place for three days, for it was his habit that whenever he fought a people and overcame them, he would remain on the battlefield for three days. The rest of the story is well known.

What matters here is that the combatants at Badr—three hundred and seventeen men—are counted among the finest of all Muslims. Do you know what their Lord said to them? He said, “Do whatever you wish, for I have forgiven you.” Any sin committed by a man from the people of Badr, no matter how great, is forgiven—yet none of them ever fell into unbelief.

This divine favor was manifest in practice. When the Prophet ﷺ was preparing to march against Quraysh in the expedition of the Conquest, Ḥāṭib—who had fought with him at Badr—sent a woman carrying a letter to Quraysh that warned, “The Messenger of Allah is going to attack you, so take precautions.” Allah disclosed the matter to His Prophet ﷺ, who then dispatched two men, one of them ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, to intercept her. They caught her at a place called Rawḍat Khāʾ, seized her, and asked, “Where are you headed?” She answered, “To Mecca.” They said, “What are you carrying?” She replied, “Nothing.” They threatened, “Either hand over what you have or we will search you.” She then produced the letter from Ḥāṭib ibn Baltaʿah—may Allah be pleased with him—one of the veterans of Badr.

They brought Ḥāṭib before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and presented the matter. The Prophet ﷺ summoned him and said, “What is this, Ḥāṭib? How could you betray us by sending Quraysh our news? People would call that spying.” Ḥāṭib offered an explanation, but ʿUmar—or another Companion—said, “O Messenger of Allah, allow me to strike off his head, for he has betrayed Allah and His Messenger.” The Prophet ﷺ replied, “Do you not know that Allah looked upon the people of Badr and said, ‘Do whatever you wish, for I have forgiven you’?” So, although this act was vile and reprehensible