Powered by Islamic Desk
The Nikah of Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه and Sayyiduna Fatima رضي الله عنها was undoubtedly a very noble and magnificent union filled with the divine pleasure of Allah Almighty and the blessings, advice, and compassion of the Beloved Prophet ﷺ. According to one account, this blessed Nikah took place on the 26th or 27th of Safar in the year 2 AH.
Until his migration to Madinah, the Final Prophet of Allah ﷺ offered his prayers facing the Ka’bah while he was in Makkah. After migrating to Madinah, he ﷺ was commanded by Allah Almighty to face the ‘Bayt al- Muqaddas’ (Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem) for all his prayers. This continued for approximately 16 or 17 months. He ﷺ desired that the Holy Ka'bah be made the Qiblah. One day, when the Final Messenger of Allah ﷺ was leading the Zuhr Salah in the mosque of the Bani Salama tribe, a revelation was revealed upon him during the Salah:
قَدْ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ ۖ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا ۚ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ*,
Translation: "We are observing the turning of your face repeatedly towards the sky, so We will definitely turn you towards that Qiblah in which you are (more) pleased. Now, turn your face towards the Sacred Masjid (i.e. the Ka’bah).” (Al Baqarah:144)
Immediately upon receiving this revelation, the Beloved Prophet ﷺ turned his face from the Bayt al-Muqaddas towards the Holy Ka’bah during the Salah, and all the Muqtadees followed him. The mosque where this event took place is now known as the 'Masjid Qiblatayn' (Mosque of Two Qiblas) and both of its mihrabs (prayer niches) still exist today. This mosque is located approximately two kilometers northwest of the city of Madinah. This event is known as the "Tahweel al-Qibla" (changing of the Qibla).
The fasts of the blessed month of Ramadan were made obligatory on the 10th of Sha'ban in the year 2 AH.
The battle in which the Final Messenger of Allah ﷺ personally participated is called a ‘Ghazwah’, whereas the battle in which the Beloved Prophet ﷺ did not participate is called a ‘Sariyyah’. The plural of Ghazwah is ‘Ghazawaat’, and the plural of Sariyyah is ‘Saraya’.
There is a difference of opinion regarding the total number of Ghazawaat and Saraya. According to the narration of Imam Bukhari, there are 19 Ghazawaat, out of which only 9 reached the stage of battle, whereas the majority were such that did not require any actual combat. The total number of Saraya is either 47 or 56.
The Battle of Badr is the first major battle between Muslims and the disbelievers. Badr is the name of a village situated at some distance from Madinah. There was a well there, and the name of the owner of that well was Badr. For this reason, the place became famous as Badr. Before Badr, there had been larger and smaller skirmishes between the Muslims and disbelievers, including an incident where a disbeliever raiding party had plundered Madinah's pastures. The death of a disbeliever in one such encounter had enraged the disbelievers of Makkah. The Battle of Badr took place due to their reaction.
Another factor contributing to the battle was that the news reached Madinah that a large caravan of disbelievers, laden with wealth and accompanied by prominent Quraysh leaders, was returning from Syria to Makkah. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: “Small groups of disbelievers remain in our pursuit, and one of their small groups even committed plundering in Madinah. Therefore, why not attack this caravan of Quraysh. This way, their trade route to the Levant will be blocked and they will be forced to make peace with us.” Listening to his suggestion, all Muhajireen and Ansaar became prepared for it.
The Beloved Prophet ﷺ and his companions set out on the 12th of Ramadan in the second year of the Hijrah. The Beloved Prophet ﷺ set out without any big preparation for the battle. Everyone set out in whatever state they were. This army of Muslims neither had many weapons nor any large amount of military ration.
When the Makkans learned that the Muslims had left Madinah, they mobilized a large army and set out to intercept the Muslim force. When the Beloved Prophet ﷺ received this news, he consulted with the blessed companions, telling them that there is a possibility of a battle breaking out during this journey. The Muhajireen and the Ansar both expressed their determination that they would obey and protect the Beloved Prophet ﷺ. He ﷺ reviewed the troops one mile away from Madinah, and ordered the young children to go back. After taking some necessary measures, he headed towards the field of Badr, where the disbelievers of Makkah were to come from.
