Battle of Uhud

Battle of Siffin

Battle of Yarmouk

With regard to Abu Dujanah (ra), the famous orientalist, Sir William Muir writes:

“At the commencement of the action Mahomet [sic] held up his sword and said, ‘Who will take this sword, and give to it its due?’ Omar, Zobeir &c. one after another, came forward and were rejected; last Abu Dujana offered, and Mahomet [sic] gave it to him; And he clave therewith the heads of the Unbelievers.”

(Life of Mahomet, Sir William Muir, Vol. 3, p. 169 [footnote], Smith Elder & Co, Waterloo, 1861)

Sir William Muir further writes:

“Pressed by the fierce ardour of the Mussulmans [Muslims], the Meccan began to waver. Their horse sought repeatedly to turn the left flank of Mahomet [sic]; but they were each time forced back by the galling archery of the little band posted on the neighbouring height. The same daring contempt of danger was displayed as at Badr. The Meccan ranks might be seen to quiver as Abu Dujanah, distinguished by the red kerchief wound round his helmet, swept along, and, with a sword given to him by Mahomet [sic], dealt death on every side. Hamza, conspicuous from his waving ostrich feather; Ali, marked by his long white plume; and Zobeir, known by his bright yellow turban – like heroes in the battles of the Iliad – carried confusion wherever they appeared. Such were the scenes in which were reared the great leaders of the Muslim conquests.”

(Original quote – Life of Mahomet, Sir William Muir, Vol. 3, p. 169, Smith Elder & Co, Waterloo, 1861) (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad(ra), p. 490)

What I read earlier was taken from Sirat Khataman Nabiyyin.

It is then written that during the Battle of Uhud, Abu Sufyan challenged the Muslims to meet the following year. Further details of this have been recorded by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra). He writes:

“After the battle of Uhud, whilst returning from the battlefield, Abu Sufyan challenged the Muslims to both parties meeting again the following year at Badr, and the Holy Prophet (sa) announced his acceptance of this challenge. Hence, the following year, in 4 AH at the end of the month of Shawwal, the Holy Prophet (sa) set out from Medina with a force of 1,500 Companions and appointed Abdullah bin Abdullah bin Ubayy as the Amir in his absence. On the other hand, Abu Sufyan bin al-Harb also set out from Mecca with an army of the Quraish, consisting of 2,000 men. However, despite the victory at Uhud, and a force this large, his heart was fearful and even though he was bent upon the destruction of Islam, he wished not to confront the Muslims until he could gather a larger force. As such, he was still in Mecca, when he dispatched a man by the name of Nuaim, who belonged to a neutral tribe, towards Medina and emphatically instructed him that in any way possible, he should intimidate and threaten the Muslims, and craft fabricated stories to hold them back from setting out for war.

“Hence, this individual came to Medina and crafting false stories of the preparation, strength, zeal and fury of the Quraish, created a state of unrest in Medina. This was carried out to such an extent that various people of weaker dispositions began to harbour fear in taking part in the battle.

“However, the Holy Prophet (sa) encouraged the Muslims to go forth and in his address, he stated, ‘We have already accepted the challenge of the Quraish and we have promised to set out on this occasion, therefore, we cannot turn back. Even if I am required to go alone, I shall go and stand firm in the face of the enemy.’

“As a result, the fear of the people was dispelled and they became prepared to set out in the company of the Holy Prophet (sa) with great zeal and sincerity. In any case, the Holy Prophet (sa) set out from Medina with 1,500 Companions and on the opposing end, Abu Sufyan set out from Mecca with his 2,000 men. However, the power of God was such that the Muslims reached Badr according to their promise, but the army of the Quraish came out to some distance and then retreated to Mecca.

“According to the accounts, it is stated that when Abu Sufyan learnt of the failure of Nuaim, he became fearful in his heart and after having travelled some distance, he retreated with his army admonishing them, ‘This year the famine is very severe, and people are facing financial difficulty. Therefore, it is not wise to fight at this time. We shall attack Medina with greater preparation when a time of affluence is at hand.’

“The Muslim army stayed at Badr for eight days, and since a festival would take place there every year in the beginning of Dhu Al-Qa‘dah (which has been mentioned previously), during the festival, many Companions engaged in trade and were able to generate significant profits. As a matter of fact, in this eight-day business venture, they were able to multiply their initial capital two-fold. When the festival came to an end, and the army of the Quraish did not arrive, the Holy Prophet (sa) departed from Badr and returned to Medina. The Quraish returned to Mecca and began to prepare for an attack upon Medina. This ghazwah is known as the ghazwah of Badr al-Mau‘id.”

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), pp. 529-530)

Hazrat Mujazar’s children were in Medina and also in Baghdad. It is narrated by Abi Wajzah, “The three men, amongst the Martyrs of Uhud, who were buried in a single grave were Mujazar bin Ziyaad, Nu‘man bin Malik and ‘Abdah bin Hassas.”

(At-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 417, Mujazar bin Ziyaad, Da-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, 1990, Beirut)

Prior to the Battle of Uhud, on a Friday evening, Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Mu‘az, Hazrat Usaid (ra) bin Huzair and Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah stood guard outside the door of the Holy Prophet (sa) in Masjid-e-Nabawi until Fajr. When the Holy Prophet (sa) was about to leave from Medina, he mounted his horse, placed his bow on his shoulder and grabbed hold of his spear. Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Mu‘az and Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah began to ride ahead of the Holy Prophet (sa). Both of these companions were wearing their armour, while the rest of the people were on the right and left of the Holy Prophet (sa).

(Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 2, pp. 28-30, Ghazwah Rasulillah (sa) Uhud, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Whilst describing the conditions at the time of the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) writes:

“After observing the Asr Salat, the Holy Prophet (sa) set out from Medina with a large community of the companions (ra). The chieftains of the Aus and Khazraj tribe, Sa‘d (ra) bin Mu‘az and Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah proceeded along, running slowly, just ahead of the mount of the Holy Prophet (sa), and the rest of the companions (ra) moved forward-positioned to the right, left and behind the Holy Prophet (sa).”

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), p. 486)

Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah was among those companions(ra) who stood resolutely with the Holy Prophet (sa) during the Battle of Uhud.

(Subul al-Hudaa Wa al-Rashaad, Vol. 4, p. 197, Dhikri Thubaat Rasulillah (sa), Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1993)

When the Holy Prophet (sa) returned to Medina from the Battle of Uhud and dismounted his horse, he was supported by Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Mu‘az and Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah to his house.

(Subul al-Hudaa Wa al-Rashaad, Vol. 4, p. 229, Bab Ghazwah Uhud, Dhikri Raheel Rasulillah (sa) ilaa al-Madinah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1993)

The Holy Prophet (sa) had sustained injuries, therefore when he dismounted his horse, he took the support of these two companions. Hazrat Jabir (ra) bin Abdullah relates that during the Ghazwah of Hamra-ul-Asad, their main provisions for food were dates. The Ghazwah of Hamra-ul-Asad took place in Shawwal, 3 AH. When the Holy Prophet (sa) returned from the Battle of Uhud, the Quraish stopped at Rauha, which is situated approximately 36 miles from Medina. Whilst here, the Quraish thought that since the Muslims had suffered greatly, therefore they should return and launch a sudden attack on Medina. Owing to the loss suffered by the Muslims, they would not be able to fight back. Subsequently, when the Holy Prophet (sa) learnt about their intentions, he decided to set out and pursue the Quraish and reached Hamra-ul-Asad. Hamra-ul-Asad is approximately eight miles from Medina towards the direction of Dhul-Hulaifah. When the army of Quraish learnt that the Holy Prophet (sa) was approaching, they quickly ran towards Mecca. When they found out that instead of showing weakness, the Muslims were in fact coming to attack them, they ran away. The narrator of this tradition states that Hazat Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah brought 30 camels and dates to Hamra-ul-Asad, which was more than sufficient for their needs. Among the camels he brought, two or sometimes three camels would be slaughtered daily which they would all eat from.

(Subul al-Hudaa Wa al-Rashaad, Vol. 4, p. 310, Bab 14, Fi Ghazwah Hamra al-Asad, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1993) (Farhang Sirat, p. 106, Zawwar Academy Publications, Karachi, 2003) (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad(ra), p. 354) (Sharh Zurqani Alaa al-Mawahib al-Deeniyyah, Vol. 2, p. 464, Ghazwah Hamra al-Asad, Darul Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1996)

There is an incident which took place during the Battle of Uhud, which, although it has been previously narrated, I will briefly mention it again.

After the battle, the Holy Prophet (sa) instructed Hazrat Ubayy (ra) bin Kaab to go and assess the conditions of those injured. As he went searching, he came across Hazrat Saad bin Rabi (ra) who had been fatally wounded and was breathing his last. Hazrat Ubayy (ra) asked him if he wished for him to convey any message to his relatives and loved ones. Hazrat Saad (ra) smiled and replied that he was hoping a Muslim would walk by so that he could pass onto him his message. He then stated, “Place your hand in mine and promise me that you will certainly convey my message.”

His message was, “Convey my greetings of peace [salam] to my fellow Muslim brethren and tell my people and relatives that the Holy Prophet (sa) is the most excellent trust which Allah the Almighty has granted to us and we protected this trust with our very lives. Now I depart, but I hand over the responsibility of protecting this trust over to you. Let it not be the case that you show negligence in its protection.”

(Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 7, p. 338)

In relation to Hazrat Umar’s (ra) participation in the Battle of Uhud, it is written that during the battle, Khalid bin Walid attacked the Muslims and owing to the sudden nature of the attack, the Muslims were unable to regroup themselves. Regarding its details, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) has written the following:

“The army of the Quraish had pretty much surrounded them from all four fronts and continued to crush the Muslims moment by moment through repeated attacks. Yet, even after all this, the Muslims would have may well regained themselves shortly thereafter, but the outrage was that a bold warrior from among the Quraish named Abdullah bin Qami‘ah attacked Mus‘ab (ra) bin Umair, the flag-bearer of the Muslims and severed his right hand with the blow of his sword. Mus‘ab (ra) immediately clutched the flag with his other hand and advanced to confront Ibn Qami‘ah, but in his second blow, the other hand was severed as well. Upon this, Mus‘ab (ra) joined both of his severed hands together in an endeavour to keep the Islamic flag from falling and held it to his chest, upon which Ibn Qami’ah struck him a third time, and this time Mus‘ab was martyred and fell to the ground.

“As far as the flag was concerned, another Muslim immediately advanced and took hold of it, but since the size and figure of Mus‘ab (ra) resembled the Holy Prophet (sa), Ibn Qami‘ah thought that he had slain the Holy Prophet (sa). It is also probable that this scheme of his was merely guided by motives of mischief and deceit. In any case, when Mus‘ab (ra) was martyred and fell, Ibn Qami‘ah exclaimed that he had slain Muhammad (sa). At this news, the Muslims lost whatever composure was left in them and their force was scattered completely. Many Companions fled from the field of battle in a state of dismay.

