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Uhud is a massive feature
lying four miles north of Madinah (the reference point in Madinah
being the Prophet's Mosque) and rising to a height of about 1,000
feet above the level of the plain. The entire feature is 5 miles
long. In the western part of Uhud, a large spur descends steeply
to the ground, and to the right of this spur, as seen from the direction
of Madinah, a valley rises gently and goes up and away as it narrows
at a defile about 1,000 yards from the foot of the spur. Beyond
this defile it shrinks into nothingness as it meets the main wall
of the ridge. At the mouth of this valley, at the foot of this spur,
the Prophet placed his army. The valley rose behind him.
He organised the Muslims as a compact formation
with a front of 1,000 yards. He placed his right wing at the foot
of the spur and his left wing at the foot of a low hill, about 40
feet high and 500 feet long, called Ainain. The Muslim right was
safe, but their left could be turned from beyond Ainain; so, to
meet this danger, the Prophet placed 50 archers on Ainain, from
which they could command the approaches along which the Quraish
could manoeuvre into the Muslim rear. These archers, under the command
of Abdullah bin Jubair, were given instructions by the Prophet as
follows; "Use your arrows against the enemy cavalry. Keep
the cavalry off our backs. As long as you hold your position, our
rear is safe. On no account must you leave this position. If you
see us winning, do not join us; if you see us losing, do not come
to help us." 1 The orders to this
group of archers were very definite. Since Ainain was an important
tactical feature and commanded the area immediately around it, it
was imperative to ensure that it did not fall into the hands of
the Quraish.
Behind the Muslims stood 14 women whose
task it was to give water to the thirsty, to carry the wounded out
of battle and to dress their wounds. Among these women was Fatimah,
daughter of the Prophet and wife of Ali The Prophet himself took
up his position with the left wing of his army.
The Muslim dispositions were intended to
lead to a frontal positional battle and were superbly conceived.
They gave the Muslims the benefit of fully exploiting their own
sources of strength-courage and fighting skill. They also saved
them from the dangers posed by the Quraish strength in numbers and
in cavalry-the mobile manoeuvre arm which the Muslims lacked. It
would have suited Abu Sufyan to fight an open battle in which he
could manoeuvre against the Muslim flanks and rear with his cavalry
and bring his maximum strength to bear against them. But the Prophet
neutralised Abu Sufyan's advantages, and forced him to fight on
a restricted front where his superior strength and his cavalry would
be of limited value. It is also worth noting that the Muslims were
actually facing Madinah and had their backs to Mount Uhud; the road
to Madinah was open to the Quraish.
Now the Quraish moved up. They established a battle
camp a mile south of the spur, and from here Abu Sufyan led his army forward
and formed it in battle array facing the Muslims. He organised it into
a main body of infantry in the centre with two mobile wings. On the right
was Khalid and on the left Ikrimah, each with a cavalry squadron 100 strong.
Amr bin Al Aas was appointed in over-all charge of the cavalry, but his
task was mainly that of co-ordination. Abu Sufyan placed 100 archers ahead
of his front rank for the initial engagement. The Quraish banner was carried
by Talha bin Abi Talha, one of the survivors of Badr. Thus the Quraish
deployed with their backs to Madinah, facing the Muslims and facing Mount
Uhud. In fact they stood between the Muslim army and its base at Madinah.
(For the dispositions of the two armies see Map
1).
Just behind the Quraish main body stood
their women. Before battle was joined, these women, led by Hind,
marched back and forth in front of the Quraish, reminding them of
those who had fallen at Badr. Thereafter, just before the women
withdrew to their position in the rear of the army, the clear, strong
voice of Hind rose as she sang:
O you sons of Abduddar!
Defenders of our homes!
We are the daughters of the night;
We move among the cushions.
If you advance we will embrace you.
If you retreat we will forsake you
With loveless separation. 2
1. Ibn Hisham: Vol. 2, pp. 65-66; Waqidi:
Maghazi, p. 175.
2. Ibn Hisham:
Vol. 2, p. 68. Waqidi: Maghazi, p. 176.
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