Most wars tend to change the course of history. The battle of Badr is regarded by historians as one that changed decisively the course of history in favour of Islam. One year after Rasulullah (SAW) had performed the sacred hijrat to Madinah, the Quraish of Makkah, rode out in full armament towards Madinah to wage the first open war against Islam. In just one year, the Prophet had established a flourishing state in Madinah and his pious, God-fearing and diligent Muslim community had won the admiration and support of Arabs in the surrounding areas. Rasulullah's strength and ability to affect the events in the region had unexpectedly grown. The kuffar, feeling threatened, decided that they must destroy the nascent community before it grew any stronger. Abu Sufyan, one of the most wicked enemies of Islam, prepared a ruse in which it was made to appear that his caravan been attacked by the Madinans. An uncle of the Prophet and one of his bitterest enemies called Abu Jahl was enraged and mustered a well equipped army of about 1000 men, 300 horseback soldiers and 700 camels. Even women accompanied the army to sing morale building songs for their warriors.
When the believers learned of the approaching army, they unanimously offered to lay down their lives for the Prophet and Islam. So the Prophet rode out with 313 men, 70 camels and two horses to meet the kuffar. Even in these difficult conditions, the Prophet chose to honour a previous agreement with the Makkans that two Muslims who had been released by the Makkans some months earlier must not wage battle. He also asked some young men to return as he considered them too young to fight. The Muslim army numbered just over 300 and was ill-equipped.
The two armies met at Badr, an oasis south of Madinah on 16th of Ramadan. By all accounts, the army of the Prophet was no match to the superior numbers and equipment of the Makkans. The Prophet laid camp in a position from where he could guide the battle and gave the charge of the army to Mawlana Hamza, the valiant uncle of the Prophet. On the morning of the 17th Ramadan 1 AH (14th January 624), the Prophet sought the help of Allah and his supplication was immediately answered. This was conveyed to the believers who became firm in with the knowledge of the sacredness of their mission and the rewards of martyrdom.
Initially, the encounter began on an individual basis with Mawlana Ali (SA), Mawlana Hamza and Ubaida bin Harith engaging three noblemen related to the wife of Abu Sufyan. The three Makkans, though famed warriors, were swiftly killed. Having seen their noblemen cut down so easily, the Makkans charged. Abu Jahl and 11 of the 14 Makkan leaders were slain. A total of 70 Makkans were killed and they took to flight.
Defeat at Badr, strategists say, would have meant the sure destruction of Islam. Allah chose to grant the Prophet a great victory. The honour of Islam spread and the small community of believers rose overnight in stature to become a true power. For them, victory at Badr was nothing but a miracle of the Prophet that had reaffirmed their faith. A miracle that had strengthened their beliefs and resolve. Their history and that of Islam was forever altered on the 17th of Ramadan.
In 5 AH, Rasullulah (SAW) had a revelation which inspired him to leave for Makkah to perform umra. The Makkans, having lost a number of battles against Rasulullah, swore they would not let him enter their city. Their army intercepted the unarmed and pilgrim-garbed Rasulullah at Hudaibiya. Here, a famous pact was entered into by the two sides which assured peace for 10 years. Rasulullah was to return to Madinah and perform umra after 12 months. However, within 10 months, one of the terms of the treaty was violated by a tribe allied to the Makkans. When given the opportunity to retract or to declare the treaty void, the Makkans chose the latter. Rasulullah swiftly prepared an army to march into Makkah. The Makkans realised their mistake and attempted to renew their treaty but it was too late. The time for cleansing the Kaaba of the impure idols had come. The month was Ramadan, the month of fasting and purity, the month of Allah and in it, Makkah was destined to return to Islam.
On 6th of Ramadan, as Rasulullah approached Makkah at the head of an army of 10,000, the Makkans panicked. They had treated their own son, Mohammed (SAW) shamefully. They had fought him bitterly. Now, they thought, he was returning in revenge. Even Abu Sufyan, their head, betrayed his own people and submitted to Islam to save himself. As Rasulullah's army entered Makkah, its denizens hid themselves in their houses as they had been promised refuge if they did so.
Giving praise to Allah he immediately approached the Kaaba and performed tawaf. He then delivered a powerful khutbah reminding Muslims of their obligations and how Allah had chosen to favour them. Then, he set about doing what he had come to Makkah for. He entered inside the Kaaba with his wasi Ali (SA) and together, they destroyed the idols, returning it to the original state that the Prophet Ibrahim (SA) had made it. The Makkans watched as the symbols of their superstitious idol-worshipping religion were reduced to a heap of rubble, and along with them their prestige and honour in Arabia.
Born in Makkah, and raised to prophethood there, Rasulullah had preached Islam amongst the Makkans for 13 years whilst they had ridiculed him. They had opposed him, put him under house arrest, tormented him and his followers and finally plotted to kill him. Even when he left for Madinah, they had raised armies against him. Now the Makkans expected that Rasulullah would exact a just retribution.
