بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Assalamu Alaikum.
[Here are Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.]
After the Battle of Badr, multiple military expeditions took place. These became the precursors for the second battle in Islam i.e. the Battle of Uhud.
Uhud was a difficult day for the Muslims. It started out well but then havoc ensued. However, the Muslims continued to fight bravely.
عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ لَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ أُحُدٍ وَوَلَّى النَّاسُ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي نَاحِيَةٍ فِي اثْنَىْ عَشَرَ رَجُلاً مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ وَفِيهِمْ طَلْحَةُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ فَأَدْرَكَهُمُ الْمُشْرِكُونَ فَالْتَفَتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَقَالَ ” مَنْ لِلْقَوْمِ ” . فَقَالَ طَلْحَةُ أَنَا . قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” كَمَا أَنْتَ ” . فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ أَنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . فَقَالَ ” أَنْتَ ” . فَقَاتَلَ حَتَّى قُتِلَ ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ فَإِذَا الْمُشْرِكُونَ فَقَالَ ” مَنْ لِلْقَوْمِ ” . فَقَالَ طَلْحَةُ أَنَا . قَالَ ” كَمَا أَنْتَ ” . فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ أَنَا . فَقَالَ ” أَنْتَ ” . فَقَاتَلَ حَتَّى قُتِلَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَزَلْ يَقُولُ ذَلِكَ وَيَخْرُجُ إِلَيْهِمْ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ فَيُقَاتِلُ قِتَالَ مَنْ قَبْلَهُ حَتَّى يُقْتَلَ حَتَّى بَقِيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَطَلْحَةُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” مَنْ لِلْقَوْمِ ” . فَقَالَ طَلْحَةُ أَنَا . فَقَاتَلَ طَلْحَةُ قِتَالَ الأَحَدَ عَشَرَ حَتَّى ضُرِبَتْ يَدُهُ فَقُطِعَتْ أَصَابِعُهُ فَقَالَ حَسِّ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم :” لَوْ قُلْتَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ لَرَفَعَتْكَ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ وَالنَّاسُ يَنْظُرُونَ ” . ثُمَّ رَدَّ اللَّهُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
It was narrated that Jaabir bin Abdullah (radiallahu anhuma) said: “On the day of Uhud, the people ran away, and the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) was in one position among twelve men of the Ansar, one of whom was Talhah bin Ubaidullah. He said: ‘Who will face the people?’ Talhah said: ‘I will.’ The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: ‘Stay where you are.’ One of the Ansar said: ‘I will, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘You (go ahead).’ So he fought until he was killed. Then he turned and saw the idolators. He said: ‘Who will face the people?’ Talhah said: ‘I will’. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: ‘Stay where you are.’ One of the Ansar said: ‘I will, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘You (go ahead).’ So he fought until he was killed. This carried on, and each man of the Ansar went out to face them and fought like the one before him, and was killed, until only the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and Talhah bin Ubaidullah were left. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: ‘Who will face the people?’ Talhah said: ‘I will.’ So Talhah fought like the eleven before him, until his hand was struck, and his fingers were cut off, and he exclaimed in pain. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: ‘If you had said Bismillah (in the Name of Allah), the angels would have lifted you up with the people looking on.’ Then Allah drove back the idolators.” [Sunan An-Nasai, Hadeeth No. 3151. Graded “hasan” (good) by Al-Albani.]
There are multiple incidents that show the presence of the angels during and right after the battle.
Jibreel and Mikaeel (alaihimissalaam) came to the Battle of Uhud
Both Jibreel and Mikaeel (alaihimissalaam) showed up at the Battle of Uhud, dressed in white.
عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ، وَمَعَهُ رَجُلاَنِ يُقَاتِلاَنِ عَنْهُ، عَلَيْهِمَا ثِيَابٌ بِيضٌ، كَأَشَدِّ الْقِتَالِ، مَا رَأَيْتُهُمَا قَبْلُ وَلاَ بَعْدُ.
Narrated Saad bin Abee Waqqas (radiallahu anhu): I saw Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) on the day of the battle of Uhud accompanied by two men fighting on his behalf. They were dressed in white and were fighting as bravely as possible. I had never seen them before, nor did I see them later on. [Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 5, Hadeeth No. 384]
عَنْ سَعْدٍ، قَالَ رَأَيْتُ بِشِمَالِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَبِيَمِينِهِ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا ثِيَابٌ بِيضٌ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ، مَا رَأَيْتُهُمَا قَبْلُ وَلاَ بَعْدُ.
Narrated Saad (radiallahu anhu): On the day of the battle of Uhud, on the right and on the left of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) were two men wearing white clothes, and I had neither seen them before, nor did I see them afterwards. [Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Hadeeth No. 716]
How do we know these two men were angels? Well, because another narration mentions who they were.
