Badr al-Hammami Badr al-Hammami Badr ibn ʿAbdallāh al-Ḥammāmī, also known as Badr al-Kabīr ("Badr the Elder"), was a general who served the Tulunids and later the Abbasids. Of Greek origin, Badr was originally a slave of the founder of the Tulunid regime, Ahmad ibn Tulun, who later set him free. In September 893, along with Muhammad ibn Abba, and the governor of Tarsus, Ahmad ibn Tughan al-Ujayfi, Badr led an expedition against the Byzantine Empire, reaching as far as al-Balaqsun (unidentified, possibly Carian or Lycian Telmessos). Following the death of Ibn Tulun's son Khumarawayh in 896, many Tulunid officers left Egypt and
Abu Sufyan ibn Harb to intercept it. The Muslim contingent failed to intercept the caravan. They arrived after the caravan had already passed by Medina. Abu Sufyan had learned of the Muslims' plan from scouts he had deployed, and in response, sent a crier to Mecca to rally the Quraysh to arms against the Muslims. The Muslims ended up engaging this Meccan army, a force of around 1000 men, at the plains of Badr several days after they had failed to intercept the caravan. This conflict, the Battle of Badr, ultimately resulted in a Muslim victory. The death of most Quraysh leaders in the