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The Battle of Uhud
The battle of Uhud was a reprisal against the
Muslims following the battle of Badr. Some of the leading members of Quraysh such as Abu
Jahl, Utbah, Shaiba, Walid, Umayya bin Khalaf, and Hanzala bin Abu Sufyan, had been killed
in the battle of Badr. After the death of Abu Jahl, leadership of the Makkans had passed
on to his compeer, Abu Sufyan, who was the chief of the clan of Banu Umayya. There was
profound sorrow in Makkah at the loss of so many chiefs but Abu Sufyan had forbidden the
bereaved families to cry and to lament their losses. Tears, he knew, could wash away
malevolence from the hearts. But time and tears, he asserted, would not be allowed to heal
the wounds received by the Makkan aristocracy at Badr. He himself had taken an oath that
he would remain a stranger to every pleasure until he had paid the Muslims back in their
own coin. He and the other leaders of the Quraysh spent a whole year of feverish activity
in which they equipped and trained a new army. One year after the battle of Badr, the new army of
the idolaters of Makkah was ready to take the field against the Muslims. In March 625 Abu
Sufyan left Makkah at the head of three thousand seasoned warriors. Most of them were foot
soldiers but they were supported by a strong contingent of cavalry. Also accompanying the
army, was a band of warlike women. Their duty was to wage "psychological
warfare" against the Muslims by reading poetry and by singing amatory songs to spur
the courage and the will-to-fight of the soldiers. They knew that nothing held such terror
for the Arabs as the jibes of women for cowardice, and they also knew that nothing was so
efficacious to turn them into utterly reckless fighters as the promise of physical love.
These amazons included the wives of Abu Sufyan and Amr bin Aas, and the sister of Khalid
bin Walid. D. S. Margoliouth Abu Sufyan appears to have done his best, and, as a
substitute for military music, caused or permitted the army to be followed by a company of
ladies, who, by threatening and promising, were to keep the courage of the troops to its
proper level; for nothing did the refugee from the battle-field dread more than the
reproaches of his women-folk. The Kuraishite ladies did some certainly curious service.
The wife of Abu Sufyan made the suggestion that the body of Mohammed's mother should be
exhumed and kept as hostage; but the Kuraish rejected this suggestion (of which the
practicability was surely doubtful) for fear of reprisals. (Mohammed and the Rise of
Islam, 1931) As if the heavy overtones of sex introduced by the
women of the Quraysh were not enough, Abu Sufyan invested his campaign with
"religious sanctity" as well. To leave no doubt in anyone’s mind that he
was engaged in a holy war against the Muslims, he placed Hubal, the idol that the clan of
Banu Umayya worshipped as its supreme deity, on a camel, and carried it with him into the
battle. Hubal's duty was to boost the morale of the idolaters by his presence in the
battle-field. Sex and religion were the two new components
mobilized by the Quraysh in their war against Mohammed and Islam. Betty Kelen In one howdah rode Hubal, on holiday from the Kaaba.
Abu Sufyan had well grasped that quite apart from considerations of revenge and caravan
routes, he was engaged in a holy war. (Muhammad, the Messenger of God, 1975) Muhammad Mustafa, the Prophet of Islam, also heard
reports of the impending invasion of Medina by the Makkans, and he too ordered his
followers to prepare themselves for defense. Seven hundred Muslims were ready to follow
him into battle. The prophet stationed his army with the mountain of
Uhud in its rear so that it stood facing Medina. When the Makkan army came up, it took its
position in front of the Muslims so that it was standing between them and Medina which was
in its rear. Sir William Muir Abu Sufyan, as hereditary leader, brought up the
Meccan army; and facing Ohod, marshaled it in front of Mohammed. The banner was borne by
Talha son of Abd al Ozza. The right wing was commanded by Khalid; the left by Ikrima son
of Abu Jahl. Amr bin Aas was over the Coreishite horse. (The Life of Mohammed,
1877) Sir John Glubb The Muslims advanced with 700 men against 3000
warriors from Mecca. Moreover, while the Muslims could muster only one hundred men with
coats of chain-mail, and no horses, Quraish and their allies included 700 men in armor and
200 horsemen. Wishing to cover their rear in view of their small
numbers, the Muslims posted themselves at the foot of Mt. Ohad. Their right flank and rear
were covered by the mountains, but their left flank lay in open ground and was thus
exposed to a charge by the enemy cavalry. To guard against this, Mohammed posted fifty
archers on this flank, with orders on no account to leave their post, from which they
could protect the Muslim left wing from the Quraish horse. The Meccans drew up their line facing the Muslims in
such a way that the latter, with their backs to Ohad, were facing Medina, while the
Quraish line confronted them with Medina in its rear, thereby interposing between the
Muslims and the town. Quraish had brought a number of women with them,
riding in camel-litters. These now, as the two lines drew towards one another, proceeded
to rouse the enthusiasm of the Meccans, beating upon tambourines, reciting martial poetry
and letting down their long hair. (The Great Arab Conquests) The battle of Uhud began just as the battle of Badr
had begun, with a Makkan warrior advancing from his lines and challenging the Muslims to
single combat. Sir William Muir Flourishing the Coreishite banner, Talha, the
standard-bearer of the Meccan army, advanced, and challenged the enemy to single combat.