عَنْ سَعْدٍ، قَالَ رَأَيْتُ عَنْ يَمِينِ، رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَعَنْ شِمَالِهِ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ رَجُلَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا ثِيَابُ بَيَاضٍ مَا رَأَيْتُهُمَا قَبْلُ وَلاَ بَعْدُ . يَعْنِي جِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَائِيلَ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ
Saad (radiallahu anhu) reported that on the Day of Uhud I saw on the right side of Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and on his left side two persons dressed in white clothes and whom I did not see before nor after that, and they were Jibreel and Mikaeel (radiallahu anhuma). [Sahih Muslim, Hadeeth No. 5713]
These two angels are mentioned together in other incidents as well, one of which is the following episode:
عَنْ أُبَىٍّ، قَالَ مَا حَاكَ فِي صَدْرِي مُنْذُ أَسْلَمْتُ إِلاَّ أَنِّي قَرَأْتُ آيَةً وَقَرَأَهَا آخَرُ غَيْرَ قِرَاءَتِي فَقُلْتُ أَقْرَأَنِيهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . وَقَالَ الآخَرُ أَقْرَأَنِيهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ أَقْرَأْتَنِي آيَةَ كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ “ نَعَمْ ” . وَقَالَ الآخَرُ أَلَمْ تُقْرِئْنِي آيَةَ كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ : نَعَمْ إِنَّ جِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَائِيلَ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ أَتَيَانِي فَقَعَدَ جِبْرِيلُ عَنْ يَمِينِي وَمِيكَائِيلُ عَنْ يَسَارِي فَقَالَ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ اقْرَإِ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ . قَالَ مِيكَائِيلُ اسْتَزِدْهُ اسْتَزِدْهُ حَتَّى بَلَغَ سَبْعَةَ أَحْرُفٍ فَكُلُّ حَرْفٍ شَافٍ كَافٍ
The angels came to shade the body of Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Haram (radiallahu anhu)
The father of Jaabir (radiallahu) received a great honour in this battle.
عن جَابِر بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ جِيءَ بِأَبِي يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ، قَدْ مُثِّلَ بِهِ حَتَّى وُضِعَ بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَقَدْ سُجِّيَ ثَوْبًا فَذَهَبْتُ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَكْشِفَ عَنْهُ فَنَهَانِي قَوْمِي، ثُمَّ ذَهَبْتُ أَكْشِفُ عَنْهُ فَنَهَانِي قَوْمِي، فَأَمَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَرُفِعَ فَسَمِعَ صَوْتَ صَائِحَةٍ فَقَالَ ” مَنْ هَذِهِ ”. فَقَالُوا ابْنَةُ عَمْرٍو أَوْ أُخْتُ عَمْرٍو. قَالَ : فَلِمَ تَبْكِي أَوْ لاَ تَبْكِي فَمَا زَالَتِ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ تُظِلُّهُ بِأَجْنِحَتِهَا حَتَّى رُفِعَ
Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah (radiallahu anhuma): On the day of the Battle of Uhud, my father was brought and he had been mutilated (in battle) and was placed in front of Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and a sheet was over him. I went intending to uncover my father but my people forbade me; again I wanted to uncover him but my people forbade me. Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) gave his order and he was shifted away. At that time he heard the voice of a crying woman and asked, “Who is this?” They said, “It is the daughter or the sister of Amr.” He said, “Why does she weep? (or let her stop weeping), for the angels had been shading him with their wings till he (i.e. the body of the martyr) was shifted away.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Hadeeth No. 381]
عن جَابِر بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ لَمَّا قُتِلَ أَبِي جَعَلْتُ أَكْشِفُ الثَّوْبَ عَنْ وَجْهِهِ أَبْكِي، وَيَنْهَوْنِي عَنْهُ وَالنَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لاَ يَنْهَانِي، فَجَعَلَتْ عَمَّتِي فَاطِمَةُ تَبْكِي، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم : تَبْكِينَ أَوْ لاَ تَبْكِينَ، مَا زَالَتِ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ تُظِلُّهُ بِأَجْنِحَتِهَا حَتَّى رَفَعْتُمُوهُ
Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah (radiallahu anhu): When my father was martyred, I lifted the sheet from his face and wept and the people forbade me to do so but the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) did not forbid me. Then my aunt Fatimah began weeping and the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “It is all the same whether you weep or not. The angels were shading him continuously with their wings till you shifted him (from the field). “[Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Hadeeth No. 336]
This is not the only honour that Abdullah (radiallahu anhu) received.
