غَزْوَةُ أُحُدٍ

Before the battle A year after Badr, in the month of Shawwaal in year 3, Quraysh marched on Madinah with about three thousand men to take revenge. The Prophet ﷺ consulted his companions: he preferred to defend the town from within, but many, especially young men who had not taken part in Badr, wanted to go out. He accepted the majority view, put on his armour, and did not go back on the decision when some regretted having insisted [À VÉRIFIER : référence]. On the way, 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy, the leader of the hypocrites, withdrew with about three hundred men; some seven hundred Muslims remained [À VÉRIFIER : nombres].

The archers The Prophet ﷺ placed fifty archers on a small hill (since called the hill of the archers), under the command of 'Abdullah ibn Jubayr, and told them: "Even if you see birds carrying us off, do not leave your place until I send for you" (Bukhari 3039).

The disobedience At first the Muslims had the upper hand and the army of Quraysh fell back. Seeing the spoils, most of the archers said: "The spoils!" 'Abdullah ibn Jubayr reminded them of the Prophet's ﷺ order, but they went down (Bukhari 3039). Khaalid ibn al-Waliid, then still on the side of Quraysh, went round the hill with his cavalry and attacked the Muslims from behind. Confusion followed. The rumour spread that the Prophet ﷺ had been killed.

The Prophet's ﷺ wound The Prophet ﷺ was wounded in the face and had a tooth broken. Wiping away the blood, he said: "How can a people succeed who have wounded their prophet?" Allah then revealed: "You have no say in this matter" (meaning of verse 3:128; Muslim 1791). A few companions shielded him with their bodies, among them Ṭalḥa ibn 'Ubaydillaah, whose hand remained paralysed (Bukhari 3724), and Abu Dujaana.

The martyrs Seventy Muslims fell as martyrs [À VÉRIFIER : nombre]. Among them was Ḥamza ibn 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib, the Prophet's ﷺ uncle, killed by the spear of Waḥshi, a slave who had been promised his freedom (Bukhari 4072). Years later, Waḥshi became a Muslim. Muṣ'ab ibn 'Umayr, the rich young man of Makkah who had become the first teacher of Madinah, also died: the only shroud that could be found for him was a cloak too short, leaving his feet uncovered (Bukhari 1276).

The next day The Prophet ﷺ did not let the defeat break the believers. The next day he went out with the wounded to pursue the army of Quraysh as far as Ḥamraa' al-Asad, to show that the Muslims were still strong; Quraysh chose to return to Makkah [À VÉRIFIER : référence]. A large part of Surah Aal 'Imraan (roughly verses 121 to 179) comments on the battle.

Exercise: think of a recent failure. Write down what caused it, what you learned from it, and one small step to start again, like the believers who set out again the very next day.

The text: Surah Aal 'Imraan (3), verse 139 وَلَا تَهِنُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنْتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١٣٩﴾

Meaning: "Do not weaken and do not grieve, for you will be uppermost, if you are believers." Revealed after Uḥud, this verse lifts up the wounded believers: one day's defeat does not change the worth of faith.

Arabic text: Tanzil Quran Text (Simple, version 1.0.2), © 2008-2010 Tanzil.net, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence, reproduced without any change (http://tanzil.net). Each verse is on its own line, followed by its number; the basmala, which the Tanzil file places at the start of the first verse, is written on its own line.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation Uḥud teaches what Badr could not teach: the consequences of disobedience. The archers were not defeated by the enemy; they left their post for the spoils. The Qur'an says it clearly: "Among you were some who wanted this world, and some who wanted the Hereafter" (meaning of verse 3:152). A small group disobeyed, and the whole army suffered. The battle also shows respect for consultation: the Prophet ﷺ followed the majority view against his own, then held to his decision. He did not reproach the young men for having insisted. The response after the defeat is a great lesson. The Prophet ﷺ, wounded, learned through verse 3:128 that the future of his enemies belongs to Allah; many of them, like Khaalid ibn al-Waliid and Waḥshi, later became Muslims. And verse 3:139 forbids losing heart: one can lose a battle without losing one's dignity or one's faith.

Lessons to draw from it • Stay at one's post and obey, even when gain seems easy. • Respect a decision taken together, without constantly calling it into question. • Know that the fault of a few can harm everyone. • Do not despair of people: today's enemy may be tomorrow's brother. • After a failure, get up quickly, without weakening or grieving excessively.

Key points to remember • Uḥud: Shawwaal in year 3; about 700 Muslims against 3,000. • The fifty archers and 'Abdullah ibn Jubayr (Bukhari 3039). • The Prophet's ﷺ wound and verse 3:128 (Muslim 1791). • Ḥamza (Bukhari 4072) and Muṣ'ab (Bukhari 1276), martyrs. • 3:139: "Do not weaken and do not grieve."

The main message Uḥud shows that disobedience is costly, but that failure is not the end: obey Allah and His Messenger, learn from your mistakes, and get up again without losing heart.