The Battle of Badr
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
The Battle of Badr is one of the few battles described in the Muslim holy book, the Quran, which says that thousands of angels joined the Muslim side and terrified their enemies, the Meccans.
The Muslim Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca around 570 CE into the Quraysh, a mercantile tribe of Arabs which inhabited and controlled Mecca. Many of them were initially opposed to Muhammad and Islam, partly because Islam, as a monotheistic religion, condemned their polytheistic worship.
In 622, Muhammad called on his followers to depart Mecca and move with him to Medina; this migration, known as the Hijra, is the starting point of the Muslim calendar.
In 624, Muhammad planned to attack a caravan which was carrying weapons to Mecca to be used against the Muslims. But, alerted to the impending attack, the caravan changed course. Meanwhile, Meccan leader Abu Jahl gathered troops to fight the Muslims.
Badr, about 130 kilometers from Medina, is the location of several wells. The Muslims arrived at Badr before the Meccans, and took up a position at the well closest to the Meccans, denying them access to any of the wells.
The Quraysh were expecting an easy victory, as they outnumbered the Muslims three to one. But a scout returned to the Meccan leaders with a report that, although the Muslim army was small, he predicted heavy casualties. As one report has it, he he saw "the camels of [Medina] laden with certain death."
Fighting began between champions from either side in a three-on-three battle. The Meccan champions lost, though one of the Muslims died of his wounds afterward. Then the general fighting began with a rain of arrows. When the Muslims charged, the Meccans turned and fled. The battle was only a few hours long, and ended by early afternoon.
The Meccan prisoners were ransomed; those who could read and write were released on the condition that they would teach ten others, which would count as their ransom.
Badr was the first major victory of the Muslims over the Meccans, and signaled that a new power had arisen. Six years later, Mecca came under Muhammad's control.