Bravery in the Battlefield
When a fierce battle began, the Holy Prophet (sa) came out of his tent and roused the spirits of the people for battle. The Muslims were stood in their ranks occupied in the remembrance of Allah. The Holy Prophet (sa) participated in the battle as well and fought emphatically. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) stood right beside the Holy Prophet (sa) whilst fighting the enemy. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) demonstrated his exemplary bravery and was ready to fight against every rebellious disbeliever even if it was against his own son.
Fervent Supplications on the Battlefield
In another narration, it is mentioned that Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) stood guarding the Holy Prophet (sa) in the canopy with an unsheathed sword, while the Holy Prophet (sa) spent the entire night in fervent supplications. It is also recorded that he was the only one to remain awake the entire night whilst others in the army took turns to sleep.
(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), p. 357) (Mustafa Abd al-Wahid, Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad fi Sirat Khair al-Ibad, Vol. 11 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1993], p. 398)
There is a narration of Hazrat Ali (ra) in relation to the bravery of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra). Hazrat Ali (ra) relates, “I asked a group of the Companions (ra), ‘Who is the bravest of all people?’ They answered, ‘You are, O Ali (ra).’”
Hazrat Ali (ra) then said, “The bravest person among the people was Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra). On the day of Badr, we prepared a canopy for the Holy Prophet (sa), and we asked one another who would remain with the Holy Prophet (sa) so that no idolater could reach him. By Allah, none of us was close to the Holy Prophet (sa), but Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) went and stood right by him with his sword unsheathed, so that if any idolater were to reach, they would have to face Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) first.’”
(Ali bin Burhan al-Din al-Halabi, Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, Bab Dhikr Maghaziyah [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2002], p. 214)
In relation to this, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) states:
“Hazrat Ali (ra) once said that the bravest and most courageous of all people was Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra). He also said that when a separate canopy was constructed for the Holy Prophet (sa) during the Battle of Badr, at the time, the question was raised as to who would be responsible for guarding the Holy Prophet (sa) that day. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) immediately stood with his sword unsheathed, and he fulfilled this duty of safeguarding him during an extremely perilous time with utmost bravery.”
(Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 7, pp. 364-365)
Hazrat Ibn Abbas (ra) relates that whilst the Holy Prophet (sa) was in a large tent, he stated:
اللّٰهُمَّ إنِّيْ أَنْشُدُكَ عَهْدَكَ وَوَعْدَكَ اللّٰهُمَّ إِنْ شِئْتَ لَمْ تُعْبَدْ بَعْدَ الْيَوْمِ
“O Allah, I swear by Your oath and Your promise; O Allah, if You desire for the Muslims to be destroyed, then after today there shall be no one left to worship You.”
Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) then took hold of his hand and said, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah, please rest now! You have persisted a great deal in beseeching your Lord.”
At the time, the Holy Prophet (sa) was still wearing his chain mail. He came forth out of his tent and was reciting,
سَيُهۡزَمُ الۡجَمۡعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ الدُّبُرَ بَلِ السَّاعَةُ مَوۡعِدُهُمۡ وَالسَّاعَةُ أَدۡهَىٰ وَأَمَرُّ
“Soon they shall all be defeated and flee, and this is the hour about which they were warned, and this hour shall be extremely difficult and severe for them.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Jihad wa al-Siyar, Bab ma Qila fi Dar‘ al-Nabi (sa) al-Qamis fi al-Harb, Hadith 2915)
Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbas (ra) states, “Hazrat Umar (ra) bin Khattab told me that on the day of Badr, the Holy Prophet (sa) looked towards the idolaters and saw that they numbered 1,000 while his own Companions (ra) numbered only 319. The Holy Prophet (sa) turned in the direction of the Ka‘bah, raised both his hands and cried out to his Lord:
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْجِزْ لِي مَا وَعَدْتَنِي اللَّهُمَّ آتِنِي مَا وَعَدْتَنِي اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ تُهْلِكْ هَذِهِ الْعِصَابَةَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الإِسْلاَمِ لاَ تُعْبَدُ فِي الأَرْضِ
“Meaning, ‘O Allah, fulfil Your promise to me. O Allah, grant me that which You have vouchsafed. O Allah, if you allow this group of Muslims to be defeated, then there will be no one left on this earth to worship You.’
“He continued to face the Ka’bah with both his hands outstretched while continuously beseeching his Lord aloud. As he did so, his cloak fell from his shoulders. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) went towards him, lifted the cloak and placed it back on his shoulders. Then he held the Holy Prophet (sa) from behind and said, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, you have offered a lot of fervent supplications before your Lord; He will surely fulfil that which was promised to you.’ Upon this, Allah the Almighty revealed the following verse:
إِذۡ تَسۡتَغِيثُونَ رَبَّكُمۡ فَاسۡتَجَابَ لَكُمۡ أَنِّي مُمِدُّكُم بِأَلۡفٖ مِّنَ الۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ مُرۡدِفِينَ
“‘And remember the time when you implored the assistance of your Lord, and He answered you, saying, “I will assist you with a thousand of the angels, following one another. [Ch.8: V.10]”’
“Thus, Allah helped him by sending angels.”
