210 ISLAM AT WAR
from the way of Allah, and to disbelieve in Him and in the Inviolable Place
of Worship, and to expel his people thence, is a greater with Allah; for
persecution is worse than killing. And they will not cease from fighting
against you until they have made you renegades from your religion, if they
can. And whoso becometh a renegade and dieth in his disbelief: such are
they whose works have fallen both in the world and the Hearafter. Such are
rightful owners of Fire: they will abide therein.Subsequent Islamic scholars have stated that if the people of Mecca
obstructed the new faith, old traditions were not to stand in the way of
Allah. It should also be recognized that no movement that seeks to estab-
lish itself can succeed without breaking from old traditions.
The battle at Badr followed shortly upon the heels of the attack on this
caravan. Before going to battle Muhammad prayed in a small tent, and it
is reputed in some sources that he emerged reciting a new revelation,
“Soon shall the hosts be routed, and they shall turn their backs.” This
revelation, surprisingly, is not found in the Koran. This revelation inspired
his forces and convinced them that their cause was Allah’s cause.
In a later passage in the Koran Muhammad spoke directly to the issue
of Allah’s support of their action at the battle of Badr. Two such passages
are found:
Surah III, 123. Allah had already given you the victory at Badr, when ye
were contemptible. So observe your duty to Allah in order that ye may be
thankful.Surah III, 13. There was a token for you in two hosts which met: one army
fighting in the way of Allah, and another disbelieving, whom they saw as
twice their number, clearly, with their very eyes. Thus Allah strengtheneth
with His succor who He will. Lo! Herein verily is a lesson for those who
have eyes.This Koranic reinforcement of Allah’s presence with them as they
fought under Muhammad was the “lesson for those who have eyes,” and
it applied to all. This contributed to the problem of taking up arms against
kinsmen, which was strictly forbidden by existing Arab tradition. Muham-
mad’s approach worked. In one instance, Abd Allah Ubayy asked Mu-
hammad’s permission to kill his own father for “treachery” that his father
had committed against Muhammad. Had someone else punished his fa-
ther, existing tradition would require that the son kill his father’s murderer
after the fashion of the vendetta.