Chapter: The Saying of Allah Almighty, "Indeed, Allah has fulfilled His promise to you when you were killing them by His permission..."

Verse: Indeed, Allah has fulfilled His promise to you when you were killing them by His permission, until [the time] when you lost courage and fell to disputing about the order [given by the Prophet]... [Qur'an - Surah Al-Imran, Verse 152]

The Saying of Allah - Almighty - "When you were climbing and not looking at anyone while the Messenger was calling you from behind you..."

Verse: When you were climbing and not looking at anyone while the Messenger was calling you from behind you, so Allah repaid you with distress upon distress so you would not grieve for what had escaped you nor for what had befallen you. And Allah is [fully] Acquainted with what you do. Then He sent down upon you, after the distress, security [in the form of] drowsiness overtaking a faction of you while another faction, [anxiety] that they were to themselves, thinking of Allah other than the truth - [Qur'an - Surah Al-Imran, Verses 153-154]

Narration:

Narrated by Al-Bara': On the day of Uhud, when the Muslims encountered the disbelievers, the Prophet (peace be upon him) had some archers positioned... [Narration continues - Hadith]

Encounter with Abu Sufyan before the Battle of Uhud

In the lead-up to the Battle of Uhud, Abu Sufyan, the leader of the Quraysh, inquired about the presence of Prophet Muhammad and notable companions, like Abu Bakr and Umar. Initially, the Prophet remained silent to avoid revealing their strategic position. Once the Prophet permitted his companions to respond, they proclaimed, "Allah is our protector and you have none."

Abu Sufyan's Provocation and Prophet Muhammad's Response

Abu Sufyan attempted to undermine the Muslims by invoking their losses at Badr. He tried to sow doubt among the Muslims by reminding them of the impending battle and the odds they faced. However, in response, the Prophet Muhammad affirmed their faith in Allah as their sole protector and source of strength.

The Significance of the Encounter

This encounter marked a pivotal moment before the Battle of Uhud, showcasing the unwavering faith of the companions in the face of adversity. Despite Abu Sufyan's taunts, the Muslims remained steadfast in their belief in the divine protection and guidance provided by Allah.

Hadith on the Battle of Uhud

Reported by al-Bukhari: Ubayd Allah ibn Musa narrated from Israel. Also, Abu Abdullah al-Hafiz informed us that Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Muzakki reported from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Abdi, who reported from Abu Ja'far al-Nufayli, who reported from Zuhayr ibn Muawiya, who reported from Abu Ishaq, who heard al-Bara' ibn Azib saying, "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, placed Abdullah ibn Jubayr in charge of the archers on the day of Uhud..."

Al-Bukhari also reported from Amr ibn Khalid, from Zuhayr: Abu Abdullah al-Hafiz reported that Abu an-Nadr al-Faqih said that Uthman ibn Saeed ad-Darimi reported from Suleiman ibn Dawud al-Hashimi, who reported from Abdul Rahman ibn Abi al-Zinad, from his father, from Ubayd ibn Abd Allah ibn Utbah, from Ibn Abbas who said, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, was never helped in a place as he was helped on the day of Uhud..."

