great loss, the Muslims maintained full control over the whole situation on the battlefield. On that day,
Abu Bakr, ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, ‘Ali bin Abi Talib, Az-Zubair bin Al-‘Awwam, Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair, Talha  bin ‘Ubaidullâh, ‘Abdullah bin Jahsh, Sa‘d bin Ar-Rabî‘ and Anas bin An-Nadr and others — all of them  fought so fiercely, effectively and efficiently that they broke the strong will of the idolaters and  scattered them.
FROM HIS WIFE'S LAP TO SWORD -FIGHTS AND SORROWS:
One of the brave adventurers of that day was Hanzala Al-Ghaseel — He was Hanzala bin Abu ‘Amir.
Abu
‘Amir was the very monk that was nicknamed ‘Al-Fâsiq’ (i.e. the dissolute, evildoer). He is the very  one  that we have recently mentioned. Hanzala, who was newly married, left his wife’s bed for Al-Jihâd
(Fight in the cause of Allâh). He set out the moment he heard of the call to Al-Jihâd. When he faced  the  idolaters on the battlefield, he made his way through their ranks till he reached their leader Abu
Sufyan
Sakhr bin Harb and had almost killed him, if he had not been ordained to be a martyr. For at that  moment he was seen by Shaddad bin Al-Aswad who struck him to death.
THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE ARCHERS SQUAD TO THE BATTLE:
The archers squad whom the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) located on the Archers
Mountain,  had the upper hand in administering the war activities to go in favour of the Muslim army. The Makkan  horsemen — commanded by Khalid bin Al-Waleed, supported by Abu ‘Amir Al-Fâsiq — had for three  times attacked the left wing of the Muslim army with the aim of crushing it and then infiltrating into  the  rear to create a sort of confusion and disorder in the ranks of the Muslims and subsequently inflict  heavy defeat on them. But thanks to the dexterity and great efforts of the archers, the three assaults  were thwarted.
War activities went on and on fierecly with the Muslims in full command of the whole military  developments until the idolaters finally staggered and retreated, leaving all motives of alleged pride,  and affected dignity in oblivion, and their standard trodden by the feet of the fighters with none ever  courageous enough to approach it. It seemed as if the three thousand idolaters had been fighting  thirty  thousand Muslims and not merely several hundreds.
Ibn Ishaq said: “Then Allâh sent down His Help unto the Muslims and verified His Promise to them.
They chased the idolaters and evacuated them from their camp. No doubt it was a certain defeat.” In  a  version by ‘Abdullah bin Az-Zubair that his father had said: “By Allâh, I was watching the servants of
Hind bint ‘Utbah and her women friends fleeing with their garments gathered up. No one was there to  prevent us from capturing them.”
In another version by Al-Barâ’ bin ‘Azib — mentioned in Sahih Al-Bukhâri — he said: “When we fought  them, they fled, and their women could be seen fleeing in the mountains with their anklets and legs  revealed.” The Muslims pursued the enemies putting them to sword and collecting the spoils.
THE ARCHERS' FATAL MISTAKE:
While the small army of Islam were recording the second absolute and clear victory over the Makkans
— which was no less in splendour and glory than the first one at Badr — the majority of the archers on  the mountainside committed a fatal mistake that turned the whole situation upside down, and  constituted a source of heavy losses amongst the Muslims. It has almost brought about the murder of  the Prophet (Peace be upon him), and left a very bad impression on the fame and dignity they  deservedly earned at Badr Battle.
We have already spoken about the positive orders given to the archers to hold on to their position  whatever the course of the main engagement. In spite of those strict orders, and their leader’s —
‘Abdullah bin Jubair — warning, forty archers deserted their posts, enticed by the too soon roar of  victory as well as worldly avarice for the spoils of war. The others, however, nine in number and
‘Abdullah, their leader, decided to abide by the Prophet ’s order and stay where they were until they  were given leave or killed to the last. Consequently the cleft was left inadequately defended .
The shrewd Khalid bin Al-Waleed seized this golden opportunity to turn swiftly round to the rear of the
Muslim army and encompass them. Exterminating Ibn Jubair and his group, they fell promptly upon  the  rear of the Muslims and his horsemen uttered a shout that signalled the new military developments.