The Mantle of the Ahl Badr

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Of the Asma’ Ahl Badr, 313 fought on the side of the Prophet (s.a.w.).  They were the first to come to the aid of their Prophet (s.a.w.), out of the thousands to come in his lifetime and the more than a billion who will hear the call, in times to come.  For that, they have no equal.  When they decided to stand with the Prophet (s.a.w.), it was pure faith.  As far as the evidence of the eye, the Muslims had no advantages.  They were outnumbered three to one.  They had fewer camels and horses.  They did not have enough weapons, and some fought with sticks.  Many had no armour, and they either fought wearing padded cloth, or some went bare-bodied.  They were the first of the believers and soon, it seemed, they were likely to be the last.  The Quraysh, on the other hand, besides the numerical advantage, also had good morale initially.  They had sizable cavalry, they were well-armed, and most wore mail.  But of course, it is Allah (s.w.t.) Who has a Say in all affairs. 

The mantles of the prophets are inherited by the awliya’.  And the mantles of the swahabah are likewise inherited by the awliya’ as well.  And when their time is past, the next generation inherits from the generation previous in a silsilah of karamah.  This is important for the salik to understand.  Nothing in Islam is wasted, and Allah (s.w.t.) Abhors waste.  When the Mahdi (a.s.) finally appears, he will have his rijal, his Ahl Badr.  They will be the core of the army of the believers.  Each of them is a wali, and each of them has inherited the mantle of a swahabah from Badr.  And just like how it began at Badr, it will be so again.  Islam came as a stranger, and it will come again as a stranger.