the valley that faces Mount Uhud. Among the Muslims were men who had not been present at Badr; they regretted having missed that first encounter and longed to meet the enemy so that they might do what their brothers had done on the Day of Badr. When Abū Sufyān and the idol-worshippers camped at the foot of Uhud, those Muslims who had missed Badr rejoiced at the enemy’s arrival and said, “Allah has brought our wish to our very doorstep.”
That Thursday night (the eve of Friday) the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was shown a vision. The next morning a group of his Companions came to him and he said:
“I saw in my sleep last night cattle being slaughtered—and Allah brings only good. I also saw that my sword, Dhū al-Faqār, had broken off at the base—or he said, ‘its blade was notched’—and I disliked that, for they signify two calamities. And I saw myself in a strong coat of mail, and that I was riding pillion behind a ram.”
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ told them of his dream they asked, “Messenger of Allah, how have you interpreted it?” He replied:
“I took the cattle to mean men who will fall from among us and from among them, and I disliked what I saw regarding my sword.”
Some men said that what he saw concerning the sword referred to the wound that struck his face, for the enemy did wound his face that day, breaking one of his incisors and splitting his lip; they claim that the one who struck him was ʿUtbah ibn Abī Waqqāṣ. The cattle, they said, stood for the Muslims who were killed that day.
He continued:
“I interpreted the ram as the ram—the leader—of the enemy’s battalion; Allah will kill him. I interpreted the strong coat of mail as Madinah. So stay here, place the women and children in the fortified towers; if the enemy enters upon us in the alleyways, we shall fight them there and they will be pelted from the rooftops.”
They had already closed off the alleyways of Madinah with buildings so that it resembled a fortress.
But those who had not witnessed Badr said, “We have been hoping for this day and praying to Allah for it; now Allah has brought it to us and made the march short.” Some of the Anṣār said, “Messenger of Allah, when shall we fight them if not at the entrance to our own valley?” Others said, “What will we ever defend if we do not defend the crops while they are still in the ground?”
Still others spoke words which they later proved true. Among them was Ḥamzah ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, who said, “By Him Who sent down the Book to you, we shall certainly grapple with them.” Nuʿmān ibn Mālik ibn Thaʿlabah—one of the Banū Sālim—said, “Prophet of Allah, do not deprive us of Paradise. By the One in whose hand is my soul, I shall surely enter it.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, “On what basis?” He replied, “Because I love Allah and His Messenger, and I will not flee when the armies meet.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “You have spoken the truth,” and he was martyred that very day.
Most of the people insisted on marching out to confront the enemy and did not defer to the word and judgment of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Had they accepted what he commanded, it would have been better, but the divine decree and destiny prevailed. The majority of those who urged him to go out were men who had not attended Badr and knew the excellence that had been granted to its participants.
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had performed the Friday prayer, he exhorted the people, reminded them, and urged them to earnest striving. After finishing his sermon and the prayer he called for his armour, put it on, and ordered the people to set out. When men of sound judgment saw this they said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ had ordered us to stay in Madinah. He knows Allah best, knows what Allah wills, and revelation comes to him from the heavens.” They therefore said, “Messenger of Allah, remain as you first instructed us.”
He replied, “It is not fitting for a prophet, once he has put on his battle-gear and announced the march against the enemy, to turn back until he has fought. I invited you to this course but you insisted on going out. Therefore, fear Allah and be steadfast in hardship when you meet the enemy, and observe whatever I command you.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then set out with the Muslims by way of al-Badāʾiʿ; they were one thousand strong, while the idolaters numbered three thousand. He continued until he camped at Uhud. ʿAbd Allah ibn Ubayy ibn Salūl withdrew with three hundred men, leaving the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with seven hundred.