TheBattle of Badr or sometimes calledThe Raid of Badr (Arabic:غَزْوَةُ بَدْرٍ[ɣazwatubadr];Ghazwahu Badr), also referred to asThe Day of the Criterion (Arabic:يَوْمُ الْفُرْقَانْ,Arabic pronunciation:[jawm'ulfur'qaːn];Yawm al-Furqan) in theQur'an and byMuslims, was fought on 13 March 624 CE (17Ramadan, 2AH),[3] near the present-day city ofBadr,Al Madinah Province inSaudi Arabia.Muhammad, commanding an army of hisSahaba, defeated an army of theQuraysh led byAmr ibn Hishām, better known among Muslims asAbu Jahl. The battle marked the beginning of the six-year war betweenMuhammad and his tribe. The Battle of Badr took place after five or six unsuccessful attempts by the Muslims to intercept and raid Meccan trade caravans between 623 and early 624 CE.
Muhammad took keen interest in capturing Meccan caravans and their wealth afterhis migration to Medina. A few days before the battle, when he learnt of a Makkan caravan returning from theLevant led byAbu Sufyan ibn Harb, Muhammad gathered a smallexpeditionary force to raid it. Abu Sufyan, learning of the Muslim plan toambush his caravan, changed course and took a longer route away from Muhammad's base atMedina and sent a messenger to Mecca, asking for help. Amr ibn Hisham commanded an army nearly one-thousand strong, approaching Badr and encamping at the sand dune al-'Udwatul Quswa.
Badr was the first large-scale engagement between the Muslims and Quraysh Meccans. Advancing from the north, the Muslims faced the Meccans. The battle began with duels between the warriors on both sides, following which the Meccans charged upon the Muslims under a cover ofarrows. The Muslims countered their charge and broke the Meccan lines, killing several important Quraishi leaders includingAbu Jahl andUmayyah ibn Khalaf.
The Muslim victory strengthened Muhammad's position; The Medinese eagerly joined his future expeditions and tribes outside Medina openly allied with Muhammad.[4] The battle has been passed down inIslamic history as a decisive victory attributable todivine intervention, and by other sources to the strategic prowess of Muhammad.
After theHijra (migration toMedina) in 622 CE, the population of Medina chose Muhammad to be the leader of the community. Muhammad's followers decided to raid the caravans of the Meccans as they passed by Medina.[5]
In early 624, a caravan of the Quraysh led byAbu Sufyan ibn Harb carrying wealth andgoods from theLevant (possibly Gaza[6]) was returning to Mecca. It was carrying merchandise worth 50,000 dinars and guarded by 70 men.[6] The caravan was extraordinarily large, possibly because several smaller caravans may have grouped together for safety. All the leading Meccan financiers had a share in this trading venture,[7] and thus had a strong interest in it returning.[6]
Muhammad learned of the caravan and decided to intercept it for two reasons. First, was the continuation of the policy to recover wealth from the Quraysh, as the Quraysh had confiscated Muslims' properties in Mecca after the hijrah. Secondly, a successful attack would impress the Meccans and could act as a deterrent against a future attack on Medina.[7]
Abu Sufyan sent word to Mecca that the caravan was in danger, asking for reinforcements to cover the caravan as it passed by Medina. Traditional Muslim sources write that Abu Sufyan's spies had informed him of Muslim preparations to attack, a view accepted by Ramadan.[7] But Watt writes given that it took the Meccan army a week to get to Badr, Abu Sufyan must have sent his request before the Muslim preparations began.[8] Watt points out Abu Sufyan was "one of the most astute men in Mecca" and must have anticipated the Muslim attack.[6]
Muhammad had gathered a smallexpeditionary force of around 300 men to intercept the caravan. Abu Sufyan's spies informed him of the Muslims' plot toambush his caravan. Fearing the loss of wealth that was imminent, Abu Sufyan sent the messenger Damdam bin 'Amr al-Ghifari to the Quraish. Damdam, upon his arrival at theKa'bah, cut off the nose and ears of his camel, turned its saddle upside down, tore off his shirt and cried:[9]
"O Quraish! Your merchandise! It is with Abu Sufyan. The caravan is being intercepted by Muhammad and his companions. I cannot say what would have happened to them. Help! Help!"[9]
Abu Sufyan had rerouted his caravan toward theRed Sea and escaped the Muslim threat by Damdam's arrival at Mecca.
