Surah Al-Anfaal (8) — Ayah 5

5. Just as your Lord brought you out from your home for a true purpose [8] (at the time of Badr), though a group of the believers disliked it (and the Muslims should have come out in the same way).

[8]
The Background of the Battle of Badr:

After the decision regarding the spoils of war and admonishing the believers, it is now being explained under what circumstances and how the Battle of Badr began. The situation was that, compelled by the oppression and tyranny of the disbelievers of Makkah and after being looted and plundered, the Muslims had migrated to Madinah. Yet, these disbelievers did not leave the Muslims alone; they had already made a few unsuccessful attacks and were planning further strategies for the complete eradication of the Muslims. In these circumstances, the Muslims thought to blockade the trade route of the Quraysh. For this purpose, the Prophet ﷺ made treaties with the tribes living near this route; some of these tribes became allies of the Muslims, and with others, a pact of neutrality was made. The purpose of this blockade was that the wealth earned from this trade, which was to be spent on the eradication of the Muslims, could be controlled by the Muslims. Secondly, these polytheists had forced the Muslims to migrate in a state of destitution and later seized their properties as well. Then, by selling those properties, they provided capital for this trade caravan. It was decided that the profit from this trade caravan would be spent on the eradication of the Muslims, and the principal amount would be returned to those who had invested by selling the Muslims’ properties. In this way, they were inflicting a double injustice upon the Muslims. News of these events was also reaching Madinah. Therefore, it became necessary for the Muslims to blockade this caravan. Thus, in 2 AH, this very caravan of the Quraysh, under the leadership of Abu Sufyan, was returning from Syria to Makkah. The guards of this caravan were only forty to fifty men, while the caravan consisted of a thousand pack camels and was carrying goods worth about fifty thousand dinars to Makkah. The Muslims intended to attack this caravan, as is evident from the following hadith.

Preparation for the Attack on the Caravan:

Sayyiduna Anas ؓ narrates that the Prophet ﷺ sent Basisa as a spy to find out the condition of Abu Sufyan’s caravan. When Basisa returned, there was no one in the house except me and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Basisa conveyed the news, so the Prophet ﷺ went outside and said: “We are after the caravan. Therefore, whoever has a mount should go with us.” Some people sought permission to bring their mounts from distant places. The Prophet ﷺ said: “No, only those whose mounts are present should go.” Then the Prophet ﷺ set out with the Companions ؓ. [مسلم، كتاب الاماره، باب ثبوت الجنة للشهيد]

Abu Jahl’s Insistence on War:

For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ had not invited anyone to join for the purpose of jihad. But Allah’s wisdom in bringing the Prophet ﷺ out of his home was that there should be a confrontation with the disbelievers and a battle between truth and falsehood should take place. Thus, the situation changed such that Abu Sufyan also came to know of the Muslims’ intention, so he sent a swift horseman to Makkah to inform the disbelievers of Makkah about the Muslims’ plan. Consequently, an army of a thousand men, under the leadership of Abu Jahl, set out to protect this trade caravan. Now, by Allah’s will, Abu Sufyan changed his route and safely reached Makkah, while the army of the disbelievers reached the field of Badr. Upon arrival, they also received the news that the trade caravan had safely reached Makkah. Therefore, some people opined that now we should return to Makkah, as the purpose for which we came has been fulfilled. But Abu Jahl insisted that since the army has reached here and the Muslims have also arrived, we should now fight them and eradicate them before returning. In this way, the atmosphere became conducive for this battle between truth and falsehood.