The Day of Criterion: The Anniversary of the Great Battle of Badr (2)

Its Profound Meanings and the Need to Grasp Them

I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Praise is to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. I believe that there is no god but Allah, the Sovereign and the Manifest Truth, and that Muhammad, our master, is His servant, Messenger, and Last Prophet.

O Allah! Confer Your salat and blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad as You conferred Your salat and blessings upon Ibrahim and the Family of Ibrahim. You are Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory! And be pleased with Muhammad's good companions and all Your righteous servants and mujahidin.

O Allah! Guide us and grant us acceptance, for You are the Hearing, the Knowing; accept our repentance, for You are the Relenting and the Merciful.

Brothers and sisters, peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.

We continue our discussion of the Great Battle of Badr, its importance in Islamic history and in the life of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F), and its far-reaching impact across generations. Its effects persist into our own age and beyond, and the results it produced are of utmost importance.

In recalling the Battle of Badr—its significance, how it unfolded, and some of its lessons—we begin with the important name Allah gives it in the Holy Quran: the Day of Criterion. This name carries important significance that we should fully understand, for Allah (Glory be to Him) says in the very verse that mentions 'khums', {'if you [truly] believe in Allah and what We revealed to Our servant on the Day of Criterion when the two armies met'}[Al-Anfal 8:41]. It is called the Day of Criterion because it was decisive—a turning point in many respects. It would set a new course for history. This crucial difference manifested in establishing truth and in vanquishing falsehood, and it marked a turning point in the reality of Muslims and their enemies—one in favour of the oppressed Muslims, who were in a state of severe weakness. It was a turning point that was in favour of truth, goodness, and justice and against falsehood, evil, oppression, tyranny, and corruption.

This is a very important lesson for us, as it proves to us that Alah (Glory be to Him) brings about significant changes: He guides His believing servants and grants them success when they respond to Him by fulfilling their sacred, great, important responsibilities.

When the forces of tyranny, arrogance, injustice, and disbelief achieve dominance—backed by vast resources, great influence, tight control over people and events, and a dominant presence—some people may assume that such a state will endure and cannot be altered. This perception becomes even stronger when it is the downtrodden who are seeking to uphold truth, goodness, and justice and to fulfil divine instructions—when Muslims shoulder their sacred and great duties while facing severe oppression and a scarcity of resources. Then the situation can look as if a major change were impossible.

It is Allah Almighty Who brings about change for those who respond to Him and pursue the necessary means!

It is Allah Who brings about change. The part of those believers who respond to Him and act by His guidance, is to pursue the necessary means, while it is Allah (the Almighty) Who brings about change. He says in the Holy Quran, {'Say, [O Prophet,] “O Allah! Lord over all authorities! You give authority to whoever You please and remove it from who You please; You honour whoever You will and disgrace whoever You will—all good is in Your Hands. Surely You [alone] are Most Capable of everything. You cause the night to pass into the day and the day into the night. You bring forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living. And You provide for whoever You will without limit'}[Ali 'Imran 3:26-27].

Allah (Glory be to Him) creates cosmic changes, turning the night into the day and vice versa to bring about an entirely different reality: from the darkness of night to the light and warmth of day. He also brings the living forth from the dead; from a dead seed, He brings forth a seedling full of life. Likewise, He can bring the dead out of the living. Just as He can do all of that, Allah (Glory be to Him) can indeed create changes. He can alter the condition of those mighty, powerful, and dominant, turning their state into humiliation due to their transgression, tyranny, corruption, and criminality or their failure to follow His path and guidance and fulfil their religious and faith-based obligations, as seen in the reality of Muslims today. Indeed, He is capable of creating changes. He is the One Who manages the affairs of His servants and Who has established the laws that govern this life according to causes and consequences, but He also intervenes. In other words, even with that, life is not left to run on without His intervention. This is a very important lesson, for some people forget Allah and fall into despair, especially among the downtrodden.