Ali stepped forth, and, rushing on him, with one blow of his sword brought him to the
ground. Mohammed, who had intently watched the rapid combat, exclaimed, with a loud voice:
Great is the Lord! and the cry, repeated, arose in an overwhelming shout from the whole
Muslim army. (Life of Mohammed, London, 1877) Muhammad Husayn Haykal Talha ibn Abu Talha, carrier of the Meccan flag,
sprang forward asking the Muslims to duel with him. Ali ibn Abi Talib advanced forth to
fight with him. The encounter was soon over as Ali struck his enemy a single fatal stroke.
Exalted, the Prophet and the Muslims yelled, "God is Great." (The Life of
Muhammad, 1935, Cairo) R.V.C. Bodley The Meccans, generously assisted by the women who
had brought their timbrels, flung insults at the Moslems. These were alternated by Hind,
the wife of Abu Sufyan, who led triumphant choruses as she danced round the idol which
perched on the camel. Talha, the hereditary standard-bearer of the
Koreishites, was the first Meccan challenger. As he stepped out of Abu Sufyan's ranks, Ali
stepped out of Mohammed's. The two men met in the middle of ‘no man's land.' Without
words or preliminary flourishes the duel began. Talha never stood a chance. Ali's scimitar
flashed in the morning sun and the head of the standard-bearer leaped from his shoulder
and rolled away on the sand. ‘Allah-o-Akbar!' cried Mohammed.
‘Allah-o-Akbar!' ‘Allah-o-Akbar!' echoed from the eagerly watching Moslems. (The
Messenger, the Life of Mohammed, New York, 1946) Sir John Glubb The two lines drew up opposite one another. Talha
ibn Abdul Uzza, of Abdul Dar, burning with resentment at the taunts of Abu Sufyan, and
bearing the standard of Quraish, stepped out before the line and challenged any Muslim to
single combat. Ali ran forward and slew him with a single slash of his sword, the Quraish
standard falling to the ground. From the Muslim line rose a great shout, Allah-o-Akbar,
God is Most Great." (The Life and Times of Mohammed) This is one of the most dramatic scenes in the
history of Islam. Muhammad, the Messenger of God, was watching his cousin, Ali, in action,
and was thrilled by his swift victory. When the tremendous stroke of Ali's sword killed
the pagan general, Muhammad shouted Allah-o-Akbar, and the battle-cry was taken up by the
whole army of Islam. Ali's irresistible stroke had caused the standard of
the Makkans, the emblem of idolatry and polytheism, to fall into the dust. He had won the
first round for Islam, and had dealt the death blow to the morale of the Quraysh. When Ali returned to his lines, Talha's brother,
Uthman ibn Abu Talha, made an attempt to retrieve the Makkan banner. But Hamza came out of
the Muslim line, and killed him. Muhammad Husayn Haykal When Ali ibn Abu Talib killed the carrier of Makkan
flag, Talhah ibn Abu Talha, it was immediately raised again by Uthman ibn Abu Talha. And
when Uthman fell at the hands of Hamzah, it was raised again by Abu Sa'd ibn Abu Talhah.
