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Since taking office in January 2010, Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Muhammad Badi' has released frequent communiqués encouraging jihad.[1] In a weekly sermon, in which he marked the anniversary of the Battle of Badr in 624 CE – the first battle in which the Prophet Muhammad triumphed over the infidels, the Quraysh tribe of Mecca – Badi' called upon the Muslims to follow in the footsteps of the fighters of Badr, who waged a jihad war that was forced upon them and overcame the infidels despite their small numbers, by virtue of their yearning for Paradise. He urged the Muslims to wage such jihad in order to rescue their oppressed brothers in Palestine, Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, and other places.
The following are excerpts from his sermon:[2]
"In the name of Allah, God be praised, blessings and peace be upon Allah's Messenger and His faithful. Soon we shall mark the anniversary of the Battle of Badr – the day of redemption, the day the group of believers, small in number and poorly equipped, triumphed over the hordes of the haughty and arrogant Quraysh tribe.[3] The emerging Islamic state struck roots, becoming a fact that could not be ignored. The Quraysh tyrants, despots and criminals were slain. On this blessed day of commemoration, we will pause to consider our situation and that of our weak ummah, and we will ask ourselves: Can we be men of Badr, like the [original] believers of Badr? Will Allah gaze upon us with a merciful and willing eye, and will we be victorious, as they were?"
"Initiative and Readiness"
"How many of the believers hastened to answer the Prophet's call, when he said to his Companions: 'Here is a Quraysh caravan, and it bears their possessions. Go out [and attack] it; perhaps Allah will give it to you as booty.' Some of the people rushed to volunteer, and others tarried because they did not believe that the prophet would engage [the caravan] in battle. But the Quraysh caravan escaped, and the Quraysh army arrived; its aim was to annihilate the group of the believers. Fighting became imperative; there was no choice whatsoever.
"The Prophet consulted with his Companions. Sa'd bin Mu'adh, head of the Aus tribe, said: 'We have believed in you and attested that you have brought the truth with you, and we have undertaken to hear you and obey you. Do as you see fit, and we shall stand by you. By the life of He who sent you to bring the truth, had you brought us to the sea and crossed it, we would have crossed with you; none would have remained behind. We are not reluctant to stand beside you tomorrow to fight our enemies. We stand heroically in battle; we fight as it is befitting to fight. Perhaps Allah will show you [in our conduct in battle] things that will please you. Go forth, with Allah's blessing.'
"This is exemplary [behavior], which Allah's Messenger praised, saying: 'He who holds a horse's rein, whenever he hears the [battle] cry, will gallop to it.'
"Had the Muslims who tarried in setting forth to Badr known that the great battle against the polytheists would indeed take place, that history would stand in awe of that day, that the Gates of Heaven would open so that the angels could descend and fight alongside the believers, and that the souls of the fallen would be wed to brides in Heaven – had they had known [this], not one of them would have tarried.' And the foremost in the race, the foremost in the race: they are those who are close [to Allah].' [4]
"And he who tarried – how great was his loss. He forfeited the merit of participating in [the Battle of] Badr, and the title of Badri, of which these heroes could later boast. This title could even abolish sins committed after Badr – even the sin of Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah, who [in 630 BCE] divulged the Muslims' plans to conquer Mecca [to the enemy]. 'Omar ibn Al-Khattab asked the Prophet for permission to execute Hatib, but the Prophet said: He fought at Badr, and who knows, Allah may have observed those who fought at Badr and said [to them], 'Do as you wish; I have already forgiven you.' This is an accepted hadith.
"The absence from Badr continued to pain those who had been absent from this battle. It was considered a shortcoming, to be atoned for only with a sincere request to die in battle at the [opportunity] to wage jihad. One [of those who was absent] was Anas ibn Al-Nadr. He said, 'If Allah shows me a battle site – after [Badr] – alongside Allah's Messenger, He will indeed see how I conduct myself.' [Al-Nadr] feared to express himself in any other way, out of humility before Allah and fear of Him. At the Battle of Uhud [in 625, near Al-Madina], he unforgettably fought until he was killed, may Allah be pleased with him. It was concerning him and concerning his comrades that the following verse was revealed: 'Among the believers are men who are true to that which they covenanted with Allah. Some of them have paid their vow by death [in battle], and some of them still are waiting; and they have not changed [their minds] in the least [Koran 33:23].'[5] [This too is] an accepted hadith."
"[Fleeting] Weakness Will Not Stop the Believers from Seeking Might"
"The Muslims who set forth against the Quraysh trade caravan were not prepared for a large battle. They were little over 300 in number, with 70 camels which they took turns riding. There were only two horsemen there, the rest being foot [soldiers]. They were as the Prophet described them in his plea [to Allah]: 'O Allah, they are barefoot; [pray give them] mounts. They are poor; pray make them wealthy. They are hungry, pray feed them.' The change in conditions created a situation for which they were not prepared: the caravan escaped, and they found themselves up against the Quraysh army, whose numbers were thrice their own. They could [either] face the provocation and fight – a situation for which they were not prepared – or disregard the provocation and refrain from responding or engaging in [this] battle that had been forced upon them, and whose timing and location they did not choose. But they chose to face [the enemy] rather than flee. They chose to set out on this jihad, which had been forced upon them, rather than run.
