah, many suggestions were presented to call Muslims for Salat. Finally, it was decided with the consultation of ‘Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) that one person would make a loud announcement at the time of Salat. This continued for a few days. Then a companion, ‘Abdullah bin Zaid Ansari (ra), heard the currently practiced words of Adhan in a dream, and ‘Umar (ra) also had a dream the same night and heard the same words. Muhammad (sas) instructed Bilal (ra) to call Adhan in those same words, which has been practiced ever since.
Yathrib was the old name of Madinah, but when the Prophet (sas) of Allah migrated there, people started calling it Madinatun-Nabi (the City of the Messenger) and slowly it became known simply by Madinah.
Madinah is located about 250 miles north of Makkah. It was primarily inhabited by the Jews and idolaters. The two tribes of idolaters living there were Aus and Khazraj and they lived in the proper city. The Jews consisted of three main tribes, Banu Qainuqa‘, Banu Nadir, and Banu Quraizah. They had built smaller fortresses a short distance outside the city. The tribes of Aus and Khazraj were always at odds with each other and usually fighting with each other. But as Islam spread among these tribes, the ancient rivalries and prejudices turned into Islamic love, and finally they became like brothers.
The Muhajirun10 (Emigrants) who had migrated to Madinah with no provisions were treated better than real brothers by the Ansar11 (Helpers; i.e. the locals). To further strengthen this relationship of brotherhood, Muhammad (sas) formally made each Muhajir and Nasir brothers. Both sides fulfilled the responsibilities of this relationship with such sincerity and loyalty that its parallel is not found even among real brothers in the present age.
A little while after the Migration, Muhammad (sas) grew concerned about the safety of the people of Madinah in light of the increasing population. He thus gathered the leaders of the Muhajirun, Aus, Khazraj, and Jews, and proposed to sign a treaty mandating all the tribes to be jointly responsible for the protection of each other. The following treaty was drafted with the mutual consent of all the tribes:
Muslims and Jews shall live together with sympathy and sincerity.
Both nations shall have full religious freedom.
If any nation wages a war against the Jews or Muslims, both sides will help each other.
If Madinah is ever attacked, everyone will be liable to defend it.
No aid shall be provided by the Jews to the Quraish of Makkah and their supporters.
The Messenger of Allah will be the arbitrator for resolving all differences and disputes according to the laws and regulations of each nation.
No wrongdoer, sinner, or rebellious person will be above the law or beyond punishment or retribution.12
This pact resulted in strengthening the relationship between the Muslims and the Jews, and became the foundation for an organized government.
The Quraish of Makkah were very angry and annoyed with the assistance and the support provided to the Muslims by the people of Madinah and the warm welcome accorded to Muhammad (sas). They wrote a threatening letter to ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul13 and his companions stating, “You have given protection to Muhammad, and we swear in the name of Allah that you either resign from protecting him, or be ready for a fierce attack. We will kill your men and capture your women.”14 ‘Abdullah and his friends needed no more excuse to prepare to fight with Muhammad (sas), but Muhammad (sas) with great wisdom avoided a clash with them.