Instead, Rasulullah forgave them all. Not only that, but he declared Makkah a safe-haven for man and animal alike. The nobles and those from amongst his family who repented and embraced Islam were even rewarded. His magnanimity startled the whole of Arabia and overwhelmed the Makkans who repented their past actions tearfully. Even the Madinans were taken aback by his benevolence and feared that the Prophet might make his home in Makkah again. They approached him and asked:
"O more beloved than our souls, will you now disregard the treaty of Aqaba and forsake us?"
The Prophet replied that he would never do so and consoled the Madinans thus:
"Do not fear my bestowals to the Makkans, for you will always have me".
Most jihad battles of Syedal Mursaleen, Rasulullah (SAW) showed the rank, courage, valour and position of Amir ul-Mu'mineen, Mawlana Ali ibn Abi Talib (SA), but in the Battle of Tabuk, his high status and closeness to Rasulullah (SAW) was revealed in more ways than one.
On the 2nd of Ramadan 8H, Rasulullah (SAW) led an expedition to Tabuk, (in present-day northern Syria), in response to reports that the Byzantine empire had made an alliance with the northern tribes to join in battle against Madinah Munawarra. Historians agree that this was the only battle in which Rasulullah (SAW) did not take Ali ibn Abi Talib (SA) with him, but instead made him governor (saheb of raza) in Madinah. Some people, motivated by jealousy of Ali, spread rumours that Ali had fallen into disfavour, and so was not included in the expedition despite his legendary abilities. On hearing this, Ali rushed after the army to meet Rasulullah and seek his reassurance. Rasulullah met Ali with delight and said to him: "Ali, you are to me as Harun was to Musa, except that there is no prophet after me". Harun was Musa's brother and his aide in his prophetic mission. Ali was indeed that for Rasulullah. Satisfied, Ali returned to Madinah and remained there as the Prophet had wished.
Briefly stated, the narrative of the actual battle is as follows:
When Rasulullah reached Tabuk, there was a large army waiting. The Byzantines, in collusion with the northern tribes, had gathered an army at least double the size of Rasulullah's army of 30,000. The battle was waged with small sections of the armies fighting independent skirmishes scattered all over the battlefield. The Muslim army, though valiant, was outnumbered and parts of it were effectively surrounded. Ammar bin Yasir, Miqdad bin al-Aswad, Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib and Abu Ayyub al-Ansari were each given charge of sections of the army at different times. They fought bravely, but found it impossible to make inroads into the enemy army. Rasulullah then ascended a small hill, prayed 2 rakats namaz and called for Ali, saying "Ya Ali ajjil" "Hurry, Ali". Jibra'il carried his voice to Ali.
At that time Amir ul-Mu'mineen, Ali, was with Salman al-Farisi in Madinah. Salman says he saw Ali suddenly say "Labayk Ya Rasulallah" and rush home. No sooner had he put his armour on than he was miraculously transported to Tabuk. There, Rasulullah was elated and welcomed him. Giving him his own armour, sword and helmet, Rasulullah told Ali to hide his face and go forward and fight without revealing his identity; and capture or kill the two enemy commanders Nawasib and Uskuf.
Ali did as he was told, moving through the ranks and various skirmishes by routing the enemy. Wherever he went, people thought he was Rasullullah and greeted him with salaam. Finally, he reached the front line and engaged in furious battle. His combat style was recognised by the slaves of Hudhaifa and Abu Ayyub. Some of the ashab thus realised Ali had somehow joined the Muslim army and their morale was boosted. Soon, Ali captured the two enemy commanders and brought them to Rasulullah, saying that this day, his brother Ja'far at-Tayyar was avenged. The Byzantine army, completely demoralised, ran routed and dispersed.
The casualties on the Muslim side were minimal. Rasulullah then (SAW) bade Ali farewell and Ali returned to Madinah just as he had come – instantly. The main army arrived later, after Ramadan, having made peace pacts with the tribes of the region.
The battle was won through Ali's valour. Just as in Badr, Uhud, Khandaq and Khaybar. Ali's courage and role in battle is often downplayed or omitted in history books accepted by Sunnis. But with Tabuk, the distortion is astonishing. They say that on reaching Tabuk, Rasulullah discovered that there was no Byzantine army there, nor was there any alliance with the northern tribes. And Rasulullah simply made pacts of peace with the outlying regions and returned to Madinah sometime after Ramadan. Thus, the battle never took place!
It does not take much thought to see why the battle has entirely disappeared from a historical tradition. Having said that, there are some existing historical sources accepted by the Sunnis, which admit that there was an unknown battle, in which Rasulullah had summoned Ali by calling his name loudly from the top of a hill - "and lo and behold, Ali heard him and miraculously appeared."