THE Prophet (SAW) asked for the counselling of his followers intentionally. The request was directed at the Ansar. This was because it was one of the Muhajir who made the glowing remark of faithfulness and resolution to the Prophet (SAW). And one of the Ansar whose name was Saad volunteered to assure the Prophet (SAW), He said, “O! Prophet of Allah, we have believed whole-heartedly in your prophethood. We believe in the truth, and we made covenant to remain your faithful followers. Go on with the Message of Allah, your Creator. We pledge by Allah, your Creator that if you lead us, even onto the ocean we shall not hesitate to follow you. We do not go into fear and trepidation in the presence of the enemies while on the battle ground, and we persevere in the face of battle.” The rose and declared, “It is high time we struck! I can see enemies falling already on the battle field.”
In the meantime, the leader of the Quraish trading caravan, Abu Sufyan, acted on information he received while in Sham to take a detour to Mecca by plying the Red Sea coast in order to beat the Muslims who were laying siege for them. On getting to Mecca safely, Abu Jahli and other Quraish tribesmen who were fast advanced on their journey to recover their goods, Abu Sufyan advised them to come back to Mecca, having arrived safely with those goods. But Jahli ignored the advice. He boasted about their capacity to hit Badri and hold on for three days in Badri, partying with meat and wine. Abu Jahli intended to use this plan as means to intimidate the Arabs around the region.
However, there were dissenters to Abu Jahli’s proposal. Of a particular note was the Akhnass ibn Shariq of Zuhray extraction. He asked that his group should return to Mecca immediately as there was no reason for them to continue with the mission. All their goods and merchandise landed safely with their kinsmen in Mecca. So, they returned to Mecca and did not partake in the great battle of Badr. The Prophet (SAW) dispatched a two-man spy team ahead as he approached Badr. Aliyy ibn Abu Talib and Zubar ibn Awwan were specifically asked to feed back on the strength and logistics of the enemies’ camp. The duo found two labourers fetching water for the use of the Quraish in their camp. The two labourers were brought before the Prophet (SAW) who was attending to solat (prayers) at the time. The labourers were asked certain questions which were not answered as expected of them. This infuriated Aliyy ibn Abu Talib and Zubar ibn Awwan. The two labourers were taken to be Abu Sufyan’s sons. The two were beaten black and blue. The Prophet (SAW) was not comfortable with the manner in which the two young men were treated, and he was furious with Aliyy ibn Abu Talib and Zubar ibn Awwan. He made them realise that the two young men only lied to them that they were Abu Sufyan’s sons in order for them to be free from being punished further by their captors. The Prophet (SAW) then engaged the two young men in interrogation which was helpful. It was through this that the Quraish infidels were mobilised in large army to the great battle of Badr by simple logic. When the Prophet (SAW) asked, the two young labourers informed him that about 10 animals were slaughtered on a daily basis for their meals. This revelation made it simple for the Prophet (SAW) to come up with the figure (close to one thousand men) that fought the Muslims in the great battle of Badr. One of the great qualities and attributes of Rasulullah (SAW) as highly endowed in both military intelligence and war strategies must not be lost on anyone.
In the build-up to the battle, there came a major challenge in the camp of the Muslims. There was dearth of water for drinking and other uses. The main reason being the fact that the camp was built in a place that was too far away from a major source of water. However, there came succour for the Muslims. It was indeed a divine one, and it came to relieve the Prophet (SAW) and the entire followers that were with him in the cause of the great battle of Badri. A heavy rain fell to fetch them enough water for their thirst and other purposes. The rain came as rahma (divine mercy). And it came down purposely for the followers of the Prophet (SAW) who also doubled as believers and servants of Allah (SWT). The significance of this singular divine mercy was alluded to in the revelation of the Qur’an, Surat Al-Anfal (8:11).
The Muslims, as led by the Prophet (SAW), searched for a base from where they would attack the enemies from Mecca. The Prophet (SAW) then settled for a particular spot. But then, one of his faithful followers (As-Sahaba), Habbab ibn Mundhir Al-Ansariy humbly took permission from the Prophet (SAW) to advise on the decision taken. This companion of the Prophet (SAW) was renowned among the ummah for his wit and capacity to rationalise. He first sought to know from the Prophet (SAW) whether it was a revelation from Allah (SWT) that guided the decision to choose the location or by human instinct. The Prophet (SAW) replied him, saying the decision was human and personal. Habbab ibn Mundhir then concluded by asking the Prophet (SAW) to reconsider the choice of the location because the decision would not yield anything palatable for the ummah. He then suggested a location close to the river bank. With such a strategic location as the base for the Muslims’ army, the impending battle would be easier to prosecute. He added that the Quraish infidels would be blocked effectively from benefiting from water supply which would be so damaging to them at the war time. The Prophet (SAW) appreciated the wisdom in the advice and it was adopted by all.
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