“At the time, the Muslims were divided into three groups. One group was of those who had fled from the field of battle upon hearing news that the Holy Prophet (sa) had been martyred, but this group was the smallest of all. However, as mentioned in the Holy Quran, taking into consideration the special circumstances of that time, and the heartfelt faith and sincerity of these people, Allah the Almighty forgave them […]

“The second group consisted of such people who had not fled, but upon hearing news of the martyrdom of the Holy Prophet (sa), had either lost determination or felt that now it was useless to fight. Hence, they had moved to one side of the battlefield, and sat down with their heads hanging low. The third group was of those who continued to fight on without fail. Among them, some consisted of those people who were gathered around the Holy Prophet (sa) and were exhibiting unprecedented feats of valour, and most of them were fighting in the field of battle scattered apart from one another. As these people, and those from the second group continued to discover that the Holy Prophet (sa) was alive, these people would continue to fight and close in around the Holy Prophet (sa) in the likeness of those possessed by madness. […]

“At the time, a very dangerous war ensued, and this was a time of great trial and tribulation for the Muslims. As mentioned, upon hearing news of the martyrdom of the Holy Prophet (sa), many Companions lost their spirit and had thrown in their arms and moved to one side of the battlefield. Hazrat Umar (ra) was also among these people. These people were sitting to one side of the battlefield, when a Companion named Anas (ra) bin Nadr Ansari happened to arrive, and upon seeing them, began to say, ‘What are you doing here?’ They responded, ‘The Holy Prophet (sa) has been martyred. What, now, is there to gain from battle?’ ‘This is the very time for battle,’ replied Anas (ra), ‘so that we may also attain the death, which has been acquired by the Holy Prophet (sa); and then what pleasure is there in life after the demise of the Holy Prophet (sa) anyway?’

“Then Saad bin Muaz (ra) came before him and Anas (ra) said, ‘Saad, I can smell the fragrance of paradise from this mountain.’ After this, Anas (ra) penetrated the enemy ranks and was martyred in battle. After the war, his body was found to have sustained more than eighty wounds, and no one could recognise his dead body. Finally, his sister identified him by a mark on his finger.”

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), pp. 493-495)

The Holy Prophet (sa), along with a few of his Companions, arrived at the foot of the valley when a group of the disbelievers launched a sudden attack and among them was also Khalid bin Walid. At the time, the Holy Prophet (sa) prayed:

اَللّٰهُمَّ‭ ‬إنَّهٗ‭ ‬لَا‭ ‬يَنْبَغِيْ‭ ‬لَهُمْ‭ ‬أَنْ‭ ‬يَّعْلُوْنَا ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ “‘O Allah! do not let these people reach us.’

“After this, Hazrat Umar (ra), along with a few Muhajireen, fought against the idolaters and eventually caused them to flee.”

(Ibn Hisham, Sirat Ibn Hisham [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2001], p. 537)

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) writes:

“Abu Sufyan took a few of his followers and proceeded to the mountain pass, where the Muslims had gathered and standing next to it, called out, ‘O Muslims! Is Muhammad (sa) among you?’ The Holy Prophet (sa) forbade anyone from responding, and thus, the Companionsra remained silent. Then, he enquired about Abu Bakr (ra) and Umar (ra), but even at this, in accordance with the instruction of the Holy Prophet (sa), no one responded.

“Upon this, in a most arrogant tone, he called out in a loud voice, ‘All of these people have been slain, for if they had been alive, they would have responded.’ At this, Hazrat Umar (ra) was unable to restrain himself, and uncontrollably said, ‘O enemy of Allah! You lie! We are all alive and Allah shall disgrace you at our hands.’

“Upon recognising the voice of Hazrat Umar (ra), Abu Sufyan said, ‘Tell the truth Umar! Is Muhammad (sa) alive?’ ‘Indeed! Indeed!’ said Hazrat Umar (ra), ‘By the Grace of God, he lives and is listening to your every word.’ In a relatively low voice, Abu Sufyan said, ‘Then, Ibn Qami‘ah has lied because I consider you to be more truthful than he.’ After this, Abu Sufyan, exclaimed:

اُعْلُ‭ ‬هُبَلْ‬‬

“i.e., ‘O Hubl! Exalted by thy name!’ Upon the instruction of the Holy Prophet (sa), the Companions remained silent, but the Holy Prophet (sa) who ordered silence for his own name, became restless upon hearing the name of an idol in parallel with the name of God the Exalted. ‘Why do you not respond?’ said the Holy Prophet (sa). The Companions submitted, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah! How shall we respond?’ The Holy Prophet (sa) said, ‘Proclaim:

اَللّٰهُ‭ ‬اَعْلٰي‭ ‬وَ‭ ‬اَجَلُّ‬‬‬‬‬‬

“i.e., ‘Greatness and grandeur belongs to Allah the Almighty alone.’ Abu Sufyan responded:

لَنَا‭ ‬الْعُزّٰي‭ ‬وَلَا‭ ‬عُزّٰي‭ ‬لَكُمْ ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ “i.e., ‘We have Uzza, but you have no Uzza!’ The Holy Prophet (sa) instructed the Companions to say:

اَللّٰهُ‭ ‬مَوْلٰنَا‭ ‬وَلَا‭ ‬مَوْلٰي‭ ‬لَكُمْ ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ “i.e.”, what significance does Uzza have? “‘We have Allah, Who is our Helper, but you have no Helper.’

“After this, Abu Sufyan said, ‘Battle is like a pail, at times, it rises and at times it falls. Consider this day to be a recompense for Badr. You shall find such bodies in the field of battle that have been mutilated. I did not order this, but when I found out about it, I did not find this action of my men displeasing either. Next year, we shall meet again at Badr in the same days.’

“As per the instruction of the Holy Prophet (sa), a companion responded, ‘Very well then, we shall meet again.’ After saying this Abu Sufyan descended with his followers and quickly thereafter, the army of the Quraish took the road to Mecca.”

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), pp. 498-499)

After the Battle of Uhud, when the Holy Prophet (sa) arrived in Medina, the hypocrites and the Jews began to rejoice and taunted the Muslims. They claimed, “Muhammad (sa) is desirous of becoming a king and yet no other prophet till this day has incurred such a loss as much as he has. He sustained injuries as well as his companions.” They would also say that if those who had been slain [during the Battle] remained behind with them, they would not have been killed. Upon this, Hazrat Umar (ra) sought permission from the Holy Prophet (sa) to kill the hypocrites who were uttering such words. The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, “Do they not bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah?” i.e. they recite the Kalimah. Upon this, Hazrat Umar (ra) submitted, “Indeed, they do, but alongside this they also speak in a hypocritical manner. They only recite [the Kalimah] owing to the fear of the sword. Thus, their matter has become evident and what was concealed in their hearts has been revealed and Allah the Almighty has exposed the malice they harbour in their hearts. Hence, we ought to punish them.”

The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, “I have been forbidden to kill anyone who recites the Kalimah [declaration of faith].”

(Ali bin Burhan al-Din al-Halabi, Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Bab Dhikr Maghaziyah, Ghazwat Uhud, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2002], p. 348)

That is, the Holy Prophet (sa) said that he had been forbidden to kill anyone who recited the Kalimah.

On the day of the Battle of Uhud, Abdullah bin Qami‘ah forcefully threw a rock at the Holy Prophet (sa), which injured his blessed countenance and broke his teeth. Upon this, he raised a slogan saying, ‘Take this, as I am the son of Qami‘ah!’ Wiping the blood from his blessed countenance, the Holy Prophet (sa) said, “May Allah disgrace you!”

The narrator states, “It so happened that God Almighty caused a mountain goat to overpower him, and it continued to strike him with its horns to the extent that he was severed in pieces.”

(al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir li al-Tabarani, Vol. 8, p. 154, Hadith 7596, Maktabat Ibn Taimiyyah, Cairo, 1994)

There is an account of Hazrat Aisha (ra) in relation to this incident. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) states, “When the Holy Prophet (sa) was struck in the face with a stone during the Battle of Uhud, he was hit with so much force that two rings of the helmet broke and pierced his blessed countenance.” Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) then states, “I ran towards the Holy Prophet (sa) but saw another person making his way to the Holy Prophet (sa) so swiftly, as though he was flying. Thereupon I prayed, ‘O Allah make this person a means of joy’ (i.e. make the one who was racing ahead a source of joy for the Holy Prophet (sa) and for them). When we reached the Holy Prophet (sa), I saw that it was Hazrat Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah (ra) who had preceded me. He said, ‘O Abu Bakr (ra), for the sake of Allah allow me to remove these rings from the blessed countenance of the Messenger (sa) of Allah!’ (i.e. permit him to remove the parts of the helmet that had pierced into his jaw). So I allowed him to do so. Then, Hazrat Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah (ra) took hold of one of the two rings of the helmet in between his teeth and pulled so hard that he fell to the ground on his back. They had been lodged so deep [into the jaw] that one of his front teeth broke. He then grasped the second ring in his teeth and pulled it out so forcefully that another one of his front teeth broke.”

Hazrat Zubair bin Awwam (ra) relates, “During the Battle of Uhud, when the situation of the battle changed dramatically, I was near the Holy Prophet (sa). At the time, we were stunned and in a state of shock, when a state of sleep descended upon us. It was such a state that it felt as if we had been overtaken by slumber. There was not a single one of us whose chin was not resting on their chest,” i.e., their heads were lowered in this state of sleep and drowsiness. “By God, it felt to me as though I had heard the voice of Mu’attib (ra) bin Qushair in my sleep and he was saying to me that if it was up to us to decide, we would never die here in this manner.” Hazrat Mu’attib (ra) bin Qushair was an Ansari Companion who participated in the pledge at Aqabah and the battles of Badr and Uhud. “I committed to memory the words I had heard in my state of slumber. With regard to this occasion, God Almighty revealed the following verse:

ثُمَّ اَنۡزَلَ عَلَیۡکُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ الۡغَمِّ اَمَنَۃً نُّعَاسًا یَّغۡشٰی طَآئِفَۃً مِّنۡکُمۡ ۙ وَ طَآئِفَۃٌ قَدۡ اَہَمَّتۡہُمۡ اَنۡفُسُہُمۡ یَظُنُّوۡنَ بِاللّٰہِ غَیۡرَ الۡحَقِّ ظَنَّ الۡجَاہِلِیَّۃِ ؕ یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ ہَلۡ لَّنَا مِنَ الۡاَمۡرِ مِنۡ شَیۡءٍ ؕ قُلۡ اِنَّ الۡاَمۡرَ کُلَّہٗ لِلّٰہِ

‘Then, after the sorrow, He sent down peace on you – a slumber that overcame a party of you – while the other party was anxious concerning their own selves, thinking wrongly of Allah like unto the thought of ignorance. They said, ‘Is there for us any part in the government of affairs?’ Say, ‘All government belongs to Allah.’’ [Surah al-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.155]

Hazrat Ka‘b bin Amr Ansari (ra) states, “On the day of the Battle of Uhud, I was with 14 of my fellow tribesmen alongside the Holy Prophet (sa). Thereafter, we were overtaken by a state of slumber which granted us peace,” i.e., the slumber brought about tranquillity in them. “Although we were still in the midst of a battle, yet this slumber granted us contentment. There was not a single person from among us who one could not hear the sound of snoring from.” At times, one can enter into a state of deep sleep.

