(A) The Battle of Badr
TheMeccans continued theirattemptto destroyIslam.Theycontinued
toharasstheMuslimswhoremainedinMeccaandalsoconfiscatedtheir
propertyandbelongings.AbuJahl,theleaderoftheMeccans,evensent
aletterto theProphet threatening himof theattack bythe Meccans.It
wasin response to such aggressionthat Allah gave the permission to
fighttheunbelieversofMecca.Hesaid,“Permission[forjihād]isgran-
ted to those who are being killedbecause they havebeen oppressed...
thosewho havebeenexpelledfromtheirhomeswithoutajustcause...
”(22:39-40)
Inthesecondyearofthehijra,theProphetwithabout 300 ill-equipped
Muslims confronted a well-equipped Meccan force of 1000 soldiers.
Thoughoutnumbered,theMuslimswereabletodefeattheunbelievers
in their first armed encounter with the enemy.