Battle of Uhud

Battle of Uhud
Part of the Muslim–Quraysh War

Muhammad and the Muslim Army at the Battle of Uhud, from the Siyer-i Nebi, 1595[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 victory[2][3]
Belligerents
First Islamic State Quraysh
Commanders and leaders
Strength
754 total[a]
  • 700 Infantry
  • 50 archers
  • 4 cavalry
 3,000 total[9]
  • 1,450 infantry
  • 1,450 camels
  • 100 cavalry
Casualties and losses
62[10]–75 killed 22[10]–35 killed
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).

Following the Muslim emigration to Medina, hostilities with the Quraysh intensified, largely due to Muslim raids on Meccan trade caravans. In 624, the Quraysh suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Badr, during which several of their leaders were killed. The following year, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb led a force of approximately 3,000 men toward Medina to avenge the loss. The two sides met near Mount Uhud, just north of the city. At the outset of the engagement, the Muslims gained the upper hand and forced the Meccan lines to retreat. A group of Muslim archers had been stationed by Muhammad on a nearby hill in order to protect the army’s rear and guard against a cavalry attack. However, believing the battle was won, many of them left their positions to collect spoils from the Meccan camp. This lapse allowed the Meccan cavalry, led by Khalid ibn al-Walid, to launch a counterattack from the rear, reversing the momentum of the battle, and disrupting the Muslim lines. The resulting chaos led to heavy losses on the Muslim side, including the death of Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib.

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.[11]

  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 "The Battle of Uhud - Islamestic". 11 October 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Najeebabadi, Akbar Shah, History of Islam, Vol.1, p. 171
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ Karen Armstrong (2001), Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet, Phoenix, p. 185, ISBN 978-1-84212-608-0
  8. ^ Lesley Hazleton, The First Muslim.
  9. ^ Karen Armstrong (2001), Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet, Phoenix, p. 186, ISBN 978-1-84212-608-0
  10. ^ a b Karen Armstrong (2001), Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet, Phoenix, p. 187, ISBN 978-1-84212-608-0
  11. ^ Watt, William Montgomery (1956). Muhammad at Medina. Caldron Press. pp. 21–29.


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