islamic battels

8/6/2019 Islamic battels

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Life in Makkah was becoming difficult for the Muslims. The growing oppressionand tortures of the Kuffar became unbearable. The Muslims were preventedfrom worshiping Allah.Consequently, Allah, the Exalted,revealed orders to migrate. TheProphet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) and his companionssecretly planned to escape the

watchful disbelievers, whointended to kill the Prophet andhis companions in their ownhomeland and thus bring an endto the religion of Islam. ButAllah, the Exalted, aided HisMessenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) to immigrate to al-Medina. This carefully plannedand prudent escape of Allah'sMessenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) and the Sahabah createdgreat anxiety and rancor in the

hearts of the disbelievers.

The new abode of Allah'sMessenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam), al-Medina, integratedthe commercial routes toMakkah. The trade caravans of the disbelievers passing near al-Median nowfaced serious danger. The disbelievers had already experienced the love anddevotion of the Sahabah for Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam). They knew that the Sahabah were always ready to sacrificeeverything they had for the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam). Thus, inorder to safeguard their trade, the disbelievers undertook all possible efforts

to expel the Muslims from al-Medina.

They sent a serious ultimatum to the chief of the disbelievers in al-Medina,Abdullah Ibn Ubai Ibn Sahul, ordering him to fight or drive out the Prophet(sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) from al-Medina. Otherwise, they would attacktheir city and destroy their people. However, the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) cautioned Abdullah and his men from taking any cruel steps against

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the Muslims and as a result of his cowardice, Abdullah withheld his devilishplan. The disbelievers of Makkah also sent a note to the Ansaar (the Muslimsof al-Medina who aided Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam))threatening to put them to death if they helped the Prophet or defended him.But the Ansaar loved Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) morethan their lives and therefore paid no heed to the threats.

Permission to Fight the Kuffar -The First Order of Jihad

For 10 years, while in Makkah, the Muslims were prohibited to openly fight theKuffar because the disbelievers were greater in number and the Muslims werevery few. Were the Muslims to fight the disbelievers in Makkah, the resultswould have been disastrous. But when the disbelievers went to extremes intheir transgression that they forced Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) and his companions to leave the most sacred place, resolved to kill theProphet and sent threats to the Muslims in al-Medina; Allah revealed verses ofthe Qur'aan giving permission to the Muslims to fight the disbelievers. Now theMuslims had the support of the Ansaar, they had a place where Islamprevailed and where they could retreat. It was an appropriate time for Jihad.

"Permission to fight is given to those (i.e. believers against those

disbelievers), who are fighting them, (and) because they (believers)have been wronged, and surely Allah is Able to give them (believers)

victory." [(22): 39)]

Following the orders of Allah, the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) decidedto first bring the commercial routes to Makkah under control. For which, he(sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) signed a peace treaty with the Jews and other

neighboring tribes. He (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) also sent groups ofSahabah from time to time to ambush the caravans along their commercialroutes. The intent was to caution the disbelievers that Muslims had becomestrong and any cruel act against the Muslims, whether those who were left inMakkah or those who resided in al-Medina, might cause danger to their tradeand livelihood. The disbelievers realized the real danger of the Muslims, and asa result they were discouraged.

Meanwhile, Allah, the All Wise, equipped the Muslims in al-Medina for waragainst the enemies. He revealed Quraanic verses encouraging the Muslimsfor Jihad (fighting in the way of Allah), and teaching them ways of fighting."And fight, in the way of Allah those who fight you; but transgress not the

limits. Truly, Allah likes not the transgressors. And kill them wherever you findthem, and turn them out from where they have turned you out" [(2): 190]

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In Ramadan 2 A.H., the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) was informedthat Abu Sufyan (who was still a disbeliever and later accepted Islam), wastraveling for trade from Syria. He was approaching Makkah with 50 thousandgold Deenaar guarded by 40 men.

While escaping from Makkah, the Muslims were forced to leave behind all theirwealth and possession. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) saw thiscaravan as an opportunity to get back some of their wealth. He (sallallahu

alaihe wa-sallam) called for his companions and marched towards the mainroad leading to Makkah and turned towards Badr. His (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) intent was only to capture the wealth and not war. But Allah, theExalted, in His Great Wisdom, willed for them to fight.

On the other hand, Abu Sufyan knew that his route was not safe. He wasfurther informed by his men about the Prophet's movement. He immediatelysent a man to Makkah asking for help. The man reached Makkah, cut off thenose and ears of the camel, turned its saddle upside down, tore off his shirtfrom front and back (this was their way of warning about enemies) and cried,'O Quraysh! Your goods are with Abu Sufyan. The caravan is being stopped byMuhammad (r) and his companions. I cannot say what would have happenedto them. Help! Help!' The disbelievers shocked with the news rushed for AbuSufyan's help. They took with them a huge army of 1,300 well-equippedsoldiers, including 100 horsemen and a large number of camels to fight theMuslims.

Meanwhile, Abu Sufyan changed his route; he turned away from the mainroad that passed near al-Medina towards Red Sea and thus was out of thereach of the Muslims. When he found himself completely out of danger, heagain sent a messenger to the people of Makkah on their way, informing themof his escape and asking them to return back. The Makkan army desired toreturn back but Abu Jahl, insisted to march up till Badr and said: "No by Allah!We will not go back until we proceed to the well of Badr, slaughter camels,drink liquor and female singers sing for us. This way Arabs will always talk

about our stance and what we did on that day." Now the disbelievers wantedto humiliate the Muslims, punish them and prevent them from stopping theircaravans in the future. They marched towards Badr and encamped on thebank of the valley.

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The news of the caravan's escape and approaching of a big army reachedAllah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam). It was a disturbing news, forthe small unequipped Muslim army was no match to the huge well-equippedarmy of the disbelievers. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam)immediately called for a meeting and discussed the situation with hiscompanions. He informed them of the gravity of the situation and explained

that it was necessary to fight the Kuffar or else they would easily take over al-Medina and certainly cause destruction. He (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) thenasked the Sahabah for their advice.

Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) received revelation from Allah.It was not necessary for him to consult with the Sahabah and seek theiradvice. But this practice of Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam)reflects a very import characteristic of the Muslim leader, i.e. discussing andseeking advice of other knowledgeable Muslims. A Muslim leader should notmake decision merely based upon his opinion. Rather, he should first consultwith other knowledgeable Muslims, seek their advice and then makeappropriate decisions.

The Muhajiroon (pl. of Muhajir) assured Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihewa-sallam) that they would fight along with him until the last breath. The firstone to speak was Abu Bakr (radhiallahu anhu), then Umar Ibn al-Khattab(radhiallahu anhu) and then al-Miqdad Ibn Amr (radhiallahu anhu) got up andsaid:

"O Messenger of Allah! Proceed where Allah directs you to, for we are

with you. We will not say as the children of Israel said to Moosa

(alaihis-salaam), 'Go you and your Lord and fight and we will stayhere. Rather we shall say, "Go you and your Lord and fight and we

will fight along with you. By Allah! If you were to take us to Bark al-Ghimad, we will still fight with determination against its defender

until you gained it." The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam)was pleased with the response of the Muhajiroon but the Muhajiroon onlyconsisted of a small portion of the army.

It was natural for the Muhajiroon to fight against the disbelievers of Makkahbecause they were unjustly treated by them and thrown out of their homelandand property. Moreover, the Muhajiroon had already passed their test of faithin Allah and shown their love for the Prophet, when they forsake their family,relatives, property and homeland and migrated to al-Medina not fearing theconsequences. The real test was now for the Ansaar, who had promised toprotect the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) within their territories (al-Medina) and therefore, they were not obliged to fight outside al-Medina. So,

Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) further said: "Advice me mymen!" By this he wanted the Ansaar to express their view.

Upon this, Sa'd Ibn Mu'adh stood up and said: "By Allah, I feel you want us(the Ansaar) to speak." The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: "Oh,yes!" SAd said: "O Prophet of Allah! We believe in you and we testify that you

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are the true Messenger of Allah. We bear witness that what you have beengiven is the Truth. We give you our firm pledge of obedience and sacrifice.

We will obey you most willingly in whatever you command us, and by Allah,Who has sent you with Truth, if you ask us to cross this sea (Red Sea), we willdo that most readily and not a man of us will stay behind We hope that Allah

will show you through our hands those deeds of courage, which will pleaseyour eyes. Kindly lead us to the battlefield in the Name of Allah!"

