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First Saryah under the
Command of Hamzah
Seven month after Hijrat, during the month of Ramadan, the Holy Prophet ( peace be upon him)
dispatched the first Saryah toward a convoy of the Quraish under the
command of Hamzah with thirty soldiers of Muhahireen and with a flag. But
as soon as they reached the bank of the river, Majdi bin Amr Jehani
intervened at the very outset of the confrontation and the fight was
averted.
Saryah
Ubaid Bin Al-Harith and Beginning of Archery in Islam
During the month of Shawwal in 1A.H. the Holy Prophet ( peace be
upon him) dispatched another Saryah under the command of Hadrat Ubaidah bin Al-Harith with sixty
soldiers toward Batn Rabigh against Abu Sufyan. It was in this Jehad that
the first arrow was shot on the infidels by Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas and it was
in fact the first arrow ever used by the Muslims against the infidels.
THE YEAR 2 A .H .
Change of Qiblah
In 2 A.H. a great change
came in the Islamic way of life among the Muslims, when according to the
desire of the Holy Prophet ( peace be upon him), their Qiblah, the
direction for regular prayer, was changed by Almighty Allah toward
Ka'bah in Mecca instead of Baitul Maqdas for the worship of Almighty Allah
alone and to serve the purpose of their unity.
Saryah
Abudullah Bin Jahsh
During the month of Rahab of 2 A.H . the Holy Prophet ( peace be upon him) dispatched a Saryah
toward Nakhalh under the command of Hadrat Abdullah bin Jahsh to check a
caravan of the Quraish. Incidentally, it was 1st of Rajab, when they
confronted the caravan. Though fighting was prohibited in Islam in Rajab,
it being one of the months during which fighting of any sort was initially
prohibited, the Islamic troop, consisting of twelve Muhajir Sahabah,
mistook that day for the 30th Jamadi-uth-thani, as reported in
Labab-un-Naqool and Baizawi on the authority of Ibn-e-Jareer and Baihaqi.
Therefore after mutual consultation, they decided to confront the enemy,
and they did so, as a result of which the leader of the caravan was
killed, two persons were arrested and the rest of them skipped away.
First Booty in Islam
The victorious
Muslims in the Saryah took in possession a lot of booty, which was
distributed among the participants of Jehad by the commander of the
Saryah, and the fifth share of it was set apart for Bait-ul-Mal (Islamic
Treasury). According to some reports, when they came in the presence of
the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) with the whole booty, he told them
that he had not ordered them to fight during the prohibited month
i.e.Rajab. Finally this booty was distributed along with the booty
received after victory in Ghazwah Badr. As a consequence of this event,
the news spread in Arabia that the Prophet had allowed fighting during the
prohibited months, but this false rumour was rebutted by the Holy Qur'an,
as that very moment the following verse was revealed:
" O prophet !
They ask you about the prohibited month,"
Ghazwah
Badr
Badr is the name of
well and its adjacent village about eighty miles away from Medina
Manawwarah. Following is the brief account of the great Jehad, Ghazwaah
Badr, which was fought at this place:
A big caravan of the Quraish was returning from Syria. On receiving this
information, the Holy Prophet ( peace be upon him) set out with his
313 companion (Sahabah) on the 12th of Ramadan in 2 A.H. for attack and
encamped at Roha, a place forty miles away from Medina toward South. When
the Quraish leader know about the situation, he took the caravan by the
river's bank and simultaneously sent a speedy rider with the message to
the the Quraish in Mecca to reach the site of confrontation immediately
with their full might and protect the caravan. The Quraish were already
planning for the annihilation of the Muslims. As soon as this news spread
in Mecca, they immediately set out to face the situation with a big army
consisting of nine hundred camels. The prominent chiefs and well-off
people from among the Quraish had also joined this army.
Devotion of Sahabah
When the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) came to know this dangerous step taken by the Quraish, Prophet consulted his Sahabah. Siddiq-e-Akbar and other Sahabah
presented their wealth and offered the sacrifice of their own lives. Omer
bin Waqqas was under age at that time and for this reason the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) withheld him from participating in Jehad but he
started weeping. Thereupon the Prophet allowed him and he took part in
Jehad.
Sa'd bin Abadah, the chief of Khaztaj tribe from among the
Ansaar, stoop up and said: " By Allah; We are prepared to plunge into
the sea even, if you order so! It is reported in Saheeh BuKhari that
Miqdad, said: "O Messenger of Allah, We shall fight on your right, on
your left, in front of you and behind you against the enemy."
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was much pleased to hear all this. He
ordered his men to advance. When they reached near Badr, they came to know
that Abu Sufyan had managed to escape with his caravan and the big army of
the Quraish had encamped on the other side of the battlefield. When the
caravan had escaped, Abu Jahl had counselled Quraish not to postpone the
battle, The Muslims having heard about it advanced, but the Quraish had
already occupied that part of the field which was better from the war
point of view. The water resources were also in their favour. And the
Muslims had to occupy the sandy field, devoid of water, as they had
reaches late.