When the Quraish failed in their scheme to rouse the people of Madinah against the Muslims, they started inciting the tribes of the whole of Arabia, which resulted in raising a fire of hostility against Muhammad (sas) and the Muslims throughout the entire country. The poor Muslims, who already feared the Quraish, now became extremely perturbed when all of Arabia turned into their adversaries. The tradition says:
Muhammad (sas) and his companions migrated to Madinah. The Ansar gave protection to them, and in turn all of Arabia collectively stood up against the Muslims. In that era, the Muslims would not even put off their arms at night, and during the day they would walk around armed, in case there was a sudden attack. They would say to each other, ‘Let us see if we live till such a time when we might be able to sleep at night in peace, without any fear except for the fear of God.’15
Some days were so frightful for the Muslims that they had to be vigilant throughout the entire day and night. There is a tradition in both Bukhari and Muslim that once Muhammad (sas) said, “How good would it be if a righteous companion stands guard, so I could sleep a bit?” Look at the spirit of sacrifice of the Companions: When Muhammad (sas) said these words, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas (ra) immediately fixed his arms to stand guard. Muhammad (sas) on hearing the clanking of arms said, “Who is this?” He replied, “O Messenger of Allah, it is I, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas. I have come to stand guard.”16
Now we enter into that part of the history where Muhammad (sas) participated in wars. The efforts by non-Muslim historians to malign Islamic history with regards to the wars cannot be ignored. They have unsuccessfully tried to conclude from Islamic wars that Islam was spread by the sword. They also allege that whenever Muslims took up the sword, they did not stop killing their enemies until they accepted Islam. It is unfortunate that some Muslim leaders due to their lack of insight also agree with this assertion adding fuel to the fire.17
In fact, the truth is that when the entirety of Arabia arose to wipe out the small party of the lovers of One God from the face of the earth, Muhammad (sas) was given permission in the second year of the Migration to take up arms to defend the Muslims.18 Allah the Exalted provided extraordinary help and support to the Muslims in those wars, so that the tribes that raised the sword against the Muslims ended up being wiped out themselves. The nations who went to the field for the destruction and annihilation of the Muslims themselves were destroyed. Therefore, some biased historians and unwise Muslim leaders assumed that Islam was spread by the sword; whereas the Qur’an denies this view and the Ahadith reject it as well. History disproves it, and the weak state of the Muslims and their extraordinary oppression by the enemies also clearly negates it. All the evidence proves, beyond any doubt, that the Muslims were constantly subjected to oppression, hostilities, and tyranny, and were forced to take up the sword only in self-defence.
The objection is also proven false when analyzed from another perspective. From Safar, 2 A.H., until the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah, the Muslim army barely reached 3,000 people strong that participated in the Battle of Confederates. Immediately after the signing of the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah, as the Muslims were able to preach freely in peace, Islam greatly progressed in a short time. In the next 18 months, the strength of the Muslim army reached 10,000 at the time when they victoriously entered Makkah in the Ramadan of 8 A.H. This extraordinary growth in a time of peace clearly proves that the Islamic wars were not fought to spread Islam by force. In reality, these wars were a great hindrance to the progress of Islam.
Here, it appears appropriate to answer another objection of some people who claim that freeing a captured disbeliever on his acceptance of Islam is also a type of compulsion. In fact, withdrawing from the fight when the very cause of the fight has disappeared is an ethical and appreciative act, not coercion or oppression. It is evident that the disbelievers of Arabia made it completely impossible for Muhammad (sas) and his companions to lead a peaceful life. Some of the early Muslims were murdered, and others had to lead a life of exile. Therefore, all those people who committed murders or encouraged killing, or were looking for an opportunity to commit these heinous acts, deserved to be killed in the sight of Allah the Exalted as retribution. However, the Most Gracious God gave the concession that if a disbliever accepts Islam, fighting against him would be halted as he was no longer considered a threat. The following Hadith also illustrates it:
أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أُقَاتِلَ النَّاسَ حَتّٰى يَقُولُوا لَا إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ اللّٰهُ
I have been ordained to wage war against those disbelievers who have come out in the field against Islam besides those who become Muslims.19
Some people mistakenly concluded from this Hadith that Muhammad (sas) was commanded to wage war against all the disbelievers of the world until such a time when they became Muslim.
Though generally the wars fought by Muslims were fought in self-defence, at certain times the Muslims had to pick up the sword for the sake of the establishment of peace and religious freedom. Some wars were a kind of retribution where a nation or a tribe had to be punished for some heinous crime, oppression, or deception. Some wars were also political in nature, for example in some cases Muslims signed treaties with nations or tribes to defend each other in case of an enemy attack.
So far, defence related causes of wars have been mentioned as most of the wars fought by Muslims fall in this category. Other causes for wars will be discussed at appropriate places.
It has been mentioned that when the schemes of the disbelievers of Makkah to rouse the people of Madinah against the Muslims failed, they started inciting the whole of Arabia against the Muslims. As a result, all the tribes of Arabia began preparation to attack the Muslims. There was a great danger that if some effective measures were not taken to stop them, the bloodthirsty and hostile Arabs would make life impossible for the Muslims of Madinah. Therefore, Muhammad (sas) started sending small expeditions of Companions outside Madinah to the surrounding areas on reconnaissance missions. The objective was first to give the impression to the enemies that the Muslims were vigilant, and second the show of strength was necessary to maintain the impartiality of certain tribes.
As a result, certain tribes realized that the Muslims were not as weak as they had previously thought, and they signed treaties with Muhammad (sas). In this way, the Muslims were—to an extent—able to establish their influence in the surrounding areas of Madinah.
