The battle of Badr major military victory for the early Muslims
The battle of Badr was a major military victory for the early Muslims led by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ against the Meccan forces led by Abu Jahl in 624 CE. It marked a turning point for the Muslim community from a defensive stance to one of stability and expansion. The battle also damaged Meccan trade and boosted the morale of the Muslims as a viable force in their pursuit of control of the holy city of Mecca. The battle is mentioned by name in the Qur'an as the Day of the Criterion.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِن تَتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّكُمْ فُرْقَانًا وَيُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
Believers, if you fear Allah, He will grant you the ability to discriminate between right and wrong, and will forgive you your sins: for Allah is limitless in His great bounty. 8.29
Some of the military tactics used by the Muslims in the battle were:
- Raiding caravans of the Meccans to provoke them and to compensate for their losses after migrating to Medina.
- Intercepting a wealthy caravan led by Abu Sufyan and gathering a small expeditionary force of about 300 men to capture it.
- Filling the wells on the caravan route near Medina with sand to lure the Meccan army into battle at Badr, where water was scarce. The Muslims wanted to fight the Meccans at Badr because it was a strategic location that gave them an advantage over their enemies.
- Positioning themselves near the only remaining well at Badr, depriving the Meccans of water and giving themselves an advantage.
- Arranging their army in two battalions, one of the Muhajirun (migrants from Mecca) and one of the Ansar (supporters from Medina), with two horses and 70 camels.
- Beginning the battle with duels between the warriors on both sides, followed by a shower of arrows from both sides, and then a full combat.
- Throwing a handful of dust at the Meccan army as they charged forward, causing confusion and irritation among them. It was inspired by a revelation from Allah, who commanded Muhammad ﷺ to do so. The Qur’an says in Surah Al-Anfal, verse 17:
فَلَمْ تَقْتُلُوهُمْ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَتَلَهُمْ ۚ وَمَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَمَىٰ ۚ وَلِيُبْلِىَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْهُ بَلَآءً حَسَنًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
“It was not you who threw when you threw, but it was Allah who threw.”
- Fighting with courage and faith, believing that Allah was on their side and that they had a just cause.
Despite being outnumbered and outmatched in terms of weapons and equipment, the Muslims managed to defeat the Meccans, killing many prominent leaders and capturing many prisoners. The battle of Badr was a decisive victory that strengthened Muhammadﷺ's position and increased his followers and allies.
Here are the links to the articles:
https://5pillarsuk.com/2023/04/08/have-we-forgotten-the-true-significance-of-the-battle-of-badr/
https://www.islamicfinder.org/news/battle-of-badr-a-turning-point-for-islam/
https://muslimmatters.org/2023/04/08/how-the-battle-of-badr-changed-the-course-of-history/