The battle of Badr. In 624 C.E. the Quraish of Makkah mustered a strong force, and decided to give the Muslims a battle with a view to crushing them. When the Holy Prophet came to know of the intentions of the Quraish he held a council of war at Madina. At this council, Abu Bakr was the first to rise and make an offer to sacrifice his life in the defense of Islam. The Muslims could muster a force of 313 men only to fight against the Quraish. With this meager force the Holy Prophet marched from Madina to Badr, some eighty miles away

Bravest Muslim. At Badr a pavilion was constructed for the Holy Prophet where he prayed. Here Abu Bakr stood as a guard with a drawn sword. It is related that once Ali asked his associates as to whom they considered to be the bravest among the Muslims. All of them said that Ali was the bravest. Ali said: "No. Abu Bakr is the bravest of men. At the battle of Badr we had prepared a pavilion for the Holy Prophet, but when we were asked to offer ourselves for the task of guarding it, none came forward except Abu Bakr. With a drawn sword he took his stand by the side of the Prophet of Allah and guarded him from the infidels by attacking those who dared to proceed in that direction. He was, therefore, the bravest of men."

Prayer of the Holy Prophet. At the battle of Badr the force of the Quraish was three times as large as the force of the Muslims. The Muslims were poorly equipped, but the Quraish were well armed. All the advantages lay with the Quraish. There was the danger that if the Muslims were defeated that would be the end of Islam. In this crisis the Holy Prophet prostrated himself before God and prayed: "O Lord ! I beseech You to fulfil the promise that You have given to me. O Lord ! if You allow this band of Muslims to perish, there will be none to worship you on the earth." As the Holy Prophet beseeched God overwhelmed with emotion, his mantle fell on the ground. Abu Bakr covered him with the mantle and said, "Holy Prophet, rest assured, God will fulfil His promise." Allah assured the Holy Prophet of His help. Thereupon the Holy Prophet concluded his prayers, and joined his companions to lead the attack. He gave the Muslims the glad tidings that soon the enemy would be routed. The Holy Quran refers to this incident in the following terms: "When you sought aid from your Lord He answered you I will assist you with a thousand angels." {8:9}

The battle. In the battle the Holy Prophet led the center, while Abu Bakr held the charge of the right wing. In the battle Abu Bakr's son Abdur Rahman who was still a non-Muslim fought on the side of he Quraish. When after the pact of Hudaibiya Abdur Rahman became a Muslim, he told his father that on the day of Badr he had got a chance when he could have easily struck him, but then he had turned in another direction. Abu Bakr replied, "If I had such an opportunity, I would not have spared you."

Victory for the Muslims. In the battle of Badr, God gave victory to the Muslims. Seventy men from the Quraish were killed, and seventy of them were taken captive and brought to Madina. At Madina the Holy Prophet consulted his companions as to how the captives should be treated. Umar was of the view that they should be killed. Abu Bakr said, "All of them are our kinsmen and relatives. They may be set free on ransom." The Holy Prophet accepted the advice of Abu Bakr, and set the captives free on ransom.