Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah I bear witness that Muhammad (sa) is the Messenger of Allah
I bear witness that Muhammad (sa) is the Messenger of Allah Come to Prayer Come to Prayer Come to success Come to success Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest There is none worthy of worship except Allah Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you.
I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. He is One and has no partner. and I bear witness that Muhammad (sa) is His Servant and Messenger. After this I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the accursed. In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds. The Gracious, The Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgment. Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help. Guide us in the right path – The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings,
Those who have not incurred displeasure, and those who have not gone astray. The initial events that took place following the migration, the factors which lead to the Battle of Badr and the actions taken by the Holy Prophet (sa)
In order to counter the schemes and ploys of the disbelievers of Makkah had briefly been mentioned. There were some expeditions and battles that took place prior to the Battle of Badr as well. I will mention these briefly and then also mention some details in regards
To the preparations made by the disbelievers of Makkah for battle, InshAllah (God willing). The expedition of Hazrat Hamza (ra) was the first expedition, which took place during Ramadhan in the first year after the migration to Madinah. This expedition was sent by the Holy Prophet (sa)
And it is also known as the expedition of Saif-ul-Bahr. The flag (for this expedition) was white and it was carried by Abu Marsad Ghanwi (ra). The Holy Prophet (sa) sent this expedition during Ramadhan in the first year after Hijra and he appointed his paternal uncle, Hazrat Hamza bin Abd-il-Muttalib (ra), as its leader.
30 Muhajireen accompanied them. These individuals reached the coast of the Red Sea by passing through Ais and encountered a caravan led by Abu Jahl that was returning from Syria. Ais is the name of a place, located approximately 30 kilometres to the north of Rabigh, which is in the surroundings of Thaniyyat-ul-Murrah
And at a distance of approximately 240 kilometres from Madinah. There was a well by the name Zanabat-ul-Ais, which was densely surrounded by acacias trees, etc. For this reason, the area was called Ais. This was home to Banu Sulaym. The trading caravans of the Quraish en route to Syria passed through this area.
In any case, both parties formed their rows for battle and faced each other. It was very possible that a battle would break out, but a chief of their tribe settled the matter and both parties returned. Then, there is the Expedition of ‘Ubaidah bin Harith (ra). During Shawal in the first year after Hijra,
The Holy Prophet (sa) sent Hazrat ‘Ubaidah bin Harith (ra) towards Thaniyyat-ul-Murrah, near Rabigh, along with 60 Muhajireen. There, they encountered Abu Sufyan and his cavalry of 200 men. Both parties fired some arrows, but a formal battle did not ensue.
Hazrat Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (ra) was the first individual to fire an arrow that day. A battle by way of shooting arrows between the Muslims and disbelievers had never occurred prior to this. As such, this was the first arrow to be shot (by the Muslims) in the Islamic history,
Which Hazrat Sa’d (ra) was rightfully proud of. Following this, both parties returned to their dwellings. Thaniyyat-ul-Murrah is located to the north-east of the city of Rabigh, at a distance of approximately 55 kilometres and at a distance of 200 kilometres from Madinah. Following this is the Expedition of Hazrat Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (ra).
This occurred in the first year after Hijra and according to some opinions, it took place in the second year after Hijra. The Holy Prophet (sa) appointed Hazrat Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (ra) as the leader of 20 individuals and sent them with the instruction to not to cross the valley of Kharrar.
They set off on foot. They remained hidden during the day and travelled at night until they reached Kharrar. Their objective was to stop the trade caravan of the Quraish. However, when this group reached Kharrar, they came to know that the caravan had already passed through the previous day.
As such, they returned without any confrontation. In relation to Kharrar, it is written that it means water that flows whilst producing a loud sound. Kharrar is the name of a place near Juhfa, in the region of the Hijaz.
Then there is the Ghazwah Waddan, or Ghazwa Abwa which took place in Safar 2 AH. In Safar 2 AH, the Holy Prophet (sa) set out towards Abwa, or Waddan with 60 to 70 Muhajireen. According to the historian Ibn Sa’d, this is the first expedition in which the Holy Prophet (sa) took part himself.
The Holy Prophet (sa) appointed Hazrat Sa’d bin Ubadah (ra) as the leader of Madinah in his absence. The Holy Prophet (sa) reached Abwa with the intention of stopping a trade caravan of the Quraish, however it had already left by the time he got there.
