The Companions surround the Messenger ﷺ
All those events happened in no time. If the Prophet’sﷺ elite companions had realized the grave situation immediately, they would have rushed to the spot and would not have let him sustain these wounds. Unfortunately, they got there after Allâh’s Messenger ﷺ she had been wounded and six of the Helpers killed, the seventh was severely wounded and desperately fighting in defense of the Prophetﷺ . However as soon as they arrived they encircled the Messenger ﷺ with their bodies and weapons and were alert enough to prevent the enemies from reaching him. The first one who returned to give help, was his companion of the cave. Abu Bakr As-Siddiq In a version by ‘Aishah he recorded in Ibn Hibban’s Sahih, she narrated that Abu Bakr ett said: “On the Day of Uhud when all the people had left the Prophetsﷺ, I was the first to go back and see him. Before him I saw a man fighting to shield him from the enemies. I said to myself: ‘I wish he were Talhah. Let my father and mother be ransomed for you. (O Allâh) Let him be Talhah! Let my parents be ransomed for you! On the way, I was overtaken by Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah, who was then moving as swiftly as a bird. We both rushed to dress the Prophet’s wounds. There we found Talhah suffering from serious wounds before Allâh’s Messengerﷺ The Prophetﷺ said: ‘See to your brother for he is in more need.’ I noticed that two rings of the iron-ringed helmet had penetrated his cheek. So, I set out to take them out; but Abu “Ubaidah demanded: ‘By Allâh, O Abu Bakr – I request you to let me do it myself.’ Fearing to hurt the Prophet hy he started pulling one of the two rings out very slowly and carefully with his mouth. Then he pulled the arrow out by his mouth, too. Consequently, his front tooth came out. Then I proceeded to pull the second out; but Abu ‘Ubaidah requested me to leave it: ‘O Abu Bakr, I beg you by Alláh to let me do it.’ He pulled the second ring very slowly and carefully with his mouth, till it came out. Allâh’s Messengerﷺ thing said: “See to your brother for he is in more need.’ We approached Talhah to tend to him but found that he had some ten sword
wounds in his body. (This showed how efficiently Talhah had fought and struggled on that day).” At those awkward moments of that day, a group of Muslim heroes gathered around the Prophetﷺ forming a shield to protect him from the idolaters. Some of them were Abu Dujanah, Mus’ab bin ‘Umair, Hazrat ‘Ali bin Abi Talib AlaihisSalam, Sahl bin Hunaif, Malik bin Sinan – the father of Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri, Umm ‘Umarah Nusaibah bint Kab Al-Maziniyah, Qatadah bin An-Nu’man, ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, Hatib bin Abi Balta’ah and Abu Talhah binti
The Idolaters increase the Intensity of Battle
The number of idolaters was steadily increasing; and their attacks, naturally, got severer. Their drive increased to an extent that Allâh’s Messengerﷺ fell into one of the holes dug and designed by Abu ‘Amir Al-Fasiq to be used as traps. With his knee wounded, ” Hazrat Ali AlaihisSalam helped him by giving him a hand up. Talhah bin ‘Ubaidullah helped him until he could stand upright. Nafi’ bin Jubair said: “I heard an Emigrant say: ‘I have witnessed the battle of Uhud and watched arrows being hurled from all directions at the Prophetﷺ None of them hit him.’ ‘Abdullah bin Shihab Az-Zuhri said: ‘Guide me to Muhammad!ﷺ By Allâh, if I don’t kill him, I would not want to live.’ Although Allâh’s Messenger ﷺwas next to him, alone, but he did not see him. Safwan, another polytheist, blamed him (for not attacking him). but ‘Abdullah swore that he did not see him (the Prophet ) and added that he might be immune to their attempts on his life. He also said that four of them pledged to make a fresh attempt and kill him, but to no avail.[2]
Unprecedented Heroism
The Muslims demonstrated unprecedented heroism and marvelous sacrifices. Abu Talhah artistes for instance shielded Allâh’s Messengerﷺ by his body and used his chest to protect him
against the enemy arrows. Anas Radiallahu anhoo related that on the Day of Uhud when people left the Prophetﷺ Abu Talhah Radiallahu anhoo was a skillful sort of archer who would shoot so many arrows that he broke two or three bows that day. When a man passed along with a quiver full of arrows, the Prophet ﷺ would say: “Give the arrows to Abu Talhah!” Then when the Prophetﷺ watched people shooting, Abu Talhah artist would say: “May my father and mother be ransomed for your safety. Do not go too close lest an arrow of theirs should hit you. I would rather die than see you hurt.”[1] Abu Dujanah stood before Allâh’s Messengerﷺ and used to protect him from the arrows by his back. Hatib bin Balta’ah followed ‘Utbah bin Abi Waqqas who broke the honorable incisor (of the Prophet unie – struck him with the sword, cracked his head and took his horse and sword. Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas Radiallahu anhoo was so keen to kill his brother ‘Utbah, but he could not; however, Hatib could. Sahl bin Hunaif anything a hero archer who pledged to die in the cause of Allâh, also played a prominent part in the battle at Uhud. Allâh’s Messengerﷺ himself was involved in shooting arrows. In a version by Qatadah bin An-Nu’man that Allâh’s Messenger ﷺshot so many arrows that the two ends of his bow bent. So, Qatadah bin An-Nu’man beings took it to remain with him for good. On that day his eye was so hurt that it fell down onto his cheek; but Allâh’s Messengerﷺ put it in its socket with his hand and it became the better and the more sharp-sighted of the two. On that day ‘Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Awf keptﷺ on fighting until his mouth was wounded. He sustained over twenty wounds, some in his leg making him lame. Malik bin Sinan Radiallahu anhoo, the father of Abi Sa’id Al-Khudri sucked the blood off of the Prophet’s ﷺcheek till he cleaned it. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Spit it out!” But Malik said: “By Allâh, I will never spit it.” Then he set out to fight. The Prophet ﷺ then said: “He who wants to see a man of the people of Paradise, let him look at this one.” No sooner had he resumed fighting than he was
martyred in the thick of the battle. Umm ‘Umarah participated in the fight too. She encountered Ibn Qami’ah in combat, and sustained a slight wound on her shoulder, but she herself also struck him with her sword several times but he survived because he was wearing two armors. She, however, went on striking until she had received twelve wounds, Mus’ab bin ‘Umair in his turn, fought fiercely and violently defending the Prophet ﷺ against the attacks of Ibn Qami’ah and his fellows. He was carrying the standard with his right hand. In the process of fighting, it was cut off, so he grabbed the standard in his left hand till this was also amputated so he knelt down and shielded it with his chest and neck. Ibn Qami’ah then killed him, mistaking him for Allâh’s Messenger ﷺ on account of resemblance in appearance. Only then did Ibn Qami’ah shout ‘Muhammad has been killed.
The Rumor of the Death of the Prophetﷺ and its Effect on the Battle
No sooner had Ibn Qami’ah uttered that ominous sentence than anxiety spread among Hazrat Muhammad’sﷺ followers, and their morale was drastically reduced. Consequently, confusion and a miserable state of disorder prevailed among them. While the rumors managed to adversely act among the Muslims, it lessened the sharp impa
of the assaults of the polytheists who came to believe that they did really achieve their final objective and so they turned towards mutilating the dead bodies.
The Messengerﷺ consolidates his Position in the Battle
When Mus’ab was killed, Allâh’s Messenger ﷺdelivered the standard to Hazrat Ali bin Abi Talib AlaihisSalam . ‘Ali, in conjunction with the other Companions, went on fighting bravely and set marvelous examples of heroism, courage and endurance in both defense and attack, Then Allâh’s Messengerﷺ made his way to his encircled army.
Ka’b bin Malikites, who was the first one to recognize the approaching Prophetﷺ , shouted as loudly as he could: “O folks of Muslims, be cherished! Allâh’s Messengerﷺ thing is here.” But Allâh’s Messenger ﷺ signed to him to stop lest his position should be located by the idolaters. Upon hearing the shout, the Muslims immediately raced towards the source of the shout which brought about thirty Companions to gather around the Prophetﷺ With this assembled number of his Companions, Allâh’s Messengerﷺ the started drawing a planned withdrawal to the hillocks nearby Hostilities of the enemy grew fiercer than ever with the aim of foiling the plan of the Muslims’ withdrawal. Their attempts however proved to be fruitless due to the heroic steadfastness of the lions of Islam. Uthman bin ‘Abdullah bin Al-Mughirah – one of the enemy horsemen – progressed towards Allâh’s Messenger while saying: “Either I kill him or I will be killed.” Allâh’s Messenger ﷺ moved to encounter him but his mare tripped into some holes. So, Al-Harith bin As-Simmah fought with him, and struck his leg making him lame, then he finished him off, took his weapons and caught up Allâh’s Messengerﷺ But later on another Makkan horseman, called ‘Abdullah bin Jabir, attacked Al-Harith bin As-Simmah, and struck him on the shoulder with his sword and he was carried to the camp of the Muslims suffering from serious wounds. Yet he did not escape death, for Abu Dujanah the red head-banded hero – struck him with a heavy blow cutting off his head. During this bitter fight, a desire to sleep overwhelmed the Muslims – that was a security and tranquility to help His slave Muslims as the Qur’ân spoke in this context. Abu Talhah sald: “I was one of those who were possessed by a desire to sleep on the Day of Uhud. On that day my sword fell from my hand several times. Again and again it fell down, and again and again I picked it up. In a regular withdrawal and with great bravery and boldness, the Muslims finally retreated to the cover of Mountain Uhud. Then, the rest of the army followed them to that safe position. In this manner, the genius of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad ﷺfoiled that of Khalid bin AlWalid
Aal-e-Qutub Aal-e-Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi 