أحمد محمد لبن Ahmad.M.Lbn
مؤسس ومدير المنتدى
عدد المساهمات : 52644
العمر : 72
 | | موضوع: The Battle of Uhud الإثنين 12 فبراير 2018, 8:51 am | |
| The Battle of Uhud
Book 15
“So lose not heart, nor fall into despair, for ye must gain mastery if ye are true in faith. If a wound hath touched you, be sure a similar wound hath touched the others. Such days (of varying fortunes) we give to men and men by turns: that Allah may know those that believe, and that he may take to Himself, from your ranks, Martyr-witnesses (to truth). And Allah loveth not those that do wrong. Allah’s object is also to purge those that are true in faith and to deprive of blessing those that resist faith. Did ye think that ye would enter Heaven without Allah testing those of you who fought hard (In His Cause) and remained steadfast? Ye did indeed wish for death before ye met him now ye have seen him with your own eyes, (and ye flinch!) (TMQ, Al-Imran: 139-143)16.
(Scene: 1)
After Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) had gained victory over Quraysh in the battle of Badr, in which many of their leaders were killed, the sons of Quraysh’s chiefs gathered calling for revenge and went to Abu-Sufyan. “O’ people of Quraysh, we need your help to fight Muhammad, for he killed the best of your sons” they said. Hence, all the heads of Quraysh agreed upon waging war against the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to avenge their fathers, sons, and brothers who were killed in the battle of Badr.
One of the nobles of Quraysh called upon Wahshy, who was a black slave. “Go and join the army,” said the nobleman. “If you succeed in killing Hamza, the uncle of Muhammad, to avenge my uncle who Hamza has killed, then you are free.” Wahshy was well known for his spear-throwing skills, he rarely failed to hit his target.
Under the leadership of Abu- Sufyan, Quraysh left Makkah, well equipped with weapons to fight Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). Abu-Sufyan was accompanied by his wife, Hind Bint Utba Ibn Rabe’a. Hind was inciting people to fight against the Prophet (Peace be upon him), for her father Utba and her brother Al-Waleed were both killed in the battle of Badr by Ali Ibn Abu-Taleb and Hamza.
(Scene: 2)
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) gathered his companions as soon as news arrived that Quraysh had prepared to fight the Muslims and that they had camped at Uhud.
“Do you wish to stay inside Madinah and let them stay where they are, or let them come in, so that we shall fight them back?” said Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). He preferred to wait for the enemy inside Madinah, hurling them with stones whenever they may try to enter it. This was the best option, for meeting such a large number of disbelievers was a risk. Hence, if Muslims fortified themselves inside Madinah, it would be harder for the army of Quraysh to enter. The youth were not satisfied with this opinion as they wished to go out to fight, “Let us go out to fight the enemy, otherwise they would think that we are weak and cowardly.”
Abdullah Ibn-Obayy was the chief of Madinah before the migration of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). The people of Madinah were about to make him their king before the spread of Islam. He said, “Oh Prophet, let us stay inside Madinah. I swear by Allah, whenever we emerge to fight we are defeated, but nobody has ever entered Madinah without us defeating them.” He added, “Leave Quraysh where they are, were they to stay at their posts, it would be their misfortune, and were they to enter Madinah, they would be fought back by men, hurled with stones by women and children from above. Were they to get back to Makkah, they would return wrapped in their own disappointment.” Calls to move out came from the youth, “It’s a shame to let the enemies in.”
When the Muslims saw the Prophet (Peace be upon him) leaving them and going into his house, some said, “We were ordered to stay in Madinah by Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), but we forced him to emerge, while we shouldn’t have done so.” At last, Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) emerged from his house, and then they hastened towards him, “Oh Prophet, we will do whatever you wish.” “If ever a Prophet puts on his war uniform and gets the permission to emerge to the enemies, then he shouldn’t take it off until he fights,” Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said, “I’ve gathered you to discuss this matter and you refused but to emerge, so you should be devout and patient through hard times when you meet the enemy.”