Battlefield
Map depicting the battlefield, with al-'Udwatul Dunya and al-'Udwatul Quswa, shown to the right.
The valley of Badr is surrounded by two large sand dunes to the east, calledal-'Udwatud Dunya (the near side of the valley) andal-'Udwatul Quswa (the far side of the valley).[10] The west of the valley was covered by the al-Asfal Mountain (Jabal Al-Asfal) with an opening between it and another hill in the northwest.[11]
Between al-'Udwatud Dunya and al-'Udwatul Quswa was an opening, which was the primary route toMedina. Muhammad and his army did not approach the battlefield from here, they came from the north, as they were originally planning to target the caravan, which was moving from theLevant in the north, toMecca in the south.[11] Between al-'Udwatul Quswa and the hill covering the southern part of the battlefield was another opening, which was the primary route from Mecca.[12][13]
The Quraish hadencamped in the south-eastern portion of the valley near the road to Mecca, while Muhammad and his army had encamped at somedate-palms in the north. They had taken a well near the center of the western margin of al-'Udwatul Dunya and destroyed the other wells near the road to Medina to prevent the Makkans from getting any water. Another well situated at the end of the road to Mecca was later filled with the bodies of the dead Makkans.[12]
Rainfall
On the night of 11 March (15 Ramadan), it had rained over the battlefield and the surrounding region. Muslims believe this was a blessing from Allah for the believers and a curse for the disbelievers, who suffered hardship in trying to climb the muddy slope.[9]
Battle
Muslim march to Badr
A map of the Badr campaign, showing the route taken byAbu Sufyan to protect his caravan from theLevant toMecca, the route taken byAmr ibn Hishām (Abu Jahl) from Mecca toBadr and the route taken by Muhammad and the Muslims from Medina to Badr.
Muhammad was able to gather an army of 313–317 men. Sources vary upon the exact number, but the generally accepted number is 313. This army consisted of 82Muhajirun, 61 men from the'Aws and 170 men from theKhazraj.[9] They were not well-equipped for a major conflict nor prepared. They only had two horses, and those belonged toZubayr ibn al-Awwam andal-Miqdad ibn 'Amr. The entire army had 70 camels, meaning that they had one camel for two to three men to ride alternatively.[14][9] Muhammad shared a camel with'Ali ibn Abu Talib and Marthad ibn Abi Marthad al-Ghanawi.[9] The guardianship and administration ofMedina was entrusted withIbn Umm Maktum, but later withAbu Lubaba ibn 'Abd al-Mundhir.[9] Muhammad handed a white standard toMus‘ab ibn 'Umair al-Qurashi al-'Abdari.[9] The army was divided into two battalions: one of the 82 Muhajirun and the other of the 231Ansar.[9] The flag of the Muhajirun was carried by 'Ali ibn Abu Talib, while that of the Ansar was carried bySa'd ibn Mu'adh.[9] az-Zubayr commanded the right flank, while al-Miqdad commanded the left.[9] And the rear of the army was commanded by Qays bin Abi Sa'sa'ah.
