1
The Battle of Badr
In Ramadan 2 AH (March 624 CE) the Prophet ﷺ set out with the Muslims to meet a Quraysh caravan, but Allah brought them face to face with Quraysh's army, as Ka'b ibn Malik رضي الله عنه said, without any appointment. The Muslims numbered about 313, as al-Bara' رضي الله عنه said, the same as the companions of Talut. Umar رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet ﷺ faced the qiblah and called on his Lord with outstretched hands until his cloak fell from his shoulders: “O Allah, fulfil what You promised me.” Allah says: “Allah had already given you victory at Badr while you were weak” (3:123).
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After Badr: the captives
The sirah books record that about seventy of Quraysh's leaders and fighters were killed, among them Abu Jahl, and about seventy were taken prisoner. The Muslims consulted about the prisoners and accepted ransom; the Quran then gave guidance on the matter and confirmed that what was taken was lawful (8:67-70). The sirah books say that some literate prisoners were freed after teaching Muslim children to write. Jubayr ibn Mut'im رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet ﷺ said of the captives of Badr: “If al-Mut'im ibn Adi were alive and spoke to me about these filthy ones, I would release them to him,” remembering the protection al-Mut'im had once given him.
3
The Battle of Uhud
In Shawwal 3 AH (March 625 CE) Quraysh marched on Madinah with about three thousand men to avenge Badr, and the Muslims met them at Mount Uhud. Al-Bara' ibn Azib رضي الله عنهما reported that the Prophet ﷺ placed a group of archers on the hill under Abdullah ibn Jubayr and told them not to leave their positions. When the enemy fled, most of the archers thought the battle was won and left for the spoils, despite their commander's reminder, and the Muslims were struck from behind; seventy were killed. Allah says: “Until you lost courage and disputed about the command, and disobeyed” (3:152).
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The wounds of Uhud and the lessons
In the battle the Prophet's face was wounded, a tooth was broken and his helmet was smashed. Sahl ibn Sa'd رضي الله عنه described how Fatimah رضي الله عنها washed the blood and Ali رضي الله عنه poured water. Many companions were killed, among them his uncle Hamzah, who was killed by Wahshi, as Wahshi himself later told. The Quran consoled the believers: “Do not weaken and do not grieve, for you will be superior if you are believers” (3:139). Returning from Khaybar, the Prophet ﷺ said of Uhud: “This is a mountain that loves us and we love it.”
How the sources are used: Sources are chosen in this order: the Quran first, then the hadith collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim, and then other collections such as al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and Malik. The sirah books, mainly Ibn Ishaq as transmitted by Ibn Hisham, are used only for details not found in the hadith, and these are marked as “recorded in the sirah books.” Dates in the Christian era are approximate, and hadith numbers follow the hadith library of this website.
