By G .M. Shakir  (Advocate)

A great writer on Islam has written “I have studied the life of Prophet(SAW) (SAW) from Quran and after complete study from the Quran studied the other books on his life’’. This, infact, suggests the most proper method of understanding the life of the benefactor of humanity. Reading it from the other books has caused many wrong misconceptions and sometime faulty conclusion. One of such misconceptions is regarding the battle of Badar .As the students of history, who have not studied the Quran, are of the opinion that Prophet(SAW) (SAW) left the Medina with his army to attack the caravan returning from Syria, but this is not confirmed by the Quran, similarly the chapter Anfal revealed just after the battle of Badar makes a mention of those people who had left Mecca with the intention of destroying Medina .The Quran says they had the intention to stop people from worshiping and treading the path shown by Allah. “Be not as those who came forth from their dwellings boastfully and to be seen of men, and debar (men) from the way of Allah, while Allah is surrounding all they do. _48”. The aim of this army was only to stop the people from the path of Allah. The Qurayish had also intended to make a show of their wealth and power; there were dancing girls, in army, to please the solider. They had intention to show their power to tribes who dwelt between the Medina and Mecca .It was Medina where the people were worshiping Allah and the Qurayish had intended to annihilate those .At the same time this chapter makes it abundantly clear that the army of the Muslims had left Medina with the intention of attacking  Qurayish and not the caravan .It is strange that three  hundred men would have been sent to attack the caravan of 40 persons .The Quran reads , “ Even as thy lord caused thee (Muhammad ) to go forth from thy home with the Truth , and lo !a party of the  believers were averse (to it) ,  Disputing with thee of the Truth after it had  been made manifest , as if they were being driven to death visible. And when Allah promised you one of the two bands (of the enemy) that it should be yours, and ye longed that other than the armed one might be yours. And Allah willed that He should cause the truth to triumph by His words, and cut the root of disbelievers; That He might cause the truth to triumph and bring vanity to naught, however much the guilty might oppose ;( 5-8 Al Anfal)”.
          This verse describes some actions/ traits of the Muslims when consultation was held at Medina. First of all it says that it was Allah who made the Prophet(SAW) (S.A.W.) to leave his home. It was not plan of any body or thought of any other  person. At the same time some persons  were averse to it .Though converted to Islam, they were not yet ready to sacrifice their wealth and lives for the noble cause .They pleaded that Muslim army should attack the caravan as the attack on the army would be dangerous. The Quran declared this action against the truth because according to Quran this was against the success of mission .The another proposition laid down by this verse is that the small band of army pleaded such for they considered attacking the Qurayish army was equal to facing the death. Attacking the caravan cannot be said facing the death as it had only 40 persons and if attacked by more than 300 persons it would have been crushed .Instead attacking 1000, having sufficient means of war was definitely dangerous for the Muslims and as such it could be termed facing the death. At the same time, it was not whole Muslim community who was of this view but only a small group.

          The Quran also describes the qualities of other two groups when it mentions one of the groups “would be yours”. The Quran says that you were wishing the group without arms be given over to you. Now which group was armless? Was it Qurayish army or the caravan? The caravan was returning from the trade whereas the army has come to attack Muslim and had sufficient arms for this purpose. The word “showkat” is important. In Arabic it is used as thorn, nail, and it is also used as fork.  Thus implying power. Pickthal has translated it “arms”, which is most appropriate in this context. However, as per Quran, Allah had plan to grant success to truth. It could not have been archived if Abu sufain and his caravan had been defeated. Instead it was possible only in case the army had been defeated. Will of the Allah is clear with the words “bring vanity to naught”. The power of Qurayish was crushed when the notorious enemies of Islam. Like Abu jehal, Atba  and some other mischief mongers were killed . the Arabic words “qata-i-darbir, literally means cutting the back. It is also used for cutting the roots of the trees and here it has been used to cut the roots of pagans.

These points make it clear that as per the  Quran the aim  of the Muslims army was to attack the Qurayish and not the caravan.
         Moreover if the books of the battle and life history are read it will be observed  that Muslims army had decided  to attack the army coming from Mecca. Umer-bin –Abdullah was young but was very zealous for going to the expedition. When the army reached outside Madina, he was sent back as he has not attained majority. The reason being that the joining of holy war is incumbent on the major persons .Some more youngsters were also directed to go back on the same principal. Hazarat khuzima asked his son to remain in Madina for looking after the children and ladies. Saad pleaded that it was the matter of martyrdom. They decided to the issue by lots and Saad’s name came in the lots so he left for the battle. Had ad there been design to attack the  caravan ,saad could not have guessed of martyrdom.  Besides, before leaving for battle, when a number of Muslims showed their intention of attacking the caravan and Prophet(SAW) (SAW) had something different in mind. He repeated the question . Miqdad-bin-amr(RA) who was from muhajirin said “o  messenger of god! Proceed as god has commanded to you we are with you regardless of what you decided. We shall not say as the children of Israel said to mosses: ‘go forth you and your lord and fight. As for us, we shall remain here sitting’(al maida) we rather say: ‘go forth, you and your lord ,and fight, and  we shall fight on your side as long as the eye lid of any one of us keeps moving . Ansars showed their intention to follow the Prophet(SAW)(SAW)  more vigoursly through Saad bin muadh (RA).saad said “ by the one who had sent you with the truth, if you will take us to the sea and plunge us in to it and none of us shall remain behind.” the words of ansars and muhajirin leaders also make it clear that grave situation was to be faced. Had the intention been to attack caravan, it was not a grave sutition .
             In fact the basis of the story of attacking the caravan has a tradition reported in Bukhari, “narrated kaab bin Malik :I never failed to join Allah’s apostle in any of his ghazwa except Tabook and Badar but none who failed to take part in Badar, was blamed , for Allah’s apostle had gone out to meet the caravan of (Qurayish, but Allah caused them (i.e. Muslim ) to meet their enemy unexpectedly (with no previous intention ).Though this tradion says that it had not been intended to attack army but Muslims unexpectedly met the Mecca army, but there are certain lacunas in it .First of all it is against the Quran.Second, this tradition is against what other books contain .thirdly ,Kab Bin Malik had failed to join the army during the battle of Badar .So his knowledge is not firsthand is Istinbat (inference)as has been held by shibli. Fourthly he had not said it in presence of the Prophet(SAW) (SAW) who could have approved ordisapproved  it . Instead Ali(ra) who had participated in this battle has reported, “when we came to Madina we had fruit to eat which did not suit us. The Prophet (SAW) (saw) used to ask about the Badar when we got the news that pagans are coming. The Prophet (SAW) left for Badar. Badar is the name of a well where we reached before the pagans.” This has been started in four books and has been declared sahih. This shows the intention to attack army and not caravan. Sahih muslin has also reported that when both, muhajirin and ansars showed firm faith and intention to follow the Prophet(SAW) in every difficulty, the Prophet(SAW) persuaded the people to join the battle, people left from Mecca and reached Badar. So it is clear that design was to attack the army of Qurayish and not the caravan.                       

Published article on the day of Ramzan 17th