He further says, “I witnessed the sword of Bishr bin Bara bin Ma‘rur (ra) (i.e., the companion being mentioned) fall out of his hand, but he was completely unaware of this, all the while, the idolaters were advancing towards us.”

(al-Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, p. 310, Dhikr Maghaziyah, Ghazwah Uhud, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002) (Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 4, p. 432, Mu’tab bin Qashir (ra), Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 2003)

Nonetheless, it may well be that he perceived the sword to have fallen, because despite their state of slumber, they were used to gripping their weapons firmly or they would feel a sudden jerk if it began to slip out of their hands. The word used in this verse is nu‘as and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh) has explained its meaning in great detail in one of his lectures. He said that analysing all the various meanings of the words “Amantan nu‘asan”, they can be summarised in this verse to mean, “After your sorrow, such a tranquillity was sent down upon you which can be termed as a form of sleep, or such a slumber which bestowed peace”; or that God sent down upon them peace and tranquillity, which had similar effects to that of sleep. Hence, this is the meaning of “Amantan nu‘asan”.

Slumber also means to momentarily lower one’s head when overcome with sleep. However, this meaning of nu‘as does not apply here, rather the meaning in this context is a state that is between one being awake and asleep.

Prior to falling asleep, there is a state where all of one’s nerves and every part of the body experiences a state of calm, and this indeed is a state of complete contentment. If this state is prolonged, then one falls asleep. If one is walking whilst they experience such a state, they will fall over, or at the least, they will feel a sudden jerk and then realise what state they had just experienced. However, if one falls asleep, they do not have voluntary control over their nerves and parts of the body.

Nonetheless, it could be the case that Bishr bin Bara (ra) experienced this state of deep sleep, but it was sleep that was peaceful. Despite the fact that they were in the middle of a battle, he experienced a state of tranquillity which results in one’s muscles to completely relax. For this reason, if we accept this to be the case, it was therefore owing to this state that his hands became slightly relaxed and his sword fell down. Nevertheless, this is such a state that one quickly realises that they are about to fall into deep sleep and owing to a sudden jolt, they wake up. Thus, God Almighty states that He sent down peace upon them, which was similar to that of sleep, but not deep sleep whereby one loses voluntary control over their senses. It granted them peace and tranquillity, but did not render them ineffectual.

In a hadith of Bukhari, Hazrat Abu Talha (ra) narrates, “On the day of Uhud, we were overcome by slumber at the peak of the battle.” This was the slumber that was referred to earlier. Hazrat Abu Talha (ra) further states, “My sword would constantly slip out of my hand, but then I would grip it firmly again.” Thus, from this hadith it shows that it was not such deep sleep whereby the possessions in their hands would drop, or that they would fall over whilst walking. Although it was a state of tranquillity, they had full control over their senses. [He says:] “When the sword would slip, I would grip it firmly.” Thus, it was not the case that slumber suddenly overcame them, rather this was a state that descended over them for a short while.

In Tirmidhi, Abwab-ut-Tafseer, Hazrat Abu Talha (ra) narrates, “During the Battle of Uhud, I looked around and saw that every single person was slouched behind their shields in a state of slumber.” This was owing to them remaining awake or due to tiredness, but the companions were in a difficult condition. God Almighty then caused a state of peace and tranquillity to descend upon them. It was not a state that is usually experienced by soldiers who become tired after a battle, rather Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh) has stated that it was as if something suddenly descended from the heavens upon all the Companions (ra) alongside the Holy Prophet (sa), who were engaged in fighting against the enemy, and this state then overtook the Companions (ra). At the time, they were in dire need of this source of peace. They needed to refresh and awaken their senses, but there was no time to take any rest. When someone experiences this and is tired to such an extent, this state can be experienced.

Nonetheless, if everyone suddenly falls in a state of slumber such as this, when the battle is at its peak and one is fearful of an attack by the enemy, then this is a miracle and not a coincidence. This can happen to certain people and this did not take place by chance, rather it was a miracle and God Almighty sent down this state of peace upon them at that time.

(Ma‘khuz Dars al-Quran biyan farmudah Khalifatul Masih al-Rabi‘, 6 Ramadan al-Mubarak, 17, Feb 1994)

This same account has been mentioned in another narration in Sirat al-Halabiyyah. Qais bin Abu Haazim relates that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, he saw the state of the hand of Hazrat Talha (ra) which had become severely withered as he had placed it in front of the Holy Prophet (sa) to protect him from the arrows. According to one narration, he lost so much blood after an arrow pierced his hand that he lost consciousness. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) sprinkled water on him and he eventually regained consciousness and even then immediately enquired about the Holy Prophet’s (sa) condition. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) informed him that the Holy Prophet (sa) was fine and it was the Holy Prophet (sa) who had sent him to see him. Hazrat Talha (ra) replied:

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ کُلُّ مُصِیْبَۃٍ بَعْدَہٗ جَلَلٗ

“All praise be to Allah! After knowing that the Holy Prophet (sa) is fine, every hardship becomes insignificant.”

(al-Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, p. 324, Ghazwah Uhud, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)

There is a narration with regard to the injuries sustained by the Holy Prophet (sa) during the battle of Uhud. Hazrat Sahl (ra) bin Saad was asked about the injuries of the Holy Prophet (sa), upon which he said, “If you ask me, then by God, I am fully aware of the person who cleaned the wounds of the Holy Prophet (sa).” That is, he vividly remembered that scene and also the one who was washing his wounds and what ointment was applied.

Hazrat Sahl (ra) said, “Hazrat Fatimah (ra), the daughter of the Holy Prophet (sa), was cleaning the wound and Hazrat Ali (ra) was using his shield to pour water over it. When Hazrat Fatimah (ra) saw that the water caused more blood to flow from the wound, she took a piece of a sack, burnt it and patched the wound, which stopped the bleeding. On that day, the Holy Prophet (sa) lost one of his front teeth, his face was wounded and his helmet broke, which injured his head.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bab ma Asaba al-Nabisa minal-Jarah Yaum Uhud, Hadith 4075)

There are also narrations regarding the Battle of Uhud. This battle took place in Shawwal 3 AH, 624 CE, between the Muslims and the Quraish. Towards the end of 3 AH, news reached of an attack on Medina by an army consisting of the Quraish of Mecca and the other tribes who had formed alliances with them. The Holy Prophet (sa) gathered the Muslims and informed them of the attack planned by the Quraish and sought their counsel as to whether they should remain in Medina and fight against them or go out of Medina.

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), pp. 483-484)

With regard to this, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) writes:

“The Holy Prophet (sa) gathered the Muslims and sought their counsel with regard to this attack of the Quraish; whether they should remain in Medina, or set out to fight the enemy […] Prior to beginning, the Holy Prophet (sa) mentioned the attack of the Quraish and their deadly intentions. Then, the Holy Prophet (sa) said, ‘Last night in my dream, I saw a cow, and I also saw that the tip of my sword had broken. Then, I saw the cow being slaughtered, and I also saw that I had placed my hand in a secure and strong coat of mail.’ It has also been related in one narration that the Holy Prophet (sa) said, ‘I saw as if I was mounted on the back of a ram.’ The Companions (ra) enquired, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah! How have you interpreted this dream?’ The Holy Prophet (sa) responded, ‘I have understood the slaughtering of the cow to infer that some of my Companions (ra) shall be martyred, and it seems as if the breaking of the tip of my sword is an indication towards the martyrdom of someone from among my relatives, or perhaps I shall myself suffer an injury in this campaign. As for placing my hand in a coat of mail, I have understood this to infer that in order to fend off this attack, it is more appropriate for us to remain in Medina […]’.

“The Holy Prophet (sa) interpreted the dream of himself being mounted on a ram to symbolize the leader of the army of the Quraish, i.e., its flag-bearer – who would, God-willing, be slain at the hands of the Muslims. After this, the Holy Prophet (sa) sought the counsel of his Companions (ra), as to what should be done in the current state of affairs.

“Upon weighing the pros and cons of the situation at hand, and perhaps being somewhat swayed by the dream of the Holy Prophet (sa), some of the prominent Companions (ra) submitted the opinion that it was more appropriate to remain in Medina and fight. The Holy Prophet (sa) also preferred this proposal and said, ‘It seems more beneficial for us to stay in Medina and fight them.’ However, a majority of the Companions (ra), and especially those young men who had not participated in the Battle of Badr, and were restless to receive an opportunity to serve the religion by means of their own martyrdom, very forcefully insisted that they should go forth from the city and fight in an open field. This group presented their opinion with such persistence that upon witnessing their zeal, the Holy Prophet (sa) accepted their proposal and decided that the Muslims would fight the disbelievers in an open field. After the Friday Prayer, the Holy Prophet (sa) publicly urged the Muslims to attain spiritual reward through Jihad in the cause of Allah by participating in this Ghazwah.

“Thereafter, the Holy Prophet (sa) retired to his residence, where he tied his turban, put on his equipment and took his arms with the assistance of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hazrat Umar (ra), and came out in the name of Allah.

“However, during this time”, owing to the admonishment of some of the Companions (ra), “the party of young men began to realize their mistake; in that they should not have insisted upon their own opinion in opposition to the view of God’s Messenger (sa), and most of them were now inclined towards remorse.

“When these people saw the Holy Prophet (sa) coming with his arms, clad in double the armour, and his helmet, etc., their regret grew even more. They almost unanimously submitted, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah! We have committed a mistake in insisting upon our own view over your own. You should employ whatever strategy you deem most appropriate. God-willing, it shall be most blessed.’

“The Holy Prophet (sa) said, ‘It does not befit a Prophet of God to put on his arms and then lay them down before God issues forth a verdict. So go forth now, in the name of Allah and if you are steadfast, then be certain that the succour of Allah the Exalted shall be with you.’”

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), pp. 484-486)

The Holy Prophet’s (sa) Sword

On the occasion of the Battle of Uhud, the Holy Prophet (sa) held his sword in his hand and stated, “Who is it that shall do justice to this?” Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) was also amongst those who expressed their desire to be granted this sword.

