Saying · 16 Shawwal 3 AH, in Madinah
We need another contingent to ensure they will not return. Who will volunteer? Only those who participated [at Uhud] are allowed to volunteer.
16 Shawwal 3 AH (one day after Uhud) · 3 AH
The day after the Battle of Uhud, the Prophet ﷺ worried that the retreating Quraysh army might turn back to finish off the Muslims. He called for volunteers to follow them. He allowed only those who had fought at Uhud to go, which left out the 300 who had turned back with Abdullah ibn Ubayy before the battle.
About 70 Companions volunteered, led by Ali ibn Abi Talib. They marched out and camped at Hamra al-Asad. The Prophet ﷺ joined them the next day. They stayed there for three days to make sure the Quraysh did not return, and then went back to Madinah.
Outcome: Shaken by Ma'bad's report, the Quraysh gave up any plan to return and went on to Makkah. The Muslims held Hamra al-Asad for three days before returning to Madinah. This was one more sign that Uhud had not been the clear victory for the Quraysh that it might have seemed on the battlefield.
On their way home, the Quraysh argued about turning back to finish off the Muslims. Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahal pushed for it. Safwan ibn Umayyah warned against it, saying the Muslims would be fuming with anger and that those who had not fought would now join them. Before this, a nobleman named Ma'bad al-Khuza'i had visited the Prophet ﷺ in Madinah to offer his condolences. He was not yet a Muslim, but he sympathised with them. On his way home he met Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, the Quraysh leader, who asked him about the Muslims. Without knowing it, Ma'bad repeated Safwan's warning almost word for word. He said the Muslims were burning for revenge, and he advised Abu Sufyan to flee as fast as he could. This settled the Quraysh's decision to go home to Makkah. Allah praised the 70 who marched out despite their wounds in Surah Ali-Imran (3:172). Years later, Aisha RA recited this verse to her nephew Urwah ibn al-Zubayr. She told him that both his father, Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, and his grandfather, Abu Bakr, were among them.
The Year of Uhud·Chapter 4 of 13The day after
See the whole storyOther events recorded in 3 AH. Their order within the year is not established; use the storyline above for the sequence.
We need another contingent to ensure they will not return. Who will volunteer? Only those who participated [at Uhud] are allowed to volunteer.
O my nephew, both of your fathers responded.
Said to her nephew Urwah ibn al-Zubayr after reciting Qur'an 3:172 about Hamra al-Asad, referring to his father Zubayr ibn al-Awwam RA and his grandfather Abu Bakr RA, both of whom answered the call despite their wounds.
See in the distance what they are riding. If they are riding horses, they will come back to Madinah; but if they are riding their camels, they will go back to Makkah.
Instructed Ali ibn Abi Talib RA, tasked with watching the Quraysh's retreat from Hamra al-Asad.
We need to go back and get rid of this menace forever!
O my people, do not do this! For verily, they will be fuming in anger and you don't know: maybe their groups of the Khazraj and Aws who didn't participate will now participate!
Neither have we killed Muhammad ﷺ nor have we earned the admiration of our young ladies!
We have heard what happened to you and your Companions. Know that I am not pleased by this. I would rather the other group was inflicted with the loss and defeat.
O Ma'bad, tell me. How did you leave Muhammad ﷺ and his Companions?
Oh! You don't want to see them now! They are fuming with anger! And all those who didn't fight are going to fight now! They are lighting the fire of war, beating the drums of vengeance; and they have promised themselves they will not enjoy peace until they exact vengeance at what you have done to them.
What do you advise?
I advise you to flee as fast as your horses will take you.
“Those who responded to Allah and His Messenger after they were wounded, those of them who did good and were mindful [of Allah] will have a great reward.”
Praises the ~70 sahaba who marched to Hamra al-Asad despite their wounds from Uhud.