It is related that when his lordship the refuge of termination —u. w. b.—came out from the shelter,* he took up a handful of gravel, projected it towards the infidels, and exclaimed: ‘The countenances are deformed.’* According to another tradition, he said before throwing the gravel: ‘They will all flee and turn their backs,’ and then he encouraged his companions to fight. Hakym B. Huzâm says: ‘On the day of Bedr I heard a sound descending from the sky, resembling the sound of pebbles falling into a dish, which happened when the apostle—u. w. b.—was throwing the gravel towards us; and after that we were put to flight.’ It is related that Moa’wiah Kanâny said: ‘On that day I heard in my rear a sound as of gravel falling into a plate, by which we were all frightened, and the verse “Neither didst thou, O Muhammad, cast [the gravel] when thou didst [seem to] cast it”* was revealed on that occasion.’
There is a tradition of Murtadza A’li—u. w. b.—that he said: ‘I went thrice from the battle-field to the shelter, to see the prince of the world—u. w. b.—but found him each time engaged in adoration, exclaiming: “O ever-living Eternal One, I implore succour from Thy mercy.” And after the third time Allah the Most High granted us victory.’ It is likewise related of his lordship A’li—u. w. b. —the Commander of the Faithful, that he said on the day of Bedr: ‘A wind commenced to blow, the like of which in violence I had never witnessed before. Afterwards there was another gust, and then a third. With the first Jebrâil, with the second Mykâyl, and with the third Asrafyl arrived, each of them leading one thousand angels.’ There is further a tradition that Ebn A’bbâs said: ‘When the army stood in battle array, his lordship the apostle—u. w. b.— entered the shelter and slumbered awhile. When he awoke he gave to the Musalmâns the glad tidings that Jebrâil was with a company of angels standing on the right flank of the army, Mykâyl with a number of celestial spirits on the left, and Asrafyl with a multitude in front of the troops.
On that day Satan assumed the form of Sorâqah B. Mâlek, and said to the Qoraish: ‘Nobody will defeat you.’ When, however, that accursed one beheld the angels, he turned his back upon the infidels, and said: ‘I am free of you, for I see something which you do not see.’ Hâreth, who took him to be really Sorâqah, attacked him, but Satan gave him such a blow on the breast that he fell to the ground, and after that himself fled into the sea. When this strange scene was taking place, Abu Jahl invited the people to fight, and said: ‘O ye Qoraish, let not the words and the imbecility of Sorâqah deceive you; for he is connected with Muhammad and his companions, and when we return to Ghadyr,* Sorâqah will see what we shall do to his people. Be not dismayed at the death of Shaybah, O’tbah, and Wolyd, they having been self-opinioned and forward to fight; they had also sworn that they would not budge from the place until they had tied Muhammad and his companions to one rope. I advise you not to slay Muhammad, but to capture him and everyone alive, so that we may punish them, and hinder the people from abandoning the religion which their fathers professed.’
Wâqidi says there is a tradition of Sohayl B. A’mru according to which he spoke as follows: ‘Verily, on the day of Bedr I have seen men dressed in white garments, soaring between heaven and earth, and mounted on piebald steeds, engaged in slaying and capturing the enemies.’ Abu Asyd narrates of a man belonging to the Ghuffâr tribe, that he said: ‘I and the son of my uncle ascended a mountain on the day of Bedr to see which of the two parties would be victorious, and, though we were both idolaters, we beheld on that occasion a cloud near us, in the midst whereof we heard the neighing of horses and the clattering of iron. We also heard a voice shouting, “Aqdim hyzdum!” and the dreadfulness of this voice burst the veil of my cousin’s heart so that he died on the spot. I myself nearly expired, but nevertheless took courage to look where the cloud would proceed to, and saw it approaching the apostle and his companions. After a short time, however, it returned again, and then I no longer heard any sounds as before.’
