The first battle of Islam is called the Battle of Badr. It took place in the month of Ramadan in 2 AH, with the Holy Prophet (saw) and the Believers on one side and the Pagans of Makkah on the other. On the Muslim side the "army" consisted of 313 ill-equipped, tired and hungry Believers. The accounts mention that there were only 2 horses and 70 camels. As for weaponry, some had swords but no bows and arrows, others had spears but no swords and as for the protective armour, it was almost non-existent. If they came well-equipped with anything then it was the light of imaan. The Mushrikeen of Makkah on the other hand consisted of an army 1000+ strong, armed to the teeth, well fed and well supplied with the necessities of war. They came mounted on 100 horses and large numbers of camels, puffed up with pride and arrogance and confident of their assured victory.
The Battle of Badr was the most decisive battle in the history of Islam. It was the first battle where truth and falsehood met in open combat. All worldly advantages and benefits lay in the camp of the Pagans, and the only true and firm weapon of the Believers was their unwavering belief in ALLAH Ta'ala and His Rasul (saw). To get a flavour of what the atmosphere was like look at the du'a of the Prophet (saw):
Ala
"O Allah! Should this group (of Muslims) be defeated today, You will no longer be worshipped."
The Holy Prophet (saw) made sincere du'a to ALLAH and humbled Himself and wept when supplicating. Seeing this condition of the Prophet, Sayyidina Abu Bakr came and stated:
"O Prophet of Allah! You have cried out enough to your Lord. He will surely fulfill what He has promised you." (Bukhari, Nasaa'i)
And indeed, ALLAH Ta'ala fulfilled His Promise and assisted the Believers at Badr and gave them victory over falsehood. Infact the response of Rahmaan Ta'ala to the du'a of His Beloved (saw) was swift and immediate.
"(Remember) when you sought help of your Lord and He answered you saying, 'I will help you with a thousand Angels each behind the other in succession." (Suratul Anfaal)
SubhanALLAH!
The importance of the Battle of Badr cannot be overstated. It was a key point in the history of Islam and a sign of things to come. ALLAH Ta'ala preserved the honour, life and wealth of the Believers and humiliated the enemies of truth. The participants of Badr on the pagan side were shamed in the eyes of all with many of their top leadership lying dead on the field of battle. Conversely, amongst the galaxy of Sahaabah - the ones considered most virtuous were the participants of Badr and it is said, that amongst the angels too, the ones considered most virtuous are those who descended in assistance at Badr.
Those 313 are the best from amongst us and the most beloved.
The Battle of Badr - 313 Ala
0 comments:
Post a Comment