Umar Ibn Al-Khattab in the battle of Badr - Sunni Sources

Umar's Contribution At The Battle Of Badr 2 A.H

Muslim bin Hajjaj:

Narrated Aboo Bakr Ibn Abi Shayba from Affan from Hemad Ibn Salama from Thabit from Anas who said: "When (the news of) the advance of Aboo Sufyan (at the head of a force) reached him, the Messenger of Allah (saw) held consultations with his Companions. He said: Aboo Bakr spoke (expressing his own views), but he (the Holy Prophet) turned away from him. Then spoke Umar (expressing his views), but he (the Holy Prophet)  turned away from him (too). Then Sa'd Ibn Ubada stood up and said: 'Messenger of Allah, you want us (to speak?) By God in whose control is my life, if you order us to plunge our horses into the sea, we would do so. If you order us to goad our horses to the most distant place like Bark al-Ghimad, we would do so.' He said: Now the Messenger of Allah (saw) called upon the people (for the encounter). So they set out and encamped at Badr. (Soon) the water-carriers of the Quraish arrived. Among them was a black slave belonging to Banu al-Hajjaj. The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (saw) caught him and interrogated him about Aboo Sufyan and his companions. He said: 'I know nothing about Aboo Sufyan, but Aboo Jahl, Utba, Shayba and Umayya b. Khalaf are there.' When he said this, they beat him. Then he said: 'All right, I will tell you about Aboo Sufyan.' They would stop beating him and then ask him (again) about Aboo Sufyan. He would again say, 'I know nothing about Aboo Sufyan, but Aboo Jahl. 'Utba, Shayba and Umayya b. Khalaf are there.' When he said this, they beat him likewise. The Messenger of Allah (saw) was standing in prayer. When he saw this he finished his prayer and said: 'By Allah in whose control is my life, you beat him when he is telling you the truth, and you let him go when he tells you a lie.' The narrator said: Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: 'This is the place where so and so would be killed.' He placed his hand on the earth (saying) here and here; (and) none of them fell away from the place which the Messenger of Allah (saw) had indicated by placing his hand on the earth."

Source: Saheeh Muslim. Vol. 2, Pg. # 855.

Ahmad Ibn Hanbal:

Narrated Abdulsamad from Hemad from Thabit from Anas who said: "The Messenger of Allah (saw held consultations with his companions on the day of Badr, Aboo Bakr spoke (expressing his own views), but he (the Holy Prophet) turned away from him. Then spoke Umar (expressing his views), but he (the Holy Prophet)  turned away from from him (too). Then Ansaar said: 'Do you want us to speak?' Then Midaad Ibn Al-Aswad (r.a) said: 'O Messenger of Allah (saw) by God in whose control is my life, if you order us to plunge our horses into the sea, we would do so. If you order us to goad our horses to the most distant place like Bark al-Ghimad, we would do so, so what do you want us to do?' Now the Messenger of Allah (saw) called upon the people (for the encounter). So they set out and encamped at Badr. (Soon) the water-carriers of the Quraish arrived. Among them was a black slave belonging to Banu al-Hajjaj. The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (saw) caught him and interrogated him about Aboo Sufyan and his companions. He said: 'I know nothing about Aboo Sufyan, but Aboo Jahl, Utba, Shayba and Umayya b. Khalaf are there.' When he said this, they beat him. Then he said: 'All right, I will tell you about Aboo Sufyan.' They would stop beating him and then ask him (again) about Aboo Sufyan. He would again say, 'I know nothing about Aboo Sufyan, but Aboo Jahl, 'Utba, Shayba and Umayya b. Khalaf are there.' When he said this, they beat him likewise. The Messenger of Allah (saw) was standing in prayer. When he saw this he finished his prayer and said: 'By Allah in whose control is my life, you beat him when he is telling you the truth, and you let him go when he tells you a lie.' The narrator said: Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: 'This is the place where so and so would be killed. He placed his hand on the earth (saying) here and here; (and) none of them fell away from the place which the Messenger of Allah (saw) had indicated by placing his hand on the earth. He said: Allah's Messenger (saw) let the dead bodies of the unbelievers who fought in Badr (lie unburied) for three days. He then came to them and sat by their side and called them and said: 'O Aboo Jahl, O Utba, O Shayba, O Umayya! Have you not found what your Lord had promised with you to be correct? As for me, I have found the promises of my Lord to be (perfectly) correct.' Umar said: 'O Allah's Messenger, how do they listen and respond to you? They are dead and their bodies have decayed.' Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: 'What I am saying to them, even you cannot hear more distinctly than they, but they lack the power to reply.' Then he commanded that they should be buried, so they were taken by their legs and thrown in the well of Badr."

