BATTLE OF THE BADR

The Battle of Badr was the first battle between the Muslims from Madinah and the Quraysh from
Mecca, occurring in 624 A.D. (2nd A.H.). After the Muslims migrated to Madinah, their relationship
with the Quraysh worsened because the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) disrupted their trade routes.

When the Muslims learned that a Meccan caravan was passing near Madinah, they waited for it near
the wells of Badr. Abu Sufyan, who led the caravan, worried the Muslims would intercept it and
quickly sent a message to Mecca asking for help.

The Quraysh quickly gathered an army of about 1,300 men under Abu Jahl to protect the caravan.
Meanwhile, Abu Sufyan safely took another route to Mecca and asked the army to return. However,
some leaders, including Abu Jahl, wanted to attack the Muslims instead. Some of the Meccans left,
reducing their numbers to about 1,000.

When the Prophet (PBUH) learned that the Meccan army was coming, he consulted his companions
and decided to fight. He quickly gathered a Muslim army. The Quraysh arrived at Badr first and set up
camp there. Though the Muslims arrived later, they managed to take control of the wells. The two
armies were very mismatched: there were only 313 Muslims against over 1,000 Quraysh, and the
Muslims were poorly equipped with just 2 horses and 70 camels, while the Quraysh had 200 horses
and 700 camels.

The Prophet (PBUH) spent the night praying for victory, saying, “O Allah! If this small group is
defeated, no one will be left to worship You.” His prayer was answered, as mentioned in the Quran:
“When you sought aid from your Lord, He answered you” (8:9).

It rained the night before the battle, making the ground firm for the Muslims. The battle began on
the 17th of Ramadan, 2 A.H. (624 A.D.). Both sides lined up on Friday morning. The first non-
believer to step forward was killed by Hamza. Then there were duels, where Hamza killed Utba and
Ali killed Waleed bin Utba. Ubaida bin Haris was the first martyr in the battle.

As the battle started, the Muslims followed the Prophet’s orders: they first shot arrows, then threw
stones, and finally fought with swords. During the battle, Ali killed Abu Sufyan’s son Hanzala, and
Bilal killed his former master Umayya bin Khalaf. When the fighting intensified, the Prophet (PBUH)
threw dust at the Quraysh, saying, “May your faces be disfigured.” This caused confusion among the
Quraysh, as the Quran states, “It was not you who slew them; it was Allah” (8:17).

The Quraysh faced heavy losses, fleeing and leaving behind 70 dead and 70 prisoners. Their leader,
Abu Jahl, was wounded and later killed by Abdullah bin Masood. Key companions of the Prophet,
like Abu Bakr and Talha, protected him during the battle. The Muslims captured a lot of war booty,
which was shared among them. Among the prisoners were the Prophet’s uncle Abbas, Ali’s brother
Aqeel, and the Prophet’s son-in-law Abul Aas. Only 14 Muslims were martyred in the battle—6
Muhajirin (migrants) and 8 Ansar (helpers).

The Prophet (PBUH) surprised everyone by treating the captured Meccans with respect. Most
prisoners were released under simple terms. Those who could pay their ransom were freed, and the
literate ones were required to teach 10 Muslim children before being released. The poor and elderly
prisoners were freed without any ransom.
 Battle of Uhad

After the Battle of Badr, Islam became stronger in Madinah, and the city’s importance grew. The
Quraysh from Mecca saw Madinah's rise as a threat to their power and trade. They were also angry
about their defeat at Badr, where many of their leaders were killed, and they wanted revenge.

Abu Sufyan, the leader of the Quraysh army, met with the Banu Nazir Jews, who promised to help
him. He also hired a poet named Kaab bin Ashraf to write mocking poems against the Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH). These poems encouraged the Quraysh to fight the Muslims. Another reason for
the battle was that the Prophet's adopted son, Zaid bin Harith, captured a Quraysh trade caravan.
The Quraysh held meetings to gather funds and raise a strong army to attack Madinah and eliminate
the Muslims, inviting other tribes to join them.

Finally, the Quraysh assembled a powerful army of 3,000 men, with 200 horses and 3,000 camels,
and left Mecca for Madinah. The Prophet learned about this army from his uncle, Abbas bin Abdul
Mutalib.

The Prophet (PBUH) consulted his companions on how to face the enemy. Most agreed that they
should confront the Quraysh outside of Madinah, even though the Prophet had a different idea. He
decided to follow the majority.

The Quraysh camped near the Uhud mountain, three miles north of Madinah. On the way, Abdullah
bin Ubbay, a leader of the hypocrites, deserted the Prophet with 300 men because the Prophet
didn’t want to fight from inside the city. The Prophet (PBUH) and the remaining 700 men reached
Uhud and set up camp.

He placed 50 archers under Abdullah bin Jubair to protect the rear of the Muslim army and
instructed them to stay in their positions no matter what.

Some Quraysh women, including Hinda (daughter of Utba) and Umm-e-Hakeem (granddaughter of
Abu Jahl), joined their army, and Muslim women like Aisha and Umm Salama also participated for
the first time.

When the two armies faced each other, Abu Sufyan told the Ansar (helpers) to leave, saying his fight
was not with them, but the Muslims stayed united. The battle began, and the Muslim archers shot
arrows at the Quraysh cavalry, causing chaos. Talha ibn Abi Talha, the Quraysh's standard-bearer,
challenged anyone to fight him and Ali killed him. Talha’s brother tried to take the flag but was struck
down by Hamza.

The battle was intense, with the Muslims pushing the Quraysh back. Abu Sufyan narrowly escaped an
attack. The Muslims gained ground until Khalid ibn al-Waleed tried to attack from behind three
times, but the archers held him off. The Muslims started to win, and the Quraysh began to flee.

However, the archers guarding the rear saw this as a signal to collect spoils of war and left their
positions. Khalid ibn al-Waleed took advantage of this mistake and attacked the unprotected
Muslims. Panic spread, and many brave Muslim warriors ran for safety up the slopes of Uhud. Some
stayed to protect the Prophet (PBUH).
The Quraysh tried to reach the Prophet. He was wounded on his head and face and lost some teeth.
They killed Musab bin Umair, the Muslim flag bearer who looked like the Prophet. The enemy spread
the rumor that the Prophet was dead, causing more confusion.

Despite this, the Prophet (PBUH) called out to his companions to return. Ka'ab bin Malik announced
that the Prophet was still alive, encouraging the Muslims to rejoin the battle. Soon, more supporters
arrived, and they moved the Prophet to a safer area at the foot of the mountain.

The fighting became less one-sided, and the Muslims who regrouped fought bravely. Both sides were
very tired, and soon the fighting slowed down as each army prepared to leave. Before departing, Abu
Sufyan challenged the Prophet to another battle the following year at Badr, and the Prophet
accepted.

In this battle, 63 to 70 Muslims were killed, and 40 were injured, while the Quraysh lost only 22 men.
Wahshi al-Harb killed Hamza with a spear, and Hinda mutilated his body as revenge for her father’s
death in the Battle of Badr.

The Quran mentions this battle, saying:

“Allah did indeed fulfill His promise to you... until you flinched and fell to disputing about the order...”
(3:152)
“Those of you who turned back on the day the two hosts met... it was Satan who caused them to
fail...” (3:155)

