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The battle of Uhud took place in Shawwal of the third year after the Hijrah. After their nobles had been killed at Badr and they had suffered a calamity the likes of which they had never suffered before, the Quraysh were bent on revenge to restore their lost prestige. So Abu Sufyan(may Allah be pleased with them)began to incite them against the Muslims and recruit various factions. He gathered around three thousand men from the Quraysh and their allies, accompanied by their women to prevent them from fleeing and urge them on. He marched with them toward Madinah and they camped near Mount Uhud.
The Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) consulted his companions about whether he (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) should go out to meet them or remain in Madinah. The first opinion was that they should not leave the city but fortify themselves within it, so if they entered the Muslims would kill them. But another group of companions preferred to go out to meet the enemy. So the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) marched out on Friday with a thousand companions. But somewhere between Madinah and Uhud, the hypocrite, `Abdullah ibn Ubayy returned with about one third of the soldiers, saying to them, "Would you oppose my opinion and obey someone else?!"

The Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) continued on and halted in an area near Uhud. He (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) placed the army with their backs to the mountain and told them not to fight until he (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) ordered them. By Saturday morning, he (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) was prepared for battle along with the seven hundred soldiers, among them fifty horsemen.
He (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) put `Abdullah ibn Jubayr(may Allah be pleased with them) in command of fifty archers and ordered them to stay at their posts and not to leave them even if they should see birds of prey taking the flesh of the soldiers. They were placed behind the army and ordered to shower the polytheists with arrows so they could not attack the Muslims from behind.

The battle began, and in the early part of the day the Muslims got the advantage and were defeating the polytheists; they retreated to the position of their women. When the archers saw their defeat they left their places in which the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) had told them to remain, and shouted, "The spoils of war!" Their commander reminded them of the Prophet's (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) order but they did not listen, thinking that the polytheists would not be back. They went down after the spoils, leaving a gap in the line of defence.
But the enemy horsemen returned and found the opening unprotected by the archers. They broke through and surrounded the Muslims. Those whom Allah(Almighty) honoured with martyrdom were martyred and the companions retreated. The polytheists closed in on the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him). They wounded his face, broke his tooth, smashed the helmet on his head and hit him with stones until he (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) fell, injured, into one of the holes that Abu `Amir al-Fasiq had dug as traps for the Muslims. `Ali(may Allah be pleased with them)took his hand to lift him out and Talhah ibn `Ubaydullah(may Allah be pleased with them) held him in his lap. Two iron rings from his helmet had pierced his cheek and were pulled out by Abu `Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah(may Allah be pleased with them). Malik ibn Sinan(may Allah be pleased with them), the father of Abu Sa`eed al-Khudri(may Allah be pleased with them), sucked out the blood to clean his cheek. Mus`ab ibn `Umayr(may Allah be pleased with them)was killed in front of him so he gave the standard to `Ali ibn Abi Talib(may Allah be pleased with them).

The polytheists had surrounded him, determined to do that which Allah(Almighty) was to prevent. Allah(Almighty) prevented it by means of a group of ten Muslims who defended him until they were killed and Talhah(may Allah be pleased with them), who kept on fighting until he drove them back. Abu Dajanah(may Allah be pleased with them) shielded him with his back, not moving while arrows struck him. The eye of Qatadah ibn an-Nu`man(may Allah be pleased with them)was injured that day, and the Messenger of Allah(Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) pressed it back in its place with his hand. It was thereafter his best and sharpest eye.

When Ibn Qami'ah, shouted, "Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) has been killed," it disheartened the Muslims and most of them fled; but the decree of Allah(Almighty) was predestined. So the Messenger of Allah(Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) went toward the remaining Muslim army. The first to recognize him under his helmet was Ka`b ibn Malik(may Allah be pleased with them), who shouted at the top of his voice, "O company of Muslims, good news! Here is the Messenger of Allah(Peace and blessings of Allah upon him)!" But he(Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) signalled him to be quiet. The Muslims gathered around him and hastened with him to his camp; among them were Abu Bakr, (may Allah be pleased with them)`Umar (may Allah be pleased with them), `Ali (may Allah be pleased with them), al-Harith ibn as-Sammah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with them) and others. When they had backed up against the mountain, the Prophet saw Ubayy ibn Khalaf charging on his horse to kill him so, he threw his spear and hit him at the side of his neck causing him to fall from his horse and run back, defeated, to his people. He died on the way back to Makkah. The Muslims also killed the standard bearer of the polytheists.
The Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) washed the blood from his face and prayed seated due to his wounds. Handhalah(may Allah be pleased with them) had been killed while in a state of sexual impurity so he was washed by the angels. And Umm `Umarah, Nusaybah bint Ka`b al-Maziniyyah, fought valiantly; `Amr ibn Qami'ah had struck her with his sword, wounding her severely. The number of Muslims killed that day was around seventy, and from the polytheists, twenty-three. The Quraysh badly mutilated the bodies of the Muslims. Among those killed from the Muslims was The Prophet's (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) uncle, Hamzah(may Allah be pleased with them).

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