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Of course, a political mind would interpret this occasion differently but to the faithful this decla-
ration conveyed a message of the Prophet's holiness, greatness and moral dignity hitherto unknown in
the Medinite annals. How they were moved by this speech is expressed by their spokesman Sa'd Bin
Moadh. He said, "Prophet of the Lord! march where you desire; encamp where you may choose; make
war or conclude peace with whom you will. For I swear by Him (Allah) who has sent you with the truth,
that if you were to march till our camels fell down dead, we would go forward with you to the world's
end. Not one of us will be left behind."

It should also be noted that at the end of the meeting, the Prophet who claimed to be "Mercy of
God to All Mankind", invoked Divine curse on the infidels, and prayed, "O lord, let not Abu Jahl, the
Pharaoh of his people, escape. Let not Zama'a escape; rather let the eyes of his father run sore for him
weeping and become blind".

This curse of the Prophet had a psychological purpose. Being fewer in numbers than the infidels,
it made his followers believe that they already possessed the power to inflict death on their enemies. To
the sincere believers of Muhammad, who had their own unbelieving parents and brethren as a sign of
respect to the Apostle, it was unimaginable that his supplication against the unbelievers could go astray.
Reinforced by this belief, they became even more determined to deliver them a dose of violence
blended with the worst pillage.

Badr was chosen as the place of battle by the Prophet. It vouched for his martial skill as well as
seriousness of purpose i.e. he wanted the battle to be decisive; neither party must escape lightly. He
knew that the courage of his followers, which emanated from their religious convictions, was far more
forceful than the strength that the superiority of numbers bestowed upon his enemy. A decimating blow
to the unbelievers would lay the foundation of the Islamic Empire.

Badr is situated close to Medina, 'the City of the Prophet'. It is a valley which consists of a
plain, having steep hills to the north and east; on the southern side is a low rocky range, and the west is
closely dotted with sandy hillocks. A small stream also ran through it breaking into springs here and
there. The Prophet chose the most useful reservoir for his army and destroyed the rest. This was a wise
military maneuver, which assured him mastery of the water sources of the battlefield.

The day before the engagement took place, Muhammad had placed the banner of the refugees
(the emigrants) in the hands of Mus'ah; ensign of the Khazrajite was given to al-Hobab and the flag of
Aus was handed to Sa'd Bin Moadh.

Here one again sees the tactical wisdom of Muhammad in choosing the fighting spot. As the
Quresh army, comprising a thousand men advanced toward Muhammad, the glaring rays of the Arabian
sun struck their eyes, making their movements troublesome. Also, the vastly numerical superiority of the
enemy was hidden by the fall of the ground behind. Knowing the gravity of the situation, the Prophet
again resorted to the device of praying to Allah for harnessing the superstitious energies of his followers'
belief into a combating force. Raising his hands upward, he solicited the Maker, "O Allah, accomplish
for me what Thou hast promised me. O Allah, bring about what Thou has promised to me. O Allah, if
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