The fleeing soldiers of the enemy also returned and joined the attack from the front and the scales of the battle turned against the Muslims. The suddenness of these attacks by outnumbering forces, from both the rear and the front, caused great confusion among the Muslim ranks. The enemy forces wanted to either seize God’s Messenger alive or kill him, and attacked him from all sides, striking with swords, thrusting with spears, shooting arrows and hurling stones. Those who defended him fought heroically.

Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, had lost her father and brothers in the Battle of Badr and urged Wahshi, a black slave, to kill Hamza. When the scales of the battle turned against the Muslims, Hamza thrust himself into the ranks of the enemy like a furious lion. He had killed almost thirty of them when the lance of Wahshi struck him just above the thigh and pierced it. Hind came forward and ordered Hamza’s stomach to be split open. She mutilated his body and chewed his liver. (5)

Ibn Kami‘a martyred Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr, the standard-bearer of God’s Messenger and who had been fighting before him. Mus‘ab resembled God’s Messenger in build and complexion. This resemblance led Ibn Kami‘a to announce that he had killed God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings. Meanwhile, the Messenger himself had been wounded by a blow of the sword and stones hurled at him. He fell in a pit and, bleeding profusely, stretched his hands and prayed: O God, forgive my people, because they do not know (the truth). (6)

The rumour that the Prophet had been martyred led many Companions to lose courage. But, in addition to those like ‘Ali, Abu Dujana, Sahl ibn Hunayf, Talha ibn ‘Ubayd Allah, Anas ibn Nadr and ‘Abd Allah ibn Jahsh, who fought self-sacri-ficingly, some Muslim women, having heard the rumour, hastened to the battlefield. Of them, one from Banu Dinar, called Sumayra, had lost her husband, father and brother, but she was asking about God’s Messenger. When she saw him, she said: ‘All the misfortunes mean nothing to me as long as you are alive, O God’s Messenger!’ (7) Another one, named Umm ‘Umara, fought before the Messenger so heroically that the Messenger told her: Who else can endure all that you endure? That pride of womanhood took this opportunity to ask the Messenger to pray God for her: ‘O Messenger of God! Pray to God to join me in your company in Paradise!’ The Messenger prayed: O God, join her with me in Paradise! She responded to this prayer: ‘Whatever happens to me from now on, I will not care it any more .’ (8) Anas ibn Nadr heard the rumour that God’s Messenger had been martyred. He fought so valiantly that he suffered eighty wounds. (9) They found Sa‘d ibn Rabi’ giving his last breath. He had received seventy wounds. His last words were ‘Convey my greetings to God’s Messenger. I sense the fragrance of Paradise from behind Uhud.’ (10)

Besides Abu Dujana and Sahl ibn Hunayf, ‘Ali stood in front of God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, and defended him during the battle. Once, the Messenger pointed to him some of the enemy who had come down from the hill. ‘Ali repelled them. Then, the Messenger pointed to him some more of the enemy. Again he attacked them and put them to flight. The Prophet then pointed to him another group of the enemy. Yet again ‘Ali attacked them and put them to flight. (11)

Despite the indescribable resistance of the Muslim warriors around God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, defeat seemed inevitable until Ka’b ibn Malik, seeing God’s Messenger, shouted: ‘O Muslims! Good tidings for you! This is God’s Messenger, here!’ The scattered Companions advanced toward him from all sides, rallied around him, and led him to the safety of the mountain.