Translation of Classical Arabic Text

[ (١٧) ] Ibn Abbas says: The wrath is killing, (so) when you failed and disputed in the matter, and disobeyed after He had shown you that which you love. Some of you desire this world and some of you desire the Hereafter. Then He turned you away from them to test you. And indeed, He forgave you, and Allah is full of favor to the believers. And what this refers to are the archers. This is because the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) stationed them at a place, then said: Protect our backs, if you see us being killed, do not come to our aid, and if you see us gaining spoils, do not share in it. So, when the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) gained spoils and permitted the polytheists’ army, the archers all turned back and entered the army to loot. The ranks of the Prophet's companions met them and they intertwined. Many Muslims were killed, and among them were the martyrs of Badr, seven or nine of them. The Muslims retreated towards the mountain without reaching the place known as the "Gharr," people were saying they were under the banner; and Satan shouted: Muhammad has been killed and we have no doubt about it. We have remained in this state and did not doubt that he was killed until the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) appeared amidst us between the two Sa’ds. We recognized him by his wiping his face with his hand. He said: We rejoiced as if we had not suffered what we had suffered. He said: He approached us saying: Allah's wrath has been severe upon a people who made the face of their Prophet bleed. He said: And at another instance, he said: O Allah, they can never dominate us. When he approached us, he stayed for a while. And suddenly, Abu Sufyan started to shout at the foot of the mountain: Climb, Hubal, Climb, Hubal, meaning his idols. Where is Ibn Abi Kabsha? Where is Ibn Abi Quhafa? Where is Ibn al-Khattab? So Umar asked: O Messenger of Allah, shall I strike him? He said: Yes. When he shouted: Climb, Hubal, Umar said: Allah is the Highest and the Greatest. Abu Sufyan then said: O Ibn al-Khattab, it is the day of noiselessness. So he turned back and said: Where is Ibn Abi Kabsha? Where is Ibn Abi Quhafa? Where is Ibn al-Khattab? Umar said: This is [ (١٧) ] [Al Imran – ١٥٢].

The Encounter at Badr

In a day at Badr, the days are circles, and indeed war is cunning. Abu Sufyan said, “Our killings will lead us to paradise while your killings will lead you to hell.” Umar, may God be pleased with him, responded, “Our killings are not the same; we fight for paradise while you fight for hell.” Abu Sufyan warned them, saying, “You will find equals in your losses.” However, Umar felt otherwise and showed disdain towards such words.

Abu Sufyan continued with his words until the pre-Islamic warrior spirit emerged within him. He acknowledged, “We did not appreciate it when it was not there.”

The Greeting at the Encounter

When the Prophet, peace be upon him, caught up with his companions, they looked at him and besides him were Talha, Zubair, Sahl ibn Haneef, and Harith ibn Asimah. The brother of Banu Najjar thought that the Prophet’s companions were from the enemy, so he aimed an arrow at them. As they started talking, the Prophet, peace be upon him, called out to them. They saw no harm within themselves upon seeing the Prophet alive. The devil tempted them when they saw their enemies fleeing, recalling their slain and captured loved ones, asking each other about their casualties, intensifying their grief.

Comfort After Grief

God caused the polytheists to flee after sadness overwhelmed them, to alleviate their sorrow. As their enemies ascended the mountain and disappeared, the grief and worries for their brothers diminished. God sent peace to a group of them after the distress, covering some with slumber while others pondered over their fate. The Prophet, peace be upon him, prayed, “O Allah, let them not overpower us,” and then called upon his companions, sending a group with him. They climbed the cliff until they were level with the enemy, then they threw and struck them down.

Translation of Classical Arabic Text

The polytheists then turned to kill the Muslims; they mutilated them by cutting off their ears, noses, and genitals, disemboweled them, thinking they had indeed inflicted a defeat on the Prophet, peace be upon him, and the nobles among his companions. They then gathered and aligned themselves opposite them. Abu Sufyan mentioned the day of Badr and recounted what had been narrated in the continuous reports. Then, he mentioned their retreat to their heavy armors and their exit, in the sense of what had been narrated from Musa ibn Uqbah.

It was narrated to us by Abu Abdullah Al-Hafiz, who said: It was narrated to us by Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al-Ka'bi, who said: It was narrated to us by Muhammad ibn Ayyub, who said: It was narrated to us by Khalifah ibn Khayyat, who said: It was narrated to us by Yazid ibn Zuray, who said: It was narrated to us by Sa'id, from Qatadah, from Anas, from Abu Talhah, who said: "I was one of those who were overcome by drowsiness on the day of Uhud, to the point that my sword fell from my hand repeatedly, and I would pick it up again. This was reported by Al-Bukhari in Sahih from Khalifah ibn Khayyat."

It was narrated to us by Abu Abdullah Al-Hafiz, who said: It was narrated to us by Ali ibn Humsahd Al-Adl, who said: It was narrated to us by Isma'il ibn Ishaq Al-Qadi and Ali ibn Abdul Aziz, who said: It was narrated to us by Hujjah ibn Minhal, who said: It was narrated to us by Hammad ibn Salamah, from Thabit, from Anas, from Abu Talhah Al-Ansari, who said: "I raised my head on the day of Uhud and noticed that every one of them was nodding off from drowsiness. This is as mentioned in Ibn Hisham's Sirah, Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim, and some narrations from Al-Salhi in the Shamiah Sirah."

