Muhammad in Medina an ambush for the Meccans at Badr. Aware of the plan, the Meccan caravan eluded the Muslims. Meanwhile, a force from Mecca was sent to protect the caravan. The force did not return home upon hearing that the caravan was safe. The battle of Badr began in March 624. Though outnumbered more than three to one, the Muslims won the battle, killing at least forty-five Meccans and taking seventy prisoners for ransom; only fourteen Muslims died. They had also succeeded in killing many of the Meccan leaders, including Abu Jahl. Muhammad himself did not fight, directing the battle from a
Battle of Hab was able to recapture some of the places lost." Strategically, it was a Christian victory which preserved the Principality of Antioch for several generations. The next major engagement in the area was the Battle of Azaz in 1125. Battle of Hab In the Battle of Hab () on August 14, 1119, a Crusader army commanded by King Baldwin II of Jerusalem won a disputed victory over a Muslim army led by Ilghazi of Mardin since the Muslim army claimed it as a victory. The battle stabilized the Principality of Antioch, which had suffered a disastrous defeat only weeks before. Baldwin