Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 39477 — The great Battle of Badr, how it came

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Hudhayfah bin al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him): What prevented me from being present at Badr was that I and my father Husayl set out. He said: The disbelievers of Quraysh caught us and said: "You intend to go to Muhammad?" We said: "We do not intend to go to Muhammad. We intend only to go to Madinah." At this the disbelievers took from us a covenant and pledge before Allah that we would certainly go to Madinah and would not fight alongside Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Then we came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and told him (peace and blessings be upon him) about this. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You two go back. We will fulfil our pledge to them, and we seek the help of Allah Almighty against them."