Muhammad, the Qur'an and Islam
During the 28th month after the Hijra, Muhammad sent Zayd b. Haritha and
100 Muslims mounted on horses to intercept a caravan of the Quraysh at
al-Qarada. A man was captured, who upon the threat of death became a
Muslim and was freed. Muhammad is reported to have received 20,000
dirhams as one-fifth of the booty.^235
It is said that Muhayyisa b. Mas`ud murdered a Jew after hearing
Muhammad command the killing of all Jews within the power of the
Muslims.^236
In about the 30th month after the Hijra, Muhammad is reported to have
married `Umar's daughter Hafsa, who was the widow of a Muslim killed at
Badr.^237
During the 32nd month after the Hijra, the Meccans under Abu Sufyan
assembled an army of some 3000 men and marched toward Medina.
Although Abdullah b. Ubayy counselled against leaving their fortresses in Medina, Muhammad, on the advice of other Muslims, decided to confront the Meccans. Muhammad is said to have rejected the aid of Medinan polytheists, and his force of 1000 became a force of 700 on th^238 e way to Uhud, afterAbdullah b. Ubayy decided to leave them. According to
reports, the Meccans had two cavalry units right and left of their center, and
Muhammad had placed a rear-guard of archers on a piece of higher ground.
At first, the battle went so well for the Muslims in the center that they
began to plunder the Meccan camp. Apparently afraid they would miss out
on the spoils, most of the archers in the Muslim rear-guard left their
position. After noticing this mistake, Khalid b. Walid led the Meccan
cavalry in storming the reduced rear-guard, and Muslim began to kill
Muslim in the ensuing chaos. The polytheists seem to have thought at one
point that they had killed Muhammad, but in actuality he had only been
wounded in the face and had had a tooth broken. In the end, some 6 5
Muslims were killed, among them Muhammad's uncle Hamza. Mecc^239 an
losses are said to have been 22, and Muhammad executed the Muslims’
only Meccan prisoner.^240
The day after the battle of Uhud, Muhammad, his Muslim soldiers and
others went as far as Hamra al-Asad, where the Meccans returning from
Uhud had killed two Muslim scouts. Muhammad and his forces defiantly
camped so near the Meccans that both sides could see each others fires at
night. No further fighting took place during this expedition.^241