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The Battle of Uhud
An excerpt from The Brother of the Prophet Muhammad, by M. Jawad
Chirri, Director of the Islamic Center of America, Two Volumes, Harlo
Press 1988, Revised Edition.
The Qureshites came out from the Battle of Badr with an astonishing
result which they did not expect. They were confident of their capability
to annihilate the Muslims easily. For the Qureshites were more numerous
and with a bigger reserve and more logistics. Yet, they suddenly found
themselves losing 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 at the hand of a group whom they used to
belittle.
The Qureshites were unwilling to admit a final defeat. They lost a
battle, but they 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 burning hatred in the hearts of Qureshites and their desire to
wash away the shame of the defeat at Badr and their eagerness to avenge
their lost leaders added to their physical superiority a tremendous
psychological strength.
The Qureshites mobilized for the battle of avenge three thousand
fighters compared to nine hundred and fifty fighters al the Battle of
Badr. This army was financed and its logistics were secured through the
gross income of the commercial caravan which was allotted to the battle of
avenge. Thus, the community of Quraish, one year after the Battle of Badr,
marched towards Medina to annihilate the Muslims, their religion, and
their Prophet. The Meccan army arrived at the area of Ohod which is five
miles away from Medina. There, the expected battle took place.
The Holy Prophet went on deploying his forces, placing them in
strategic positions. He placed fifty marksmen at the slope of the Mount of
Ohod, directing them to protect the back of the Muslims against the pagan
cavalry (which was led by Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed). He commanded them not to
leave their position whether the Muslims defeated the pagans or the pagans
defeated the Muslims.
The Elements of the Islamic Defense
In this second battle of destiny for the Muslims, the Islamic defense
consisted of the same three important ele- ments which played their roles
at the battle of Badr:
1. The ideal leadership of the Messenger and his firm- ness.
2. The members of the house of the Holy Prophet and their heroism.
3. An Islamic army consisting of seven hundred com- panions, the hearts
of many of them were filled with faith and readiness for sacrifice.
The start of the Battle of Ohod followed the method of the beginning or
the Battle or Badr. Talhah Ibn Abu Talhah ( from Banu Abdul-Dar clan ),
the bearer of the banner or the pagans, challenged the Muslims, saying:
"Are there any duelers?" The respondent to his call was the same
respondent of the Battle of Badr. 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. The Holy Prophet was pleased. He
exclaimed: AIlahu Akbar (God Is Great), and so did the Muslims, for the
biggest hero of the pagan army had died.
Abu Saad Ibn Abu Talhah (brother of Talhah) car- ried the banner and
challenged the Muslims, saying Companions of Mohammad, you allege that
your dead go to Paradise and our dead go to Hell. By Al Lat, you lie. If
you were so confident, some of you could have faced me. Let one of you
come to fight me.
Ref: Dr. M. Haykal, Life of Muhammad, p 289.
Ali came to him and Abu Saad was not luckier than his brother Talhah.
The men of Abdul-Dar continued re- placing the bearers of their banner
with their men, and the Muslims continued annihilating them. Ali destroyed
Artat Ibn Sharhabeel, Shureih Ibn Qaridh and their servant, Sawab.
Historians reported that Al-Hamzah killed Othman Ibn Abu Talhah. Assim
Ibn Thabit shot by his arrows Musafi, and Al-Harith, two sons of Talhah,
Al-Zubeir killed their brother Kilab, and Talhah Ibn Obeidullah killed
their other brother Al-Jallas.
Ali and the Banner Bearers
However, Ibn Al-Atheer reported that Ali, alone, de- stroyed all the
standard bearers at the Battle of Ohod and said that Abu Rafi reported
that. And so did Al-Tabari.
Ref: Ibn Al Atheer, Al Kamil, vol 3 p 107
The death of the bearers of the banner heightened the morale of the
Muslims and shook the hearts of the pagans. Following the death of the
banner bearers, the Muslims undertook a general offensive led by Ali,
Al-Hamzah, Abu Dujanh, and others. The Islamic offensive terrified the
pagan army, but the Muslims lost during this operation a giant hero
Al-Hamzah, Lion of God, and uncle of the Messenger of God. Wahshi, an
Abbysinian, transfixed him with his dart while he was fighting. However,
the pagans were forced to flee and leave their camps. The Muslims entered
the pagan camps and went on collecting what they found of equipment and
material without meeting any resistance from the pagans.
Defeat After Victory
This scene watered the mouths of the fifty marksmen whom the Prophet
placed at the slope of the Mount of Ohod to protect the back of the
Muslims against the pagan cavalry. The majority of these marksmen left
their place and joined the collectors of the spoils. They did not heed the
word of their leader Abdullah Ibn Jubeir, who reminded them of the
instructions of the Messenger which made it mandatory for them not to
leave their place. Not more than ten of them heeded his words. Noticing
the small number of the marksmen, Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed and his horsemen
killed them then started a general offensive.