Battle of Trench

After the punishment and exile from Madinah by the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H), the Jews wanted to take
revenge from Muslims. A delegation of Jewish leaders therefore went to Quraish to incite them
against the Muslims and promised them their full support. They gave the same promise to the tribe
of Banu Ghatafan and Banu Sulaiyam. The upper hand of Quraish in the battle of Uhad motivated the
Makkans and all other enemies. • This time they assembled a large force of 10,000 soldiers under
the command of Abu Sufyan. Amongst the Army:4,000 well-armed foot-soldiers,3,000 horsemen in
full armour,1,500 camels loaded with provision,1000 camel-riding soldiers and several hundred well-
armed soldiers of other tribes. • At the same time horsemen from the Banu Khuza'a left to warn the
Prophet of the invading army. • As usual the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) consulted their companions, In
the counsel, he appreciated the opinion of Hazrat Salman Farsi (RA) who suggested digging a trench
around the city of Madinah in order to fortify it. • On three sides of the city, there were rows of
houses, orchards and oasis which served as fortification only one side was unprotected. A trench,
five yards deep and five yards broad was dug. The Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) himself demarcated the site
and worked like a labourer.3,000 Muslims completed the trench in 20 days. In winter nights, the Holy
Prophet (P.B.U.H) and his companions worked sometimes without food for days. • The Allied forces
were confident of an easy and quick victory. They advanced determinedly upon the city. But they
came to an abrupt halt when they found a deep and long trench between them and the city. The
trench warfare was quite unfamiliar to the Makkans and their allies. The Muslims compelled them to
stay at an adequate distance from the trench by hurling stone and arrows at them. Thus, began the
siege of Madinah, which lasted for about 27 days. There was little food and water; Jabirinvited the
Prophet (pbuh) to eat after slaughtering a sheep, and the prophet fed the whole army with this one
animal; The Quraysh tried to cross the trench, a couple of riders managed to cross a part that was
narrower; ‘Ali fought them off; On this occasion , Amr bin Abd Wad, an undefeated warrior of
Quraish , challenged the Muslims for a duel. Hazrat Ali accepted his challenged and killed him. • The
hypocrites in the Muslim army, finding the situation dangerous, asked permission from the Holy
Prophet to return to their homes on the excuse that their homes were not safe in this connection the
Quran says, " Behold! A party among them said: "Ye men of Yathrib! ye cannot stand (the attack)!
therefore go back!" And a band of them ask for leave of Muhammad, saying, "Truly our houses are
bare and exposed," though they were not exposed they intended nothing but to run away.”[33:13] •
At the first Banu Quraiza had refused to support the unbelievers. But later they also came out against
the Muslims and broke their treaty with the holy Prophet. Thus there was a mighty attack on
Muslims from all sides. For this reason, the battle is also called Battle of Ahzab or the battle of Allies.
The Quran says, “Behold! They came on you from above you and from below you, and behold! The
eyes became dim and the hearts gaped up to the throats, and ye imagined various thoughts about
Allah! In that situation were the Believers tried: they were shaken as by a tremendous shaking.”
(33:10-11). • The Prophet (pbuh) used strategic skills to create mistrust between the alliances,
sending Nuaym bin Mas’ud to sow seeds of mistrust between the allies. • A month had passed since
the siege began. The Arabs were not a accustomed to such a long drawn war. Their supplies began to
run short. Moreover, it was winter with rain and icy cold winds. Because of the shortage of food,
forage and bad weather, a large number of their camels and horses died. ALLAH sent a severe
windstorm to the confederate forces, as well as His angels on a very cold day. The wind blew down
their tents and their cooking gear and the angels threw fear and terror into their hearts. They
hurriedly left, leaving behind all their possessions. - This encounter known as Battle of Tribes
(ahzab) / Battle of Trench (khandaq) ended in disgrace for the Meccans and their strength was
broken forever. - This is referred in the Holy Quran that says, “… Remember Allah’s blessing on you
when hosts came down on you (to overwhelm you) : but we sent against them a hurricane and
forces ye saw not, but Allah sees all that you do” [33:9] • Finally, Banu Quraiza, the last major tribe
left in Madinah, showed treachery in the Battle of Ditch in 627 AD. They broke the treaty with the
Muslims, conspired with the Quraish and planned to attack the Muslims from rear. A siege was laid
on their fortresses that lasted for 25 days. After this siege, as a punishment of their treachery
decided by Saad bin Muaaz, around 600 – 700 men from Banu Quraiza were executed and their
wives and children were sold as slaves. The Quran refers to this incident in these words,

“And those of the people of the book who aided them- Allah did take them down from their
strongholds and cast terror into their hearts, (so that) some ye slew, and some you made prisoners .
And He made you heirs of their lands, their houses and their goods----”[33:26-27]

Treaty of Hudaybiyyah

 The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) dreamed of visiting the Kaabah and decided to perform
Umrah (a pilgrimage). The Quran states that Allah fulfilled this vision for His Messenger
(48:27).
  In February 628 A.D. (6 A.H.), around 1,400 unarmed Muslims, dressed in two sheets of
unsewn cloth (ihram), left Madinah for Mecca.

 Since they were in ihram, the Muslims were not allowed to fight. However, the Quraysh
refused to let them enter and the Muslims camped at Hudaybiyyah, close to Mecca.

 The Prophet sent two messengers to negotiate with the Quraysh, but they were detained.
Eventually, Hazrat Usman was sent, but when he didn’t return, rumors spread that he had
been killed.

 Hearing this, the Prophet called his companions to pledge their lives for Islam and to seek
revenge for Hazrat Usman’s blood. The Quran says Allah was pleased with this pledge made
under a tree, known as Bait-e-Rizwan (48:18). This fear prompted the Quraysh to send
Hazrat Usman back and consider negotiating a treaty. Suhail bin Amr was sent to discuss
peace terms.

Terms of the Treaty:

1. The Muslims would return to Madinah that year without performing Umrah.

2. They could come for pilgrimage the next year but could only stay in Mecca for three days.

3. If a Quraysh person joined the Muslims without permission, he would be sent back to Mecca,
but Muslims coming from Madinah to Mecca would not be sent back.