Despite such caution and care of the Companions, the Quraish found a way of mischief. A chieftain of Makkah, Kurz bin Jabir Fihri very cunningly raided a pasture of Muslims along with a party of the Quraish, and captured camels and other belongings. Muhammad (sas) along with his companions chased him quite a distance but he got away.
Seeing this nerve of the Quraish, Muhammad (sas) became concerned that the Quraish might try to raise an army in Makkah to fight with the Muslims in light of the previous threats. Therefore, he sent a party under the command of ‘Abdullah bin Jahsh (ra) to Makkah to monitor the situation, but intentionally did not tell them their destination and objective. He gave a sealed envelope to ‘Abdullah bin Jahsh (ra), the commander of the party, and told him to open it after a journey of two days and act on the instructions in the letter. When the letter was opened, it contained the instructions to go to the Nakhlah valley between Makkah and Ta’if, and bring back information about the Quraish.20
Shortly after they reached there, a party of the Quraish unexpectedly arrived on their way from Ta’if to Makkah and the two parties encountered each other. Since the Muslims were on a covert intelligence mission, they were concerned about the Quraish escaping and informing others of the Muslims’ whereabouts.
Another predicament was that some Muslims thought that it was perhaps the last day of Rajab, i.e., a sacred month in which fighting was prohibited as per the ancient Arabian custom. Others thought that Rajab had passed and the month of Sha‘ban had started. Nevertheless the Muslims decided to attack the party of the Quraish. This resulted in the death of a person of the Quraish, ‘Amr bin Hadrami, and the capture of two people. However, the fourth escaped and thus the objective to keep the mission secret was compromised.
Muhammad (sas) was very displeased with this incident and said, “I did not permit you to fight in the sacred month.”21 It also annoyed the other Companions as the party had clearly overstepped the instructions.”22
The Quraish of Makkah had long been making preparations for a war and this incident provided another excuse to fan the flame of hostility, thus bringing a new fervour to their preparation. The Battle of Badr, which will be discussed later, was mainly the result of this zeal of the Quraish.
Though a large part of the time of Muslims was spent in wars, the work of the laying of the foundation and the completion of religion did not stop. The five daily prayers had already been ordained in Makkah; however, the Muslims continued to face Baitul-Muqaddas24 while praying until the 16th or 17th month after the Migration. But now the injunction came from God to declare a new Qiblah25 which overjoyed the Prophet. This was the Ka‘bah, the first house of God and a reminder of Abraham (as), the Father of the Prophets and the Friend of Allah. Thereafter, the Muslims started facing the Ka‘bah while offering Salat after this commandment.
The injunctions regarding fasting26 in the month of Ramadan and the celebration of ‘Idul-Fitr27 were also announced in the same year. Muhammad (sas) directed that after the fasting of Ramadan, Muslims would celebrate the ‘Id on the first of the Islamic month of Shawwal.
It has been mentioned that the people of Makkah, and especially the chieftains of Makkah, had been eagerly looking for an opportunity to launch a full scale attack on the Muslims, though they had already launched a small attack on a pasture of Muslims. Now the killing of ‘Amr bin Hadrami provided a great opportunity to provoke the Quraish of Makkah. Abu Jahl—making use of this opportunity—aroused hostile and violent sentiments against the Muslims.
In the meantime, Muhammad (sas) received news that a trade caravan of the Quraish was returning to Makkah from Syria under the command of Abu Sufyan. As the stopping of a caravan could be an effective means of curbing the hostilities of the Quraish, Muhammad (sas) sent Talhah bin ‘Abdullah and Sa‘id bin Zaid to gather information about it. Abu Sufyan also somehow found out about the intentions of Muhammad (sas), and sent a rider named Damdam to Makkah to bring an army of Quraish for the protection of the caravan. The messenger of Abu Sufyan reached Makkah and according to the tradition of Arabs he made himself appear extremely terrified and began wailing and screaming. People became frightened on hearing his wailing and crying and gathered around the Ka‘bah. The chieftains of the Quraish, who were looking for an opportunity, made provocative speeches against the Muslims. The result was that except Abu Lahab (who was afraid because of a terrible dream of his sister, ‘Atika), a grand army of 1,000 strong including all of the brave and experienced fighters was prepared to defeat the Muslims.
