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In the year 3 after Hijra, on the 7th day of the month of Shawwal, the Muslims engaged in battle with the Quraysh once again as part of their six-year-long conflict that eventually ended with the Meccan conquest (fath Mecca).
The Muslims entered the battle with a disadvantage, where they had fewer than 800 men while facing an army of anywhere from 3,000 to 6,000 soldiers. Despite this, the Holy Prophet (saw) devised a strategy to balance this disadvantage by utilizing the mountains of Uhud. He placed archers under the command of Abdullah b. Jubayr (ra) on higher ground to provide the Muslim army with protection from the Meccan cavalry and ordered them to remain on top of this mountain regardless of whether they were winning or losing the battle. Leaving their position would expose the Muslims. This tactic was highly effective until most of the archers abandoned their positions out of worldly love and disobedience to the Prophet’s (saw) command. The battle ultimately ended in a military defeat for the Muslims, leaving lasting grief for the Prophet (saw), especially due to the loss of one of his greatest warriors and beloved uncle, Hamza b. ‘Abd al-Mutallib (as).
Battle Preparations
The Meccan army initially planned to exploit the Muslims' weak spot but were surprised to find that the Prophet (saw) had anticipated their move and positioned a group of archers to counter it. This Meccan flank, led by one of their flag bearers, Khalid b. al-Walid, remained in position, waiting for an opportunity to break through. The Prophet (saw) sent al-Zubayr b. al-‘Awwam along with al-Miqdad to confront Khalid’s forces.
Before the battle began, the Prophet (saw) held a sword in his hand and, to boost the morale of the army, asked who would do justice to this sword and never retreat. A few men, including ‘Umar b. al-Khattab and al-Zubayr b. al-‘Awwam, stepped forward but were declined by the Prophet (saw)—a subtle foreshadowing of events to come later in the battle. It was only when Abu Dujana (as) approached that the Prophet (saw) entrusted him with the sword, confident in his bravery and.
This was recorded in Ibn Qutaybah’s Kitab al-Ma’arif, pg. 93 where he quotes from the original work, Sirat Ibn Ishaq:
وكانت قريش يومئذ ثلاثة آلاف، ورسول الله الله في سبعمائة، فظاهر يومئذ بين درعين وأخذ سيفاً فهزه وقال : من يأخذ بحقه ؟ فقال عمر : أنا فأعرض عنه، وقال الزبير أنا فأعرض عنه ، فوجدا في أنفسهما . فقام أبو دجانة سماك بن خرشة فأعطاه أياه وكان على الرماة
On that day, Quraysh had an army of three thousand, while the Messenger of Allah (saw) had seven hundred companions. The Prophet (saw) wore two coats of armor layered over one another and picked up a sword. He shook it and said, “Who will take it with its right?” Umar offered, saying, “I will,” but the Prophet (saw) turned away from him. Al-Zubayr then said, “I will,” but the Prophet (saw) also turned away from him. Both felt disappointed. Then Abu Dujanah, whose name was Simak b. Kharshah, stood up and said, “I will.” The Prophet (saw) gave the sword to him.
This was also recorded in Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 7, pg. 116 with al-Zubayr’s own narration where he mentions himself.
The Battle Begins
The primary flag bearer of the Meccans was Talha b. Abi Talha, who initiated the battle by challenging the Muslims to a duel. This act was motivated by provocation from Abu Sufyan, who taunted Talha’s clan, claiming they were unfit to uphold the flag and suggesting it be entrusted to another clan. Angered by the insinuation, Talha sought to prove him wrong by engaging in combat with the Muslims.
Talha was known as a powerful foe and so the Muslims remained quiet at his duel, he taunted them with the following lines recorded in Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 7, pg. 115:
“...Then Talhah b. 'Uthman, the polytheist's standard-bearer, rose up and said, "You companions of Muhammad, you assert that God will hasten us to Hell by means of your swords, and that He will hasten you to Paradise by means of our swords. Is there one of you whom God will hasten to Paradise by means of my sword, or who will hasten me to Hell by means of his sword?" 'Alī b. Abi Talib rose up and said, "By him who holds my soul in his hand, I shall not separate from you until I have hastened you to Hell by means of my sword or until you have hastened me to Paradise by means of your sword." Then 'Ali struck him, cutting off his foot, and Talhah b. 'Uthman fell down, exposing his geni- tals. He said, "I call on you in the name of God and in the name of blood-relationship, cousin!" So 'Alī left him, and the Messenger of God cried out, "God is great!" His companions said to 'Alī, "What prevented you from finishing him off?" He said, "My cousin called on me in God's name with his genitals exposed, and I felt a sense of shame before him."
It’s also recorded that Imam Ali (as) recited:
يا طلح إن كنت كما تقول لنا خيول ولكم نصول فاثبت لننظر أينا المقتول وأينا أولى بما تقول فقد أتاك الأسد الصؤول بصارم ليس به فلول بنصرة القاهر والرسول
"O Talha, if you speak the truth, that you possess horses and are strong in battle, then stand firm, and let us see who is slain and who is worthy of what you claim. For here comes the fierce lion with a sword, unbroken and sharp, armed with the victory of the conqueror and the Messenger (saw).”
