The Battle of Uhud (Arabic: غزوة أحد, romanized: Ghazwat ʾUḥud) was fought between the early Muslims and the Quraysh during the Muslim–Quraysh wars in a valley north of Medina near Mount Uhud on Saturday, 23 March 625 AD (7 Shawwal, 3 AH).
Following the Muslim emigration to Medina, hostilities with the Quraysh intensified, largely due to Muslim raids on Meccan trade caravans. In 624, the Quraysh suffered a major defeat at Badr, during which several of their leaders were killed. The following year, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb led a force of approximately 3,000 men toward Medina to avenge the loss. The two sides met near Mount Uhud, just north of the city. At the outset of the engagement, the Muslims gained the upper hand and forced the Meccan lines to retreat. A group of Muslim archers had been stationed by The Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ on a nearby hill in order to protect the army’s rear and guard against a cavalry attack. However, believing the battle was won, many of them left their positions to collect spoils from the Meccan camp. This lapse allowed the Meccan cavalry, led by Khalid ibn al-Walid, to launch a counterattack from the rear, reversing the momentum of the battle, and disrupting the Muslim lines. The resulting chaos led to heavy losses on the Muslim side, including the death of Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib.
The battle was seen as a significant setback for the Muslims and a minor victory for the Quraysh as they would return with an even larger force in the Battle of the Trench.
Background
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ initially spread his new religion in Mecca, where he found no opposition from the local people until he attacked their polytheistic beliefs. As tensions with the Meccans increased, Muhammad brought his followers to migrate to Medina, after his successful negotiations with Banu Aws and Khazraj to mediate their tribal conflicts. Francis Peters proposes that these raids were probably a quick remedy by Muhammad for the poverty of his people in the new land, who lacked agricultural skills and capital for trade. Tariq Ramadan agrees with this reasoning, but also adds that the Battle of Badr in particular was initiated to impress the Meccans, who were becoming increasingly hostile towards Medina.
Muhammad soon learned of large Quraysh trade caravan — 1,000 camels laden with 50,000 dinars — en route from Gaza to Mecca. He ordered his followers to ambush it. The very cautious Abu Sufyan, who led the caravan, got wind of his plan and sent messengers on a quick trip to Mecca for help, with the caravan diverted to another route. The reinforcements then camped at Badr, where they later met up with the Muslims. A battle ensued, and Muhammad's forces managed to defeat the more numerous reinforcements, which were larger in number.
This defeat was a major setback for the Quraysh. A number of its influential and experienced men were killed, including Amr ibn Hisham. Their prestige was shaken. Their old tribal enemies, such as the Hawazin, began to set their sights on them again. On Muhammad's part, this victory drew all eyes to him. He used this victory as proof of his prophethood. Those who supported and participated in his raids were becoming more numerous.
Abu Sufyan, who was chosen as the successor of the leader of the Quraysh, vowed vengeance. Several months later, he accompanied a party of 200 men to Medina. There, he met his old friend, the Banu Nadir chief, who then provided him with a meal and some background information about the area, but nothing more. He and his party then left Medina, burning two houses and laying waste to some fields in fulfillment of his vow. Further skirmishes between the Meccans and the Muslims would occur thereafter.
A few months later, Abu Sufyan mobilized an invasion force of over 3,000 men to retaliate against the Muslims for the losses at Badr.
Battle
Meccan march to Medina
At the head of a 3,000-strong army, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb set forth toward Medina to avenge the Meccan defeat at the Battle of Badr. The forces encamped on the pastures north of the city, intending to draw the Muslims into open battle. Of the 3,000 troops, 700 were equipped with chain mail. According to the early Muslim historian Ibn Ishaq, several Meccan women accompanied the army to boost morale, including Hind bint Utba, the wife of Abu Sufyan.
Muhammed, aware of the logistical difficulties the Quryash would face in any siege attempt, had originally intended to remain in Medina and use its fortifications to make a stand. Many Muslims who had missed the Battle of Badr were however eager for an open battle against the Meccans and begged for the chance to do so. Some of Muhammed's companions argued that the initial strategy to be more prudent. Eventually Muhammad relented to the demands to go out to fight and donned his armour.
Muslim encampment at Uhud
Three contingents of Muslim troops, totalling 1,000 men strong, were assembled. Muhammed personally screened the troops before the battle and removed those who he deemed too young to fight, including Abd Allah, the son of Umar ibn al-Khattab. Only 100 men in the entire army had chain mail and the rest were without armour.
The Muslim army set out northward from Medina toward Mount Uhud late on Friday, 21 December 624. Early the next morning, they took a position on the lower slopes of the hill of Uhud. Shortly before the battle commenced, Abd Allah ibn Ubayy, chief of the Khazraj, along with 300 other men, withdrew their support for Muhammad and returned to Medina, with reports suggesting Ibn Ubayy's discontent with the plan to march out from Medina to meet the Meccans. Ibn Ubayy and his followers would later receive censure in the Qur'an for this act.
