Life-of-Muhammad

60Life of Muhammad safollowers migrated from Mecca to Medina. The propheticvalue of the Meccan verses is beyond dispute. There isin these verses a clear hint of what was in store for theMeccans in the battlefield of Badr. The fate they weregoing to meet is clearly foretold. When the Prophet sacame out of his hut, he reiterated the propheticdescription contained in the Meccan Chapter. He musthave been put in mind of the Meccan verses, during hisprayers in the hut. By reciting one of the verses hereminded his followers that the Hour promised in theMeccan revelation had come.And the Hour had really come. The Prophet Isaiah as(21:13-17) had foretold this very hour. The battle began,even though Muslims were not ready for it and non-Muslims had been advised against taking part in it.Three hundred and thirteen Muslims, most of theminexperienced and unused to warfare, and nearly all ofthem unequipped, stood before a number three times aslarge, and all of them seasoned soldiers. In a few hours,many noted chiefs of Mecca met their end. Just as theProphet Isaiah as had foretold, the glory of Kedar fadedaway. The Meccan army fled in miserable haste, leavingbehind their dead as well as some prisoners. Among theprisoners was the Prophet's sa uncle, ‘Abbas ra , whogenerally stood by the Prophet sa during the days atMecca. ‘Abbas ra had been compelled to join the Meccansand to fight the Prophet sa . Another prisoner was Abu’l‘As ra , a son-in-law of the Prophet sa . Among the dead wasAbu Jahl, Commander-in-chief of the Meccan army and,according to all accounts, arch-enemy of Islam.Victory came, but it brought mixed feelings to theProphet sa . He rejoiced over the fulfilment of divinepromises, repeated during the fourteen years which hadgone by, promises which had also been recorded insome of the earliest religious writings. But at the sametime he grieved over the plight of the Meccans. What apitiable end had they met! If this victory had come toanother in his place, he would have jumped with joy.But the sight of the prisoners before him, bound and