21st, 22nd Lecture, Battles of Islam

BATTLES OF ISLAM:
After concluding the agreements with inhabitants of

Madina and gaining confidence in the internal
security, the Prophet (PBUH) turned his attention to
the enemies of Islam (i.e. the Quraish in Mecca).
This was while hundreds of Muhajirs existed who
had left their entire wealth in Mecca under the
occupation of the Quraish and were now living in
utmost hardship, with the assistance of the Ansars.
To solve this problem, the Prophet (PBUH) would
dispatch warriors to overcome the trade caravans of
the Quraish who would pass near Medina on their
way to Mecca.
On one occasion, they gained control over a small
trade caravan belonging to the Quraish and the
Prophet (PBUH) distributed the spoils amongst the
indigents.
BATTLE OF BADAR
This state of affairs continued until the month of Ramadhan 2 A.H.
when it was reported to the Prophet (PBUH) that a big trade caravan
belonging to the Quraish was on its way from Syria to Mecca.
 The Prophet (PBUH) persuaded a few Muslims to move out of Medina
to keep watch over this trade caravan. For this purpose, one hundred
and thirteen men set out of Medina until they halted near a place
called “Badr “. The valley of “Badr “ is situated seven stops from
Medina.
The big trade caravan of the Quraish, under the leadership of “Abu
Sufyan “, received news of this event. Abu Sufyan informed the
Meccans about this entanglement but he managed to escape.
The Quraish set out from Mecca with a thousand well-equipped men
for encountering the Prophet (PBUH).
CONTINUED……
The Prophet’s (PBUH) army descended upon Badr. They prepared
a shady place for the Prophet (PBH) and then put guards near it.
The army of Quraish arrived, all decked up and ostentatious. And
on the seventeenth of Ramadhan, the famous battle of Badr
came to an end between the Muslims and the infidels.
From the Prophet’s (PBUH) army, Ali and Hamza exhibited their
valour and killed the chiefs and champions amongst the Quraish.
Amongst the Ansars too, the valiant battled fiercely.
In this war, the Muslims emerged victorious. Amongst them,
fourteen achieved martyrdom, six from the Muhajirs and eight
from the Ansars. Amongst the polytheists, seventy got killed and
another seventy were taken as captives.
Amongst those killed were Utbah, Shaibah and Hanzalah, Hind’s
father, brother and son respectively.
The effect of the battle of Badr on the people of the Arabian
Peninsula
 Amongst all the tribes in the Arabian Peninsula, the most respected and affluent
one was the tribe of Quraish in Mecca and its awesome presence was felt by one
and all.
 In contrast, the most helpless people in the Arabian Peninsula were the Muslims of
that time where a group amongst them fled to Ethiopia due to fear of torture and
persecution by the Quraish while another group got scattered and secretly sought
shelter in Medina.
 Amongst this helpless group, “one hundred and thirteen” unarmed men set out of
Medina for the purpose of laying hands on the trade caravan of the Quraish.
 And in contrast, “one thousand well-armed and fully equipped men “ from the
Quraish set out of Mecca with the aim of destroying the Muslims.
 These two groups, with all the differences that existed in their forces, battled
fiercely in the land of Badr. Eventually, seventy men (amongst who were Quraishite
chiefs) got killed and seventy men were taken as prisoners and this helpless group
took with themselves the tents, horses, camels, warring equipment and other
belongings of the Quraish to Medina. The survivors fled from the battlefield and
retreated towards Mecca. This astonishing phenomenon moved these
stonehearted men and altered their assessment on Islam and the Muslims.
CONTINUED….
Abdullah ibn Ubai who before the Prophet’s migration to
Medina was a candidate for being its king and the people
had prepared the royal throne for him). Just before the
battle of Badr, he passed his days and nights praying for
the Prophet’s (PBUH) defeat. But after the battle of Badr,
he gave up and accepted Islam along with all his followers.
On the other hand, the Jewish tribes, who had no
consideration for this helpless group of new-entrants to
Medina, realized their error after the battle of Badr. With
the progress of Islam in Medina, they were losing their
own factors of advancement, superiority and lordship
The battle of Uhud
 Uhud is the name of a mountain situated one mile from Medina. In the
year 3 A.H., the Quraishite infidels marched towards Medina under the
leadership of Abu Sufyan with a well-equipped army and on Wednesday,
12th Shawwal of the same year, they set up tents near Mount Uhud.
 Abu Sufyan had brought along with his army the two idols of the
Quraish, Laat and Uzzah. Moreover, fifteen of the Quraishite chiefs.’
wives too, headed by Abu-Sufyan’s own wife (Hind) had joined his army
with the aim of encouraging the soldiers.
 The Prophet (PBUH) consulted the Muhajirs and the Ansars whether
they should remain in Medina and fight the Quraish in hand to hand
combat in the streets of Medina, with which the Quraish soldiers are
unacquainted, and the women and children attack them from roof-tops?
Or, they set out of Medina and fight the Quraish in the desert?
CONTINUED…….
As far as strategy was concerned, the Prophet (PBUH) personally
thought it to be more prudent to stay in Medina and fight. Abdullah-
ibn-Abi , the leader of the Aws tribe, held the same view. But, most of
the warriors including Hamza said, ‘If we don.’t go outside Medina to
face the enemy, then defeat is certain..’
The Prophet (PBUH) thought it wise to accept the opinion of the
enthusiastic Islamic soldiers and confront the Quraish outside Medina
because, if he stayed back in Medina, the Islamic soldiers.’ morale (for
achieving martyrdom) which was accompanied with fervor and
excitement would be shattered.
The Prophet (PBUH) left Medina with a thousand soldiers and amongst
them were Abdullah ibn Ubai and his followers. On the way, Abdullah
ibn Ubai addressed his followers as such, “The Prophet acted upon the
opinion of the youngsters while he disregarded our views. “ Saying
this, he returned to Medina with three hundred of his followers.
CONTINUED…..
• The Prophet (PBUH) reached near Mount Uhud with seven
hundred soldiers and there, they came face to face with the
Quraish army. The battle began on Saturday 15th of Shawwal
and ended on the same day too. Array of troops on both sides
• The Prophet (PBUH) marshalled seven hundred Islamic
soldiers in front of Mount Uhud in such manner that Mt.
Uhud lay behind them. He placed fifty archers headed by
Abdullah ibn Zubair behind the army for the purpose of
guarding the mountain slope, so that if ever the Quraish
horsemen thought of attacking the army from the rear, the
archers would drive them away.
CONTINUED…..
• the battle between the two armies began. Ali displayed such magnanimity
that he destroyed the standard bearers of Quraish. When one would fall,
the other would raise the flag on his shoulder. The battle continued in this
manner until ten amongst them were killed. Thereafter, the freed one
amongst them carried the flag. Ali killed him as well. At this moment, the
Quraishite flag fell on the ground.
• When the Quraish witnessed this scene, they began to flee. When the men
guarding the mountain slope saw this, they felt that the battle had come to
an end. Amongst them, forty disobeyed their commander and abandoned
their duty and joined the Islamic soldiers in plundering the Quraishite
tents.
• Observing this scene, Khalid ibn Walid took advantage of this opportunity
and appeared from the rear of the mountain with two hundred horsemen
and killed Abdullah ibn Jubair and a few of his associates.

21st, 22nd Lecture, Battles of Islam

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BATTLES OF ISLAM:

After concluding the agreements with inhabitants of

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