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"Allah did indeed fulfil His Promise
to you, when you were about to annihilate the enemy with His permission,
until you flinched and fell to disputing about the command, and
disobeyed after He showed you what you covet. Among you were some
that hankered after this world and among you were some that desired
the Hereafter. Then did He divert you from them in order to test
you. But He has forgiven you, for Allah is full of grace to those
who have faith."
[Quran 3:152]
Everybody in Makkah rejoiced
at tbe arrival of the caravan from Palestine. The caravan had been
in grave danger during the few days it moved along the coastal road
near Madinah and very nearly fell into the hands of the Muslims.
It was only the skill and leadership of Abu Sufyan, who led the
caravan, that saved it from capture. The caravan consisted of 1,000
camels and had taken goods worth 50,000 dinars, on which Abu Sufyan
had made a cent per cent profit. Since every family of note in Makkah
had invested in this caravan, its return with so much profit was
a matter of jubilation for all Makkah. And it was spring in Arabia:
the month of March, 624.
Even as the people of Makkah sang and danced,
and the merchants rubbed their hands while awaiting their share
of the profit, the battered and broken army of the Quraish picked
its weary way towards Makkah. This army had rushed out in response
to Abu Sufyan's call for help when he had first realised the danger
from the Muslims. Before the Quraish army could come into action,
however, Abu Sufyan had extricated the caravan and sent word to
the Quraish to return to Makkah as the danger had passed. But Abu
Jahl, who commanded the army, would have none of this. He had spent
the past 15 years of his life in bitter opposition to the Prophet,
and he was not going to let this opportunity slip away. Instead
of returning, he had precipitated a battle with the Muslims.
Now this proud army was returning home in a state
of shock and humiliation.
While the Quraish army was still on its way, a
messenger from it sped to Makkah on a fast camel. As he entered
the outskirts of the town, he tore his shirt and wailed aloud, announcing
tragedy. The people of Makkah hastily gathered around him to seek
news of the battle. They would ask about their dear ones and he
would tell of their fate. Among those present were Abu Sufyan and
his wife, Hind.
From this messenger Hind heard of the loss of
her dear ones; of the death of her father, Utbah, at the hands of
Ali and Hamza, uncle of the Prophet; of the death of her uncle,
Sheiba, at the hands of Hamza; of the death of her brother, Waleed,
at the hands of Ali; of the death of her son, Handhalah, at the
hands of Ali. She cursed Hamza and Ali and swore vengeance.
The Battle of Badr was the first major clash between
the Muslims and their enemies. A small force of 313 Muslims had
stood like a rock against the onslaught of 1,000 infidels. After
an hour or two of severe fighting the Muslims had shattered the
Quraish army, and the Quraish had fled in disorder from the battlefield.
The finest of the Quraish had fallen in battle or been taken prisoner.
A total of 70 infidels had been killed and another
70 captured by the Muslims, at a cost of only 14 Muslim dead. Among
those killed were 17 members of the Bani Makhzum, most of them either
cousins or nephews of Khalid. Abu Jahl had been killed. Khalid's
brother, Waleed, had been taken prisoner.
As the messenger announced the names of those
who had fallen and those who had killed them, the Quraish noted
the frequency with which the names of Ali and Hamza were repeated.
Ali had killed 18 men by himself and had shared in the killing of
four others. Hamza had killed four men and shared with Ali in the
killing of another four. The name of Ali thus dominated the proceedings
of this sad assembly.
Two days later Abu Sufyan held a conference of
all the leaders of the Quraish. There was not one amongst them who
had not lost a dear one at Badr, Some had lost fathers, some sons,
some brothers. The most vociferous at the conference were Safwan
bin Ummayya and Ikrimah, son of Abu Jahl.
Ikrimah was the most difficult to restrain.
His father had had the distinction of commanding the Quraish army
at Badr and had fallen in battle. The son drew some comfort from
the fact that his father had killed a Muslim at Badr and that he
himself had killed another. Moreover, he had attacked and severed
the arm of the Muslim who had mortally wounded his father; but that
was not enough to quench his thirst for revenge. He insisted that
as noble Quraish they were honour-bound to take revenge.
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