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The Battle of Uhud took place in the year 3AH near Mount Uhud and is one the great historic events of Islam. The battle took place on the 15th of Shawaal and was initiated by the disbelievers as revenge for the defeat that they had suffered in the Battle of Badr the previous year.
There are many lessons that we learn from this great battle and this article focuses on the bravery that the womenfolk displayed during this historic event.
Like the menfolk, women had also presented invaluable services in the Battle of Uhud. And this serves as a great lesson for our mothers and sisters to have such enthusiasm as those great and blessed women to sacrifice our lives for the sake of Deen. This does not necessarily mean in a battle, but also in our everyday lives, where we should sacrifice our own desires for the pleasure of Allah Ta’ala and His Beloved Rasool (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). We should have the same eagerness and passion to serve the Deen of Allah Ta’ala and have pain and concern in our hearts for the Ummah of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).
It has been reported by Hazrat Anas (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), regarding Hazrat Sayyidah Aisha Siddiqah and Hazrat Umme Sulaim (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhuma) that during the Battle of Uhud, both would fill leather bags with water and give the injured Mujaahideen to drink. The same has been reported concerning Sayyidah Bibi Umme Sulait (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha), the mother of Hazrat Abu Saeed Khudri (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh). {Bukhari Shareef}
Hazrat Sayyidah Bibi Umme Ummarah (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) whose real name was Naseebah, attended the Battle of Uhud with her husband, Hazrat Zaid bin Aasim (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) and two sons, Hazrat Ummarah and Abdullah (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhum). At first, she used to give the Mujaahideen water to drink, though after seeing Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) being attacked physically by the Kuffaar, she picked up a dagger, stood before the Kuffaar soldiers and tried to stop the swings of their swords with it, being injured on her head and neck because of this.
When the wretched disbeliever Ibn Qamiyah was attacking Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) with his sword, Bibi Umme Ummarah (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) stepped forward to shield the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) from his attack (using her body to receive the strike) and sustained injury to her shoulders. She then lifted a sword as well and struck Ibn Qamiyah on his shoulders. Due to him wearing two armour-guards at the time, the sword could not injure him.
Hazrat Abdullah (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), the son of Bibi Umme Ummarah (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), narrates, “A kaafir wounded me in the Battle of Uhud, causing a wound which bled profusely. Seeing this, my mother Hazrat Umme Ummarah (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) instantly rushed towards me, tore a piece of her clothing and tied it around the wound, thereafter saying, “O my son! Stand up and go into Jihad again.”
Incidentally, the same disbeliever who injured me was now within close proximity to Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) intending to kill him. Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said to my mother, “O Umme Ummarah! Look! It is the same disbeliever who attacked your son.” My mother then immediately drew a sword and struck the disbeliever with such force on his leg that he immediately fell to the ground, unable to move. Dragging himself upon his buttocks, he then escaped as fast as he could.
Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) saw this, smiled and said, “O Umme Ummarah! You should be grateful to Allah Ta’ala that he has granted you the strength to participate in Jihad.” My mother then said to Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), “Make Dua that we are allowed to be your servants in Jannah.” Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) then made the following Dua,
اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُمْ رُفَـقَائِى فِي الْجَنَّة
“O Allah! Make all of them (Umme Ummarah and her family) my companions in Jannah.”
After this, Sayyidah Bibi Umme Ummarah (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) would openly say, “I do not fear facing even the biggest calamity in the world after this Dua of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).” {Madaarijun Nubuwwah}
SubhanAllah! Look at the courage of Sayyidah Umme Ummarah (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) and look at the reward that she received for her selfless sacrifice for the sake of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Yet today the condition of many of our womenfolk has become such that we cannot even sacrifice the fashions of the world, and dress according to the commandments of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). They sacrificed their lives for Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) but we cannot even sacrifice our comfort and worldly pleasures for the sake of Allah Ta’ala and His Beloved Rasool (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). We are not even willing to sacrifice our personal desires to follow the Sunnah of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). What have we reduced ourselves to, that we have forgotten the meaning of sacrifice and true love for Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)!
Another Sahaabiya, Hazrat Sayyidah Safiya (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) came close to her brother, Hazrat Sayyiduna Ameer Hamza’s (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) body, but Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) ordered her son Hazrat Zubair (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) not to allow her to see his mutilated and disfigured state. She replied, “I am aware of what has happened to my brother Hamza (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh),” and with the permission of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, was able to see his body. Seeing his condition, the cut-open body and his half-chewed liver lying on the floor next to him, she remained patient and said,
اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلَیْهِ رٰجِعُوْنَؕ
“Indeed we belong to Allah and indeed to Him we shall return.”
Thereafter she made Dua for her brother’s salvation. {Tabri}
There was another woman of the Ansaar whose husband, father, brother and other members of her family had taken part in the Battle of Uhud and she was told that all of them had become Shaheed (martyred) during the battle. Instead of grieving over this great loss that had befallen her, she immediately asked, “What is the condition of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)?” After being told that Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was safe, she praised Allah Ta’ala for protecting His Beloved Rasool (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). {Tabri}
Apart from the Sahaabah-e-Kiraam, even the blessed Sahaabiyaat have set a beautiful example for us to follow in terms of sacrificing everything for the sake of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).
May Allah Ta’ala grant us such Jazbah and enthusiasm as these great Sahaabiyaat to sacrifice our lives for the sake of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), Allahumma Ameen.
