Combat Duels in the Battle of Badr
During the Battle of Badr, from the Muslim army, he [Hazrat Ubaidah bin Harith (ra)] was sent to combat in a duel against Waleed bin Utbah. It is mentioned in the Ahadith that a verse of the Holy Quran was also revealed in relation to this incident. Hazrat Ali (ra) relates:
“The verse:
ہَذَانِ خَصْمَانِ اخْتَصَمُوا فِی رَبِّہِمْ
(Surah al-Hajj: V.20) was revealed regarding those individuals who fought in the combat duels in the Battle of Badr i.e. Hazrat Hamza bin Abdil Muttalib, Hazrat Ali bin Talib and Hazrat Ubaidah bin Harith, and they faced off with Utbah bin Rabi‘ah, Shaybah bin Rabi‘ah and Waleed bin Utbah.”
(al-Mustadrik Ala al-Sahihain, Vol. 2, p. 419, Kitab-ul-Tafsir, Surah al-Hajj, Hadith 3456, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)
The meaning of this verse is, “These two are two disputants who dispute regarding their Lord.” The whole verse is as follows:
ہَذَانِ خَصْمَانِ اخْتَصَمُوا فِی رَبِّہِمْ فَالَّذِینَ کَفَرُوا قُطِّعَتْ لَہُمْ ثِیَابٌ مِنْ نَارٍ یُصَبُّ مِنْ فَوْقِرُءُوسِہِمُ الْحَمِیمُ
“These two are two disputants who dispute concerning their Lord. As for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be cut out for them; and boiling water will be poured down on their heads.” (Surah al-Hajj: V.20)
Further details of this combat duel have been recorded in Sunan Abi Dawud. Hazrat Ali (ra) relates:
“Utbah bin Rabi‘ah, followed by his son and brother came forward and announced, ‘Who is it that will come to face us?’ Thereupon, many of the youth from among the Ansar answered him. Utbah asked ‘Who are you?’ They replied, ‘We are the Ansar’. Utbah then said, ‘We have no dispute with you, we only wish to fight the sons of our uncles’. The Holy Prophet (sa) then said, ‘O Hamza (ra) rise; O Ali stand up and O Ubaidah bin Harith rise and go forth.’”
Hazrat Ali (ra) further narrates: “As soon as we heard the call of the Holy Prophet (sa), Hazrat Hamza (ra) advanced towards Utbah, I advanced towards Shaybah and there was an encounter between Ubaidah bin Harith and Waleed and they both inflicted severe wounds on one another. Then we turned to Waleed and killed him and took Ubaidah bin Harith away from the battlefield.
(Sunan Abu Daud, Kitab-ul-Jihad, Baab Fi al-Mubariza, Hadith no. 2665)
During the duel, Utbah struck the calf of Hazrat Ubaidah bin Harith and cut open his calf. The Holy Prophet (sa) ordered for him to be removed from the battlefield and after the Battle of Badr had ended, he passed away in Safra, a place near Badr, and he was also buried there.
(al-Mustadrik Ala’ al-Sahihain, Vol. 3, pp. 207-208, Kitab-ul-Marifa al-Sahaba Min Manaqib Ubaidah bin Harith, Hadith no. 4862, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002) (Lughat-ul-Hadith, p. 67, Mir Muhammad Kutub Khana Araam Baagh, Karachi)
According to a narration, it was only when the calf of Ubaidah (ra) was cut and the marrow was gushing forth from it, that the companions brought him to the Holy Prophet (sa) and he said, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah! Will I be considered a martyr?” He had been injured in the battle but did not die immediately. The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, “Indeed! You will be considered a martyr.” According to another tradition, when Hazrat Ubaidah (ra) bin Harith was brought before the Holy Prophet (sa) and he placed his head on his lap. Hazrat Ubaidah(ra) then said, “If only Abu Talib was alive today, he would know that I am more entitled than him to what he used to say, and that was:
ونسلمه حتيّٰ نصرع حوله
ونذهل عن ابناءنا و الحلائل
That is, “It is a lie that we will hand over Muhammad (sa) to you. Such will only be possible when we are struck down around him to the extent we become oblivious to our wives and children.”
Such was the passion of these people. At the time of his demise, Hazrat Ubaidah bin Harith was 63 years of age.
(al-Mustadrik Ala al-Sahihain, Vol. 3, p. 208, Kitab-ul-Marifa al-Sahaba Min Manaqib Ubaidah bin Harith, Hadith no. 4863, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002) (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, p. 547, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)