Seerah | Lecture 20 | The Battle of Uhud begins

The Quraish army, numbering 3,000 soldiers, arrived near Mount Uhud on the 12th of Shawwal to seek revenge for their defeat at the Battle of Badr. This force included 700 armored men, 200 horses, 3,000 camels, and 15 women who accompanied the army to encourage the fighters. The Prophet Muhammad left Madina on the 14th of Shawwal with an army of fewer than 1,000 men, eventually leading the Fajr prayer on the 15th of Shawwal before positioning his forces at the foot of Mount Uhud.

The Muslim army was reduced to 700 men after the Prophet Muhammad refused the assistance of Jewish allies due to their previous breaches of trust, which prompted Abdullah ibn Ubayy and his followers to abandon the Muslim ranks. The Prophet Muhammad organized his lines by placing Ukasha ibn Mihsan Asadi on the right flank, Ubayda ibn Jarrah on the left, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas in the front, and Miqdad ibn Umar at the rear. He also stationed Abdullah ibn Jubayr with 50 archers at a narrow mountain pass, strictly ordering them to remain at their post regardless of the battle's outcome to prevent the enemy from attacking the Muslims from behind.

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Key topics & takeaways

The Quraish and the Battle of Uhud

• Motivation for the battle — the Quraish sought to avenge their losses at Badr and intended to eliminate the Muslims and the Prophet Muhammad ▸1:06
• Composition of the Quraish army — the force consisted of 3,000 men, 700 of whom were armored, supported by 200 horses, 3,000 camels, and 15 women ▸3:23
• The role of Hind — the wife of Abu Sufyan, Hind, attended the battle to avenge her father, Utba, who was killed by Hamza at Badr ▸11:37
• The recruitment of Wahshi — Hind and Jubayr ibn Mut'im promised the slave Wahshi his freedom if he killed Hamza ▸12:35
• Psychological warfare — Hind and other women marched at the front of the Quraish army, playing drums and singing poetry to incite rage among the Quraish soldiers ▸13:01

The Muslim preparations

• Departure from Madina — the Prophet Muhammad left Madina on the 14th of Shawwal, stayed at Banu Najjar, and arrived at Uhud on the 15th of Shawwal ▸4:01
• Rejection of Jewish aid — the Prophet Muhammad refused the help of Jewish tribes due to their history of treachery and plotting against him ▸4:27
• Departure of the munafiqin — Abdullah ibn Ubayy, the leader of the hypocrites, withdrew his support and left with many others, leaving the Muslims with 700 men ▸4:51
• Age restrictions for soldiers — the Prophet Muhammad initially ordered young teenagers to return to Madina, deeming them unfit for the battlefield ▸6:17
• Exceptions for young soldiers — Rafi ibn Khadij and Samura were permitted to stay after demonstrating their physical capability and wrestling prowess ▸6:43
• Flag bearer selection — Mus'ab ibn Umayr was appointed as the Muslim flag bearer because he belonged to the same tribe, Banu Abdud-Dar, as the Quraish flag bearer, Talha ibn Abi Talha ▸11:10

The start of the conflict

• The role of Abu Amir Awsi — a former resident of Yathrib who had become an enemy of the Prophet Muhammad, Abu Amir attempted to persuade the Ansar to defect by appealing to his former reputation as a pious man ▸13:41
• Rejection by the Ansar — the Ansar rejected Abu Amir, calling him a fasiq (transgressor) rather than a rahib (pious man) and praying for his humiliation ▸17:22
• Opening skirmish — the battle began with an exchange of arrows from the Quraish and stones from the Muslims ▸18:16
• Death of Talha ibn Abi Talha — the Quraish flag bearer challenged the Muslims and was struck down by Ali ibn Abi Talib ▸18:36
• Ali's restraint — Ali did not kill Talha after wounding him because the latter's private parts became exposed, leading Ali to turn away in disgust ▸20:57
• Death of Uthman ibn Abu Talha — the brother of the fallen flag bearer, Uthman, stepped out to fight and was killed by Hamza, who struck him with such force that his body was split in two ▸22:18
• General engagement — following the death of Uthman, the armies engaged in full-scale combat ▸22:43