Whilst there, the Holy Prophet (sa) established a peace treaty with Makhshi bin Amr Zamri, chief of the Banu Zamrah. The treaty set out that the Holy Prophet (sa) would not attack the Banu Zamrah, nor would the Banu Zamrah take any action in opposition to him or join in any opposition to him.
Furthermore, they would not assist any enemy against him. During this journey, the Holy Prophet (sa) remained outside of Madinah for 15 days. Regarding Waddan, it is recorded that this is a place between Makkah and Madinah and is at a distance of 13 kilometres from Abwa,
Where the blessed mother of the Holy Prophet (sa) is buried. It is also at a distance of about 100 kilometres from Juhfa. I mention the names of these places along with some details because some Ahmadis who travel to that region for Umrah wish to visit these places upon learning of their history.
In this way, they become acquainted with these areas. Ghazwah Buwat took place in Rabi’ al-Awwal 2 AH and the Holy Prophet (sa) appointed Hazrat Sa’d bin Mu’az (ra) as the Amir of Madinah and along with two companions, set out to stop a caravan belonging to the Quraish.
This caravan consisted of Umayyah bin Khalf along with a hundred other people from the Quraish and 2,500 camels. The Holy Prophet (sa) reached Buwat, near Razwa; however, they did not come face to face with anyone there and following this the Holy Prophet (sa) returned to Madinah.
The colour of the flag for this expedition was white and the flag bearer was Hazrat Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (ra). Regarding Buwat, it is recorded that it comprised two mountains belonging to the Jahinah tribe located along the route between Makkah and Syria and beside them is the famous mountain Razwa.
Buwat is located about 100 kilometres from Madinah. Ghazwah Ushairah: The Holy Prophet (sa) received intelligence that a trade caravan belonging to the Quraish had departed from Makkah and the Makkans had invested all of their wealth into this caravan. They intended to use the profits in order to battle against the Muslims.
Hence, in Jamadi al-Ula, or according to another narration in Jamadi al-Thani, 2 AH, the Holy Prophet (sa) departed Madinah with 150 to 200 people. When the Holy Prophet (sa) reached Ushairah, he learned that the trading caravan had already departed from there a few days before.
Ushairah was the name of an area between Makkah and Madinah near the area of Yanbu which belonged to the Banu Mudlij. The Holy Prophet (sa) remained there for a few days and formed peace treaties with the allies of Banu Mudlij and Banu Zamrah and then returned to Madinah.
This caravan belonging to the Quriash was the same one which, upon its return from Syria, the Holy Prophet (sa) set out after it again which then ultimately resulted in the Battle of Badr. Ghazwah Badr al-Ula: Within ten days of the Holy Prophet (sa) returning to Madinah after the Ghazwah Ushairah,
Kurz bin Jabir attacked a grazing ground in Madinah. The Holy Prophet (sa) set out after him. The Holy Prophet (sa) appointed Hazrat Zaid bin Harithah (ra) (as the amir of Madinah). The Holy Prophet (sa) reached a valley near Badr called Safwan. Safwan is a valley near Badr.
However, Kurz bin Jabir was quick to get ahead and the Holy Prophet (sa) could not reach him. This expedition is also called Badr al-Ula. The Holy Prophet (sa) then returned to Madinah. This is called Badr al-Ula because the Muslim army reached Safwan which is near Badr.
This is what has been stated in Seerat al-Halabiyyah. Regarding Kurz bin Jabir, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) has written the following details: “This raid of Kurz bin Jabir was not a minor Beduin act of plunder, “rather, it is definite that he had set out against the Muslims on behalf of the Quraish,
“with a particular motive. “As a matter of fact, it is very likely that he had specifically come “with the intention of inflicting injury upon the very person of the Holy Prophet (sa), “but upon finding the Muslims vigilant, he settled upon the robbery of their camels and ran off.
“This also demonstrates that the Quraish of Makkah had planned to raid Madinah “so as to utterly destroy the Muslims. “It should also be remembered that “the Muslims had already been given permission for Jihad by the sword prior to this, “and in a sense of self-defence
“they had begun to employ an initial plan of action in this regard as well. “However, until now, they had not practically suffered any loss in terms of wealth or lives. “However, the raid of Kurz bin Jabir was one which practically inflicted harm upon the Muslims.