It is recorded in chronicles that the apostle—u. w. b.— asked Jebrâil who the individual was that shouted Aqdim hydzum on the day of Bedr, but Jebrâil said: ‘O Muhammad, I am not acquainted with all the inhabitants of heaven!’ Some say that Aqdim with Fath and Hamzah, and Kesra to the Dâl is derived from Aqdâm, which word the Arabs have considered as an exclamation to a horse, the vocative particle itself being omitted. According to another tradition Hydzum was the name of the horse of Jebrâil.
It is related of Sâyb B. Hanys that he said: ‘I swear by God that on the day of Bedr no human being has made a prisoner.’ And being asked who had captured him, he continued: ‘When the Qoraish began to flee, I necessarily followed them, and all of a sudden I beheld a tall white individual riding on a piebald horse in mid-air. That person approached and tied me. On that occasion A’bdu-r-rahman B. A’wuf arrived, and, finding me bound, exclaimed many times: “Whose prisoner is this man?” but, receiving no answer, he conveyed me to the prophet, who exclaimed: “O Ebn Hanys, who has made thee prisoner?” And I, unwilling to state the actual fact, said: “I do not know the man!” Then the apostle said: “One of the blessed angels has captured him,” and added: “O Ebn A’wuf, take away thy prisoner.”’
It is related of Abu Haryrah that he said: ‘On the day of Bedr I brought three heads of idolaters to his holy and prophetic lordship—u. w. b.—and said: “O apostle of God, I have killed two of these fellows, and a tall white man cut off the head of the third.” His lordship replied: “He is one of the angels.”’ It is related of the apostle—u. w. b.— that he said: ‘I was victorious with the breeze, and have sent my enemies to destruction.’ But if the musky pen were to record the details of the traditions which have come down to us on this subject, the present work would become too extensive. In short, it is related in the Raudzatu-l-ahbâb that the idolaters heard the neighing of horses of the angels; this assertion, however, contradicts all the biographers.
It is related that on the said day the garments of the angels were white, and their turbans green, yellow and red, the corners whereof hung down in their rear; and from the front as well as from the tail of every horse a bunch of cotton was suspended. It is necessary to inform the reader that all the professors of the religion consider the descent of the angels on the day of Bedr to have been a real fact, namely, that their bodies have come down from a high to a low place. Some doctors of divinity have, however, explained the event in another manner, which it is not proper to record in this place, and they have been at variance with those who state that the angels really fought against the unbelievers. Others say that they actually took part in the battle, while some maintain that they descended merely to cause the professors of Islâm to appear very numerous in the sight of the idolaters, each party adducing arguments of their own to confirm their views, which are recorded in books, and after the gently ambling reed has mentioned the fight of the angels, it descends to [record] that of men.
It is related that when the professors of Islâm and of infidelity attacked each other, and the flames of the battle had been rekindled, A’assum B. Abu A’wdzub As-Sahmy raised his voice in the ranks of the contest like a furious lion, and said: ‘O ye Qoraish, do not spare the man who scorns his own relatives and sows discontent. If he remains safe I shall not be safe.’ By these words he alluded to his lordship the apostle—u. w. b.—but while he was yet speaking Abu Dujjânah, the Anssâri, sent him with one blow of his sword to the infernal regions. At the same time Moa’bd B. Wuhub struck Abu Dujjânah so that he fell on his knees, but immediately rose again, and aimed several blows at Moa’bd, none of which, however, took effect. The latter, nevertheless, fled from the former, till he fell into a hole, where Abu Dujjânah attacked and finally slew him.
