This war took place in the year 2 AH[^8]...

This war took place in the year 2 AH[^8], between the polytheists and the Muslim army at a place called the Wells of Badr which is located between Mecca and Medina. The forces of disbelief [ kufr ] numbered up to more than nine hundred and fifty strongmen, well-armed with enough supplies, whereas, the Noble Prophet’s (S) companions [ sahābah ] were not more three hundred and thirteen people in all.

Three very famous and strong war heroes of the unbelievers by the names of ‘Utbah, his brother Shaybah and his son Walīd were successively killed by ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib ( ‘a ), Hamzah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib and ‘Ubaydah ibn Hārith, respectively. ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib ( ‘a ) was twenty five years of age when this war was fought.[^9] The War of Uhud One year had passed after the War of Badr when the unbelievers [ kuffār ] of Mecca rebuilt and restored their forces.

Three thousand fighters with enough supplies descended upon the foothills of Mount Uhud, which is about six kilometers in length, under the command of Abū Sufyān. Allah’s Prophet (S) confronted the unbelievers with seven hundred people. At first he sent fifty highly skilled archers under the command of ‘Abd Allāh ibn Jābir to the narrow passage of Mount Uhud, which was behind the Muslims.

The Noble Prophet (S) gave his companions [ sahābah ] explicit orders not to leave that strait under any circumstances. War heroes from the army of the unbelievers by the names of Talhah ibn Abī Talhah, Abū Sa‘īd ibn Talhah, Harath ibn Abī Talhah, Abū ‘Azīz ibn Talhah, ‘Abd Allāh ibn Abī Jamīlah, Irtāt ibn Sharhabīl were all killed one by one (in the order mentioned) by ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib ( ‘a ). At that time, ‘Alī ( ‘a ) was twenty six years of age.

The Muslim armies were initially victorious, but because the Muslim archers breached the orders of their commander and quit the narrow passage of Mount Uhud, the infidel Khālid ibn Walīd, leading a number of horsemen, attacked the Muslims from behind. As a result of this insubordination, the Muslims lost the war and seventy of them got martyred. One of the people who got martyred in this war was the Prophet’s (S) uncle Hamzah ( r ).

In this battle, a good number of the Prophet’s (S) companions [ sahābah ], including ‘Alī ( ‘a ), were diligently and efficiently guarding the Noble Prophet (S). ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib ( ‘a ) sustained ninety wounds in this war.