The Day of Criterion: The Great Battle of Badr (4)

The Course of the Battle, Its Results, and the Greatest Lessons and Insights!

Saturday, 22 Ramadan 1446 A.H. (22 March 2025 A.D.)

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.

In this lecture, we continue our discussion of the Great Battle of Badr, in light of selected blessed Quranic verses revealed about this battle. However, we should keep our discussion concise, for the Holy Quran speaks extensively about the Battle of Badr:

• Throughout Surah Al-Anfal, the Quranic discourse recounts the Great Battle of Badr and highlights its vital, comprehensive lessons, covering all aspects, including doctrinal, spiritual, economic, cultural, and social aspects. Surah Al-Anfal stands as a school for all the necessary lessons of striving for Allah's sake and confronting His enemies.
• The Great Battle of Badr also appears in Surah Al-Ḥajj, Surah Ali 'Imran, Surah Ar-Rum, and elsewhere in the Holy Quran.

In brief, we have discussed some of these blessed verses, and in past Ramadans—including the most recent—we reflected on many verses from Surah Al-Anfal. We return to these verses now because of their importance and our need to benefit from their guidance.

Yesterday, we spoke about some of Allah's support for the believers who joined the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F) in jihad. We also shed light on how, when they sought help from Allah, the Almighty—{'When you were asking help of your Lord'}[Al-Anfal 8:9]—He responded and aided them, firstly, by sending the angels: {'with a thousand from the angels, following one another'}[Al-Anfal 8:9]. The angels play various roles, but chief among them is moral support; morale is of great significance when it comes to engaging in jihad for the sake of Allah (the Almighty) and standing on the battlefield with courage. This matter of utmost importance.

The divine promise of victory is for all believers across all times—An important lesson!

We find that when Allah (Glory be to Him) says, {'And He answered you, "Indeed, I will reinforce you with a thousand from the angels, following one another." And Allah made it not but good tidings and so that your hearts would be assured thereby. And victory is not but from Allah. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise'}[Al-Anfal 8:9-10], He is addressing the believers, affirming that this support and reinforcement is granted to them as believers. This is a vital lesson, for some may suppose that such a level of divine support and reinforcement with angels was unique to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F).

While the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F), owing to his lofty rank and great mission, is indeed most deserving of Allah's care, the Holy Quran makes it clear that this divine support extends to all believers by virtue of their faith. This is to demonstrate that Allah (Glory be to Him) will never abandon His believing servants—the righteous who respond to His command and trust in the promises He has made to all believers in every era and time. These promises are not limited to a specific era or stage, for all believers are in need of Allah (Glory be to Him). They do need His support, victory, and care, both in spirit and in practice.

Hence, the promises Allah gives in the Holy Quran to His believing servants are open promises, valid for believers until the end of days. They have no expiration date; they are not like perishable goods, which can only be used during a certain period. When Allah (Glory be to Him) said, {'O you who have attained faith, if you support Allah, He will grant you victory and strengthen your foothold'}[Muhammad 47:7], this promise was not restricted to the first age of Islam, nor to the earliest believers alone. Rather, it is an open promise for all who believe, in every time and every place, until the world's end.

When Allah (the Almighty) said, {'For it is Our duty to grant victory to the believers'}[Ar-Rum 30:47], this is also
a promise and a binding commitment from Him—a solemn pledge that lasts until the end of days. This applies to all of Allah's other promises: {'And Allah will surely grant victory to those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is All-Powerful, Almighty'}[Al-Hajj 22:40].

Allah (Glory be to Him) has kept His promises and His care ever open to His believing servants, for everyone is in need of Him. For example, in this era—as enemies have amassed tremendous material capabilities, such as combat means, military tactics, and more—believers are in greater need than ever of Allah's help, care, support, guidance, and success. Indeed, they are in need of everything encompassed by His comprehensive and boundless care.

Thus, when Allah (Glory be to Him) addressed the believers in these blessed verses, He made it clear that this holds true for all believers as part of His support for them: {'And victory is not but from Allah. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise'}[Al-Anfal 8:10].

Allah's diverse care for believers and the ideal approach to overcome psychological warfare—An important lesson as well!

The other blessed verses, too, clearly demonstrate further aspects of Allah's care for His servants:

• Take, for example, the incident of drowsiness—light, intermittent sleep—which brought serenity, tranquillity, and refreshment, thereby easing stress and anxiety.
• Another example is the incident of the rainfall, which was used for many purposes: It provided water for ablution and cleanliness, renewed their vitality and strength, and supplied them with water to drink—everything they needed. It even helped them get rid of Satan's whisperings, by which he could stir up anxiety in their hearts, especially if water had been scarce or unavailable and the enemy had taken control of the wells.

