The Battle Of Badr

The most famous and significant raid for Muhammad’s prophetic mission which took place in the month of Ramadan in the second year of the hijra (c 624 AD) when he planned to attack and plunder a rich caravan of the Quraysh, returning from Syria under the care of Abu Sufyan, the leader of Mecca.

After having fled with his followers from Mecca to Medina in the hijra Muhammad had continued his preaching, growing his ranks amongst the locals of Medina.

Once Muhammad had felt his position strong enough, he had embarked upon raids against the caravans of the Meccans.

One day two followers of Muhammad, who were in Badr (A place near Medina), heard two girls from the village discussing a deht, and one said to the other, 'The Caravan will come in 1-2 days  and I will work for them, and then pay you what l owe you'.

After getting this information both Muslims immediately rode off to the Muhammad and told him what they had oyerheard. Great wealth amounting to 50 thousand gold Dinars guarded by 40 men moving relatively close to Madinah

constituted a tempting target for the Muslim military

When Muhammad learned that the biggest caravan (the same Caravan to which Muhammad tried to attack when it was going to Syria but due to miscalculation of timings Muhammad couldn't succeed) of the year was heading back to Mecca from Syria & would pass through Medina, Muhammad summoned the Muslims and said, ‘This is the Quraysh caravan containing their property. Go out to attack it, perhaps God will give it as a prey.’

But there were some Muslims on Muhammad's side who were reluctant to go for a bloody plunder. They said to Muhammad that we should not kill the men with Caravan afterall Allah too hadn't revealed any such verse regarding this. This is inhumane.

Shortly after hearing this Muhammad felt that if others also joins them then his plan to loot such a wealthy Caravan would be spoilt.

But but this problem is nothing for a person who keeps Allah in his pocket.

Soon, Allah revealed a whole Surah (Chapter) ordering Muslims for 'Qital'

{ The word "Qital" will surely be new for all of you. The word "Qital" originates from "Qatl" कत्ल or Murder. In entire Quran the word "Qital" is used 123 times while the "Jehad" word is used (in original Quran) 35 times. But to hide the intensity of the word "Qital" and to keep non-Muslims in delusion, modern day translators have changed the word "Qital" by "Jehad: in defensive sense".}

In Verse 47:20 Allah says, "these are those Muslims who used to say there is no Surah in Quran about Killing, but now when Allah sent it down then they are shocked."

(Note: how beautifully they have changed the word "Qital" by "Jehad")

But some Muslims were still hesitating, so Allah in Verse 47:25 says that, "when the order of Killing is clearly given but they are still not following—Satan has filled them with false hopes."

Verse 47:26, "These Muslims are Munafiq (Hypocrite) because they follow what they like but when the verses of "Qital" has been reversed they aren't following it."

In Verse 47:27 Allah further threatens those who are not willing to go for Murder "When Angels will take out their souls at death, they will be beaten at their faces and backs"

"That is because they followed that which angered Allah, and hated that which pleased Him (i.e., Plunder, killing non-Muslims etc). So He made their deeds fruitless."

Verse 47:28

In Verse 2:216 Allah says '"Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not."

Note: Translator had used the word "Jehad" while in the original Arabic text it is "Qital"

Now after this all Muslims agreed to go with Muhammad.

This time Muhammad himself took the charge & started planning the raid. In the beginning of January Muhammad despatched two scouts to Al-Haura, a caravan station on the seashore west of Medina, for early intelligence of the approach of Abu Sufyan.

Sadly the poor Muhammad didn't know how to mask his movements. His intention of attacking the caravan was noised abroad.

The rumour reached Abu Sufyan while he was on the confines of Syria. 

Abu Sufyan, on the other hand, was on the utmost alert. He had already been aware

that the route he was following was attended with dangers. He was also anxious to know about the movements of Muhammad. 

His scouting men submitted to him reports to the effect that the Muslims were lying in ambush for his caravan. 

As the intelligence of Muhammad’s intended attack reached Abu Sufyan, he sent forth a messenger to Mecca for sending a rescue-force. In the meantime, he took a different route along the Red Sea Coast evading

Muhammad’s army and hastened the caravan to reach Mecca safely.

As the Meccans received the message that Muhammad is planning to ambush the Carsvan

They prepared quickly, saying, "Do Muhammad and his companions think this is going to be like the caravan of Ibn Hadrami? By God, they

will soon know that it is not so"

They therefore swiftly mustered almost all of their forces.They also mobilized some Arab tribes to contribute to the war against Muhammad. They then despatched a messenger to apprise Abu Sufyan of their

approach, but he missed the caravan, which (as we have seen) had left the ordinary route.

At Al-Johfa On the way they received another message from Abu Sufyan asking them to go back home because the caravan had escaped the Muslims & safely reached Mecca.

On receiving this welcome intimation, the question of going forward or of turning back was warmly debated by the leading chiefs. 

On the one hand, it was argued that, their object being now secured as the Caravan had successfully reached Mecca so they might at once retrace their steps ; and further, that, being all so closely related to the army of Mohammad, they should abstain from fatal extremities. 

Others demanded that the army should advance. 'If we turn back,' they said, it will surely be imputed to our cowardice. Let us go forward to Bedr ; and there, by the fountain, spend three days eating and making merry.'

Muhammad did not learn of these reinforcements until he arrived at Badr, on the route the caravan had been heading. 

At Badr a slave boy who had come to draw water for the Quraysh was captured by Muhammad's companions, on repeatedly beaten and interrogated he told that, "Being a slave he didn't know much about the Caravan but they used to cut 9-10 camels on daily basis for food" 

Since one camel is enough to feed 90-100 people so Muhammad guessed there there might be around 900-1000 men in Meccan's army.

