124 In 1m FootlltpJ of Iht Pf'Jphtlwho eventually stepped into the battle, took a sword, and fought the
Quraysh.^36 The Prophet had never invited or advised women to fight, but
when he saw Nusaybah's spirit and energy in the battle, he praised her be-
havior and prayed to God to protect her and grant her victory and success.
It was becoming clear that the r.'Iuslims were winning, in spite of set- -
backs and the death of ~omc Companions. Harnzah, the Prophet's ur:de,
had been the target of Hind's vengeance since the defeat at Back \"/ahshi,
an Abyssinian spearman, had been set the single task of killing Hamzah, and
this was what he concentrated on doing: while Muhammad's uncle was
fighting, Wahshi drew near to him and threw his spear with utmost preci-
sion, hitting him and killing him instantly. Later on, Hind sought out
H amzah's body on the battlefield, and after chewing on his liver, thereby
fulfiHing her promise to drink his blood in revenge for her rdatives'
deaths, she disfigured him, cutting off his ears and nose and hanging them
around her neck. 37
Nevertheless, as the battle progressed it seemed that victory could not
escape the Muslims, who kept pressing forward while the Quraysh puUed
back, leaving their mounts and belongings behind them. The archers, post-
ed on the hillside, looked on the favorable turn of events, on victory close
at hand, and especially on the booty that lay within reach of the soldiers
who were, unlike them, fighting at the front. They forgot the Prophet's
orders and the injunctions of their leader, Abdullah ibn Jubayr: only a few
archers stayed on the hillside, while about forry of them ran clown the hill,
convinced that victory was achieved and that they too were entitled to a
share in the booty. Khalid ibn al-Walid, a fine tactician who led one of the
three Q uraysh divisions, noticed the archers' move and immediately
decided to sweep round the hill and attack the Muslim troops from
behind. He succeeded in launching a pincer attack on the Prophet'S
Companions that resulted in total confusion, and the Muslim fighters
sca ttered in utter disorder. Som e were killed and some ran away, while
others kept fighting without really knowing where to strike. The P rophet
was attacked and fell off his mount: one of his teeth was broken and the
rings of his helmet were driven into the bloody flesh of his cheek. A
tumor spread that the Prophet had been killed, which increased the chaos
among Muslims. Eventually, some Companions carried him to his mount
and protected him, thus enabling: him to escape his assailants. The Muslims