Praise be to Allah. We praise Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We seek
refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and from our wrong deeds. He whom Allah
guides, none can misguide, and he whom Allah sends astray, none can guide. I bear
witness that there is no god but Allah alone, Who has no partners, and I bear witness that
our prophet, Muhammad, is His servant and messenger. May Allah bestow his bountiful
peace and blessings upon him and upon his family and Companions.
O Muslims!
Fear Allah, servants of Allah, as He should be feared; for fear of Allah increases
His blessings and wards off His punishments.
O Muslims!
The fundamentals of Islam consist in knowledge of Allah, knowledge of His
religion, and knowledge of His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. It is only
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through the teachings of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that a servant may
gain knowledge of his Lord and his religion. Attaining happiness in this world and in the
hereafter only lies in following the guidance of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon
him. Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon his soul, said, “Whoever offers sincere
advice to himself and seeks his own salvation and happiness must gain enough
knowledge of the Prophet’s guidance, life, and conduct, so as to be excluded from those
who are ignorant of him and included among his followers, adherents, and party.” In this
regard, some people have little knowledge of the Prophet, some have much knowledge,
and some have no knowledge at all.
Friday, 17th of Ramadan of the second year of Hijrah is a memorable day in Islam.
Allah named it “the Day of Criterion” (to distinguish right from wrong), and the Prophet,
peace and blessings be upon him, said about the Muslims on that day, “O Allah! If this
band [i.e. this group of Muslims] is destroyed, you will not be worshipped on the
earth” (Reported by Muslim). Al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy upon his soul, said, “It
was upon that day that Islam was built.”
The Prophet himself, peace and blessings be upon him, took part in the battle on
that day, and one thousand angels, led by Jibril (Gabriel), peace be upon him, descended
from heaven for its sake. Whoever among the believers participated in that battle will
have his sins forgiven, will be saved from Hellfire, and will attain the highest ranks in
Paradise. The angels that took part in it were granted a more favourable status than the
other inhabitants of the heaven. This battle is replete with morals and lessons and full of
miracles and signs of Allah’s power.
The Quraish had fought against the religion of Allah, expelled His Prophet, peace
and blessings be upon him, from Makkah, and harmed his Companions, and so they
migrated to Al-Madinah. When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was
informed that a trade caravan led by Abu Sufyan was on its return journey from Syria,
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carrying plentiful amounts of wealth for the Quraish, he urged his Companions to go out
and seize it as booty, so that the Quraish might know that Muslims were not in a state of
weakness or humiliation. He marched forth along with about three hundred and fifteen
men; their intent was only to seize the caravan and not to engage in war. When Abu
Sufyan learnt that they were heading towards his caravan, he sent for help from the
Quraish, asking them to send him troops. Then he took the coastal route and escaped the
attack, and then informed the Quraish that he was safe. However, all the notable chiefs of
the Quraish, except for Abu Lahab (the Prophet’s uncle), went forth and mobilised the
neighbouring Arab tribes to exterminate the Muslims. They came forth, as Allah, Exalted
be He, describes them,
... boastfully and to be seen of men ... (Al-Anfal: 47)
The Prophet’s Companions were indisputably the best companions to the best
prophet. When they learnt that the Quraish were coming to fight the Prophet, peace and
blessing be upon him, Al-Miqdad ibn Al-Aswad, may Allah be pleased with him, rose
and said to him, “We will not say to you as the people of Musa (Moses) said to him, ...
Go you and your Lord and fight you two, we are sitting right here. (Al-
Ma’idah: 24), but we will fight on your right and on your left and in front of you and
from behind you.” Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “I saw the
face of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, getting bright with happiness, for
that saying delighted him” (Reported by Al-Bukhari). Similarly, Al-Ansar (the Madinan
Helpers of the Muslim Emigrants from Makkah) said to the Prophet, peace and blessings
be upon him, “Were you to command us to plunge our horses into the sea, we would do
so. And were you to command us to goad our horses to Bark al-Ghimad (a city in
Abyssinia), we would readily do so.”
On the approach of the Quraish army, whose number was three times as much as
that of the Muslims, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, spent the whole night
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earnestly imploring his Lord to grant him victory. He invoked Him so fervently that his
mantle would slip off his shoulders. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, would put
it back on his shoulders and say, “O Messenger of Allah! This prayer of yours to your
Lord will suffice you, and He will surely fulfil His promise to you.”
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not sleep that night, but he
spent it praying ardently to Allah. Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said,
“I saw that everyone of us went to sleep except Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings
be upon him, who kept on praying and weeping under a tree until the morning.” Allah
answered the prayers of His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who gave glad
tidings of victory to his Companions and informed them of the places where the leaders
of the disbelievers would be killed.
The battalions of the Quraish arrived at Badr, and the two armies met together
without an appointment, for a reason that Allah, in His Divine Wisdom, willed. Allah,
Glorified be He, says:
... Even if you had made a mutual appointment to meet, you would
certainly have failed in the appointment, but (you met) that Allah
might accomplish a matter already ordained (in His Knowledge). ...