The Beloved Prophet ﷺ and his companions, numbered around 313, 60 of which were Muhajireen and the rest were Ansar. Abu Sufyan, on the other hand, also received the news that the Muslims had left. When he heard the news, he did two things:
(1): He sent a person immediately to Makkah to inform Quraysh about this, so that they could make arrangements for the safety of their caravan.
(2): He himself changed his route and set out with the caravan towards the sea.
As soon as the Quraysh received the message of Abu Sufyan, they came out of their homes. The chiefs of Quraysh set out with an army of 1000 armed troops. They were arranged in a way that the rich people of Quraysh would slaughter 10 camels every day and feed the troops. The disbelievers, led by Utbah bin Rabi'ah, the richest person in Quraysh, had a much larger force of about 1,000 well-equipped warriors. On the way, Abu Sufyan sent a message that we have made our caravan safe, therefore, the remaining people should return. He also added that there is no need to fight now. Some people of Quraysh agreed to return, but some of them insisted on fighting and convinced some of the tribes too.
The disbelievers of the Quraysh reached the plain of Badr before the Muslims and occupied the better and suitable places for themselves, whereas the Muslims could not get a suitable place from the perspective of a battle.
Glory be to Allah! In the meantime, it rained, causing the dust and the sand of the field to become hard, due to which, it became easier for the Muslims to walk on it, and the ground of the disbelievers became muddy, due to which, they faced great difficulty in walking and maneuvering.
The Beloved Prophet ﷺ, along with a few companions, came to inspect the battlefield at night and drew lines on the ground, indicating where specific enemies would be killed. These predictions proved to be accurate, and the bodies of the slain disbelievers were found exactly where the Beloved Prophet ﷺ had indicated.
On Friday, the 17th of Ramadan in the year 2 AH, corresponding to March 13, 624 CE, the Beloved Prophet ﷺ ordered the Islamic warriors to form battle lines. The battle began, despite having no provisions, the blessed companions رضي الله عنهم displayed extraordinary courage and bravery. In this battle, Abu Jahl was killed by two young companions, Sayyiduna Mu'aaz and Sayyiduna Mu'awwaz رضي الله عنهم.
The deaths of major disbeliever leaders such as Abu Jahl, Utbah, and Shaybah broke the morale of the disbelievers. They fled the battlefield, and the Muslims captured many of them.
In this battle, 70 disbelievers were killed and an equal number were taken prisoner. Although Abu Sufyan's caravan managed to escape, the Muslim victory at Badr was decisive. It significantly boosted the prestige of the Muslims and shattered the power and pride of the disbelievers.
After the conquest, the Beloved Prophet ﷺ remained at Badr for three days after the victory, before returning to Madinah with the captives and spoils of war.
A total of 14 Muslims were martyred during the Battle of Badr. Among them were six Muhajireen and eight Ansar. Thirteen companions رضي الله عنهم were buried at the field of Badr. One companion, Sayyiduna Ubaydah bin al-Harith رضي الله عنه, passed away on the way back and was buried at a place called ‘Safra’.
At the same place, the Beloved Prophet ﷺ distributed the spoils of war among the Mujahideen. The companions رضي الله عنهم who participated in the Battle of Badr hold a special status and rank, and they all have great virtues. One of the great virtues is that the Final Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Undoubtedly, Allah Almighty is aware of the people of Badr, and He has said that: ‘You may do whatever you like now. Indeed, Paradise has become Wajib for you,' or (He said) that, 'I have forgiven you.'"
When Sayyiduna Zaid bin Haritha رضي الله عنه arrived in Madinah with the good news of the Muslim victory at the Battle of Badr, the Muslims were burying Sayyidah Ruqayyah رضي الله عنها in Jannatul Baqi.