The fleeing pagans beheld their horsemen fighting and attacking. They
came back to the battle while the Muslims were preoccupied collecting the
spoils.
The Muslims were astonished and confused. They start- ed to fight but
they did not know whom they were fighting Many Muslims were killed by the
Muslims themselves, then they fled turning their backs and refusing to
look behind, while the Messenger was calling upon them to come back to the
battle. The Holy Our'an informs us of the situation of the Muslims in this
terrifying hour:
God certainly made good His promise unto you when you routed them by
His leave, until the moment when your courage failed you and ye disobeyed
after He had showed that for which ye long. Among you are some that hanker
after this world and some that desire the Hereafter. Then did He divert
you from your foes in order to test you. But He forgave you. For God is
full of grace to those who believe. Behold ye were climbing up (the high
ground) without casting a side glance at anyone, and the Apostle was
calling you back. There did God give you one distress after another by way
of requital, to teach you not to grieve for what ye miss, or for (the ill)
that had befallen you. For God is well aware of all that ye do. [Quran
3:151-52]
Who remained with the Prophet (s)?
The companions fled away, concerned only with their own safety. History
recorded seven exceptional Meccans (Ali, Abu Bakr, Abdul-Rahman Ibn Ouf,
Saad Ibn Abu Waqass, Talhah Ibn Obeidah, Al-Zubeir Ibn Al-Awam, Abu
Obeidah Ibn Al-Jarrah); And Seven exceptional Medi- nites (Al-Hubab Ibn
Al-Munthir, Abu Dujanah, Sahl Ibn Huneif, Assim Ibn Thabit, Saad Ibn Mu
ath, As-ad Ibn Hudheir or Saad lbn Abadah and Mohammad Ibn Musli- mah).
These men, according to some historians, remained with the Prophet when
the other companions deserted him.
Ref: Al Waqidi, Al Maghazi (Conveyed by Ibn Abu Al Hadeed in his
Commentary on Nahjul Balagha, vol 3 p 388
From what we read in Al-Mustadrak by Al-Hakim, we understand that Ali
Ibn Abu Talib was the only defend- er who stayed with the Prophet for the
duration of the battle. The other companions who were mentioned to be
among those who remained with the Prophet were actually the first ones to
come back to the Messenger of God after they left him. Al-Hakim recorded
that Ibn Abbas said:
Ali has four distinctions no one shares with him: He was the first male
who prayed with the Messenger of God. He was the bearer of his banner in
every battle and he was the one who stayed with him at the Battle on the
day of Al- Mihras (the Battle of Ohod, where there is gathered water
called Al-Mihras ), and he is the one who washed his blessed body and laid
him in his tomb.
Ref: Al Hakim, al Mustadrak, vol 3 p 111
Al-Hakim reported also that Saad lbn Abu Waqass said: When people left
the Messenger on the day of Ohod, I went aside and said to myself I shall
defend myself ... then Al-Miqdad told him: "Saad, this is the Messenger."
Ref: Al Hakim, al Mustadrak vol 3 p 26-28
Al-Hakim reported also that Al-Zubeir said about the Battle of Ohod,
"And they exposed our back to the horse- men, so we were attacked from
behind, and a man shouted: Mohammad has been killed. We retreated and the
enemies pursued us.
Ref: Al Hakim, al Mustadrak, vol 3 p 27-28
He also reported that Abu Bakr said: When people left the Messenger of
God on the day of Ohod I was the first one to come back to the Messenger
of God ... then he mentioned in the hadith that Abu Obeidah lbn Al-Jarrah
followed him."
Ref: Al Hakim, Al-Mustadrak, vol 3 p 78
The Prophet (pbuh&hf) Participated
The Messenger stayed at the battlefield with full determination and
firmness after the pagans came up to him. He himself fought vigorously.
Saad Ibn Abu Waqaas reported that he witnessed a man whose face was
covered, and he did not know who he was. The pagans came towards him and
Saad thought that they were going to overpower him. But that man took a
handful of gravel and threw it at their faces and they retreated . . .
Finally Saad discovered that that man was the Prophet. He used his bow and
expended all his arrows until his bow could not be used any longer.
Ref: Ibn Husham, Biography of the Prophet, v 2 p 78
When the Prophet was exposed to the enemies by the retreat of his army,
Obay Ibn Khalaf tried to attack him. Some of his companions tried to bar
Obay from reaching the Prophet, but the. Prophet prevented them from doing
that. He faced Obay with a blow which did not seem to be effective. But
Obay said: "By God, Mohammad has killed me...." He told me in Mecca: "I
shall kill you. By God, if he spits on me he kills me." Obay died in
"Saraf" while returning to Mecca.
Imam Ali's (as) endeavor
Al-Tabari reported that Abu Rafi said: The Messenger of God witnessed a
group of pagans coming to him. He said to Ali: Charge them. Ali charged
them and forced them to retreat and killed Amr Ibn Abdullah Al-Jumahi. The
Prophet beheld another group coming and told Ali to charge them and he
did. He scattered them and killed Sheibah Ibn Malik, one of the children
of Amir Ibn Lu-ay. Amazed by Ali's sacrifice Gabriel said:
Messenger of God, what a redeemer Ali is!