عن طَلْحَةَ بْنَ خِرَاشٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، يَقُولُ لَمَّا قُتِلَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ حَرَامٍ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ لَقِيَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَقَالَ ” يَا جَابِرُ أَلاَ أُخْبِرُكَ مَا قَالَ اللَّهُ لأَبِيكَ ” . وَقَالَ يَحْيَى فِي حَدِيثِهِ فَقَالَ ” يَا جَابِرُ مَالِي أَرَاكَ مُنْكَسِرًا ” . قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ اسْتُشْهِدَ أَبِي وَتَرَكَ عِيَالاً وَدَيْنًا . قَالَ ” أَفَلاَ أُبَشِّرُكَ بِمَا لَقِيَ اللَّهُ بِهِ أَبَاكَ ” . قَالَ بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . قَالَ ” مَا كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ أَحَدًا قَطُّ إِلاَّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ وَكَلَّمَ أَبَاكَ كِفَاحًا . فَقَالَ يَا عَبْدِي تَمَنَّ عَلَىَّ أُعْطِكَ . قَالَ يَا رَبِّ تُحْيِينِي فَأُقْتَلُ فِيكَ ثَانِيَةً . فَقَالَ الرَّبُّ سُبْحَانَهُ إِنَّهُ سَبَقَ مِنِّي أَنَّهُمْ إِلَيْهَا لاَ يَرْجِعُونَ . قَالَ يَا رَبِّ فَأَبْلِغْ مَنْ وَرَائِي . قَالَ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى (وَلاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ)”
وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا ۚ بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ
The angels came to wash the body of Handhalah ibn Abee Amir (radiallahu anhu)
Handhalah (radiallahu anhu) also received a great honour in this battle.
عن عبد الله بن الزبير رضي الله عنهما قال سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: وقد كان النَّاسُ انهزَموا عن رسولِ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّم حتَّى انتهى بعضُهم إلى دونِ الأعراضِ إلى جَبلٍ بناحيةِ المدينةِ ثمَّ رجَعوا إلى رسولِ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّم وقد كان حَنْظَلةُ بنُ أبي عامرٍ التقى هو وأبو سُفيانَ بنُ حَربٍ فلمَّا استعلاه حَنظلةُ رآه شدَّادُ بنُ الأسودِ فعلاه شدَّادٌ بالسَّيفِ حتَّى قتَله وقد كاد يقتُلُ أبا سُفيانَ فقال رسولُ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّم: (إنَّ صاحبَكم حَنْظلةَ تغسِلُه الملائكةُ فسَلُوا صاحبتَه) فقالت : خرَج وهو جُنُبٌ لَمَّا سمِع الهائعةَ فقال رسولُ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّم : ( فذاك قد غسَلَتْه الملائكةُ)
Abdullah ibn Az-Zubair radiallahu anhuma) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) say: “(During the battle of Uhud) people retreated and left the Messenger of Allah until some of them reached the villages near a mountain close to Madinah. They then went back to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). (During the battle) Handhalah ibn Abu Amir confronted Abu Sufyan ibn Harb. When Handhalah was about to kill him (Abu Sufyan), Shaddad ibn al-Aswad saw him and struck him with his sword and killed him. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) then said: ‘Your companion Handhalah is being washed by the angels, so ask his wife.’ She said: ‘He left in a state of ritual impurity when he heard the call for the battle.’ So the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: ‘That was why the angels were washing him.’” [Sahih Ibn Hibban, Hadeeth No. 7025. Shuaib Al-Arnaut said that the hadeeth was “sahih” (authentic).]
Two important points should be mentioned here:
- A person in the state of janaabah (major ritual impurity) is obligated to bathe in order to purify themselves.
وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُوا
And if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves. [Surah Al-Maaidah (5) : 6]
- It is fard kifaayah (a communal obligation) to wash the dead body of a Muslim after his death. This means if a group undertakes this activity, it suffices, but if nobody does it, then everyone in that society is sinful with regards to that act. However, martyrs who die in the battlefield are not meant to washed.
عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَ رَجُلَيْنِ مِنْ قَتْلَى أُحُدٍ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ ” أَيُّهُمْ أَكْثَرُ أَخْذًا لِلْقُرْآنِ ”. فَإِذَا أُشِيرَ لَهُ إِلَى أَحَدِهِمَا قَدَّمَهُ فِي اللَّحْدِ فَقَالَ ” أَنَا شَهِيدٌ عَلَى هَؤُلاَءِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ”. فَأَمَرَ بِدَفْنِهِمْ بِدِمَائِهِمْ وَلَمْ يُغَسِّلْهُمْ
Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah (radiallahu anhuma): The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) collected every two martyrs of Uhud (in one grave) and then he would ask, “Which of them knew the Qur’an more?” And if one of them was pointed out for him as having more knowledge, he would put him first in the grave. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “I will be a witness on these on the Day of Resurrection.” Then he ordered them to be buried with their blood on their bodies and he did not have them washed. [Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Hadeeth No. 436]
So truly, it was a great honour for Handhalah (radiallahu anhu) that the angels came to wash him.
[To be continued…]