Badr ( ar, بَـدْر, full name: Badr Hunayn, ar, بدر حنین) is a town in
Al Madinah Province
The Medina Province ( ar, مِنْطَقَة ٱلْمَدِيْنَة ٱلْمُنَوَّرَة, Minṭaqat Al-Madīnah Al-Munawarah) is a province ('' minṭaqah'') of Saudi Arabia, located on the country's western side, along the Red Sea coa ...
, Al-
Hijaz
The Hejaz (, also ; ar, ٱلْحِجَاز, al-Ḥijāz, lit=the Barrier, ) is a region in the west of Saudi Arabia. It includes the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif, and Baljurashi. It is also known as the "Western Provi ...
,
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
. It is located about from the
Islamic holy city of
Medina
Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the second-holiest city in Islam, and the capital of the ...
. It was the location of the
Battle of Badr, between the
Quraishi
Qureshi (also known as Qureyshi, Quraishi, Qurayshi, Qureshy, Quraishy, Qoraishi, Qoreshi, Koraishi, Kureshi, Kureshy, Kureishi, Coreish) is a Muslim family name. In English it has many spellings, in Arabic is spelled "", which means part of the ...
-led
Polytheists
Polytheism is the belief in multiple deities, which are usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own religious sects and rituals. Polytheism is a type of theism. Within theism, it contrasts with monotheism, the ...
, and the
Muslims under the leadership of
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...
,
in 624
CE.
History
Badr is located 130 kilometers southwest of
Medina
Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the second-holiest city in Islam, and the capital of the ...
and lies in a harsh
natural landscape of desert plains, steep hills and sand dunes.
In
pre-Islamic times, Badr was part of the night journey from the coast of the
Red Sea
The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; ...
, along the caravan route from
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow ...
to
Damascus.
Badr was once known for its wells. On March 13th 624 (17 Ramadan 2 AH), the
Battle of Badr occurred when 313 men encountered outnumbering Meccan forces of the pagan
Quraish
The Quraysh ( ar, قُرَيْشٌ) were a grouping of Arab clans that historically inhabited and controlled the city of Mecca and its Kaaba. The Islamic prophet Muhammad was born into the Hashim clan of the tribe. Despite this, many of the Qu ...
army. The engagement resulted in a victory for the
Muslims under the command of
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...
, the last prophet of
Islam.
Climate
Badr has
hot desert climate
The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''BWh''). with Extremely hot long summers and mild winters. In Winter, nights averaging 10-15 °C (50-59 °F). In Mid-Summers, Temperatures above are not unusual. Annual rainfall is low, with rain most commonly occurring in November through February.
Battle of Badr
According to Islamic sources, Quraishi leader
Abu Jahl
ʿAmr ibn Hishām al-Makhzūmī ( ar, عمرو بن هشام المخزومي), (570 – 13 March 624), also known as Abu Jahl (lit. 'Father of Ignorance'), was one of the Meccan polytheist pagan leaders from the Quraysh known for his opposition ...
said:
:"By
Allah, we will not go back until we have been to Badr,
for we will spend three days there, slaughter camels and feast and drink wine, and the girls shall play for us. The Arabs will hear that we have come and gathered together, and will respect us in future! So come on!"
Akhnas ibn Shariq Al-Akhnas ibn Shurayq al-Thaqafī (Arabic: الأخنس بن شريق الثقفي) was a contemporary to Muhammad and one of the leaders of Mecca.
Biography
Late life — ?-610
He was a rich man and an ally of Banu Zuhrah.
Muhammad's era & ...
al-
Thaqif
The Banu Thaqif ( ar, بنو ثقيف, Banū Thaqīf) is an Arab tribe which inhabited, and still inhabits, the city of Ta'if and its environs, in modern Saudi Arabia, and played a prominent role in early Islamic history.
During the pre-Islamic ...
i and the
Banu Zuhrah
Banu Zuhrah ( ar, بنو زُهرة) is a clan of the Quraysh tribe.
Akhnas ibn Shariq al-Thaqifi and the Banu Zuhrah were with the Meccan as part of the escort that preceded the battle of Badr, but since he believed the caravan to be safe, he d ...
were with the
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow ...
n as part of the escort that preceded the battle, but since he believed the caravan to be safe, he did not join Quraish on their way to a festival in Badr. He returned with Banu Zuhrah returned so the two clans present in the battle.
See also
*
Hunayn, Saudi Arabia
Hunayn ( ar, حنين) is a location in the Hijaz, Saudi Arabia, close to the city of Ta’if. It is located between Mecca and Ta’if in the Sarawat Mountains.T. Osborne, A Complete History of the Arabs: From the Birth of Mohammed to the Reduct ...
*
List of cities and towns in Saudi Arabia
References
Populated places in Medina Province (Saudi Arabia)
{{SaudiArabia-geo-stub