At the moment he raised the Makkan flag he shouted at the Muslims. "Do you pretend
that your martyrs are in paradise and ours in hell? By God, you lie! If anyone of you
truly believes such a story, let him come forward and fight with me." His challenge
attracted Ali who killed him on the spot. The Banu Abd al Dar kept on carrying the Makkan
flag until they lost nine men. (The Life of Muhammad) Ali, the young lion, alone had killed eight
standard-bearers of the idolaters of Makkah. Ibn Atheer, the Arab historian, writes in his Tarikh
Kamil "The man who killed the standard-bearers (of the pagans) was Ali." After
the death of the ninth of his standard-bearers, Abu Sufyan ordered his army to advance and
to attack the Muslim formations. When the Prophet noticed the enemy moving, he also
alerted the Muslims. He held a sword in his hand, and offered it to anyone who would bring
honor to it. Some hopefuls moved toward him to take it but he withheld it from them.
Muhammad ibn Ishaq The Apostle wore two coats of mail on the day of the
battle of Uhad, and he took up a sword and brandished it saying: "Who will take this
sword with its right?" (use it as it ought and deserves to be used). Some men got up
to take it but he withheld it from them until Abu Dujana Simak b. Kharasha, brother of B.
Saida, got up to take it. Umar got up to take it, saying: "I will take it
with its right," but the Prophet turned away from him and brandished it a second time
using the same words. Then Zubayr b. al-Awwam got up and he too was rejected, and the two
of them were much mortified. (The Life of the Messenger of God) The Prophet gave the sword to Abu Dujana, an Ansari.
He took it and used it as it ought to have been used. He justified the confidence his
master had placed in him. The Makkan women were squatting on top of their camels and were
watching the swift action. When their army advanced to charge the Muslims, they also moved
into action. They began to incite their warriors to kill the Muslims. They sang songs
which were full of invitation and scorn – invitation to the heroes and scorn for the
cowards. With their music and highly suggestive poetry, they whipped up the impetuous sons
of the desert into fighting furies. Betty Kelen Perched on the summits of many camels were little
huts, or howdahs, in which rode a squadron of women well trained by Hind to sing warlike
ballads that would keep their menfolk in a fever pitch of rage and discourage
cowardice. The battle was joined. Hind and her women moved
forward with the troops, scattering about the field as closely as they dared to the
fighting men, beating their tambourines with terrible clash and shouting: "Daughters of the shining Morning Star, Watching you from silken beds we are, Thrash them! in our arms we'll fold you; Run, and nevermore we'll hold you." (Muhammad, the Messenger of God) Muhammad Husayn Haykal Before Islam women (in Arabia) used to show
themselves off not only to their husbands but to any other men they pleased. They used to
go out into the open country singly or in groups and meet with men and youths without
hindrance or sense of shame. They exchanged with them glances of passion and expressions
of love and desire. This was done with such blaze frankness and lack of shame that Hind,
wife of Abu Sufyan, had no scruples whatever about singing on such a public and grave
occasion as the Day of Uhud. "Advance forward and we shall embrace you! Advance forward and we shall spread the carpets for
you! Turn your backs and we shall avoid you! Turn your backs and we shall never come to
you." Among a number of tribes, adultery was not at all
regarded as a serious crime. Flirting and courting were common practices. Despite the
prominent position of Abu Sufyan and his society, the chroniclers tell, concerning his
wife, a great many tales of love and passion with other men without implying any stain on
her reputation..." (The Life of Muhammad, Cairo, 1935) The Makkans had better equipment and they were more
numerous than the Muslims. Furthermore, the presence, in the battlefield, of their deity,
Hubal, and their women, was assurance that their morale would not sag, especially, after
the latter had introduced into the struggle, the new and the deadly component of
temptation. But notwithstanding these tangible and intangible
advantages, the Makkans were making little, if any, progress. In fact, at the beginning,
the battle appeared to be going against them. D. S. Margoliouth It appears too that at the commencement events were
going as the Prophet had imagined. The champions of Badr, Ali and Hamza, dealt out death
as unsparingly as before; the heroism of the Kuraish compelled them to meet these
champions in a series of single combats, in which their own champions were killed, and
their overthrow spread discomfiture and panic. (Mohammed and the Rise of Islam,
London, 1931) The charge of Ali, Hamza and Abu Dujana spread panic
and consternation in the ranks of the Makkans, and they began to waver. The Muslims
pressed their advantage. Sir John Glubb Ali ibn Abu Talib pressed on undismayed into the
enemy ranks – it was Badr again; the Muslims were invincible. (The Great Arab
Conquests, 1963) Ali had broken the ranks of the Quraysh, and he was
already deep inside their lines. Unable to resist his attack, they began to yield ground.
