BADR
THEN followed an era of battles. The Mecca’s were busy preparing
for an invasion of Medina. Abu Sufian, their leader, wanted to equip
them properly. He had, therefore, managed to bring, along with a caravan
of merchandise, a huge war supply from Syria.
To check the advance of that caravan seemed essential to the prophet
and his followers, for that would certainly reduce the power of the
Meccans. The “Ansar” (the Muslim inhabitants of medina)
and the Emigrants agreed to that and decided to attack the caravan.
An army of 313 set off from medina. In the meantime the news had reached
Mecca that the Muslim forces wanted to check the war supplies. There
gathered together a few big chiefs, collected an army of about one
thousand and marched off to medina. The little force of the prophet
had reached a village named “Badr” and the Meccan army
was also near at hand.
To face these odds was a difficult job, but Muhammad (pbuh) and his
followers were not afraid of that. A small battle was fought and the
proud Meccans were defeated. All the big chiefs were either killed
in the battle or taken prisoners, though released after a few days.
This overwhelming victory of Islam also silenced the Jew of Medina
and other tribes who were secretly making preparations to oust the
Muslims. But at the same time it exited the Meccans to avenge the
defeat at Badr and they busied themselves in making elaborate preparation
for another attack.
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