358. Prophecy regarding victory in ‘Battle of Badr’.

Let’s look into what this verse (8:7) conveys.

The merchant caravans from Makkah used to pass through the territories of Madina ruled by Prophet Muhammad, who as a ruler of a country decided to safeguard its boundaries and stop intrusions by others especially those who banished Muslims from their native land after denuding them of all their belongings and rights.

Hence as a head of the nation he decided to arrest the intrusions, by ordering the goods of the intruding caravans to be confiscated. At this juncture, the news of a caravan of one of the wealthiest merchants of Makkah Abu Suffian fully loaded with goods passing through Madina reached Prophet Muhammad.

Hence he led a force of people to intercept the caravan and confiscate the goods carried by them.

The news of Prophet Muhammad leading a group to intercept his caravan reached Abu Sufiyaan, who in turn called for reinforcements from Makkah to assist in saving his caravan.

After his call for reinforcements, a massive group of about one thousand people started from Makkah towards Madina.

The comrades of Prophet Muhammad were in a quandary whether to fight the incoming force of a thousand fighters or intercept the caravan. Most of the comrades taking into consideration the poorer strength of their group in encountering a massive group of one thousand enemies preferred to intercept the caravan, because of less bloodshed as well as the resultant booty. But Prophet Muhammad chose to encounter the enemies at a place called as Badr and tasted a great victory. This is the incident mentioned in this verse (8:7) of the Quran:

[Remember Oh believers], when Allah promised one of the two groups- that it would be yours-and you wished that the unarmed one would be yours. But Allah intended to establish the truth by His words and to eliminate the disbelievers. Allah says in this verse, to ponder over the promise He gave, about they triumphing over one of the two groups

This verse of the Quran conveys about the promise by Allah already made to them regarding their victory over either the caravan or the group that came in as reinforcement.

Here Allah reminds them of His earlier promise to them, and there is also an underlying message here which says the prophet of Islam will receive messages from Allah in forms other than the Quran.

This verse of the Quran speaks of a promise made by God, but such a declaration cannot be found anywhere in the Quran. Allah says in the Quran about a promise made by Him, but it cannot be found in the Quran, it is found in the hadiths.

This verse of the Quran stands proof that divine messages from Almighty reaches Prophet Muhammad in ways other than as Quranic revelation.

To know more about obeying the commandments of the Almighty and following the guidance of Prophet Muhammad please refer to points 18, 36, 39, 50, 55, 56, 57, 60, 67, 72, 105, 125, 127, 128, 132, 154, 164, 184, 244, 255, 256, 258, 286, 318, 350, 352, 430.