Before leaving Makkah, the Quraish went to the Ka‘bah and prayed:
O God, help the side that is on the side of truth and is more pious and better in Your sight, and humiliate and disgrace the other.28
The army of Quraish set out with beating drums and singing women who appealed to their honour with great clamour. When the army reached Al-Juhfah, a place between Makkah and Badr, a messenger of Abu Sufyan informed him that his caravan had reached a safe place and there was no need for the army to move forward. But Abu Jahl and his companions, considering it a golden opportunity, sternly said, “By God, we will definitely go to Badr29 to celebrate for three days so that our awe may be forever established throughout the land and people begin to fear us.” This mighty army which included 700 camels and 100 horses, moved forward with great pomp and pride, and on the 9th day after leaving Makkah, camped on the near side of the valley of Badr.
On the other side, the two persons sent by Muhammad (sas) to report the whereabouts of the caravan were not back yet, but he found out from some other means that a mighty army of the Quraish was on its way. In order to keep Muslims from being disheartened, Muhammad (sas) did not make this information public. Like a wise general, without disclosing the news, he motivated them in such a way that many Companions, in spite of thinking that the expedition was being prepared to stop the caravan, got ready to go along. Even the Ansar, who according to the Second Pledge of ‘Aqabah were not bound to go along, also hurried along. Muhammad (sas) assembled the Companions for deliberation. Abu Bakr (ra) and ‘Umar (ra) gave very passionate speeches showing their utmost sacrificial spirit, but Muhammad (sas) did not react to them and sought the advice of other Companions. The chieftains of Ansar understood that the question was directed to them. So Sa‘d bin ‘Ubadah (ra), the chieftain of the Khazraj said, “O Messenger of Allah, we, the Ansar are ready for every kind of service.” The selected Companions, who were informed about the army by Muhammad (sas), were concerned because of the weak state of the Muslims and the lack of provisions. The Qur’an says:
اِنَّ فَرِیۡقًا مِّنَ الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ لَکٰرِہُوۡنَ
While a party of the believers were averse, therefore He helped thee against thy enemy.30
Even this group eagerly stood up to go according to the directive of their master.
After traveling a short distance out of Madinah, Muhammad (sas) made an assessment of the army and noticed some minors whom he asked to return. ‘Umair, the son of Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas, started crying on hearing the instructions of Muhammad (sas) for the children to return. Muhammad (sas) allowed him to stay after seeing his extraordinary fervour for participation. The strength of the Muslim army was 313, which included 60 Muhajirun. The Muslims had only 70 camels and 2 horses, and the Companions took turns riding. The same was the case with the Leader of the Two Worlds31. When his companions insisted that he should not walk, he smilingly said, “I am neither weaker than you in walking, nor do I have any less desire for reward. Why then should I not take my turn?”32
It is very important to mention here that it was practice of Muhammad (sas) to appoint someone as the chief of Madinah (Amir) whenever he would leave town. On this occasion, he named ‘Abdullah bin Ummi Maktum (ra) as the chief. However, ‘Abdullah (ra) was blind and there was fear of attack on Madinah; therefore, when the Prophet reached Rauha’, a place located 36 miles from Madinah, he appointed Abu Lubabah bin Abdil Mandhar (ra) as the chief and sent him back to Madinah. However, ‘Abdullah bin Ummi Maktum (ra) was still kept to lead Salat.
From Rauha’, he sent two Companions to gather intelligence about the movement of the enemy. They were still far away from Badr when the news came that the army of the enemy was close by. Now the time of secrecy was over; therefore, Muhammad (sas) gathered all the Companions and informed them about the army and asked for their advice. A few Companions, mentioning the weakness of Muslims said that they would have preferred to fight with the trade caravan. However, some of the most revered Companions made very passionate speeches and Miqdad bin Aswad (ra) said:
O Messenger of Allah! We do not say to you as the Children of Israel said to Moses (as), ‘Go thou and thy Lord and fight, and here we sit.’ Rather, go and we are with you.33
Muhammad (sas) was very pleased with this speech, but he wanted to find out about the intentions of the Ansar; therefore, he said, “Friends should give me their advice; what do they think?” Hearing these words, Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh (ra), the chieftain of Banu Aus immediately understood and said:
O Messenger of Allah! Perhaps it is our counsel that you seek. By God!, when we have believed in you as being truthful, and have placed our hands in your hand, then go forth wherever you desire, we are with you. We swear by that Being who has sent you with the truth, that if you order us to jump into the sea, we shall jump into it, and not a single one of us shall hold back. God willing, you shall find us steadfast in battle and shall witness from us that which shall be the delight of your eyes.
