THE BATTLE OF UHUD
The Battle of Uhud was fought in the month of Shawwal, in the 3 Hijri; one year after The Battle of Badr, which was fought in the month of Ramadhan in 2 Hijri. During The Battle of Badr, seventy infidels of Mecca were killed. Included in this were twenty-four prominent leaders of Quraysh. Almost every family in Mecca had someone killed in The Battle of Badr. The infidels, to revenge their loss at Badr, made tremendous preparations for a new attack upon the Muslims. They were full of grudge and relentless for revenge. They gathered an army of three thousand men, of whom seven hundred were armoured. They had two hundred horses and three thousand camels. Amongst them were women too. They brought women with them so that the men would not abandon the military duty. The idolaters regarded desertion in the presence of women as being a coward. Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan was leading the women who came to cheer their men, and cry to make their men emotional to take revenge. The army of Quraysh advanced under the conduct of Abu Sufyan towards Madina. They stopped near Mount Uhud, and set up their tent there. This is approximately three kilometres from the city of Madina.
Before the Battle of Uhud, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had a dream and narrated it to his companions(Radi Allaahu Anhum). He ﷺ said that a cow was slaughtered in his presence and a dent in his sword. The dream symbolized the martyrdom of his companions(Radi Allaahu Anhum) and the martyrdom of one of the member of his family.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ had an army that was inferior to his enemies in number.
He ﷺ was determined to keep themselves within the town of Madina and receive the infidels there. Prophet ﷺ asked his companions(Radi Allaahu Anhum) if they considered it proper to fight from within the city. Abdullah Ibne Ubai consented. But the junior of the army, who did not get the opportunity to fight in The Battle of Badr, were willing to be martyred and suggested to move out of the city of Madina and face the enemy. By the display of the emotions of the youth in the army, Prophet ﷺ decided to fight the enemy from out of the town of Madina.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ marched out against them at the head of one thousand men, of whom only one hundred were armoured. Prophet ﷺ had no more than one horse besides his own in the whole army. The army marched surrounding Prophet ﷺ like leonine towards Mount Uhud. Abdullah Ibne Ubai, the leader of the hypocrites, soon abandoned Prophet ﷺ with three hundred of his followers. Thus, the small army of Prophet ﷺ was reduced to seven hundred of the faithful. The Muslim troop spent the night at Mount Uhud in prayers. In the morning, they advanced to the plain.
Before the battle, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ gave his orders. The men had to wear white clothes so they could be recognized from far. None of the men were to start the fight unless the orders came from Prophet ﷺ. They were to retaliate with arrows if the enemy attacked from their horsebacks. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ organized his men in a manner that the hill was at their back, to secure his men from being surrounded. Under the command of Hazrat Abdullah Ibne Zubayr(Radi Allaahu Anhu), Prophet ﷺ stationed fifty soldiers on the top of the hill behind them, and ordered them strictly not to leave their posts whatever might happen. They had to keep a watch from there, and not to leave even if their own army was under attack, or even if they were victorious. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ urged his companions(Radi Allaahu Anhum) to fight and encouraged them to show stamina and steadfast in the battle. To wage and inflame them and maintain their zeal, he ﷺ held in his hand and called out to his companions(Radi Allaahu Anhum) and said, 'who is ready to take this sword and fulfil its right?' Hazrat Abu Dujanah(Radi Allaahu Anhu) inquired, 'O Messenger of Allah! What is its price?' Prophet ﷺ said, 'it is to strike the enemy until it breaks!' So Hazrat Abu Dujanah(Radi Allaahu Anhu) said, 'O Messenger of Allah, I will take it for that price'. He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was given the sword. Hazrat Abu Dujanah(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was a man of courage who used to stand proud and brave in war. Hazrat Abu Dujanah(Radi Allaahu Anhu) took Prophet's ﷺ sword and started strutting proudly amongst the soldiers. Upon seeing this, Prophet ﷺ said, 'this a sort of walking Allah Ta'ala detests except in such a situation (battle). During the battle, countless acts of courage could be noted from several of the companions(Radi Allaahu Anhum). Hazrat Abu Dujanah(Radi Allaahu Anhu) came forth fighting with the sword of
Prophet ﷺ. He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was determined to pay its price at all costs. He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) slaughtered all the idolaters that stood his way by splitting and dispersing their ranks. Into the thick battle, Hazrat Abu Dujanah(Radi Allaahu Anhu) came across a person who was inciting the enemy to fight the Muslims. It was a woman, Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan. He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) sparred her saying, 'I respect Prophet's ﷺ sword too much to use it on a woman'. The Muslims started to defeat the enemies and the infidels looked for ways to escape.