(Sharh al-Zurqani ala al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1996], p. 404)

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) has mentioned this incident in The Life and Character of the Seal of the Prophets as follows:

“The Holy Prophet (sa) took his sword in hand and said, ‘Who shall take this sword and do justice to it?’ Many Companions (ra) extended their hands in the desire of this honour, which included Hazrat Umar (ra) and Zubair (ra), and in light of various narrations, even Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hazrat Ali (ra). The Holy Prophet (sa), however, restrained his hand and continued to say, ‘Is there anyone to do this sword justice?’ Finally, Abu Dujanah Ansari (ra) extended his hand and submitted, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah! Grant me this honour.’ And so the Holy Prophet (sa) gave him the sword.”

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), p. 489)

A Test & Lesson for the Believers

During the Battle of Uhud, when the disbelievers turned around and launched another attack, the Muslims suffered a loss. At the time, news also spread that the Holy Prophet (sa) had been martyred. Ibn Ishaq relates that upon the news of the Holy Prophet (sa) being martyred and when some of the people had dispersed, the first person who saw the Holy Prophet (sa) was Hazrat Kaab (ra) bin Malik. He relates, “I saw the sparkle of the Holy Prophet’s (sa) eyes from his helmet and shouted, ‘O Muslims! Rejoice, for the Messenger (sa) of Allah is here!’ Upon hearing this, the Holy Prophet (sa) indicated by the gesture of his hand to remain silent. When the Muslims recognised the Holy Prophet (sa), he went along with them towards the valley. With him were Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra), Hazrat Umar (ra), Hazrat Ali (ra), Hazrat Talha (ra) bin Ubaidullah, Hazrat Zubair (ra) bin Awam, Hazrat Harith (ra) bin Simmah and various other esteemed Companions (ra).”

(Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Fikr, 2002], p. 70)

On the day of Uhud, the Holy Prophet (sa) took bai‘at from a group of Companions (ra) on the condition that they would be ready to sacrifice their lives. At a time when it appeared as if the Muslims were suffering a loss, these people remained steadfast and risked their lives in order to defend the Holy Prophet (sa) to the point that some of them even embraced martyrdom. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), Hazrat Umar (ra), Hazrat Talha (ra), Hazrat Zubair (ra), Hazrat Saad (ra), Hazrat Sahl (ra) bin Hunaif and Hazrat Abu Dujanahra were all among these fortunate people who took this pledge.

(Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 2005], p. 431)

More On Battle of Uhud

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), pp. 529-530)

Whilst mentioning further details about the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) states:

“The feats of valour that were displayed by the Companions (ra) who had gathered around the Holy Prophet (sa) were such that history is unable to present the like thereof. These people would revolve around the Holy Prophet (sa) like moths around a flame and continuously put their lives at stake for the Holy Prophet (sa). The Companions (ra) would take every blow upon themselves and along with protecting the Holy Prophet (sa) they would continue to strike the enemy. Hazrat Ali (ra) and Zubair (ra) attacked the enemy countless times and persistently drove back their ranks. In the course of this rain of arrows, Abu Talha Ansari (ra) broke three bows, and stood firm like a rock and covered the body of the Holy Prophet (sa) with his own shield. The Holy Prophet (sa) would hand arrows to Saad (ra) himself and Saad (ra) would continue to shower the enemy with arrow upon arrow. At one instance, the Holy Prophet (sa) addressed Saad (ra) saying, ‘May my mother and father be sacrificed upon you – go on shooting arrows!’ Even to the very end of his life, Saad (ra) would recall these words of the Holy Prophet (sa) with great pride. For a very long time, Abu Dujanahra shielded the body of the Holy Prophet (sa) with his own, and would take every arrow and stone to his own body. This was to such an extent that his body became heavily pierced with arrows, but he did not even sigh, lest his body flinched and the Holy Prophet (sa) became even slightly exposed to a single arrow. In order to protect the Holy Prophet (sa), Talha (ra) took countless blows to his own body, and it was in this very attempt that his hand was paralysed and rendered useless forever. But how long could these few devotees withstand this grand flood, which was ravaging forward moment by moment from all fronts with its horrific waves. The Muslims would sway from side to side with every wave of every attack waged by the enemy, but as soon as its force would somewhat subside, these helpless Muslims would continue fighting and close in around their beloved Mastersa. At times, the force of the attack would be so perilous that the Holy Prophet (sa) would practically be left standing alone. There was one occasion when only twelve men were left standing around the Holy Prophet (sa), and there was even a time when only two people were left standing by the Holy Prophet (sa). Among these devotees the names of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), Ali (ra), Talha (ra), Zubair (ra), Saad (ra) bin Waqas, Abu Dujanah Ansari (ra), Saad (ra) bin Muaz and Talha Ansari (ra) have been especially recorded.”

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), pp. 495-496)

The Holy Prophet's (sa) Blessed Teeth Break

Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) narrates the entire account in which the blessed teeth of the Holy Prophet (sa) were broken during the Battle of Uhud. Regarding this, Hazrat Aisha (ra) says that when Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) would narrate the incident from the Day of Uhud, he would say that the day belonged to Talha. Narrating details of this Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) would say:

“I was from among those people who returned back to the Holy Prophet (sa). When I returned, I saw that there was an individual protecting the Holy Prophet (sa) and fighting alongside him.” The narrator says: “I believe that he [i.e. Abu Bakr] said he was protecting him.” Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) further says: “I said to myself, ‘I wish that person is Talha.’ I lost out on the opportunity, but deep down, I wished if only this person belonged to my tribe, as this would please me more.” This is what Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) thought at the time. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) further says: “There was a person between myself and the Holy Prophet (sa) who I could not recognise, even though I was closer to that individual than the Holy Prophet (sa). He was walking so fast that I was unable to keep up with him. When I observed closely, I realised it was Hazrat Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah (ra). I reached the Holy Prophet (sa). His lateral incisors (i.e. the tooth between the two front incisors and canines) was broken and his face was wounded. Rings of the helmet had become lodged in the Holy Prophet’s (sa) cheek. The Holy Prophet (sa) said to go and check on our companion (by this the Holy Prophet (sa) meant to check up on Talha (ra)) as he had lost a lot of blood. (Instead of asking for them to see to his injuries, the Holy Prophet (sa) instructed to see to Talha (ra)) and so we left him. I stepped forward to remove the chains of the helmet from the Holy Prophet’s (sa) cheek. Upon this, Hazrat Abu Ubaidah (ra) said: ‘I swear by the right I have over you, please leave this task for me.’ I therefore left it to Abu Ubaidah. He did not wish to pull the rings out by his hand, in case it causes pain to the Holy Prophet (sa). So he tried to pull the rings out with his teeth. When he pulled one chain out, his own front tooth broke as well. I stepped forward in order to remove the second ring in the same manner that he did.” Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) says: “I said that I will try to take out the other ring, but Hazrat Abu Ubaidah (ra) said again: ‘I swear by the right I have over you, please leave this task for me.’” He said this to Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra). Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) stepped aside, and Abu Ubaidah (ra) did the same as before; when he pulled the second ring out, his other front incisor also broke. Abu Ubaidah (ra) was the most handsome of all those whose front two teeth were broken. After tending to the injuries of the Holy Prophet (sa), they went to Talha, he was [sitting] in a ditch. They saw that on his body he had close to 70 sword, spear and arrow wounds and one of his fingers had been severed. They treated his injuries and applied ointment.

(Mustafa Abd al-Wahid, Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad fi Sirat Khair al-Ibad, Vol. 4, Ghazwat Uhud [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1993], pp. 199-200) (Lughat al-Hadith, Zair Lafz Ruba‘i, Nu‘mani Kutub Khana, Lahore, 2005)

Aside from Hazrat Abu Ubaidah (ra), there are narrations which state that Hazrat Uqbah (ra) bin Wahb and Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) pulled out these rings.

(Sharh al-Zurqani ala al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1996], p. 425)

However, the first narration seems more authentic. During the Battle of Uhud, when the Holy Prophet (sa) climbed the mount along with his Companions (ra), the disbelievers chased after him. In a narration of Sahih al-Bukhari, it is mentioned that, “Abu Sufyan asked three times if Muhammad (sa) was present among them. The Holy Prophet (sa) stopped the Companions (ra) from saying anything. Abu Sufyan then asked three times if the son of Abu Quhafah”, i.e. Abu Bakr, “was present among them. And then asked three times if the son of Khattab, i.e. Umar was present among them. He then returned to his comrades and said to them: “All of these have been killed.” Upon hearing this, Hazrat Umar (ra) was unable to restrain himself and said: “By God you are a liar, O enemy of Allah! Whoever you have mentioned are all alive. And many things that you find unpleasant are yet to befall you.”

*(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Jihad wa al-Siyar, Bab ma Yukrahu min al-Tanazu’ wa al-Ikhtilaf fi al-Harb…, Hadith 3039) *

Meccans Believe they have Defeated the Muslims

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) has stated that the Holy Prophet (sa) was injured and fell unconscious. Then narrating the events after he regained consciousness, he writes:

“After a little while, the Holy Prophet (sa) returned to consciousness. The Companions (ra) who surrounded him sent out messengers to tell Muslims to assemble again. A disrupted army began to assemble once again. They escorted the Holy Prophet (sa) to the foot of the mount. Whilst the remaining army stood at the foot of the mount, Abu Sufyan (ra), cried aloud, ‘We have killed Muhammad (sa).’ The Holy Prophet (sa) forbade the Muslims to answer, lest the enemy should know the truth and attack again and the exhausted and badly-wounded Muslims fall prey to their attack. Not receiving a reply from the Muslims, Abu Sufyanra became certain the Holy Prophet (sa) had been killed. He followed his first cry by a second and said, ‘We have also killed Abu Bakr (ra).’ The Holy Prophet (sa) stopped Abu Bakr (ra) from replying. Abu Sufyan followed by a third, and said, ‘We have also killed ‘Umar (ra).’ At this point, Umar, who had a spirited disposition, wanted to say that ‘By God’s grace we are all alive and ready to fight you,’ however the Holy Prophet (sa) stopped him from saying anything, lest it puts the Muslims in further hardship. The disbelievers were now certain that they had killed the founder of Islam along with two of its pillars. Relishing in their victory, Abu Sufyanra raised the slogan,

أُعْلُ‭ ‬هُبَل‭ ‬أُعْلُ‭ ‬هُبَل‬‬‬

“‘Glory to Hubal! Glory to Hubal! For our revered idol Hubal has put an end to Islam.’”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) further says:

“The Holy Prophet (sa) ordered his Companions (ra) to remain silent upon hearing the news of Abu Bakr’s, Umar’s and his own death, lest the enemy army returns and launches another attack on the badly injured Muslims and these handful of Muslims become martyrs. But now it was the case of the honour of God Almighty, and a slogan of an idol was raised in the battlefield, the soul of the Holy Prophet (sa) became restless and in a state passion and vigour, he turned to the Companions (ra) and asked: ‘Why do you not reply to him.’ The Companions (ra) asked, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah! What should we say?’ He replied:

“‘Say:

اللّٰهُ‭ ‬أَعْلَى‭ ‬وَأَجَلُّ‭ ‬اللّٰهُ‭ ‬أَعْلَى‭ ‬وَأَجَلُّ‬‬‬‬‬

“‘“You lie that Hubal is exalted. Allah, the One Who has no partner is Honoured and He alone is Exalted.’” And through this, he also conveyed to the enemy that he was still alive. This bold and courageous reply had such a deep impact on the enemy army that despite their hopes being crushed and despite the fact that only a handful of injured Muslims stood before them, and from a logical standpoint it was very easy for them to return and attack them, they could not muster the courage to do so. Content with the sort of victory they had won, they returned to Mecca rejoicing.”