Muhammad (sas) was very pleased to hear this speech and said:
Go forth then in the name of Allah, because Allah has promised me that He shall definitely grant us victory over one of these two parties (i.e., the army or the caravan). I swear by God that at this very time I am witnessing the places where the enemy men shall fall after being slain.34
Muhammad (sas) swiftly advanced towards Badr and when reaching close to it, he sent ‘Ali (ra) and Zubair (ra) forward for reconnaissance. When they reached the valley of Badr, they saw a few people drawing water from a spring. They attacked them and arrested an Abyssinian slave and brought him to Muhammad (sas). They interrogated him and gathered information about the army of the Quraish. When he told them that ‘Utbah, Shaibah, Abu Jahl, Abul Bakhtari, ‘Uqbah bin Abi Mu‘it, Hakim bin Hizam, An-Nadr bin Harith, Umayyah bin Khalaf, Suhail bin ‘Amr, Naufal bin Khuwailid, and others were with them, Muhammad (sas) addressing the Companions said:
ھٰذَا مَکَّةَ قَدْ اَلْقَتْ اِلَیْکُمْ اَفَلَا ذَکَبِدِھَا
Here you are! Makkah has thrown before you its greatest heroes.35
When a nation becomes corrupt, and God the Exalted wants to wipe them off the face of the earth, their machinations do not work for them. It is recorded that the army of the Quraish reached the valley of Badr before the Muslim army and occupied a place that had an abundance of water and grass. As the poor Muslims reached there afterwards, they were forced to camp at a site where there was neither much water, nor any reasonable provisions for grass. They were forced to setup camp on a sand dune, but God’s blessings descended on them in such a way that after a while it started to rain. The Muslims were able to gather water in the form of pools, and because the sand hardened beneath their feet, they were able to firmly place their feet on the ground. On the other hand the Quraish, because of being on a slope, had access only to muddy water, and second, the mud caused the feet of people as well as horses to slip. And third, as the later events will show, at the time of the start of the fighting, when Muhammad (sas) threw a handful of gravel towards the enemy, such a strong storm started to blow from the direction of the Muslims to the disbelievers which aided the arrows of the Muslims, and also blinded the enemy and made it hard for them to launch arrows.
It was Friday, the 17th of Ramadan, and the two armies were ready to face each other. All of a sudden, two people approached Muhammad (sas) and said:
We are only just arriving from Makkah. When we set out from Makkah, the Quraish detained us and we were released on the condition that we would not fight on your side against them.
Though this pledge was not binding, Muhammad (sas) said, “Then go and fulfill your pledge! We only ask God for help, and He alone do we trust.”36
Muhammad (sas) was still arranging the ranks of the Muslim army when the army of disbelievers started advancing towards the battlefield. It was time when the disbelievers could see the smaller number of the Muslim army37, but the organization of the Muslim army done by Muhammad (sas) was so remarkable that the disbelievers were awed by their strength. The Qur’an says that the Muslims appeared twice their real strength to the Quraish, while the Quraish appeared less than their real strength to the Muslims.38 The disbelievers’ army was disheartened while the confidence of the Muslim army increased.
At this stage, the army of the Quraish started to become concerned. They sent ‘Umair bin Wahb to assess the real strength of the Muslim army. ‘Umair was so overwhelmed by the unmatched determination and majesty of the Muslims that on his return he said:
I have not been able to spot any hidden reinforcements, but O company of the Quraish! I have witnessed that in the Muslim army, it is not men who ride upon the saddles of these she-camels, rather, death is seated upon them. Destruction is mounted upon the backs of the she-camels of Yathrib.39
When the Quraish heard these words of ‘Umair, a wave of anxiety rippled through their ranks.
But Abu Jahl, who could be truly regarded as the Pharaoh of the nation, was determined not to give up. He, sensing the nature of the situation, called ‘Amir bin Hadrami, the brother of ‘Amr bin Hadrami and said, “‘Amir, it appears that your brother will not be avenged.” ‘Amir was enraged upon hearing this; he tore off his clothes according to the traditions of Arabia, and started wailing, “Woe to ‘Amr! Woe to ‘Amr! My brother is not being avenged!” His painful yelling and screaming enraged a fire of hostility and revenge, and the Quraish became prepared to fight.