Shaytan makes Evil seem fair andmakes false promises

When the disbelievers prepared to march towards al-Medina, Shaytan came tothe disbelievers in the form of Suraqah Ibn Malik and made their evil action offighting the Muslims seem fair to them. He encouraged them for the battle bymaking them believe that no one could defeat them. "And (remember)

when Shaytan made their (evil) deeds seem fair to them and said: "Noone of mankind can overcome you today" He also promised them toprotect Makkah from the enemies in their absence and said, "and verily, Iam your neighbor." [(8): 48]

Allah says about the promises of Shaytan, "He (Shaytan) makes promisesto them, and arouses in them false desires; and Shaytan's promisesare nothing but deception." [(4): 120]

It is from the tricks of Shaytan that he makes false promises to the peopleand makes them believe that they are winners in this world and the Hereafter.But Allah states, on the Day of Judgment, "Shaytan will say when the matterhas been decided. Verily, Allah promised you a promise of truth. And I toopromised you, but I betrayed you. I had no authority over you" and thosewho follow the whispers of Shaytan Allah says, "the dwelling of such(people) is Hell, and they will find no way of escape from it." [(4): 120]See Tafseer Ibn Katheer.

Lack of Means of the Muslims and the well-equipped huge army of thedisbelievers

The Muslim army was not more than 313-317 men, including 82-86 Muhajir(the Emigrants from Makkah) and the others were the Ansaar. They had onlytwo horses and 70 camels to ride. Most of them did not even possess simpleweapons to fight; some had swords but no bows and arrows, while others

possessed spears but no swords. The army was not well equipped, nor wellprepared for war. Moreover, the Muslims were old, sick, starving and weak.But pleased with the words and willingness of the Sahabah to fight thedisbelievers and putting all trust in Allah, the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) marched towards the wells of Badar.

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When the Muslims encamped at Badar, the disbelievers sent one of their men,Umar Ibn Wahab Jumani, to spy about their number and strength. He reportedthat the Muslims were not more than 310 men. Hearing this, the disbelieversincreased in their arrogance and pride and showed no desire to fight theMuslims. Utbah, Ibn Rabi'ah remarked, 'Let us go back without a fight.'Meaning the low number of the Muslims was no match for the large and well-

equipped army of the Makkans. But they knew that the Sahabah were toobrave to surrender and thus they would fight until the last man killing thelargest number of polytheists possible. However, Abu Jahl opposed them andexpressed his firm determination to kill them no matter how few they were!

Ibn Abbas (radhiallahu anhu) said, "When the two armies drew closer toeach other, Allah made the Muslims look fewer in the eyes of the

idolaters and the idolaters look few in the eyes of the Muslims. Theidolaters said: "These people (Muslims) are deceived by their

religion."[Soorah al-Anfal (8): 49]

Because they thought that Muslims were few. They believed without doubts

that they would defeat the Muslims, Allah said: "But whosoever puts histrust in Allah, then surely, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise." [Soorah al-Anfal (8): 49] [See Tafseer Ibn Katheer]

In the evening, the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) sent Ali Ibn Abi Talib,az-Zubari Ibn al-Awam and Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas to inquire about the locationof the enemies. Two men were seen drawing water from the wells of Badar.Upon question, they admitted that they were carrying water for the Makkanarmy. But some Companions were not pleased with this answer, since theythought that the boys belonged to Abu Sufyan. So they beat the two boys,who finally said that they belonged to Abu Sufyan. When Allah's Messenger(sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) was informed, he said angrily, "on telling thetruth, you beat them, and on lying you released them!" Then he (sallallahu

alaihe wa-sallam) himself spoke to the two boys, who informed him about thearmy's location, leaders and that they were so huge that they slaughter tencamels everyday to feed their men. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam)then turned towards the Muslims and said: "The Quraysh has sent you theirmost precious lives."

Allah's Blessing for the believers

Before the Muslims arrived at Badar, the disbelievers had already taken overthe raised piece of land and so the Muslims had to take the low lying sandyspot. And between them remained a sandy piece of land. Ibn Abbas

(radhiallahu anhu) said: "Muslims felt weak and the Shaytan cast frustrationinto their hearts. He whispered to them, 'You claim that you are Allah'ssupporters and that His Messenger is among you! However, the disbelievershave taken over the water resource from you, while you pray needing purity!'Allah sent down heavy rain allowing the Muslims to drink and use it for purity.Allah also removed Shaytan's whisper and made the sand firm when rain fell

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drink water from the water basin of the Muslims, to destroy it or die for it.Hamzah Ibn Abdul Mutallib (radhiallahu anhu) struck his leg with his swordand killed him inside the basin.

Then three men from the disbelievers, Utbah Ibn Rabi'a, his brother Shaibahand his son al-Waleed stepped forward. Three young men from the Ansaar

came forward but the Quraysh (disbelievers of Makkah) yelled they wantedthe heads of their cousins. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) then sentUbaidah Ibn al-Harith, Hamzah (his uncle) and Ali Ibn Abi Talib (his cousin) tofight. Hamazah (radhiallahu anhu) killed Shaibah and Ali (radhiallahu anhu)killed al-Waleed. Ubaidah was seriously wounded but Hamzah fell upon Utbahand cut off his head. In this way, in one on one combat, the disbelievers lostmany of their brave men. So, they decided to attack the Muslims as a whole.The Muslims were ordered to carry out a defensive war. They supplicated toAllah and invoked His Help and fought bravely as they were ordered.

Allah's Help

Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) continuously prayed to Allahday and night. When the battle became very crucial, he (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) supplicate saying, "O Allah! Should this group (of Muslims) bedefeated today, you will no longer be worshipped."

He (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) stretched forth his hand and supplicated toAllah until his cloak fell off his shoulders. Abu Bakr (radhiallahu anhu) came upto him, picked his cloak, and put it back on his shoulders and said: "O Prophetof Allah! You have cried out enough to your Lord. He will surely fulfill what Hehas promised you." [Saheeh al-Bukharee and an-Nasa'ee]

Immediately, Allah responded to the supplication and sent Angels for help,Allah says: "(Remember) when you sought help of your Lord and Heanswered you saying, 'I will help you with a thousand Angels each

behind the other in succession." [Soorah al-Anfal (8): 9]

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) raised his head and saidcheeringly: "O Abu Bakr, glad tidings are there for you; Allah's victoryhas approached, by Allah I can see Jibreel on his mount in the thick of

a sandstorm." Then he recited the verse: "Their multitude will be put

to flight and they will show their backs." [Soorah al-Qamar (54): 45]

Many narrations speak about the appearance of Angels in the battle of Badar.It is mentioned in Saheeh Muslim that Ibn Abbas (radhiallahu anhu) said:

"While on that day a Muslim from the Ansaar was chasing a disbeliever, heheard over him the swashing of a whip and the voice of the rider saying: 'Goahead Haizum.' He looked at the disbelievers who had fell on the ground onhis back. The man came to Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) andrelated the incident, upon which Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-

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sallam) said: "You have told the truth. This was the help from the thirdHeaven."

Another incident is reported, where another man from the Ansaar capturedAbbas Ibn Abdul Mutalib, who said: "O Messenger of Allah! By Allah this mandid not capture me. I was captured by a man who was bald and had the most

handsome face, and who was riding a horse. I cannot see him here among thepeople" The man from the Ansaar said: 'I captured him, O Messenger ofAllah!' The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) replied: "Be quite, Allah, theAll-Might, strengthened you with the help of a noble Angel."

It is also reported that after the battle, the people used to recognize thosewho were killed by the Angels, by wounds over their necks, finger and toes,because those parts had a mark as if they were branded by Fire.

Angel Jibreel (alaihis-salaam) approached Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihewa-sallam) and asked him to take a handful of dust and throw at the enemies.

The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) threw the dust saying, "Confusionseizes their faces!" A violent sandstorm blew into the eyes of the enemies andthe handful of sand entered the eyes of the idolaters, each one of them wasstruck by some of it, and it distracted them making each of them busy. Allahsays regarding it:

"And you (O Muhammad (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam)) threw not

when you did throw but Allah threw." [Soorah al-Anfal (8): 17]

Meaning the handful of sand which Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) threw at the disbelievers was not by his (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam)power and strength that it reached the eyes of the pagans, who were

disturbed and made busy by it. But it is Allah, Who should be praised andglorified because He helped the Prophet to perform this act.

Iblees (Shaytan), who was in the form of Suraqah Ibn Malik, saw the Angelshelping the Muslims and " ran away and said: "Verily, I have nothing to dowith you"

Ibn Abbas said: 'On the day of Badar, Shaytan as well as his flag holders andsoldiers, accompanied the idolaters. He whispered to the hearts of theidolaters, 'None can defeat you this day and I will help you.' When they metand Shaytan saw Angels coming to their aid and the Messenger of Allah(sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) took a handful of sand and threw it at the facesof the idolaters, causing them to retreat. Jibreel u came towards Shaytan butwhen Shaytan, while holding the hand of a Mushrik man, saw him, hewithdrew his hand and ran away with his soldiers. That man asked him, 'OSuraqah! You claimed that you are our neighbor.' He said: "Verily, I seewhat you see not. Verily, I fear Allah for Allah is severe inpunishment." [Soorah al-Anfal (8): 48]

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Another great Help from Allah was that He placed terror and fright in thehearts of the disbelievers. This is why instead of being greater in number andbeing well-equipped and loaded with weapons, the disbelievers fled thebattlefield in awe. Verily, I am with you, so keep firm those who havebelieved. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who havedisbelieved, so strike them over the necks, and smite over all their

fingers and toes." [Soorah al-Anfal (8): 12]

Instances of the Sahabah'sBravery and Devotion

Only after Allah affirmed that He will suffice aid, support and help thebelievers against their enemies, the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) gaveclear order to counter attack the disbelievers reciting the verse, "And bequick for forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as arethe Heavens and the Earth." [Soorah aali-Imran (3): 133]

Allah said: "O Prophet! Urge the believers to fight" The Messenger ofAllah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) encouraged his companions to fight. Thecourage and desire for Paradise and willingness to fight the disbelievers thatAllah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) instilled in his companions isevident from the actions of the Sahabah.