At the dawn of Islam, Muslims experienced leaps of this kind: The prevailing reality was dominated by forces of tyranny, disbelief, misguidance, and falsehood. In the Arabian Peninsula, it is well known how things stood. The same was also true beyond its borders, where the Roman Empire was then the dominant power, along with its rival and adversary, the Persian Empire, and other powers in and beyond the region. The arena was overwhelmingly dominated by forces of polytheism, disbelief, falsehood, misguidance, and tyranny; their influence was firmly entrenched.

Considering the reality of the Muslims at the time—the few, downtrodden, and mostly very poor believers who set out with very limited resources—many thought it would be impossible for the situation to change: It was seen as impossible for any significant leap to occur that could turn the Muslims into the greatest and most dominant power in the arena. Observing the very difficult conditions of Muslims, in comparison with others and the surrounding circumstances, people deemed it unimaginable that these weak and downtrodden few could become the dominant power of the time and significantly change the deep-seated false beliefs, cultures, and traditions. Yet Islam’s course is one of sweeping, comprehensive change—radical transformation in the truest sense—so for many, such change lay wholly beyond the bounds of possibility.

It stood as a divine miracle from Allah that these momentous changes did occur, as seen in the conflict with Quraysh and across the Arabian arena, the later confrontations with the Jews and their decisive defeat in the regions they had controlled, and eventually the Muslims’ confrontations with the Romans and their great victories over the Roman Empire. Such developments clearly demonstrated that the approach of Islam, as enacted by the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F), was the right path—one that represented a profound connection with Allah, through His guidance, His victory, and His support. For it is Allah Who brings about such change.

The sweeping changes that later came to pass were initially thought to be impossible, given the circumstances of the Muslims—their small numbers, meagre means, and sense of isolation—and the resources, strength, and influence of their enemies, along with a society waiting to see what would become of them and how their fate would unfold

The Muslims’ condition before and after the Prophet's migration: A crucial lesson for all generations!

In the early days of Islam in Mecca, before the migration of the Prophet (PBUH&F) and his fellow Muslims to Medina, the situation of Muslims there was extremely difficult. They were greatly oppressed and numbered very few in Quraysh society, most of whom refused to believe, to the extent that Allah said, {'The word has been confirmed against most of them, so they do not believe'}[Ya-Sin 36:7]. They felt alienated in that community, as the Prophet said, 'Islam began as a stranger, and it will eventually turn to be a stranger as it began; so blessed are the strangers.' When asked, 'Who are the strangers, O Messenger of Allah?', he replied, 'They are those who remain upright when people become corrupt.'

In Mecca, some Muslims endured persecution and torture; their circumstances were extremely harsh. For this reason, Allah (Glory be to Him) says in the Holy Quran, {'Remember when you had been vastly outnumbered and oppressed in the land, constantly in fear of attacks by your enemy, then He sheltered you, strengthened you with victory, and provided you with good things so perhaps you would be thankful'}[Al-Anfal 8:26]. This blessed verse recounts that early phase: How things were in the beginning and how Allah transformed that difficult situation. It serves as a lesson for them and all believers throughout history until the Day of Judgement: that, even when the believers are few and weak, their situation can—through Allah’s support, victory, and care—be transformed into honour, victory, empowerment, influence, abundance, and more.

After the Prophet’s migration to Medina, the conditions of the Muslims began to improve. It was a turning point and brought relief from the persecution, torture, and injustice they had endured. In Medina, they found a supportive and welcoming environment, stability, and an overall improvement in their situation—a profound contrast to their previous suffering in Quraysh society: denial, persecution, and humiliation. The Ansar embraced them, and Allah provided them with shelter: {'Then He sheltered you'}[Al-Anfal 8:26]. This was one of the very first requirements for transforming their reality and laying the foundation for a Muslim ummah. Such an ummah first needs a supporting base and a homeland from which Islam could arise: {'Then He sheltered you.'}

The threats surrounding Islam's base of support in Medina

Nonetheless, the broader environment surrounding them—within Medina itself, its outskirts, and across the Arabian Peninsula—remained largely hostile and posed a significant threat to them. There were also the Jews, who stood as enemies of the Islamic message, the Muslims, and the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F). On the international level, there were powerful global powers such as the Roman Empire.