The Muslim army of 1000 fighters gathered at the mosque. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) paraded them, and then he gave Mos’ab Ibn Omayr the flag of war. Then, under the leadership of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), the Muslims’ army emerged from Madinah to prove that Allah is much greater than the idols surrounding the Ka’ba.
(Scene: 3)
“He obeyed them and refused to take my advice, so why should we sacrifice ourselves?” said Abdullah Ibn Obayy to his followers, with whom he slipped away from the Muslim army. They constituted a third of the whole army. He was too annoyed that Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) did not take his advice; and instead took that of the youth and went out to fight Quraysh.
Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) kept going on his way with those who stayed with him until they reached the mountain of Uhud. The Muslims stood there, and they had their backs towards the mountain of Uhud. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) set the archers above another mountain (later it was called The Mountain of Archers). He ordered them not to leave their posts under any circumstances whatsoever. As for the swordsmen, they were set to stand side by side, to thwart Quraysh’s attack. The Muslims’ army was of 700 fighters, while Quraysh’s was of 3000 fighters. Yet, Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was quite sure that the spirit with which his army would fight would be much stronger than that of Abu-Sufyan’s army. If the Muslims followed his exact commands, they would defeat their enemies without a doubt.
Quraysh’s army came into sight on the leveled land before the mountain of Uhud. They approached until they were face to face with the Muslim army. At that time, a duel between two warriors used to set-off the battle. A man from Quraysh came out calling for anyone who would dare to combat him. So Hamza (RA), the Prophet’s (Peace be upon him) uncle and one of the Muslims’ heroes, stabbed that man with his sword after a short fight.
Then Ibn Abu-Talha, one of Quraysh’s heroes came out, “O Abul-Qasem, who would dare combat me?” Nobody emerged. Again he repeated his call,” O Muhammad’s companions, allegedly, you said that our dead are to be sent to Hell, while yours are to be sent to Paradise. You are liars, I swear by Al-Laat. If you really believe so, you would have sent some of you to fight back,” said Ibn Abu-Talha (as nobody came out for him.)
Ali Ibn Abu-Taleb stepped up to Talha and they fought. As soon as Talha recognized that he was about to be defeated by Ali he ran away. However, a powerful strike from Ali’s sword beheaded Talha at once.
“Death to the disbelievers, death to the disbelievers!” Loud cries came from the Muslims as they descended the mountain of Uhud, like waves, attacking the disbelievers and killing them.
Khaled Ibnul-Waleed, commander of the horsemen of Quraysh’s army, tried to encompass the Muslims from behind, but he was unable to do so, by virtue of the Muslims’ archers. Whenever Khaled, along with his horsemen, tried to approach, the archers, posted above the other mountain, would throw them with their arrows. Hence, he had to retreat, defeated.
When the Muslims saw the enemy’s withdrawal from the battlefield, they did not consider capturing them. To the contrary, they became busy gathering the war booty. “Let’s get our share of the war booty,” said the archers, when they saw what was happening. “I’ve been commanded by the Prophet (Peace be upon him) never to let you leave your posts,” cried the commander of archers, trying to restrain his soldiers. “But Quraysh is already defeated, and our brothers are gathering booty,” they replied. Thus the archers disobeyed the commands of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). They left their posts and hastened to join the other soldiers who were gathering booty.
Khaled’s expert eye noticed what was going on. Being a clever commander, he took advantage of the situation, and attacked the Muslims’ archers from behind. His soldiers darted their arrows towards the Muslims who were standing between the mountain of Uhud and the mountain of Archers.
People from Muhajereen (immigrants) and Ansar (people of Madinah) were killed, as spears of the disbelievers penetrated their bodies. It was a sudden surprise for the Muslims and it altered the results of the battle. It made them desperate defenders after the victory they had gained over Quraysh.
