Remembering
The Battle
of
Badr
The
Turning Point In
Islamic
History!
Truth
and Righteousness
always
prevail, with
Allah's
help and mercy.
(M.
Javed Naseem)
“And
let not those who disbelieve think
they
will escape. Indeed, they
will not
cause
failure (to
Allah).”
(al-Quran
8:59)
The
biggest lesson we learn from the Battle of Badr – the war between
Good and Bad – is that the Truth and its followers, the true
believers of God – the just and the righteous – always prevail.
The true believers of God have Faith and Trust in God that gives them
tremendous confidence and strength that can shatter the mountains.
The
Battle of Badr has been referred to in the Holy Quran and Allah
called it a “Day of Furqaan”. The Arabic word ‘furqaan’ means
to 'separate' or to 'distinguish'. It was the 17th day of
Ramadan, in the 2nd year of Hijrah (7th of
March, 624 CE) when the Almighty Allah separated/distinguished the
Truth from Falsehood; the Light from Darkness; and the Guidance from
Ignorance! He gave the believers a great victory and vanquished the
hopes and aspirations of the disbelievers who wanted to wipe out
Islam which had started gaining popularity. Muslims were a tiny
minority and were constantly persecuted by the politically powerful
and financially strong Quraish of Makkah.
Reynold
A. Nicholson wrote:
“But
the importance of Mohammed’s success
(in
the battle of Badr) cannot be measured by the
material
damage which he inflicted (upon the pagans of
Mecca).
Considering the momentous issues involved,
we
must allow that Badr, like Marathon, is one of the
greatest
and most memorable battles in all history.”
(From 'A
Literary History of The Arabs', by R.A. Nicholson, 1969).
Badr
was the first major encounter between the newly-born nation of
Muslims and the evil-living unbelievers or pagans (Kaafireen), the
Quraish of Makkah. This was the one historic event that changed the
course of history of not only the Arabia but of the entire universe.
 |
| (The ‘Martyrs of Badr’ graveyard in the town of Badr, Saudi Arabia) |
At
the dawn of Islam in Makkah, Muslims were killed, injured, tortured,
robbed and persecuted. Eventually, they were expelled while some fled
their homes and took refuge somewhere else. It is happening again
today in every place where Islam has its foothold. Muslims are being
persecuted, even massacred, their homes and homelands being destroyed
and the survivors driven out as refugees.
The
history of mankind tells us that it is the oppressed that conquer the
oppressors in the end! That’s how Allah balances out the injustice,
persecution, aggression, corruption, oppression and inequality. He
helps the oppressed to break the shackles. The history of David and
Goliath is being repeated – and we know the outcome very well! It’s
a matter of time only. Allah
tells us in the Quran:
“And We wished to be Gracious to those who
were
being oppressed in the land, to make them
leaders
(in Faith) and make them inheritors.”
(al-Quran
28:5)
At
the battle-field of Badr, there were only 313 Muslims who came out to
defend themselves against more than a thousand pagans/unbelievers of
Makkah. The odds were heavily against Muslims as they were also
ill-equipped. Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) invoked Allah for help and
the help did come!
“Remember you implored the assistance
of
your Lord
and
He answered you:
'I
will assist you with a thousand
of
the
angels,
ranks on ranks'."
(al-Quran
8:9)
Like
many other ‘Firsts’ of the history of mankind, Badr also set the
first example of the treatment of prisoners of war. Their lives were
spared; they were treated humanely; they were provided with shelter
and fed properly, even when some Muslims did not have food to eat and
survived on dates and water.
Sir
William Muir, the famous British orientalist, known for his hostility
towards Islam and Muslims, wrote:
“In
pursuance of Mahomet’s commands, the citizens
of
Medina and such of the emigrants who possessed
houses,
received the prisoners and treated them
with
much consideration. ‘Blessings be on the men
of
Medina’, said one of these prisoners in the 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’.”
 |
| (Names of the 14 martyrs of Badr are engraved on this
‘Badr Memorial’ in Saudi Arabia)
|
The
Battle of Badr is a constant reminder to the Muslims that if they
fear Allah, the way Allah should be feared; and if they obey Allah
and His Prophet (s.a.w.), the way they should be obeyed, Allah’s
help is guaranteed!
“And
remember when you were few and
oppressed
in the land, fearing that people
might
abduct you, but He sheltered you,
supported
you with His victory, and
provided
you with good things so that
you
might be grateful.”
(al-Quran
8:26)
“O
Prophet, urge the believers to fight! If there
are
among you twenty [who are] steadfast, they
will
overcome two hundred. And if there are
among
you one hundred [who are] steadfast,
they
will overcome a thousand of those who
have
disbelieved because they are a people
who
do not understand.”
(al-Quran
8:65)
But
this promise is conditional. The verse of the Quran says: “IF there
are twenty STEADFAST”. The emphasis is on 'steadfastness'. That
means that simply claiming to be a Believer or a Muslim is not
enough. You need to show and prove it that you are a steadfast (true,
honest, sincere and consistent) Believer/Muslim.
The
Message:
The
message that Battle of Badr sends to the Muslims of today, is that
You must be somebody living by the Book of Allah – somebody who has
surrendered to the Will of God – a true practicing Muslim, if
you expect help and mercy from Allah!
**************
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