on Friday, once the people had completed the congregational Prayer—he announced that he would march out and that ʿAbd Allah ibn Ubayy had withdrawn with a third of the men. ʿAbd Allah, the father of Jābir, followed after the deserters, calling, “I remind you by Allah: do not abandon your people and your Prophet!” They answered, “Had we thought there would be fighting we would never have left you, but we do not expect any battle to take place.”

Some of the Anṣār then said, “Messenger of Allah, shall we not seek help from our Jewish allies?” He replied, “We have no need of them.”

He continued until he halted in the defile of Uḥud on the side of the valley that faces the mountain. He placed his back—and the whole camp—against Uḥud and said, “Let no one fight until we give the order.”

He drew up the army for battle; they were seven hundred strong. He appointed ʿAbd Allah ibn Jubayr over the fifty archers and instructed them, “Drive the cavalry away from us with your arrows; do not let them come at us from behind. Whether the battle turns in our favour or against us, stay at your post; do not let the enemy reach us through you.”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ wore two coats of mail, one over the other, and handed the standard to Muṣʿab ibn ʿUmayr. The Quraysh, three thousand in number, formed their lines; they had two hundred horses led alongside. Khalid commanded their right wing and ʿIkrimah their left.

Salām ibn Miskīn transmitted from Qatādah, from Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib, who said: The Prophet’s banner on the day of Uḥud was a black cloak that belonged to ʿĀʾishah; the Ansar carried a banner called “the Eagle.” On his right stood ʿAlī; on his left al-Mundhir ibn ʿAmr al-Sāʿidī. Al-Zubayr ibn al-ʿAwwām commanded the infantry—some say it was al-Miqdād ibn al-Aswad. Ḥamzah led the centre. The flag was in the hands of Muṣʿab ibn ʿUmayr; when he was killed the Prophet ﷺ gave it to ʿAlī. It is also said that he carried three banners: one entrusted to Muṣʿab ibn ʿUmayr for the Emigrants, one to ʿAlī, and one to al-Mundhir.

Thābit related from Anas that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ took up a sword on the day of Uḥud and said, “Who will take this sword from me and give it its due?” They all stretched out their hands, each man saying, “I will! I will!” He repeated, “Who will take it and give it its due?” The men hesitated, whereupon Abū Dujānah, whose name was Simāk, said, “I will take it and give it its due.” He took it and began splitting the skulls of the idolaters with it. Muslim recorded this report.

Ibn Isḥāq adds: Then Abū Dujānah, Simāk ibn Kharashah of the Banū Sāʿidah, stood up and asked, “What is its due?” He answered, “That you strike the enemy with it until it bends.” “I will take it, Messenger of Allah,” he said, and the Prophet handed it to him. Abū Dujānah was a brave man who liked to swagger in battle; whenever he fought he was recognised by a red head-band he tied around his head, and he now began to strut between the two lines. We have been told that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw him swaggering he said, “That is a walk which Allah detests—except in a moment like this.”

ʿAmr ibn ʿĀṣim al-Kilābī reported: ʿUbayd Allah ibn al-Wāziʿ told me that Hishām ibn ʿUrwah narrated to him from his father, from al-Zubayr ibn al-ʿAwwām, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ offered a sword on the day of Uḥud, saying, “Who will take it and give it its due?” I rose and said, “I will, Messenger of Allah!” but he turned away from me. Then he said, “Who will take this sword and give it its due?” and Abū Dujānah rose