The Sealed Nectar (34 page)

Soon the general engagement ensued and the fight of the two parties grew fierce everywhere on the battlefield. The strain of the fight was centred round the carriers of the standard. After the death of their leader Talha bin Abi Talha, Banu ‘Abd Ad- Dar alternated the mission successively. Talha’s brother, ‘Uthman, ran forward and seized the standard which lay by the lifeless body of his brother, chanting: "The standard- bearer has the right to dye its shaft in blood, till it be beaten in his hand."

Hamzah bin ‘Abdul Muttalib attacked and dealt him a blow that cut his arm and shoulder and went down to his navel to uncover his lung.

163

MSA NIU

The standard was raised up again by Abu Sa‘d bin Abi Talha; but Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas shot him with a deadly arrow that hit him at his throat and made his tongue hang out breathing his last.

In another version it was narrated that Abu Sa‘d lifted the standard up and challenged the Muslims to fight him. ‘Ali bin Abi Talib went forth. They exchanged two blows. Then ‘Ali gave him a terminal blow that finished him off.

Musafi‘ bin Talha bin Abi Talha then hoisted the standard, but was soon shot with an arrow by ‘Asim bin Thabit bin Abi Al- Aqlah. His brother Kilab bin Talha bin Abi Talha followed him picked the banner and lifted it up; but Az- Zubair bin Al- ‘Awwam attacked him and managed to kill him. Their brother Al- Jallas bin Talha bin Abi Talha lifted the banner up but Talha bin ‘Ubaidu- Allâh stabbed him to death. They also said that it was ‘Asim bin Thabit who managed to deal a terminal blow to him.

All those six people killed round and in defence of the standard, belonged to one house, the house of Abi Talha ‘Abdullah bin ‘Uthman bin ‘Abd Ad- Dar. Another man from Bani ‘Abd Ad- Dar, called Artat bin Sharhabeel carried the standard but he also was killed by ‘Ali bin Abi Talib. Others said it was Hamzah who killed him not ‘Ali.

Then it was Shuraih bin Qariz who was killed by Quzman — he was a hypocrite who fought for prestige only, not in defence of Islam. Abu Zaid ‘Amr bin ‘Abd Munaf Al-

‘Abdari lifted the standard up but he was killed by Quzman too. A son of Sharhabeel bin Hashim Al- ‘Abdari hoisted it again and was also killed by Quzman.

So we see that ten fighters of Bani ‘Abd Ad- Dar — the standard- bearers — were annihilated. Seeing that none of ‘Abd Ad- Dars survived to carry the standard, a slave of theirs — called Sawab — came to raise it. The slave showed more admirable sorts of bravery and steadfastness than his former masters. Sawab, the slave went on fighting till his hand was cut off. So he knelt down and embraced the banner, leant it against his chest and neck lest it should fall down to the ground. He remained fighting steadily and steadfastly till he was killed. In the meanwhile he did not stop saying: "O Allâh, have I been excused?" After the death of the slave Sawab, the standard fell down to the ground, and remained there as there was no one to carry it.

Whilst the brunt of the battle centred around the standard, bitter fighting was going on everywhere on the battlefield. The spirit of Faith overwhelmed the Muslims’

ranks; so they rushed among the idolaters as if they had been an outbreak of a destructive flood that overflowed and knocked down all dams and barriers standing in its way "I seek death, I seek death." That was their announced motto on Uhud Day.

Abu Dujana, recognized by the red band worn round his head, came forth, fighting with the sword of the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh]. He was determined to pay its price at all costs. He killed all the idolaters that stood on his way splitting and dispersing their ranks. Az- Zubair bin Al- ‘Awwam said:

"I felt angry and discouraged when the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] refused to give me the sword but gave it to Abu Dujana. I said to myself: ‘I am his paternal cousin —

the cousin of his aunt Safiya — a Quraishite, besides, I was the first who demanded it and yet he favoured him to me. By Allâh, I will watch how he will use it.’ So I 164

MSA NIU

followed him, I saw him take out his red band and wear it round his head. Seeing him like that, the Helpers said, ‘Abu Dujana had worn the band of death.’ Then he set out saying loudly:

‘I am the one whom my intimate friend made covenant with, when we were under the palm- trees on the mountain side.

The covenant that we made was that I should not fight at the rear.

But fight at the front heroically with the sword of Allâh and His Messenger.’