“In other words, even after the acceptance of the challenge of the Quraish, “it was the disbelievers who practically initiated battle.” Then there was the Expedition of Abdullah bin Jahash (ra). This expedition took place towards a valley near Makkah called Nakhlah. Regarding this expedition it is recorded that in the month of Rajab,
The Holy Prophet (sa) sent Hazrat Abdullah bin Jahash (ra) along with eight Muhajireen; no one from the Ansar was among them. The Holy Prophet (sa) gave them a letter and instructed that it should only be opened after two days of travelling and the instructions within it should be followed,
However no one would be compelled to continue (after reading it). After completing two days of travel, Hazrat Abdullah bin Jahash (ra) opened the letter containing their orders and read it. The letter stated, “When you open and read my letter,
“you should continue your journey and go to Nakhlah which is between Taif and Makkah “and observe the Quraish’s movement and then inform us about them.” When Hazrat Abdullah bin Jahash (ra) read this letter, he said, “I must hear and obey.” Then he told those accompanying him, “The Holy Prophet (sa) has instructed me
“to continue towards Nakhlah and observe the movements of the Quraish “so that I may be able to inform the Holy Prophet (sa) about what they are doing. “He forbade me from compelling any of you to join me. “Those of you who desire martyrdom can accompany me and whoever wishes to return can go.”
However, none of them left and they all set out towards Hijaz. Along the way, Hazrat Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (ra) and Hazrat Utbah bin Ghazwan (ra) lost their camel and both were left behind as they searched for it while Hazrat Abdullah bin Jahsh (ra) and the rest of those accompanying him
Continued until they reached Nakhlah. While there, they happened to pass by a caravan carrying raisins, leather, and other trading merchandise of the Quraish. This caravan also included Amr bin Hazrami. When the Quraish of Makkah saw the Muslims they became fearful. Hazrat Ukashah bin Mihsan (ra), who had a shaven head, came before them.
Upon seeing him, the disbelievers became content, saying there was nothing to fear because these people were simply going for Umrah. Then, the Muslims consulted with one another about the fact that it was the last day of the month of Rajab.
They considered that if they fight and kill them, they would be doing so during a sacred month. Alternatively, if they were to wait, the enemy would enter into the sacred boundary by night and become unreachable. Ultimately, everyone unanimously agreed that the caravan should be attacked.
The details of this incident has already been mentioned before in reference to the companions. Hazrat Waqid bin Abdullah Tamimi (ra) shot an arrow at ‘Amr bin Hazrami which killed him. The Muslims also captured two individuals while a third was successful in escaping.
Thereafter, Hazrat Abdullah bin Jahash (ra) brought the camels and two prisoners to Madinah before the Holy Prophet (sa). When Hazrat Abdullah bin Jahash (ra) entered Madinah, the Holy Prophet (sa) addressed him and said, “I did not command you to take up arms during the sacred month.”
The Holy Prophet (sa) gave the camels and captives a place to stay and refused to accept any spoils. Some claim that the objective of this expedition was to loot and plunder. This was not the objective. If it were so, the Holy Prophet (sa) would commend their actions.
Instead, the Holy Prophet (sa) deemed their actions wrong. On the other hand, the Quraish also raised an uproar that the Muslims violated the sanctity of the sacred month. Furthermore, owing to the fact that the victim, ‘Amr bin Hazrami, was a chieftain and a confederate to ‘Utbah bin Rabi’ah, the chieftain of Makkah,
This incident severely enraged the Quraish, causing them to prepare for an attack on Madinah with even greater passion and zeal than before. Thus, the Battle of Badr resulted mostly from these preparations and sentiments of enmity. This incident raised many matters of discussion, both amongst the Muslims and the disbelievers.