"But how numerous are the excuses of cowards, who prefer safety in all circumstances, and disguise their cowardice and weakness as reason, responsibility, and discretion. Had the Muslims accepted such excuses [back then], they would have had, in the new situation that had befallen them, a way out and a justification [for their cowardice]. However, they preferred to confront the infidels [and let] Allah judge between them [and their enemies, for] He is the best judge... [The fight could have ended either in] a joyous victory for the oppressed and deprived, or in death by the sword which would open the Gates of Heaven to them, where they would reside at ease forever."[6]
"Learning From Judicious Divine Decree"
"At first, the Muslims did not want to fight, as the verse says: 'And when Allah promised you one of the two parties that it should be yours, and you loved that the unarmed one should be yours; and Allah willed that He should cause the Truth to triumph by His words, and cut the root of the unbelievers, that He might cause the Truth to triumph and bring vanity to naught, however much the guilty might oppose. When you sought aid from your Lord, so He answered you: I will assist you with a thousand of the angels following one another [Koran, 8:7-9].' Allah's choice for the Muslims was better than their own choice. They desired the caravan so that it would compensate them for some [of the possessions] they had lost,[7] but Allah wanted [to deliver] the army [into their hands] so that this would be the first great victory against an army of the polytheists, and so that the Muslims would inscribe the most illustrious page in the [annals of] their ongoing history, and so that the ummah would learn [to obey] Allah's decrees and mold [itself] after His blessed ways.
"Command Which Favors Counsel and Seeks Justice"
"The Prophet, peace be upon him, would frequently seek the counsel of his Companions, even though he was [guided] by divine inspiration. His Companions learned from this and were confident that they bore the message [of Islam] and held joint responsibility for this message. They understood the difference between the realization of his mission, in which [the Prophet] was infallible, and matters of warfare and tactics. Consider, for instance, Al-Hubab ibn al-Mundhir’s counsel to the Prophet that he relocate the army to a spot more favorable from a military [perspective], or Sa'd ibn Mu'adh's counsel to the Prophet that he allow the Muslims to build him a hut from which to direct the battle. In both cases, the Prophet agreed that [their counsel] was just. He did not see it as a humiliation or a weakness [to accept their advice]. This is a command [based on] belief, which allows [others] to apply their reasoning, their creativity and their tongues in order to speak and persuade.
"The [Muslim] army had but 70 camels, on which they took turns riding. Three or four took turns riding the same camel, and [even] Allah's Messenger shared a camel with two others. These two Companions of the Prophet proposed that he ride and they walk, and he said to them, 'You are not stronger than I, and I am as in need of reward as you."[8] This was related by [the narrator ofhadiths Imam] Al-Nasai.
"Asking For Help by Pleading [Before Allah]"
"Ahmad [ibn Hanbal] related through a chain of transmission that reaches all the way to 'Ali Abi Taleb: 'I witnessed the following scene: We all slept, but for Allah's Messenger, who stood beneath a tree praying and weeping until morning. This was on the eve of [the Battle of] Badr. He frequently said, "O Eternal One," repeating it while [prostrating himself] in worship. He lifted his hand and cried out to his Lord, "O Allah, if this group is cut down, you will no longer be worshipped on Earth. O Allah, fulfill Your promise to me. O Allah, extend your help." He lifted his hand to the heavens until his cloak fell from his elbows, and Abu Bakr, fearing [for the Prophet's] safety, said, "O Allah's Messenger, ease your pleas to your Lord, He will fulfill what He has promised."'
"What pure, complete, God fearing supplication. It was not [offered] with the aim of asking for the group's survival or merely out of concern for its safety, but because the group bore the message of truth to humanity. The fear of its annihilation was the fear of a situation in which the world would remain without any indication of the right path and without the light of truth... A plea is the essence of worshipping God, it is worship itself, and Allah's Messenger is chief among worshippers. It is no surprise that Allah's response to this plea for help was quick to arrive: 'When you sought aid from your Lord, so He answered you: I will assist you with a thousand of the angels following one another [Koran, 8:7-9].' The angels descended from Heaven one after another; each angel was followed by another, or: the angels followed the believers, as reinforcement. The angels themselves fought in the Battle of Badr, as is related in numerous traditions."
"Yearning for Paradise"
"It is the yearning for Paradise that motivated [the believers]. They knew its worth and that it is the most precious 'commodity' of Allah. When motivating his companions to fight, the Prophet would say: 'By the name of He who holds my life in His hand, anyone who fights today, and is killed while [fighting] steadfastly and courageously, out of a desire to please Allah, facing forward and not turning his back [to flee] – Allah will grant him Paradise. 'Umayr ibn al-Humam listened to this while holding a handful of dates he was eating. He said: 'So there nothing between me and Paradise except that one of the [enemies] shall kill me? If I live to finish eating these dates, I will have lived too long.' [Then] he threw them away and leapt forth into battle, [and fought] until he was killed."