No one stood the way of Abu Dujana but was killed. There was a man among the idolaters whose only target was to finish off the wounded Muslims. During the fight Abu Dujana drew near that man; so I implored Allâh that they might engage in combat. They in fact did and exchanged two sword- strokes. The idolater struck Abu Dujana, but he escaped it and it pierced into his leather shield. The idolater’s sword now stuck to it, Abu Dujana struck him with the sword and killed him. Ibn Hisham 2/68,69]

Into the thick of the battle, he rushed to kill a person who was inciting the enemy to fight the Muslims. Upon this the person shrieked and lo! it was a woman. Abu Dujana spared her saying: ‘I respect the Prophet [pbuh]’s sword too much to use it on a woman.’ The woman was Hind bint ‘Utbah."

Describing the same incident, Az- Zubair bin Al- ‘Awwam said: "I saw Abu Dujana raising a sword over the parting part of Hind bint ‘Utba’s head then he moved it off. I said to myself: ‘Allâh and His Messenger know best.’ (i.e. know why he acted like that). [bn Hisham 2/69]"

Hamzah bin ‘Abdul Muttalib displayed wonderful feats of gallantry against the overwhelming odds which stood unparalled and created consternation and confusion in the disbelieving hosts. Heroes dispersed off his way as if they had been tree-leaves blown away by strong wind. In addition to his effective contribution to the annihilation of the idolaters who stood in defence of the standard, he was even of much greater effect at fighting against men of bravery and distinguished horsemen.

It was Allâh’s Will that he be murdered when he was at the top. He was not killed in a face- to- face fight on the battlefield — in the normal way by which heroes die — but rather assassinated in the dead- dark as was the custom of killing generous and noble men that were impossible to kill in an honourable fight.

Assassination of Asadullâh (the Lion of Allâh) Hamzah bin ‘Abdul Muttalib
Hamzah’s assassin, Wahshi bin Harb, described how he killed Hamzah. He said:

"I was a slave working to Jubair bin Mut‘im, whose paternal uncle Tu‘aimah bin ‘Adi was injured at Badr Battle. So when Quraish marched to Uhud, Jubair said to me: ‘If you kill Hamzah, the uncle of Muhammad, stealthily you shall be manumitted.’ "

"So I marched with the people to Uhud." He used to describe himself as, "I am a picaro good at spearing." "So when the two parties fought, I set out seeking Hamzah. I saw him amidst people fighting. He was like a white and black striped camel, striking severely with his sword and no one could stand on his way. By Allâh!

When I was getting ready and trying to seize the fit opportunity to spear him, hiding sometimes behind a tree or a rock hoping that he might draw nearer and be within range — at that moment I caught sight of Siba‘ bin ‘Abd Al- ‘Uzza going closer 165

MSA NIU

towards him. When Hamzah observed him, he said: ‘Come on! O son of the ‘clitoris-cutter.’ — for his mother used to be a circumciser. Then he struck one strong stroke that could hardly miss his head."

Wahshi said: "Then I balanced my spear and shook it till I was content with it, then I speared him and it went down into his stomach and issued out between his legs. He attempted moving towards me but he was overcome by his wound. I left him there with the spear in his entrails till he died. Then I came to him, pulled out my spear and returned to the encampment place. I stayed there and did not go out, for he was the only one I sought. I only killed him to free myself. So as soon as I got back to Makkah, I became a free man." [Ibn Hisham 2/69-72; Sahih Al-Bukhari 2/583]

Bringing the Situation under Control

Although the death of
Asad (
Lion
)
of
Allâh and His Messenger — Hamzah bin ‘Abdul Muttalib — was a great loss, the Muslims maintained full control over the whole situation on the battlefield. On that day, Abu Bakr, ‘Umar bin Al- Khattab, ‘Ali bin Abi Talib, Az- Zubair bin Al- ‘Awwam, Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair, Talha bin ‘Ubaidullâh, ‘Abdullah bin Jahsh, Sa‘d bin Ar- Rabî‘ and Anas bin An- Nadr and others — all of them fought so fiercely, effectively and efficiently that they broke the strong will of the idolaters and scattered them.

From his Wife’s lap to Sword-fights and Sorrows

One of the brave adventurers of that day was Hanzala Al- Ghaseel — He was Hanzala bin Abu ‘Amir. Abu ‘Amir was the very monk that was nicknamed ‘
Al- Fâsiq
’ (i.e. the dissolute, evildoer). He is the very one that we have recently mentioned. Hanzala, who was newly married, left his wife’s bed for
Al- Jihâd
(Fight in the cause of Allâh).