We therefore see how vast Allah's care really is: It takes into account even the psychological dimension—their inner anxieties and worries—and provides the due remedy for that. This can reach an astonishing extent, as in the Quranic verse: {'[Remember, O Prophet,] when Allah showed them in your dream as few in number. Had He shown them to you as many, you [believers] would have certainly faltered and disputed in the matter. But Allah spared you [from that]. Surely He knows best what is [hidden] in the heart'}[Al-Anfal 8:43]. Allah (Glory be to Him) provides such a level of care that extends to the psychological dimension, including what might affect it or cause it anxiety. So He (Glory be to Him) showed the Prophet (PBUH&F) in his dream the enemy forces (the army of Quraysh) as few in number. When he related this vision to the believers, this encouraged them, gave them reassurance, and motivated them; it was one of the factors that spurred them.

As seen in this important lesson, it is important for a believing community striving in the cause of Allah against His enemies to minimise the perception of the enemy's strength, for how we view the enemy can profoundly affects people's psychological readiness to confront it.

At times, the enemy wages psychological warfare, aided by fear-mongers, hypocrites, alarmists, and the sick-hearted who try to sow despair about the possibility of confronting or resisting it. Therefore, it is important to expose every point of weakness in the enemy, reaffirm that the strength of one's position lies in divine assistance and care, and stress the value of reliance on Allah (the Almighty), which is an enormous source of support.

The terrifying, exaggerated, and despair-inspiring picture painted in people's minds must be shattered. Instead, one must instil and consolidate a clear awareness of the enemy's weaknesses and vulnerabilities. In fact, the very thing the enemy uses to instil fear in people may actually become a burden for it.

Take, for example, the case of the American aircraft carrier. The Americans have long used it to intimidate others, but during the confrontation with Yemen, it became a liability for the Americans. Its position at sea became dangerous both for the carrier itself and those on board, and its state turned into a weak and troubling one. That is why the Americans have now announced the deployment of another aircraft carrier, for the first one could not carry out its mission and ended up helpless. This is, in fact, a public admission of failure and stands as a testament to the failure of the first. That very aircraft carrier had once been all the Americans needed to threaten major powers with vast capabilities, such as China, yet they now acknowledge its failure.

The necessity of jihad in the path of Allah to establish the truth and eradicate falsehood.

On the conduct of the battle—from the mustering of the two armies to their encounter—Allah (Glory be to Him) says, {'[Recall] when you were on the near side of the valley, and they were on the farther side, and the caravan was lower [in position] than you. If you had made an appointment [to meet], you would have missed the appointment. But [it was] so that Allah might accomplish a matter already destined'}[Al-Anfal 8:42]. Each side took up its position: The believers stationed themselves on the side of the valley closest to Medina, while the army of the polytheists was on the far side of the valley, closer to Mecca and farther from Medina.

This encounter took place at Badr. As we have seen, the Quranic verses show how Allah planned this encounter: They show that establishing the truth and overturning falsehood requires a decisive action and a major blow that changes the situation and creates a real difference in circumstances. This is crucial, as we have previously discussed regarding the most impactful options against the enemy and their significance. The truth is plain, yet it must be established; there must be jihad in the path of Allah to uphold and enforce the truth.

In this era, it is, for example, very clear how just the Palestinian cause is: a people enduring oppression and relentless assault. The Zionist Jews came to occupy their land, seize their property, and murder them in their own homeland—they came to occupy, to kill, to destroy, and to plunder. The justice of the Palestinian claim and the reality of the Palestinian victimhood are plain—but that alone proved insufficient

The United Nations issued a decision to confiscate four-fifths of Palestine for the Jews (the 1948 lands), yet the Jews were not satisfied with this. In fact, the United Nations is not a just body that can be relied on to uphold the clear rights of the Palestinian people. The so-called 'international community' is not just towards the Palestinian people in their clear and just cause and suffering. No one has stood up to grant them justice—not the Security Council, not the international courts, nor any other entity. In other words, jihad in the path of Allah is indispensable to reclaim and establish this right as a tangible reality manifested in practical life. There is no way that this right can be reclaimed and established in reality without jihad—there is no alternative.

Negotiations are not an alternative—this has been proven. How long has the Palestinian Authority been negotiating? It has been for decades. And where are the results? The Israelis are explicit and clear; they have enacted laws declaring that the establishment of a Palestinian state on the land of Palestine will never be permitted. The American position is also clear: Although it was supposedly the sponsor of peace and agreements, it has now turned against them.