In the end, the following Qur’anic revelation was revealed and acted as consolation for the Muslims. Allah the Almighty states: That is, “They ask thee about fighting in the Sacred Month. “Say, ‘Fighting therein is a great transgression, ‘but to forcefully hinder men from the way of Allah; ‘to reject the Sacred Month and the Sacred Mosque, ‘or in other words, to violate their sanctity;
‘to turn out the people from the Sacred boundary by force; as you have been doing, O polytheists, ‘all such actions are a greater sin than fighting in the Sacred month in the sight of Allah. ‘Surely, to spread chaos in the land during the Sacred Month
‘is worse than killing in order to stop it. ‘O Muslims, the state of the disbelievers is that they have been so blinded by their enmity for you ‘that they will not cease fighting you at any given time or place ‘and will continue to fight you until they turn you away from your faith,
‘if they have the strength to.’” Nevertheless, Allah the Almighty was aware that the disbelievers would continue to try and turn the Muslims away from their faith. For this reason, Allah the Almighty did not express any displeasure at what had ensued. It is proven through history that the chieftains of the Quraish
Would spread their murderous propaganda against Islam just as actively in the Sacred Months. In fact, they would take advantage of the congregations and journeys during the Sacred Months and would become even more active in spreading strife and chaos. Furthermore, with utter shamelessness,
They would change the Sacred Months in order to appease themselves through falsehood, a practice they referred to as ‘Nassi. Thus, such a response would surely bring comfort to the Muslims, but it also caused the Quraish to settle down. They also found out about the divine revelation (concerning the matter).
During this time, two men from the Quraish also arrived in Madinah to redeem their captives. However, because Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (ra) and ‘Utbah (ra) had not yet returned, and the Holy Prophet (sa) was aware of the serious risk of them falling into the hands of the Quraish who would not spare them,
The Holy Prophet (sa) refused to free the captives until they returned. The Holy Prophet (sa) said, “When my men return to Madinah safely, I will free your men.” Thus, upon their return, the Holy Prophet (sa) freed the two prisoners after taking a ransom.
Ghazwah Badr-ul-Kubra – the Holy Qur’an has referred to is as “Yaum al-Furqan”. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra) states that the “Furqan” (distinction) of the Holy Prophet (sa) occurred on the day of Badr, when the staunch and powerful leaders of the enemy perished, and the Muslims attained victory.
At another instance, while defining the word “Furqan”, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra) states, “I have learned from the Qur’an that ‘Furqan’ is the name of such a victory “that results in breaking the spine and strength of the enemy. “This was demonstrated on the occasion of the Battle of Badr.
“This battle is also referred to as “Badr al-Thani, Badr al-Kubra, Badr al-Uzma and Badr al-Qital. “The Holy Prophet (sa) learned that Abu Sufyan was returning from Syria “with the Quraish’s trading caravan, comprising 1,000 camels. “This caravan possessed a large amount of wealth from the Quraish.
“If a person possessed even a small amount of gold, “then they had contributed to funding this caravan. “It is said that a vast amount of riches was invested in it. “This caravan was made up of 30 to 40 men, or according to one narration, 70 men. “This was the same caravan
“that the Holy Prophet (sa) set out in pursuit of and reached ‘Ushairah, “however, the caravan was already on its way to Syria. “For this expedition, the Holy Prophet (sa) set out in Jamadi al-Ula “or Jamadi al-Akhir in 2 Hijri. “Upon learning about this caravan’s return,
“the Holy Prophet (sa) invited the Muslims to go forth with him and said, “This is a trading caravan of the Quraish carrying much of their wealth. “Go forth, for it may be that Allah grants you spoils of war.” “Some people who are accustomed to seeking out opportunities to raise allegations,
“or perhaps those who lack knowledge, “claim that Muslims began to loot and plunder after going to Madinah. “As an example, they cite the incident of the pursuit of this caravan. “Such claims arise from utter ignorance, “lack of knowledge and unfamiliarity to the conditions of war at that time.
“The act of intercepting the Quraish’s trading caravan was not blameworthy at all.” The details of this incident have been mentioned by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad in his book The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets. He writes: “To set out in order to intercept the caravan is not at all objectionable.
“The reason being that firstly, “this particular caravan which the Muslims had set out to pursue was not an ordinary caravan. “Every man and woman from among the Quraish held shares in it. “This demonstrates that with regards to this caravan, “the intention of the chieftains of the Quraish was that
“this profit would be used in order to wage war against the Muslims; “history proves that this very profit was used to prepare for the Battle of Uhud. “As such, the interception of this caravan was a necessary part of the tactics of war.
