Muhammad ibn Ishaq and al-Suddi, on the authority of their respective transmitters, said: The polytheists encamped at Uhud on Wednesday. When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, heard of their arrival, he consulted his Companions and summoned Abd Allah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul—though he had never summoned him before—and consulted him. Abd Allah ibn Ubayy and most of the Ansar said, “Messenger of Allah, remain in Medina and do not go out against them. By Allah, whenever we have gone out from it against an enemy, that enemy has inflicted losses upon us; and whenever an enemy has entered it against us, we have inflicted losses upon him. So how much more so when you are among us? Leave them, Messenger of Allah. If they remain, they will remain in the worst position; if they enter, the men will fight them face-to-face, while the women and children will pelt them with stones from above. And if they withdraw, they will withdraw disappointed.” This opinion pleased the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.

But some of his Companions said, “Messenger of Allah, lead us out against these curs, so that they may not think that we have been too cowardly or too weak to face them.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “I saw in my dream cows being slaughtered, and I interpreted this as goodness. I saw a notch in the edge of my sword, and I interpreted it as a defeat. And I saw that I had put my hand into a strong coat of mail, and I interpreted it as Medina. Thus, if you think it best to remain in Medina...” He preferred that they should enter upon him in Medina, so that they could fight in its streets.

Then some Muslim men—among those who had missed the day of Badr and whom Allah honored with martyrdom on the day of Uhud—said, “Lead us out against our enemies.” Their eagerness to encounter the enemy kept them pressing the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, until he went inside and put on his armor. When they saw that he had put on his weapons, they regretted it and said, “How badly we have acted! We gave counsel to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, while revelation comes to him.” So they rose, apologized to him, and said, “Do as you see fit.” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “It is not fitting for a Prophet, once he has put on his armor, to take it off until he has fought.” (3)

The polytheists had remained at Uhud on Wednesday and Thursday. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, set out on Friday afternoon, after leading his Companions in the Friday prayer. A man from the Ansar had died that day, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed over him before setting out against them. By Saturday morning, the fifteenth of Shawwal in the third year after the Hijrah, he was at the pass of Uhud. Then there occurred in the battle of Uhud what occurred.

This is the meaning of His saying, Exalted is He: “And when you went forth at daybreak from your household,” that is, remember when you went forth from your household, “assigning the believers positions for battle,” that is, stationing the believers in battle positions and places. One says, “I assigned the people a dwelling-place,” when I settle them somewhere; and “they took up a dwelling,” when they settle somewhere. Allah, Exalted is He, says: “We certainly settled the Children of Israel in a goodly dwelling-place” (Yunus 93); and He says, “Settle your people in houses in Egypt” (Yunus 87). It was also said that it means: you established a military camp. “And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.”