Just look at how the Americans and Israelis act, even in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. In Al-Quds, efforts to Judaise the city are ongoing, while settlement activity in the West Bank remains pervasive, expanding, and sustained. In short, this is a clear programme of domination. The practical reality shows unmistakably that neither the Americans nor the Israelis are willing to allow a Palestinian state; such a reality will not be established except by force—by jihad in the path of Allah.

The West Bank witnesses systematic displacement, with tens of thousands being removed through a gradual process. This is not to mention the destruction of entire areas and the commission of various violations, including killings, arrests, abductions, beatings, and destruction and looting of property. The Israeli enemy carries out these practices against the Palestinian people on a daily basis: No single day passes without the killing of ordinary Palestinian civilians, without rape, violations, murder, and looting. It commits all forms of aggression. Yet, the world seems to consider this normal. The Europeans keep supporting the Israeli enemy; the Americans cooperate with it and guarantee its protection—and so it goes.

We see another clear and just case in Lebanon: The Lebanese people are being aggressed and oppressed. The Israeli enemy attacks them and violates their airspace, infringes upon their sovereignty, occupies and establishes positions within Lebanese territory, and carries out various assaults, including bombings and killings. Yet, the Lebanese people receive no justice from the Americans or from anyone else. What the Americans and Israelis are doing to our Ummah is blatant aggression and clear injustice, while right is on the side of our Ummah: It is being oppressed, persecuted, and targeted, and it therefore has every right to rise up and confront the enemy.

Thus, establishing the truth and eradicating falsehood requires striving for the sake of Allah and moving in His path. Otherwise, as we have said, the one most deserving of being spared from bearing this burden, which many see as heavy, would have been the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F). Allah would have granted him empowerment and shielded him and the Muslims from all evil and danger without hardship, without jihad, without toil. This could have also been achieved through the means others deem effective, such as negotiations. In fact, he would have been the most successful negotiator of all, given his wisdom, insight, and power of persuasion; he could have convinced others of the truth that reaches into the depths of their hearts. However, Allah (the Almighty) says, {'We certainly know that what they say grieves you [O Prophet]. It is not your honesty they question; rather, it is Allah's signs that the wrongdoers deny'}[Al-An'am 6:33]. The same would have been true of other methods, had they truly been effective.

The Great Battle of Badr: The great victory and its important impact!

Regarding the course of the battle, Allah (Glory be to Him) says, {'And [remember] when He showed them to you, when you met, as few in your eyes, and He made you appear as few in their eyes so that Allah may establish a matter already destined. And all matters go back to Allah'}[Al-Anfal 8:44]. This, too, was another factor that spurred the battle. At the moment of encounter—before the fighting actually began—each side perceived the other as few in number, which encouraged both to engage in battle. All of that was part of a wondrous divine plan, for indeed, nothing is difficult for Allah, the Almighty. However, once the battle began, the disbelievers saw the believers in great numbers, as Allah states, {'They saw them to be twice their number with their own eyes'}[Ali 'Imran 3:13]. This was not the case before the engagement.

At the beginning, before the full engagement between the two sides, three heroes moved forward from the ranks of the polytheists: Utbah ibn Rabi'ah, his brother Shaybah, and his son Al-Walid. These were among the heroes and leaders of the polytheists. Utbah himself was one of their senior figures, a prominent and influential person among them, with great status in their ranks. He stepped forward to challenge and call for a duel, along with his brother and son. In response, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F) dispatched Ali (PBUH), Hamzah, and Ubaydah ibn Al-Harith ibn Abdul-Muttalib to face them. The duel took place on the battlefield, before the armies fully clashed.

The result of this duel and fighting held great significance for the course of the battle, for Allah (Glory be to Him) granted victory to the believers: Ali (PBUH), Hamzah, and Ubaydah. While the three polytheists were all killed, only Ubaydah was martyred among the believers—neither Ali (PBUH) nor Hamzah was martyred. This beginning was of immense significance, for it marked a victory for the Muslims and uplifted their spirits. At the same time, this had a negative impact on the enemy army, as Allah (the Almighty) cast fear into their hearts. The Holy Quran sheds light on this duel: {'These are two adversaries who have disputed over their Lord'}[Al-Hajj 22:19]. This clarifies what the issue was—the cause of each side—an issue of such great importance:

• For the believers, their cause was to establish divine principles and commandments and uphold the values of truth and justice on this earth. This is directly connected to Allah (Glory be to Him), and their movement was based on His command, His guidance, and His instructions.
• As for the enemies of truth, they were devoted adherents of taghut, striving to entrench it no matter the consequences—oppression, darkness, aggression, criminality, and corruption.