Narrated Anas Ibn Malik (radhiallahu anhu), The polytheists advanced(towards us), and the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said:"Rise to enter Paradise which is equal in width to the Heavens and the Earth."

Umar Ibn al-Humam al-Ansari (radhiallahu anhu) said: "O Messenger of Allah!Is Paradise equal in extent to the Heavens and the Earth?" He said: 'Yes.'Umar said: 'Excellent! Excellent!' The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) asked him: "What makes you say, 'Excellent! Excellent!?" He said: "OMessenger of Allah, nothing but the desire that I may be among its residents."He said: "You are (surely) among its residents." He took some dates from hisbag and began to eat them. Then he said: "If I were to live until I had eatenall these dates of mine, it would be a long life." (The narrator said) He threwaway all the dates he had with him. Then he fought the enemies until he waskilled." [Saheeh Muslim (4680)]

Mu'adh Ibn Amr, a young man from the Ansaar came across Abu Jahl in thebattle and struck his leg so forcefully that his leg was cut off from the shin.When Ikrimah, the son of Abu Jahl, saw his father injured, he fell upon Mu'adh

and nearly separated his arm from his shoulder. Mu'adh fought the whole daywith the hanging arm and when it gave him more trouble, he put his armunder his feet and pulled it apart by force.

Abu Jahl, the Pharaoh of this Nation, died at the hands of two young Muslims

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Abdur Rahmaan al-Awf (radhiallahu anhu) related, 'I was in the thick of thebattle when two youths, still seemingly inexperienced in the art of fighting,one on the right and the second on the left. One of them spoke in a secretvoice asking me to show him Abu Jahl. I asked him about his intention, towhich he replied that he had a strong desire to engage with Abu Jahl in acombat until either of them was killed. It was something incredible. I turned to

the left and the other expressed a similar desire. I directly pointed at theirtarget. They both rushed towards Abu Jahl and without hesitation struck himtogether and brought him down to earth. They went back to Allah's Messenger(sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam), each claiming that he had killed Abu Jahl. TheProphet saw both their swords and said: "You both have killed him."

At the end of the battle, Abdullah Ibn Mas'oud, saw Abu Jahl at the verge ofdeath. He stepped on his neck and said: "Have you seen how Allah hasdisgraced you?'But look how arrogant is this enemy of Allah, he replied toIbn Mas'oud saying: "I am not disgraced. I am no more than a man killed byhis own people on the battlefield." The disbelievers were so terrified that theyeven left behind their chief and fled the battlefield. When Ibn Mas'oud wasabout to cut off his head, he said: "Cut off my head from near the shouldersso that it looks bigger than the heads of all others and it is seen as the head ofthe chief. Ibn Mas'oud cut off his head and took it to Allah's Messenger(sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam), who praised Allah upon seeing it. He (sallallahualaihe wa-sallam) later said when he saw his dead body: "This is the Pharaohof this nation."

Victory for the Believers

With the help of Allah, Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) and hiscompanions fought bravery until the Quraysh suffered great loss and fled thebattlefield. They lost 70 of their best men and 70 were taken as prisoners by

the Muslims. Only fourteen Muslims were martyred in this battle: "Andremember when you were few and were reckoned weak in the land

and were afraid that men might kidnap you, but He provided a safeplace for you, strengthened you with His help, and provided you with

good things so that you might be grateful." [Soorah al-Anfal (8): 26]Afterthe battle of Badr, the Muslims emerged as one powerful nation.

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The Battle of Badar is a great example from our history that teaches; 'victorydoes not depend on numbers or collecting weapons and shields - Victory isfrom Allah.'

"How often has a small group overcome a might host by Allah's leave.And Allah is with the patient." [Soorah al-Baqarah (2): 249]

However, Allah only grants victory to those whobelieve in Him and put their complete trust inHim. Allah sent blessing and help to the believersin the battle of Badar and made them victoriousover the disbelieving pagans only after puttingthem to trial! Allah tested the Muslims for tenyears in Makkah and then He tested them againby the order to migrate to al-Medina leavingbehind all possessions.

It was the result of the strong trust of theSahabah in Allah that they willingly marchedtowards the battlefield, even though they knew

that the disbelievers had come with huge armyand weaponry.

It was their craving for Allah's Pleasure andParadise that they proclaimed: "We will fightalong with you. By Allah! If you were to take us to Bark al-Ghimad, we will still

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fight with determination against its defender until you gained it." So afterAllah had tested them, He made them stand firm against their enemies, andgranted them the courage to fight them. It was only by the Help of Allah andHis Blessings that the Muslims could defeat the disbeliever who were threetime greater in number and well-equipped.

Otherwise, in the times of Jahiliyyah (ignorance - the time before Islam),these very same people were the weakest of people found on the face of theearth as Imam Ibn Katheer (rahimahullah) mentions the statement of QatadahIbn Di'amah as-Sadusi in the Tafseer of Soorah al-Anfal (8): 26, 'Arabs werethe weakest of the weak, had the toughest life, the emptiest stomach, thebarest skin and the most obvious misguidance. Those who lived among themlived in misery; those who died went to the Fire. They were being eaten up,but unable to eat others! By Allah! We do not know of a people on the face ofthe earth at that time who had a worse life than them. When Allah broughtIslam, He made it dominant on the earth and thus bringing provisions andleadership for them over the necks of people. It is through Islam that Allahgranted all what you see, so thank Him for His favors, for your Lord is OneWho bestows favors and likes praise."

It was due to their cowardice that when Abrahah attacked their most sacredcity, Makkah, and resolved to demolish the Ka'bah; they evacuated Makkahand ran away with their wives and children to mountain tops. But when theyembraced Islam, believed in Allah, avoided sins and purely followed theteaching of Allah's Messenger - Allah made them the rulers of the world. Theytriumphed at the time of Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) andafter his death. The Kuffar feared the Muslims!

But when the Muslims abandoned the life of righteousness and adopted sins,Allah, the Exalted, snatched away His Blessings from them and they were leftto their state of misery. However, even today, if we Muslims were to believe in

Allah and put complete trust in Him Alone, then Allah will help the Muslimsover the Kuffar. It is the result of our sins that in many parts of the worldMuslims are being oppressed by the Kuffar and subjugated to hardships.

Today, if we show willingness to sacrifice our wealth and lives for the sake ofAllah, and purely follow the teachings of Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihewa-sallam), Allah will remove our hardships and grant us victory andsupremacy over the Kuffar

Allah says: "Allah has promised those among you who believe and dorighteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession

to(the present rulers) in the earth, as He granted it to those who before

them, and He will grant them the authority to practice their religionthat which He has chosen for them (i.e. Islam). And He will surely givethem in exchange security after their

fear (provided) they (believers) worship Me and do not associateanything (in worship) with Me. But whosoever disbelieves after this,

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they are the Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah)." [Soorah an-Nur(24): 55]

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The Battle of Uhud was an extensionof the Battle of Badr. Smarting underthe ignominy of their defeat at Badr,the Quraish of Makkah assembled alarge army of 3,000 persons, andmarched to Madina to avenge theirdefeat at Badr. The force was led byAbu Sufyan. The force includedevery adult among the Quraish. Theforce was fully equipped with warweapons. The force wasaccompanied by a considerablenumber of women. They sang songs

to inspire the warriors. They saidthat if the Quraish won the battle,they would throw open their arms toembrace them, but in case they weredefeated, their women would turnaway from them. The Quraish wereconfident that this time they wouldwin and teach the Muslims a lesson.