With Muhammad in the lead, the army marched out along the main road to Mecca, from the north.[9] At Safra', he dispatched Basbas al-Juhani and 'Adi al-Juhani to scout for the Quraish. The future CaliphUthman stayed behind to care of his sick wifeRuqayyah, the daughter of Muhammad, who later died from illness.[15]Salman al-Farsi also could not join the battle, as he was still not a free man.[16]
Qurayshi advance toward Badr
All of the clans of the Quraish except theBanu 'Adi quickly assembled an excited army of around 1300 men, 100 horses and a large number of camels. Moving swiftly towardsBadr, they passed the valleys of 'Usfan, Qadid and al-Juhfah. At al-Juhfah, another messenger from Abu Sufyan informed them of the safety of their merchandise and wealth. Upon receiving this message, the Makkan army expressed delight and showed a desire to return home.Abu Jahl was not interested in returning and insisted on proceeding to Badr, and holding afeast there to show the Muslims and the surrounding tribes that they were superior. Despite Abu Jahl's threat and insistence, theBanu Zahrah, numbering around 300, broke away from the army and returned to Mecca, on the advice ofAl-Akhnas ibn Shurayq. Muhammad's clan, theBanu Hashim, also attempted to break away but were threatened by Abu Jahl to stay.[9] Many of the Qurayshi nobles, includingAbu Jahl,al-Walid ibn 'Utbah, 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah, andUmayyah ibn Khalaf, joined the Meccan army. Their reasons varied: some were out to protect their financial interests in the caravan; others wanted to avenge Ibn al-Hadrami, a guard killed in one of the caravan ambushes atNakhlah; finally, a few must have wanted to take part in what was expected to be an easy victory against the Muslims.[17] Amr ibn Hishām is described as shaming Umayyah ibn Khalaf into joining the expedition.[18]
Muhammad held acouncil of war to review the situation and decide on a plan-of-action. According to some Muslim scholars, the following verses ofAl Anfal,Q8:5-6, were revealed in lieu of some Muslims fearing the encounter.Abu Bakr was the first to speak at the meeting and he reassured Muhammad.[9] 'Umar was next. Then,al-Miqdad ibn 'Amr got up and said:[9][19]
"OMessenger of Allah! Proceed where Allah directs you to, for we are with you. We will not say as theChildren of Israel said toMusa: "Go you and your Lord and fight and we will stay here;" rather we shall say: "Go you and your Lord and fight and we will fight along with you." By Allah! If you were to take us to Birk al-Ghimad, we will still fight resolutely with you against its defenders until you gained it."[9][19]
Muhammad then praised him and supplicated for him, but the three who had spoken were of theMuhajirun, who only constituted around one-third of the Muslim men inMedina. Muhammad wanted the opinion of theAnsar, who were not committed to fighting beyond their territories in thePledges of 'Aqabah. Muhammad then indirectly asked the Ansar to speak, whichSa'd ibn Mu'adh understood and asked for permission to speak. Muhammad immediately gave him permission to speak and Sa'd said:[9]
"OProphet of Allah! We believe in you and we bear witness to what you have brought is the Truth. We give you our firm pledge of obedience and sacrifice. We will obey you most willingly in whatever you command us, and by Allah, Who has sent you with the Truth, if you were to ask us to throw ourselves into the sea, we will do that most readily and not a man of us will stay behind. We do not deny the idea of encounter with the enemy. We are experienced in war and we are trustworthy in control. We hope that Allah will show you through our hands those deeds of bravery which will please your eyes. Kindly lead us to the battlefield in the Name of Allah."[9]
Muhammad, impressed with his loyalty and spirit of sacrifice, ordered the march towards Badr to continue.[9]
Muslim plan of action
By Sunday, 11 March (15 Ramadan), both armies were about a day's march from Badr. Muhammad and Abu Bakr had conducted a scouting operation and managed to locate the camp of the Quraish. They came across an old bedouin nearby from whom they managed to find out the exact strength of their army and their location. In the evening, Muhammad dispatched 'Ali, az-Zubayr andSa'd ibn Abi Waqqas to scout for the Makkans. They captured two Meccan water-bearers at the wells of Badr. Expecting them to say they were with the caravan, the Muslims were horrified to hear them say they were with the main Quraishi army.[20] Unsatisfied with their answer, while Muhammad was praying, some of the Muslims beat the two boys into lying and Muhammad strictly condemned this action later. Muhammad then extracted the details of the Makkans from the boys. The next day Muhammad ordered a march to Badr and arrived before the Meccans.[9]
When the Muslim army arrived from the east, Muhammad initially chose to encamp at the first well he encountered. al-Hubab ibn al-Mundhir, however, asked him if this choice was from divine instruction or Muhammad's own opinion. When Muhammad responded in the latter, Hubab suggested that the Muslims occupy the well closest to the Quraishi army, and block off or destroy the other ones. Muhammad accepted this decision and the plan was carried out at midnight.[9] Muhammad had also given strict orders to not begin an attack without his sole permission.[9]
Muhammad spent the whole night of 12 March (16 Ramadan) praying near a tree. The Muslim army enjoyed a refreshing night of sleep, again believed by Muslims, to be a blessing from Allah.[9]
Meccan plan of action
While little is known about the progress of the Quraishi army from the time it left Mecca until its arrival just outside Badr, several things are worth noting: although many Arab armies brought their women and children along on campaigns both to motivate and care for the men, the Meccan army did not. The Quraish apparently made little or no effort to contact the many allies they had scattered throughout theHejaz.[21] Both facts suggest the Quraish lacked the time to prepare for a proper campaign in their haste to protect the caravan. Besides, it is believed they expected an easy victory.