Not far from him, his uncle, Hamza, was busy hacking his way through the dense mass of the
enemy. Between them, they were grinding the army of Quraysh. It was at this time that two incidents occurred
which caused a reversal in the fortunes of the Muslims, and which wrested victory from
their grasp. The first of them was the death of Hamza. Hinda, the wife of Abu Sufyan, had brought with her
from Makkah, a certain Wahshi, an Ethiopian slave, to kill Hamza, and had promised to give
him not only his freedom but also much gold, silver and silk in the event of his success.
He was noted for his skill in the use of his "national" weapon, the
javelin. Wahshi hid behind a rock awaiting an opportune
moment, and it soon came. Just when Hamza killed an idolater, and lunged after another,
Wahshi stood up, took deadly aim, and hurled the missile weapon against which there was no
defense. The javelin caught Hamza in the groin. He fell on the ground and died almost
immediately. The other incident involved the main body of the
army of Medina. The unsteadiness and the confusion of the army of Makkah had become very
much visible at this time, and the Muslims assumed that they had already won a victory. In
great anxiety not to miss the opportunity to plunder the enemy, they forgot their
discipline. This maneuver was seen by the archers who had been posted by the Prophet at
the strategic pass. They also imagined that the enemy had already been beaten, and was in
retreat. They thought that if their comrades in the battle-field captured the baggage of
the enemy, then they themselves would lose their share of the booty. This fear prompted
them to descend into the plain below against the express orders of the Prophet. Their
captain, Abdullah ibn Jubayr, adjured them not to abandon the pass but they paid no heed,
and swept into the valley. Their love of booty cost the Muslims victory in the battle of
Uhud! Presently, a Makkan general, one Khalid bin
al-Walid, noticed that the strategic pass to the left of the army of Medina was unguarded.
He immediately seized the opportunity to attack the handful of the pickets still at the
pass, with his cavalry. The pickets fought bravely but all of them including Abdullah ibn
Jubayr, were overpowered, and were killed. Once Khalid captured the pass, he attacked the
army of Medina from the rear. The army of Medina was busy in gathering booty,
utterly oblivious of everything else. Suddenly, it was startled by the charge of the
Makkan cavalry in its rear. Abu Sufyan also noticed the maneuver of Khalid, and the
bewilderment of the Muslims. He rallied his troops, returned to the scene of action and
launched a frontal attack upon them. They now found themselves caught in a pincer movement
of the enemy, and they panicked. It was now their turn to be routed. They started running
but not knowing in what direction to run, and everyone ran every which way. The surprise was not confined merely to the
rank-and-file of the Muslim army; it was total. Some of the leading companions of the
Prophet were also carried away with others before the charge of the enemy. Among the
fugitives were both Abu Bakr and Umar. It is reported by Anas bin Nadhr, the uncle of Anas
bin Malik, that Abu Bakr said in later times that when the Muslims fled from the battle of
Uhud, and left the Messenger of God, he was the first one to return to him. Umar often
said that when the Muslims were defeated in Uhud, he ran and climbed up a hill (Tabari,
History, vol. IV, p. 96). Some of the companions managed to reach Medina and others sought
refuge in the mountain caves and gullies. Uthman bin Affan, the future third khalifa of the
Muslims, had not taken part in the battle of Badr but he was present in Uhud. However, he
found the clangor of sword and spear a little too much for his nerves, and was among the
first fugitives. Shaikh Muhammad Khidhri Buck says in his biography of the Prophet that
Uthman was a bashful man, and that though he fled from the battle-field, he did not enter
Medina. His bashfulness prevented him from doing so. As the Muslims ran past the Prophet, he tried to
stop them but no one seemed to listen. In a short time the tables were turned on them, and
victory was wrenched out of their hands. It was the price they had to pay for their
disobedience to their Prophet, and for their obsession with gathering booty. Following is the testimony of Qur’an on the
