266 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMADThen let him be the one despoiled, not the despoiler,
the one defeated, not the one defeating."'Ihn Ishaq went on, "Quraysh proceeded and made camp on the far side of the
valley, behind the sandhill called al-'Aqanqal. The floor of the valley, called
Yalyal, was between Badr and the huge sandhill, alLCAqanqal, behind which were
Quraysh. The well at Badr was on the other side of the valley, nearest to
Medina."
I would comment that on this subject the Almighty said, "You were on the
nearer side, they on the further, and the caravan was below you" (that is, over
towards the coast) "and had you made appointment for this you would have
failed to keep it; however, (the battle did take place) in order for God to bring
about something already ordained" (smut al-Anfal; VIII, v.42).
Ibn Ishq went on, "And God dispatched the heavens (with rain). The valley
was soft ground and the water from the sky merely dampened the earth for the
Messenger of God (SAAS) and his force but did not impede their progress. But
Quraysh had such rain fall upon them that they could not move ahead."
I comment that on this God spoke, "And He sent down upon you water from
the sky to purify you thereby, to remove from you the devil's filth, to strengthen
your hearts and to steady your feet" (snrat al-Anfal; VIII, v.11).
Here God refers to cleansing them both inside and out, to steadying their feet
and giving them courage, to thwarting the devil and his inspiring them with fear
and doubts. This action was to give strength both within and without. He sent
down His help for them from above, as exemplified in His words, "when your
Lord revealed to the angels that I am with you. And so make those who believe;
for I shall cast terror into the hearts of the unbelievers. Therefore strike above
their necks" (upon their heads, that is) "and strike off all their finger-tips" (so
that they cannot grip their weapons). "This is because they were hostile to God
and to His Messenger. And God is violent in His punishment of those who are
hostile to God and His Messenger. Taste that then! And (know) that the punish-
ment of hell is for disbelievers" (snrat al-Anfak VIII, v.12-14).
Ihn Jarir stated, "Haun b. Ishaq related to me, quoting Mus'ab b.
al-Miqdw, quoting Isrx'il quoting Aba Islpq, from Haritha, from 'Ali h. Aba
T2ib, who said, 'That night - the one preceding the morning when the battle of
Badr occurred - it drizzled and we took shelter from it beneath the tree and
under leather shields. The Messenger of God (SAAS) remained up praying and
he exhorted us for the battle ahead."'
The Imm Ahmad stated, "'Abd al-Rahman b. Mahdi related to us, from
Shu'ba, from Abii Ishaq, from Hzritha b. Midrab, from 'Ali, who said, 'The only
horseman we had at the battle of Badr was al-Miqdxd. From what I saw, all slept
except for the Messenger of God (SAAS) who remained beneath a tree praying
and weeping until morning came."'
This hdtth will be given hereafter at greater length.