International Badr Conference- Writing and Memory of the Battle of Badr (7^th-21^st Century)

Call for Papers
Date: November 13-14, 2025
Venue: University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
Abstract Submission Deadline: March 15, 2025
Organizers: Nourane Ben Azzouna (Unistra, Faculty of History, ARCHIMEDE), Anne-Sylvie Boisliveau (Unistra, Faculty of History, ARCHIMEDE), Adrien de Jarmy (Unistra, Faculty of Languages, GEO), Clarck Junior Membourou Moiméchème (Unistra, Faculty of Languages, GEO), Renaud Soler (Unistra, Faculty of Languages, GEO), Moussa Abou Ramadan (Unistra, Faculty of History, DRES) and Éric Vallet (Unistra, Faculty of Languages, GEO)

Conference funded by the French Institute of Islamology (IFI), ‘For an Islamology of Excellence’ Program

Summary of the Project

The Battle of Badr (2/624), the first major victory of the Muslims led by Muḥammad and the only battle explicitly named in the Qur’an, is a key event in early Islam. Mentioned in Sura 3, verse 123, and associated with the exegesis of Sura 7 al-Anfāl (The Booty), the Battle of Badr has been the subject of numerous memorial constructions over the centuries. Used in various historical conflicts, it serves as a repertoire of actions and discourses in different contexts of confrontation. The BADR project aims to study the evolution of accounts of this battle and their use in Islamic societies, from their earliest traces in texts to their contemporary reinterpretations.

This project has led to the organization of the ‘Islamology and Digital Humanities’ research seminar at the University of Strasbourg during the academic year 2024-2025. Led by Adrien de Jarmy and Clarck Junior Membourou Moiméchème, the first sessions of the seminar will be devoted to presenting the development of a TEI-XML database of texts relating to the Battle of Badr, as well as the creation of an encoding standard for ancient Arabic texts. The second part of the seminar will welcome international researchers who will discuss the impact of digital humanities on their work in Islamology. The full seminar program is available at https://islamologie.unistra.fr/actualites/seminaire-de-recherche-islamologie-et-humanites-numeriques/ .

The aim of the colloquium is to broaden reflection beyond the strictly technical aspects addressed in the seminar and within the restricted project team, to focus on the reception of accounts of the Battle of Badr up to the 21^st century.

The Organizers particularly encourage contributions from researchers working on regions outside the Arab world, notably in the Turkic, Persian, Asian and African worlds.

Themes of the Conference

1. Development and Transmission of Accounts of the Battle of Badr

The study of the Battle of Badr begins with a detailed exploration of the way in which its narratives have been elaborated, transmitted and reworked over the centuries. This battle, often regarded as the first military triumph of the Muslim community under the leadership of Muḥammad, has given rise to a multitude of oral and written traditions. Researchers are invited to examine the anecdotes, poems, lists of combatants and other traditions, which have been integrated to form a coherent narrative. Analysis will focus on how these narratives were compiled in historical works and biographies of the Prophet ( sīra , maghāzī ). Particular attention will be paid to the integration of these traditions into different genres of Islamic scholarship, such as Qur’anic commentaries ( tafsīr ), Islamic jurisprudence ( fiqh ), prophetic traditions ( ḥadīth ), theology ( kalām ) and genealogy, in order to show how these traditions reinforce each other to legitimize various religious authorities, associating the event of Badr with a divine intervention in favor of the Prophet. Contributors are also invited to explore how these narratives have circulated throughout the different eras and regions of the Islamic world. Contributions may address the reception of the Badr narratives in various cultural and political contexts and analyze how they have been adapted to meet the needs and expectations of different Muslim communities.

2. Badr in Contemporary Political and Religious Contexts

The Battle of Badr continues to resonate strongly in modern and contemporary Islamic history. Researchers are encouraged to examine the mutual influences between the Badr narratives and the socio-political contexts in which they have been reproduced, particularly in periods of religious conflict or reform, in order to show how the Battle of Badr has been used to legitimize or challenge the powers that be. This theme will look at the political and religious uses of Badr in the Ottoman era, in modern and contemporary contexts, as well as during the Iran-Iraq war, in propaganda and in various inter-state conflicts. Researchers are invited to explore how the memory of Badr is mobilized in current political discourse and practice, and how it is used to legitimize contemporary politico-religious causes. This theme will also address the way in which the Badr narratives are reinterpreted in the light of the current challenges facing Muslim societies, through the analysis of continuities and breaks with traditional interpretations.

3. Materiality and Visual Culture of the Battle of Badr

The aim of this theme is to study the Battle of Badr through the various archaeological materials, epigraphy and iconographic supports, in order to verify the existence of a possible gap between the written sources and the existing material traces. Researchers will be invited to examine the contribution of these auxiliary sciences, which shed new light on this high-profile event. The study of illuminated Ottoman and Persian manuscripts, such as the Siyar-i Nabī (1595) commissioned by Sultan Murad III and preserved in the library of the Topkapı Palace Museum in Istanbul, also offers a possible field of investigation, which would enable them to renew their knowledge of this famous confrontation. Analyzing the illustrations of the Battle of Badr not only provides an opportunity to analyze the differences in treatment between the written word and the image, but also to see how different artistic traditions treated the event. In addition to printed works, the study of manuscripts should finally make it possible to highlight the many interactions between the account of Badr and its readers, materialized by the various notes they left in the margins of the chapters devoted to the battle.

Submission of Proposals

Proposals should include a title, a 300-500 word abstract, a short biography of the author (200 words maximum) and full contact details. Proposals should be sent by e-mail to the following address: projetbadr2025[at]gmail.com before 15th March 2025 . Papers may be presented in French, English or Arabic. Applicants will be informed of the acceptance of their proposal at the beginning of June. The proceedings of the conference will be published as a collective volume in 2026.

If you have any questions or require further information, please contact the project managers at the same address: projetbadr2025[at]gmail.com.

More information on: Institute of Islamology