The Holy Prophet's preparation forthe battle

When the Holy Prophet came to know of the intentions of the Quraish ofMakkah, he held a council of war. He was personally of the view that in view ofthe strength of the enemy the proper course for the Muslims was to remain inMadina and let the enemy besiege the city. The idea was that if the enemybesieged the city its force would have to be dispersed in a number of sectors,and the Muslims could strike a blow at the enemy where the enemy'sconcentration was the weakest. The younger element among the Muslims,however, insisted that the battle should be fought in the open at somedistance away from Madina. Their argument was that the enemy should not be

allowed to approach Madina at any cost. Though the Holy Prophet believedthat the defensive strategy proposed by him was the best in thecircumstances, yet in deference to the enthusiasm for the young men to keepthe enemy away from Madina, he agreed to meet the enemy in the openoutside Madina. The Muslims could assemble a force of one thousand personsonly. When the Holy Prophet gave the order for the march to the battlefield,

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three hundred hypocrites led by Abdullah b Ubayy withdrew and went to theirhomes. The Holy Prophet was thus left with 700 persons only and this was onefourth of the strength of the enemy.

The Battlefield

Uhud, a few miles from Madina was a great stretch of barren rock rising out ofthe desert without any growth of vegetation. The Holy Prophet commandedthe Muslim warriors to take up their position at Uhud on the rising ground. Aband of archers took up position on an adjoining mound behind the mainposition. The archers were commanded not to abandon their posts under anycircumstances, without the approval of the Holy Prophet.

The Duel

As usual the battle began with a duel. Talha bin Abi Talha the standard bearer

of the Quraish stepped forward, and challenged the Muslims to a singlecombat. Ali the standard bearer of the Muslims stepped forward to accept thechallenge. Talha b Abi Talha was an expert swordsman among the Quraish,and it was the common belief that no body could beat him. As Talha steppedforward he boasted of his prowess. Talha was the first to attack Ali. Ali wardedoff the attack on his shield. Talha was wearing a coat of arms. Ali aimed hisblows at the legs of Talha. The legs were severed and Talha fell dead. Thenanother brother of Talha, Abu Shaiba stepped forward to seek a duel with aMuslim warrior. He was done to death by Hamza. Thereafter the third brother,Said b Abi Talha rushed waving his sword and seeking vengeance for his twobrothers. He was killed by Saad b Abi Waqas. The murder of the threebrothers one after the other made the Quraish furious. Their flag was nextheld by Irtas b Sharjeel a formidable man. He challenged the Muslims sayingthat he who coveted death should step forward to measure swords with him.Ali met the challenge, and killed Irtas. Thereupon Asama b Zaid dashed at Ali,with a view to striking a blow at him, before he could adjust himself afterkilling Irtas. Ali moved his sword right and left and struck a mortal blow on hisassailant who reeled and fell down dead. After the death of six warriors fromamong the Quraish one after the other, no other warrior of the Quraish coulddare challenge a duel with the Muslims.

The Battle

After the duels, the battle began. The Quraish charged with great force, but

the Muslims held fast. Then in a counter attack the Muslims broke the enemy'sline, and the Quraish fell back. At this stage, the contingent of the Muslimarchers, contrary to the instructions of the Holy Prophet left their position inorder to plunder the camp of the retreating Quraish. Khalid b Walid who wasstill a non-Muslim and was commanding a contingent of the Quraish cavalryrushed with his contingent, and occupied the position vacated by the Muslim

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archers. That exposed the Muslims to an attack from the rear as well as fromthe front. That changed the course of the battle. The defenses of the Muslimswere broken, and in the confusion that followed many Muslims were martyred.Hamza an uncle of the Holy Prophet fell fighting. His dead body wasdesecrated by the Quraish as a mark of their fury against the Muslims. Hindathe wife of Abu Sufyan, the leader of the Quraish ripped the dead body, took

out his liver, and chewed it. It was a barbarity which an unscrupulous womanlike Hinda alone could practice. Among the Muslims who were martyred wasMas'ab b Omair. He bore some physical resemblance to the Holy Prophet, andseeing his dead body the Quraish shouted that Muhammad (peace be on him)had been killed.

In the confusion that followed, the Holy Prophet was wounded, and he fell in apit over the dead bodies of his followers. Ali charged the Quraish withunprecedented fury, and killed many men of the enemy. He received no lessthan sixty-one wounds. When the Quraish continued shouting that the HolyProphet had been killed, and Ali could no longer see the Holy Prophet wherehe was stationed, he rushed to the spot where the Holy Prophet lay wounded.He took the Holy Prophet from out of the pit, and with the aid of othercompanions including Abu Bakr and Umar escorted the Holy Prophet to a saferplace. Ali fetched water in his shield, and dressed the wounds of the HolyProphet, taking no heed of the wounds that he himself had received in thebattle. As in the meantime, the Quraish continued shouting that the HolyProphet had been killed, and no contradiction was made from the Muslimcamp. The Muslim warriors engaged in combat with the Quraish weredemoralized. They felt that if the Holy Prophet had been killed, there was nopoint in fighting the battle. At this juncture, at the instance of the HolyProphet, Umar shouted back at the Quraish to say that the Holy Prophet wasvery much alive. On regaining consciousness, the Holy Prophet charged Ali tolaunch a counter attack against the Quraish. Ali rallied the Muslim, exhortedthem to fight for the glory of Islam, and fell upon the enemy with the ferocity

of a lion. Ali broke into the lines of the enemy, and caused great havoc in theranks of the enemy. So great was the slaughter caused by Ali in the ranks ofthe enemy that his sword broke down. Thereupon the Holy Prophet sent Ali hisown sword, and with this sword Ali caused further havoc among the ranks ofthe Quraish. He held the flag in his right hand, and when his right hand waswounded he held the nag in his left hand. Ali drove back the enemy. Becauseof the prodigies of valor performed by Ali, the Quraish could not takeadvantage of the victory that they had won at an earlier stage of the battle.Abu Sufyan accordingly commanded the Quraish to return to Makkah. He,however, shouted in a boastful mood that the Quraish had taken the revengefor their defeat in the Battle of Badr. Abu Sufyan declared that the Quraishwould soon have another confrontation, when the Muslims would beannihilated.

When after the battle Ali returned to the camp his entire body was coveredwith so many wounds that Umm Salim and Umm Atiya, the Muslim nurses, didnot know how to dress the wounds of Ali. The Holy Prophet washed anddressed the wounds of Ali himself, and said that God in whose cause Ali hadreceived the wounds would heal them. Ali said,

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May God grant me the patience to bear this suffering. It was indeed a favor ofGod that He gave me the courage to stand and fight in spite of these woundsand not to leave the field". For his marvelous bravery, the Holy Prophetconferred on Ali the appellation "Asad Allah", the lion of God.

Assessment of the Battle of Uhud

The Battle of Uhud is an important battle inthe annals of Islam. In the early stage thebattle went in favor of the Muslims, butbecause of a tactical mistake made by the

archers, the tide of the battle was reversed,and the Quraish came to have the upperhand. The Muslims were thoroughlydemoralized and practically lost the will tofight. It was at this stage that Ali took thecommand and prevented the Quraish fromtaking advantage of the victory that they hadwon earlier. The battle that would haveotherwise ended in the annihilation of theMuslims concluded as a drawn battle. The Quraish could gain no booty; theycould not make any Muslim a captive. True, many Muslims died as martyrs,but the casualties in the ranks of the Quraish were larger still.

Ali played the role of a hero in the battle. His services were highly appreciatedby the Holy Prophet and the Companions. Some Muslim poets composedverses in the honor of Ali. Extolling his bravery one of the poets said: "There isno sword better than the sword of Ali; and there is no young man superior toAli."

There is some controversy about the number of unbelievers killed by Ali at theBattle of Uhud. According to some accounts the number was about twohundred. According to more conservative accounts the number was about twodozen. We need not enter into any controversy about the number of personskilled. The basic point is that Ali played the role of a great hero at the Battle ofUhud, and he succeeded in averting a crisis which was fraught with great

danger for the Muslims.

The Qureshites came out from the Battle of Badr with an astonishing resultwhich they did not expect. They were confident of their capability to annihilatethe Muslims easily. Because of they were more numerous and with a biggerreserve and more logistics. Yet, they suddenly found themselves losing

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seventy of their warriors and leaders, along with seventy captives, in a one-day battle. And above all, the resounding defeat which they received was atthe hand of a group whom they used to be little.

The Qureshites were unwilling to admit a final defeat. They lost a battle, butthey believed that they would never lose the war. All they needed was to

mobilize forces to which the Muslims would not be able to stand. The burninghatred in the hearts of Qureshites and their desire to wash away the shame ofthe defeat at Badr and their eagerness to avenge their lost leaders added totheir physical superiority a tremendous psychological strength.

The Qureshites mobilized for the battle of avenge three thousand fighterscompared to nine hundred and fifty fighters at the Battle of Badr. This armywas financed and its logistics were secured through the gross income of thecommercial caravan which was allotted to the battle of avenge. Thus, thecommunity of Quraish, one year after the Battle of Badr, marched towardsMedina to annihilate the Muslims, their religion, and their Prophet. The Meccanarmy arrived at the area of Uhud which is five miles away from Medina. There,

the expected battle took place.