In any case, Imam Ali (as) swiftly ended the duel and overpowered Talha, but refrained from killing him after Talha begged for mercy by exposing his private parts. This incident would be remembered for decades after by Amr b. al-‘Aas, who was present as one of the leaders of the Meccans.
Martyrdom of Hamza
The Muslims broke through the Meccan line of defense, with Ali (as), Hamza (as), and Abu Dujana leading the charge. Hamza (as) tore through their defenses but was tragically killed by Wahshi, a hired assassin of Hind (may God curse her). After the battle, Hamza’s body was found mutilated, with his organs given to Hind. After the battle ended, the Prophet (saw) initially vowed to mutilate the bodies of the Quraysh in retaliation. However, Allah revealed the following ayah to guide him:
وَإِنْ عَاقَبْتُمْ فَعَاقِبُوا بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبْتُم بِهِ ۖ وَلَئِن صَبَرْتُمْ لَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لِّلصَّابِرِينَ
And if you punish [an enemy, O believers], punish with an equivalent of that with which you were harmed. But if you are patient - it is better for those who are patient. [16:126]
He thus decided not to, but still heavily mourned the loss of him. In one hadith recorded in Amali al-Saduq Ch. 70, H. # 10 it states that Imam al-Sajjad (as) said:
ما من يوم أشد على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله من يوم أحد، قتل فيه عمه حمزة بن عبد المطلب أسد الله.
“There was not a day that was more severe for the Messenger of Allah (s) than the day of Uhud. Therein, his uncle Hamza b. Abd al-Muttalib, the Lion of Allah was killed.”
Alongside Hamza, Abdullah b. Amr al-Ansari (the father of Jabir) was also mutilated by the Quraysh, signifying a parallel between the relationship of Abdullah with the first Sayyid al-Shuhadah (Hamza) and his son Jabir with the second Sayyid al-Shuhadah (Imam al-Husayn, since Jabir was close to him).
Abu Dujana also pierced through the Meccan army until he reached their camp. The women there scattered, and he was prepared to kill Hind. However, after a moment of reflection, he restrained himself, saying it was “out of respect for the Prophet’s sword,” indicating that Hind was not “worthy of the Prophet’s sword.”
The Muslim Archers
Eventually, the Meccans had to retreat because their defences were destroyed and their camp remained exposed. Now it seemed that victory was close, but the Muslims committed a vital mistake at hand now.
The Muslims scattered, with some marching to the camp to collect the spoils of war and others remaining behind awaiting the Prophet’s command. However, the archers on the mountain wanted a share of this booty and abandoned their posts in march for it. Out of the 50 archers, only 10 remained loyal to the Prophet’s command.
In al-Zubayr’s testimony, he says as per Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 6, pg. 118:
"By God, I found myself looking at the anklets of Hind bt. 'Utbah and her companions as they tucked up their skirts and fled. There was nothing to prevent us taking them, but the archers turned aside to the (enemy) camp in search of plunder after we had driven the enemy away from it and thus left our rear exposed to the cavalry…"
It was also recorded in Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, Vol. 3, pg. 29 - 30, H. # 4316 by al-Hakim with a reliable chain.
Al-Zubayr, who was sent to fender against the cavalry forces of Khalid b. al-Walid, notes how the archers left their position. Not only did these companions disobey the Prophet's order, but they did so for worldly reasons; in pursuit of war booty!
Ibn Mas’ud comments on this saying as per Tafsir al-Tabari, vol. 6, pg. 141 - 142:
قال عبد الله بن مسعود لما رآهم وقعوا في الغنائم: ما كنت أحسب أن أحدًا من أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يريد الدنيا حتى كان اليوم.
Abdullah b Mas'ud said when he saw them fall into the spoils of war: "I did not think that anyone from the companions of the Messenger of Allah (saw) desired this world until today."
This atrocious act of the Sahaba was exploited by the cavalry led by Khalid b. al-Walid, which has until now remained silent at the flank, launched an assault against Zubayr’s army and killed the archers. The remaining companions under Zubayr fled to regroup with the Muslim body as they had no protection offered by the archers. Now the Muslims had an unprotected gap and were dispersed in their numbers, and so Khalid’s cavalry launched an unexpected attack against the Muslims from the rear that was a devastating blow against them.
The Muslims back at the Meccan camp noticed that the war had not ended so abandoned their treasures and aimed at regrouping, but it was too late at this point. This was because now the main body Meccans had returned to the battle and the Muslims were fighting a battle from two fronts. Many Muslims at this point fled from the battle back to Medina.
The Injuries of the Prophet (saw)
Now the Meccans had marched forward towards the camp of the Prophet (saw), and he was surrounded by Meccans. With only 50 bodyguards protecting him, the battle had taken an unexpected turn for the worse. The Prophet (saw) alongside other companions continuously fought, but suffered many losses. More companions were fleeing and some had already fled. The injuries the Prophet sustained was serious, in one report it says in Sahih Muslim 1790:
The face of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was injured, his front teeth were damaged and his helmet was crushed. Fatima, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), was washing the blood (from his head), and 'Ali b. Abu Talib was pouring water on it from a shield. When Fatima saw that the bleeding had increased on account of (pouring) water (on the wound), she took a piece of mat and burnt it until it was reduced to ashes. She put the ashes on the wound and the bleeding stopped.