4. There would be no fighting for ten years.

5. Muslims could visit Mecca, and the Quraysh could pass through Muslim areas without being
attacked.

6. Any Arab tribe could form an alliance with either the Muslims or Quraysh.

7. Both sides agreed not to fight against each other’s allies.

After the Treaty:

 The terms seemed unfair to many Muslims, including Hazrat Umar, who questioned why
they were demeaning their religion. Abu Bakr and the Prophet reassured him.

 Ali was chosen to write the treaty. When the Prophet asked him to write “In the name of
Allah, the Merciful,” Suhail objected, so the Prophet had Ali write “In Your name, O God, and
Muhammad son of Abdullah,” which upset the Muslims.

 Just then, Abu Jandal, Suhail's son, came to the Prophet asking for freedom, but the Prophet
insisted on sticking to the treaty terms and told him to be patient.

 Once the document was completed, the Prophet instructed the Muslims to sacrifice their
animals and shave their heads.

 The Prophet said they were victorious, supported by the new revelation: “Verily, we have
granted you a manifest victory” (48:1).

 The Khuza’a tribe allied with the Muslims, while the Banu Bakr allied with the Quraysh.

Lessons About Keeping Promises:

 1. The Prophet kept his word to the Quraysh during the treaty. Even before it was finished, he
sent Abu Jandal back to the Quraysh, honoring the verbal agreement.

2. This shows the importance of fulfilling promises, even if they are not written down.

3. Actions and agreements are recorded by angels, and God knows what has been promised.
Keeping promises, no matter how difficult, will be rewarded by God.

4. For example, politicians should not break promises made during elections, and people
should not go back on promises made to friends.

Conquest of Makkah

 After the treaty, the Banu Bakr tribe allied with the Quraysh, while the Banu Khuza’a allied
with the Muslims.

 Two years later, Banu Bakr attacked Banu Khuza’a, with help from the Quraysh who provided
weapons and even sent some leaders to fight alongside Banu Bakr at night. Many men from
Banu Khuza’a were killed.

 The chief of Banu Khuza’a, along with forty men, went to Madinah to seek help from the
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

The Prophet's Demands:

 The Prophet demanded that the Quraysh choose one of three options:

1. Pay blood money to the families of the murdered Banu Khuza’a men.

2. End their alliance with Banu Bakr.

3. Nullify the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah.

 The Quraysh chose the third option but soon realized they couldn’t compete with the
Prophet’s strength, so they sent Abu Sufyan to negotiate.

Abu Sufyan's Attempts:

  Abu Sufyan visited his daughter Umm Habiba, who was one of the Prophet’s wives, but she
refused to help him.

 He then approached prominent companions of the Prophet (like Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman,
and Ali) for support, but they also refused.

 Finally, he went to the mosque and declared that the Quraysh would guarantee peace and
protection, but the Prophet rejected his offer.

Preparation for Conquest:

 The Prophet prepared an army of 10,000 men, keeping their plans secret to prevent the
Quraysh from forming alliances.

 On the 10th of Ramadan in 630 A.D. (8 A.H), the Muslims set out for Makkah, camping
outside the city and lighting torches to create an illusion of a larger army, which demoralized
the Quraysh.

 Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, who was sent to spy, was captured and embraced Islam.

Entering Makkah:

 Before entering, the Prophet announced that anyone who stayed in their home, entered the
Kaabah, or went to Abu Sufyan’s house would be safe.

 He instructed his army not to use weapons unless they faced resistance and to avoid harming
the elderly, women, and children.

 The army was divided into four groups to capture different parts of Makkah.

The Battle:

 While entering Makkah, Khalid ibn al-Waleed’s column faced resistance and had to fight
back, resulting in the deaths of thirteen Quraysh and two Muslims.

Inside the Kaabah:

 The Prophet performed Tawaf (circumambulation) of the Kaabah, prayed inside, and purified
it by destroying around 360 idols, reciting, “And say, the truth has come, and falsehood has
vanished. Surely, falsehood is bound to perish” (Al-Isra 17:81).

Proclamation of Amnesty:

 A general amnesty was declared for the people of Makkah.

 The Prophet gathered the Quraysh at Mount Safa and gave a sermon, asking them what they
thought he would do with them.

 They responded, believing he would treat them well. The Prophet said he would be merciful,
quoting Yusuf (Joseph): “There is no reproach against you today; God will forgive. He is the
most merciful and the most compassionate” (Yusuf 12:92). He told them they were free.

Acceptance of Islam:

 The Quraysh were deeply moved by the Prophet's mercy and many accepted Islam.
 The Quran mentions this event: “When comes the help of Allah and victory, and you see
people entering the religion of Allah in throngs” (Al-Nasr 110:1-2).

 The Prophet stayed in Makkah for about nineteen days, arranging for its administration.