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The below fence, at the foot of Mount Uhud, contains in the center of the grave Hamza (may Allah be pleased with him), Abdullah ibn Jasht (may Allah be pleased with him) and Musab bin Umeira (may Allah be pleased with him) who were all killed in the battle of Uhud. The rest of the martyrs of Uhud are buried behind this aviary.
Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib was one of the best hunters and the greatest warrior of the Arabs. In the Battle of Badr, he killed many Quraysh nobles, and now he made his way through their ranks, like a mighty wave that engulfed all this. One of the Quraysh nobles had a black slave named Wahshi from Abyssinia (present-day Ethiopia), who skillfully used a dart. Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, promised Wahshi freedom, and his lord Jubayr bin Mutim also promised him the same thing that Hamza (may Allah be pleased with him) killed his uncle in Badr. Wahshi wandered among the fighters until he saw Hamza (may Allah be pleased with him). He says: “I held my spear and balanced it well, then I aimed. He entered his stomach and went to the other side. I waited until he died, then he took his spear and went to wait in the camp. I did not quarrel with anyone. I killed him only to free me. ” Later, Wahshi became a Muslim and killed Musailimah, an impostor who claimed to be Prophecy after the death of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
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Feeding the poor and needy is an act that draws us closer to Allah. We earn His forgiveness, mercies and blessings through this act of charity.
“Anyone who looks after and works for a widow and a poor person is like a warrior fighting for Allah?s cause, or like a person who fasts during the day and prays all night. (Bukhari)
When the war passed on to Quraysh, the women of Quraysh, led by Hind, whose brother, uncle and relatives were killed in Badr, began to cripple the dead Muslims. She particularly expressed her fury towards Hamza’s body (may Allah be pleased with him), cutting off his nose and ears, making a cut on his chest, tearing out his liver, chewing on it, but not being able to swallow it. The Prophet (SAW) was very sad when he came across the body of his beloved uncle. Years later, when Mecca lay at his feet, he forgave all its inhabitants, including Hind. Hind subsequently converted to Islam.
READ MORE: How To Accept Islam And Become A Muslim
Musab (may Allah be pleased with him) held the flag of Islam. When the Muslims, having been defeated, dispersed in confusion, he held the flag and stood at his post like a stone. The enemy came and cut his hand with his sword so that the flag could fall and win could be accomplished. He immediately took the flag in his other hand. Then the enemy cut the other hand.
He held the flag to his chest with the help of his bleeding hands. The enemy finally pierced his body with an arrow. He fell dead and with him fell the flag, which he did not allow to fall while he was alive. Another Muslim ran and took the flag. During his funeral, he had only one sheet to cover his body. This sheet was too short for its size. When he was painted to cover his head, his legs would be exposed, and when he was painted to cover his legs, his head would become open. The Prophet (SAW) said: “Cover his head with a sheet, and his legs with an Azkhar. leaves”
About sixty-five Ansar and four Muhajiruns were martyred, whereas there were twenty-two victims among polytheists.
The Jews continued to await the outcome of the battle in their safe homes. Mukhariq, a man among the Jews, told his people that they should give support to the Prophet Mohammed (SAW). “We can’t fight because it’s Saturday,” they replied. He said: “This is a struggle between the Prophet and unbelievers, therefore the Sabbath cannot prevent”. He took his sword and announced that in the event of his death all his property must be transferred to Muhammad (SAW) and non must go against him. He joined the battle and was killed. When the Prophet (SAW) found out about this, he remarked: “He was the best of the Jews.”
The Prophet (SAW) told the martyrs to be buried, still covered in blood, on condition that they fell. Two or three martyrs were buried in the same grave. In some cases, he ordered his companions to envelop the martyrs in pairs. The martyr, who learned more about the Qur’an, was first sent to his grave. Paying tribute to their sacrifice in the name of Allah, the Prophet (SAW) said: “I will witness to them on the Day of Resurrection.”
When they removed the bodies of their martyr brothers, people stumbled upon the body of Hanzlah bin Abu Amer (may Allah be pleased with him) above the ground with water dripping from it. The Prophet (SAW) explained to his people: “The angels are bathing him.” Obviously, the newly married Hanzlah just ended his marriage when a call to jihad was made. Without even stopping to make spritual bathe, he left his bride and rushed to the battlefield. Hanzlah fought heroically and died a martyr’s death, so the Prophet (SAW) explained that the angels washed him to cleanse his body. Hanzlah is forever remembered as “Ghaseel Al-Malaaika” (the one that was washed by the angels).
The Prophet (SAW) usually visited the graves of the martyrs of Uhud, and therefore it was a Sunnah to visit them. However, care should be taken not to engage in any innovative or non-Muslim practices, such as praying the martyrs, throwing letters or money to the cemetery, setting threads or tawaf.
Sources: History of Madinah Munawwarah – Dr. Muhammad Ilyas Abdul Ghani, Fazail-e-Aamal – Sheikh Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhalvi, The History of Islam – Akbar Shah Najeebabadi, The life of Muhammad – Tahia Al-Ismail