In Islamic terminology, a battle fought in the path of Allah for the sake of His pleasure is called “Gaza.” Those who participate in this battle are called “Ghazi,” and those who die as heroes during this battle are called “Shahid.”

Islamic terminology does not categorize battles that do not serve the purpose of obeying Allah’s commandments as Gaza. Similarly, individuals who do not participate in battles that do not serve the purpose of obeying Allah’s commandments cannot be called Ghazi. The title of Shahid is only given to those who participate in battles with the intention of obeying Allah’s commandments…

However, in different times and places, various individuals have been given these titles based on their proximity to the above-mentioned purposes, as seen from an Islamic perspective.

With this explanation in mind, let’s turn our attention to the discussion between our Master and his companions about whether the incident should be considered a “caravan raid” or a “battle.”

After the return of the scouts, Rasulullah (saw) gathered his companions and asked them:

“O my companions, what do you say? The Quraysh tribe is coming out of Mecca, filled with anger and hostility towards us. They are approaching us with all their rage. Should we go after the caravan or confront the Quraysh army?”

Some of the companions believed that engaging in battle with the Quraysh polytheists under these circumstances would not be favorable. They expressed their opinion:

“From our perspective, it would be more appropriate to track the caravan rather than facing the enemy.”

Rasulullah then felt the need to provide further clarification:

“The caravan has moved towards the coastal area, while Abu Jahl and his army are coming towards us. In this situation, should we go to battle or continue pursuing the caravan? What do you think?”

A few of the companions reiterated their preference for going after the caravan:

“O Rasul of Allah, we do not have the strength and resources to engage in battle with the Quraysh. Therefore, we are more inclined to pursue the caravan.”

This insistence greatly saddened our Master. He fell silent for a moment…

At this moment, Hadhrat Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (ra) stood up and expressed his opinion about the situation. He strongly believed that under the current circumstances, engaging in battle with the Quraysh polytheists would be the most appropriate course of action, emphasizing that there should be no turning back from this decision, no matter the cost.

Following Abu Bakr (ra), Omar (ra) also rose to his feet. He stated that fighting the Quraysh polytheists was the right choice, firmly believing that this action would undoubtedly result in victory for the Muslims. He argued that the defeat of the Muslims would mean the end of Islam on Earth, and he firmly believed that Allah would never allow this to happen.

The speeches by Abu Bakr and Omar greatly comforted the heart of Rasulullah (saw)...

Then, Mikdad bin Amr (ra) stood up and delivered a beautiful speech, summarizing his thoughts with the following words:

“O Rasul of Allah, if Allah has given you a command, you should fulfill it! We are with you, and, Allah willing, we will continue to stand with you! We will not say to you what the Israelites said to Moses: “Go, you and your Rabb, and fight them. We are staying right here waiting for the outcome.” Instead, we will say: “Go, you and your Rabb, fight against the polytheists, and we are with you!” Even if you were to lead us to fight all the way until the valley of Bir Kul Gımad, we will fight alongside you!”

After this speech, the face of our Master was filled with joy.

But what were the Ansar thinking about this discussion?

Sa’d bin Muaz (ra), who was someone to express the mindset of the Ansar, stood up and spoke: “O Rasul of Allah, we have believed in you, we have affirmed what you have brought. We have promised to listen to you and obey your commands. O Rasul of Allah, you decide as you wish, and we will be with you. You have our allegiance. You have our promise. We swear by the One who sent you with the Truth that if you were to show us the sea and dive into it, we would dive in with you, and not a single one of us would stay behind. InshaAllah, by the grace and favor of Allah, He will lead you to great heroics. With the bounty and grace of Allah, march us upon them.”

Upon this, our Master gave the first good news to those present there, saying, “Come, let’s march forward! I bring you glad tidings that Allah has promised me victory over one of the two groups. I swear by Allah, I can now see the very places on the battlefield where many of the Quraysh will be struck down.”

And thus, the decision to embark on this great battle was made. The companions who were preparing to join the battle included Hadhrat Ali, Hadhrat Hamza, Hadhrat Zayd bin Haritha, Hadhrat Anas, Hadhrat Abu Qubays, Hadhrat Abu Marthad Kenanah bin Husayn, (Hadhrat Osman bin Affan remained in Medina upon the orders of our Master due to the illness of his wife Rukayyah, who was the daughter of our Master), Hadhrat Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, Hadhrat Bilal bin Rabah, Hadhrat Osman bin Mazun, Hadhrat Sa’d bin Muaz, and Hadhrat Amr bin Muaz (may Allah be pleased with them all).

After the Muslims set out towards the vicinity of the Badr well, they faced a difficult situation for about two days as they were fasting. Despite all the challenges, they were reluctant to break their fasts because it was Ramadan. In response to this situation, our Master had to intervene and ordered the fasting participants in the expedition to break their fasts. The Muslims, due to their strong religious commitment, initially considered the Rasul’s command as a form of leniency, and they hesitated to open their fasts. Finally, our Master firmly stated: “O disobedient ones, I have broken my fast! Come on, you should also break your fast!” Not wanting his companions to suffer further, our Master himself had to break his fast as well.

On the fourteenth night of Ramadan, they arrived at the Rawha well. After offering his prayers here, our Master prayed to Allah: 

“O Allah, do not grant Ebu Jahl, the Pharaoh of my ummah, an opportunity to escape!” 

Following the prayer, our Master walked among the Muslims. Meanwhile, two companions, Rifaa bin Rafi and his brother Hallad, were sitting by the head of a camel which they were taking turns riding, contemplating... Their camels had seemingly refused to move further despite the long road ahead, and they were now facing the prospect of a significant battle.

In these circumstances, Hallad spoke angrily to his brother: “I vow that if Allah returns us to Medina, I will slaughter this animal.”

While Hallad was expressing his frustration, they suddenly noticed our Master standing nearby listening to them… When they saw the Rasul, they expressed their concern: “O Rasulullah, our camel can no longer walk.”

Rasulullah paused for a moment and then requested some water to be brought to him. He immediately performed ablution (wudu) with the water. Then he said, “Open the camel’s mouth.”

They complied, and our Master poured the water from his ablution into the camel’s mouth. Afterward, he used the remaining water to rub the camel’s back, neck, and sides. Following this treatment, the camel became one of the leading animals in their journey. This intervention proved to be highly beneficial during the Battle of Badr.

However, upon their return, the camel briefly went astray, and when it was found again, it could no longer walk as it did before. Eventually, the camel was slaughtered, and its meat was distributed to the poor upon their arrival in Medina.