Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 39440 — The great Battle of Badr, how it came

Ikrimah, the freed slave of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), reports that when the Muslims encamped at Badr and the polytheists came forward, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) looked at Utbah bin Rabi'ah, who was riding his red camel, and said: "If any of the disbelievers has any good (counsel), it is with the man on the red camel. If these disbelievers obey him, they will fare well." Utbah said (to the people): "Obey me and do not fight these people (the Muslims). For if you fight, this will remain in your hearts forever: a man will go about seeing (alive) the killer of his brother and of his father. Lay the cowardice of this battle upon me and go back." The narrator said: This reached Abu Jahl, and he said: "By Allah! Since Utbah saw Muhammad and his Companions, he has become a coward. By Allah! It is not (what he says). Rather, the matter is that his son is with them. And yet he knows that if we fight Muhammad and his Companions, they are few in number." The narrator said: Utbah said: "The one who yellows his buttocks will soon learn who is the coward that sows corruption among his people. By Allah! Beneath those garments I see a people who will surely strike you in such a way that they will call out al-Baqi' for you. Do you not see that their heads are (raised) like the heads of snakes and their faces are like swords?" The narrator said: Then he called his brother and his son and walked between them until, when he had come out of the rank, he called for single combat.