So according to the ancient tradition of war, ‘Utbah, Shaibah, and Walid stepped forward and asked for individual combat. On the other side, a few youth of the Ansar wanted to go forward for the fight, but Muhammad (sas) stopped them and asked Hamzah (ra), ‘Ali (ra), and ‘Ubaidah (ra) to step forward for the fight. Though the men of both sides knew each other well, according to the traditions of Arabia, introductions were conducted. ‘Ubaidah (ra) went to confront Walid, Hamzah (ra) to ‘Utbah, and ‘Ali (ra) to Shaibah. Hamzah (ra) and ‘Ali (ra) killed their opponents in a few strokes, but ‘Ubaidah and Walid, both fell down severely wounded by each other’s strokes. Seeing the condition of ‘Ubaidah (ra), Hamzah (ra) and ‘Ali (ra) stepped forward and killed Walid, and carried ‘Ubaidah (ra) back to the camp, but ‘Ubaidah (ra) did not survive the wounds.
After the individual combat, Muhammad (sas) gave some advice to the Muslims and went to his tent. Abu Bakr (ra) also accompanied him. A little while later, the army of the disbelievers started general combat. At this time, Muhammad (sas) raised his hands and prayed to Allah the Exalted in the following words:
O My God! Fulfill Your promises. O My Master! If today, this party of Muslims is destroyed in the field of battle, there shall remain none who would worship You on the face of this earth.40
On the other side, Abu Jahl also prayed:
O God, annihilate the side today in the battlefield that has severed ties of kinship, and created an innovation in religion.
According to the description of the Qur’an, Abu Jahl prayed at that occasion or earlier in the following words:
O Allah, if this be indeed the truth from Thee, then rain down upon us stones from heaven or bring down upon us a grievous punishment. (Al-Anfal, 8:33)
Soon afterwards the battle started raging. The Muhajirun destroyed rank after rank of enemies. The Ansar’s enthusiasm could be assessed from the following description of ‘Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Auf (ra):
While I was fighting in the front line on the Day (of the Battle) of Badr, suddenly I looked behind and saw on my right and left two young boys and did not feel safe by standing between them (because in such battles, the outcome greatly depends on the fighters around you). Then one of them whispered secretly in my ear so that his companion may not hear, “O Uncle! Where is that Abu Jahl (who gave grief to Muhammad (sas) in Makkah)? I said, “O nephew! What will you do to him?” He said, “I will either kill him or be killed before I kill him.” Then the other nudged me and whispered the same in my other ear. I would not have been pleased to be between any other men on that day instead of those two boys. I pointed them in the direction of Abu Jahl. Both of them attacked him like two hawks (leaving him and his associates completely dumbstruck) and knocked him down.41
The Muhajirun and Ansar were fighting with full fervour and sincerity, but the significantly larger number of the enemy and their superiority in provisions were hindering the progress of the Muslims. Muhammad (sas) was continuously praying and his anxiety was rising moment by moment. He got up from a long prostration and the following glad tidings revealed much earlier were once again initiated on his tongue:
سَیُہۡزَمُ الۡجَمۡعُ وَیُوَلُّوۡنَ الدُّبُرَ
The hosts shall soon be routed and will turn their backs in flight.42
Muhammad (sas) came out of the tent loudly reciting this verse. He looked around and then picked up a handful of sand and gravel and threw it in the direction of the disbelievers and fervently called out:
شَاھَتِ الْوُجُوہ
May their faces be ruined.43
He also loudly instructed the Muslims to launch a sudden attack.44 The words of their beloved struck their ears, and the devotees raising the slogan of Allahu Akbar jumped at the enemies with new vigour.
