(B) The Battle of Uhud:
To avenge their defeat at Badr, the Meccans raised another force in
thethirdyear after hijra andmarchedtowards Medina. After reaching
thehillsofUhud, 4 m.outsideMedina,theProphettookuphisposition
below the hill. The army arrayed in fighting formations. Fifty archers
were posted, under the command of ‘Abdullah bin Jubayr, at a pass
betweenthehills toguardtheMuslimsfromanyrearattack.Theyhad
strictordersnotto leavetheirpost,nomatterwhatthe outcomeofthe
battle.
The Muslims initially defeated the Meccans. The enemy, having
sufferedaheavyloss,fellbackindisorderandtheMuslimsstartedgath-
ering booties.
Thinkingthatthefightwasover,mostofthefiftyarchersguardingthe
hill passage left their posts against the orders of their commander.
KhālidbinWalīd,acommanderoftheMeccanforces,seizedtheoppor-
tunityandled hiscavalrythroughthe mountainpass and,afterkilling
thefewremainingarchers,launchedafuriousattackupontheMuslims
from the rear.
Becauseof the disobedienceof a small group, the victorywastaken
awayfromtheMuslims.Mostfledfromthebattlefield.Afew,especially
‘Alī,stoodtheirgroundandfoughttilltheend.TheMuslimsfinallyre-
treated to the security of the heights of mount Uhud. Among the 70
MuslimswhodiedinthiscounterattackofthekuffarwasHamzahbin
‘AbdulMuttalib,thecourageous uncleoftheProphet. Hewas,indeed,
the Lion of God(asdullāh).