A force of three hundred with two horses and seventy camels

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

The Battle of Badr is so named because it occurred near the well of Badr. It is referred to as "al-Kubra" (the Great) to distinguish it from the earlier skirmish known as Ghazwatu Badr al-‘Ula (the First Battle of Badr).

Additionally, it is called "al-^Udhma" (the Greatest), Ath-thaniyah (The second), "Badr al-Qital", and "Yawmu l-Furqan" (the Day of Criterion), as it was on this day that Allah Almighty differentiated between truth and falsehood.

The Battle of Badr took place on the 17th of Ramadan in the second year of the Hijra, corresponding to the 13th of March, 624 CE. It was fought between the Muslims, led by the Prophet Muhammad, and the Quraysh tribe along with their allies from the Arab tribes, under the leadership of ‘‘Abu Jahl, ^Amr ibnu Hisham al-Makhzumiyy al-Qurashiyy. This battle is considered the first decisive confrontation in the history of Islam. It was named after the region of Badr, where the battle occurred. Badr is a well-known well located between Mecca and Medina.

The battle began when the Muslims attempted to intercept a caravan of the Quraysh tribe, led by ‘Abu Sufyan ibnu Harb, which was travelling from Sham to Mecca. However, ‘Abu Sufyan managed to escape with the caravan and sent a messenger named Dumdum to the Quraysh, requesting their aid. The Quraysh responded by marching out to confront the Muslims.

The Muslim forces numbered around three hundred and a few more, with only two horses and seventy camels. In contrast, the Quraysh army consisted of about a thousand men, with two hundred horses, making them nearly three times the size of the Muslim forces. The Battle of Badr concluded with a decisive victory for the Muslims, who killed the Quraysh leader, ‘Abu Jahl. The Quraysh lost seventy men, and an equal number were taken prisoner. The Muslims, however, suffered only fourteen casualties—six from the Muhajirun and eight from the ‘Ansar.

The victory at Badr had several significant outcomes for the Muslims. It established their reputation in Medina and the surrounding areas and provided a new source of income through the spoils of war, thereby improving their financial, economic, and moral standing.

Cause of the Battle

In the months of Jumada l-‘Ula and Jumada l-‘Akhirah of the second year of Hijra, the Prophet Muhammad set out with a force of one hundred and fifty or two hundred Muhajirun to intercept a caravan of the Quraysh, which was travelling from Mecca to Sham. The caravan contained wealth that had been taken unjustly from the Muslims by the Quraysh. However, upon reaching a place called Dhu l-^Ushayrah, they found that the caravan had passed by a few days earlier.

As the return of the caravan from Sham to Mecca drew near, the Prophet sent Talhah ibnu ^Ubaydi l-Lah and Sa^id ibnu Zayd northward to gather information about the caravan's movements. They reached an area called Al-Hawra’ and stayed there until ‘Abu Sufyan ibnu Harb passed by with the caravan. Talhah and Sa^id then hastened back to Medina and informed the Prophet of the caravan's approach.

This caravan was a large trading convoy returning from Sham, carrying a significant amount of wealth for the Quraysh, including the belongings of Muslims that they had left behind in Mecca during their migration. The caravan was led by ‘Abu Sufyan and guarded by a group of thirty to forty men.

The Prophet Muhammad sent Basbas ibnu ^Amr to gather information about the caravan. When Basbas returned with confirmed news, the Prophet encouraged his companions to set out, saying, "This is the caravan of the Quraysh, coming from Sham, carrying their wealth. Go forth to intercept it, perhaps Allah will grant it to you."

However, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did not obligate anyone to join the expedition, as he did not anticipate that it would lead to a battle with the Quraysh. Consequently, many of the companions stayed behind in Medina, and the Prophet ﷺ did not reproach anyone for not participating in this campaign. When he set out from Medina, his intention was not to engage in combat but rather to intercept the Quraysh caravan, which carried wealth, including possessions taken unjustly from the Muhajirun (the emigrants).

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