The Battle of Uhud (Arabic: غزوة
أحد Ġazwat ‘Uḥud) was fought on March 19,
625 (3 Shawwal 3 AH in the Islamic calendar) at the valley located in front of
Mount Uhud, in what is now northwestern Arabia.[1] It occurred between a force
from the Muslim community of Medina led by the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and a
force led by Abu Sufyan ibn Harb from Mecca, the town from which many of the
Muslims had previously emigrated. The Battle of ‘Uḥud was the second military encounter between the
Meccans and the Muslims, preceded by the Battle of Badr in 624, where a small
Muslim army had defeated the much larger Meccan army.
Marching out from Mecca towards Medina on March 11, 625 AD,
the Meccans desired to avenge their losses at Badr and strike back at Muhammad
and his followers. The Muslims readied for war soon afterwards and the two
armies fought on the slopes and plains of Mount ‘Uḥud.
Whilst heavily outnumbered, the Muslims gained the early
initiative and forced the Meccan lines back, thus leaving much of the Meccan
camp unprotected. When the battle looked to be only one step far from a
decisive Muslim victory, a serious mistake was committed by a part of the
Muslim army, which shifted the outcome of the battle. A breach of Muhammad's
orders by the Muslim archers, who left their assigned posts to despoil the
Meccan camp, allowed a surprise attack from the Meccan cavalry, led by Meccan
war veteran Khalid ibn al-Walid, which brought chaos to the Muslim ranks. Many
Muslims were killed including Hamza ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, the Prophet's uncle
and foster brother. Muhammad himself was almost killed and came out badly
injured. The Muslims had to withdraw up the slopes of ‘Uḥud. The Meccans did not pursue the Muslims
further, but marched back to Mecca declaring victory.
For
the Muslims, the battle was a significant setback: although they had been close
to routing the Meccans a second time, their breach of Muhammad's orders in
favor of collecting Meccan spoils reaped severe consequences. The two armies
would meet again in 627 AD at the Battle of the Trench
Map of the battle, showing the Muslim and Meccan lines
respectively
Muslim archers positioned on a hill during the Battle of
Uhud, as depicted in Moustapha Akkad's 1976 film "The Message".
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