Page 52 - History of The Quranic Text | Kalamullah.Com

32 THE HISTORY OF THE QUR'ANIC TEXT

Though the Prophet's adversaries in these battles were generally idolaters,
they did on occasion includeJews and Christians who had allied themselves
with Quraish against the Muslims. I willmention a few incidents from some
of theseghazawat, not forthe sakeof detailbut rather to facilitate a comparison
of Islam's rapid spread under the Prophet's leadership with the disarray of
the Israelites' desert wanderings at the time of Moses, and the struggles of
the twelve Apostles during the time ofJesus.74

xi. Prelude to the Battle of Badr

News came to the Prophet that a huge caravan was passing by a route
near to Madinah under the leadership of Abu Sufyan. The Prophet sought
to intercept the caravan, but Abu Sufyan learned of this and altered his
route, dispatching a messenger to Makkah to request reinforcements. Con-
sequently an army of one thousand men with seven hundred camels and
horses was readied under Abu Jahl's command, an imposing display of
steel and strength marching northwards for an assault on Madinah.
Receiving intelligence concerning both the caravan's new route and
Abu jahl's army, Muhammad informed the people of the circumstances
before them and sought their advice. Abu Bakr stood up and spoke nobly,
and 'Umar followed suit. Then al-Miqdad bin 'Amr rose and said, "0
Prophet of Allah, go where Allah tells you to go and you will fmd us with
you. ByAllah, we willnot say to you what Banu-Isra'il" said to Moses, 'Go,
you with your Lord, and fight while we sit here (and watch),'76 but 'Go, you
with your Lord, and fight for we will fight with you.' By the One Who
has sent you with the Truth, if you were to take us to Bark al-Chimad?
we would fight resolutely with you against its defenders until you conquered
it." His intrepid words fellgratefully on the Prophet's ears, and he thanked
him and prayed for him.
Then he exclaimed, ''Advise me, 0 people," by which he meant the
Ansar, There were two reasons behind this: (a) they formed the majority;
and (b) when the Ansar gave their pledge to him in 'Aqaba, they made it
clear that they were not liable for his safety tillhe entered their boundaries.
Once there they would protect him as they would their own wives and
children. Hence the Prophet's concern that they might viewwith reluctance

74 See Chapters 14 and 16.
75 Children of Israel.
76 Qur'an 5:24.
77 A place in Yemen, others say the farthest stone. Regardless, it means, "as far as
you would go".