Badr had been on my list for a long time. So when I was told that we have an opportunity to go, I was excited and accepted the offer.
After Fajr at Masjid An-Nabawi, we rushed back to our hotel and had a quick breakfast. Our driver and guide was a teacher at Masjid An-Nabawi. He was on his way. I decided not to have tea as I thought we won't have time... big mistake!
As soon as I got in the car... I was dosing off. I couldn't keep my eyes open. I wanted to see the scenery. How did the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhiwasallam travel far out from Madina to engage in the most famous battle in Islam.
"Sleep," shaykh said. I didn't want to!
It was a long ride, 1.5 hours. We drove through the motorway (or whatever the Saudis call it!) I thought about the workers who built these roads, in the sweltering heat. Mostly migrant/expats. May Allah reward them abundantly, Aameen.
Shaykh pointed out the railway station built by Sultan Abdul Hamid II. The plan was to connect Madina with Istanbul. However, sadly it wasn't completed. We also saw the house of Fatima bint Hussain RadhiAllahu Anhuma. I believe the original structure is still as it was built.
The scenery, of mountains and vast empty land of rocks and pebbles, mesmerised me. Often you'll see a random building, an abandoned Mosque, half built structures. What is the story behind all of this I wondered.
We'd see a small village pop up. A Masjid is always prominent in these villages. Shaykh said people go from here to Madina for work. He said people would always need a car to travel with, as I told him how much I like to walk.
There was couple of police checkpoints, but we didn't need to stop. Shaykh said everytime he came to a police check point he recites:
Surah Ya Seen, Verse 9:
وَجَعَلْنَا مِن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ سَدًّا وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ سَدًّا فَأَغْشَيْنَاهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ
"And We have made before them a barrier and a barrier behind them, then We have covered them over so that they do not see."
For 10 years he hadn't been stopped mashaAllah! On this occasion, the policeman was asleep!
With my eyes half open, we drove into Badr. A town. Shaykh said how he really likes the town of Badr. Very quiet. It was still too early for shops to open unlike the hustle bustle of Madina where shops are almost open 24 hours a day. A little kid was playing on his bicycle.
We pulled up alongside a bricked wall and parked up next to an ice cream van. A group of men were drinking tea and another man was selling some sort of oils. Apart from us, there were no other visitors.
The bricked wall is a graveyard. This is where the shuhadah of Badr are buried, alongside other people. Only 1 out of the 14 shuhadah, is buried at another place, as he had passed away on the way to Madina.
The weather was humid. It was a lot cooler than Madina.
I felt peaceful in Badr. We looked around at the different parts of what happened in the Battle. 313 Muslims fought 1000 disbelievers. This was the first battle of Islam.
We saw the mountain where the angels descended to take part in the battle. The place where Rasulullah Sallallahu Alyhiwasallam pitched his tent, now a Masjid is built there called Masjid Areesh.
I remembered that Abu Jahl and his henchmen are also buried somewhere nearby.
We could hear and smell goats nearby. Under some date palm trees is some sort of a goat farm.
We prayed for the shuhadah and the inhabitants of the graveyard. Took a few pics and videos and decided to go back to Madina.
On the way back, shaykh stopped at a petrol station and bought us tea, very kind of him.
The drive back was nice, as Shaykh played some nasheeds. I suggested Muhammad Al-Muqit, a Saudi based nasheed artist. It was lovely listening to nasheeds whilst seeing the sceneries of Madina.
We got back to our hotel, said our goodbyes to Shaykh and refreshed, in time for Salatul Zuhr at Masjid An-Nabawi.
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