Serpentine Heads and Sword-Like Faces

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

Before Quraysh reached Badr, they sent ^Umayr ibnu Wahb al-Jumahiyy to assess the strength of the army from Medina. ^Umayr rode his horse around the encampment, observing the forces, and then returned to Quraysh, reporting, "Three hundred men, perhaps a few more or less. But allow me time to see if there are any ambushes or reinforcements."

He scouted the valley thoroughly but found nothing. Upon his return, he said, "I found nothing, but I saw, O people of Quraysh, doom bearing destruction. The camels of Yathrib are carrying inevitable death. These are men who have no protection or refuge except their swords. By Allah, I do not see a single one of them dying without killing a man from among you. If they strike down as many of you as their own number, what is the value of life after that? Consider your options carefully." Despite this warning, ‘Abu Jahl rejected the idea of returning to Mecca without a fight and insisted on moving forward to engage the Muslims in battle.

When the army of Mecca reached Badr, discord arose among them, and their internal ranks became unsettled. Ibnu ^Abbas narrated: “When the Muslims had encamped and the Quraysh approached, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ looked at ^Utbah ibnu Rabi^ah, who was mounted on a red camel, and said, “If there is any good among the people, it lies with the man on the red camel. If they obey him, they will be rightly guided.” 

^Utbah was urging his people, saying, “O my people, heed my advice regarding these people. If you do so, this will remain in your hearts. Each man will look upon the slayer of his brother and the killer of his father. Let me bear the responsibility for it and return.”

‘Abu Jahl retorted, “By Allah, his magic has swelled (meaning he has become a coward) when he saw Muhammad and his companions. Muhammad and his followers are merely a meal of a camel if we encounter them.” ^Utbah replied, “You will soon know who the coward and the corrupter of his people is. By Allah, I see people who will strike you fiercely. Do you not see their heads like serpents and their faces like swords?”

Abu Jahl sought victory that day and said: "O Allah, the one among us who has most severed ties of kinship and brought us what we do not know, destroy him this morning. O Allah, whichever of us is more beloved to You and whose deeds are more accepted, grant him victory today.”

Thus, the verse was revealed.

﴿إِن تَسْتَفْتِحُوا فَقَدْ جَاءَكُمُ الْفَتْحُ ۖ وَإِن تَنتَهُوا فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَإِن تَعُودُوا نَعُدْ وَلَن تُغْنِيَ عَنكُمْ فِئَتُكُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَوْ كَثُرَتْ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾

That means: “If you [disbelievers] seek the victory - the defeat has come to you. And if you desist [from hostilities], it is better for you. Still, if you return [to enmity], We shall support the believers again, and never will you be availed by your multitude at all, even though it be numerous; and [that is] because Allah supports the believers.”

The battle began with a warrior from the Quraysh army named Al-‘Aswad ibu ^Abdi l-‘Asad al-Makhzumiyy stepping forward and declaring, "I vow to Allah that I will drink from their cistern, or I will destroy it, or I will die approaching it." In response, Hamzah ibnu ^Abdi l-Muttalib advanced to meet him. When they encountered each other, Hamzah struck him, severing his leg at the mid-calf as he approached the cistern. Al-‘Aswad fell on his back, with blood gushing from his leg towards his comrades. He then crawled towards the cistern and forcefully entered it, but Hamzah delivered another blow, killing him within the cistern.

In response, three men from the Quraysh army stepped forward:

• ^Utbah ibnu Rabi^ah
• His brother Shaybah ibnu Rabi^ah
• His son Al-Walid ibn ^Utbah

They called for a duel, and three men from the ‘Ansar answered the challenge:

• ^Awf
• Mu^awwidh, the son of Al-Harith (his mother was ^Afra')
• ^Abdu l-Lah ibnu Rawahah

However, the Prophet ﷺ sent the ‘Ansar back, as he preferred that some of his own family and close relatives engage in the duel instead. It is also said that the Quraysh men themselves refused to fight these ‘Ansar, asking, "Who are you?" When they replied, "We are a group from the ‘Ansar," the Quraysh men responded, "You are noble equals, we do not need to fight you. We want the sons of our uncle." Then, one of their callers shouted, "O Muhammad, send out our equals from our own people!"