Therefore, they were still facing significant challenges. It is true that their situation improved with their accommodation in Medina, where they found a supporting base, but the threat surrounding them was widespread. So they needed to achieve some victory and to strengthen their trust in Allah (Glory be to Him) and the victory of Islam. The same applies to those many people who were hesitantly observing events from the margins: When some of them see that the Muslims have achieved victories and Islam has been solidified, they may join Islam. There existed a group in 'the grey area', as the term goes on, who were undecided and waiting to see what the outcome would be: Would Islam ultimately prevail? Would Muslims grow stronger? How would they fare if faced with military threats or war? Would their enemies be able to eliminate them and extinguish the cause of Islam? Many people were waiting to see the outcomes; they were hesitantly observing events to decide later.

There were those who admired Islam, for it stood for a great mission and admirable principles in full harmony with human nature and clear truth. However, most of them questioned whether such a clear truth could ever triumph. While they viewed Islam as admirable and profound, they doubted whether it could ever take root in society, especially when observing the strength, hostility, and malice of its enemies.

Therefore, the Muslims were in need of a pivotal shift:

• one that would reinforce their confidence in Islam's steadfastness and ease the fears harboured by some among the hesitant observers. This was because if these individuals were to see reassuring signs, some might even be drawn to embrace Islam.
• At the same time, they needed a shift that would shatter the greed and ambitions of the enemies and curb their expectations. This is because when the enemies observed the Muslims’ condition—their small numbers and limited material resources —they became emboldened, imagining that it would be easy to eliminate them

Before any military confrontation had taken place, the enemies’ ambitions were high—they were fully confident that they could completely uproot the Muslims, wipe out Islam, and eliminate the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F), bringing an end to what they saw as a threat.

But why did they see it as a threat? The criminal and evil forces of disbelief and tyranny saw themselves as fundamentally opposed to Islam. Islam is the religion of truth, justice, mercy, and goodness. It is a religion that uplifts the oppressed, restores human dignity, and saves people from the enslavement and exploitation of tyrants, criminals, and oppressors. That is why they perceived it as a threat to their interests and their influence, which rested on injustice, oppression, tyranny, enslavement, and exploitation. Therefore, they regarded it as a danger and directed their efforts to fight it fiercely, striving to eradicate it.

The Arab region was home to varied forces of disbelief, which formed tribal communities. There were also the Jews and some regional and global powers. None of them welcomed Islam or the Prophet (PBUH&F) and his followers; rather, all adopted a stance of hostility towards the Muslims. Additionally, there were groups within society, as mentioned earlier, that remained cautious observers—those who did not actively take part in fighting the Muslims but remained on the sidelines, simply watching to see what course events would take.

The most prominent force of disbelief in the Arabian Peninsula was Quraysh: the tribe of the Prophet (PBUH&F), descendants of Prophet Ismail (PBUH). Quraysh gained great influence and importance across the Arabian Peninsula due to its control over Mecca at that time: They were responsible for the affairs of the Sacred House of Allah and the management of Hajj. In fact, the Arabs continued to perform Hajj as a sacred ritual. Likewise, the Ka‘bah retained its sanctity and greatness in their hearts; they held it in deep reverence and journeyed to it in pilgrimage. Thus, Quraysh enjoyed a high standing position among the people and the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula. Yet they stood as the foremost power in their hostility to Islam, instead of thanking Allah for His blessings and for the prosperity He had granted them through the blessing of His Sacred House. Indeed, it was Allah (Glory be to Him) Who spared them from the hardships of hunger and insecurity, allowing them to live in ease and affluence, better off than the other Arab tribes, and to enjoy safety and peace through the blessing and sanctity of His Sacred House. Quraysh, more than any other tribe, took the lead in opposing the Prophet (PBUH&F), Islam, and the Muslims and spearheaded efforts to suppress the message of Islam.

The Prophet (PBUH&F) then migrated from Mecca to Medina—to the Ansar (the tribes of Aws and Khazraj), who were of Yemeni origin. By the grace of Allah, they were guided to faith and became the supporting base for the Islamic message. They offered refuge and assistance to the Messenger of Allah and the believers, and Allah Himself named them the Ansar [supporters]. This made them a vital pillar in the establishment of Islam, as they played a role of immense importance.

