غزوة بدر الكبرى
The Battle of Badr
17 Ramadan, 2 AH (624 CE)
Badr, southwest of Madinah بدر
The first major military engagement in Islam. 313 Muslims faced approximately 1,000 well-armed Qurayshi warriors at the wells of Badr. Despite being outnumbered and under-equipped, the Muslims won a decisive victory. Allah sent angels to fight alongside the believers. Seventy of the Quraysh were killed including Abu Jahl, and seventy were captured as prisoners of war.
Why this matters
Badr is called 'Yawm al-Furqan' (the Day of Criterion) — the day that distinguished truth from falsehood. It was the turning point that established Islam as a political and military force. The Prophet ﷺ consulted his Companions before the battle (shura), treated prisoners humanely (a revolutionary concept), and some were freed in exchange for teaching Muslim children to read. Surah Al-Anfal was revealed regarding this battle.
Quran references
إِذْ تَسْتَغِيثُونَ رَبَّكُمْ فَٱسْتَجَابَ لَكُمْ أَنِّى مُمِدُّكُم بِأَلْفٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ مُرْدِفِينَ
Surah Al-Anfal, 9-10
When you called upon your Lord for help, He answered you: 'I will reinforce you with a thousand angels, following one another.'
وَلَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِبَدْرٍۢ وَأَنتُمْ أَذِلَّةٌۭ
Surah Aal-Imran, 123
And Allah had already given you victory at Badr while you were few in number.
Hadith references
Sahih Muslim, #1763
Narrated by: Umar ibn al-Khattab
“The Prophet ﷺ looked at the disbelievers — they were one thousand — and his companions were three hundred and nineteen. The Prophet ﷺ turned toward the Qiblah, stretched out his hands and began to cry out to his Lord: 'O Allah, accomplish for me what You have promised. O Allah, if this small band of Muslims is destroyed, You will not be worshipped on this earth.'”