OCCASION OF REVELATION (VERSR NO. 13)

      This refers to the battle of BADR, which was in the second year of emigration. The little army of Muslims consisted of 313 men, 77 of whom were the Emigrants of Mecca, and the other 236 men were of their friends in Medina who were called the Helpers. The muslim forces were mostly unarmed. They had seventy (70) camels, two(2) horses, six chain - mails, and very few swords.

The little community of Muslims in Medina, a group of whom were the exiled meccans emigrated there, who were constantly in dangers of being attacked by their enemies in Mecca and the Jews and hypocrites of Medina. The plan of the Meccans was to crush and annihilate Mohammad and his follower and to this end, ABUSOFYÄN, the chief of GHOREISH was leading a richly - laden caravan from Syria to Mecca. He called for armed aid from Mecca, with the excuse that the caravan was in danger of being attacked by Mohammad's forces. An army of the polytheists of Mecca was quickly organized and mobilized, and set out for Medina and reached in due time. The army was well armed, well equipped and in number they were more than a thousand. They had among them some of the most experienced warriors and veterans of war. ABUJAHL, the sworn enemy of the prophet and the persecutor of Muslims was the commander of the forces. In a fearful fight, in the plain of BADR, some 50 miles south - west of Median, the prophet's forces defeated the pagans, and won a brilliant victory. Muslims had some 12 martyrs in this battle but they killed more than 70 of the heathens, and the same number of them was taken as captives.

COMMENTS

      The verse warns the unbelievers not to rely so much upon the material means, such as wealth, weapon and number of forces and mounts. The battle of Badr was a good lesson to learn, because Muslims in comparison with the infidels were too weak, except that they were fighting for their faith. So it was impossible on the physical basis, and without the miraculous help of God, for such that small and ill - equipped force, to defeat that large, well - equipped, and well experienced, army: ``There has already been a sign for you in the two hosts, which met in the Badr's battle field. One of the hosts was fighting for the cause of Allah, and other party was unbelieving and faithless.''

      The polytheists saw the believerse twice as their real number! Later the enemy captives stated that they all had seen Muslim forces, at the first sight less than what they really were; (QURÄN - S 8:44) but when the fight began, God miraculously made them to see Muslims much more than their real number! This was to fill the pagans hearts with fear and fright to cause their defeat. On the contrary Muslims saw the enemy less than what they were in number, and this wrong vision caused Muslims to be steadfast and the pagans to waver and fickle: ``And Allah strengthens with His help whom He will.''