He set out the moment he heard of the call to
Al- Jihâd
. When he faced the idolaters on the battlefield, he made his way through their ranks till he reached their leader Abu Sufyan Sakhr bin Harb and had almost killed him, if he had not been ordained to be a martyr. For at that moment he was seen by Shaddad bin Al- Aswad who struck him to death.

The Contribution of the Archers Squad to the Battle
The archers squad whom the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] located on the Archers Mountain, had the upper hand in administering the war activities to go in favour of the Muslim army. The Makkan horsemen — commanded by Khalid bin Al- Waleed, supported by Abu ‘Amir Al- Fâsiq — had for three times attacked the left wing of the Muslim army with the aim of crushing it and then infiltrating into the rear to create a sort of confusion and disorder in the ranks of the Muslims and subsequently inflict heavy defeat on them. But thanks to the dexterity and great efforts of the archers, the three assaults were thwarted.[Fath Al-Bari 7/346]

War activities went on and on fierecly with the Muslims in full command of the whole military developments until the idolaters finally staggered and retreated, leaving all motives of alleged pride, and affected dignity in oblivion, and their standard trodden by the feet of the fighters with none ever courageous enough to approach it. It seemed as if the three thousand idolaters had been fighting thirty thousand Muslims and not merely several hundreds.

166

MSA NIU

Ibn Ishaq said: "Then Allâh sent down His Help unto the Muslims and verified His Promise to them. They chased the idolaters and evacuated them from their camp. No doubt it was a certain defeat." In a version by ‘Abdullah bin Az- Zubair that his father had said: "By Allâh, I was watching the servants of Hind bint ‘Utbah and her women friends fleeing with their garments gathered up. No one was there to prevent us from capturing them."[Ibn Hisham 2/77]

In another version by Al- Barâ’ bin ‘Azib — mentioned in
Sahih Al- Bukhâri
— he said:

"When we fought them, they fled, and their women could be seen fleeing in the mountains with their anklets and legs revealed."[Sahih Al-Bukhari 2/579] The Muslims pursued the enemies putting them to sword and collecting the spoils.

The Archers’ Fatal Mistake

While the small army of Islam were recording the second absolute and clear victory over the Makkans — which was no less in splendour and glory than the first one at Badr — the majority of the archers on the mountainside committed a fatal mistake that turned the whole situation upside down, and constituted a source of heavy losses amongst the Muslims. It has almost brought about the murder of the Prophet

[pbuh], and left a very bad impression on the fame and dignity they deservedly earned at Badr Battle.

We have already spoken about the positive orders given to the archers to hold on to their position whatever the course of the main engagement. In spite of those strict orders, and their leader’s — ‘Abdullah bin Jubair — warning, forty archers deserted their posts, enticed by the too soon roar of victory as well as worldly avarice for the spoils of war.[Sahih Al-Bukhari 1/426] The others, however, nine in number and ‘Abdullah, their leader, decided to abide by the Prophet [pbuh]’s order and stay where they were until they were given leave or killed to the last. Consequently the cleft was left inadequately defended .

The shrewd Khalid bin Al- Waleed seized this golden opportunity to turn swiftly round to the rear of the Muslim army and encompass them. Exterminating Ibn Jubair and his group, they fell promptly upon the rear of the Muslims and his horsemen uttered a shout that signalled the new military developments. The polytheists returned once again to counterattack the Muslims. An idolist woman — called ‘Umra bint ‘Alqama Al- Harithiyah — rushed to the lying- on- earth standard, picked it up and hoisted it.

The idolaters gathered together around the standard and called out unto one another till they encircled the Muslims and stoodfast to fight again.

The Muslims consequently got entrapped between two millstones.

The Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] was then among a small group of fighters — nine in number at the rear of the army[Sahih Muslim 2/107], watching the engagement and braving the Muslim fighters. Khalid and his men took him by utter surprise, and obliged him to follow either of two options:

a. To flee for his life and abandon his army to its doomed end, or b. To take action at the risk of his life, rally the ranks of the Muslims again and work their way through the hills of Uhud towards the encompassed army.

167

MSA NIU

The genius of the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh], his peerless and matchless courage made him opt for the second course. He raised his voice calling out unto his Companions: "Slaves of Allâh." He did that though he knew that his loud voice would be heard by the idolaters before it was heard by the Muslims. He called out unto them risking his life in this delicate situation.

The idolaters, indeed, recognized him and reached his position even before the other Muslims could do so.