What ye suffered on the day the two armies met, was with the leave of Allah, in order that He might test the believers. And in order that He might test the Hypocrites also, these were told: "Come, fight in the way of Allah, or (at least) drive (The foe from your city)." They said: "Had we known how to fight, we should certainly have followed you." They were that day nearer to Disbelief than to Faith, saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts but Allah hath full knowledge of all they conceal. (They are) the ones that say, of their brethren slain, while they themselves sit (at ease): "If only they had listened to us they would not have been slain." Say: "Avert death from your own selves, if ye speak the truth."[ 3:166–168 -The Clear Quran]
The Muslim force, now numbering around 700 encamped on the slopes of Uhud, facing Medina, with their back protected by the mountain. Before the battle, Muhammad had assigned 50 archers on a nearby rocky hill at the west side of the Muslim camp. This was a strategic decision in order to shield the vulnerable flanks of the outnumbered Muslim army; the archers on the hill were to protect the left flank, while the right flank was to be protected by the Mount of Uhud situated on the east side of the Muslim camp. Protecting the flanks of the Muslim army meant that the Meccan army would not be able to turn around the Muslim camp, and thus the Muslim army would not be surrounded or encircled by the Meccan cavalry, keeping in mind that the Meccan cavalry outnumbered the Muslim cavalry with 50-to-1. Muhammad ordered the Muslim archers to not leave their positions on the hill unless ordered to do so by him, making it clear by uttering these words to the archers,
"Keep the cavalry away from us with your arrows and let them not come on us from the rear whether the battle goes in our favour or against us; and keep your place so that we cannot be got at from your direction."
Duels
The Meccan army positioned itself facing the Muslim lines, with the main body led by Abu Sufyan, and the left and right flanks commanded by Ikrima, son of Amr ibn Hisham and Khalid ibn al-Walid, respectively. Amr ibn al-As was commander of the cavalry and his task was to coordinate the attack between the cavalry wings. They attacked with their initial charge led by the Medinan exile Abu Amir. Thwarted by a shower of stones from the Muslims, Abu Amir and his men were forced to retreat to the camps behind the Meccan lines. The Meccan standard-bearer Talha ibn Abi Talha al-‘Abdari, advanced and challenged the enemy to a duel. Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin of Muhammad, rushed forth and struck Talha down in a single blow. Talha's brother, Uthman, ran forward to pick up the fallen banner—the Meccan women willing him on with songs and the loud beating of timbrels. Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib emerged from the Muslim ranks, bringing him to a similar fate as Talha. It was their family that was responsible for the Meccan army's standard-bearing, and thus one by one, Talha's brothers and sons went to retrieve the Meccan banner and fight unsuccessfully until they all eventually perished. Following the duels, general engagement between the two armies commenced. Meccan confidence quickly began to dissolve as the Muslims swept through their ranks.
Meccan retreat and counter-attack
The Meccan army was pushed back, and repeated attempts by its cavalry to overrun the left Muslim flank were negated by the Muslim archers. Enjoying the best of these early encounters, the Muslims pierced through the Meccan lines, with victory appearing certain. However, it was the detachment of the Muslim archers, disobeying Muhammad's strict orders to remain stationary, that would shift the outcome of the battle, as most of them ran downhill to join in the advance and despoil the Meccan camp, leaving the flank vulnerable.
At this critical juncture, the Meccan cavalry, led by Khalid ibn al-Walid, exploited this move and attacked the remaining minority of Muslim archers who refused to disobey Muhammad's orders and were still positioned on the hill. From there, the Meccans were then able to target and overrun the Muslim flank and rear. Confusion ensued, and numerous Muslims were killed. The most notable of the killed Muslims was Hamza, Muhammad's uncle, who had been thrown down in a surprise attack by the javelin of the Ethiopian slave of Jubayr ibn Mut'im, Wahshi ibn Harb. While the Meccan riposte strengthened, rumors circulated that Muhammad too had perished. It emerged, however, that Muhammad had only been wounded, sustaining injuries to his face from stones. Accounts differ concerning the companions who remained with Muhammad during the crisis. Al-Ya'qubi states that after the Muslims were driven back, Muhammad remained with Ali ibn Abi Talib, Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, and Talha ibn Ubayd Allah. Al-Waqidi gives a broader account, naming fourteen companions, seven from the Muhajirun and seven from the Ansar, who remained steadfast with Muhammad: it also records a separate account in which eight companions made an oath to fight to the death.
After fierce hand-to-hand combat, many of the Muslims managed to flee and regroup higher up on the slopes of Uhud. Upon hearing that Muhammad was still alive, Umar ibn al-Khattab rallied the troops to his position at the base of the mountain. Acting on the Prophet's instruction to prevent the Meccan cavalry from seizing the high ground, Umar led a successful counter-charge that dislodged Khalid’s forces from the slopes and forced their withdrawal. A small faction was cut off and tried to make its way back to Medina, though many of these were killed. The Meccans' chief offensive arm, its cavalry, was unable to ascend the slopes of Uhud in pursuit of the Muslims, and so the fighting ceased. Hind bint Utba and her companions are said to have mutilated the Muslim corpses, cutting off their ears and noses and feeding them to Muslims; making them into anklets. Hind bint Utba is reported to have cut open the corpse of Hamza, taking out his liver which she then attempted to eat. Abu Sufyan, after some brief verbal exchanges with Muhammad's companion, Ibn Ishaq records this exchange as follows:
When (the Qurayshi leader) Abu Sufyan wanted to leave, he went to the top of the mountain and shouted loudly, saying, "You have done a fine work. Victory in war goes by turns: today is in exchange for the day of Badr. Show your superiority, Hubal", that is, vindicate your religion. The Messenger told Umar ibn al-Khattab to go up and answer him and say, "Allah is most high and most glorious. We are not equal: our dead are in paradise, yours are in hell." At this answer, Abu Sufyan said to Umar, "Come up here to me." The Messenger told him to go and see what Abu Sufyan was up to. When he came Abu Sufyan said, "I adjure you by God, Umar, have we killed Muhammad?" "By Allah, you have not, he is listening to what you are saying right now", Umar replied. Abu Sufyan said, "I regard you as more truthful and reliable than Ibn Qami'a", referring to the latter's claim that he had killed Muhammad.
— cf. Ibn Ishaq (1955) 380–388, cited in Peters (1994) p. 219
Abu Sufyan then decided to return to Mecca without pressing his advantage of re-attacking the wounded Muslims of Medina.