There is a tradition that when the apostle of God heard of Naufil’s being in the army of the Qoraish, he exclaimed: ‘O God, reward Naufil, the son of Khowylad,’ who is said to have been shouting on the day of Bedr: ‘O ye Qoraish, this is a day of exultation and of honour;’ but when he saw the people fleeing, to have exclaimed: ‘O ye Anssâr, what profit will you derive from killing us? Do not you want camels?’ — thereby implying that they ought rather to make them prisoners and to accept camels as a ransom. At last Jubbâr B. Al-ssahar, the Anssâri, captured him, placed him in front of himself, and was thus bearing him away when all of a sudden they met the lion of reiteration, and when Naufil perceived that A’li Murtadza—u. w. b.— was approaching them, he said to Jubbâr: ‘O brother Anssâri, I swear by Lât and by U’zza I see a man coming towards me.’ Jubbâr replied: ‘It is A’li Bin Abu Tâleb.’ Naufil continued: ‘By Allah! I have seen no one more skilled in killing his antagonists than this man.’ When Murtadza A’li—u. w. b.—arrived close to Naufil he threw a sabre at his head, which stuck into it. After that he pulled it out, and struck his legs therewith so as to maim them, and with one stroke more he killed the man. When he arrived in the assembly of his prophetic lordship, the latter asked: ‘Knows anyone what has become of Naufil B. Khowylad?’ Murtadza A’li—u. w. b.—replied: ‘I have killed him.’ Hereon his lordship shouted the Takbyr [magnification of God], and said: ‘Praise be to Allah, who has answered my prayer.’ In the Aa’llâmu-l-wara it is recorded that before the flight [of Muhammad from Mekkah, i.e., before the Hegira] Naufil had attached Ttolhah with Zobayr to a horse, and had thus tortured them. He was the uncle of Zobayr B. Ala’wwâm.
It is on record that seventy of the antagonists were killed and as many captured. According to a certain tradition, thirty-six of the former had been slain by the hand of Murtadza A’li—u. w. b.—but there is no doubt that he killed at least twenty-four, and among these were Zama’ah B. Alaswad, Hâreth B. Za’mah, O’mayr B. O’thmân B. Ka’b, and O’thmân and Mâlek, both of whom were brothers of Ttolhah.
The Emâm Muhammad Bâker relates that A’li Murtadza said: ‘I was astonished at the bravery of the Qoraish, who, though they saw how I had killed Wolid B. O’tbah, and how I struck Hanttalah B. Abu Sofyân that both his eyeballs protruded from their sockets, were not fleeing, but continued to fight me.’ One of the principal individuals slain was Ommyah B. Khuluf, concerning whom A’bdu-r-rahman B. A’wuf says: ‘In the time of ignorance [before Islâm] great friendship subsisted between me and Ommyah B. Khuluf, and I was called A’bd A’mru; but when I had professed Islâm his lordship the refuge of termination— u. w. b. — surnamed me A’bdu-r-rahman.* One day Ommyah said to me: “Thou hast renounced the name by which thy father has called thee, and I do not call thee A’bdu-r-rahman because Moseylamah* is in Yamamah called Rahmân, whose servant I do not consider thee to be. But when I hail thee as A’bd A’mru thou answerest not. Now, I want to address thee by a name to which thou wilt answer.” I replied: “O father of A’li, call me by any name thou likest.” He continued: “Hereafter I shall call thee A’bdalahah.” I assented, and afterwards he addressed me in conversation always by the just-mentioned name till the day of Bedr, when the idolaters were put to flight by the decree of Divine providence, and I was bearing away two cuirasses, which I had taken on the battle-field, when Ommyah B. Khuluf, whose son A’li was with me, happened to perceive me, and shouted: “A’bd A’mru!” But I replied only after he had hailed me by the name of A’bdalahah. He exclaimed: “Save us! hinder us from being killed, that I may procure thee something more lucrative than these two cuirasses.” Accordingly I threw away the coats of mail, taking hold of the hands of both the father and son. I walked off with them; but all of a sudden Belâl happened to catch sight of me, and as Ommyah had greatly tormented him in Mekkah to cause him to abjure Islâm, he exclaimed: “O Anssâr [i.e., helpers] of Allah and