conduct of the Muslims in the battle of Uhud: Behold! You were climbing up the high ground,
without even casting a side glance at any one, and the Apostle in your rear was calling
you back. there did God give you one distress after another by way of requital, to teach
you not to grieve for the booty that had escaped you, and for (the ill) that had befallen
you. For God is well aware of All that you do. (Chapter 3; verse 153) The Prophet had given the banner of Islam to his
uncle, Masaab ibn Umayr, in the battle of Uhud. He was killed by the enemy, and the banner
of Islam fell on the ground. When Ali noticed the banner falling, he rushed forward,
picked it up, and raised it high once again. Washington Irving Hamza was transfixed by the lance of Wahshi, an
Ethiopian slave, who had been promised his freedom if he should kill Hamza. Mosaab ibn
Omair, also, who bore the standard of Mohammed, was laid low, but Ali seized the sacred
banner, and bore it aloft amidst the storm of battle. As Mosaab resembled the Prophet in person, a shout
was put up by the enemy that Mohammed was slain. The Koreishites were inspired with
redoubled ardor at the sound; the Moslems fled in despair, bearing with them Abu Bakr and
Omar, who were wounded. (The Life of Mohammed) Muhammad Husayn Haykal Those who thought that Muhammad had perished,
including Abu Bakr and Umar, went toward the mountain and sat down. When Anas ibn al-Nadr
inquired why they were giving up so soon, and was told that the Prophet of God had been
killed, he retorted: "And what would you do with yourselves and your lives after
Muhammad died? Rise, and die like he did." He turned, charged against the enemy, and
fought gallantly (until he was killed). (The Life of Muhammad, 1935, Cairo) Most of the Muslims had fled from the battle-field
but Ali was still fighting. He was carrying the banner of Islam in one hand, and the sword
in the other. He too heard the cry "Muhammad is dead." But it only made him more
reckless of his own life. The Prophet, however, was in another part of the
battlefield. He had been wounded, and his head and face were bleeding. A few Muslims,
mainly the Ansar, were defending him. It was this little group, and its battle cries that
caught Ali's attention. He tore his way through the enemy lines and came up to his
comrades-in-arms. They stood surrounding the Prophet, and led by Abu Dujana, were doing
the best they could to shield him from the missile weapons of the enemy. Ali was thrilled
to see his master alive but he had no time to exchange greetings. The idolaters had
renewed their attacks, and now it was Ali who had to beat them back. They charged
repeatedly but he repulsed them each time. Muhammad Husayn Haykal ...when somebody raised the cry that Muhammad was
killed, chaos reigned supreme, Muslim morale plunged to the bottom and Muslim soldiers
fought sporadically and purposelessly. This chaos was responsible for their killing of
Husayl ibn Jabir Abu Hudhayfah by mistake, as everyone sought to save his own skin by
taking flight except such men as Ali ibn Abu Talib whom God had guided and
protected. (The Life of Muhammad, 1935, Cairo) In the battle of Uhud, many of the companions who
were touted to be very brave and faithful, turned their backs upon the enemy, and ran for
cover. But there were a few who did not run. One of them was Umm Ammarra Ansariyya, a lady
from Medina. She was a fearless believer, and all Islam can be justly proud of her
courage. She was noted for her skills as a surgeon and a nurse, and came to Uhud with the
army of Medina. At the beginning of the battle, Umm Ammarra brought
water for the soldiers or tended them if they were wounded. But when the Muslims were
defeated and they fled from the battle-field, her role changed from that of a nurse to
that of a warrior. At one time the enemy brought archers to shower arrows upon the
Prophet. Umm Ammarra seized an enormous shield and held it before him to protect him from
the flying missiles. Shortly later, the Makkans charged with swords and
spears whereupon Umm Ammarra threw away the shield, and attacked them with a sword. One
idolater came dangerously close to the Prophet but she came in front of him, and when he
(the idolater) struck, the blow fell upon her shoulder. Though she was wounded, she was
undismayed, and resolutely stood between the Prophet and his enemies, defying them and
defying death. Presently there was a momentary lull in fighting.