"The Brotherhood of Faith"
"The [fighters] of Badr reserved their loyalty for Allah, and gave top priority to the brotherhood of faith. They were convinced that unity of rank was the means to [attain] victory. Mus'ab bin 'Umayr [once] passed by one of the Prophet's Companions as he was capturing his brother, Abu 'Aziz bin 'Umayr. He said [to the Prophet's Companion]: 'Be ruthless with him. His mother is wealthy, perhaps she will pay you ransom for him.' The captured brother turned to [Mus'ab bin 'Umayr], saying: 'Brother, is that how you advise him to treat me?' [Mus'ab bin 'Umayr] replied: 'He [the Prophet's Companion] is my brother, not you.'
"[Today] our brothers in faith cry out to us from all the places [where they are] oppressed. We see them in Palestine, Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. The enemies have pounced upon them, and their friends have delivered them into the hands [of their enemies]. Let us be as the [fighters] of Badr, and show Allah our virtue by coming to their aid and rescue.
"A Warning against Craving Booty"
"No surah in the Koran is called after the Battle of Badr, unlike the surahs of Al-Fath and Al-Ahzab [which deal with battles and conquests and are named after them]... The Battle of Badr is discussed [in the Koran] in the surah called 'The Spoils [of War].' This is an important sign that is worth lingering upon. Allah's rebuke of the [fighters] of Badr who argued over the division of the booty is at once stern and gentle. The surah was given this title – 'The Spoils [of War]' – so as to draw the Muslims' attention to this rebuke and to what is concealed within it. [The fighters were rebuked] even though the disagreement was about a point that had not yet been elucidated by Allah or His Prophet. Once clear verses were revealed regarding the division of spoils, all arguments ceased. Moreover [the fighters] replied, 'we hear and obey.' More than that: they gave up their own rights, when before they had craved the property of others.
"As a matter of fact, the Koran's treatment of this matter is amazing. The disagreement [among the fighters] is mentioned in the first verse of the surah: 'They ask thee (O Muhammad) of the spoils of war. Say: The spoils of war belong to Allah and the messenger, so keep your duty to Allah, and adjust the matter of your difference, and obey Allah and His messenger, if ye are (true) believers [Koran 8:1].' But the Koran settles the question only 40 verses later: 'And know that whatever ye take as spoils of war, lo! a fifth thereof is for Allah, and for the messenger and for the kinsman (who hath need) and orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, if ye believe in Allah and that which We revealed unto Our slave on the Day of Discrimination, the day when the two armies met [Koran 8:41].'
"The 40 verses [in between] mention the events of the battle and focus on laying out an ideology for the nation, and [only] then [does the Koran] settle the disagreement over the spoils – in one single verse. [Why is this?] Because the disagreement over what should be each individual's share in the spoils is not one to be settled through lengthy laws. [It must be settled] by tempering the individual's soul, and mending the distortions of the human soul so that it corrects [itself in accordance with] Allah's will. It is the injunctions to fear Allah, to make peace among the believers, and to obey Allah and His Messenger – all [the points] which the [intervening] verses address – that are the means [to attain] victory. It is [these values] that should be championed, and their foundations that [we] must work to strengthen. Disagreements among the believers are the first [cause of] defeat, which ultimately leads to the destruction of the nation's sources of strength and its road to salvation. The [fighters] of Badr disagreed on the division of the booty they took from the infidels, and today we [ourselves] have become easy booty for the enemies of the nation..."
[1] For previous statements by Badi' on jihad, see MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 2988, "Muslim Brotherhood Leader: Only Jihad Can Restore the Muslim Ummah to Its Former Glory; 'The Hour is Near when [We will] Rid the Ummah of this Foreign Body [Israel] that Has Been Malevolently Planted in Its Midst,'" June 1, 2010, http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/4254.htm;
Special Dispatch no. 3274, "Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide: 'The U.S. Is Now Experiencing the Beginning of Its End'; Improvement and Change in the Muslim World 'Can Only Be Attained Through Jihad and Sacrifice,'" October 6, 2010, http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/4650.htm.
[2] www.ikhwanonline.com, August 26, 2010.
[3] The battle of Badr started out as a raid by Muhammad on a Meccan caravan, which developed into a battle (624 CE). The army of the Prophet won despite vastly inferior numbers and thus secured a first victory for Islam. According to Muslim tradition, angels came down to assist the Muslims.
[4] Koran 56: 10-11. According to various interpretations, the "foremost in the race" – i.e. those who arrived first – are either the prophets or Muhammad's veteran followers, who have a place close to Allah's throne in Paradise.
[5] The covenant to which the verse refers is the commitment "to exert oneself," or to fight in the path of Allah.
[6] Thus, one who participates in jihad is rewarded in either case: with either victory or Paradise. This concept appears in Koran 9:52, and is frequently cited in calls to jihad.
[7] The reference is to the possessions they had left behind when they emigrated from Mecca to Medina in 622.
[8] The reference is to reward for fulfilling God's commandments, which increases in direct proportion to the difficulty involved in fulfilling the commandment.
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