Participation in the Battle of Badr
In the history of the Battle of Badr in 2 AH, we find a famous incident that took place. One of the disbelievers, Aswad bin Abdul Asad Makhzoomi, who was a very nasty and horrible man came forward. He had sworn that he would either drink from the well of the Holy Prophet (sa) and the Muslims, or demolish it or desecrate it, or else would die nearby trying to achieve this goal.
When he arrived there, he was challenged by Hazrat Hamza (ra) bin Abdul Muttalib. Hamza (ra) attacked him with his sword and cut through half of his calf. He was close to the well and fell on his back. He tried to get nearer to the well in order to fulfil his oath. Hazrat Hamza (ra) followed him and finished him off by attacking him again. Aswad died close to the well but was unable to drink from it or spoil it in any way.
(Sirat Ibn-e-Hisham, pp.298-299, Bab Maqtal Al Aswad bin Abdul Asad, Daru Ibn Hazm, 2009, Beirut)
Hazrat Ali (ra) states regarding the Battle of Badr that the number of disbelievers was many times greater than that of Muslims. The Holy Prophet (sa) spent the entire night praying with deep yearning and great humility. When the army of disbelievers came close and the Muslims took their positions, they saw a man on a red camel and he was moving among the ranks. The Holy Prophet (ra) asked Ali (ra) to check with Hamza (ra), who that man was, as Hamza (ra) was closer to the opposition army.
Then the Holy Prophet (sa) said:
“If there is anyone among the disbelievers who can admonish them, it is that man on the red camel”.
Meanwhile Hazrat Hamza (ra) came and said that it was Utba bin Rabi‘ah who was trying to persuade the disbelievers from engaging in battle, but Abu Jahl had taunted him for being a coward and fearing war. Upon hearing this taunt, Utba had become charged and had said, “We will see who is a coward”.
(Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 1, pp. 338-339, Hadith No. 948, A’alamul Kutub, 1998, Beirut)
Hazrat Ali (ra) narrates, “Utba bin Rabi‘ah came forward to fight along with his son and brother, and challenged anyone to a fight. Many Ansari young men accepted this challenge. Utba then asked them who they were and when they said they were from among the Ansar, he said that they did not have any quarrel with them. They only wished to fight their uncles’ sons.
Upon hearing this the Holy Prophet (sa) said, “O Hamza, arise! O Ali, stand up! O Abu Ubaida bin Harith, step forward!” Hazrat Ali (ra) says, “Hamza (ra) went toward Utba, and I went toward Shaibah, and Abu Ubaida contested with Waleed and they both injured each other severely. Both Hazrat Hamza (ra) and I then turned towards Waleed and killed him. We then brought Abu Ubaida (ra) back from the battlefield”.
(Sunan Abu Daud, Kitabul Jihad, Bab Fil Mubarizah, Hadith No. 2665)
Hazrat Ali (ra) and Hazrat Hamza (ra) had killed their rivals. When the Holy Prophet (sa) had called all three to march forward and fight, when approaching their enemies, Utbah told them to say something so that they could be recognised as they were wearing helmets that covered their faces. Upon this Hazrat Hamza (ra) said:
“I am Hamza (ra). I am the Lion of Allah and His Messenger”.
Utba responded, “What a worthy rival”.
*(At-Tabaqat Al-Kubra Li Ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 2, p.12, Hamza bin Abdil Muttalib, Darul-Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1990, Beirut) *
Hazrat Hamza (ra) was so brave that he had an ostrich feather placed as a sign of battle to awestrike the disbelievers. Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Auf (ra) narrates that Umayya bin Khalf, who was amongst the chieftains of the Quraish, the man who would torture Hazrat Bilal (ra) in Mecca, was killed at the hands of the Ansar in Badr. He had asked Abdur Rahman, “Who is the man with the ostrich feather on his chest”? Hazrat Abdur Rahman informed him that it was Hazrat Hamza (ra) bin Abdul Muttalib. Umayyah said, that it was Hamza that had caused the most harm to them that day.
(Sirat Ibn-e-Hisham, p. 302, Bab Maqtal Umayya bin Khalf, Daru Ibn Hazm, 2009, Beirut)
The English historian Sir William Muir writes about the participation of Hazrat Hamza (ra) in the Battle of Badr, that Hazrat Hamza (ra) was visibly prominent across the battlefield as he was wearing the feather of an ostrich.
*(The Life of Mohammad, Sir William Muir, Heading – Battle of Ohod [sic], p. 260, 1923) *