When the Muslim army, under the leadership of Muhammad, the Rasul of Allah (saw), arrived near the Badr well on Friday night at the time of the Isha (night) prayer, they preferred to stay a bit away from the wellhead instead of entering it directly. This allowed them to better assess the situation.

Our Master (saw) instructed some of the strongest companions, such as Hadhrat Ali, Hadhrat Zubair, Hadhrat Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas, and Bays Bays (may Allah be pleased with them), to carry out reconnaissance near the wellhead. He told them, “Conduct an investigation near the well around that small hill. I believe you will gather some valuable information there.”

At that moment, water carriers from the Quraysh army who had arrived from Mecca were drawing water from the well. When the companions, along with Hadhrat Ali reached them, they immediately charged and managed to pass through a large part of them. However, one of the water carriers named Ujai saw an opportunity and managed to escape during the chaos.

Ujair, shortly after, reached the Meccan camp a little further away. He entered excitedly, shouting:

“O Meccan warriors... Ebu Kebsha’s son and his companions caught us while we were drawing water from the well. They must have all come here together!”

This news quickly spread throughout the camp. Among the furious pagan warriors who were about to eat, Hakim bin Hizam, without even taking a bite, jumped to his feet and began discussing with other Meccan leaders who had joined the expedition. They needed to decide how to respond to this situation.

Meanwhile, Hadhrat Ali and those with him had returned to the Islamic camp with their captives.

Among those captured were Eslem, a slave of the Hajjaj family, and Ariz Ebu Yesar, a slave of the As bin Said family. They were pulled aside, and their interrogations regarding their affiliations began.

The captives responded to the questions they were asked:

“We are water carriers for the people of Mecca.”

“They brought us with them to carry water”

“We had come to Badr well to fetch water for them.”

“We do not know what their intentions or plans are….”

The companions had their doubts about whether the captives were telling the truth. It was possible that these individuals were indeed part of Abu Sufyan’s caravan, and thus, they needed to extract the truth and obtain relevant information. With this thought in mind, they persisted in pressuring and even resorting to physical force, trying to make the captives confess. When faced with the pressure, the captives eventually revealed:

“We are from Abu Sufyan’s caravan. When those in the caravan ran out of water, we came here with the camels to bring them water. The caravan is right behind that hill!”

Upon hearing these words, the companions posted guards to watch over them and left them to their own devices. Meanwhile, our Master (saw) was praying the evening prayer in a nearby area. After completing his prayer and giving the salutation, he summoned those who had interrogated the captives and said to them:

“The prisoners you have taken have told the truth; then you began to beat them. When they lied to you because of the beating, you released them. They initially spoke the truth. These men are indeed water carriers for the polytheists who have come from Mecca…”

“How many people have come from Mecca?”

The captives replied:

“A great number!”

Our Master (saw) then indirectly asked:

“How many camels are they slaughtering each day for food?”

The men quickly answered this question without thinking about where it might lead:

“They are slaughtering nine camels one day and ten camels the next!”

This answer was sufficient for our Master to estimate the number of the Quraish community. He then explained:

“The Quraish community consists of approximately 950 to 1000 people.” 

Following this, our Master asked the captives once again:

“Among those who have come from the Quraish community, who are the notable figures from Mecca?”

The captives listed some of the notable figures among the Meccans who had arrived:

“Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, Utbah ibn Rabi’a, Shaybah ibn Rabi’a, Umayya ibn Khalaf, Munabbih ibn Hajjaj, Hakim ibn Hizam, Suheyl ibn Amr, Abu al-Bakhtari ibn Hisham, Nufayl ibn Huwaylid, Harith ibn Huwaylid, Harith ibn Amr, Nubayh ibn Hajjaj, Nadr ibn Harith, Zama ibn Aswad...”

Upon hearing these names, our Master (saw) turned to his companions and said:

“O my companions, here are Mecca’s most prominent individuals, and Mecca has sacrificed all of its dearest ones.”

Then he turned back to the captives and asked:

“On your way here, did anyone among you turn back?”

The captives informed him:

“Yes, Ahnes ibn Abi Shareek from Banu Zuhra and his companions turned back.”

Upon this, our Master made the following statement regarding Ahnes:

“Although he was not on the right path, did not know about Allah, the Hereafter, or the Book, Allah guided the Banu Zuhra towards the right path.”

Then he asked again:

“Were there any others who turned back?”

“The sons of Adiy ibn Ka’b also turned back!”

At that moment, Abu Sufyan had successfully managed to navigate his caravan through the outskirts of Badr and entered the road to Mecca without any incident. They had secured their position, and the danger was now behind them. After ensuring their safety, Abu Sufyan sent a messenger to warn the Quraysh polytheists:

“You had set out on this expedition to defend your caravan, your people, and your goods. We have rescued your caravan from the Muslims. Waste no time and return immediately!”

However, when this warning reached the ears of Abu Jahl, it faced strong objections from him. Abu Jahl vehemently disagreed with his companions who favored returning and argued as a reason for not turning back:

“We will not turn back until we go to Badr and stay there for a few days! We will celebrate, host a feast, and display our power there. Then, we can return. This way, we will send a clear message to the Muslims, and they will not be able to call us cowardly Quraysh!”

When the messenger heard Abu Jahl’s words, he hurried back to the caravan and reported what he had heard among the Quraysh army to Abu Sufyan. Upon learning that the Meccans were determined to proceed to Badr, Abu Sufyan felt dismayed. He shared his thoughts with those around him:

“Our people have made a mistake! Abu Jahl is leading us to disaster! He wants to go to Badr, fight the Muslims, and gain victory to establish his leadership in Mecca. But overstepping one’s bounds always brings misfortune. If they encounter Muhammad and his companions, it will undoubtedly not end well for them.”

Yes, while Abu Jahl and other Quraysh leaders continued their journey towards Badr, we learned that some of them turned back on the way, heading back to Mecca. Let’s explore the reasons for this return…

Ahnes bin Shurik was an ally of the Banu Zuhrah tribe. He appeared continuously deep in thought on the journey, something was weighing on his mind. Eventually, he privately shared his thoughts with his fellow tribesmen:

“O people of Banu Zuhrah, you heard that your wealth has been saved from Muhammad and his companions… You had embarked on this expedition to rescue your property, and it seems like you have achieved that goal. My proposal is that you pin the label of cowardice on me, and together, we return. Abu Jahl’s words are nothing but empty dreams.

Moreover, he is your nephew, the son of your sister. If he is indeed a Rasul, we will all attain happiness when we recognize it. But if he is a liar, let others deal with him, and our hands will stay clean from bloodshed.”

Upon this, they discussed how to come up with an excuse to return. Ahnes suggested:

“We’ll set out with the Quraysh. When evening comes, I will fall off my camel. They will come to you and say, ‘Let’s go!’ Then, you can put me forward as an excuse. Say, ‘Ahnes was bitten by a snake! We don’t know if he’ll survive, but we can’t leave without seeing him recover. If he lives, we’ll continue; if he dies, we’ll bury him, and then set out.’ After that, they will continue on their journey, and we will turn back.”

The sons of Zuhrah accepted Ahnes’s proposal. After all, Ahnes had consistently led them with wise decisions, always ensuring their safety. Following this decision, Ahnes and a hundred men from the Quraysh polytheist army turned back.