The Battle of Badr, a turning point
The emigration of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) to Madina had turned the enemies from Makkah more hostile and they constantly kept on thinking how they could overthrow him, and put an end to Islam.
The Makkans and their allies started to bring their raids to the very outskirts of Madina, destroying the fruit trees of the Muslims and carrying away their flocks.
Hence, the Battle of Badr is one of the greatest and most famous battles of Islam. For the first time, the followers of the new faith were put into a serious test. This was a key battle in the early days of Islam and proved to be a turning point in Islam’s struggle with its oppressive opponents, amongst them the Quraish in Makkah.
Those who participated in it enjoyed a special distinction amongst the Muslims. The word ‘Badri’ is used in the biographies of the companions of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) for those persons who participated in the Battle of Badr. The Battle of Badr was fought on 17 March 624/ 17 Ramadan 2AH at the Wells of Badr (130km south-west of Madina). No one was aware of the importance of the outcome of the battle as the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself.
At this battle in which the pagan army consisted of 950 fighters and the Muslim army consisted of 314 (including the Messenger), the Islamic defence was a combination of three defensive lines:
1. The personality of the Messenger, his leadership and his unequalled firmness. He (Peace be upon him) was to the Muslims the final refuge at Badr.
2. The Hashimites (the clan of the Prophet) were led by Ali Ibn Abu Talib who entered this battle relatively obscure and came out with unequalled military fame. His military performances became the most popular subject of the Arab caravans’ conversations throughout the Arabian Peninsula. 3. The hundreds of companions of the Messenger were filled with the faith and readiness for sacrifice. Many of them viewed matyrdom to be a gain, equal to life and victory. These companions were the army of Islam, its first line of defense and a thick wall behind which the Messenger (Peace be upon him) used to stand. With the help of Allah, Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) and his companions fought bravery until the Quraysh suffered great loss and fled the battlefield. They lost 70 of their best men. Only 14 Muslims were martyred in this battle.
After the battle, the Muslims emerged as one powerful nation. The Battle of Badr is a great example from our history that teaches: ‘Victory does not depend on numbers or collecting weapons and shields — Victory is from Allah.’