The first formal battle that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) fought against his opponents is known in history as the Battle of Badr. This happened on Mar 17 (according to some sources, March 13), 624 CE, or Ramadan 17, 2 AH, at a place called Badr, located between the cities of Makkah and Madinah.

This was a major landmark event in the history of the Muslim community, the Ummah, and this is the only conflict that the Qur'an addresses by name (3: 123). This incident laid down the community's economic, political, and spiritual foundation. In this essay, we briefly examine the significance of these developments.

Strengthening the Political and Economic Foundation

The Prophet declared the formation of the Ummah immediately after his migration to Yathrib – a settlement that came to be known as Madinatun-Nabi or Madinah since then. The Ummah was composed of all migrants of the Makkan Quraish tribe and Aws and Khazraj – the two major tribes that inhabited the area.

However, it was a loose confederation and did not enjoy everyone's undisputed loyalty, particularly from among the Madinan tribes. Many hypocrites, although verbally declared their loyalty, were still engaged in conspiratorial activities against the new government.

The stunning victory in the Battle of Badr enabled the Prophet to consolidate the Muslim power in Madinah and establish a new system of governance based on values such as human dignity, equality, justice, accountability, and transparency.

The Prophet had established a system called Muaakhkhat or brotherhood to foster cordial relations between immigrants from Makkah and local Madinans known as Ansar or helper. Badr strengthened this bond further creating a cordial atmosphere for Madinah's economic growth.

Benedict Koehler, a European banker, has recently, in his book Early Islam and the Birth of Capitalism explained how the Prophet laid the foundation of economic growth in Madinah that gradually spread throughout the Muslim world.

The Battle of Badr interrupted the Makkan trade route to Syria, which had a devastating impact on Makkah's financial control of Arabia at the time. Madinah soon became Makkah's political and economic rival. It also significantly weakened the Makkan oligarchic power in the sight of smaller tribes around Arabia.

Smaller tribes now could establish defense and economic pacts with the new power in Madinah, which earlier only the Makkans could provide. In fact, this victory paved the way for Muslims to another landmark victory in the growth of the Ummah – the Pact of Hudaybiyyah in 628.

Badr also changed Makkah’s leadership style – a change from staunch enmity under the leadership of Amr Ibn Hisham (Abu Jahal) to a more pragmatic style under the leadership of Abu Sufyan. This change eventually led to the total liberation of Makkah a few years later.

Spiritual Significance of the Military Victory of Badr 

The story of the military victory of Muslims under the direct leadership of the Prophet at Badr is well-documented. Historians generally highlight their lack of armament as opposed to their opponents; their discipline, steadfastness, and perseverance are all well-recognized.

Interestingly, this is not the only miraculous victory that one finds in history; the story of the encounter between the Biblical Prophet David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) is very similar. This story became a symbol of Prophet David's faith in God and his courage, rather than physical strength or weaponry.

The Qur’an also describes this story testifying, “And thereupon, by God’s leave, they routed them. And David slew Goliath, and God bestowed upon him dominion and wisdom, and imparted to him the knowledge …. (2: 251).”

We all know that the Prophet Muhammad at Badr and the Prophet David against Goliath were fighting for justice and for establishing a peaceful world. Modern historians cannot explain how ill equipped and numerically a very small number of combatants defeated their mighty opponents. In our view, this issue demands further in-depth thought.

The Qur’an highlights the spiritual significance of both conflicts, but unfortunately, modern historians do not consider such religious sources as empirical evidence for historical studies. We have pointed out this problem in our previous article on the subject. In both cases, the Qur’an informs us of God’s intervention in favor of just causes. Are such divine interventions confined only to prophetic movements?

No, from the perspective of monotheistic religions, prophets were destined to set examples for others to follow. There are many examples in history where ill-equipped and outnumbered forces have prevailed over highly sophisticated, numerically larger forces because of their moral and spiritual strength.

To identify some of those battles were the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE), where a small number of Spartans fought against the mighty Persians, and the Maccabean Revolt (167-160 BCE), where religiously persecuted Jews fought against the Seleucid Empire recapturing Jerusalem. There are many more such examples in history that have inspired the weak and dispossessed to fight for their dignity and rights.

Contemporary Relevance of the Battle of Badr

What lessons could we draw from the Battle of Badr today? This question leads us to raise more questions. Are common people around the world better off today? Is there no exploitation of the weak and vulnerable in the world? One does not need to go too far and deep to find answers to these questions.

One needs only to open one's horizon to see the plights of Palestinians, Rohingyas, Uyghurs, Sudanese, and many more around the world. Are we fulfilling our responsibilities toward the vulnerable? What lessons should we draw in the light of Badr?

The Prophet was vulnerable in Makkah and was forced out of his homeland. He then organized his followers to fight back. Today, we are in a better situation than the Prophet's Makkan situation; we have an organized community called Ummah, and we have a large number of followers and many nations, but all seem to have succumbed to military and financial powers.

Muslims have become subservient to the Pharaonic forces of Haman and Qarun. Although the Qur'an tells them clearly that, "they have taken other gods besides Allah, hoping to receive help from them; but they cannot help them (36: 74-75)," yet they refuse to learn from the Qur’an.

It is painful to witness the way the Palestinians are being treated, particularly during the Ramadan days. Palestinians have already demonstrated their resilience during the fifteen months of the war; they have already demonstrated that with Allah's help, they could survive the most sophisticated military and economic assaults.

However, the rest of the world does not seem to take note of it. The Muslim world seems to be in a deeper sleep as opposed to the non-Muslim world. Is it, not the time that all of us contemplate what is happening around us today? Is it not the time to act, not just give lip service?

Muslims are in a position not only to regain their dignity if they stand up for Palestine, they can assist the rest of humanity to achieve the same objective.