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101
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“O Abu Bakr, glad tidings are there for you: Allâh’s victory has approached, by Allâh, I can
see Gabriel on his mare in the thick of a sandstorm.”
He then jumped out crying:
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“Their multitude will be put to flight, and they will show their backs.” [54:45]
At the instance of Gabriel, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) took a handful of gravel, cast it at the
enemy and said: “Confusion seize their faces!” As he flung the dust, a violent sandstorm blew like
furnace blast into the eyes of the enemies. With respect to this, Allâh says:
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“And you [i.e. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ] threw not when you did throw but Allâh
threw.” [8:17]
Only then did he give clear orders to launch a counter-attack. He was commanding the army,
inspiring confidence among his men and exhorting them to fight manfully for the sake of their Lord,
reciting the Words of Allâh:
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“And be quick for forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as are the heavens
and the earth.” [3:133]
The spirit he infused into his men was clearly witnessed by the valour of ‘Umair, a lad of sixteen,
who flung away some dates he was eating crying out: “These (the dates) are holding me back from
Paradise.” So saying he plunged into the thick of the battle and died fighting bravely. Unique deeds
of valour, deep devotion and full obedience to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) were exhibited in
the process of the battle. The army of the faithfuls was borne forward by the power of enthusiasm
which the half-hearted warriors of Makkah miserably lacked. A large number of the polytheists were
killed and the others began to waver. No wonder! The standard-bearers of Truth were given
immediate help, and supernatural agencies (the angels), were sent to their assistance by their Lord
to help them defeat the forces of evil.
The records of
Hadith
speak eloquently of the fact that the angels did appear on that day and fought
on the side of the Muslims. Ibn ‘Abbas said: “While on that day a Muslim was chasing a disbeliever
and he heard over him the swashing of a whip and the voice of the rider saying: ‘Go ahead Haizum’.
He glanced at the polytheist who had (now) fallen down on his back. The Helper came to the
Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) and related that event to him. The Prophet (Peace be upon
him) replied: ‘You have told the truth. This was the help from the third heaven.”
One of the Helpers captured ‘Abbas bin ‘Abdul Muttalib, who said: “O Messenger of Allâh, by Allâh
this man did not capture me. I was captured by a man who was bald and had the most handsome
face, and who was riding a piebald horse, I cannot see him here among the people.” The Helper
interrupted: “I captured him, O Messenger of Allâh.” The Prophet (Peace be upon him) replied:
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“Be quiet, Allâh the All-Mighty strengthened you with the help of a noble angel.”
Iblîs
, the archsatan, in the guise of Suraqah bin Malik bin Ju‘sham Al-Mudlaji, on seeing angels
working in favour of the Muslims, and Quraish rapidly losing ground on the battlefield, made a quick
retreat despite the polytheists’ pleas to stay on. He ran off and plunged into the sea.
The ranks of Quraish began to give way and their numbers added nothing but confusion. The
Muslims followed eagerly their retreating steps, slaying or taking captive all that fell within their
reach. Retreat soon turned into ignominious rout; and they flied in haste, casting away their
armour, abandoned beasts of burden, camp and equipage.
The great tyrant Abu Jahl, however, on seeing the adverse course of the battle, tried to stop the
tidal wave of the Islamic victory by nerving the polytheists and encouraging them by all means
available and adjuring them by Al-Lat and ‘Uzza and all symbols of paganism to stand firm in place
and retaliate against the Muslims, but to no avail. Their morale had already been drastically reduced
to zero, and their lines broken down. He then began to realize the reality of his arrogance and
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