The news of the change of route reached, Muhammad and he at once sent a band
of a hundred horsemen in pursuit of it. The raid was successful and the
merchandise and all who were in charge of it were brought to Madina. It was now
clear either that the Muslims did not wish for peace, or that the Arab love of
looting could not be controlled. The Meccans had to fight for their very
existence as a commercial community and for freedom to carry on their daily
business. The Meccans were fully justified now in taking vigorous action. The
immediate cause of the battle of Badr was Muhammad's attempt to capture a
caravan; that of Uhud his successful seizure of one. Muhammad wisely wished to
act on the defensive, but was overborne by the younger and more ardent of his
followers, who represented to him that the Bedouin tribes, now beginning to be
impressed with a sense of. his power, would set down a defensive attitude to
cowardice, and that doubt would also be cast on his previous claims to
supernatural aid in times of danger. This had been so strongly urged as a proof
of the divine nature of his mission that any action now, implying distrust in
its recurrence, would be fatal to his prestige. So he gave way and agreed to
give battle to the Quraish, saying, 'If ye be steadfast, the Lord will grant you
the victory.'
Many single combats 'were fought, but when both sides became generally
engaged the result was a very severe defeat for the Muslim forces. The Prophet
himself also was badly wounded. This made him angry and he said: 'How shall the
people prosper that have treated thus their Prophet,