Anssâr of the apostle of Allah, behold the chief and ringleader of the idolaters, Ommyah B. Khuluf. If he be released I shall not be saved.” When the professors of Islâm heard the shouts of Belâl, they rushed with drawn sabres upon Ommyah, and in spite of my telling them that these two individuals were my own prisoners, it was of no avail. They threw Ommyah on his back, and I threw myself upon him; nevertheless, Hubbâb B. Almundher cut off his nose with a sword, and when Ommyah felt that his nose had disappeared, he said to me: “O A’bdullah, abandon me to them.” Accordingly I ceased to protect him, whereon Habyb B. Yasâf, the Anssâri, killed Ommyah with one stroke of his sword, and Hubbâb B. Almundher severed with one blow the feet of A’li, the son of Ommyah, from his body.’ A’bdu-r-rahman continues: ‘On that occasion A’li B. Ommyah uttered a shout, the like of which in strength and fervour I had never heard before. After that O’mmâr B. Yâser made him join his father [in death].’ It is related that A’bdu-r-rahman had occasionally said: ‘May God the Most High have mercy upon Belâl for having caused me to lose my cuirasses and my prisoners to be killed!’ In this battle O’mar fought with his maternal uncle, A’ass B. Heshâm B. Moghirah, and killed him.
It is related of Abu Dujjânah, the Anssâri, that he said: ‘On the day of Bedr my sword broke, and when his lordship the apostle knew it, he gave me a stick, which was transmuted into a long white scimitar, wherewith I fought our enemies till they were put to flight.’ A number of the Bani Alashhal possess a tradition that the sword of Salym B. Aslam broke in the fight of Bedr, and that he had no other weapon besides it. His holy and prophetic lordship happening to hold a staff in his hand, he presented him therewith. That staff became a sharp sword, which he used till he attained martyrdom in the battle of Ohod.
It is related that of the seventy men who were killed in the battle of Bedr, nearly thirty belonged to the most celebrated families, and many of their princes fell a prey to the grasp of fate. Of their chieftains the following were made prisoners: A’bbâs B. A’bd-ul-Muttalleb, O’qail B. Abu Tâleb, Abu-l-a’ass B. Arrabya’h, Abu-U’zza B. A’bdullah Alhâmy, Sohayl B. A’mru, O’tbah B. Abu Moa’ytt, Nassar B. Alhâreth; but O’tbah and Nassar were killed after having been made prisoners, as shall be narrated by-and-by, if it pleaseth Allah the Most High.
Of the Musalmâns fourteen individuals attained martyrdom, namely six Mohâjer and six Anssâr [sic]. In short, that battle entailed a great defeat and slaughter upon the enemies of the religion. One of the pious says in praise of his lordship the seal of prophets—u. w. b.:
Verses: ‘Thou king who hast closed the door of prophecy in the world,
And hast by thy miracles fatigued the souls of the enemies,
Alone thou hast cut the moon into two halves;
Valiantly thou hast gained the battle of Bedr.’
It is related that on the day of the battle the chief of the family of A’bd Menâf said to his companions: ‘I know a number of the Bani Hâshem, and others who are not of them, who have come out from Mekkah against their own will. If you meet any of the Bani Hâshem, but especially A’bbâs B. A’bd-ul-Muttalleb, do not kill him. Abstain also from slaying Abu-l-bakhry, who has done his best to annihilate the written contract of the Qoraish, wherein they had bound themselves to injure the Bani Hâshem, and who has never insulted his lordship, nor his companions, but has restrained the idolaters from persecuting the apostle.’ Abu Khodhayfah B. O’tbah would, however, not listen to the injunction of his lordship the refuge of termination, and said: ‘Shall we kill our fathers and brothers, and spare A’bbas? I swear by Allah that if I get a chance I shall smite him with my sabre!’ When the words of Abu Khodhayfah reached the august hearing of the prince of the companions, he turned to O’mar, and said: ‘O father of Hafadh, hearest thou that Abu Khodhayfah sayeth: “I shall smite the uncle of the apostle of God with my sword”?’ O’mâr replied: ‘O apostle of Allah, permit me to strike off his head, for he has become a hypocrite.’
