Quran Garden

Session 454

Chapter 3

Verse 122

a continuation

When two parties of you were about to lose heart, although God was their helper and protector – and in God let the believers put all their trust.  (Chapter 3: Verse 122)

In the battle of Uhud, a small Muslim army disrupted the ranks of Quraysh and was on a clear path to victory.  It looked like a repeat of the humiliation Quraysh received in Badr.  However, as the retreating Meccans left behind spoils of war, the Muslim archers stationed on the high slopes of mount Uhud breached Prophet Muhammad's strict orders not to leave their positions.  They went down to the battlefield to collect the spoils, exposing the back of the Muslim forces.  Khalid ibn al-Walid encircled them with his cavalry and attacked from behind.  Many Muslims were killed, and the Prophet was injured as they withdrew after sustaining losses.  It was a significant setback for the faithful.

In the Quran, almost sixty verses cover this battle in its various stages because Allah wants us to think and study the events of that day.  Victory does not encourage much study or retrospection, but we can learn much from defeat.  Hence, this setback is our great opportunity to reflect and learn valuable lessons.  Let's look at a few:

Lesson one: When the Muslim army left for the battle, the hypocrites were under the leadership of Ibn Ubay.  They deserted the army and returned to Medina, saying to the Prophet: "We are not people of war.  Had we known how to fight, we would certainly have followed you." Hence, the battle of Uhud was a test for the believers and only the believers.  In other words, Uhud did not happen to differentiate the believers from non-believers; instead, it was a purification for the believers.  The goal was to strengthen the faith of the Muslims.  Why, you may ask?  We answer that the Muslims around Prophet Muhammad and their descendants carry the heavy task of spreading Islam around the world till the Day of Judgment.  Only those with firm hearts, strong spirits in adversity, and the ability to resist the temptations of the world can be trusted with such a mission.

Lesson two:  Faith is not simply established in your heart the moment you declare Islam, rather, every circumstance in your life requires you to renew your faith and make it stronger.  For that reason, Allah tells us about the two groups of believers – Banu Salamah and Banu Haritha - who entertained the idea of leaving the Muslim army.  But did they leave the army and follow their desire?  Or did they stay firm to fulfill God's command?  They remained and were among the best Muslim fighters in Uhud.  Thus, we learn that there were people who professed their faith and remained firm the entire time; there were also hypocrites who left the army and never returned; lastly, there were Muslims who thought about leaving, then overcame their desire and stayed with our beloved Muhammad.  The human soul is ever-changing, and you have to protect your faith under all circumstances.

Lesson three:  But there is a fourth group from which we can learn the biggest lesson, especially in our material world.  These were men among the Muslim army who remained firm on their faith when the hypocrite Ibn Ubay left the army with his followers.  They did not entertain the thoughts of deserting the Muslim army, as did the clans of Haritha and Salamah.  But when the first signs of victory flashed, they rushed towards the spoils and disobeyed the Messenger's command.  In other words, they were tempted by material possessions.  God says,

God fulfilled His promise to you: you were routing them, with His permission, but then you faltered, disputed the order, and disobeyed once He had brought you within sight of your goal- some of you desire the gains of this world, and others desire the world to come- and then He prevented you from defeating them as a test.  He has now forgiven you: God is most gracious to the believers.  (3:152)

Lesson Four:  We should not be fooled or enamored by any human being.  For example, Khalid bin Al-Walid was the hero of the disbelievers in the Battle of Uhud.  He was the one who seized the opportunity to encircle the Muslim army.  This was before Khalid embraced Islam.  Some people marvel that Khalid is a brilliant military man and that any side he is on will be victorious.  We ask, was he not in the battle of the Trench?  Yes, he was still on the side of the disbelievers, so where was his genius then?  The lesson to learn is that when man's genius competes against man's genius, and the best will win.  However, no human can overcome or outsmart the divine arrangement.  Thus, Khalid's brilliance did not appear in the battle of the Trench as it did in Uhud because as soon as the Muslim archer's abandoned their position in defiance of Prophet Muhammad's order, the Muslims lost God's support.  Now they were left to their human ability and intelligence to compete against the superior army of Quraysh and the leadership of Khalid.  Had the Muslims remained true to the divine guidance, Khalid's genius would never have been able to manifest itself over the arrangements of his Lord.

Lesson Five:  The battle of Uhud was neither a victory nor a defeat for either side.  Why, you may ask?  We answer that a victory requires the dominant army to evacuate the opposing forces from the battlefield while the victors remain.  Did the Quraysh stay on the battlefield?  No, they retreated back.  Victory is also expressed by the capture of a number of the enemy soldiers, which neither side did.  The disbelievers knew that Medina was empty and that only the hypocrites, women, and children were left behind.  Yet, they did not feel that they could enter the city.  Neither side gained territory, captured anyone, took spoils, or remained on the battlefield.  Thus, we can safely say it was neither a victory nor a defeat.