Badr, Battle of

The Battle of Badr, fought March 13, 624 CE (17 Ramadan, 2 AH in the Islamic calendar) in the Hejaz region of western Arabia (present-day Saudi Arabia), is a key battle in the early days of Islam and a turning point in Muhammad's struggle with his opponents among the Quraish in Mecca.

The battle has been passed down in Islamic history as a decisive victory attributable to divine intervention, or by secular sources to the strategic genius of Muhammad.

It is one of the few battles specifically mentioned in the Quran.

Most contemporary knowledge of the battle at Badr comes from traditional Islamic accounts, both hadiths and biographies of Muhammad, recorded in written form some time after the battle.

Prior to the battle, the Muslims and Meccans had fought several smaller skirmishes in late 623 and early 624, as the Muslim ghazawāt (prophet-led battles) had become more frequent.

Badr, however, is the first large-scale engagement between the two forces.

Advancing to a strong defensive position, Muhammad's well-disciplined force breaks the Meccan lines, killing several important Quraishi leaders including Muslims' chief antagonist Abu Jahl.

For the early Muslims the battle is the first sign that they might eventually defeat their enemies among the Meccans.

Mecca at this time wis one of the richest and most powerful cities in Arabia, fielding an army three times larger than that of the Muslims.

The Muslim victory also signals other tribes that a new power has arisen in Arabia and strengthens Muhammad's position as leader of the often fractious community in Medina.

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