THE BATTLE OF BADR

The Quraysh marched to Madinah with a thousand-strong army. They camped at Badr, about eighty miles from Madinah. It was the month of Ramadan, 2 AH. On hearing the news of the enemy camping at Badr, the Prophet marched out of Madinah at the head of an army of 313 Muslims. There were few horses, and the Muslims had no armour. The Makkans, on the other hand, were well-armed and had 300 horses and 700 camels.

The battle, in which the Makkans were seriously outnumbered, began on Friday, the 17th of Ramadan. The fighting lasted only a few hours, during which the Prophet prayed all the time for divine help. God then sent angels to help the Muslims. The Muslims won the battle, and the Quraysh suffered a total rout.