“Secondly, it was also necessary in general to intercept these caravans of the Quraish “because they were armed and would pass by very close to Madinah. “The Muslims remained in constant danger of them and it was necessary to put an end to this. “Thirdly, wherever these caravans would travel,
“they would heavily incite the tribes of Arabia against the Muslims, “due to which the state of the Muslims was becoming more and more vulnerable; “as such, blocking their passage was a part of their protection and self-defense program. “Fourthly, the Quraish’s livelihood primarily depended on trade,
“and for this reason, the interception of these caravans was an excellent means “by which to bring the Quraish to their senses, stop them from their acts of war, “and to press them towards reconciliation and the establishment of peace.” To prevent such wars, nowadays some nations impose sanctions,
Yet these too are imposed wrongfully and in an unjust manner. As it were, this was an action similar to imposing a sanction. Furthermore, the purpose of halting these caravans was not to loot or plunder them, rather, just as the Holy Qur’an itself clearly states,
The objective of the Muslims in halting the caravans during these specials missions was not out of a desire for their wealth, instead, it was in an attempt to reduce the suffering and toil when confronting them (as opposed to engaging in a battle).
In any case, the Holy Prophet (sa) sent forth two of his companions, Hazrat Talhah bin Ubaidillah (ra) and Hazrat Sa’id bin Zaid (ra) to receive intelligence on this caravan. These two companions departed from Madinah, and after gathering information about the caravan and returning to Madinah,
They came to learn that the Holy Prophet (sa) had already left. Therefore, the two of them set off towards Badr, but they only met the Holy Prophet (sa) en route when he was already returning having participated in the battle of Badr,
And this is why these two companions were unable to take part in the battle of Badr. However, the Holy Prophet (sa) still assigned a portion of the spoils of war to them. On other hand, Abu Sufyan received word from his spies
That the Holy Prophet (sa) had departed with his companions to attack his trade caravans. It is also stated that Abu Sufyan met someone who informed him that the Holy Prophet (sa) wanted to stop this caravan in its tracks from the very beginning,
And that the Holy Prophet (sa) was waiting for the caravan to return. Hearing this news, Abu Sufyan became frightened, and paid a man named Zamzam bin Amr Ghaffari to head towards Makkah, telling him to inform the Makkans that Muhammad (sa) and his companions have set forth to attack one of their caravans.
Hence, Zamzam set off rapidly. When this messenger of Abu Sufyan reached Makkah, as was the Arab custom he began screaming in a very horrified manner, “O people of Makkah! Muhammad (sa) and his companions have set forth to attack your caravan. “Go forth and save it!”
At the same time, Abu Sufyan continued to cleverly obtain information, and continued on his journey whilst avoiding the Muslim army. Upon arriving at the spring of Badr he asked someone if they had seen anyone come here.
He replied that two people came here, sat their camels near a hill and went to get water. Abu Sufyan went to where the camels were. There he found camel droppings. He picked one up, split it and found a datestone. Seeing this he said that this was the food of Yathrib,
And understood that these people from Madinah were close by. Therefore, he swiftly returned to his caravan, and diverting from the regular path, he took them via the shoreline. He thus left Badr from one side and went forth in haste. Regarding this there is an extraordinary dream of Atika bint Abdil Muttalib,
And it proved to be a truthful dream. The dream is as follows: Atika bint Abdil Muttalib, was the paternal aunt of the Holy Prophet (sa) and the mother of Umm al-Muminin, Hazrat Umm Salama (ra); regarding her acceptance of Islam, both narrations are found. According to some she accepted Islam,
However the majority are of the opinion that she did not accept Islam. Nonetheless, three days before Abu Sufyan’s messenger, Zamzam, reached Makkah, she saw a dream which frightened her. She called for her brother, Abbas bin Abdil Muttalib and said:
“My dear brother! By God, last night I saw a dream which has left me petrified. “I fear that a calamity or trial will most certainly befall your people. “Keep what I am about to tell you a secret.” According to one narration Atika said: “Unless you give me solemn promise
“that you will not tell this to anyone, I will not tell you the dream, “because if the Quraish of Makkah find out about this dream, “they will cause us trouble and curse us.” Thus, Hazrat Abbas (ra) promised her and then he asked her what she had seen in the dream.