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Jihad wa al-Siyar, Bab al-Imdad bi al-Mala‘ikah fi Ghazwat Badr…, Hadith 4588)
The Promised Messiah’s (as) Narration
The Promised Messiah (as) states:
“On numerous occasions in the Holy Quran, the Holy Prophet (sa) was promised victory over the disbelievers. Yet, when the Battle of Badr – the first battle in Islam – commenced, the Holy Prophet (sa) started weeping and praying. Whilst praying, the Holy Prophet (sa) uttered the words,
اللّٰهُمَّ إِنْ أَهْلَكْتَ هَذِهِ الْعِصَابَةَ فَلَنْ تُعْبَدَ فِي الأَرْضِ أَبَدًا
“Meaning, ‘O God, if you destroy this group (which comprised 313 men) then there will be no one to worship You until the end of times’. When Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) heard the Holy Prophet (sa) utter these words, he said, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, why are you so worried? God has made a firm promise to you that He will surely grant you victory.’ The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, ‘This is true; however, I am aware of His Self-Sufficiency.’ In other words, God Almighty is not compelled to fulfil any promise.”
(Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya – Part V, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 21, pp. 255-256.)
Hazrat Musleh Mau’d’s (ra) Narration
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) states:
“What manifested through the Holy Prophet (sa) during the Battle of Badr was enough to astonish the eyes of those who possess insight and it shows the degree to which he feared Allah the Almighty. During the Battle of Badr, the effects of divine help were apparent as the Holy Prophet (sa) advanced against the enemy alongside his brave and devoted Companions (ra). In order to ensure firm footing, the disbelievers had set up camp on hardened ground, leaving a sandy area for the Muslims. However, God sent rain, which caused the disbelievers’ campsite to become muddy and the ground under the Muslim encampment became firm. Similarly, other forms of heavenly assistance were manifested, yet, the fear of God was so deeply entrenched in the Holy Prophet’s (sa) heart, that despite these promises and Signs, the Holy Prophet (sa) would become anxious of God Almighty’s Self-Sufficiency and beseeched for the Muslims to be victorious. Thus, Hazrat ibn Abbas (ra) says that during the Battle of Badr, the Holy Prophet (sa) was in a round tent and would supplicate, ‘O my Lord, I implore You by way of Your vows and promises, and beseech for them to be fulfilled. O my Lord, if You desire the destruction of Muslims, then after today, there will be no one left to worship You.’
“Upon this, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) took hold of the Holy Prophet’s (sa) hand and said, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, please stop. You have gone to great lengths in worshipping your Lord.’
“At the time, the Holy Prophet (sa) was wearing his armour; he emerged from the tent and said, ‘Their army will be defeated and they will turn their back and run. In fact, this is the time of their reckoning; it will be extremely difficult and bitter for them.’
“By Allah! His fear of God was such, that despite the promises made to him, he thought of God’s Self-Sufficiency, yet at the same time his level of certainty was such that when Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) said this, he loudly proclaimed, ‘I am not afraid; rather, God has informed me that the enemy will be humiliated and abased in defeat, and the leaders of the disbelievers will be killed right here.’ And this is what transpired.”
(Sirat al-Nabi (sa), Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 1, pp. 466-467)
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib’s (ra) Narration
Whilst mentioning these incidents from the Battle of Badr, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) writes:
“The Holy Prophet (sa) addressed the Companions (ra) and said:
“‘There are some people among the army of the Quraish who have not come to participate in this campaign with pleasure; rather, they have only come along under the pressure of the chieftains of the Quraish. Otherwise, deep down they harbour no enmity to us. Similarly, there are also such people in this army, who in our time of hardship, dealt with us generously when we were in Mecca. It is our obligation to repay their benevolence. As such, if a Muslim subdues any such individual, he should not cause him any harm.’
“Among the first category of people, the Holy Prophet (sa) specifically mentioned the name of Abbas bin Abdil-Muttalib and in the second category of people, he mentioned the name of Abul-Bakhtari, and forbade their killing. However, the course of events took such an unavoidable turn that Abul-Bakhtari could not be spared from death. Nonetheless, prior to his death, he found out that the Holy Prophet (sa) had forbidden his killing. After saying this to the Companions (ra), the Holy Prophet (sa) retired to his tent, and became engaged in supplications once again. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) also accompanied him, and a party of the Ansarunder the command of Saad (ra) bin Muaz were stationed around the tent to stand guard. After a short time, there was an uproar in the field of battle, which indicated that the Quraish had launched a full attack. At that time, the Holy Prophet (sa) was weeping profusely and supplicating before God with his hands extended. He would say with extreme anguish:
اللّٰهُمَّ إنِّيْ أَنْشُدُكَ عَهْدَكَ وَوَعْدَكَ اللّٰهُمَّ إِنْ تُهْلِكْ هَذِهِ الْعِصَابَةَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الإِسْلاَمِ لاَ تُعْبَدُ فِي الأَرْضِ
“‘O My God! Fulfil Your promises. O My Master! If today, this party of Muslims is destroyed in the field of battle, there shall remain none who would worship You on the face of this earth.’
“At this time, the Holy Prophet (sa) was in a state of such agony, that sometimes he would fall into prostration, and at times he would stand up to call upon God. The mantle of the Holy Prophet (sa) would repeatedly fall from his back, and Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) would pick it up and place it on the Holy Prophet (sa) again and again. Hazrat Ali (ra) relates that during the course of battle, whenever the Holy Prophet (sa) would come to mind, he would run towards his tent, but whenever he went there, he found the Holy Prophet (sa) weeping in prostration. He also heard that the Holy Prophet (sa) would constantly repeat the words:
يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّوْمُ يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّوْمُ
“‘O My Ever-Living God! O My Life-Giving Master!’
“Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) was greatly disturbed by this state of the Holy Prophet (sa), and at times would spontaneously say, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah! May my mother and father be sacrificed for your sake. Do not worry, Allah shall definitely fulfil His promises.’ However, the Holy Prophet (sa) remained constantly engaged in his supplications, weeping and wailing, according to the following proverb:
ہر كہ عارف ہر تراست ترساں تر
“Meaning: ‘The wiser a saint, the greater his fear.’”
(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), pp. 360-261)