(Dibachah Tafsir al-Quran, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 20, pp. 252-253)

Hazrat Aisha (ra) narrates that the following verse was regarding the Companions (ra):

اَلَّذِیۡنَ اسۡتَجَابُوۡا لِلّٰہِ وَالرَّسُوۡلِ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَاۤ اَصَابَہُمُ الۡقَرۡحُ ؕۛ لِلَّذِیۡنَ اَحۡسَنُوۡا مِنۡہُمۡ وَاتَّقَوۡا اَجۡرٌ عَظِیۡمٌ

“As to those who answered the call of Allah and the Messenger after they had received an injury – such of them as do good and act righteously shall have a great reward.” (Surah Aal-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.173)

She narrates:

“This verse is regarding the Companions (ra); i.e. those who answered the call of Allah and the Messenger (sa) after they had received an injury – such of them as do good and act righteously shall have a great reward.”

Hazrat Aisha (ra) said to Urwah: “O my nephew! Your father Zubair (ra) and Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) were also from among them. During the Battle of Uhud, when the Holy Prophet (sa) was injured and the idolaters turned back, the Holy Prophet (sa) was worried lest they return. The Holy Prophet (sa) asked: ‘Who will go after them?’”

In response 70 Companions (ra) were ready to go, and according to Urwah, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) were among them.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bab Alladhina istajabu lillah wa al-Rasul…, Hadith 4077)

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) writes:

“It is strange to note that on this occasion, although the Quraish had attained victory against the Muslims, and with respect to their apparent means, if they had desired, they could have further capitalized on this opportunity; not to mention, the opportunity to attack Medina was open to them in any case. However, the Power of God was such that despite this victory, in their hearts, the Quraish were struck with awe, and considering the victory attained in the field of Uhud as being lucky enough, they thought it wise to make haste to Mecca.

“Nevertheless, despite all this, as an act of further precaution, the Holy Prophet (sa) immediately dispatched a party of seventy Companions (ra), which also included Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra), in pursuit of the army of the Quraish. This is the narration, as it is related in Bukhari. The manner in which most historians describe the account is that the Holy Prophet (sa) sent Hazrat Ali (ra), or in light of various narrations, Saad (ra) bin Abi Waqas in the footsteps of the Quraish and instructed him to bring news as to whether the army of the Quraish intended to attack Medina. The Holy Prophet (sa) went on to tell him that if the Quraish were mounted on their camels and were taking their horses along unmounted, then they should rest assured that they were returning to Mecca, and did not intend to attack Medina. However, if they were mounted on horses then they would know that their intention was not good. The Holy Prophet (sa) strictly instructed him that if the army of the Quraish was heading towards Medina, he should be informed at once and in a state of great passion, he said, ‘At this time, if the Quraish attack Medina, by God, we shall fight them and give them a taste of their own.’ Thus, the men dispatched by the Holy Prophet (sa) went and quickly returned with the good news that the army of the Quraish was proceeding towards Mecca.”

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), pp. 499-500)

Hamra-al-Asad

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)

(Sharh al-Zurqani ala al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1996], p. 404)

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) has mentioned this incident in The Life and Character of the Seal of the Prophets as follows:

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), p. 489)

Hazrat Abdur Rahman (ra) bin Auf also took part in the Battle of Uhud. When the Muslims lost their positions on the day of the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Abdur Rahman (ra) bin Auf remained steadfast beside the Holy Prophet (sa).

(al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 95, Abdur Rahman bin Auf, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

On the day of the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Abdur Rahman (ra) bin Auf sustained 21 wounds. His foot was wounded to such an extent that he began to walk with a limp and also lost two of his front teeth.

(Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 3, p. 476, Abdur Rahman bin Auf, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut)

Hazrat Ali (ra) relates:

“During the Battle of Uhud, when the people around the Holy Prophet (sa) became scattered, I started searching through the bodies of the martyrs, but did not find the Holy Prophet (sa). I then said, ‘By God! The Holy Prophet (sa) would never flee, nor have I found him among the martyrs. Instead Allah is displeased with us and has raised up His Prophet (sa). Hence, now it is best for me to continue fighting until I am killed.’ I then broke the sheath of my sword and launched an attack on the disbelievers, which caused them to disperse. Once they had dispersed, I saw that the Holy Prophet (sa) had been surrounded by them.”

(Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 4, Dhikr Ali bin Abi Talib [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Fikr, 2003], 45)

This is the tale of love and devotion, which began from childhood and manifested itself on each and every occasion.

Hazrat Saeed (ra) bin Musayyib relates that Hazrat Ali (ra) sustained 16 wounds during the Battle of Uhud.

(Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 4, Dhikr Ali bin Abi Talib [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Fikr, 2003], 93)

On the day of the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Talha (ra) took part in the battle alongside the Holy Prophet (sa). He was among those who stood resolutely with the Holy Prophet (sa) and pledged on the condition of offering their lives. Malik bin Zuhair fired an arrow in the direction of the Holy Prophet (sa) but Hazrat Talha (ra) protected the Holy Prophet’s (sa) blessed face with his hand. The arrow struck him on his little finger which consequently became incapacitated. When the first arrow struck him, he let out a small cry due to the immense pain. Upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) stated, “If he had recited Bismillah [in the name of Allah], he would have entered paradise in a manner that people would be witnessing it before their very eyes.” In one of the books of history, it further states that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, an idolater twice struck a blow to Hazrat Talha’s (ra) head; once when he was coming towards him and the second time when he was turning away from him. He lost a lot of blood as a result of this.

(al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, pp. 162-163, Talha bin Ubaidillah Quraishi, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Hazrat Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah (ra) was among those companions who remained steadfast alongside the Holy Prophet (sa) during the Battle of Uhud when others had dispersed.

(Ibn Sa‘d, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990] 313.)

On the day of the Battle of Uhud, Khalid bin Waleed took the Muslims by surprise and launched a sudden attack on them, causing them to disperse. Based on various narrations, Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) has related these aforementioned incidents in further detail. His narration illustrates an astonishing account of the level of steadfastness and sacrifice of Hazrat Talha (ra). Even though this was evident in the earlier accounts, but nonetheless the details of this account he has related are as follows:

“A few companions rushed to the Holy Prophet (sa) and formed a ring around him. They could not have been more than thirty in total. The Meccan army attacked this ring fiercely, where the Holy Prophet (sa) was standing. One by one, the Muslims in the ring fell under the blows of Meccan swordsmen. Aside from the Meccans who were with swords, from the hill, the archers sent volleys of arrows towards the Holy Prophet (sa). Upon witnessing that the enemy was relentlessly firing arrows, at that time, Talha, one of the Quraysh and the Muhajirin (Meccan Muslims who had taken refuge in Medina), saw that the enemy arrows were all directed to the face of the Prophet (sa). He stretched out his hand and held it up against the Prophet’s (sa) face. Arrow after arrow struck Talha’s (ra) hand, yet this brave and valiant warrior did not allow his hand to move. With each shot, Talha’s hand was pierced through. Ultimately it was completely mutilated and Talha (ra) lost his hand.

“Many years later, during the time of the Fourth Khalifa of Islam, when internal dissensions had raised their head, Talha (ra) was tauntingly described by an enemy as the handless Talha. One companion replied, ‘Handless, yes, but do you know where he lost his hand? At the Battle of Uhud, in which he raised his hand to shield the Prophet’s (sa) face from the enemy’s arrows.’ Long after the Battle of Uhud someone asked Talha (ra), ‘Did not your hand hurt under the arrow shots and the pain make you cry in anguish?’ Talha (ra) replied, ‘Indeed it hurt me, and it almost made me cry in anguish, but I resisted both because I knew that if my hand shook even slightly, it would expose the Prophet’s (sa) face to the volley of enemy arrows.’”

(Dibacha Tafsir-ul-Quran, Anwarul Ulum, Vol. 20, p. 250)

During the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Ubayy (ra) was struck by an arrow which pierced into his median vein, which carries blood to the head, chest, back and to the hands and feet. Subsequently, the Holy Prophet (sa) sent a physician to treat him, who then cut the vein and then branded it with his own hand.

(Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 141, 142) (Urdu Lughat, Vol. 22, p. 29, Urdu Lughat Board, Karachi)

Aside from Hazrat Abu Ubaidah (ra), there are narrations which state that Hazrat Uqbah (ra) bin Wahb and Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) pulled out these rings.

(Sharh al-Zurqani ala al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1996], p. 425)

*(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Jihad wa al-Siyar, Bab ma Yukrahu min al-Tanazu’ wa al-Ikhtilaf fi al-Harb…, Hadith 3039) *

(Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Fikr, 2002], p. 70)

(Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 2005], p. 431)

Mentioning the condition of the Muslims during this battle, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) says in Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin:

“The army of the Quraish had pretty much surrounded them from all four fronts and continued to crush the Muslims moment by moment through repeated attacks. Yet, even after all this, the Muslims would may well have regained themselves shortly thereafter, but the outrage was that a bold warrior from among the Quraish named Abdullah bin Qamiah attacked Mus‘ab (ra) bin Umair, the flag-bearer of the Muslims and severed his right hand with the blow of his sword. Mus‘ab (ra) immediately clutched the flag with his other hand and advanced to confront Ibn Qamiah, but in his second blow, the other hand was severed as well.

“Upon this, Mus‘ab (ra) joined both of his severed hands together in an endeavour to keep the Islamic flag from falling, and held it to his chest, upon which Ibn Qamiah struck him a third time and this time, Mus‘ab was martyred and fell to the ground. As far as the flag was concerned, another Muslim immediately advanced and took hold of it, but since the size and figure of Mus‘ab resembled the Holy Prophet (sa), Ibn Qamiah thought that he had slain the Holy Prophet (sa). It is also probable that this scheme of his was merely guided by motives of mischief and deceit. In any case, when Mus‘ab (ra) was martyred and fell, Ibn Qamiah exclaimed that he had slain Muhammad (sa).

