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as winners. For I am not sure of what turn will the consequences take if you get involved in such a
fight. It might be to your prejudice in the final place.” Notwithstanding that weighty argument, the
majority of the polytheists were determined to embark on that risky undertaking.
Ma‘bad bin Abu Ma‘bad meanwhile arrived on the scene and tried to exaggerate the danger awaiting
them in order to thwart their plan, he said: “Muhammad (Peace be upon him) has marched to meet
you with a large host of fighters, I have never seen something similar to it before. He has mustered
all the troops whohave tarried and did not share in Uhud. They surely regret what they have missed
and want to compensate for it now. Their hearts are filled with hate and resentment.” Abu Sufyan
said: “Woe to you! What do you suggest?” He said: “By Allâh, I see that you would not leave till he
comes and you see the heads of their horses; or till the vanguard of his army turns up to you from
behind that hill.”
Abu Sufyan said: “By Allâh, we have reached a common consent to crush down the Muslims and
their power.” The man, once more with an implied warning, advised him to stop it.
In the light of this news, the resolution and determination of the Makkan army failed and panic and
terror took firm hold of them. They consequently deemed it safest to complete there withdrawal
back to Makkah. They, however, as an alternative, started a hostile nerve propaganda aiming at
dissuading the Muslims army from pursuing them. A caravan belonging to ‘Abd Qais happened to
pass by towards Madinah. Abu Sufyan, in the context of his propaganda, asked them to
communicate a message to Muhammad (Peace be upon him) to the effect that the Makkans had
rallied their ranks to annihilate the Messenger and his Companions, in return Abu Sufyan promised
to give the people of the caravan loads of raisins at the forum of ‘Ukaz the following year.
The people of the caravan conveyed the message to the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) at
Hamrâ’ Al-Asad, but to no effect, on the contrary, Abu Sufyan’s words augmented them in Faith.
Allâh says:
·
“… And they said: ‘Allâh (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs
(for us). So they turned with Grace and Bounty from Allâh. No harm touched them; and
they followed the good Pleasure of Allâh. And Allâh is the Owner of Great Bounty.”
[3:173,174]
After the arrival of the caravan on Sunday, the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) stayed at
Hamrâ’ Al-Asad for three days — Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday — 9-11 Shawwal, 3 A.H. and
then returned to Madinah. Before his return, he took Abu ‘Azza Al-Jumahi as a prisoner of war.
Incidentally, this man had also been captured at Badr but on account of his poverty, and the large
family he supported, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) had been gracious enough to release him on
condition that he would not involve himself in war against the Muslims again. Abu ‘Azza did not keep
his promise and took part in Uhud hostilities on the side of the polytheists. Here again he implored
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) for pardon but the latter told him that a believer wouldn’t be taken
twice in the same snare. He then deservedly merited the sentence of death which was executed by
Az-Zubair or, in another version, by ‘Asim bin Thabit.
A Makkan spy, called Mu‘awiyah bin Al-Mugheerah bin Abi Al-‘As, was s entenced to death too. This
spy was the grandfather of ‘Abdul Malik bin Marwan on his mother side. When the idolaters went
back after Uhud, Mu‘awiyah came to his paternal cousin ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan (May Allah be pleased
with him) ‘Uthman gave him shelter — after securing the Prophet ’s permission— on condition that
if he was caught there after three days, he would be killed. But he did not comply with it, so when
the Muslim army left Madinah, he stayed there for more than three days during which he was spying
for Quraish. So when the army returned, Mu‘awiyah fled out of Madinah. The Messenger of Allâh
(Peace be upon him), on this account, ordered Zaid bin Harithah and ‘Ammar bin Yasir to pursue
him and kill him. So he was killed.
Undoubtedly, the invasion of Hamrâ’ Al-Asad is not a separate invasion, but rather a part, or more
specifically, a sequel to Uhud.
That was Uhud Invasion with all its stages and details. It has for long been discussed by scholars
and men of research. Was it a defeat or not? Doubtlessly, the military superiority in the second
phase of the battle was in favour of the polytheists who could successfully direct the steering
mechanism of hostilities and inflict heavy losses in lives on the Muslims. Admittedly, a part of the
believers were clearly defeated, but this could never be considered a Makkan victory.
The Makkan army failed to occupy the camp of the Muslims. The greater bulk of the Madinese army,
chaos and confusion notwithstanding, did not take to escape, on the contrary they showed
matchless and heroic resistance and managed to gather themselves again around their
headquarters fighting bravely and courageously. They, moreover, did not allow the Makkans to run
after them in pursuit. Neither Muslim captives were taken nor spoils were gained by the Makkans.
The enemies of Islam were also too cowardly to conduct the third phase of war, and impress their
superiority on the battlefield, on the contrary, they were in hot haste to evacuate the field even
before the Muslims did. Madinah itself, the capital of the Muslims, was only a stone’s throw from the
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