In the chronicle of Hâfez Abrû it is written that his lordship the Mussttafa—u. w. b.—replied to O’mar: ‘He has not become an infidel and hypocrite, but he uttered these words from grief for his father, brother, and uncle.’ And when O’mar importuned him for permission to slay Abu Khodhayfah, the prophet said: ‘O Abu Hafadh, do not kill him, for God the Most High is going to vouchsafe him martyrdom, which will be an atonement for his words, and will convey him to paradise.’ When Abu Khodhayfah had heard of the conversation between his lordship and O’mar, he repented of what he had said, and became afraid of eternal punishment. After that he was present in many fights, and boldly staked his life, hoping to attain martyrdom, and his wish was at last gratified in the war against Moseylamah the liar.
It is related that Abu-l-yasir B. Ka’b B. A’mru, the Anssâri, had captured A’bbâs, the former being a short, and the latter a very tall man. His holy and prophetic lordship—u. w. b.—asked Abu-l-yasir: ‘How hast thou captured A’bbâs?’ He replied: ‘I was in this matter aided by a man whom I had never seen before. He was of a wonderfully strange and terrible aspect.’ His lordship said: ‘That individual was a noble angel.’
Wâqidi says that Abu Daûd Mâzany spoke as follows: ‘On the battle-field of Bedr I said to Abu-l-bakhry: “The apostle of God has prohibited us from killing thee!” He replied: “I have likewise regarded his advantage; but the women of Mekkah know that I suffer no one to fetter my hands, and I am aware that thou wilt not refrain from tying me, and wilt do whatever thou likest.” Abu Daûd then shot an arrow towards Abu-l-bakhry, which struck him in a lethal part, so that he died immediately.’ In the tradition of Muhammad E. Esahâq we read that Muhdharah B. Zyâd met Abu-l-bakhry on the day of Bedr and informed him of the prohibition of the apostle—u. w. b.— whereon Abu-l-bakhry replied: ‘Pray do not injure my friend who came with me from Mekkah, and is now present.’ Muhdharah replied: ‘We shall not spare thy friend, because the injunction of the apostle refers to thee alone.’ Abu-l-bakhry continued: ‘The women of Mekkah will reproach me for having ceased to protect my friend to save my own life.’ Then he uttered the following distich:
‘Ebn Jarqâ will not abandon his friend
Unless he dies or sees him safe.’
After that Muhdharah and Abu-l-bakhry fought; the latter was killed, but the former presented himself in the assembly of his prophetic lordship and said: ‘I met Abu-l-bakhry, and though I tried much to capture and to bring him, he refused, and fought till he was slain.’ In the same manner the prohibition was given not to kill Hareth B. Naufil, but one of the companions slew him inadvertently.
