The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, heard of a Quraysh caravan that had arrived from the Levant to Mecca, and it was being led by Abu Sufyan bin Harb with men not exceeding forty.

The Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, wanted to attack the caravan and seize it in response to what the polytheists did when the Muslims migrated to Medina, and he said to his companions: “This is the caravan of Quraysh, in which is their money, so go out to it.”

This was on the third of Ramadan in the second year of the Hijra, and the number of Muslims reached three hundred and thirteen men, and with them were two horsemen and seventy camels.

The Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, left Abdullah bin Umm Maktoum as governor of Medina. When Abu Sufyan learned about the matter of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and his companions, he sent Damdam bin Amr Al-Ghafari to the people of Mecca asking for their help.

When Damdam reached the people of Quraysh, he shouted to them, saying: “O people of Quraysh, your money is with Abu Sufyan. Muhammad and his companions have shown it to me. I do not think you will realize it.”

The polytheists raised a violent revolt, and were equipped with nine hundred and fifty men, along with one hundred horses and seven hundred camels.

News came to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, that Abu Sufyan’s caravan had changed the direction of its route, and that he would reach it tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

So Abu Sufyan sent a message to the people of Mecca that God had saved his caravan, and that there was no need for help. But Abu Jahl became angry and said: “By God, we will not return until we return Badr.”

The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, gathered his companions and said to them: God revealed the following noble verse:

((And when God promised you that one of the two groups would be yours, and you wished that the one without thorns would be yours, and God wanted to establish the truth with His words and protect Smite the end of the disbelievers))

Then Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad stood up and said: “Go, O Messenger of God, as your Lord has commanded you.

By God, we do not say to you as the Children of Israel said to Moses: ((They said, ‘O Moses, we will never enter it as long as they hold it, so go you and your Lord and fight.

We are sitting here.’)) But we say to you.” “Go, you and your Lord, and fight. We are fighters with you.” So the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, gave good news, then said: “Admonish me, O people (he means the Ansar).

Then Saad bin Muadh stood up and said: “O Messenger of God, we have believed in you, we have believed in you, and we have given you our covenants, so go ahead as God has commanded you.

By the One who sent you with the truth, if you were to cross this sea with us and wade into it, we would wade into it with you, not a single man of us would leave behind.”

So the Messenger, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: “Rejoice, by God.” It is as if I am looking at a people’s wrestler.” The polytheists arrived at Badr and camped at the extreme enemy, while the Muslims camped at the lowest enemy.