(Al-Anfal: 42)
Allah made the believers fall into a slumber to make them feel secure and
reassured. He says,
(Remember) when He covered you with a slumber as a security
from Him ... (Al-Anfal: 11)
In addition, Allah lessened the number of Muslims in the eyes of the polytheists
so that they might not flee from the battlefield, and reduced the number of the
disbelievers in the eyes of Muslims so as to encourage them to go forward. He says:
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And (remember) when you met (the army of the disbelievers on
the Day of the battle of Badr), He showed them to you as few in
your eyes and He made you appear as few in their eyes, so that
Allah might accomplish a matter already ordained (in His
Knowledge). ... (Al-Anfal: 44)
Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “I would ask the man next to
me, ‘Do you think they are seventy?’, and he would reply, ‘I think they are one hundred,’
while in actual fact they were about one thousand.”
Allah also cast terror and fear into the hearts of the polytheists. He says:
... I will cast terror into the hearts of those who have disbelieved...
(Al-Anfal: 12)
He made the believers stand firm by supporting them with angels. Allah, Glorified
be He, says:
(Remember) when your Lord revealed to the angels, “Verily, I am
with you, so keep firm those who have believed.” ... (Al-Anfal: 12)
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, urged the believers to fight. The
two hosts met and the battle raged. Victory was initiated with a downpour of rain that
cleansed Muslims outwardly and inwardly, through which Allah made their feet stand
firm, strengthened their hearts, and kept Satan’s discouragement at bay. Allah, Glorified
be He, says:
… and He caused water (rain) to descend on you from the sky, to
clean you thereby and to remove from you the Rijz (whispering,
evil-suggestions) of Shaitan (Satan), and to strengthen your hearts,
and make your feet firm thereby. (Al-Anfal: 11)
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Satan was there and he said to the polytheists:
… “No one of mankind can overcome you this Day (of the battle of
Badr) and verily, I am your neighbour (for each and every help)” ...
(Al-Anfal: 48)
Yet, when he saw the angels, he fled, forsook the polytheists, and said to them:
... Verily! I see what you see not. Verily! I fear Allah ... (Al-Anfal:
48)
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, personally engaged in fierce
fighting. Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “You could see us in the
Battle of Badr seeking the protection of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be
upon him, who was the closest of us to the enemy and the fiercest among men in battle.”
Jibril (Angel Gabriel), peace be upon him, came down to fight in the battle. The
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, informed his Companions about that and said
to them, “This is Jibril taking hold of the reins of his horse, equipped with arms for
the battle” (Reported by Al-Bukhari). One thousand angels fought along with him. In
order to give the believers glad tidings and reassure their hearts, Allah informed them that
the angels were fighting along with them. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
Allah made it not but as a message of good news for you and as
an assurance to your hearts. ... (Al ‘Imran: 126)
Abdullah ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, said,
“On that day, while a Muslim [from Al-Ansar] was chasing a polytheist
who was going ahead of him, he heard the crack of a whip over him and
the voice of the rider saying, ‘Go ahead, Haizum!’ (which is the name of
the horse). He glanced at the polytheist and found him lying on the
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ground. When he looked at him more closely, he saw a cut on his nose and
a scar along his face as if it had been hit with a whip and had turned green
with its poison. The man from Al-Ansar came to Allah’s Messenger, peace
and blessings be upon him, and related this to him. He said, ‘You have
told the truth. This was help from the third heaven.’ On that day, the
Muslims killed seventy polytheists and captured seventy others.”
(Reported by Muslim)
Sahl ibn Hunaif, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “On the day of the Battle
of Badr, one would see a man of us aiming his sword at a disbeliever’s head and it would
be chopped off his body before the sword actually reached it.” Allah, Exalted be He,
says:
You killed them not, but Allah killed them. ... (Al-Anfal: 17)
In that battle, seventy polytheists were killed, including the notables of the
Quraish who stood as an obstacle to the religion of Allah, as well as others who had no
good in them at all. After the death of their leaders, none remained but the weak, and
Islam spread in all horizons by Allah’s grace. Allah had preordained the destiny of the
polytheists who survived the Battle of Badr. Many of them embraced Islam, foremost of
whom were Abu Sufyan and ‘Amr ibn Al-‘As, may Allah be pleased with them.
Fourteen of the Companions were martyred and thus won the highest places of
Paradise. Harithah’s mother came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and
said, “O Prophet of Allah! Will you not tell me about [the fate of] Harithah?” He said, “O
Umm Harithah! It is [not one garden], but many gardens in Paradise, and your
son has attained the highest rank in Paradise” (Reported by Al-Bukhari).
Commenting on this hadith, Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy upon his soul, said, “This
hadith is a great reminder as to the favoured status of the Muslims who fought in Badr.