Quraysh declaring war and mobilising to attack Medina!

When the Prophet (PBUH&F) emigrated to Medina, Quraysh sent a letter to the Ansar (the tribes of Aws and Khazraj), containing a declaration of war. They explicitly threatened that they would march to attack the Ansar in Medina and would strive to eradicate Islam and the Muslims there. This clearly revealed the hostile attitude of Quraysh and what they sought to achieve.

Then, Quraysh moved to establish alliances with many tribes across the Arab region, especially those located between Mecca and Medina. These alliances and arrangements were aimed at imposing economic restrictions on the Muslims. As a result, those tribes that aligned themselves with Quraysh—whether through alliance with Quraysh or mere collaboration and coordination—agreed to bar the Muslims from accessing their markets or passing through their areas. They aimed to impose a blockade and restrictions on the Muslims in Medina so that they could neither engage in economic activities—such as buying and selling or accessing other markets—nor move freely through the Arabian Peninsula.

Quraysh then began actual preparations for what they had threatened in their message to the Aws and Khazraj—the Ansar—regarding the invasion of Medina. They started preparing for a major military operation. However, such a major campaign and invasion would require substantial funding, so Quraysh sent a massive trade caravan to the Levant, which was one of the largest caravans they had ever dispatched to the Levant in order to generate substantial financial returns. In fact, everyone in Mecca contributed to the caravan: They made every member among them financially contribute to the caravan, ensuring the caravan would be enormous and bring great profits that they could use for that very purpose: the military campaign against the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F) and the Muslims in Medina.

That caravan headed to the Levant. Given its importance, the caravan was led by Abu Sufyan, the most prominent leader among the polytheist leaders of Quraysh. However, the news of the caravan reached the Prophet (PBUH&F).

The Prophet monitoring enemy movements and declaring military mobilisation!

When the Prophet (PBUH&F) migrated to Median, he was neither oblivious to the prevailing circumstances nor unaware of the response of Quraysh and the enemies of Islam. He was fully aware that such a situation demanded military preparedness and jihadist mobilisation, and that was exactly what Allah (Glory be to Him) permitted and even commanded him to do, saying, {'Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory'}[Al-Hajj 22:39]. Accordingly, he began taking steps to prepare the Muslims to face all challenges effectively: 

He established a military training camp in Medina and urged the people to prepare themselves, including through training, military readiness, and the acquisition of weapons according to each person’s means. He also mobilised the Muslims into small military units, known as 'sariya'. These units varied in size—sometimes consisting of twenty, forty, thirty, fifty, seventy, or even ten individuals—depending on the mission assigned and the threats anticipated. He would often send such units to carry out reconnaissance missions, and that served crucial purposes:

• to keep the Muslims active and mentally prepare them for confrontation and jihad,
• to gather intelligence and monitor the situation,
• to maintain the Muslims' free movement and therefore break the isolation Quraysh sought to impose on Muslims within Medina—indeed, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F) continued to break that isolation by deploying these units to various areas on specific missions as required.

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F) closely monitored the enemies’ movements; he was never heedless of them. Rather, he worked to prepare the Muslims to face them. He mobilised those units and broke the isolation. He was keen to ensure that the Muslims’ situation would not become one of isolation, as that would have made the surrounding arena unapproachable for them. He then learned of the caravan and was commanded by Allah (Glory be to Him) to attack it, since its profits had been allocated to hostile operations against the Muslims. Accordingly, he resolved to intercept it as it returned from the Levant.

That is enough for today. Allah willing, we will continue our discussion in the coming lectures.

We ask Allah (Glory be to Him) to grant us success in seeking what pleases Him. O Allah! Have mercy on our virtuous martyrs, heal the wounded among us, and set free our captives. You are the Hearer of Prayer!

Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.

 

 

#Yemen #Sayyed Abdulmalik Al-Houthi #Ramadan Lecture 25-10-27