In another report from Sahih Muslim 1791 it reads:
It has been narrated on the authority of Anas that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had his front teeth damaged on the day of the Battle of Uhud, and got a wound on his head. He was wiping the blood (from his face) and was saying: How will these people attain salvation who have wounded their Prophet and broken his tooth while he called them towards God? At this time, God, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed the Verse: " Thou hast no authority" (iii. 127).
Here, those who wounded the Prophet (saw) as severely as they did the Prophet wonders how they expect to ever attain salvation, and truly those who wounded him will never attain it even if they claim repentance their disbelief will forever remain in their hearts for even being able to get themselves to do such things to the Prophet (saw). Likewise, it is astonishing to think those companions that allowed this to happen to the Prophet (saw) will move on without being held accountable!
We would like to mention to our readers that the Ahl al-Bayt (as) clarified that the Prophet’s teeth were not broken but it was rather blood that came from the Prophet’s mouth that people misunderstood. This was recorded with a reliable chain in Ma’ani al-Akhbar, Ch. 429, H. # 78:
My father, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Sa'd b. Abdullah narrated to us, from Ahmad b. Muhammad, from Ibn Faddal, from Ibn Bukayr, from Zurara, who said:
The next day, we visited Abu Ja'far (as), who asked us: "Where were you yesterday? I did not see you." We informed him and described to him the mosque and the place where it was claimed the Prophet (saw) had climbed and washed his face. Abu Ja'far said: "The Messenger of Allah (saw) never went to that place." We then said: "It has been narrated to us that his tooth was broken." He replied: "No, Allah took him back whole, but his face was injured. He sent Ali, who brought water in a shield, but the Messenger of Allah (saw) refused to drink from it and only washed his face."
Imam Ali (as)’s loyalty and bravery
Mus’ab b. Umayr (ra) tried to divert the attention away from the Prophet (saw), but it led to a brutal death he suffered in sacrifice for the Prophet’s life, and so the flag bearer of the Muslim was killed. However, because he wore similar armour to the Prophet, the Meccans thought they had killed the Prophet (saw) and started to chant this. Many more companions decided to flee now too.
Nearly all of the Muslims fled from the battle except for a few such as Abu Dujana, Anas b. al-Nadr and most notably ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (as) who continued to fight and this remains one of his great virtues that he remained known for. For record, consider this report from Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, Vol. 3, pg. 111, H. # 4582 by al-Hakim:
حدثني أبو عمر و محمد بن عبد الواحد الزاهد صاحب ثعلب إملاء ببغداد، ثنا محمد بن عثمان بن أبي شيبة ، ثنا زكريا بن يحيى المصري، حدثني المفضل بن فضالة، حدثني سماك بن حرب، عن عكرمة عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال: لعلي أربع خصال ليست لأحد هو أول عربي وأعجمي صلى مع رسول الله ﷺ وهو الذي كان لواؤه معه في كل زحف والذي صبر معه يوم المهراس وهو الذي غسله وأدخله قبره.
Ibn Abbas said: “Ali has four distinctions no one shares with him: He was the first male who prayed with the Messenger of God. He was the bearer of his banner in every battle and he was the one who stayed with him at the Battle on the day of Al-Mihras (the Battle of Uhud, where there is gathered water called Al-Mihras ), and he is the one who washed his blessed body and laid him in his tomb.”
The Imam’s loyalty to the Prophet’s endangerment was so vibrant that he would never dare leave his position even if there was a claim to say that the Prophet (saw) had died. The Prophet had prayed for Allah to help him because it was a battle that Islam would depend on for its survival, so Allah sent Jibra’il (as) and he exclaimed: “There is no sword like Dhul-Fiqar, and no warrior like Ali (as).” This was recorded in Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 7, pg. 119 - 120 (Arabic) and it was also recorded in Mu'jam al-Kabir by al-Tabarani, Vol. 1, pg. 250, H. # 934.
In conclusion, the loss at the Battle of Uhud can be attributed to some of the Prophet’s (saw) companions disobeying his explicit instructions in pursuit of material gain. Additionally, others abandoned the battlefield under the mistaken belief that the Prophet (saw) had passed away. As a result, a verse was revealed, reproaching them for their actions:
وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ ۚ أَفَإِن مَّاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَىٰ أَعْقَابِكُمْ ۚ وَمَن يَنقَلِبْ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَن يَضُرَّ اللَّهَ شَيْئًا ۗ وَسَيَجْزِي اللَّهُ الشَّاكِرِينَ
Muhammad is not but a messenger. [Other] messengers have passed on before him. So if he was to die or be killed, would you turn back on your heels? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allah at all; but Allah will reward the grateful. [3:144]
In the next part, we investigate who the companions were that fled and whether or not they were forgiven by Allah (swt).
Next Part: The Companions that ran away >
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