With regards to the Battle of Hamra al-Asad, it is written that the Holy Prophet (sa) returned from the [Battle of] Uhud on a Saturday. On Sunday, at the time of Fajr, Hazrat Bilal (ra) gave the call for prayer and sat down, waiting for the Holy Prophet (sa) to come out. In the meantime, Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr bin Auf Muzani came looking for the Holy Prophet (sa). When the Holy Prophet (sa) came out, Abdullah stood up and informed him that he was returning from his family, while he was in Malal, the Quraish had set up a camp there. Malal is the name of a place on the way to Mecca, located at a distance of 28 miles from Medina.
Furthermore, he said that he heard Abu Sufyan and his companions saying, “You all achieved nothing! You caused them harm (i.e. you harmed the Muslims) and you caused them pain, but then you left them and did not annihilate them.” The disbelievers responded, “There are still numerous prominent individuals among them (i.e. from among the Muslims), who will gather against you. Hence, let us return and destroy those individuals who are left behind.” Safwan bin Umayyah was sitting among the disbelievers and he stopped them from doing this and said, “Oh my people! You should refrain from doing this as they have already fought you and I fear that those who were previously unable to join the battle will now join them in order to fight you. You should return as victory is yours and I fear that if you return [to confront them], you will suffer defeat.”
Upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) called for Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hazrat Umar (ra) and informed them of what this companion, Muzani had told him. In reply, both of them submitted, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah! Let us advance towards the enemy so that they will not be able to attack our children!” When the Holy Prophet (sa) had completed the morning prayer, he gathered the people and said to Hazrat Bilalra to announce, “The Messneger (sa) of Allah is commanding you to advance towards the enemy and only those individuals should set out with us, who had joined us in battle the previous day (that is, only those who were present in the Battle of Uhud).”
The Holy Prophet (sa) asked for his flag, which had been tied up since the previous day and had not been opened again. The Holy Prophet (sa) handed this flag to Hazrat Ali (ra). It is also recorded that the flag was given to Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra).
(Mustafa ‘Abd al-Wahid, Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad fi Sirat Khair al-‘Ibad, Vol. 4 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1993], pp. 308-309) (Yaqut Ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 5 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-’Arabi], p. 225)
Nevertheless, when this convoy of Muslims reached Hamra al-Asad, which is located at a distance of eight miles from Medina, the idolaters became fearful and. abandoning the idea of going to Medina. they instead headed towards Mecca.
(Muhammad al-Salabi, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra) aur Karname [Pakistan: Maktabat al-Furqan], p. 113)