Divine Help
Since Almighty Allah had promised help and victory of the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him) and his Companions, He provided them the resources
accordingly. There and then it rained and consequently the sand in the field
settled down. The Islamic army satisfied itself with the water, filled all
their utensils with water and preserved the rest of the water by making a
pool. But the same water of the rain caused so much mud in the field
occupied by the infidels that it was quite difficult for them to walk. When
both the armies confronted with each other, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) stood up himself to arrange the ranks of his men properly. Thus the
Islamic army was ready like a solid structure.
Fulfilment of Promise by
Muslims
Only
three hundred and thirteen Muslims, without the essential worldly and
military resources, had to face a well equipped and prestigious army of
the infidels, At such a time the help of even a single additional man
would have been considered a boon, but Islam exhorts its followers that
the fulfilment of promise is more important than all such favours. At
such a critical moment right in the battlefield, Hadrat Huzaifah and Abu
Hasal arrived for participation in Jehad. They explained to the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) how the infidels dissuaded them from joining
the Islamic army. They were warlaid and asked if they were going to help
Muhammad (peace be upon him), but they denied and promised the infidels
that they would not participate in Jehad. When the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) came to know about their promise with the infidels, he
disallowed both of them to participate in Jehad and said:
" We shall fulfil the
promise in every case. For us Allah's help is enough. That's all."
As soon as the ranks of the Mujahideen were
arranged the fight started. First of all, according to the custom, there
was a duel between the bravest soldiers from both the sided. Three brave
men of the Quraish came forward and challenged the Muslim army to send
their own bravest men fro duel with them. Hadrat Ali, Hamzah bin Abdul
Muttalib and Ubaidah bin Al-Harith came out and had duel with their
respective individual challengers. All the three infidels were killed and
from among the Muslims only. Ubaidah was fatally injured, whom Hadrat Ali
carried in his shoulders and brought before the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him). The prophet made him lie down and let his own thigh serve as a
pillow for Ubaidah's head and he himself cleaned his face. Ubaidah, just
before his last breath, asked the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) whether
he had been deprived of the title of a martyr, but the Prophet assured him
that he was martyr and he himself was witness to it. Thereupon
Ubaidah smiled and said: "Had Abu Talib been alive today, he must
have acknowledged that his verses are fully applicable to me?"
Abu Talib, the uncle of the
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), who was vehemently supported him
expressed his enthusiastic
support in these words: By the House of Allah, it is not correct to think
that we would let you put Muhammad's life to an end without a beetle fight
with lances and arrows or hand him over to you unless our dead bodies are
scattering around him forgetting our own descendants.
When Ubaidah
breathed his last, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) stepped down his
grave and himself laid his body in the grave; and this unique honour was
awarded only to Ubaidah from among all other Sahanah.
Sahabah's Wonderful Devotion
and Bravery
When both the armies confronted each other, it was observed
by Sahabah
that their that their own kith and kin were the targets of their swords,
but this Army of Allah belived:
" Thousands of the kith and kin, unmindful of Allah, can be
sacrificed for the sake of one who recognizes Allah." Accordingly,
when the sin of Siddiq-eAkbar (who was infidel at that time) came forward
in the battlefield, Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddiq did not hesitae in drawing his
sword against him. When Utbah came in front, his son Hadrat Huzaifah drew
his sword against him, and Hadrat Umar killed his own maternal uncle
when hw advanced in the field. Thereafter open and reckless fight started.
While this fight was on, the leading Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him) was in the state of Sajdah before Almighty Allah, praying for the
help and victory of the Islamic army.
Murder
of Abu Jahl
Since Abu Jahl was most notorious for his mischiefs and enmity against Islam, Hadrat
Ma'awwaz and Ma'az two brothers and quite young, from among the Ansaar,
had pledged that they would either kill Abu Jahl or be killed, if they
could see him. They did not recognize Abu Jahl. Therefore they asked
Hadrat Abdur Rahman bin Auf his whereabout. As soon as they recognized
him, both of them pounced upon him like a hawk, in order to fulfil their
pledge, and he was slain in no time. Ikramah (not yet a Muslim), son of
Abu Jahl, attacked Ma'az from behind and cut off his shoulder, which was
still hanging with the cord. Ikramah ran away from the battlefield, but
Ma'az was still fighting in the same condition. Since the hanging shoulder
was causing pain, he pressed its hand under his foot and pulled it. As a
result of this pull the cord separated from the body along with the
chopped shoulder, and Ma'az resumed his Jehad.