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Harithah was not in the midst of the fight nor in the thick of the battle but was a distant
watcher, and he was hit by a stray arrow while drinking from the cistern. Even though, he
was granted Paradise on account of this position. No one can tell the far greater reward
that Allah has for those who were actually fighting in front of the enemy lines.”
O Muslims!
The religion of Allah is the truth, and He will definitely support it. Falsehood, no
matter how ornate it is, will be obliterated by the truth. Victory comes from Allah even
though its causes may be delayed. Therefore, the servant should hold fast to this religion
and support the cause of his Lord so that He may in turn support him. I seek refuge in
Allah from Satan, the outcast:
And Allah has already made you victorious at Badr, when you
were a weak little force. So fear Allah much that you may be
grateful. (Al ‘Imran: 123)
May Allah bless you and me with the Great Qur’an and make us benefit from its
verses and wise words. I have said what you have heard and I ask forgiveness of Allah
for myself, for you, and for all Muslims, for any sin that we have committed. Ask Allah
for forgiveness. He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
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Part Two
Praise be to Allah for His kindness to us; and all forms of gratitude are due to
Him for the success He has blessed us with and for His graciousness. I bear witness that
there is no god but Allah, Who has no partners, in glorification of His dignified position.
I also bear witness that our prophet, Muhammad, is His servant and messenger. May
Allah bestow His bountiful prayers, peace, and blessings upon him and upon his family
and Companions.
O Muslims!
Islam reached us after many sacrifices had been made. Many lives were offered
and numerous men were wounded for the sake of Islam. Many messengers, righteous
men, martyrs, and angels fought hard to make it reign supreme, to preserve it, and to
convey its message to us. Throughout the ages, its rulings and legislations have remained
intact in their entirety, and Islam has remained valid for all times and places. Therefore, it
is the duty of every servant to follow Islam, rejoice at it, spread it, and support it.
Servants of Allah!
Know that Allah has commanded you to ask Him to send His blessings and peace
upon His Prophet. Allah says in His perfect Revelation:
Allah sends His Salat (Allah sends His Salat (Graces, Honours,
Blessings, Mercy) on the Prophet (Muhammad (peace and
blessings be upon him)) and also His angels (ask Allah to bless and
forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salat on (ask Allah to
bless) him (Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)), and
(you should) greet (salute) him with the Islamic way of greeting
(salutation i.e. AsSalamu
‘Alaikum). (Al-Ahzab: 56)
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O Allah! Bestow Your prayers, peace, and blessings upon our prophet,
Muhammad, and be pleased with the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, who ruled by truth and
thereby established justice, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, along with all the
Companions, and also be pleased with us together with them, by Your grace and
generosity, O Most Generous of all the generous!
O Allah! Grant power and glory to Islam and the Muslims, subdue polytheism and
the polytheists, and destroy the enemies of the religion. O Allah! Make this country of
ours, as well as all other Muslim countries, safe, secure, and prosperous.
... Our Lord! Give us that which is good in this world and that
which is good in the Hereafter, and save us from the torment of
Hellfire! (Al-Baqarah: 201)
O Allah! We ask You for guidance, piety, chastity, and freedom from want, O
Owner of Majesty and Honour!
O Allah! Lead our ruler to Your guidance, make all his deeds pleasing to You,
and guide all the leaders of the Muslims to act according to Your Book and rule by Your
Shari’ah, O Lord of the Worlds!
O Allah! Grant victory to those who strive in Your cause. O Allah! Be their
Protector and Helper and provide support to them.
O Allah! Improve the condition of Muslims everywhere. O Allah! Make the best
among them the ones who rule them.
O Allah! Make whoever harbours evil intentions towards us, or towards Islam and
Muslims, preoccupied with his own problems and let his plots against us be a cause of his
own destruction, O All-Mighty! O Most Strong!
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Servants of Allah!
Verily, Allah enjoins Al-Adl (i.e. justice and worshipping
none but Allah Alone – Islamic Monotheism) and Al-Ihsan
[i.e. to be patient in performing your duties to Allah,
totally for Allah’s sake and in accordance with the Sunnah
(legal ways) of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) in a perfect manner], and giving (help) to kith and
kin (i.e. all that Allah has ordered you to give them, e.g.
wealth, visiting, looking after them, or any other kind of
help), and forbids Al-Fahsha’ (i.e. all evil deeds, e.g. illegal
sexual acts, disobedience of parents, polytheism, to tell
lies, to give false witness, to kill a life without right), and
Al-Munkar (i.e. all that is prohibited by Islamic law:
polytheism of every kind, disbelief and every kind of evil
deeds), and Al-Baghy (i.e. all kinds of oppression). He
admonishes you, that you may take heed. (An-Nahl: 90)
Remember Allah, the Most Great, the Sublime, and He will remember you. Thank
Him for His blessings and favours and He will give you more. Verily, remembrance of
Allah is greater than all, and Allah knows what you do.