Another eye was searching for a particular person. It was Wahshy, who, as soon he saw Hamza, pulled up his spear and threw him with it. Then he approached Hamza to be assured of his death, took his spear out of the dead body and went to Hind. She was waiting for the tidings of the death of Hamza, for he was the one who had killed both her father and brother in the battle of Badr. She approached Hamza’s body, fuming with all the hatred inside her, cut open his abdomen, extracted his liver then chewed it.
Among all that mess, Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was left alone except for Ali, Omar, Abu-Bakr and a few Muslims to defend him. Um-Omara, a Muslim woman who was giving water to the Muslim warriors, recognized the defeat of the Muslims’ army, and how they had abandoned the Prophet (Peace be upon him). She threw away the canteen she was carrying, picked up a sword, and hastened towards Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) to help in defending him, side by side with those who had stayed firmly by him.
A loud cry came out, “Show me Muhammad! As long as I am alive I will never let him survive!” said a man from Quraysh while he was approaching the Prophet (Peace be upon him). However, Um-Omara blocked his way. A blow from his sword wounded her.
Nevertheless, a few strikes by her sword were enough to make the man run away.
“Muhammad is dead!” a shout came out loudly and Abu-Sufyan thought it was true.
Accordingly, he gave his commands to his soldiers to stop the fighting, for he came only to kill Muhammad and to take revenge from Hamza to satisfy his wife. So he gathered his warriors around his flag of war.
A Muslim saw the Prophet (Peace be upon him), after all had thought that he (Peace be upon him) had been killed during the battle. Happily he cried out, “Oh Muslims, here is Prophet Muhammad, alive”.
However, he was ordered to keep silent by a gesture from the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
“O Muhammad, are you there?” asked Abu- Sufyan, for he had searched the dead, wishing to see the Prophet among them, but he was not.
“Don’t reply” said Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) to Muslims.
“O Ibn Abu-Kohafa (Abu-Bakr), are you there?” Abu-Sufyan asked again, and again. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ordered them not to reply.
“Are you there Ibnul-Khattab?” At last, as Abu-Sufyan heard none of them replying, he said. “It seems they are all dead. If they were still alive, they would have answered.”
Then Omar couldn’t help it, so abruptly he said. “Oh you, enemy of Allah, what a liar you are, as we are still here, alive.” He added, “Allah SWT has kept us safe to disgrace you.”
The Muslims prepared to resume fighting. However, Abu-Sufyan did not accept the challenge, so he said, “This day is the reply to the day of Badr”. He added, “May Hubal be exalted, this is our reward from Al-Ozza, and you have none other like him to reward you.” “Allah is our Only Supporter, and you have none like Him” said Omar. “We’ll meet again, next year”, said Abu-Sufyan. “So, until then”, replied Omar.
As Abu-Sufyan gathered his soldiers, heading back to Makkah, Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) descended the mountain to check the dead of his companions. As soon as he saw his uncle Hamza dead, a great grief descended upon him, and his eyes filled with tears that ran down his cheeks.
A great sorrow filled the Muslims’ hearts; for all that they had suffered as a result of their disobedience to the Prophet’s commands. However, all sorrow was wiped away at once when the revelation came down.
For Allah (Almighty) says what can be translated as, “So lose not heart, nor fall into despair, for ye must gain mastery if ye are true in faith. If a wound hath touched you, be sure a similar wound hath touched the others. Such days (of varying fortunes) we give to men and men by turns: that Allah may know those that believe, and that he may take to Himself, from your ranks, Martyr-witnesses (to truth). And Allah loveth not those that do wrong. Allah’s object is also to purge those that are true in faith and to deprive of blessing those that resist faith. Did ye think that ye would enter Heaven without Allah testing those of you who fought hard (In His Cause) and remained steadfast? Ye did indeed wish for death before ye met him now ye have seen him with your own eyes, (and ye flinch!)” (TMQ, Al-Imran: 139-143). |
|