Excerpt from Classical Arabic Textual Tradition

Then He sent down upon you, after distress, security [in the form of] a tranquility enveloping a faction of you. (Quran 3:22)

Narration Chain

• Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Muqri informed us, saying: Al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Ishaq told us, who narrated from Yusuf ibn Ya'qub al-Qadi, who was informed by Abdul Wahid ibn Ghayath, who narrated from Hammad ibn Salamah, from Hisham ibn Urawah, from his father, from Zubair ibn al-Awwam, that he said something similar and recited the verse: "Then He sent down upon you, after distress, security [in the form of] a tranquility."

Reflections on Tranquility

Abu Abdullah al-Hafiz stated that Abu al-Abbas Muhammad ibn Ya'qub reported to them that Ahmad ibn Abd al-Jabbar stated that Yunus ibn Bukayr narrated from Ibn Ishaq, who said that Yahya ibn Abbad ibn Abdillah ibn Zubair reported from his father, from his grandfather Abdillah ibn Zubair, that Zubair said: "I swear by Allah, it is as if I hear the words of Muattib ibn Qushayr, and the drowsiness envelops me such that I can barely hear it from him except for bits and pieces. He was saying: If we had any say in the matter, we wouldn't have been killed here."

Authenticity and Source

This hadith was reported by Imam Tirmidhi in his exegesis of Surah Al-Imran, through the chain of Abdul ibn Humayd, from Rauh ibn Ubada, from Hammad ibn Salamah, from Thabit. Tirmidhi classified it as "Hasan Sahih" in his compilation (5:229). Additionally, the hadith is also mentioned in Tirmidhi's collection through the chain of Abdul ibn Humayd, Rauh ibn Ubada, Hammad ibn Salamah, Hisham ibn Urawah, from his father, from Zubair, and again, Tirmidhi classified it as "Hasan Sahih".

The Quranic verse (3:24) and the narration were narrated by Imam Ishaq ibn Rahawayh from the hadith of Zubair ibn al-Awwam, and this was quoted by al-Salhi in his Shamail collection (4:302-303). Ibn Ishaq commented: "Allah the Almighty sent tranquility as security for the people of certainty, so they sleep without fear. As for those tormented by their souls, the hypocrites are in extreme fear and panic."

Abu Talha's Experience at the Battle of Uhud

Abu Talha recounts his experience on the day of the Battle of Uhud, stating that he was feeling drowsy that day. He describes how his sword would slip from his hand, but he would quickly grab it again. Meanwhile, he remarks on the other group, the hypocrites, who had no concern but for themselves. They were the most timid and cowardly people, abandoning the truth and deceiving themselves and misunderstanding God. Their lies were considered faith, full of doubt and skepticism in God Almighty.

This narration was reported by Al-Bukhari in his Sahih from another perspective, narrated by Shayban. The chain of narration continues with various narrators providing insights into the events of the day, highlighting the test faced by the believers and the exposure of the hypocrites.

The Significance of the Day of Uhud

On the Day of Uhud, it was a day of testing and sifting through the believers. God tested them while exposing the hypocrites who openly displayed Islam with their tongues while harboring disbelief in their hearts. It was a day where God honored those who sought His favor through martyrdom in His cause. Sixty verses from Surah Al-Imran were revealed on that day, describing the events and addressing those who were blamed for the incident.

Allah's Revelation to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

It is narrated that Allah, the Almighty, said to His Prophet (peace be upon him): "And [remember O Muhammad], when you left your family in the early morning to post the believers at their station for the battle [of Uhud], and Allah is Hearing and Knowing." This passage mentions the events surrounding the battle of Uhud and the Prophet's actions.

The Events of the Battle of Uhud

Following this, Ibn Ishaq mentioned the number of Muslims who were martyred on the Day of Uhud. The details of this event can be found in Ibn Ishaq's biography.