Since Muhammad's army had either destroyed or taken all the wells in the city, a few Makkans approached the well controlled by Muslims to draw out water. All were shot exceptHakim ibn Hizam, who later acceptedIslam. At midnight on 13 March (17 Ramadan), the Quraish broke camp and marched into the valley of Badr.'Umayr ibn Wahb al-Jumahi made a survey of the Muslim position and reported 300 men keen on fighting to the last man.[9][22][23] After another scouting mission, he reported that neither were the Muslims going to be reinforced, nor were they planning any ambushes.[9][22] This further demoralized the Quraish, as Arab battles were traditionally low-casualty affairs, and set off another round of bickering among the Quraishi leadership. However, according to Arab traditions Amr ibn Hishām quashed the remaining dissent by appealing to the Quraishis' sense of honor and demanding that they fulfill their blood vengeance.[24]
Duels
The battle began with al-Aswad bin 'Abdul-Asad al-Makhzumi, one of the men from Abu Jahl's clan, theBanu Makhzum, swearing that he would drink from the well of the Muslims or otherwise destroy it or die for it. In response to his cries,Hamza ibn 'Abdul-Muttalib, one of Muhammad's uncles, came out and they began fighting in a duel. Hamza struck al-Aswad's leg before dealing him another blow that killed him. Seeing this, three men protected by armor and shields,Utbah ibn Rabi'ah, alongside his brother,Shaybah ibn Rabi'ah and son, al-Walid ibn 'Utbah, emerged from the Makkan ranks. Three of the MadaniAnsar emerged from the Muslim ranks, only to be shouted back by the Meccans, who were nervous about starting any unnecessary feuds and only wanted to fight the Muhajirun, keeping the dispute within the tribe. So Hamza approached and called onUbaydah ibn al-Harith and'Ali ibn Abu Talib to join him. The first two duels between 'Ali and al-Walid and Hamza and Shaybah were quick with both managing to kill their opponents swiftly. After the fight between Ali and Walid, Hamza looked at 'Ubaydah to find him seriously wounded. He then fell upon and killed Shaybah. Ali and Hamza then carried Ubaydah back into the Muslim lines. He died later due to a disease.[25][26][27][9] A shower of arrows from both sides followed these duels and this was followed by several other duels, most of which were won by the Muslims.[9] The Makkans now took the offensive and charged upon the Muslim lines.[9]
Makkan charge and Muslim counter-attack
As the Makkans charged upon the Muslims, Muhammad kept asking Allah, stretching his hands toward theQibla:
"O Allah! Should this group (of Muslims) be defeated today, You will no longer be worshipped."
Muhammad kept reciting his prayer until his cloak fell off his shoulders, at which point Abu Bakr picked it up and put it back on his shoulders and said:
"O Prophet of Allah, you have cried out enough to your Lord. He will surely fulfil what He has promised you."