So, the Prophet ﷺ said:

• "Rise, O ^Ubaydah ibnu l-Harith."
• "Rise, O Hamzah."
• "Rise, O ^Aliyy."

Hamzah fought against Shaybah and killed him, while ^Aliyy faced off with Al-Walid and killed him. As for ^Ubaydah ibnu al-Harith, he engaged in combat with ^Utbah, and each struck the other with a severe blow.

Then, Hamzah and ^Aliyy rushed to ^Utbah and killed him. They carried ^Ubaydah back to the Prophet ﷺ, but he soon passed away from his wounds. The Prophet ﷺ said of him, "I bear witness that you are a martyr." The following verses from Suratu l-Hajj were revealed concerning these six individuals:

﴿هَٰذَانِ خَصْمَانِ اخْتَصَمُوا فِي رَبِّهِمْ فَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا قُطِّعَتْ لَهُمْ ثِيَابٌ مِنْ نَارٍ يُصَبُّ مِنْ فَوْقِ رُءُوسِهِمُ الْحَمِيمُ * يُصْهَرُ بِهِ مَا فِي بُطُونِهِمْ وَالْجُلُودُ * وَلَهُمْ مَقَامِعُ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ * كُلَّمَا أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا مِنْ غَمٍّ أُعِيدُوا فِيهَا وَذُوقُوا عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ * إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُدْخِلُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ يُحَلَّوْنَ فِيهَا مِنْ أَسَاوِرَ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ وَلُؤْلُؤًا وَلِبَاسُهُمْ فِيهَا حَرِيرٌ * وَهُدُوا إِلَى الطَّيِّبِ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ وَهُدُوا إِلَىٰ صِرَاطِ الْحَمِيدِ﴾

This means: “These two opponents (Muslims and disbelievers) dispute with each other about their Lord; then as for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be cut out for them, and scalding water will be poured down over their heads. With it will melt what is within their bellies, as well as (their) skins. And whips of iron are [specifically] made for them, [with which they are struck]. Every time they seek to get away therefrom, because of anguish, they will be driven back therein, and (it will be) said to them: "Taste the torment of burning!" Truly, Allah will admit those who believe and do righteous good deeds, to Gardens underneath which rivers flow (in Paradise), wherein they will be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls and their garments therein will be of silk. And they are guided (in this world) unto goodly speech (i.e. La ‘ilaha ‘illa l-Lah) and they are guided to (Islam which is) the Path of Al-Hamid [The One Who is praised in every language].”

When the Quraysh army witnessed the killing of the three men who had come out for the duel, they became enraged and launched a full-scale attack on the Muslims. The Muslims held their ground firmly, standing in a defensive position, and shot arrows at the advancing enemy as instructed by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The battle cry of the Muslims was "’Ahadun ‘Ahad" (meaning "One, One" in reference to the oneness of Allah).

Then the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ commanded them to launch an attack, saying, "Charge!" promising that whoever is killed while remaining patient and seeking the reward from Allah would be granted Paradise. The Muslims' enthusiasm and drive in the battle were further heightened by hearing the words of the Prophet ﷺ:

﴿سَيُهْزَمُ الْجَمْعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ الدُّبُرَ﴾

Then Allah Almighty made the number of the polytheists appear small in the eyes of the Muslims, and the number of the Muslims appeared greater in the eyes of the polytheists. The Prophet ﷺ had seen in a dream the night before the day the two armies met that the number of the polytheists was small. He shared this vision with his companions, and they took it as a good omen. This event is referenced in the Qur'an:

﴿إِذْ يُرِيكَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي مَنَامِكَ قَلِيلًا وَلَوْ أَرَاكَهُمْ كَثِيرًا لَفَشِلْتُمْ وَلَتَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي الْأَمْرِ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ سَلَّمَ إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ * وَإِذْ يُرِيكُمُوهُمْ إِذِ الْتَقَيْتُمْ فِي أَعْيُنِكُمْ قَلِيلًا وَيُقَلِّلُكُمْ فِي أَعْيُنِهِمْ لِيَقْضِيَ اللَّهُ أَمْرًا كَانَ مَفْعُولًا وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ﴾

 Following: (Episode 8) How wretched kin you have been to your Prophet!