A Marvellous Miracle
By the will of Allah,
the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) threw a handful of pebbles towaed the
army o fthe enemy and oredered the Sahabah to swoop upon the enemy all at
once. As soon as the Sahabah, outwardly just a small group of fighters,
advanced toward their enemies, Almighty Allah sent a force of the angels
to their help and thus fulfilled His promise of His help and victory for
the Muslims. The prominent chiefs of the Quraish were killed and the rest
of them staggered and fled away from the battlefield. The Muslims chased
them, killed some of them and arrested some others. Seventy men of the
enemy force were killed and seventy were imprisoned. The prominent chiefs
of the Quraish killed in the battle were Utbah, Shaibah, Abu Jahl and
Ummayyah bin Khalf. On the side of the Muslims Only fourteen men were
martyred-- six from among the Muhajireen and eight from among the Ansaar.
When the prisoners of war of
the Ghazwah Badr reached Medina, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
distributed them among his Sahabah in twos and fours and ordered them to
keep these prisoners with courtesy and comfort. Them reaction of Sahanah
was that at occasions they themselves depended on dates alone, but
provided good food to their prisoners. Abu Aziz, brother of Hadrat Mus'ab
bin Umair, was also one of the prisoners of war. He stated that the Ansaar
to whom he was entrusted used to provide him with the proper meals but
they satisfied their own hunger with dates alone.
After consultation
with Sahaba, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) decided that the
prisoners be released on payment of a fixed ransom. Therefore, every on of
them, who paid four thousand Dirham as ransom, was released.
Miscellaneous Events of the Year
It was this very year that the
People had already buried Prophet's daughter Ruqiyyah and were just removing the dust from their hands at her
grave, when the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) returned from Ghazwah
Badar.
During the same year after their return from Ghazwah Badr, the
Muslims offered the Idul-Fitr prayer for the first time. And in the same
year fasting, Sadaw-tul-Fitr, The 'Idul-Adha prayer and the animals,
Sacrifice were declared Wajib
(i.e. compulsory for those who could). Hadrat Fatimah was married in the
month of Zil-Hij of the same of the year.
Islamic Equality
Hadrat Abbas (who had not yet embraced Islam), the uncle of the Holy
prophet (peace be upon him), was also among the prisoners. He used to cry
at night due to the discomfort in prison. When the Prophet heard his
voice, he couldn't sleep. His Companions asked him the cause of his
sleepless night. He replied, "How could I sleep, when my respected
uncle's voice if crying was being heard by me?"
Despite all such intolerable things,
the spirit of equality in Islam, did not allow the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) to set free his own and fairly old uncle without any ransom.
Since the amount of ransom was more than four thousand in the case of
wealthy prisoners, and Abbas was also a wealthy one, he had also to pay
more than four thousand ransom before his release. The Ansaar did request
the Prophet that the ransom of Abbas may be condoned, but his reply was
the at the Islamic Equality demanded equal treatment with all, whether a
relative, a friend of a foe. So that Ansaar's request was rejected in this
case. Similarly, in the case of his son-in-law, Abul Asa (not yet a
Muslim), who was also prisoner of war, no discriminatory treatment was
allowed. He was also required a ransom. Since he did not have the required
amount, a message was sent to his wife (i.e. Zainab, the daughter of
Prophet), to send the required amount of ransom. he was wearing a
necklace, a part of her dowery presented by her mother, Khadijah. She sent
the same necklace as ransom. When the prophet was the necklace, his eyes
were filled with tears and asked the Sahabah to return it to Zainab, if
they agreed, because it was the memorabilia of her mother. The Sahabah
gladly agreed to the proposal. The necklace was returned but Adul Aas was
required to send Zainab to Medina in return.
Embracement of Islam by Adul Aas
According to the condition, Abul Aas sent Zainab to Medina on his arrival
at Mecca after his release. He was a big trader and incidentally on one
occasion, while returning from Syria with his merchandise, he was again
arrested. This time, when he returned to Mecca, he cleared the accounts of
all his share-holders and then embraced Islam. He told the people the he
had embraced Islam in Mecca so that they might not say that he had become
Muslim in Medina either out of fear of their demand for their share of
merchandise or due to coercion.
The prisoners of Badr were short of clothes. The Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered for supply of clothes to them. Hadrat
Abbas was too long for any mantle supplied to him. Then Abdullah bin Ubayy
(chief of the Munafiqeen) offered him his own mantle. The mantle of his
own body, that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had awared for the
shroud of Abdullah bin Ubayy, was also the reciprocal gesture for the
similar favour that Abdullah had done to the Prophet's uncle Abbas.
The educated prisoners, who
could not pay the ransom, were asked to educate ten Muslim children each
and this was considered as their ransom. Hadrat Zaid bin Sabit learned
reading and writhig form the same prisoner.
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