Taking advantage of it, Ali took the Prophet away from the danger spot to a ravine where
he could get some rest, and where his wounds could be dressed. D. S. Margoliouth The doughty Ali with (some) other brave men finding
him (the Prophet) huddled him into a ravine where he could be tended. (Mohammed and the
Rise of Islam) Fatima Zahra, the daughter of the Prophet, came from
the city with a group of Muslim women when she heard the news of the defeat of the
Muslims. Ali brought water in the hollow of his shield, and Fatima Zahra washed blood from
the face of her father, and dressed his wounds. The Role of the Makkan Women The rout of the Muslims from the battle-field was an
invitation to the ladies from Makkah to seek and to find gratification of their blood-lust
upon the bodies of the martyrs. They cut their noses, ears, hands and feet, and they cut
open their abdomens, removed the organs, and made necklaces with them as trophies of
war. Muhammad ibn Ishaq Saleh bin Kaysan told me that Hind, daughter of
Utba, and the women with her, mutilated the dead companions of the Prophet. They cut their
ears and noses and Hind made them into anklets and collars and she gave her (own) anklets,
collars and pendants to Wahshi, the slave of Jubayr b. Mutim. She cut out Hamza's liver
and chewed it, but she could not swallow it and threw it away. Al-Hulays b. Zabban, brother of the B. al-Harith b.
Abdu Manat, who was then chief of the black troops, passed by Abu Sufyan as he was
striking the corner of Hamza's mouth with the point of his spear, saying: "Taste
that, you rebel." Hulays exclaimed, "O Banu Kinana, is this the chief of Quraysh
acting thus with his dead cousin as you see?" (The Life of the Messenger of
God) Seventy-five Muslims were killed in the battle of
Uhud, and bodies of most of them were mutilated by Hinda and the other harpies from
Makkah. The hatred of Muhammad, Ali and Hamza was a fire
that consumed Hinda. Though Hamza alone was the victim of her cannibalistic appetites in
the battle of Uhud, Muhammad and Ali could not expect any different treatment from her if
they had fallen into her hands. She transmitted her hatred of Muhammad and Ali to her
children and grandchildren, and the generations to come. The Withdrawal of the Makkan Army After the first shock of defeat had passed, some of
the Muslims returned to the battle-field. Abu Bakr and Umar were among them. They also
went into the ravine where Ali had taken the Prophet. At this moment, Abu Sufyan who was ready to return
to Makkah, is reported to have come near the ravine. Standing at the foot of the hills, he
exchanged a few remarks with Umar. Sir John Glubb ...the Quraish could have climbed Mount Uhud at the
cost of a few casualties and possibly killed the Messenger of God and the little group of
devoted followers who had remained with him. When Abu Sofian asked Umar ibn al-Khattab if
Mohammed were dead, he had replied, "No, by God, he can hear you speaking." But
it never occurred to Abu Sofian to take advantage of this dangerous breach of
security. The cold-blooded brutality of these killings (in the
battle of Uhud) illustrates once more the extraordinary contrast between the easy-going
and often chivalrous warfare of the Arabs and the brutalities of their blood-feuds. Abu
Sofian talks familiarly with Umar ibn al-Khattab on the battle-field of Uhud, for neither
had killed a relative of the other. But Abu Sofian's wife, Hinda, the daughter of Utba ibn
Rabia, mutilates the dead body of Hamza, who had killed her father. (The Life and
Times of Mohammed) The Quraysh had, ostensibly accomplished their
mission. They had defeated the Muslims and had salvaged their honor. Thus satisfied with
themselves, they left the battle-field and marched toward their hometown in the south. But
the Prophet, still not sure about their intentions, sent Ali to watch them from a distance
and to report their movements to him. Ali returned and informed the Prophet that the
Quraysh had bypassed Medina, and were moving toward Makkah. This reassured the Prophet.
