he consulted his Companions: should he march out to face them, or remain in Medina and fight them if they entered the city? The younger men—those who had not fought at Badr—advised him to go out, so the Prophet ﷺ advanced with about 1,000 fighters.

Roughly a third of the army, however, broke ranks, for they were hypocrites—may Allah protect us—saying, “Had we expected real fighting, we would have followed you.” The Prophet ﷺ was thus left with some 700 men. He organized them perfectly at the foot of Mount Uhud, the battle commenced, and the idolaters were routed early in the day, whereupon the Muslims began gathering the spoils.

The Prophet ﷺ had posted fifty archers on a mountain pass to protect the Muslims’ rear. When these archers saw that the idolaters had been defeated and the Muslims were collecting booty, they said, “Let us go down and help our brothers gather the spoils.” Their commander, ʿAbd Allah ibn Jubayr, reminded them of the Prophet’s ﷺ order—for when he stationed them there he had said, “Do not leave your position, and do not abandon it whether the battle turns for or against us.” Yet—may Allah pardon them—most of them grew hasty and descended.

When the Quraysh cavalry noticed that the archers’ post was empty, they wheeled around and struck the Muslims from behind. Among them were Khalid ibn al-Walid and ʿIkrimah ibn Abi Jahl, who later embraced Islam and became two of its finest horsemen. Such is the bounty of Allah; He grants it to whomever He wills.

They broke into the Muslim ranks from the rear, mingling with them, and seventy Muslims were martyred—foremost among them the Lion of Allah and His Messenger, Hamzah ibn ʿAbd