The Uhud region

The big and lengthy valley which joined the trade route of Syria with Yemen iscalled Wadiul Qura. Different Arab tribes and the Jews took up their abode at aspot where necessities of life were available. A number of villages, therefore,came into existence and their sides were fences by stones. Yathrib (which waslater named Madinatur Rasul i.e., city of Prophet) was consider to be center ofthese villages.

Whoever came from Makkah to Madina was obliged to enter there from thesouthern side. However, as this region was stony and it was difficult for anarmy to move into it, the army of Quraysh bent its route and established itselfin the north of Madina in the valley named 'Aqiq', situated at the foot of Mt.Uhud. This area was fit for all sorts of military operations as there was nopalm-grove in it and the land was also even. Madina was more vulnerablefrom this side because there were very few natural obstacles in this part.

The Holy Prophet goes out ofMadina

The prophet offered Friday prayers and then left Madina for Uhud with anarmy consisting of one thousand men. He did not take with him persons likeUsamah bin Zayd Harith and Abdullah bin Umar on account of their tenderage, but two young men named Samurah and Rafe, who were not more thanfifteen years of age, participated in the battle, because, in spite of their being

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2. The members of the house of the Holy Prophet and their heroism.

3. An Islamic army consisting of seven hundred companions, the hearts ofmany of them were filled with faith and readiness for sacrifice.

The start of the Battle of Uhud followed the method of the beginning or the

Battle of Badr. Talhah Ibn Abu Talhah (from Banu Abdul-Dar clan), the bearerof the banner or the pagans, challenged the Muslims, saying: "Are there anyduelers?" The respondent to his call was the same respondent of the Battle ofBadr. Ali came to him and when they faced each other between the two hosts,Ali swiftly dealt him a blow by his sword through which his head was split. TheHoly Prophet was pleased. He exclaimed: Allahu Akbar (God Is Great), and sodid the Muslims, for the biggest hero of the pagan army had died. It is anoteworthy incident that Talha the first standard bearer of the Meccans lostone of his legs by a stroke of Ali's sword, fell down and his lower garmentbeing loosened, he became naked. Ali, instead of finishing him, turned his facefrom him and hit him no more. When Prophet asked Ali why he had spared theman, he said the man was nude and entreated for the sake of Allah to spare

his life.

Abu Saad Ibn Abu Talhah (brother of Talhah) carried the banner andchallenged the Muslims, saying Companions of Mohammad, you allege thatyour dead go to Paradise and our dead go to Hell. By "Al Lat", you lie. If youwere so confident, some of you could have faced me. Let one of you come tofight me.

Ali came to him and Abu Saad was not luckier than his brother Talhah. Themen of Abdul-Dar continued replacing the bearers of their banner with theirmen, and the Muslims continued annihilating them. Ali destroyed Artat IbnSharhabeel, Shureih Ibn Qaridh and their servant, Sawab.

Ali and the banner bearers

However, Ibn Al-Atheer reported that Ali, alone, destroyed all the standardbearers at the Battle of Uhud and said that Abu Rafi reported that. And so didAl-Tabari.

The death of the bearers of the banner heightened the morale of the Muslimsand shook the hearts of the pagans. Following the death of the bannerbearers, the Muslims undertook a general offensive led by Ali, Al-Hamzah, AbuDujanh, and others. The Islamic offensive terrified the pagan army, but theMuslims lost during this operation a giant hero Al-Hamzah, Lion of God, anduncle of the Messenger of God. Wahshi bin Harb, an Abyssinian (Ethiopianslave of Mut'am), transfixed him with his dart while he was fighting. However,the pagans were forced to flee and leave their camps. The Muslims entered

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the pagan camps and went on collecting what they found of equipment andmaterial without meeting any resistance from the pagans.

Who were fighting for the sake of

lust?It is learnt from the verses, which Hind and other women were reciting withtambourines to instigate the warriors of Quraysh and to incite them to blood-shed and revenge, that these people were not fighting for the sake ofspirituality, purity, freedom and moral virtues. On the contrary they wereprompted by sexual and material consideration. The song which the womensang with tambourine and a particular tune amongst the rows of the armywas: "We are the daughters of Tariq. We walk on costly carpets. If you facethe enemy we shall sleep with you, but if you show your back to the enemyand flee, we shall disengage ourselves from you".

Defeat after victoryWe may mention here as to why the warriors of Islam were victorious. It wasdue to the fact that till the last moment of their victory they had no motiveexcept that of jihad in the path of Allah, acquisition of His pleasure, conveyingthe message of Allah and the removal of every impediment in its path.

Why were they defeated thereafter? It was because, after achieving victory,the aim and intention of most of the Muslims underwent a change. Attentiontowards the booty, which the army of Quraysh had themselves thrown in thebattlefield and had fled, affected the sincerity of a large group and theyignored the orders given by the Prophet.

Here are the details of the event: While explaining the geographical conditionsof Uhud we had mentioned that there was a particular gap in the middle of Mt.Uhud and the Prophet had entrusted fifty archers under the command ofAbdullah Jibir to guard the valley behind the battle front and had given theseorders to the commander of the group: "Prevent the enemy from passingthrough the gap in the mountain by shooting arrows and don't vacate thispoint at any cost whether we are defeated or victorious".

The fire of warfare blazed up on both the sides. Every time the enemieswished to cross this valley they were repulsed by the archers.

When the army of Quraysh threw away their weapons and property on theground and ignored everything else to save their lives, a few brave officers ofIslam whose oath of allegiance was perfectly sincere pursued the enemyoutside the battle-field. But the majority ignored the pursuit and placing theirweapons on the ground began collecting the booty and imagined that thebattle had come to an end.

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The persons guarding the valley behind the battle front also decided to avail ofthe opportunity and said to themselves: "It is useless for us to stay here and itis profitable that we too should collect the booty". Their commander, however,reminded that the Prophet had ordered that whether the Muslim army gainedvictory or was defeated they should not move from their post. Majority of thearchers, who were guarding the passage, opposed their commander and said:

"0ur staying here is useless and the Prophet meant only that we should guardthis passage when the battle was in progress, but now the fighting hasended".

On the basis of this false presumption forty men came down from the vigilancepost and only ten persons remained there. Khalid bin Walid, who was a braveand experienced warrior and knew from the very start that the mouth of thepassage was the key to victory and had attempted many times to reach at theback of the war-front through it, but had to face the archers, took advantageof the small number of the guards this time. He led his soldiers towards thebackside of the Muslim army and making a surprise attack reached at theparty of the Muslims. The resistance by the small group which was stationedabove the mount could not prove effective till all the ten persons after puttingup a tough fight were killed at the hands of the troops of Khalid bin Walid andIkrimah bin Abi Jahl. Soon after that the unarmed and neglectful Muslims weresubjected to a severe attack of the enemy from behind.

After having gained possession of the sensitive point Khalid sought thecollaboration of the defeated army of Quraysh, which was in a state of flight,and strengthened the spirit of resistance and perseverance of Quraysh withrepeated shoutings and cries. On account of disruption and confusion, whichprevailed in the ranks of the Muslims, the army of Quraysh soon surroundedthe Muslim warriors and fighting commenced between them once again.

This defeat was due to the negligence of those persons who vacated the

passage for their material gains and unintentionally cleared the way for theenemy in such a manner that the mounted soldiers under orders of Khalid binWalid entered the field from behind.

The attack by Khalid was supported by an attack by Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl andunprecedented and surprising disorder prevailed in the forces of Islam. TheMuslims had no alternative but to defend themselves as a scattered group.However, as liaison with the command had also been disrupted they did notsucceed in defending themselves and suffered heavy casualties, so much sothat some Muslim soldiers were inadvertently killed by other Muslims.

The attacks by Khalid and Ikrimah strengthened the morale of the army of

Quraysh. Their retreating forces re-entered the field and lent them support.They encircled the Muslims from all sides and killed a number of them.

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The rumor about the Prophet beingkilled spreads

A brave warrior of Quraysh named Laythi attacked Mus'ab bin Umayr, the

daring standard-bearer of Islam, and after exchange of a number of blowsbetween them the standard-bearer of Islam was killed. As the Muslim warriorshad hidden their faces Laythi thought that the person killed was the Prophet ofIslam. He, therefore, shouted and informed the chiefs of the army thatMuhammad had been killed.

This rumor spread from man to man in the army of Quraysh. Their chiefs wereso happy that their voices were ringing in the battlefield and all of them weresaying: "O people! Muhammad has been killed! O people! Muhammad hasbeen killed!"

Publicity of this false news encouraged the enemy and the army of Quraysh

came into motion. Every one of them was keen to participate in cutting thelimbs of Muhammad so that he might secure a high status in the world ofpolytheism.

This news weakened the morale of the warriors of Islam much more than itgave strength to the morale of the army of the enemy, so much so that aconsiderable majority of Muslims abandoned fighting and took refuge in themountains and none of them, except a few, who could be counted on fingers,remained in the field.