Then the two armies clashed, and the battle commenced. From the very onset, the battle raged fiercely, as both sides fought with great valour. Yet wondrous changes unfolded as the fighting intensified. Allah (Glory be to Him) aided the believers, who fought with unwavering courage. He enabled them to strike down the disbelievers with might, and the course of the battle clearly pointed toward victory for the believers, as the disbelievers suffered heavy casualties and severe losses. This was described in the Holy Quran: {'They saw them to be twice their number with their own eyes'}[Ali 'Imran 3:13]—as if the believers were multiplying and growing in number. Thus, Allah made the believers steadfast and struck their enemies, and the killing among the enemy ranks intensified. When the battle reached its peak, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F) took a handful of pebbles, cast them toward the polytheists, and proclaimed, 'May their faces be disgraced!' Thereupon, killing and wounding became rampant among them, and Allah cast fear into their hearts, causing them to flee.

In that situation, the Muslims were killing and capturing their enemies, achieving a great and unexpected victory that defied all expectations. It was something the disbelievers had not anticipated, nor had most Muslims. Allah (the Almighty) says, {'It was not you who killed them, but it was Allah Who did so. Nor was it you who threw, but it was Allah Who did so, rendering the believers a great favour. Surely Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. As such, Allah frustrates the evil plans of the disbelievers'}[Al-Anfal 8:17-18].

A victory was achieved; the patience and the efforts made by the Prophet (PBUH&F) and the believers led to such an outcome. When they did all within their power to achieve victory and fulfilled their responsibility, the result was this great victory, which was beyond all calculations and expectations. A significant number of enemy leaders and heroes were killed—seventy—and a similar number were captured. The rest fled in defeat, many of them wounded. They experienced a humiliating defeat. They fled in terror and despair towards Mecca, shocked by the bitter defeat they had never anticipated.

The results of this victory were profound and significant. As we mentioned, in light of its Quranic designation as 'the Day of Criterion', it marked the beginning of a new era for the Muslims. They gained respect and honour, and it played a crucial role in reassuring many who had been hesitant and anxious. They became confident in the future of Islam, and Allah honoured the believers with this victory after they had been severely oppressed. This is why Allah says in the Quran: {'Allah already made you victorious at Badr when you were weak. So fear Allah that you may be grateful'}[Ali 'Imran 3:123]. This victory also encouraged other Muslims to participate in jihad for the sake of Allah. There were also those who embraced Islam. As a result, hundreds more joined the path of jihad.

In this battle, Imam Ali, the Commander of the Believers (PBUH), played a prominent role, as recorded in historical texts, as was the case for Hamzah ibn Abdul-Muttalib and the Ansar, who demonstrated remarkable bravery and dedication.

Due to the significance of the Battle of Badr, Allah documented it in Surah Al-Anfal and presented comprehensive and important lessons about jihad in the path of Allah—its importance, necessity, virtue, and greatness, as well as the outcomes it brings—and the causes of victory and defeat. There are also references to it in Surah Al-Hajj and Surah Ali 'Imran.

Surah Ar-Rum foretold the Great Battle of Badr and the Muslims' victory years before it took place: {'And on that day the believers will rejoice at the victory willed by Allah. He gives victory to whoever He wills'}[Ar-Rum 30:4-5]. It coincided with significant events unfolding in the broader region and beyond.

After the Great Battle of Badr, the military confrontations continued between the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F) and Quraysh, reaching the Conquest of Mecca in the eighth year after the Hijra. The Battle of Badr took place in the second year after the Hijra, while the Conquest of Mecca occurred in the eighth year, which was a great victory that removed the greatest obstacle in the Arab arena—Quraysh. They were the greatest obstacle, and with their defeat, Mecca was restored with its sanctity and significance, and people began embracing the religion of Allah in large numbers.

The life and jihad of the Prophet (PBUH&F) involved military confrontations. He confronted the Jews in several rounds, in which Allah granted him decisive and great victories. He had also some rounds with the Romans and fought many battles with others in the Arab region. The Prophet's journey was filled with jihad. Indeed, jihad for the sake of Allah was one of his most prominent concerns and activities, through which he achieved great victories, and Allah established the truth and caused falsehood to vanish.

In the face of the serious challenges posed by their enemies, and in response to the arrogance and tyranny of Americans and Israelis, Muslims must practice jihad. Nothing except jihad in the path of Allah (the Almighty) and according to His teachings can protect them from all threats posed by their enemies, such as enslavement, humiliation, the violation of dignity, the occupation of their lands, the plundering of their resources, and the erasure of their identity.

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.