When Muhammad (sas) picked up a handful of sand and pebbles and threw it towards the enemies, such a strong gust of air blew towards the disbelievers covering their eyes, mouths, and noses with sand and pebbles.45 Muhammad (sas) said that it was the army of the angels of God that had descended to their help. The sudden attack of the Muslims and the abrupt storm dislodged the Quraish and confusion created havoc among them and within moments the battlefield was abandoned. The Muslims captured 70 prisoners, and when the dead bodies of the enemy were counted, it appeared to be the same number mostly consisting of the chieftains of the Quraish. However, they could not find the body of Abu Jahl. Muhammad (sas) asked ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud (ra) to investigate. After a short search, he found him breathing his last. ‘Abdullah asked him if he was Abu Jahl. He said:
ھَلْ فَوْقَ رَجُلٍ قَتَلْتُمُوْہُ
Have you killed anyone greater than I?46
Then he said:
فَلَوْ غَیْرُ اَکَّارٍ قَتَلَنِیْ
If only I had not been killed at the hands of a farmer.47
He asked, “Who got the upper hand? ‘Abdullah replied, “Allah and His Messenger.” When ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud (ra) was about to cut off his head, Abu Jahl said, “I am the chieftain of the nation; cut my head so that my neck is longer than other people and it looks like the head of a chieftain.” ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud (ra) cut off his head and notified Muhammad (sas).
According to the instructions of Muhammad (sas), 24 chieftains of the Quraish were buried in a mass grave, and everyone else was buried in individual graves.
Among the Muslim martyrs, there were six Muhajirun and eight Ansar, but this loss could not overshadow the jubilation of the victory. Muhammad (sas) and the Muslims joyfully collected the spoils of the war and returned back to Madinah.
In terms of the treatment of the prisoners, Sir William Muir writes about how well they were treated under the instructions of Muhammad (sas):
In pursuance of Mohammad's command, and in accord with the passage already quoted, the Citizens, and such of the Refugees as had houses of their own, received the prisoners with kindness and consideration. ‘Blessings on the men of Medina!’ said one of these in later days: ‘they made us ride, while they themselves walked afoot; they gave us wheaten bread to eat when there was little of it, contenting themselves with dates.’ It is not surprising, therefore, that some of the captives, yielding to these influences, declared themselves Believers, and to such their liberty was at once granted. The rest was kept for ransom. But it was long before Koreish could humble themselves to visit Medina for the purpose. The kindly treatment was thus prolonged, and left a favourable impression on the minds even of those who did not at once go over to Islam.48
According to the Arab tradition, war prisioners were either killed or made slave for the rest of their lives. But Muhammad (sas) disliked this custom. After listening to the advice of Abu Bakr (ra), he decided to fix a ransom of 1,000 to 4,000 dirhams for the freedom of the prisoners depending on their means. Among the prisoners included the uncle of Muhammad (sas), ‘Abbas, and Muhammad’s son-in-law, Abul-‘As. The Ansar pleaded that ‘Abbas should be freed without ransom, but Muhammad (sas) disagreed and insisted that ‘Abbas should pay the ransom. There is another tradition regarding ‘Abbas that when he was tied to a pillar in the Masjid an-Nabawi, his painful groans would not let Muhammad (sas) sleep. When the Ansar found out, they loosened the ropes around him. Muhammad (sas) noticing his silence said, “If you must loosen his ties, then do so for all the prisoners.” Thereafter, all the prisoners’ ties were loosened.
In the ransom of Abul-‘As, Zainab (ra), the daughter of Muhammad (sas), who was still in Makkah, sent a few things including a necklace given in dowry by Khadijah (ra). When Muhammad (sas) saw this necklace, tears started from his eyes. He said, “If you agree, you can return Zainab’s things to her.” The Companions immediately returned Zainab’s belongings to her. Muhammad (sas) made a deal with Abul-‘As that instead of the cash ransom, he would send Zainab to Madinah on his return to Makkah, and in this way the soul of a believing woman was delivered from Makkah, the abode of disbelievers. After some time, Abul-‘As accepted Islam and moved to Madinah to unite with his wife.
With regard to the migration of Zainab (ra), it is narrated that when she set out for Madinah, a few Quraish tried to stop her by force. When she refused, a wretched person attacked her with a brutal swing of a spear. The trauma and the shock of the blow resulted in a miscarriage.49 She never fully recovered after that and faced an untimely death.50
The literate prisoners were allowed to teach 10 boys to read and write as ransom. The acceptance of the teaching of 10 boys instead of the 4,000 dirhams clearly shows the appreciation of learning in the heart of Muhammad (sas). In reality, it was a great favour upon those prisoners because services done in captivity according to the local rules did not deserve any remuneration, but they were awarded freedom in lieu of that.51
The success of the Muslims in this battle disheartened the disbelievers and washed away their hopes. The Jews and the surrounding tribes also realized the strength of Islam, and were awed by the Muslims.