The Holy Quran reveals some facts

The verses of the Holy Qur'an tear the veils of fanaticism and ignorance andmake it abundantly clear that some companions thought that the promisegiven by the Prophet about victory and success was baseless and the AlmightyAllah says thus about this group: Then after sorrow He sent down securityupon you, a calm coming upon a party (a group of companions) of you, and(there was) another party whom their own souls had rendered anxious; theyentertained about Allah thoughts of ignorance quite unjustly, saying: We haveno hand in the affair. (Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:154)

You can learn the hidden facts about this battle by studying the verses ofSurah Al-e-Imran. These verses fully bear out the facts in which we believe.We believe that all the companions were not self-sacrificing or lovers of Islam

and some persons with weak faith were hypocrites who were amongst them.And at the same time there were among the companions a large number oftrue believers and pious and sincere persons. Nowadays a group of writersattempt to draw a curtain on many of these unworthy acts of the companions(their specimens have been seen by you in connection with the events of thisbattle). They protect the position of all of them by offering unrealistic

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explanations, which only show their fanaticism and cannot hide the real factsof history.

Who can deny the substance of this verse which says clearly: (Believers,remember) When you ran off precipitately and did not wait for any one, andthe Messenger was calling you from your rear, (Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:153)

This verse is about the same persons, who were seen by Anas bin Nazr withhis own eyes when they were sitting in a corner and were anxious about theirfuture.

The following verse is more clear than that quoted above: (As for) those ofyou who turned back on the day when the two armies met, only the Shaitansought to cause them to make a slip on account of some deeds they had done,and certainly Allah has pardoned them; surely Allah is Forgiving, Forbearing.(Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:155)

Allah reprimands in the following verse those persons who made the news

about the Prophet's assassination an excuse for abandoning fight and werethinking of approaching Abu Sufyan through Abdullah bin Ubayy to guaranteetheir safety:

And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; the messengers have alreadypassed away before him; if then he dies or is killed will you turn back uponyour heels? And whoever turns back upon his heels, he will by no means doesharm to Allah in the least and Allah will reward the grateful.

Five persons conspire to kill the

Holy Prophet (S.A.W.)At the time when the army of Islam was faced with disorder and chaos, theProphet was being attacked from all sides. Five notorious men of Qurayshdetermined to put an end to his life at any cost. They were:

1. Abdullah bin Shahib who wounded the forehead of the Prophet.

2. Utbah Abi Waqqas who, by flinging four stones, broke his ruba'iyat(Ruba'iyat are the teeth (four in number) which are between the front teethand the canine teeth) teeth of the right side.

3. Ibn Qumi'ah Laythi who inflicted a wound on the face of the Prophet Thewound was so severe that the rings of the Prophet's helmet penetrated intohis cheeks. These rings were extracted by Abu Ubaydah Jarrah with his teethand he lost four of his own teeth in doing so.

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4. Abdullah Hamid, who was killed, at the time of attack, at the hands of thehero of Islam, Abu Dujanah

5. Abi Khalf. He was one of those persons who fell at the hands of the Prophethimself. He faced the Prophet at the time when He (the Prophet) hadmanaged to reach in the valley and some of his companions had come round

him, on having identified him. Abi Khalf advanced towards the Prophet. TheProphet took a spear from Hasis bin Simmah and thrust it in the neck of AbiKhalf as a consequence of which he fell down from his horse.

Although the wound sustained by Abi Khalf was minor, he had become somuch terrified that when his friends consoled him he could not composehimself and said: "I said to Muhammad in Makkah that I would kill him and hesaid in reply that he would kill me, and he never tells a lie". All was over withhim on account of the wound and fear, and after some time he breathed hislast on his way back to Makkah.

Defense associated with successand renewed victory

It will not be inappropriate if we give the name of 'renewed victory' to this partof the history of Islam. What is meant by this victory is that contrary to theexpectations of the enemies, the Muslims succeeded in saving the Prophetfrom death. And this was the renewed victory, which fell to the lot of the armyof Islam.

If we are associating this victory with the entire army of Islam we are doing soas a mark of respect to the warriors of Islam. In fact, however, the heavyburden of this victory fell on the shoulders of a few persons who could becounted on fingers. These were the persons who protected the Prophet byrisking their own lives and in fact it was due to the self-sacrifice of thisminority that the State of Islam remained in tact and this luminous candle didnot extinguish.

The Idolators suffered many casualties among their noble men at the battle ofBadr. The caravan that Abu Sufyan led (before Badr) returned safely toMakkah, prompting the remaining Makkan leaders and the children of those

who were killed at Badr to demand from Abu Sufyan to, "Spend this money onfighting Muhammad!'' Consequently, they spent the money from the caravanon warfare expenses and mobilized their forces including the Ahabish tribes(tribes living around the city). They gathered three thousand soldiers andmarched until they camped near Uhud facing Al-Madinah. The Messenger ofAllah led the Friday prayer and when he finished with it, he performed the

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funeral prayer for a man from Bani An-Najjar called Malik bin Àmr. TheProphet then asked the Muslims for advice, if they should march to meet thedisbelievers, or fortify themselves in Al-Madinah. Àbdullah bin Ubayy (thechief hypocrite) advised that they should remain in Al-Madinah, saying that ifthe disbelievers lay siege to Al-Madinah, the siege would be greatlydisadvantageous to them. He added that if they decide to attack Al-Madinah,

its men would face off with them, while women and children could throw rocksat them from above their heads; and if they decide to return to Makkah, theywould return with failure. However, some companions who did not attend thebattle of Badr advised that the Muslims should go out to Uhud to meet thedisbelievers.

The Messenger of Allah went to his home, put on his shield and came out. Thecompanions were weary then and said to each other, "Did we compel theMessenger of Allah to go out'' They said, "O Messenger of Allah! If you wish,we will remain in Al-Madinah. '' The Messenger of Allah said:

(It is not for a Prophet to wear his shield for war then lay down his armsbefore Allah decides in his favor.)

The Messenger of Allah marched with a thousand of his Companions. Whenthey reached the Shawt area, Àbdullah bin Ubayy went back to Al-Madinahwith a third of the army, claiming he was angry the Prophet did not listen tohis advice. He and his supporters said, "If we knew that you would fight today,we would have accompanied you. However, we do not think that you will fighttoday.'' The Messenger of Allah marched until he reached the hillside in thearea of Uhud, where they camped in the valley with Mount Uhud behind them.The Messenger of Allah said,

(No one starts fighting until I issue the command to fight.)

The Messenger prepared his forces for battle, and his army was sevenhundred men. He appointed Àbdullah bin Jubayr, from Bani Àmr bin Àwf,to lead the archers who were fifty men. The Prophet said to them,

(Keep the horsemen away from us, and be aware that we might be attacked

from your direction. If victory was for or against us, remain in your positions.And even if you see us being picked up by birds, do not abandon yourpositions.)

The Prophet wore two protective shields and gave the flag to Musàb binÙmayr of Bani Àbd Ad-Dar. The Prophet also allowed some young men to

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participate in fighting, but not others, whom he allowed to participate in thebattle of Al-Khandaq two years later. The Quraysh mobilized their forces ofthree thousand men with two hundred horsemen on each flank. Theyappointed Khalid bin Al-Walid to lead the right side of the horsemen andÌkrimah Ibn Abi Jahl on the left side. They also gave their grand flag to thetribe of Bani Àbd Ad-Dar. Allah willing, we will mention the details of this

battle later on, if Allah wills. Allah said here,

(And (remember) when you left your household in the morning to post thebelievers at their stations for the battle) 3:121, designating them to variouspositions, dividing the army to the left and right sides and placing themwherever you command them.

(And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower), He hears what you say and knows what

you conceal in your hearts. Allah said next,

(When two parties from among you were about to lose heart,)

Al-Bukhari recorded that Jabir bin Àbdullah said, "The Ayah,

(When two parties from among you were about to lose heart) was revealedabout us, the two Muslim tribes of Bani Harithah and Bani Salamah. I (or we)

would not be pleased if it was not revealed, because Allah said in it,

(but Allah was their Wali (Supporter and Protector)) 3:122

Muslim recorded this Hadith from Sufyan bin Ùyaynah.

Site of the battle of Uhud Battle of Uhud: Archer's Mount During the Battle ofUhud

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The Battle of Uhud Mountain of Uhud

The Battle of Uhud was a great example of what can happen when youdisobey the Messenger of God (pbuh). It was a grave lesson for the believersand a warning to them. At the same time, it was a defeat and a victory for

both sides. To fully understand the Battle of Uhud, we must divide it into threeparts: the events in chronological order, the analysis of the events and thewisdom gained from this experience.