Muhammad gave the order to carry out a counterattack against the enemy now, throwing a handful of pebbles at the Makkans in what was probably a traditional Arabian gesture while yelling "Defaced be those faces!"[28][29] or "Confusion seize their faces."[9] The Muslim army yelled in reply,"Yā manṣūr amit!" meaning "O thou whom God hath made victorious, slay!" and rushed the Qurayshi lines. The Makkans, understrength and unenthusiastic about fighting, promptly broke and ran. Muslims attribute their fear of fighting and fleeing from the battlefield to divine intervention, with the Qur'an stating in Chapter 8, verse 12, that Allah inspired angels to strengthen those who have believed, and cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved. The battle itself only lasted a few hours and was over by early afternoon.[28] The Qur'an describes the force of the Muslim attack in many verses, which refer to thousands of angels descending from Heaven at Badr to terrify the Quraish.[29][30] It also describes howIblis, the Leader of theJinn, mentioned to have taken the form ofSuraqa ibn Malik, fled the battlefield upon seeing the angels.[9] Muslim sources take this account literally, and there are severalahadith where Muhammad discusses the AngelJibreel and the role he played in the battle.[9]
The death of Abu Jahl, and the casting of the Meccan dead into dry wells
Aftermath
Imprisonment of captives and their ransom
Three days after the battle,[9]Muhammad leftBadr forMedina. As far as the treatment of prisoners was concerned,Abu Bakr was of the opinion that they should be ransomed, since they were all of their own kin. 'Umar argued against this, saying that there is no notion of blood relationships as far as Islam is concerned, and that all the prisoners should be executed, and that everyone should execute him who is closest to him by blood. 'Ali should kill his brother'Aqeel ibn Abu Talib,Hamza ibn 'Abdul-Muttalib should behead his brother 'Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, and that he himself would kill someone close to him. Muhammad accepted Abu Bakr's suggestion to ransom the captives.[31][32] Some 70 prisoners were taken captive and are noted to have been treated humanely, including a number of Quraysh leaders.[33][34] Most of the prisoners were released upon payment of ransom and those who were literate were released on the condition that they teach ten persons how to read and write and this teaching was to count as their ransom.[35][36]
In pursuance of Mahomet's commands, the citizens of Medîna, and such of the Refugees as possessed houses, received the prisoners, and treated them with much consideration. "Blessings be on the men of Medina!" said one of these prisoners in later days; "they made us ride, while they themselves walked: they gave us wheaten bread to eat when there was little of it, contenting themselves with dates. It is not surprising that when, some time afterwards, their friends came to ransom them, several of the prisoners who had been thus received declared themselves adherents of Islam...Their 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"[34]
Despite scholars estimating Meccan casualties at around 70, only the names of the more prominent ones are known. However, the names of the 14 Muslims who were killed during the course of the war or later (due to injuries sustained during the war) are all known.
The Battle of Badr was extremely influential in the rise of two men who determined the course of Arabian history in the next century. The first wasMuhammad, who was transformed overnight from a Meccan outcast into the leader of a new community andcity-state atMedina. Marshall Hodgson adds that Badr forced the other Arabs to "regard the Muslims as challengers and potential inheritors to the prestige and the political role of the [Quraish]." Shortly thereafter he expelled theBanu Qaynuqa, one of the Jewish tribes in Medina for assaulting a Muslim woman which led to their expulsion for breaking the peace treaty. The tribe is also known for having threatened Muhammad's political position. At the same time'Abd Allah ibn Ubayy, Muhammad's chief opponent in Medina, found his own position seriously weakened. He was only able to mount limited challenges to Muhammad.[40]
The other major beneficiary of the Battle of Badr wasAbu Sufyan ibn Harb, safely away from the battle leading the caravan. The death ofAmr ibn Hisham, as well as many other Quraishi nobles,[41] gave Abu Sufyan the opportunity, almost by default, to become chief of theQuraish. As a result, when Muhammadmarched into Mecca six years later, it was Abu Sufyan who helped negotiate its peaceful surrender. Abu Sufyan subsequently became a high-ranking official in the Muslim Empire, and his sonMu'awiya later went on to found theUmayyad Caliphate.
