Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum (The Sealed Nectar).* Excellent Biography of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Episode 107

 ﷽

*Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum (The Sealed Nectar).*

Excellent Biography of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

Episode 107

*MUTILATION OF THE MARTYRS*

That was the last attack made by the idolaters against the Prophet (Peace be upon him). Being almost certain of his death, the idolaters returned to their camp and started preparations to go back 

to Makkah. Some of them involved themselves in mutilating the killed Muslims, and so did their 

women. Women and men cut off the ears, the noses, the genitals of the martyrs. They even cut 

open their bellies. Hind bin ‘Utbah — for instance — ripped open the liver of Hamzah and chewed it; 

but finding it unpleasant, she spat it out. She even made the ears and noses of Muslims into anklets 

and necklaces. 

Two incidents occurred during the last hours of the fight. Which revealed for certain how far the 

Muslims were ready to fight and sacrifice in the way of Allâh: 

1. Ka‘b bin Malik said: I was one of those Muslims who fought in Uhud and witnessed the 

polytheists’ act of barbarity in mutilating the dead bodies, but I passed them because I 

couldn’t stand it. Then I saw an armed stout idolater pass through the Muslims and say: 

“Gather them up and combine them in the way that sheep are gathered and slaughtered.” 

Similarly I saw an armed Muslim waiting for him. I walked towards them till I stood behind 

him. Comparing both of them, I found that the disbeliever was better than the other in arms 

and figure. I kept on watching them till they were engaged in single combat. The Muslim 

thrust at the disbeliever with his sword that went down his hip and split it into two. When 

the Muslim unveiled his face, he said: “What about that, Ka‘b. I am Abu Dujana." 

2. Some Muslim women came to the battlefield when the fight was over. Anas said: I saw 

‘Aishah bint Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) with Umm Sulaim. Their garments 

were gathered up so I could see their anklets. They carried water bags on their shoulders 

and emptied them into the mouths of people. Then they would go back to fill them and 

come back to do the same. ‘Umar said: “Umm Saleet used to carry water bags to us on 

Uhud Day.” 

When Umm Aiman, who was one of those Muslim women who saw the defeated Muslim fighters 

entering Madinah, she started throwing dust at their faces rebukingly saying: “Here is a spinning 

wheel, take it! and give up carrying swords.” Then she raced to the battlefield. There she watered 

the wounded. Hibban bin Al-‘Arqa shot an arrow at her, she fell down and her clothes were lifted up. 

Seeing that, the enemy of Allâh, burst into laughter. That sight upset the Messenger of Allâh (Peace 

be upon him), so he gave Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas an arrow lacking an arrow-head and said “Shoot it”. 

Sa‘d shot it, it pierced the idolater’s throat. He fell down and some parts of his body were revealed. 

The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) then laughed so much that his molars could be seen. 

Sa‘d avenged her and Allâh responded to her supplication. 

As soon as the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) reached the defile, ‘Ali bin Abu Talib went 

out and filled his water container with water from Al-Mihras. ‘Al-Mihras’ is said to be hollow 

(concaved) rock containing plenty of water. It was also said that it is a water spring in Uhud 

mountain. Anyway, ‘Ali brought that water to the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) to drink. 

Finding that it smelt bad he refused to drink it, but only washed the blood off his face and poured 

some of it over his head saying: Allâh’s Wrath is great on those who besmeared His Messenger’s 

face with blood. 

Sahl said: “By Allâh, I know who washed the wound of the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) 

and who poured out water for him and what (substances) his wound was treated with: His daughter 

Fatimah washed it, whereas ‘Ali poured water out of the container. When Fatimah realized that 

water increased the flow of blood, she took a piece of straw mat, burnt it a little and stuck it to the 

wound so blood ceased flowing.” 

Muhammad bin Maslamah brought him fresh water to drink. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) drank 

and supplicated Allâh to provide him with good things. Owing to the wounds and their bad effects on 

his body, the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) led his followers in prayer in a sitting posture 

and so did the Muslims. 

When the preparations of the idolaters for departure came to an end, Abu Sufyan went up the 

mountain and called out: “Is Muhammad (Peace be upon him) among you?” They did not answer 

him. Then he asked “Is Ibn Abi Quhafah (i.e. Abu Bakr) among you?” They did not answer. He asked 

again: “Is ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab among you?” They did not answer him; for the Prophet (Peace be 

upon him) forbade them answering him. He only asked about those three. That is because he and 

his people knew quite well that the call to Islam depended to a large degree on those men. Abu 

Sufyan then said: “As for those three, we have relieved you of.” ‘Umar could not help but talking, so 

he said, “O enemy of Allâh, those whom you have just mentioned, I tell you that they are still alive. 