Atika said, “I saw in a dream that a man came riding on a camel “and stood in the plains of Abtah “(Makkah and Mina were both known as Abtah and it is closer to Mina). “Then, at the top of his voice, he screamed:
‘O People! Go to the place of your slaughter within three days.’” Atika further says: “I then saw that people had gathered around him “and he then entered the mosque, “i.e., the Kabah and people were walking behind him “and I then saw that whilst people were still gathered around him,
“his camel had then taken him onto the roof of the Kabah. “He then screamed again: ‘O People! Go to the place of your slaughter within three days.’ “I then saw that his camel took him to the peak of Mount Abu Qubays.
“(It is written that Mount Abu Qubays was a prominent mountain peak to the east of Makkah) “From there he again bellowed at the top of his voice. “He then took a rock and rolled it down the mountain. “As soon as it reached the bottom the rock broke into smaller fragments.
“And there was not a single house or abode in Makkah where a rock fragment did not fall.” Upon hearing this, Hazrat Abbas (ra) said to Atikah: “By God! This is a very significant dream! Keep this a secret and do not tell a soul.” After this, Hazrat Abbas (ra) left the house of Atika
And along the way he met Walid bin Utbah, who was a friend of Abbas’s. Although he had told his sister, Atika, not to tell anyone, he mentioned the dream to Walid and told him not to tell anyone, however once something is revealed then it cannot be kept hidden.
Walid in turn told his father, Utbah, and like this, the news of the dream spread throughout Makkah. If two people met up they would speak about the dream. Abbas (ra) says: “The next morning, when I went to perform the circuit of the Ka’ba,
“Abu Jahl was sitting with a few people of the Quraish. “Upon seeing me he said: ‘O Abu Fadl! (this was the title of Hazrat Abbas (ra)) ‘After completing your circuit, come to see me.’” Hazrat Abbas (ra) further says: “After finishing my circuits (of the Kaba) I went to see Abu Jahl.
“He said: ‘O Banu Abdil Muttalib! ‘Since when have female prophets started appearing among you?’ “I asked him what he meant. “He replied: ‘Men from among you have claimed prophethood ‘(i.e., referring to the Holy Prophet (sa)). ‘Now your women have also started claiming to be prophets.’ ‘What is this dream which Atika has seen?’
“Hazrat Abbas (ra) asked, ‘What dream?’ “Upon this, Abu Jahl said, ‘She says that she saw someone coming on a camel, ‘who then cried out at the top of his voice and thereafter rolled a rock down from the mountain.’ “He then went on to narrate the entire dream.
“Abu Jahl then said, ‘We shall wait for three days ‘and see whether the events unfold as mentioned in the dream; ‘if it is fulfilled then that is fine, and if this is not the case, ‘then we shall place a written declaration on the Kabah
‘wherein it would state that you people are the greatest liars in the Arab land.’” Abbas further narrates, “By God, I had to deny the dream “and I told him that Atika did not see any such dream. “Thereafter, we all left the gathering. “In the evening, when I returned home,
“all of the women of the Banu Abdil Muttalib tribe came to me and said, ‘That wretched and evil man first levelled all kinds of allegations against our men ‘and you did not take any action, ‘now he has started to speak ill of your women
‘and you are silently listening to him and not refuting him. ‘Where is your sense of honour?’” In this way the women of his tribe impassioned him. Abbas further narrates, “Upon this, I said, ‘By God, this is exactly what I did and I believe that there is no greater wrongdoing than this,
‘thus, by Allah, I shall go to him ‘and if he says anything like this again I shall put him to an end in order to avenge for you.’” Hazrat Abbas (ra) further narrates, “On the third day following the dream Atika had seen,
“I left my home in the morning and I was in a state of great anger “and intended to seek revenge for the wrong I had done that day. “As I entered the mosque, I saw Abu Jahl, who had a slim build and a sharp tongue.