Hamza had performed especially well during the battle of Badr, killing one of the leaders and a number of high-ranking officials of the Quraysh. In retaliation, the Quraysh put a bounty on his head.An assassin killed him atbattle of Uhud and the Quraysh followed by publicly mutilating Hamza.[42]
In later days, the battle of Badr became so significant thatIbn Ishaq included a complete name-by-name roster of the Muslim army in his biography of Muhammad. In many hadiths, veterans who fought at Badr are identified as such as a formality, and they may have even received a stipend in later years.[43] The death of the last of the Badr veterans occurred during theFirst Fitna.[44]
Legacy
Indeed, there was a sign for you in the two armies that met in battle—one fighting for the cause of Allah and the other in denial. The believers saw their enemy twice their number. But Allah supports with His victory whoever He wills. Surely in this is a lesson for people of insight. […] Indeed, Allah made you victorious at Badr when you were vastly outnumbered. So be mindful of Allah, perhaps you will be grateful.
In theQuran, the battle is referred to asYawm al-Furqan (Arabic:يَوْمُ الْفُرْقَانْ,lit. 'The Day of the Criterion';Arabic pronunciation:[jawm'ulfur'qaːn]). The story of the Battle of Badr has been passed down in Islamic history throughout the centuries, before being combined in the multiplebiographies of Muhammad that exist today. It is mentioned in the Quran, and all knowledge of the battle comes from traditional Islamic accounts, recorded and compiled sometime after the battle. There is little evidence beside these and there are no written descriptions of the battle prior to the 9th century, and as such, the historicity and authenticity of the battle are debated by contemporary historians.[47]
"Badr" has become popular among Muslim armies and paramilitary organizations. "Operation Badr" was used to describeEgypt's offensive in the 1973Yom Kippur War as well asPakistan's actions in the 1999Kargil War.Iranian offensive operations against Iraq in the late 1980s were also named after Badr.[48] During the2011 Libyan civil war, the rebel leadership stated that they selected the date of the assault on Tripoli to be the 20th of Ramadan, marking the anniversary of the Battle of Badr.[49]
^W. Montgomery Watt (1956),Muhammad at Medina Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. 12. Watt notes that the date for the battle is also recorded as the 19th or the 21st of Ramadan (15 or 17 March 624).
^William Montgomery Watt (1956).Muhammad at Medina. Clarendon Press. p. 17.The people of Medina were much readier to join Muhammad's expeditions...The friendly tribes between Medina and the sea were presumably more ready to help Muhammad openly...Pagan nomads in the neighbourhood of Medina were much readier to profess Islam.
^John Esposito,Islam, Expanded edition, Oxford University Press, p.4-5
^Quran:Al-i-Imran3:123–125(Yusuf Ali). "Allah had helped you at Badr, when ye were a contemptible little force; then fear Allah; thus May ye show your gratitude. Remember thou saidst to the Faithful: "Is it not enough for you that Allah should help you with three thousand angels (Specially) sent down? "Yea, – if ye remain firm, and act aright, even if the enemy should rush here on you in hot haste, your Lord would help you with five thousand angels Making a terrific onslaught."
^"Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 52, Number 252". Archived fromthe original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved20 September 2015.Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah: When it was the day (of the battle) of Badr, prisoners of war were brought including Al-Abbas who was undressed. The Prophet looked for a shirt for him. It was found that the shirt of 'Abdullah bin Ubai would do, so the Prophet let him wear it. That was the reason why the Prophet took off and gave his own shirt to 'Abdullah. (The narrator adds, "He had done the Prophet some favor for which the Prophet liked to reward him.")
^abMuir, William (1861).The Life of Mahomet (Volume 3 ed.). London: Smith, Elder and Co. p. 122. Retrieved26 February 2015.
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