It is related that when Sa’yd B. Moa’adh stood at the door of the shelter, as a sentry to the apostle of God— u. w. b.—he saw that the professors of the Faith were capturing the idolaters, and was so displeased that the prophet, observing signs of anger on his countenance, asked: ‘Sa’yd, dislikest thou what is taking place?’ He replied: ‘God the most high has declared the idolaters to be miserable, and I would rather see them killed than left alive.’ It is related that the Musalmâns fastened their prisoners with ropes, and that when the night set in A’bbâs commenced to moan, on account of the tightness of his bonds, so that his lordship the apostle was unable to sleep. Therefore one of his companions relaxed the ligaments of A’bbâs, who afterwards also fell asleep. His lordship then asked: ‘How is it that I do not hear the lamentations of my uncle?’ And being told the reason, that prince ordered all the captives to be dealt with in the same way. One of the principal historians of our times has recorded that when the Musalmâns had tied the prisoners, A’bbâs wept, because heavy fetters had been put upon him, and as the prophet, hearing his wailings, was unable to fall asleep, some persons asked: ‘O apostle of God, why sleepest thou not?’ He replied: ‘On account of the groans of my uncle A’bbâs.’ Accordingly a man went out and relaxed the bonds of A’bbâs, so that he went to sleep. Then his lordship asked: ‘How is it that I do not hear the lamentations of my uncle A’bbâs?’ The man replied: ‘O apostle of Allah, I have loosed his bonds.’ His lordship hereon said: ‘Lighten the fetters of all the prisoners.’ If this excellent author means that the Musalmâns carried with them heavy and light chains and fetters, or were accompanied by a dexterous blacksmith to perform the [just-named] operations, he asserts what is contrary to the facts; but if he alludes to the tightness of ropes, he contradicts experience and his own statement, because the heaviness of bonds injures a man only when he is in motion.
Learned biographers have related that by order of his holy and prophetic lordship the bodies of twenty Qoraish chieftains were thrown into one of the wells of Bedr, but as the limbs of Ommyah B. Khuluf had been dispersed, his mangled body was interred where he had fallen, and covered with earth and stones. When his lordship the refuge of termination—u. w. b.—issued the command to heave the Qoraish princes into the well, O’tbah was, in compliance therewith, dragged along the ground of humiliation. When his son, Abu Khodhayfah, beheld him in this condition, he was dismayed, and his colour changed. The apostle of Allah—u. w. b.—having perceived this change in the features of Khodhayfah, said to him: ‘It appears a misgiving has arisen in thy mind from what has happened to thy father?’ Abu Khodhayfah replied: ‘O apostle of Allah, I swear by God that I have no misgivings about Islâm, but my father was intelligent, noble, well-bred, and courteous. I thought these qualities would guide him to Islâm, but the contrary being the fact, I am incensed and dismayed.’ Hereon the prince uttered a benediction upon Abu Khodhayfah.
It is related that on the third day after the victory of Bedr his holy and prophetic lordship—u. w. b.—mounted his camel and proceeded with a number of his companions to a place where the idolaters had pitched their camp, and exclaimed: ‘O O’tbah B. Rabia’h, O Shaybah B. Rabia’h,’ mentioning in succession the names of all the idolaters who had fallen in battle. Then he continued: ‘Have you found verified what your lord has promised to me?’ He further said: ‘You are a wicked people for accusing your prophet of falsehood. Others have believed me, but you have expelled me. Others gave me a refuge, and have been faithful. You have fought against me, but they aided me.’ There is a tradition that O’mar exclaimed on that occasion: ‘O prophet of Allah, do not speak to lifeless corpses.’ According to another tradition the companions said: ‘O apostle of Allah, thou speakest to a nation which is dead.’ The narrator of the latter tradition says that the apostle replied to his companions: ‘But it knows that what its lord had promised is true.’ Muhammad E. Esahâq relates in the Kitâbu-l-maghâzi, that there is a tradition of A’ayshah —and Ssiddyqah [i.e., A’ayshah] asserts—that according to the opinion of many the apostle of God—u. w. b.— replied: ‘Verily they have heard what I said,’ which, however, is contrary to the fact, because his lordship had attributed to that nation knowledge, but not audition. Muhammad E. Esahâq likewise quotes a tradition of Hamyd Ttuwyl, and the latter of Anus B. Mâlek, that when his lordship the apostle called out to the idolaters near the well, the Musalmâns said: ‘O apostle of Allah, thou speakest to people who have become rotten and smell badly;’ but that he replied: ‘You cannot hear the words which I say better than they can.’ Qobâdah alleges that on the said occasion God the Most High resuscitated the idolaters to hear the words of his lordship the apostle, so that they should incur the greater perdition and disappointment hereafter.