From the Quraishs perspective, this battle was a revenge for the Battle ofBadr. The Quraish sent messengers to the different tribes of Mecca to try togain their support against the Muslims in Madinah. There also hired poets topersuade the people to join. The Makkans even brought fifteen women toinfluence the men to fight. The Quraish had three thousand men. Sevenhundred of their soldiers were armored and two hundred on horseback. Theyhad three thousand camels for the journey. Al Abbas bin Abdul-Muttalib sent amessage to the Prophet (pbuh) that the Quraish were planning to attack theMuslims. The Prophet (pbuh), after receiving the letter, went to Madinah todiscuss the matter. After hearing about the Quraishs plans, they watchedMadinah very carefully. The Muslims organized groups to watch the routes, sothat they would know of the coming of the Quraish. Meanwhile the Quraishreached a place near the mountains of Uhud and set up their tents there onFriday, Shawwal 6, 3 A.H. (After Hijrah). The Muslims found the enemy campand told the Prophet (pbuh) about it. The Prophet (pbuh) wanted to avoid war,so he wanted the Muslims to stay in Madinah, and, if necessary defend it fromthe Quraish within the city. The final conclusion was to resist the Quraishoutside of Madinah. The Prophet (pbuh), after Juma prayer, prepared for thebattle. The Prophet (pbuh) made three different groups: Al-Muhajireen, Awstribe and the Khazraj. The Muslim army had one thousand men. One hundredmen were armored and fifty were on horseback. The Jews wanted to fight, but

the Prophet (pbuh) did not allow them to. The Prophet (pbuh) sent thephysically incapable and young back to Madinah. When the Muslims set upcamp, fifty guards were appointed to guard the camp. After the Muslim armywas close to the Quraish, Abdullah bin Ubai, a hypocrite, left the battlefieldtaking three hundred soldiers. This is explained in the Quranic verse [3:167].This incident almost caused the further split of the army, but Allah (swt)

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helped them. The Quranic Verse [3:122] talks about this. The Prophet (pbuh)and his followers continued their march until they came to the valley of Uhudand that is where they settled camp. The Prophet (pbuh) put fifty archers on astrategic location behind the Muslim army. The Prophet (pbuh) at that pointgave Abu Dujana his sword. The Quraish put their army into rows; this was atradition of war that was passed down to them. The battle started with two

fighters, Talha bin Abi Talha Al-Abdari and Az-Zubair bin Al-Awwam. Az-Zubairkilled Talha, so the battle started. The Bani Abd Ad-Dar were the flag-bearers,but they were all defeated in the beginning of the battle. Abu Dujana wasfighting very bravely. He was about to kill Abu Sufyans wife, but said herespected the Prophet (pbuh)s sword too much to use on a woman. Humzafought bravely as well, but was killed by a slave, Wahshi bin Harb, who killedhim to gain his freedom. Hanzala Al-Ghaseel was just married, he was in hiswifes bed, but when he heard of the battle against the Quraish, he ran to thebattlefield. The archers, who the Prophet set up behind the Muslim army, keptthe cavalry of the Quraish from overtaking the Muslims by surprise. It seemedthe Muslims were winning, so forty of the fifty archers left to collect the spoils.The Quraish saw this and exploited it. They surrounded the Muslims andscattered them. The Prophet (pbuh) started calling them back. Some of the

Muslims fled the battlefield out of confusion. The Muslims were lost and therespread a rumor that the Prophet (pbuh) had been killed. Anas An-Nadr said hesmelled Paradise on the battlefield and died fighting as a martyr. There wereonly nine people fighting with the prophet (pbuh). Seven of them, all Ansar,died and only two Muhajireen were left with the Prophet (pbuh). At this pointin the battle, the Quraish came to the Prophet, seeing he only had two menwith him. The Holy Prophet (pbuh)s tooth broke, his head was scratched andhis cheek was bleeding. The Prophet (pbuh) said, How can people who cutthe Prophets face and break his tooth, he who calls them to worship Allah,How can such people thrive or be successful? Allah (swt) replies to theProphets statement in this verse [3:128]. The only two companions leftprotecting the Prophet (pbuh) were Sad bin Abi Waqqas and Talha bin

Ubaidullah. They were great fighters and kept the Quraish away. Talhaparalyzed his arm defending the Prophet (pbuh). Abu Dujana protected theProphet (pbuh) from arrows by shielding him by his back, while Talhaprotected him from the arrows by using his chest as a shield. Qatabah bin-Numans eye fell out, when the Prophet (pbuh) put it back in; it was becomebetter than his other eye. Abdur Rahman bin Awf broke his mouth andwounded his leg. Umm Amarah fought in the battle until she received 12wounds. Musab bin Umair carried the flag till his death. Ali received the flagfrom the Prophet (pbuh) after Musabs death. Uthman bin Abdullah bin Al-Mugheerah tried to kill the Prophet (pbuh), but was killed by Al-Harith bin As-Simma. The Muslims finally retreated to the mountains of Uhud. Ubai binKhalaf was killed by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) by Al-Hariths spear. AbuSufyan and Khalid bin Al-Waleed tried to pursue them, but some companions

drove them down the mountain. The disbelievers went back on their way toMakkah. After the battle, the disbelievers mutilated some of the Muslimbodies. Hind bin Utbah, Abu Sufyans wife, ripped open Hamzas liver, chewedit and threw it down. Some Muslim women gave water to the Muslim soldiers.Qazman fought well and killed about seven Quraish, but he fought out ofpride. The Prophet (pbuh) said he was a dweller of Hell-Fire after he

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committed suicide due to the pains of his wounds. A Jew was among themartyred. The Prophet (pbuh) said about him, He, Mukhaireeq is the bestJew.

Many people said that the Battle of Uhud was a defeat for the Muslims. Inreality, it was a victory and not that much of a defeat. The Muslims learned

the importance of obeying the leader and especially the Prophet (pbuh). Thiswill stay as an example for the Muslims of all ages and times. Even one littlemistake can prove disastrous. At the same time, it was made clear to theMuslims who were the believers and who were the hypocrites. The true Muslimfought bravely, many were martyred in the way of God. This made thebelievers inspiration to fight in the way of God and die a martyr greater thanit was before. The hypocrites fled from the battle field, some even openlyopposed the Prophet (pbuh). Even though the Quraish won, they becamecowardly and retreated, knowing that their victory wouldnt be very long. Eventhough the believers ended up retreating, they learned very importantlessons. The only way it can be seen as a defeat is by the loss of Hamza andthe injuries obtained by the Prophet (pbuh). The Quraish had gotten theirmoment of triumph, but in the end, truth will always prevail over evil.

There is much wisdom from the outcome of the Battle of Uhud. One thing wasthat the believers learned from their mistakes. God tested the believers withdifferent circumstances. God also made clear to them the true believers andthe hypocrites among them. As was the story of Qazman shows us whathappens to those who fight for the wrong reasons? He fought so bravely, butonly for pride. In the Hereafter, he was one of the losers. God made him as anexample for all people. God made the believers stronger and gave themchance to earn martyrdom. The story of the Jew from Bani Thalabah,Mukhaireeq, who believed in the message and gained martyrdom at Uhud,was also an example. The Prophet said he was the best Jew. The courageousTalha bin Ubaidullah, who the Prophet (pbuh) gave glad tidings of Paradise,

proved his selflessness and his love for Allah and his messenger. In thesemen, there are examples for us all. We should not fight for nationalistic,ethnic, social or material reasons. We should fight only for Allah (swt), in theway of Allah (swt).

In summary, the Battle of Uhud was revenge by the disbelievers against theMuslims. Although it seemed like a victory for the Muslim, it turned into adefeat due to the disobedience of a few men. In the long run, it was a clearvictory because it taught the believers obedience and made obvious to themthe hypocrites. This was an example for all future generations of Muslims, andAllah (swt) knows best.

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The Battle of the Ditch took placein Shawwal 5 A.H. It was a decisivebattle but it presented to the

Muslims grave trials that they hadnot previously experienced. Allahsays in the Qur'an:When they came against you fromabove you and from below you,and when your eyes swerved andyour hearts reached your throats,and you thought thoughts aboutAllah; there it was that thebelievers were tried, and shakenmost mightily. (33: 11)

The Jews instigated thesehostilities. People from the Banu'n-Nadir and the Banu Wa'il went tothe Quraysh in Makkah, calling onthem to fight the Messenger(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) ofAllah. The Quraysh who hadalready experienced war with theProphet were reluctant to getinvolved again. However, theJewish delegation painted such arosy picture of the outcome that

they agreed to co-operate.

'We will support you,' the Jewspromised, 'until you obliteratehim.'

That delighted the Quraysh. They were eager to carry out the Jews' ideas.They gathered their forces and prepared for battle. The Jewish delegation thenwent to the Ghatafan tribes and invited them to join the Quraysh. After theGhatafan agreed to join in, they went to other tribes, presenting them withthe same plan backed by the Quraysh.

