an especially large trade caravan. This tempting target motivated
Mohammad to make an attempt on the caravan. Anticipating this
move, the merchants of Mecca likewise mobilized.x The caravan managed to dodge Mohammad’s force and reach
Mecca safely, but the Meccans were determined to eradicate this
menace to their trade. Mohammad likewise needed a successful
battle in order to shore up his reputation.
x The two small armies eventually met at Badr, a spot in the desert
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stopped up most of the wells, leaving only a few on some high
ground; he then encamped his troops—about 300 men, 70 camels,
and 2 horses—in a defensive position around them. The Meccans
numbered more than 900, including several hundred cavalry on
horses and camels.
x The battle began in a traditional manner, with champions from
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on their knoll. The Muslims did not run to meet them, but instead
responded with a rain of arrows on the Meccans as they labored up
the slope.
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surged forward, broke the Meccan line, and won the battle. About
70 Meccans were slain, with about the same number captured. On
the Muslim side, losses numbered only 14.
x Badr is one of the few battles mentioned in the Koran, where the
victory is ascribed to divine intervention. Whether one attributes
the Muslims’ success to this or to Mohammad’s savvy generalship,
Badr was a key turning point in the history of Islam.
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o It added a military dimension to Islam, with Mohammad now
acknowledged and respected as a victorious general and the