Footnote: The chain is Saheeh 'Authentic!' by the criteria of Muslim

Source: Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal. Vol. 21, Pg. # 21 /22/ 23 .

Al-Dhahabi:

Chapter of battle of Badr from Al-Maghazi of Musa Ibn Uqba, 'The most authentic book of battles': 
Narrated Ibraheem Ibn Al-Munzir Al-Hezami from Motref and Ma’an and others that Malik was asked from Al-Maghazi 'book of battles the Messenger of Allah (saw)' said: 'Take Al-Maghazi of Musa Ibn Uqba, because it is the most authentic book of Battles.'
(After mentioning some facts before the battle of Badr, he narrates the consultations of the Messenger of Allah (saw) with his Companions in the day of Badr:

Then Umar said: "O Messenger of Allah (swt), it is tribe of Quraysh and it is dear, by God, it is not belittled since it has been respected, and has not believed since denied the belief, by God they will fight with you, and you will suffer from that?!" The Messenger of Allah (swt) said: 'Consult me', Al-Miqdad Ibn Amr said: 'We will not say what the companions of Musa said {So go you and your Lord and fight you two, we are sitting right here}[5:24], we say rather ‘go you and your Lord and fight you two we are with you and follow you', the Messenger of Allah (swt) said: 'Consult me'… (and then Sa’d Ibn Ubada said what he said).

Source: Tarikh Al-Islam. Vol. 1, Pg. # 106.

The Sheikhayn advised the messenger of Allah (swt) not to partake in battle as they feared the army would face destruction against the disbelievers. The Holy Prophet (saw) showed his dislike not once but twice by turning his face away from both of them. On the contrary, a group of companions came forward to take an oath to fight till they would die. While the intention is unclear as to why the Sheikhayn would vote against the idea, Allah (swt) had revealed it in the Holy Qur'aan. 

{خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِينَ}
{Use thou indulgence and enjoin seemliness and turn away from the ignorant}
Holy Qur'aan {7:199}

{فَاصْدَعْ بِمَا تُؤْمَرُ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ}
{Therefore proclaim openly that which you are commanded, and turn away from Al-Mushrikun}
Holy Qur'aan {15:94}

{فَأَعْرِضْ عَن مَّن تَوَلَّى عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَلَمْ يُرِدْ إِلَّا الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا}
{So, turn away from him who turns away from Our advice, and seeks nothing but (pleasure of) the worldly life}
Holy Qur'aan {53:29}

{وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَتْ سُورَةٌ فَإِذَا أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ مُّحْكَمَةٌ وَذُكِرَ فِيهَا الْقِتَالُ رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ نَظَرَ الْمَغْشِيِّ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ فَأَوْلَى لَهُمْ}
{And the believers say, “Why has a (new) Surah not been revealed?” Then, once an operative Surah is sent down, and fighting (in Allah’s way) is mentioned in it, you notice those who have disease in their hearts, looking to you like one who is faint because of death. So, destruction is very close to them.}
Holy Qur'aan {47:20}

Further insight regarding the reaction of the Prophet (saw) during this incident has been recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhari in the chapter, ‘Battle of Badr’. The Prophet (saw) was overwhelmed with the words of Al-Miqdad (r.a) who was among those who gave the pledge to fight till they die.

Al-Bukhari:

Narrated Aboo No’aim from Israeel from Mokhariq from Tariq Ibn Shehab who said: I heard Abdullah Ibn Masoud saying: I witnessed Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad in a scene which would have been dearer to me than anything had I been the hero of that scene. He (i.e. Al-Miqdad) came to the Prophet while the Prophet was urging the Muslims to fight with the pagans. Al-Miqdad said, "We will not say as the people of Moses said: {Go you and your Lord and fight you two.} [5:24] But we shall fight on your right and on your left and in front of you and behind you." I saw the face of the Prophet getting bright with happiness, for that saying delighted him.

Source: Saheeh Al-Bukhari. Pg. 972, H # 3952.

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