Battle of Uhud

Battle of Uhud
Part of the Muslim–Quraysh War

Muhammad and the Muslim Army at the Battle of Uhud[1]
Date23 March 625 (7 Shawwal, AH 3 (in the ancient (intercalated) Arabic calendar)
Location
Valley by Mount Uhud, north of Medina, Arabia
24°30′N 39°37′E / 24.5°N 39.61°E / 24.5; 39.61
Result Quraysh-Al-Abna victory[2][3]
Belligerents
Early Muslims Quraysh
Commanders and leaders
Strength
754 total[a]
  • 700 Infantry
  • 50 archers
  • 4 cavalry
 3,200 total[8]
  • 3,000 infantry
  • 3,000 camels
  • 200 cavalry
Casualties and losses
62[9]–75 killed 22[9]–35 killed
Battle of Uhud is located in Saudi Arabia
Battle of Uhud
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Location within Saudi Arabia

The Battle of Uhud (Arabic: غزوة أحد, romanized: Ghazwat ʾUḥud) was fought between the early Muslims and the Quraysh during the Muslim–Quraysh wars in a valley north of Mount Uhud near Medina on Saturday, 23 March 625 AD (7 Shawwal, 3 AH).

After the expulsion of Muslims from Mecca, the former began raiding the caravans of the latter. The conflict came to a head at the Battle of Badr, in which the Meccans were defeated. In retaliation for their losses, the Quraysh chief, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, set out for Medina with 3,000 soldiers to confront Muhammad and the Muslims. The early phase of the fighting saw the Muslims gaining the initiative. The Quraysh vanguard began faltering and retreated, leaving their camps vulnerable. However, when Muslim victory seemed near, the Muslim rear guard who were tasked to defend a hill to protect against a possible encirclement, abandoned their positions to collect spoils of war left by the fleeing enemy. This turn of events was exploited by the Quraysh general Khalid ibn al-Walid who launched a daring cavalry strike in the undefended rear and encircled the Muslims, thus turning the tide of battle.

The battle was seen as a significant setback for the Muslims and a minor victory for the Quraysh as they would return with an even larger force in the Battle of the Trench.

  1. ^ Miniature from volume 4 of a copy of Mustafa al-Darir’s Siyar-i Nabi (Life of the Prophet). "The Prophet Muhammad and the Muslim Army at the Battle of Uhud", Turkey, Istanbul; c. 1594 Leaf: 37.3 × 27 cm Archived 2018-06-12 at the Wayback Machine David Collection.
  2. ^ Lapidus 2012, p. 42.
  3. ^ Karsh 2013, p. 14.
  4. ^ a b c Najeebabadi, Akbar Shah, History of Islam, Vol.1, p. 171
  5. ^ Gil, Moshe (27 February 1997). Ibn Sa'd, 1(1), 147 VII(2), 113f, Baladhuri, Tarikh Tabari, 1 2960, Muqaddasi, Muthir, 25f; Ibn Hisham, 311. Cambridge University press. p. 119. ISBN 0521599849. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  6. ^ Karen Armstrong (2001), Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet, Phoenix, p. 185, ISBN 978-1-84212-608-0
  7. ^ Lesley Hazleton, The First Muslim.
  8. ^ Karen Armstrong (2001), Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet, Phoenix, p. 186, ISBN 978-1-84212-608-0
  9. ^ a b Karen Armstrong (2001), Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet, Phoenix, p. 187, ISBN 978-1-84212-608-0


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