Life-of-Muhammad

54Life of Muhammad sawould have to confront. The uncertainty under whichthe Muslims laboured is hinted at in the Qur’an. But theMuslims were prepared for both. The uncertainty underwhich the Muslims left Medina redounds to the credit oftheir faith and their tremendous sincerity. It was afterthey had gone some distance from Medina that theProphet sa made it known to them that they would haveto confront the large Meccan army rather than the smallSyrian caravan.Speculations had reached Muslims about the size ofthe Meccan army. The most moderate of thesespeculations placed the number at one thousand, all ofthem seasoned soldiers skilled in the art of war. Thenumber accompanying the Prophet sa was only threehundred and thirteen, and of these many were unskilledand inexperienced, and most were ill-armed. A greatmajority of them went on foot, or mounted on camels.There were only two horses in the whole party. Thisparty, which was as poorly equipped with the weaponsof war as it was raw in experience, had to confront aforce three times its number, consisting mostly ofexperienced fighters. It was quite obviously the mostdangerous thing ever undertaken in history. The HolyProphet sa was wise enough to ensure that nobody tookpart in it without due knowledge and without his willand heart in it. He told his party clearly that it was nolonger the caravan they had to confront but the armyfrom Mecca. He asked the party for their counsel. Oneafter another, his Meccan followers stood up andassured the Prophet sa of their loyalty and zeal, and oftheir determination to fight the Meccan enemy who hadcome to attack the Muslims of Medina in their homes.Every time the Prophet sa heard a Meccan Muslim, heasked for more counsel and more advice. The Muslimsof Medina had been silent. The aggressors were fromMecca, with blood relations to many of those Muslimswho had migrated with the Prophet sa to Medina and whowere now in this small party. The Muslims of Medinawere afraid lest their zeal to fight the Meccan enemy