Seerah / Madinah
Uhud
- Date
- Shawwal, 3 AH · established
- Location
- Mount Uhud, near Madinah
- People
- 'Abdullah ibn Jubayr (RA), Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr (RA)
Al-Bara' (RA) narrates in Sahih al-Bukhari how the archers were told not to leave their post, and what happened when many left it for the spoils. 'Abdur-Rahman ibn 'Awf (RA) recalls Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr (RA), martyred with barely a cloak for a shroud. The Qur'an addresses the day in 3:152.
As it was narrated
The story, in the words of those who were there
Read slowly. These are the Companions' own words, from the verified hadith collections.
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى، عَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ لَقِينَا الْمُشْرِكِينَ يَوْمَئِذٍ، وَأَجْلَسَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم جَيْشًا مِنَ الرُّمَاةِ، وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ وَقَالَ " لاَ تَبْرَحُوا، إِنْ رَأَيْتُمُونَا ظَهَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ فَلاَ تَبْرَحُوا وَإِنْ رَأَيْتُمُوهُمْ ظَهَرُوا عَلَيْنَا فَلاَ تُعِينُونَا ". فَلَمَّا…
Narrated Al-Bara:We faced the pagans on that day (of the battle of Uhud) and the Prophet (ﷺ) placed a batch of archers (at a special place) and appointed `Abdullah (bin Jubair) as their commander and said, "Do not leave this place; if you should see us conquering the enemy, do not leave this place, and if you should see them conquering us, do not (come to) help us," So, when we faced the enemy, they took to their heels till I saw their women running towards the mountain, lifting up their clothes from their legs, revealing their leg-bangles. The Muslims started saying, "The booty, the booty!" `Abdullah bin Jubair said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) had taken a firm promise from me not to leave this place.…
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، إِبْرَاهِيمَ أَنَّ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ عَوْفٍ، أُتِيَ بِطَعَامٍ، وَكَانَ صَائِمًا فَقَالَ قُتِلَ مُصْعَبُ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ، وَهْوَ خَيْرٌ مِنِّي، كُفِّنَ فِي بُرْدَةٍ، إِنْ غُطِّيَ رَأْسُهُ بَدَتْ رِجْلاَهُ، وَإِنْ غُطِّيَ رِجْلاَهُ بَدَا رَأْسُهُ ـ وَأُرَاهُ قَالَ ـ وَقُتِلَ حَمْزَةُ وَهْوَ خَيْرٌ مِن…
Narrated Sa`d bin Ibrahim:A meal was brought to `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf while he was fasting. He said, "Mus`ab bin `Umair was martyred, and he was better than I, yet he was shrouded in a Burda (i.e. a sheet) so that, if his head was covered, his feet became naked, and if his feet were covered, his head became naked." `Abdur-Rahman added, "Hamza was martyred and he was better than I. Then worldly wealth was bestowed upon us and we were given thereof too much. We are afraid that the reward of our deeds has been given to us in this life." `Abdur-Rahman then started weeping so much that he left the food
What Allah revealed
وَلَقَدۡ صَدَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَعۡدَهُۥٓ إِذۡ تَحُسُّونَهُم بِإِذۡنِهِۦۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا فَشِلۡتُمۡ وَتَنَٰزَعۡتُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَمۡرِ وَعَصَيۡتُم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ مَآ أَرَىٰكُم مَّا تُحِبُّونَۚ مِنكُم مَّن يُرِيدُ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَمِنكُم مَّن يُرِيدُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَۚ ثُمَّ صَرَفَكُمۡ عَنۡهُمۡ لِيَبۡتَلِيَكُمۡۖ وَلَقَدۡ عَفَا عَنكُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو فَضۡلٍ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ
And Allah had certainly fulfilled His promise to you when you were killing the enemy by His permission until [the time] when you lost courage and fell to disputing about the order [given by the Prophet] and disobeyed after He had shown you that which you love. Among you are some who desire this world, and among you are some who desire the Hereafter. Then he turned you back from them [defeated] that He might test you. And He has already forgiven you, and Allah is the possessor of bounty for the believers
Lessons
- Obedience and discipline matter most when victory seems near.
- Loss is part of the path; the Qur'an turns it into lessons, not despair.
Lessons are editorial reflections drawn from the event and its sources.
Pause for a moment
Which moment of your own life does this remind you of? Sit with it for a minute, then send salawat on the one who lived it ﷺ.
Send salawat ﷺBibliography
- Sahih al-Bukhari 4044 (al-Bara'), 4045 · primary source
- Ibn Hisham, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (further reading)
- Ibn Kathir, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (further reading)
- Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtum (further reading)