Allâh has maintained what you hate.” Abu Sufyan answered: “The mutilation of your killed is 

something I did not order it; but it did not displease me.” Then he shouted: “Hubal (an idol), let it 

be sublime!” The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “Why do you not reply?” “What shall we say?” 

They asked him. “Say: Allâh is more Sublime and Exalted and Mightier as well.”

He said: “Al-‘Uzza (i.e. an idol) is ours but you have no ‘Uzza.” “Why do you not reply?” The Prophet 

(Peace be upon him) said. “What shall we say?” They inquired. He said: “Say Allâh is our Protector, 

but you have no protector.” 

Abu Sufyan said: “Well deeds! Today is a vengeance for Badr Day. This for that. War is attended 

with alternate success.” ‘Umar’s reply was: “No. They are not the same. Our killed men are housed 

in Paradise; but yours are in Fire.” 

Then Abu Sufyan said: “Come on, ‘Umar!” The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) said: “Go 

and see what the matter is.” He went there. Abu Sufyan asked him: “I beseech you by Allâh’s Name 

to tell me the truth: Have we killed Muhammad (Peace be upon him)?” ‘Umar said: “O Allâh, ‘No’ 

and now he islistening to you words.” He said: “For me, you are more truthful than Ibn Qami’a, and 

even more reliable.” 

Ibn Ishaq said: When Abu Sufyan and those who were with him were leaving he called out notifying: 

“We will meet again at Badr next year.” The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) said to one of 

his men: “Say: ‘Yes, it is an appointment for both of us.’” 

Later on, the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) dispatched ‘Ali bin Abi Talib to trace them out. 

He said to him: “Pursue them and see what they are going to do, and what they aim at. If they 

dismount horses and ride on camels’ back, this means that they are heading for Makkah; but if they 

ride horses and lead camels unmounted, they are leaving for Madinah. By the One, in Whose Hand 

my soul is, if they attacked Madinah I would march to them there and I would fight them.” ‘Ali said: 

“I went out and traced them to see what they were up to. I saw them mounting camels and leaving 

the horses unmounted. They were heading for Makkah.” 

After the departure of the Quraishites, people went out to check the identity of the killed and the 

wounded. Zaid bin Thabit said: “The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) sent me on Uhud Day 

to seek Sa‘d bin Ar-Rabî‘ and said: “When you see him, say: ‘peace be upon you from me.’ and say 

to him ‘the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) says: How do you feel?’” Zaid said: “I started 

wandering about checking the killed till I came across Sa‘d when he was dying — with about seventy 

strokes or stabs of a sword, a spear and an arrow in his body.So I said: “O Sa‘d, the Messenger of 

Allâh (Peace be upon him) sends you his greetings. and says ‘peace be upon you, tell me how do 

you feel?’” Sa‘d said: “And let peace be upon the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him), too. Tell 

him, I smell the scent of the Paradise. And tell the Helpers, my people, ‘you shall not be excused 

before Allâh if the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) is hurt and your eyes are blinking’ (i.e. 

you are still alive and not dead).” Then he died. 

They came across Al-Usairim — ‘Amr bin Thabit, whom they had already urged to embrace Islam 

but refused. They saw him among the wounded on the verge of close death. “What has he come 

here for? We have parted with him and he was still too obdurate to accept Islam as his religion”. 

They asked him: “What made you come here? Is it out of zeal to defend your people or is it because 

of an inclination to Islam?” He said: “It is (certainly) an inclination to Islam. I believe in Allâh and in 

His Messenger. I have fought with the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) till I have got what 

you see,” and then he immediately died. They told the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) 

about him. Hearing that, he said: “He is one of the inhabitants of Paradise.” “Although he had not 

offered one single prayer,” narrated Abu Hurairah. 

Qazman, who was found among the wounded, fought heroically, and killed seven or eight idolaters. 

He was weakened by the wounds he had sustained, they carried him to the habitation of Bani Zufr. 

The Muslims gave him glad tidings of the Paradise. But he said: “By Allâh I have fought out of a zeal 

to my people. Had it not been for that I would have never fought.” When his wounds worsened he 

committed suicide. The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) had already said whenever he was 

mentioned to him: “He is an inhabitant of Fire.” This is the end of those who fight for a national 

cause or in a way other than that of raising up the Word of Allâh, though they fought under the 

banner of Islam or even in the army of the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) or of his 

Companions. 

Contrary to Qazman there was a Jew of Bani Tha‘labah among the killed. He said to his people, “O 

folk people of Jews! By Allâh you have already known that it is imperative to support Muhammad 

(Peace be upon him).” They said: “Today is Saturday.” He said: “There is no Saturday for you.” He 

took his sword and the war equipment and said: “If I were killed, my property should be put at 

Muhammad’s disposal”. Then next morning he kept on fighting till he was killed. The Messenger of 

Allâh (Peace be upon him) said about him, “Mukhaireeq is the best Jew.”