The disbelievers of Madinah seeing this extraordinary and grand victory of Muhammad (sas) accepted Islam. ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, a distinguished and well-known chieftain of Banu Khazraj outwardly became a Muslim, but remained an enemy at heart until his death.
1 Bukhari, Kitabul-Buyu‘ (Book of Sales and Trade).
2 This cave is located three miles south of Makkah on an uninhabited and barren mountain at a significant height.
3 At-Taubah, 9:40.
4 Musnad Ahmad and Tirmidhi.
5 Tirmidhi and Nasa’i.
6 At-Taubah, 9:40.
7 Usdul-Ghabah (Account of Suraqah).
8 Among the Arabs, going out with arms symbolized that they were ready to sacrifice their lives for the guest.
9 Call for formal five daily prayers (Salat). [Publisher]
10 Muhajirun is the plural of Muhajir. The people of Makkah who migrated from Makkah to Madinah were called Muhajirun, i.e., Emigrants.
11 Ansar is the plural of Nasir. The citizens of Madinah were called Ansar as they helped the Emigrants who came there from Makkah and other places.
12 Ibni Hisham.
13 ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul was a well-known and clever chief of the Khazraj tribe. When the continuous fight had weakened Aus and Khazraj, they accepted him as their united chief. But ‘Abdullah had barely started enjoying his newly acquired kingship when the voice of Islam reached Madinah, and the circumstances took a new turn. For this reason, though ‘Abdullah apparently took the Bai‘at after the Battle of Badr, internally he was a sworn enemy of Muhammad (sas).
14 Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitabul-Kharaj wal-Imarah.
15 Hakim, cited by Lubab an-Nuquli, Asbab an-Nuzul.
16 Bukhari, Kitabut-Tamanni (Book about Wishing of Things), and Muslim (Virtues of Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas).
17 Refer to Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin for a very beneficial essay about the principles of Jihad.
18 Al-Hajj, 22: 40.
19 Tirmidhi, Kitabul-iman (Book of Faith).
20 At-Tabari and Ibni Hisham.
21 At-Tabari and Ibni Hisham.
22 At-Tabari.
23 The direction faced by Muslims while offering Salat. [Publisher]
24 Arabic name used for Jerusalem. [Publisher]
25 Al-Baqarah, 2:143–146.
26 Please read a note about fasting in Ramadan in Part II of Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin.
27 The Islamic festival celebrated at the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan.
28 Tarikhul-Khamis.
29 Badr is a valley with a few springs located at a distance of eight or nine days travel from Makkah and four or five days from Madinah. There used to be an annual fair at this place. The Quraish thought that if they reached Badr, they would be able to awe the entire Arabia with the strength of their army as a lot of people would be gathered at Badr for the fair.
30 Al-Anfal, 8:6.
31 The Leader of the Two Worlds is a title of Muhammad (sas). [Publisher]
32 Ibni Sa‘d.
33 Bukhari, Kitabul-Maghazi (Book of Expeditions Led by Muhammad (sas)).
34 Ibni Hisham and Ibni Sa‘d.
35 Ibni Hisham.
36 Muslim, Kitabul-Jihad (Book of Fighting for the Cause of Allah) and Bab al-Wafa bil ‘Ihd (Fulfilment of Covenants).
37 Ibni Hisham and At-Tabari.
38 Aal-e-‘Imran and Al-Anfal.
39 At-Tabari, Ibni Sa‘d, and Ibni Hisham.
40 Bukhari and Muslim.
41 Bukhari, Kitabul-Maghazi (Book of Expeditions led by Muhammad (sas)).
42 Al-Qamar, 54:46.
43 Al-Anfal.
44 At-Tabari and Az-Zarqani.
45 At-Tabari.
46 Bukhari, Kitabul-Maghazi (Book of Expeditions Led by Muhammad (sas)).
47 Bukhari, the Quraish looked down upon the profession of farming and the people of Madinah were mostly farmers.
48 The Life of Mohammad: From the Original Sources, Sir William Muir and T. H. Weir p. 233, Published at Edinburgh by J. Grant, 1912.
49 Ibni Hisham.
50 Az-Zarqani.
51 For a detailed discussion regarding the issue of slavery, see Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Urdu edition, published by Islam International Publications, 1996, p. 378 to 406.