“At this news, the Muslims lost whatever composure was left in them and their force was scattered completely. Many Companions fled from the battlefield in a state of dismay. At the time, the Muslims were divided into three groups. One group was of those who had fled from the field of battle upon hearing the news that the Holy Prophet (sa) had been martyred, but this group was the smallest of all”, or rather it is said that they dispersed out of dismay, “and this included Hazrat Uthman (ra) bin Affan as well. However, as mentioned in the Holy Quran, taking into consideration the special circumstances of that time and the heartfelt faith and sincerity of these people, Allah the Exalted forgave them. From among these people, some had even reached Medina and in this manner, news of the so-called martyrdom of the Holy Prophet (sa) and defeat of the Muslim army managed to reach Medina as well.

“A state of lamentation broke out in Medina, and the Muslim men and women, both young and old, all came out of the city in a state of immense dismay, and set out towards Uhud. Some made haste to the field of battle and plunged into the enemy ranks in the name of Allah.

“The third group was of those who continued to fight on without fail. Among them, some consisted of those people who were gathered around the Holy Prophet (sa) and were exhibiting unprecedented feats of valour, and most of them were fighting in the field of battle scattered apart from one another.

“As these people, and those from the second group, continued to discover that the Holy Prophet (sa) was alive, these people would continue to fight and close in around the Holy Prophet (sa) in the likeness of those possessed by madness. The state of war at the time was such that the army of the Quraish would push forward from all four fronts in the likeness of ferocious ocean waves. A rain of arrows and stones was falling upon them in the battlefield from all directions. Upon witnessing this state of danger, these devotees surrounded the perimeter of the Holy Prophet (sa) and shielded his blessed body with their own. However, despite this, whenever the force of the attack would surge forward, this handful of men would be jostled here and there, and in this state, at times, the Holy Prophet (sa) would almost be left standing alone.”

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), pp. 493-494)

In any case it states that upon hearing the news of the Holy Prophet’s (sa) martyrdom, Hazrat Uthman (ra) left the battlefield, perhaps out of dismay and sorrow or for some other reason. And although he did not leave [the battlefield], Hazrat Umar’s (ra) name is also mentioned amongst those who stopped fighting out of their dismay and sorrow. However, the details of that will be mentioned later [during the mention of his accounts].

The account of this battle is also recorded in another tradition from a source of history. Hazrat Zubair (ra) relates that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, the Holy Prophet (sa) was wearing two chain armours. Owing to the weight of the armour the Holy Prophet (sa) was wearing and from weakness after having lost a lot of blood from the injuries he had sustained to his head and face – this account is relating to after the battle had concluded – the Holy Prophet (sa) was not able to climb a rock. The Holy Prophet (sa) made Hazrat Talha (ra) kneel down and placed his foot on him and ascended onto the rock. Hazrat Zubair (ra) narrates that he heard the Holy Prophet (sa) state, “Talha (ra) has made paradise incumbent upon himself.”

(Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 3, p. 85, Talha bin Ubaidillah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) (al-Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, p. 321, Ghazwah Uhud, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)

In another narration, it states that Hazrat Talha (ra) had a limp in one of his legs and as a result of this, he could not walk properly. When he lifted the Holy Prophet (sa), he made every effort to ensure he placed every step carefully and walked straight so that owing to his limp, the Holy Prophet (sa) would not experience any discomfort. After this, he completely recovered from his limp.

(al-Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, p. 322, Ghazwah Uhud, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)

Hazrat Anas (ra) relates that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, the Holy Prophet (sa) took hold of a sword and stated:

مَنْ یَاْخُذُ مِنِّیْ ھٰذَا؟

“Who shall take this from me?”

Everyone raised their hands and each one of them requested to have it. The Holy Prophet (sa) then stated:

فَمَنْ یَاْخُذُہٗ بِحَقِّہٖ

“Who shall take this whilst doing justice to it?”

Hazrat Anas (ra) narrates that upon this, some of the people showed hesitance; however, Hazrat Simak bin Kharasha Abu Dujana (ra) submitted, “I shall take it and will indeed do justice to it.”

Hazrat Anas (ra) relates that Hazrat Abu Dujana (ra) took hold of the sword and split the heads of the idolaters. This is a hadith from Sahih Muslim.

(Sahih Muslim, Kitab Fada‘il al-Sahabah, Bab min Fada‘il Abi Dujanah Simak bin Kharashah, Hadith 6353)

In another tradition, it states that Hazrat Abu Dujana (ra) asked how one could do justice to it. Upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) stated, “Do not kill any Muslim with this and never flee from the disbelievers [in battle] whilst you are in possession of it.” In other words, to fight against them courageously.

Hazrat Abu Dujana (ra) then submitted, “I will take this sword and will indeed do justice to it.” When the Holy Prophet (sa) handed over the sword to him, he split the heads of the idolaters and on this occasion recited the following couplets:

أَنَا الَّذِیْ عَاھَدَنِیْ خَلِیْلِیْ

وَنَحْنُ بِالسَّفْحِ لَدَی النَّخِیْلِ

اَنْ لَّا أَقُوْمَ الدَّھْرَ فِی الْکَیُوْلِ

أَضْرِبْ بِسَیْفِ اللّٰہِ وَالرَّسُوْلِ

“I am the one whose friend had taken an oath from me whilst we stood near the date palms of Safaa. I pledged that I shall not stand in the rows at the rear of the army. And I shall fight the enemy with the sword of Allah and His Messenger (sa).”

Hazrat Abu Dujana (ra) began to proudly walk amongst the army rows and observing this the Holy Prophet (sa) stated:

اِنَّ ھٰذِہٖ مِشْیَۃٌ یُبْغِضُھَا اللّٰہُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ اِلَّا فِیْ ھٰذَا الْمُقَامِ

“The manner in which he is walking is one that Allah is displeased with except for occasions like this,” i.e. during battle.

(Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, Vol. 7, Abu Dujanah al-Ansari [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2005], 100) (Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 2, Simak bin Kharashah [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2003], 317)

Hazrat Zubair (ra) bin al-Awam relates that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, the Holy Prophet (sa) presented a sword and said:

مَنْ یَاْخُذُ ھٰذَا السَّیْفَ بِحَقِّہٖ

“Who shall take this sword and do justice to it?”

Hazrat Zubair (ra) narrates, “I stood up and submitted, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, I shall take it.’ The Holy Prophet (sa) turned away and again stated, ‘Who shall take this sword and do justice to it?’ Again, I submitted, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, I shall take it.’ And again the Holy Prophet (sa) turned away. The Holy Prophet (sa) once again stated, ‘Who shall take this sword and do justice to it?’ Thereafter, Hazrat Abu Dujana Simak bin Kharasha (ra) stood up and submitted, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, I shall take this sword and will indeed do justice to it; but how exactly am I to do justice to it?’ The Holy Prophet (sa) stated, ‘Do not kill any Muslim with it and never flee from the disbelievers [in battle] whilst you are in possession of it, courageously fight against them.’”

Hazrat Zubair (ra) further narrates, “After this, the Holy Prophet (sa) gave the sword to Abu Dujana. It was the habit of Abu Dujana that whenever he went forth for any battle, he would tie a piece of red cloth around his head. At the time, I said to myself that I shall see how Abu Dujana does justice to the sword.”

Hazrat Zubair (ra) narrates, “Whoever came up against Abu Dujana would be killed by him and cutting through the enemy ranks he went ahead to the extent that he went right through the enemy rows and reached the point where the women were, who were beating the drums near the side of the mountain. At the time, one of the women was reciting the following couplet, the translation of which is:

“‘We are the daughters of the morning star of Tariq, who soar above the clouds; if you advance boldly, we will embrace you and lay down cushions for your comfort, but if you show cowardice and retreat, we will abandon you, in a manner whereby not a grain of love between us shall remain.’”

Hazrat Zubair (ra) says:

“I saw Abu Dujanah raise a sword against a woman and then lower it. When the battle finished, I said to him, ‘I watched you throughout the battle; you raised your sword to a woman and then lowered it. What was the reason for this?’ He replied, ‘By Allah! It was out of honour for the sword of the Holy Prophet (sa) lest it be used to slay a woman. It was not possible for me to kill a women using the sword of the Holy Prophet (sa) and for this reason, I stopped myself.’”

In another narration, it is stated that this woman was Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, who was singing along with the other women. When Hazrat Abu Dujanah (ra) raised his sword to Hind, she cried out for help; however, no one came to her aid. Hazrat Abu Dujanah (ra) lowered his sword and then returned. Upon the enquiry by Hazrat Zubair (ra), he said, “I did not like to kill a helpless woman with the sword of the Holy Prophet (sa).”

(Al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihain, Vol. 3, p. 440, 441, Kitab Marifat al-Sahabah, Dhikr Manaqib Abi Dujanah, Riwayah No. 5088, Dar al-Kutub al-Fikr, Beirut, 2002) (Sharh Allamah Zurqani ala al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah, Vol. 2, p. 406, 407, Kirab al-Maghazi, Bab Ghazwat Uhud, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1996)

Whilst describing the moment when there only remained a few steadfast companions near the Holy Prophet (sa) on the occasion of the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) has written:

“The Holy Prophet (sa) would hand arrows to Sa‘d (ra) himself and Sa‘d (ra) would continue to shower the enemy with arrow upon arrow. At one instance, the Holy Prophet (sa) addressed Sa‘d (ra) saying, ‘May my mother and father be sacrificed upon you – go on shooting arrows!’ Even to the very end of his life, Sa‘d (ra) would recall these words of the Holy Prophet (sa) with great pride.”

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), p. 495)

In one of the narrations, it is mentioned that Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas (ra) relates, “On the day of Uhud, the Holy Prophet (sa) took out arrows from his quiver, scattered them out for me and said, ‘Shoot the arrows! May my parents be sacrificed for you!’”

(Sahih Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Hadith no. 4055)

Hazrat Ali (ra) relates, “I never heard the Holy Prophet (sa) offer this prayer of his parents being sacrificed for anyone but Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) bin Abi Waqas.”

On the occasion of the Battle of Uhud, the Holy Prophet (sa) said to Hazrat Sa‘d (ra), “May my parents be sacrificed for you! Continue to fire arrows O mighty youth! Continue to fire arrows!”

(Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, Kitab-ul-Manaqib, Hadith no. 3753)

Here, it is also worth mentioning that a note has been added that in history, aside from Hazrat Sa‘d (ra), the name of Hazrat Zubair bin al-Awwam (ra) is also found regarding whom the Holy Prophet (sa) said:

فِدَاکَ اَبِیْ وَاُمِّیْ

“May my parents be sacrificed for you!” This is a narration from Bukhari.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Fazail al-Sahaba al-Nabi, Hadith no. 3720)

Mentioning the incident of the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) relates that on the day of Uhud, the Holy Prophet (sa) made reference to both of his own parents, saying may they be sacrificed for Hazrat Sa‘d (ra). Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) relates that there was a man from among the idolaters who had caused trouble for the Muslims. The Holy Prophet (sa) said to him, i.e., to Hazrat Sa‘d (ra), “Shoot arrows! May my parents be sacrificed for you!” Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) says, “I shot one arrow that did not have an arrowhead, into his side [of the idolater], as a result of which he died and he was left exposed from his lower region. I saw that the Holy Prophet (sa) expressed happiness.

(Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Fazail al-Sahaba, Hadith no. 2412)

In another narration, this incident has been recorded in the following manner that this idolater, whose name is mentioned as Hibban in the books of history, shot an arrow that struck Hazrat Umme Ayman in the lower region of her body, whilst she was occupied in providing water for the wounded. Upon this, Hibban began to laugh. The Holy Prophet (sa) gave an arrow to Hazrat Sa‘d (ra), which struck the throat of Hibban. He fell backwards leaving him exposed, as result of which the Holy Prophet (sa) smiled.

(Al-Isaba, Vol. 3, p. 64, Sa‘d bin Malik, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1995)

Regarding this hadith [saying of the Holy Prophet (sa)], which is from Sahih Muslim, the Noor Foundation has translated it and added an explanatory note, which is very adequate and appropriate. It states that this joy of the Holy Prophet (sa) was as a result of the favour of Allah in that He removed a dangerous enemy from the path with an arrow that did not even have an arrowhead.

(Sahih Muslim, Vol. 13, p. 41, Noor Foundation)

In one narration, it is mentioned that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) fired one thousand arrows.

(Roshan Sitari, Ghulam Bari Saif, Vol. 2, p. 71)

Another incident, which is found among the narrations about him is that when the Holy Prophet (sa), at one occasion, raised his sword and asked, “Who will put this sword to its rightful use, today?” It was Hazrat Abu Dujana Ansari (ra), who came forward upon hearing this. He said, “I promise to fulfil the right of this sword.” The Holy Prophet (sa), seeing his passion, handed his sword over to him. Then, he gathered the courage once again and asked, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah! How shall the right of this sword be fulfilled?” The Holy Prophet (sa) replied: “This sword shall not cause the bloodshed of any Muslim. secondly, the enemy from among the disbelievers shall not escape from it.”

(Sahih Muslim, kitab fazail al-sahaba, bab min fadhl abu dujana(ra), hadith 6353) (kanzul ‘ummal, vol. 4, p. 339, hadith 10792, moaissisatur-risalah, beirut 1985)

It was only to be used against those enemies from among the disbelievers who sought to wage war against the Muslims. He then took this sword and marched onto the battlefield with great pride and honour. Upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) said: “Usually, Allah the exalted dislikes such an expression of arrogance. however, today, Allah the exalted greatly liked the manner in which Abu Dujana marched onto the battlefield.”

(Usdul Ghabah, vol. 6, p. 93, abu dujana, darul kutub al-‘ilmiyah, beirut 1996)

Whilst mentioning further details about the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) states:

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), pp. 495-496)

During the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Sa‘d (ra) was among those few companions who remained steadfast alongside the Holy Prophet (sa) in the moment of confusion.

(Khutbat-e-Tahir [Jalsa Salana speech prior to his Khilafat in 1979], p.337)

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh) mentioned the following incident during the Battle of Uhud of Utbah bin Abi Waqas, the brother of Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas (ra) who was fighting on the side of the idolaters and who launched an assault on the Holy Prophet (sa):

“Utbah was that wretched person who launched a fierce attack upon the Holy Prophet (sa) and broke two of his lower teeth and greatly wounded his blessed countenance. When ‘Utbah’s brother, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas (ra) who was fighting for the Muslims heard of this malicious act of Utbah, he was filled with the desire to exact revenge. He said, ‘The eagerness I had to kill my brother was perhaps greater than any other desire I had in my life. Whilst breaking through ranks of the enemies, twice I went out in search of this evildoer to make him perish at my own hands and thus satisfy my heart’s desire. But every time he saw me, he would avoid me similar to the evasion of a fox. The third time I wished to advance through, the Holy Prophet (sa) very graciously said to me, “O servant of Allah, do you desire to lay down your life?” and thus I ended my pursuit in accordance with the wish of the Holy Prophet (sa).’”

(Khutbat-e-Tahir, [Jalsa Salana speech prior to his Khilafat in 1979] p. 346)

In one of the narrations, it is mentioned that during the Battle of Uhud, the flag-bearer of the idolaters, Talha bin Abi Talha, called out Hazrat Ali (ra) and challenged him. Subsequently, Hazrat Ali (ra) stepped forward and struck him with such force that he fell to the ground and began to quiver.

Hazrat Ali (ra) continuously killed the flag-bearers of the disbelievers one after another. Spotting a group of the disbelievers, the Holy Prophet (sa) instructed Hazrat Ali (ra) to attack them. Hazrat Ali (ra) killed Amr bin Abdillah Jumahi and caused that group to disperse. Following this, the Holy Prophet (sa) instructed him to attack another contingent of the enemy.

Hazrat Ali (ra) killed Shai‘bah bin Malik, upon which the angel Gabriel said, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah! Certainly, he deserves your sympathy;” i.e. referring to Hazrat Ali (ra). The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, “Indeed, Ali is from me and I am from him.” The angel Gabriel replied, “I am from both of you.”

(Sharh Zurqani ala al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah, Vol. 2, p. 409, Bab Ghazwat Uhud, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1996) (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 3, Ghazwat Uhud [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Fikr, 2002], 68)

On the day of the Battle of Uhud, at a time when the Muslims had seemingly suffered defeat, the Holy Prophet (sa) took Bai‘at [oath] from a party among his companions(ra) to pledge on the condition of offering their lives. Subsequently, the companions (ra) stood resolutely and risked their lives in order to defend the Holy Prophet (sa) to the point that some of them were martyred. Amongst those who took the Bai‘at were Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), Hazrat Umar (ra), Hazrat Talha (ra), Hazrat Sa‘d (ra), Hazrat Sahl (ra) bin Hunaif and Hazrat Abu Dujana (ra).

(al-Isabah Fi Tamyeez al-Sahabah, Vol. 3, p. 431, Talha bin Ubaidillah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2005)

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) has narrated this incident in the following manner:

“During the Battle of Uhud, the Holy Prophet (sa) held up a sword and said, ‘I shall give this sword to the one who pledges to do justice to it.’ Many people stood up to take this sword, but the Holy Prophet (sa) granted it to Hazrat Abu Dujanah Ansari (ra). During the course of the battle, a few Meccan fighters launched an attack on Hazrat Abu Dujanah (ra). During the skirmish, he noticed that one of the fighters was fighting against him with particular aggression and zeal. Hazrat Abu Dujanah (ra) raised his sword and went to attack him, but he suddenly stopped and then returned”, meaning that Hazart Abu Dujanah (ra) raised his sword and went to attack him, but then left him and returned.

“One of his friends asked him as to why he left him, to which he replied, ‘When I launched my attack, he said something from which I realised that it was a woman and not a man.’ His friend asked, ‘Regardless, she was fighting as part of the army, so why did you spare her?’ Abu Dujanah (ra) replied, ‘My heart did not permit me to use the sword given to me by the Holy Prophet (sa) against a helpless woman.’”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) then further states, “In short, the Holy Prophet (sa) would always exhort to honour and respect women. It was due to this that the women of the disbelievers became even more daring in their ploys to attack the Muslims, yet the Muslims continued to patiently endure all of this.”

(Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 2, p. 421, 422)

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) has stated that the Holy Prophet (sa) was injured and fell unconscious. Then narrating the events after he regained consciousness, he writes:

أُعْلُ‭ ‬هُبَل‭ ‬أُعْلُ‭ ‬هُبَل‬‬‬

“‘Glory to Hubal! Glory to Hubal! For our revered idol Hubal has put an end to Islam.’”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) further says:

“‘Say:

اللّٰهُ‭ ‬أَعْلَى‭ ‬وَأَجَلُّ‭ ‬اللّٰهُ‭ ‬أَعْلَى‭ ‬وَأَجَلُّ‬‬‬‬‬

(Dibachah Tafsir al-Quran, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 20, pp. 252-253)

Hazrat Aisha (ra) narrates that the following verse was regarding the Companions (ra):

She narrates:

In response 70 Companions (ra) were ready to go, and according to Urwah, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hazrat Zubair (ra) were among them.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bab Alladhina istajabu lillah wa al-Rasul…, Hadith 4077)

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) writes:

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), pp. 499-500)

When Ibn Qami‘ah martyred Hazrat Mus‘ab (ra) bin Umair during the Battle of Uhud, he thought that he had martyred the Holy Prophet (sa). Hence, he returned to the Quraish and said that he had killed Muhammad (sa). When Hazrat Mus‘ab (ra) was martyred, the Holy Prophet (sa) handed the flag to Hazrat Ali (ra). Thus, Hazrat Ali (ra) and the Muslims continued in the battle.

(Ibn Hisham, Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, Ghazwat Uhud, Maqtal Mus‘ab bin Umair [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2001], 529)

Whilst discussing the phenomenon that there is a treasure of blessings hidden behind each trial and tribulation, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) states:

“When Hazrat Ali (ra) returned from the Battle of Uhud, he handed Hazrat Fatimah (ra) his sword and said, ‘Clean this, for today this sword served me well.’ The Holy Prophet (sa) heard this and said, ‘Ali, it was not only your sword which excelled, rather many of your brethren used their swords exceptionally.’ He then mentioned the names of six or seven companions saying, ‘Their swords were by no means inferior to yours.’”

(Masa‘ib ke Neeche Barkaton ke Khazane Makhfi hote hein, Anwar al-Ulum, Vol. 19. p. 59)

In other words, they passed through similar trials and eventually succeeded.

Hazrat Zubair bin al-Awwam (ra) relates that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, the Holy Prophet (sa) made reference to both of his own parents for him; meaning he said, “May my mother and father be sacrificed for you.”

(Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, vol. 1, p. 450, Zubair bin al-Awwam, hadith no. 1408, Alam-ul-Kutb, Beirut, 1998)

It is narrated by Hazrat Zubair (ra) that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, a lady passed by very swiftly. She was close to seeing the bodies of the martyrs, and the Holy Prophet (sa) did not like for this woman to see the bodies as they had been severely mutilated. Thus, he ordered for her to be stopped. Hazrat Zubair (ra) relates that he suspected it was his mother, Hazrat Safia (ra). And so, he went running towards her and met her before she reached the bodies of the martyrs. Upon seeing him, she placed her hands on his chest and pushed him back – she was very strong. She said, “Move aside, I will not speak to you” – she was not going to listen to anything he said. Hazrat Zubair (ra) informed her the Holy Prophet (sa) had firmly instructed that she should not see the bodies of the martyrs. Upon hearing this and learning that it was a command from the Holy Prophet (sa), she immediately stopped. She took out two pieces of cloth which she had brought with her and said, “These are two sheets I have brought for my brother Hamza, as I received news of his martyrdom. Bury him in these sheets.”

