What is the lesson of wisdom to be drawn from the battle of uhud?
An enormous level of maturity was demanded from the Believers during the Battle of Uhud, in responding prudently to the tremendous agony they were made to experience after the momentum shifted to the side of Quraysh. Once their brilliant initial display of trust in Allah, commitment and patience dwindled away in a moment’s lapse and a love of the world, the Believers were forced to undergo painful and bitter experiences.
Neglect in properly carrying out the command of the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- changed the destiny of the Battle in the blink of an eye; victory was suspended, making way for clear manifestations of Divine warning. The entire Believers paid the price for the mistake of a few, finding themselves amid an almost irreversible routing. Such is sunnatullah, or the Law of Allah. That His Beloved Messenger was among the Believers could do little to alter it.
Yet, the Companions were in a state of unconditional obedience to the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace- as confirmed by their words of trust: “We have believed you, Messenger of Allah…we have sincere faith in the truth of the Quran that you have brought, and we vow to obey and follow you. Do as you wish; just command us and we will be by your side. For the sake of the One who has sent you, even if you were to plunge into sea, we will follow and not even a single one of us will lag behind!” (Ibn Hisham, II, 253-254). This was the peak of sincere enthusiasm.
The Divine tribulation at Uhud carried the impetus of sending out a warning to the Believers, over their momentary ignorance regarding certain sensitive and significant responsibilities.
One of the greatest wisdoms underlying the ordeal of Uhud was to cleanse the Believers of the hypocrites that had mixed into their ranks.
Equally, Uhud instilled the idolaters of Quraysh a false sense of a victory that was to carry no practical import, and thus reduced them to a state of immobility. The false victory toned down the hate and anger that had accumulated in the hearts of idolaters since their defeat at Badr, gradually reducing, over time, their coldness towards Islam.
It is striking to see the Companions, from their youngest to their eldest, virtually compete with each other to participate in the Battle and fall martyr. Fifteen year old kids were resorting to all means possible just to be part of the Prophet’s -upon him blessings and peace- army. The secret behind them running to death lay in the fullness of their hearts with iman and their deep love for the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace-, the reason for the existence of the universe. Whenever iman unites with love, there is to be found all kinds of otherwise unthinkable feats of bravery; and wherever that unity is nowhere to be found, there arises laziness, indecision and fear. The way to enhancing this love is to increase dhikr, and salawat for the Blessed Prophet -upon him blessings and peace-, to contemplate the blessings of the Allah, glory unto Him, and to engage in a struggle to wholeheartedly adopt the ways of the Prophet of Allah -upon him blessings and peace-.
That the Light of Being -upon him blessings and peace- was wounded at Uhud, which lead to the circulation of the rumor that he had been martyred, carries a fundamental lesson for the Believers. They were subjected to a test of iman and will. Their hearts were effectively prepared, from beforehand, for the truth that the Messenger of Allah -upon him blessings and peace- , too, was after all a human being who was to return to the presence of his Lord when the time came, and that they needed to stick to the path shown by him and not turn back on their heels after his passing away.
Abounding in such meaning laden lessons, the Battle of Uhud also taught the road to triumph, and the way to avert the danger of disorder and defeat.
Source: Osman Nuri Topbaş, The Prophet Muhammed Mustafa the Elect II, Erkam Publications