Thus an alliance was formed between the Quraysh, the Jews, and theGhatafan against the Muslims.

Certain conditions were drawn up. The Quraysh had to gather four thousandfighters and the Ghatafan six thousand, making ten thousand in all. This vastarmy was to be commanded by Abu Sufyan ibn Harb. The Jews agreed to giveone year's harvest of Khaybar to the Ghatafan to compensate them for their

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military expenses.

WISDOM IS THE LOST PROPERTYOF THE BELIEVERThe Muslims decided to fortify themselves in Madinah and defend the city.Their army numbered less than three thousand so Salman al-Farsi suggestedthat a ditch should be dug around the city for protection.

'In Persia,' Salman said, 'when we feared invaders, we would dig a ditcharound us to keep them at bay.' The Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam)of Allah agreed to his suggestion and a ditch was dug on the exposed sidefrom where they feared the enemy would attack. The Messenger (sallallahualaiyhi wassallam) of Allah planned the work and assigned forty cubits ofdigging to each group of ten Muslims. The length of the ditch was about fivethousand cubits and its depth varied between seven and ten cubits. Its widthwas at least nine cubits.

THE SPIRIT OF EQUALITY ANDMUTUAL SUPPORT AMONG THEMUSLIMS

The Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah helped to dig the ditchand encouraged the Muslims working alongside him. Although it was bitterlycold and food was in short supply, the work proceeded smoothly.

Abu Talhah said, 'we complained to the Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhiwassallam) of Allah of hunger and we showed him the stones that we had tiedround our bellies to ease the pain. Then the Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhiwassallam) of Allah showed us that he had two stones on his belly.'

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In spite of all this they were happy, praising Allah and chanting poems. No onecomplained or expressed any regrets.

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'The Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi

wassallam) of Allah went out to the ditch when the Muhajiroon and Ansar weredigging in the bitterly cold morning air. They had no slaves to do it for them.Seeing their state of fatigue and hunger, he said:O Allah! True life is the life of the Next World. So forgive the Ansar and the

Muhajirun.

In response they said:We are those who have given homage to Muhammad. To fight in jihad as longas we have life.The Muslims came upon a large rock which their picks could not shift. Whenthey complained to the Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah aboutit, he took up a pick, saying, 'In the name of Allah.' His first blow broke off athird of the rock and sent sparks flying.

'Allah is greater!' he said, 'I have been given the keys of Syria. By Allah, I seeits red castles, if Allah wills.'He struck at the rock a second time and another third broke off.'Allah is greater. I have been given the keys of Persia and, by Allah; I see thewhite castles of al-Mada'in.

With his third blow, he invoked the name of Allah and the rest of the rockshattered.

'Allah is greater!' he exclaimed, 'Allah is greater! I have been given the keys ofthe Yemen. By Allah, I see the gates of San'a' from here.

PROPHETIC MIRACLES:A number of miracles were witnessed by the Companions at this time. Oncewhen the ground was too hard to dig in part of the ditch, the Messenger(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah called for some water, spat into it andprayed a supplication willed by Allah. When he poured the water over the hardground, it became soft like sand. On other occasions, a great blessing wouldappear when a small amount of food could satisfy a large number of Muslims

or even be sufficient for an entire army of three thousand workers.

"When they came to you from above you and from beneath you"

The Muslims had scarcely finished work on the ditch when the Quraysh andthe Ghatafan arrived and pitched camp outside Madinah with ten thousand

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warriors. The Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah assembled histhree thousand Muslims, keeping the ditch between them and the enemy.A treaty existed between the Muslims and the Madinan Jewish tribe of BanuQurayzah. Huyayy ibn Akhtab, the chief of Banu'n-Nadir encouraged the Jewsto break the treaty. When the Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) ofAllah heard of this, he realised that it was a serious setback and everyone

feared the consequences. Some of the hypocrites displayed their hypocrisyopenly. The Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah even consideredmaking a treaty with the Ghatafan, giving them one-third of Madinah's datesin order to make things easier for the Ansar who always bore the greatesthardships during wars.

He rejected that option after SAd ibn Mu'adh and SAd ibn 'Ubadah advisedhim to remain firm, upright and resolute before the enemy and to refuse anycompromise.

'Messenger of Allah,' they said, 'We and these people all used to associateother things with Allah and worship idols; none of us worshipped norrecognized Allah. They would not eat a single date except through hospitality

or purchase. Now that Allah has honoured us with Islam and guided us to itand made us mighty by you and Himself, shall we still give them our property?By Allah, we have no need to and, by Allah; we will not give them anythingbut the sword until Allah decides between us and them.'

QURAYSH CAVALRY:The Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah and the Muslimsremained besieged by their enemies but no fighting took place. However,some of the mounted Quraysh galloped their horses up to the edge of the

ditch. When they saw the ditch, they said, 'By Allah, this is a device which theArabs have never used!'

Then, having found the narrowest part, they beat their horses until they jumped over the ditch into the territory of Madinah. Among them was thefamous horseman Amr ibn Abd Wudd who was said to be the equal of athousand horsemen. He stopped and asked, 'Who will face me?'

Ali ibn Abi Talib sprang forward and said, 'Amr!

You swore by Allah that if a man of the Quraysh offered you two alternatives,you would accept one of them!'

'Yes, I did.'

'I call you to Allah and to His Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) and toIslam,' Ali said.'I have no need of that.'

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'Then I call on you to encounter me.''Nephew,' said Amr to Ali, 'By Allah, I do not want to kill you.''But, by Allah,' Ali replied, 'I want to kill you.'

Amr was so furious that he leapt from his horse, hamstrung it, and slapped itsface. Then he advanced on Ali who fought back. They circled one another,

thrusting and parrying. Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) eventuallybeheaded Amr with a sweeping blow of his sword. The other horsemen rapidlyretreated back across the ditch.

A MOTHER ENCOURAGING HERSON TO FIGHT AND GAINMARTYRDOM:Before the veil was prescribed, A'ishah, Umm al-Mu'minin, said that she waswith the Muslim women in the fortress of Banu Harithah when, 'Sa'd ibn

Mu'adh passed by wearing armour so short that his forearm was exposed. Hewas chanting some verses and his mother called "Catch up, my son. By Allah,you are late." ' A'ishah continued, 'I said to her, "Umm Sa'd, I wish Sa'd'sarmour were longer than that."

What A'ishah feared took place. Sa'd ibn Mu'adh was hit by an arrow whichsevered a vein causing excessive bleeding. He died a martyr in the subsequentbattle with the Banu Qurayzah.

TO ALLAH BELONG THE ARMIES OFTHE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH

Their enemies laid siege to the Muslims for about a month. They invaded allthe surrounding areas creating great hardship. The hypocrites showed theirtrue colors; some even asked the Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) ofAllah if they could go into Madinah because they had left their housesunlocked. In reality, they only wanted to flee from the battlefront.While the Messenger(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah and his Companionskept a close watch on the enemy besieging them, Nu'aym ibn Mas'ud from theGhatafan came up to him to say,

'Messenger of Allah, I have become a Muslim but my people do not know that.Tell me what you want me to do and I will do whatever you wish.'

The Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) of Allah replied, 'You are the onlyMuslim there, so stay among our enemies and try to help us in whatever wayyou can. War is a clever device.'

Nu'aym ibn Mas'ud then went to the Banu Qurayzah and aroused doubts intheir minds about their position. He mentioned their alliance with the Quraysh

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and Ghatafan who were distant tribes, and their antagonism towards theMuhajirun and Ansar who were their close neighbours. He suggested theyshould not fight alongside the Quraysh and Ghatafan until they had takensome leaders as hostages for security. They answered, 'You have given usgood advice.'

When he went to talk to the Quraysh, he told them that the Jews wereregretting what they had done and would be asking for some of their leadersto be held hostage as security that the treaty would not be broken. He alsosaid that when they handed them over to the Prophet and his Companions,they would strike off their heads. Then he told the Ghatafan the same story ashe had told the Quraysh. The seeds of distrust that he planted in their mindsput the two groups on their guard and made them angry with the Jews. A splitdeveloped between the allies as a result, and each of them feared the others.

When Abu Sufyan and the leaders of the Ghatafan were ready to fight adecisive battle with the Muslims, the Jews put it off, demanding hostages fromboth sides first. The Quraysh and Ghatafan were convinced that Nu'aym ibnMas'ud had told them the truth so they refused to grant the Jews' request.

The Jews were also convinced that he had told them the truth. Thus theirdistrust of each other broke their unity and they split up.

Allah supported His Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) by causing ahurricane to blow during the cold wintry nights. It blew down the enemy'stents and overturned their cooking-pots. The men were disheartened. AbuSufyan got up and said,

'Company of Quraysh! By Allah, we are not in a permanent camp. The horsesand camels are dying. The Banu Qurayzah has broken their promise to us andwe have heard things about them which we dislike. We have suffered from theharshness of the wind as you ca

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