In one narration, Hazrat Safia (ra) stated, “I am aware that my brother’s body has been mutilated, and this has been endured in the way of Allah. Why should we be displeased with what Hazrat Hamza (ra) has endured in the way of Allah? God-Willing, I will remain patient and seek its reward from Allah.” Upon hearing this response from his mother, Hazrat Zubair (ra) went to the Holy Prophet (sa) and narrated the entire incident to him. The Holy Prophet (sa) instructed that Hazrat Safia (ra) should be allowed to go to see her brother’s body. Hazrat Safia (ra) proceeded to her brother’s body and upon seeing it, prayed, “Verily to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return” and also prayed for his forgiveness. Then the Holy Prophet (sa) ordered for him to be buried.

The narrator further states that when Hazrat Hamza (ra) was about to be wrapped in two sheets, they saw an Ansari companion beside him who had also been martyred. His body had also been mutilated as had been carried out with Hazrat Hamza (ra). [The narrator says] “We felt ashamed that Hazrat Hamza was being buried in two sheets while there was not even a single sheet for the Ansari companion. Thus, we decided to bury Hazrat Hamza (ra) in one of the sheets and bury the Ansari companion in the other. We found that one of them was taller than the other; thus, we drew lots and whichever sheet was drawn for either of the two, they were buried in it. Even then it was not enough and the rest of the body had to be covered with grass.”

(Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, vol. 1, p. 452, Zubair bin al-Awwam, hadith no. 1418, Alam-ul-Kutb, Beirut, 1998) (al-Sirat al-Nabawiyyah li Ibn Hisham, Vol. 2, p. 97, Safia Wa Huznuha, Maktabah Wa al-Matba’ah Mustapha al-Baabi, Egypt, 1995) (al-Tabaqat al-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 10, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

The Battle of Uhud took place in Shawwal 3 AH. Hazrat Uthman (ra) took part in the Battle of Uhud. He was not present in the previous two battles; however, he did take part in the Battle of Uhud. During the battle, there was a group of companions who, owing to the sudden attack [by the disbelievers] and upon learning about the news of the Holy Prophet’s [supposed] martyrdom, became scattered. There came a time when there were only a group of 12 companions around the Holy Prophet (sa). Hazrat Uthman (ra) was among the former of these groups.

(Sharh Zurqani ala al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah, Vol. 2, pp. 418-419, GhazwahUhud, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1996)

When the Muslims saw that they had overpowered the army of the disbelievers, they began gathering the spoils of war. The Holy Prophet (sa) had appointed 50 archers and ordered them not to leave their positions, but upon seeing that they had overcome the enemy, they left their positions, even though the Holy Prophet (sa) had strictly ordered them not to leave their positions.

Khalid (ra) bin Walid, who had not yet become a Muslim, saw all of this and immediately launched an attack on the Muslims from that same position. This attack was so sudden and unexpected and also so severe that the Muslims were forced to disperse. Hazrat Uthman’s (ra) name is also mentioned among those companions who dispersed. Owing to the circumstances at the time and due to their level of faith and sincerity they had in their hearts, Allah the Almighty forgave these people. Thus, in this regard, Allah the Almighty says:

اِنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ تَوَلَّوۡا مِنۡكُمۡ يَوۡمَ الۡتَقَي الۡجَمۡعٰنِ ۙ اِنَّمَا اسۡتَزَلَّهُمُ الشَّيۡطٰنُ بِبَعۡضِ مَا كَسَبُوۡا ۚ وَ لَقَدۡ عَفَا اللّٰهُ عَنۡهُمۡ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَفُوۡرٌ حَلِيۡمٌ

“Those of you who turned their backs on the day when the two hosts met, surely it was Satan who sought to make them slip because of certain doings of theirs. But certainly Allah has already pardoned them. Verily, Allah is Most Forgiving, Forbearing.” (Surah Al-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.156)

Mentioning this incident of Hazrat Abu Dujanah (ra), Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) writes in Sirat Khataman Nabiyyin:

“The disbelievers of the Quraish suffered a crushing defeat in the duels. Upon witnessing this sight, the disbelievers became furious and launched an all-out attack. Calling out slogans of God’s Greatness, the Muslims also marched forward, and both armies fiercely collided with one another.

“It was perhaps on this occasion that the Holy Prophet (sa) took his sword in hand and said, ‘Who shall take this sword and do justice to it?’ Many Companions extended their hands in the desire of this honour, which included Hazrat Umar (ra) and Zubair (ra), and in light of various narrations, even Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hazrat Ali (ra). The Holy Prophet (sa), however, restrained his hand and continued to say, ‘Is there anyone who will do justice to this sword?’ Finally, Abu Dujanah Ansari (ra) extended his hand and submitted, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah! Grant me this honour.’ The Holy Prophet (sa) endowed the sword upon him and with this sword in hand, Abu Dujanah (ra) strutted forward, marching proudly towards the disbelievers. The Holy Prophet (sa) addressed the Companions saying, ‘Allah greatly abhors this gait, but not on an occasion like this.’

“Zubair (ra), who was most desirous of receiving the sword of the Holy Prophet (sa) and who felt that he was more deserving due to his being a close relative of the Holy Prophet (sa), began to toss and turn in anxiety. He thought to himself why the Holy Prophet (sa) had not entrusted this sword to him but endowed it to Abu Dujanah (ra) instead. In order to alleviate his own distress, in his heart, he vowed to remain close to Abu Dujanah (ra) in the field of battle so that he could witness how this sword was put to use. As such, he relates:

“‘Abu Dujanah (ra) tied a red cloth on his head and taking this sword in hand, whilst softly humming songs of God’s praise, he penetrated the idolatrous ranks. I saw that wherever he would turn, it was as if he would go about scattering death and I did not see a single man who came before him and was then spared. This was to such an extent that cutting his way through the army of the Quraish, he emerged from the opposite corner of the army, where the women of the Quraish were standing. Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, who was encouraging her men with great zeal and commotion came before him. Abu Dujanah (ra) raised his sword upon her and Hind shrieked in a loud voice, appealing to her men for assistance, but no one came to her aid.’

“Hazrat Zubair (ra) states, ‘However, then I saw that Abu Dujanah (ra) lowered his sword on his own accord and moved away from that place.’

“Zubair (ra) relates, ‘On this occasion, I enquired of Abu Dujanah (ra), “What had happened? First you raised your sword, but then lowered it.” He responded, “My heart could not come to terms with the fact that I should use the sword of the Holy Prophet (sa) against a woman; and then such a woman who, at the time, had no male protector.”’ Zubair (ra) relates, ‘It was then that I understood how Abu Dujanah (ra) in fact did justice to the sword of the Holy Prophet (sa) and that I could perhaps not have done the same and thus, the misgiving in my heart was dispelled.’”

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), p. 489-490)

Hazrat Ibn Abbas (ra) narrates, “When the Holy Prophet (sa) returned from the Battle of Uhud, he gave his sword to his daughter Fatimah (ra) and asked her to wash the blood from his sword. Hazrat Ali (ra) also handed his sword to her and said, ‘Wash the blood from this sword; by Allah, it assisted me greatly today!’ Upon this the Holy Prophet (sa) said, ‘If you have done justice in the battle today, then certainly Sahl bin Hunaif and Abu Dujanah did justice also.’”

In one narration, instead of Sahl bin Hunaif, the name of Harith bin Simmah is mentioned.

(Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 3, Simak bin Kharashah [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Fikr, 2003], 317) (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Abu Dujanah [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990], 420)

Aisha and Umm-e-Ishaq, who were the daughters of Hazrat Talha (ra), state that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, their father sustained 24 injuries, among which there was a large wound to the head and one of the blood vessels in his leg had been cut. Also, one of his fingers had become incapacitated and the rest of his body was full of wounds and he was in a state of semi-consciousness.

The Holy Prophet (sa) had also sustained injuries; his front two teeth had broken and was also semi-conscious due to the many injuries sustained to his blessed countenance. Hazrat Talha (ra) carried the Holy Prophet (sa) on his back and walked backwards and whenever he encountered an idolater, he would fight against them and continued to walk in this way till they reached a valley and seated the Holy Prophet (sa) with his support. This is a reference from al-Tabqaat-ul-Kubra.

(al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 163, Talha bin Ubaidillah Quraishi, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Hazrat Anas (ra) relates that when the Battle of Uhud took place, people dispersed from the Holy Prophet (sa) after being defeated. Hazrat Abu Talha (ra), however, remained in front of the Holy Prophet (sa) and stood resolutely behind his shield in front of the Holy Prophet (sa). Hazrat Abu Talha (ra) was an archer who would pull the string of his bow very forcefully. He had broken two or three bows that day. In other words, he would pull the bow so forcefully that the string of the bow would snap.

The Holy Prophet (sa) instructed anyone who passed by with a quiver to give it to Abu Talha (ra). In other words, the Holy Prophet (sa) would instruct others that there were plenty of archers and that they should instead give their arrows to Abu Talha (ra), who at that particular moment was standing in front of the Holy Prophet (sa). Hazrat Anas (ra) relates that the Holy Prophet (sa) would raise his head and look at the people, upon which Hazrat Abu Talha (ra) used to say:

بِأَبِیْ أَنْتَ وَأُمِّیْ یَا رَسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ، لَا یُصِیْبُکَ سَہْمٌ، نَحْرِیْ دُوْنَ نَحْرِکَ

“O Messenger (sa) of Allah; may my parents be sacrificed for your sake! Please do not raise your head and look around, lest an arrow of the enemy strikes you. I stand with my chest guarding you.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitabul Maghazi, Bab Idh hammat Ta’ifatani minkum…, Hadith 4096) (al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, pp. 383-384, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Hazrat Anas (ra) bin Malik relates that Hazrat Abu Talha (ra) would shield the Holy Prophet (sa) with the very same shield [that he was using]. Hazrat Abu Talha (ra) was an excellent archer. When he fired an arrow, the Holy Prophet (sa) would look at where it landed. This is a narration from Bukhari. The previous narration was also from Bukhari as well.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitabul Jihad, Bab al-Mubhin wa man Yatrusu bi tarsi Sahibah, Hadith 2902)

During the Battle of Uhud, it is mentioned that Hazrat Abu Talha (ra) would recite the following couplet:

وَجْہِیْ لِوَجْہِکَ الْوِقَاءُ

وَنَفْسِیْ لِنَفْسِکَ الْفِدَاءُ

“My face is there to protect your blessed countenance and I am ever ready to offer my life for your sake.”

(Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 4, Musnad Anas bin Malik, Hadith 13781, Alamul Kutub, Beirut, 1998)