(8:7)” Generally the historians have believed the cohorts of...

(8:7)” Generally the historians have believed the cohorts of Banū-Umayyah that the Prophet (a.s) came out with the intention of plundering the caravan of Abū-Sufyan, but instead of finding the caravan, he came across the Quraysh troops. It is a pity that the historians have included even the Prophet (a.s) among the persons who had the thought of plunder and loot and termed it as the only purpose for the campaign.

Therefore, Muhammad ibn Isma`il al-Bukhari writes: “The Prophet (a.s) moved out with the idea of getting the Caravan of the Quraysh, and unexpectedly he came across the enemy (troops).”[1] This stand is contrary to the clarifications made by the Holy Qur’an. It says about the events of Badr: كَمَا أَخْرَجَكَ رَبُّكَ مِنْ بَيْتِكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَإِنَّ فَرِيقًا مِنْ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَكَارِهُونَ. يُجَادِلُونَكَ فِي الْحَقِّ بَعْدَ مَا تَبَيَّنَ كَأَنَّمَا يُسَاقُونَ إِلَى الْمَوْتِ وَهُمْ يَنظُرُونَ.

“As your Sustainer has sent you out of your home with the Truth, when one group of Muslims was talking against the war and on knowing about the Truth was fighting with you as if in front of their eyes they were being pushed towards death. (8:5-6)” If the move of the Prophet (a.s) were to plunder the Caravan, it would have been exactly the same way, as some Muslims wanted it. Then there would have been no reason for them to protest and fight and think that they were being pushed towards death.

They knew it that Abū-Sufyan’s Caravan had no more than forty persons and the Muslim men totaled over three hundred. This expression of a group of Muslims was because they were scared of the large number of the Quraysh Troops. We have to accept the fact in the light of what the Holy Qur’an says that the Prophet (a.s) did not move out to plunder the caravan, but to prepare in advance to meet the onslaught of the Quraysh Army! Therefore, `Ali (a.s) says: “The Prophet (a.s) used to ask about Badr.

When we learned that the Infidels have moved forward, the Prophet (a.s) moved towards Badr. Badr is the name of a well where we reached earlier than the infidel Quraysh”[2] [1] Sahīh al-Bukhārī, Vol 3, Page 3 [2] Tārīkh Tabarī, Vol 2, Page 133 This was the first major war between Islam and infidelity. The Muslims were poorly equipped and in small numbers as compared with the expected strength of the enemy.

Therefore, the Prophet (a.s) thought it necessary to take the opinion of the Ansar and Muhajirūn about their willingness to take on the formidable adversary.

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