The
Prophet replied:
He is from me, and I am from him.
Gabriel said:
And I am from both of you.
They heard at that
time a voice saying:
There is no youth (full of manhood) but Ali, and no sword
comparable to Zulfiqar (Ali's sword).
Ref: Sayed Muhsin,
Al Ameen, in his Aayan Al Shiah, vol 2 p 195
Al Fairoozbadi, Fadail al
Khamsah, vol 2 p 317 (from Tabari)
Ibn Al Atheer, In his Biography,
vol 2 p 107
A regiment arrived from Kinanah in which four of the children of Sufyan
Ibn Oweif were present. Khalid, Abu AI-Sha-atha, Abu Al-Hamra, and Ghurab.
The Messenger of God said to Ali: "Take care of this regiment." Ali
charged the regiment, and it was about fifty horsemen. He fought them
while he was on foot until he scattered them. They gathered again and he
charged them again. This was repeated several times until he killed the
four children of Sufyan and added to them six more ...
Ref: Ibn Abu Al Hadeed, in his Commentary, vol 1 p 372
Ibn Husham reported that the Messenger fell into one of the pits which
were excavated and covered up by Abu Amir, who expected the Muslims to
fall in them. The knee of the Messenger was cut. Ali held the hand of the
Mes- senger and pulled him up and Talhah Ibn Obeidullah help- ed him until
the Prophet stood up.
Ref: Ibn Husham, Biography of Prophet, vol 2 p 80
Muslim in his "Sahih" (Authentic) reported that Sahl Ibn Saad said the
following:
The face of the Messenger was cut, and one of his teeth was
broken, and the protective dress of his head was broken. Fatima,
daughter of the Messenger, was washing the blood and Ali was pouring
water he brought by his shield from Al-Mihras. Beholding that the water
increased the flow of blood, she burned a mat, put some of its ashes on
the wound and the blood stopped.
Ref: Muslim, in his
Sahih, vol 12 p 148
The Conclusion
It would not be difficult for the reader to infer the following:
1. The Battle of Ohod was one of the battles on which the future of
Islam depended.
2. The death of the bearers of the banners of the pagan army at the
beginning of the battle had its important effect in raising the morale of
the Muslims and breaking the mo- rale of the pagans who were four times
more numerous than the Muslims. The bearers of the banners in the eyes of
the warriors in those days were the leaders of the army. Their death had a
great effect on the morale of the army. History recorded that Abu Sufyan
said to Banu Abdul Dar:
O Banu Abdul-Dar, we recognize that you have more right than
any other Meccan clan to carry the banner (because the Meccan tradition
gives the clan of Abdul- Dar the right to carry the banner at war). We
were defeated in Badr because of the banner. Hold your banner firmly and
protect it or hand it to us.
This infuriated the clan of
Abdul-Dar. As they refused to surrender their right of carrying the
banners Abu Sufyan said:
Let another banner be added to it." They said: "Yes, but the
additional banner will be carried also by a man from Banu Abdul-Dar, and
nothing other than this will be accepted.
The Meccan pagans
witnessed at the beginning of the battle their banner fallen ten times,
and their hearts fell with the banner ten times. They found, to their
astonishment, that they are facing a tremendous power. Ali was the one who
destroyed the banner bearers or most of them. This signalled the defeat of
the Meccan army in the first round.
3. When the Muslims were defeated in the second round, no one remained
with the Prophet except Ali and thirteen others of the companions of the
Messenger. These thirteen were the first to come back to the Messenger
after their flight. It is clear that Ali's defense in that decisive hour
was much more valuable than the defense of the thirteen companions put
together.
The Messenger ... became the target of the pagan's attacks. Whenever a
regiment aimed at the Prophet Ali charged the regiment and forced it to
retreat.
Thus, we would not be erroneous if we say that Ali in this decisive
battle had the exclusive honor of being the main defender of the Messenger
and his Message, against the forces which no one other than Ali could face
success- fully. The Battle of Badr laid the foundation of the Islamic
state, but the Battle of Ohod was about to destroy the foundation, had not
a small number of heroes headed by Ali been present.
The pagans found that the Battle of Ohod ended in their favor. They
defeated the army of the Prophet, and the Muslims lost seventy companions,
among them the giant hero: Al-Hamzah, uncle of the Messenger and Lion of
God. But the pagan victory was not decisive. Their target was Muhammad and
Muhammad was still alive. He was the biggest danger to them Therefore, it
was necessary for them to have another decisive battle in which they would
realize the goal that they could not realize at the Battle of Ohod.
The Battle of Ohod took place during the third year after the Hijrah.
Two years later, the third decisive battle in which the pagans gathered
their biggest task force, took place.
