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 Evil – 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 of lies and evil.
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’.”
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(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)
It's your Iman (Faith in Allah) that gives you immense strength. With it, you can overcome any adversary, no matter how big, how strong or how well-equipped! Here's the promise of Allah:
“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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