The Battle of Badr is the most famous battle between the Muslims and the non-Muslims. This battle took place at Badr, a place between Makka-tul-Mukarramah and Madina-tul-Munawwarah on the 17th Ramadan of 2nd Hijri. As regards to weapons and soldiers, the Muslim army was weaker significantly. The number of the Muslim soldiers upholding the noble flag of Beloved Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم was merely 313 consisting of young and old, Ansaar and Muhajireen who were contesting against a massive and equipped army of the unbelievers. The Muslim army had only six armours and eight swords whereas the unbelievers’ army was comprised of one thousand furious and strong warriors and these warriors were armed with one hundred excellent horses, seven hundred camels and diverse fatal weapons.
In front of such a strong military power of the unbelievers, unrest and anxiety among the Muslims was a natural element. Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم spent the whole night in Salah and supplications imploring, ‘O Allah ( )! If this small number of people is killed, then no one will be left on the face of earth to worship You till the Day of Judgement.’
(As-Seerat-un-Nabawiyyah li Ibn Hashaam, vol. 1, pp. 554)
During the supplication, the sacred shawl fell down from the blessed shoulders of the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and due to overwhelming emotions, the blessed tears welled up. When the companion of the cave, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddeeq رضی اللہ عنہ saw him in this state of anxiety, he رضی اللہ عنہ became worried. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddeeq رضی اللہ عنہ lifted up the fallen shawl, placed it over the sacred shoulders of the Noble Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, held the blessed hand and consoled in a very sympathetic tone with great respect and reverence and said to the Prophet Muhammad
صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, ‘Ya Rasoolallah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم)! Do not worry, surely Allah ( ) will fulfil His promise.’
Our Beloved Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم stopped supplicating on the request of his most loyal devotee Sayyiduna Siddeeq Akbar رضی اللہ عنہ and invoked following Quranic verse in Prophetic way full of conviction and determination:
This multitude will be chased out now, and they will turn their backs.
[Kanz-ul-Iman (Translation of Quran)] (Part 27, Surah Al-Qamar, verse 45)
In the morning, the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم delivered such an encouraging and stimulating sermon by reciting the verses of Jihad that it stirred each and every drop of blood of all Mujahidin with emotions. Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم also expressed his knowledge of the unseen and delivered the glad-tidings that if you people would stay in the battlefield with patience and perseverance; Allah will descend the angels’ army from the skies for your support.
Therefore, an army of five thousands angels descended in the battlefield and instantaneously, the scenario of the battlefield changed. Sayyiduna ‘Ali رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ was holding the flag of Muhajireen and Sayyiduna Sa’d Bin ‘Ubadah رضی اللہ عنہ was the flag bearer of the Ansaar. Seventy unbelievers were killed and seventy were arrested and the remaining ran off from the battlefield leaving their possessions behind. All the prominent war-chiefs of Quraysh were killed.
Among the Muslims, there were fourteen fortunate Muslims who embraced the rank of martyrdom and among these martyrs; there were six Muhajireen and eight Ansaar. The Muslims also won a huge amount of war booties that was left behind by the defeated army. Allah has mentioned the Battle of Badr and the army of angels in the following words of the Holy Quran:
Allah indeed helped you at Badr when you were without resources; so fear Allah, that you may become thankful. When you O dear Prophet (Muhammad) said to the believers, ‘Is it not sufficient for you that your Lord may assist you by sending down three thousand angels?’ Yes, why not? If you remain patient and become pious, and the unbelievers come upon you instantly, your Lord will send down five thousand marked angels to help you. And Allah did not bestow this victory except for your happiness, and that your hearts may attain peace with it; and there is no help except from Allah, the Dominant and the Wise.
[Kanz-ul-Iman (Translation of Quran)] (Part 4, Surah Aal-e-‘Imran, verse 123-126)
Moral: Despite having less soldiers and less armoury, the Muslims became victorious in the Battle of Badr. From this, we learn the moral lesson that success in not dependent upon magnitude of army and ammunition, instead it depends upon the Divine help from Allah because whenever He wills, He helps the Muslims by sending army of angels in the battlefield, and despite being less in manpower and military equipment, they still become victorious and defeat the pagans’ army. However, for such success and Divine support, Allah has mentioned two conditions: (i) Patience and (ii) piety.
If the Muslims show steadfastness in the battlefield observing stern faith in the Divine support from Allah and keep hold of patience and piety, then victory will embrace them on every frontier and the unbelievers will surrender and run away from the battlefield or will face death and suffer the infernal fire. One most essential thing in such conditions is that a Muslim should show perseverance like that of a mountain in the battlefield by observing piety and patience and should never pay heed towards the numeral shortage or plenty of war ammunition because Allah has said:
That the helper is Allah alone.
Some poet has mentioned similar thing in the following couplet:
Kafir ho to talwar pay kerta hay bharosa
Mu`min ho to bay-teegh bhi lerta hay sipahi
An unbeliever has sole belief in the power of sword
While a true believer fights even without sword