穆斯林人数少、装备差，却与古莱什人交战，并在第一场战役——白德尔之战中取得了胜利。这场胜利使古莱什人震惊至极，几乎失去理智。穆斯林战胜非穆斯林，也使麦地那境内犹太人的一切阴谋、诡计和内乱被消除；作为直接结果，一些犹太人被迫签订和约，另一些则被逐出麦地那。穆斯林的力量随之增强，但古莱什人从未停歇，并迅速着手准备复仇。次年的乌候德之战中，古莱什人果然得逞：守卫圣战者后方的穆斯林弓箭手，急于去收集战利品，违背了统帅的指令。古莱什人欣喜若狂，而穆斯林则悲痛而败北返回麦地那；尽管战后他们曾一直追击至哈姆拉·阿萨德（距麦地那约八英里）。

The Muslims, outnumbered and badly equipped, entered into warfare against the Quraysh clashing victoriously with them in their first battle, the battle of Badr. The result of this victory shook the Quraysh so violently that they almost lost their senses. The victory of the Muslims over the non-Muslims helped to kill off all the Jewish plots, schemes and civil strife inside Madinah, and as a direct result some Jews were forced to sign a peace treaty and others were expelled from Madinah. The might of the Muslims increased, but the Quraysh never rested and wasted no time in preparing for revenge. In the battle of Uhud, in the next year, the Quraysh managed just that, when the Muslim marksmen guarding the Mujahideen’s rear disobeyed the instructions of the leader in their haste to gather the spoils of war. The Quraysh were overjoyed, and the Muslims returned to Madinah heartbroken and defeated despite the fact that after the battle they gave chase up to Hamra’ al-Asad (about eight miles from Madinah).

这次穆斯林的失败产生了几方面的影响。穆斯林的权威被认为已经受到削弱,这引发了麦地那内部一些群体的动乱。许多原本在乌侯德战役之前绝不敢越轨的麦地那以外部落,也开始显露反叛的迹象。居住在麦地那以外的阿拉伯人开始考虑挑战穆罕默德ﷺ,麦地那境内的犹太人和伪信者也是如此,他们开始挑衅穆斯林。