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bewilderment overwhelmed the whole Makkan scene. Abu Sufyan bin Al-Harith gave Abu Lahab a
full account of the massacre and the disgraceful rout they sustained, with emphasis on the role that
the angels played in bringing about their tragic end. Abu Lahab could not contain himself and gave
vent to his feelings of resentment in beating, abusing and slapping Abu Rafi‘, a Muslim, but reticent
on his conversion, for reiterating the role of the angels. Umm Al-Fadl, another Muslim woman,
greatly exasperated by Abu Lahab’s thoughtless behaviour, struck him with a log and cracked his
head. Seven days later, he died of an ominous ulcer and was left for three days unburied. His sons,
however, for fear of shameful rumours, drove him to a pit and keeping their distance, hurledstones
and dust at him.
The defeat was a matter of great shame and grief for the Makkans. In almost every house there
were silent tears for the dead and the captives. They were burning with humiliation and were
thirsting for revenge. Wailing, lamenting and crying however were decreed strictly forbidden lest the
Muslims should rejoice at their affliction.
MADINAH RECEIVES THE NEWS OF VICTORY:
Two heralds, ‘Abdullah bin Rawahah and Zaid bin Harithah were despatched to Madinah, to convey
the glad tidings of victory to the Muslims there.
The multi-ethnic and ideological structure of Madinah featured different respective reactions.
Rumour-mongers amongst the Jews and hypocrites spread news to the effect that the Prophet
(Peace be upon him) had been killed, and tried to impress their false assumption on the fact that
Zaid bin Harithah was riding Al-Qaswâ’, the Prophet’s she-camel. Having reached, the two
messengers imparted to the Muslims the happy news of victory, and furnished accurate information
about the course of events in order to establish the sense of reassurance deep in the hearts of the
anxious, but now, joyous Muslims. They immediately started acclaiming Allâh’s Name and
entertaining His praise at the top of their voices. Their chiefs went out of the city to wait and receive
the Prophet (Peace be upon him) on the road leading to Badr.
Usamah bin Zaid related that they received the news of the manifest victory shortly after Ruqaiyah,
the Prophet ’s daughter, and the wife of ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan had been committed to earth. She had
been terminally ill and the Prophet (Peace be upon him) had asked ‘Uthman to stay in Madinah and
look after her.
Before leaving the scene of the battle, dispute concerning the spoils of war arose among the Muslim
warriors, as the rule relating to their distribution had not yet been legislated. When the difference
grew wider, the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) suspended any solution whereof until the
Revelation was sent down.
‘Ubadah bin As-Samit said: “We went out with the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) and I
witnessed Badr with him. The battle started and Allâh, the Exalted, defeated the enemy. Some of
the Muslims sought and pursued the enemy, some were intent on collecting the spoils from the
enemy camp, and others were guarding the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) and were on
the alert for any emergency or surprise attack. When night came and the Muslims gathered
together, those who had collected the booty said: “We collected it, so no one else has any r ight to
it.” Those who had pursued the enemy said: “You do not have more right to it than we do; we held
the enemy at bay and then defeated them.” As for the men who had been guarding the Prophet
(Peace be upon him), they also made similar claims to the spoils.
At that very time, a Qur’ânic verse was revealed saying:
·
“They ask you [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ] about the spoils of war. Say: ‘The
spoils are for Allâh and the Messenger.’ So fear Allâh and adjust all matters of difference
among you, and obey Allâh and His Messenger [Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ], if you
are believers.” [8:1]
On their way back to Madinah, at a large sand hill, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) divided the
spoils equally among the fighters after he had taken
Al-Khums
(one-fifth). When they reached As-
Safra’, he ordered that two of the prisoners should be killed. They were An-Nadr bin Al-Harith and
‘Uqbah bin Abi Muait, because they had persecuted the Muslims in Makkah, and harboured deep
hatred towards Allâh and His Messenger (Peace be upon him). In a nutshell, they were criminals of
war in modern terminology, and their execution was an awesome lesson to oppressors. ‘Uqbah
forgot his pride and cried out, “Who will look after my children O Messenger of Allâh?” The Prophet
(Peace be upon him) answered, “The fire (of Hell). ” Did ‘Uqbah not remember the day when he had
thrown the entrails of a sheep onto the head of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) while he was
prostrating himself in prayer, and Fatimah had come and washed it off him? He had also strangled
the Prophet (Peace be upon him) with his cloak if it had not been for Abu Bakr to intervene and
release the Prophet (Peace be upon him). The heads of both criminals were struck off by ‘Ali bin Abi
Talib.
At Ar-Rawhâ’, a suburb of Madinah, the Muslim army was received by the joyous Madinesewho had
come to congratulate the Prophet (Peace be upon him) on the manifest victory that Allâh had
granted him. Usaid bin Hudair, acting as a mouthpiece of the other true believers, after entertaining
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