How wretched kin you have been to your Prophet!

والصَّلَاةُ والسَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَشْرَفِ اْلمُرْسَلِيْنَ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ الطَّيّبِيْنَ الطَّاهِرِيْن

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ introduced a new tactic of warfare against the enemies during the Battle of Badr, one that was previously unknown among the Arabs. He fought by organising his troops into rows, a method that is highlighted in the Qur'an in Suratu s-Saff, in the verse:

﴾إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِهِ صَفًّا كَأَنَّهُمْ بُنْيَانٌ مَرْصُوصٌ﴿

The Description of This Tactic

The tactic was that the fighters would be arranged in rows similar to those in prayer. The number of these rows would increase or decrease depending on the number of fighters. The first rows consisted of spearmen to repel cavalry attacks, while the rows behind them were made up of archers, positioned to provide reinforcement by targeting the attacking enemies. The Prophet ﷺ adopted a defensive approach and did not launch an attack on Quraysh’s forces. His tactical instructions, which were carried out precisely, contributed to destabilising the enemy's position and weakening their morale. As a result, victory was achieved over the enemy despite their numerical advantage.

Allah's Support to the Muslims

Allah instilled fear into the hearts of the disbelievers during the Battle of Badr and sent angels to fight alongside the noble Companions against their enemies. This is a definitive and undisputed fact, as stated in Suratu l-‘Anfal:

﴾إِذْ يُوحِي رَبُّكَ إِلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ أَنِّي مَعَكُمْ فَثَبِّتُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا سَأُلْقِي فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الرُّعْبَ فَاضْرِبُوا فَوْقَ الْأَعْنَاقِ وَاضْرِبُوا مِنْهُمْ كُلَّ بَنَانٍ﴿

And in Suratu ‘Ali-^Imran:

﴿وَلَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ بِبَدْرٍ وَأَنْتُمْ أَذِلَّةٌ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ * إِذْ تَقُولُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَلَنْ يَكْفِيَكُمْ أَنْ يُمِدَّكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ بِثَلَاثَةِ آلَافٍ مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مُنْزَلِينَ﴾

On the day of Badr, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "This is Jibril, holding the reins of his horse, armed for battle."

A man from the ‘Ansar came with Al-^Abbas ibnu ^Abdi l-Muttalib as a captive. Al-^Abbas said, 'O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, this man did not capture me. I was captured by a bald man with a handsome face, riding a piebald horse, and I do not see him among the people.' The ‘Ansariyy said, 'I captured him, O Messenger of Allah.' The Prophet ﷺ then said, 'Allah has supported you with a noble angel.

The signs of defeat and confusion began to manifest within the ranks of Quraysh, as the battle neared its end. The forces of Quraysh commenced their retreat, fleeing in disarray, while the Muslims pressed forward, capturing and slaying their adversaries until the defeat of Quraysh was sealed.

After the Battle

The Battle of Badr concluded with a victory for the Muslims over the Quraysh. Seventy Qurayshites were slain, and an equivalent number were taken captive, the majority of whom were among the leading figures and chieftains of Quraysh.

And among the Muslims, fourteen men were martyred, including six from the Emigrants (Muhajirun):

• ^Ubaydah ibnu l-Harith al-Muttalibiyy al-Qurashiyy
• ^Amr ibnu ‘Abi Waqqas az-Zuhriyy al-Qurashiyy
• Safwan ibnu Wahb al-Fihriyy al-Qurashiyy
• ^Aqil ibnu l-Bakir al-Laythiyy al-Kinaniyy
• Dhul-Shimalayn ibnu ^Abdi ^Amr al-Khuza^iyy
• Mihja^ ibnu Salih al-^Akkiyy

And among the martyrs were eight from the ‘Ansar:

• Sa^d ibnu Khaythamah al-‘Awsiyy
• Mubash-shir ibnu ^Abdi l-Mundhir al-^Amriyy al-‘Awsiyy
• Yazid ibnu l-Harith al-Khazrajiyy
• ^Umayr ibnu l-Humam al-Salamiyy al-Khazrajiyy
• Rafi^ ibnu l-Mu^alla az-Zuraqiyy al-Khazrajiyy
• Harith ibnu Suraqah an-Najjariyy al-Khazrajiyy
• Mu^adh ibnu l-Harith an-Najjariyy al-Khazrajiyy
• ^Awf ibnu l-Harith an-Najjariyy al- Khazrajiyy

When the victory was secured and the Quraysh army was defeated, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent ^Abdu l-Lah ibnu Rawahah and Zayd ibnu Harithah to convey the joyous news to the Muslims in Medina of their triumph and the defeat of the Quraysh.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ remained at Badr for three days following the battle. ‘Anas ibnu Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would stay for three nights at the battlefield where he had achieved victory over a people. The martyrs among the Muslims were buried on the battlefield, with no one interred outside Badr.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then stood over the slain Qurayshites and said, "How wretched kin you have been to your Prophet! You gainsaid me, while others endorsed me. You abandoned me, while others supported me. You expelled me, while others gave me refuge." He then commanded that their bodies be dragged to a well in Badr and thrown in. Standing over them, he addressed them saying, "O ^Utbah ibnu Rabi^ah, O Shaybah ibnu Rabi^ah, O so-and-so, and so-and-so, did you find what your Lord promised you to be true? Verily, I have found what my Lord promised me to be true." ^Umar ibnu l-Khattab then said, "O Messenger of Allah, how can you speak to a people who have become rotting corpses?" To which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ responded, "By The One Who owns my soul, you are not more capable of hearing what I say than they are."

Following: (Episode 9) "Your example, O ‘Abu Bakr, is like that of ‘Ibrahim"