The fifty soldiers were stationed on the top of the hill to offer protection to the rear of the Muslim army saw the enemies were being defeated. Forty of the soldiers came down the hill to collect the share of war booty, against the command of their commander Hazrat Abdullah Ibne Zubayr. Only ten companions(Radi Allaahu Anhum) stayed back on the top of the hill. The infidels of Mecca seized this opportunity to circle back and attack Prophet ﷺ, injuring him severely. During these awkward moments, a group of Muslim soldiers gathered around Prophet ﷺ and protected him from the idolaters. Among them was Hazrat Abu Dujanah(Radi Allaahu Anhu). He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) stood before Prophet ﷺ shielding him from the arrows with his back.
During the confusion caused by the soldier's mistake of abandoning their post, many of the companions(Radi Allaahu Anhum) were martyred. The victory of the Muslims suddenly turned into defeat. Seventy of the companions(Radi Allaahu Anhum) were martyred. Prophet ﷺ was injured and took shelter up a mountain.
Hazrat Ameer Hamza(Radi Allaahu Anhu), the uncle of Prophet ﷺ was the brave of the bravest in The Battle of Uhud. He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) will be remembered for his loyalty and bravery till the Day of Judgement. He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was fighting in front of Prophet ﷺ.
Hazrat Ameer Hamza(Radi Allaahu Anhu) had killed the father of Hind (wife of Abu Sufyan) in The Battle of Badr. To take revenge, she promised release from slavery to a brute (wahshi) if he martyred Hazrat Ameer Hamza(Radi Allaahu Anhu). The brute was hiding behind a rock. Hazrat Ameer Hamza(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was running back and forth, stumbled and fell on his back. The brute threw an arrow into Hazrat Ameer Hamza's(Radi Allaahu Anhu) stomach and martyred him. The brute then slit open his stomach and brought his liver to Hind. She chewed the liver than spat it out. Then she went and mutilated Hazrat Ameer Hamza's(Radi Allaahu Anhu) body and made anklets, necklaces and pendants from his body.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ saw the dismembered body of Hazrat Ameer Hamza(Radi Allaahu Anhu) and was extremely saddened, distressed and disturbed. Prophet ﷺ said that by the will of Allah Ta'ala, he ﷺ would punish seventy infidels more severely than this. Then, Hazrat Jibreel(alaihis salaam) descended with the verse of The Holy Quran:
'And if you give punishment, then punish them to the extent they had afflicted you, and if you were patient, then undoubtedly, patience is the best for those who are patient'
(Surah Nahal. verse 126)
Hence, Prophet ﷺ changed his intentions and gave compensation for breaking the oath.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ prayed Namaaz Janaza for Hazrat Ameer Hamza(Radi Allaahu Anhu) seventy times. With the Janaza Namaaz of the seventy martyrs, the Janaza Namaaz of Hazrat Ameer Hamza(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was also performed.
During the battle, Hazrat Anas Ibne Nadhar(Radi Allaahu Anhu) went further ahead in the battlefield. He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) saw some of the companions(Radi Allaahu Anhum) had their weapons down. He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) asked them as to what they were doing there? They replied that there were no sightings of Prophet ﷺ anywhere. It is rumoured that Prophet ﷺ is martyred. What is the use of fighting when the one for whom we were fighting is not there anymore? Hazrat Anas Ibne Nadhar(Radi Allaahu Anhu) became extremely saddened and said, 'what is the use of staying alive without Prophet Muhammad ﷺ?' He fought the infidels until he(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was martyred. When his body was found, there were more than eighty wounds of swords and arrows. Only his sister could recognize him by his fingers.
Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran:
'And those that have been slain in the path of Allah never think of them as dead, but they are alive with their Lord, from whom they get their subsistence'
(Surah Ale-Imran. verse 169)
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This article is an abridged English translation of an Urdu sermon delivered by his eminence, Peer Syed Imroz Dean Saifi, Hanfi, Maturidi of Masjid Anwaar e Madina, Surrey BC Canada
If there is an inaccurate translation, please pardon it and not let it be a means to negatively reflect on the honoured presenter.