“By God, I went towards him so that he could say something again as he had done previously “and as a result I would take revenge. “However, I saw Abu Jahl running towards the door of the mosque, i.e., the Kabah. “I thought to me myself at the time, ‘What is the matter with him,
‘may Allah the Almighty’s curse to be upon him, ‘what has happened to him; is he running in fear lest I say something ill to him?’ “however the fact was that he had heard the loud cry of Zamzam bin Amr Ghaffari “which I had not heard
“and Zamzam was loudly calling out whilst he was mounted on the camel “in the middle of the valley. “He had cut the nose and ears of his camel “and had turned over his saddle and torn his upper garment and was crying,
‘Caravan, caravan! (in other words, he was asking for their caravan to be saved). ‘This caravan under the lead of Abu Sufyan is carrying your trade goods ‘and Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companions have attacked it. ‘reach to them as quickly as you can
‘but I don’t think you will be able to reach in time to aid him.’” Abbas (ra) further narrates, “We both became so occupied in this new incident which had unfolded “that we were unable to pay attention to the earlier matter.” It is written that when the Quraish heard the cry of Zamzam,
They became enraged and began to prepare their people for battle. They said, “Muhammad (sa) and his companions think “that this caravan is like that of Ibn Hazrami’s trade caravan. “This is certainly not the case. “By God, they shall soon find out that is not the case.”
The caravan of Amr bin Hazrami and him being killed by the Muslims has been mentioned earlier in relation to the expedition of Abdullah bin Jahash in which the Muslims were easily able to kill Ibn Hazrami and took over his possessions and wealth.
In any case, now the Quraish of Makkah began to make preparations for battle and its people were either going personally for battle or they were sending someone on their behalf and paying for their expenses. One of their chieftains said, “Will you allow Muhammad (sa) and his companions
“who have turned away from our faith and also the people of Yathrib to seize our wealth? “My wealth and food provisions is available to whoever is need of them!” Similarly, people gave 200 dinar and others 300 dinar, 500 dinar, etc., and said they could spend it however and wherever they desired.
Some offered 20 camels for the battle and others took on the entire household expense of those who were leaving for battle. Those who could not personally take part in the battle supported someone else to go for battle by paying for all their expenses.
In this way, within two or three days, their preparations for battle were complete. It should be noted here that though he had announced for them to reach there immediately, however they spent two or three days making full preparation for battle. Their efforts to make preparations proves
That the disbelievers of Makkah were in fact searching for an excuse to engage in a proper battle with the Muslims. If their intention was to simply protect the caravan, then they would have immediately reached there upon hearing the news;
Whatever weapon they could have got hold of they would have taken it and reached there. However, this was not the case, instead of protecting the caravan, they were preparing for a battle. In relation to the chiefs of the Quraish it is written that five chiefs; Umaiyyah bin Khalf, Utbah bin Rabi’ah,
Shaibah bin Rabi’ah, Zum’ah bin Aswad and Hakeem bin Hizam sought a lot by throwing their arrows to determine whether they ought to go for battle or not. They drew the arrow which signified that they do not go for battle,
In other words, the arrow they selected was the one upon which it was written that they should not go forth for battle. And so, they all unanimously decided that they should not proceed for battle, however Abu Jahl came to them and insisted that they should go.
Uqbah bin Abu Mueet and Nazar bin Harith supported Abu Jahl and insisted the others that they should go for battle. Upon this, the slave of Utbah and Shaibah said, “By God, you are not going forth for battle, “rather you both are heading towards the places where you shall be killed.”
Subsequently, they both decided to not go to battle, but Abu Jahl insisted so much that in the end they both decided to go along with the others and then they would turn back during the journey. Further details in relation to the preparations made by the disbelievers for the battle,
Their departure and various incidents in relation to this shall, InshAllah, be mentioned in the future as there is quite a lot of detail in relation to this. All praise is due to Allah We laud Him, we beseech help from Him and ask His protection; we confide in Him, we trust Him alone
And we seek protection against the evils and mischief of our souls and from the bad results of our deeds. Whomsoever He guides on the right path, none can misguide him; and whosoever He declares misled, none can guide him onto the right path.
And we bear witness that none deserves to be worshipped except Allah. We bear witness that Muhammad (sa) is His servant and Messenger. O servants of Allah! May Allah be merciful to you. Verily, Allah commands you to act with justice, to confer benefits upon each other
And to do good to others as one does to one’s kindred and forbids evil which pertain to your own selves and evils which affect others and prohibits revolts against a lawful authority. He warns you against being unmindful. You remember Allah; He too will remember you;
Call Him and He will make a response to your call. And verily divine remembrance is the highest virtue.