The battle of Badr
Now a well-appointed army including nine hundred and fifty men of experienced warriors made preparations to fight the Prophet. Among them were many of the most obstinate enemies of Islam who were of Mohammad's (s) cousins. The Prophet was not ready for such a war. He sent them a message saying: “We have descended from one family and most of you are my paternal uncles and cousins. Leave me alone to encounter the Arabs. It will be your credit if I gain victory against them, but if I fail you will obtain your desire”. He received no answer except a warlike reply and the Muslims were finally involved in the war.
Although the Prophet's army consisted of three hundred and thirteen men but they were more powerful than one thousand persons because of their faith in God and steadfastness in belief. These men of iron came before the enemy.
Three men of the most revengeful enemies of Islam; ‘Utbah, his son Shaybah and his brother Waleed made an inroad, boasting about their riches and chieftaincy. They challenged three fighters of their rank because it would not fit them to fight common fighters as they thought.
Ali (s), his uncle Hamzah and his cousin ‘Ubaydah confronted them. Ali (s) encountered Waleed and
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inflicted a blow on his shoulder so that (as) the sword came out of his armpit and he ran away towards his father ‘Utbah to seek refuge. Ali (s) chased him and, by another stroke on his thigh, killed him.
Then he went to help his uncle Hamzah, who was facing Shaybah. They had crossed swords with each other for some time to that extent that their swords broke and had started to grapple and punch each other.
Hamzah was a strapping man so that his enemy was not seen behind his back.
Ali (s) said: “Mind your head, uncle”. He immediately threw the enemy (Shaybah) down on the ground by a dint of his sword.
‘Utbah and ‘Ubaydah both were brave and dauntless. When they were crossing swords with one another and the quarrel was still raging when ‘Utbah was killed by a sudden attack but ‘Ubaydah's leg was seriously injured. He died on his way back to Medina.
At last the two armies attacked each other by swords. High morale and spirit of self-sacrifice were seen among the Muslim so that when the dazzling and lightening of the swords finished, the killed warriors of the enemy were seventy. The history mentioned that half of them were killed by Ali's sword.
The enemy fled away from the field and seventy persons were taken as captives by the Islamic army.
Although the Muslims won the battle but the fate would be different if Ali (s) had not come to the field.
Most of the captives knew reading and writing. The Prophet's ordered to set free any captive, who would teach ten Muslims how to write and read.
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