The Battle of Badr (4)

Abu Jahl killed

 As befitting a general, Abu Jahl was well-protected during the battle by men carrying swords and spears. He was so well guarded no Muslim could even get near him. A young boy told Abdul Rahman bin Auf, “Show me Abu Jahl.” Abdul Rahman replied, “What have you to do with him?” “I have been told that he vilifies the Prophet . By the One Whose hand my life lies, I shall kill him when I see him, or I shall be killed by him!”

Another young boy told Abul Rahman the same thing. Suddenly, Abdul Rahman spotted Abu Jahl on the battlefield and pointed him out to the two young boys. They attacked him fiercely with their swords and Abu Jahl fell to the earth. After the battle, they both presented themselves before the Prophet , each having claimed to have killed Abu Jahl. He looked at their swords and proclaimed, “Both of you have killed him.”

The young boys were Mu’adh ibn Afra and Mu’adh ibn Amr. The first is said to have been martyred in the same battle, but Mu’adh ibn Amr remained alive till the Caliphate of Uthman . The Prophet gave him Abu Jahl’s belongings.

Abdullah bin Mas’ood, who found Abu Jahl dying on the battlefield, placed his leg on his old enemies neck and caught hold of his beard to behead him. “Hasn’t Allah disgraced you, O enemy of Allah?”

Even as he lay dying, Abu Jahl was unrepentant. “For what have I been disgraced? Is there anybody above the man you have killed? I only wish someone other than a farmer had killed me. Tell me, who was victorious today?” “Allah and his Messenger,” Abdullah said. “O herdsman! You have mounted a very difficult place,” Abu Jahl responded. Abdullah then cut his head off and placed it before the Prophet .

“Allah is the Greatest! All praise is due to Allah,” the Prophet cried. “He has proven His promise to be true, helped His servants, and defeated the opposing army.” Gazing at Abu Jahl’s head before him, the Prophet said, “He was the Pharaoh of his nation.”