 Muhammad further asked how many nobles of Quraysh were among them?

He answered, " said Utba, Shayba,Bakhtari, Hakim, etc." 

On hearing this Muhammad said to Muslims that "Mecca has thrown to you the pieces of its liver".

Muhammad had been stalking the caravan for several days when he discovered that the Meccans were coming to intercept them.

He had planned to ambush the Meccans near a water-filled oasis, called Badr., and sent his forces ahead to secure the access to the water. Taking position there, he despoiled the water-wells by filling them with sands keeping only one usable next to his camp for the supply of water to his own army. 

When the Meccan army arrived at Badr on the seventeenth day of Ramadan after days of arduous journey through the hot sandy desert, they were tired and badly thirsty. But all the water-wells had been despoiled by Muhammad, preventing them from quenching their thirst.

Finally the time for action had arrived. Mohammad again came forth. On the Meccan side, there were about 700-1000 fighters, while Muhammad had only about 305-317 raiders.

Seeing such a large army (almost triple in numbers) in front of them, Muhammad's companions became disheartened.

Muhammad tried to motivate them but failed, then as usual he used his trump card "Allah"

Allah immediately reveals a new verse "O prophet urge Muslims to fight. Your 20 men are equal to their 100 & your 100 men can overcome their 1000." [8:65]

After hearing this that now we (100) will fight with 1000 people, Muslims further demotivated.

Muhammad's card didn't work...but when Allah is your puppet, you can correct its mistake anytime.

Immediately Allah further revealed a new verse by correcting its mistake," Allah knows that there is a weakness in your hearts. So now your 100 men can overcome their 200". [8:66]

In the actual battle Muhammad himself didn't participate. He was motivating his men. 

He picked few gravels and threw towards Meccans and said to Muslims that these gravels will confuse Meccans. 

Suddenly a wind storm arrived so Muhammad said that this is Gabriel, sent by Allah to help Muslims.

In the bloody confrontation that ensued soon, the thirsty Meccan army quickly succumbed and retreated despite their numerical advantage.

Forty-nine Meccans were killed and a like number taken prisoners. Mohammad lost only

fourteen, of whom eight were Citizens and six were Muhazirs.

Some of the captives were cruelly slaughtered at the battlefield by Muhammad’s order.

Many of the principal men of Mecca, and some of Mohammad's bitterest opponents, were amongst the slain. Chief of these was Abu Jahl who was still breathing.

Suddenly one Muslim ran up, and, cutting off his head, brought it to his master. ' The head of your enemy and then he put the head of Abu Jahl at the Muhammad's feet. ' It is more acceptable to me,' cried Mohammad, ' than the choicest camel in all Arabia.'

When the battle was over, Muhammad ordered that the dead should be thrown into a pit.

The Muslims who participated in the

Battle of Badr had collected a lot of plunder, particularly from the bodies of the enemies killed. They deposited every bit of it with the Prophet but kept on demanding that it should be distributed among them without delay. Their mouths were watering in expectation of a rich share. 

Muhammad was keen to keep a part of the plunder for himself but could not make up

his mind about how to say it.

 Allah took him out of the tight corner by two appropriate “revelations” (8:1,41) which established the Islamic institution of khams, “the sacred one-fifth”.

The Muslim army had captured a number of Pagans from Mecca in the Battle of Badr.

The Prophet got two of them killed because they had mocked or otherwise insulted him after he proclaimed his prophethood in

Mecca. 

About the rest of the prisoners, he faced a controversy as to whether they should be killed or released after exacting ransom from the Quraish. Abu Bakr (father of Ayesha) was in favour of ransom, while Umar wanted them to be slaughtered. 

Muhammad decided to ransom them out but wanted to pacify Umar at the same time. 

Allah was quick to come to the rescue of his prophet. In a sudden “revelation” he reprimanded the Prophet for “not committing slaughter in the land” but pardoned him for accepting ransom (8.67-70) because he was in need of it.

These repeated coincidence between the Muhammad's convenience on the one hand and Allah’s commands on the other, makes it more than obvious that Allah of the Quran is no other than the Prophet himself.

We find far more clinching evidence to the same effect in biographies of Muhammad and Hadis collections. According to Ibn Ishaq, Muslims had constructed a hut for him to retire into at night on the eve of the Battle of Badr. Next morning, after he had “straightened the ranks”, he returned to the hut and prayed, 

“O Allah! if this band [i.e. the Muslim army] perishes today, Thou will be worshipped no more.”

The Urdu translation reads “Khudawand, agar yeh meri jamat halak ho gayi to duniya mein phir tera koi parastar na rahega (O Allah! If this band of  mine perishes, then there will remain no worshipper of yours in the world).”

Muhammad Iqbal, ideological father of #Pakistan goes still further. In his famous poem, Shikwah (Grievance), he sings:

“Tujhko malum hai leta tha kui nam tira,

Quwwat-i-bazu-i-Muslim ne kiya kam tira”

(Did anyone mention your name before we [appeared on the scene]? It was the might of the Muslim muscle which made you click.)

We are thus led to the following

conclusions:

📍No one in the whole world bothered about Allah before Islam appeared on the scene.

📍 If the Muslim swordsmen who fought at Badr had been killed, Allah would have been worshipped no more anywhere in the world.

📍 It was the might of the Muslim mailed fist which first established and later on maintained Allah’s position.

If Allah stands for God or some other name of the Divine, he was certainly known and worshipped by many people in all parts of the world since time immemorial.

By:  𝕏 @FraudsOfIslam