The Muslims then descended from the hill, prayed over their dead, and buried them. Ali and the Battle of Uhud In the battle of Uhud, Ali killed the first
standard-bearer of the pagan army. When the standard-bearer fell to the ground, the
standard also fell with him. Ali thus felled the emblem of paganism. Later, when the battle was raging, the pagans killed
Masaab ibn Umayr, the standard-bearer of the army of Islam. Masaab fell to the ground, and
the standard fell with him. But the very next moment, Ali was on the scene; he lifted the
fallen banner from the ground, and unfurled it once again. He was thus as much a symbol of
the destruction of idolatry and polytheism as he was the symbol of the rise and rebirth of
Islam. In Uhud, friend and foe both beheld with their own eyes the fantastic deeds of
Ali's heroism and chivalry, and his devotion to his master, Muhammad, the Messenger of
God. Ali fought the battle of Uhud with the famous sword, Dhu'l-Fiqar. Muhammad ibn Ishaq The Prophet's sword was called Dhu'l-Fiqar. A
traditionalist told me that I. Abu Najih said, ‘Someone called out in the battle of
Uhud: There is no sword but Dhu'l-Fiqar And there is no hero like Ali.' (The Life of the Messenger of God) In Ali's grip, Dhu'l-Fiqar was the lightning that
struck and consumed paganism, idolatry and polytheism. But to Islam, it was the bringer of
new hope, new vigor, new life, and honor, glory and victory. Commenting upon the events of
Uhad, following the rout of the Muslims when the Prophet was beleaguered by his enemies,
M. Shibli, the Indian historian, says: It was a most critical moment in the history of
Islam. The idolaters charged upon the Messenger of God like furies but each time they were
repelled by the edge of the Dhu'l-Fiqar. Shibli further says that the idolaters came like
"dark and threatening clouds ready to burst upon the Muslims." If Ali had not
blunted the Makkan offensive, then this cloudburst would have hit Medina, and Islam would
have been carried away in the spate of idolatry. If Ali too had failed in his duty as many
others did, the idolaters would have killed the Messenger of God, and they would have
extinguished the flame of Islam. But Ali and a handful of other Muslims, including Abu
Dujana and Umm Ammarra Ansariyya, averted this catastrophe. In this lamentable battle, 75
Muslims were killed. Out of them four were Muhajirs, and the rest were Ansars. The Martyrs of Uhad The most tragic episode of the battle of Uhad was
the death of Hamza and the mutilation of his body. After the departure of the Makkans, the
Prophet went to see the corpse of his uncle. The ears and the nose had been cut; the
abdomen had been slit open, and its organs had been removed. He was overwhelmed with
sorrow to see the martyr's body in that state, and ordered it to be covered. Hinda, the wife of Abu Sufyan and the mother of
Muawiya, is called the "liver-eater" in the history of Islam. Ibn Ishaq says
that she chewed up the liver of Hamza but could not swallow it. But Ibn Abdul Birr says in
his book, Al-Isti'aab, that she actually made a fire in the battle-field, roasted Hamza's
liver on it, and ate it! When the Prophet returned to Medina, he heard the
heart-rending lamentations of the members of the bereaved families. The kith and kin of
the martyrs of Uhad were mourning their dead. He exclaimed: "Alas! there is no one to
mourn the death of my uncle, Hamza." The leaders of the Ansar, upon hearing this
remark, went to their homes, and ordered their women to go to the house of the Prophet,
and lament the death of his uncle. Presently a crowd of women of Medina gathered in the
house of Muhammad, and they all wept over the tragic death of Hamza, the hero of Islam.
The Prophet invoked the blessings of God upon them all. Thereafter it became a custom in
Medina that whenever anyone died, his mourners began their lamentations with dirges on
Hamza. The people of Medina mourned first for Hamza and then they mourned for their own
dead. Muhammad ibn Ishaq The Prophet passed by the quarters of the Banu Abdul
Ashal and Zafar and he heard them wailing for the dead. His eyes filled with tears and he
said: "But there are no weeping women for Hamza." When Sa’d bin Mu’adh
and Usayd b. Hudayr came back to the quarter, they ordered their women to gird themselves
and to go and weep for the Prophet’s uncle. (The Life of the Messenger of God) Besides Hamza, three other Muhajirs won the crown of
martyrdom in the battle of Uhad. They were Abdullah ibn Jahash, a cousin of the Prophet;
Masaab ibn Umayr, an uncle of the Prophet; and Shams ibn Uthman. The losses of the Ansar
were very heavy. They left seventy-one dead on the field, and many more wounded. May God
bless them all. The battle of Uhad was the climactic moment of pagan
opposition to Islam. Though victorious in the battle, the Quraysh were unable to follow up
and to exploit their victory, and their gains were soon dissipated.
