The Battle of Hamra’ al-Asad After the Battle of Uhud and the heavy losses suffered by the Muslims, rumors began spreading throughout Madinah by the People of the Book (the Jews) and the hypocrites. The Jews cast doubt upon Islam, saying, “If Muhammad were truly a prophet, how could he have been wounded?” They said to the Ansar: “Did we not tell you that this was not the awaited Prophet? If he truly were the Prophet described in our scriptures, we would have believed in him before you. A prophet supported by God is never defeated. His victory at Badr was nothing but luck. We know more about the prophets than you do.” Some of the weak-hearted were affected by these claims, and the Jews continued spreading them relentlessly, driven by their deep hostility toward Islam. When the Prophet ﷺ learned of these rumors through his companions, at dawn on Sunday—the morning after returning from Uhud—he firmly resolved to pursue Quraysh for several reasons: 1. To answer the schemes of the Jews and the hypocrites. 2. To restore the morale, dignity, and reputation of the believers, especially since the young Islamic state was surrounded by many hostile tribes. 3. To demonstrate to Quraysh that the Muslims remained strong and to discourage them from returning to attack Madinah. Reports had reached the Prophet that some Quraysh leaders regretted leaving, saying, “You have broken their strength, yet their leaders remain. Had you marched on Madinah and finished them, it would have been better.” Abu Sufyan had considered returning, but Safwan ibn Umayyah advised against it. Upon hearing this, the Prophet ﷺ said: “Safwan has given them good advice, though he himself is not rightly guided. By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, the stones have already been marked for them as they were for the people of the Elephant.” He meant that, had they returned to attack Madinah, Allah would have destroyed them just as He destroyed the Army of the Elephant. Although the Prophet knew that most of his companions were wounded—many with severe injuries—he was determined to pursue Quraysh. At dawn on Sunday, after leading the Fajr prayer, he instructed Bilal to announce: “The Messenger of Allah commands you to pursue your enemy. None shall accompany us except those who fought yesterday.” Only those who had participated in Uhud were permitted to join the expedition. The three hundred men who had withdrawn before the battle were not allowed to accompany them. The Battle of Uhud had exposed the hypocrites who had been mixed among the believers. The Prophet wanted only sincere believers with him, for hypocrites weakened the army more than they strengthened it. Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul, the leader of the hypocrites, came and said: “O Messenger of Allah, I will go with you.” The Prophet replied: “No, by Allah. None will accompany us except those who marched with us yesterday.” Every companion who had fought at Uhud responded to the call. Despite their wounds, not one excused himself. Usayd ibn Hudayr came with seven wounds. Others came carrying nine, ten, or even thirteen wounds. Two brothers, Abdullah ibn Sahl and Rafi’ ibn Sahl, had suffered severe injuries. They had neither horse nor camel. They said: “By Allah, missing an expedition with the Messenger of Allah would be a tremendous loss.” Rafi’ said, “I can no longer walk.” His brother replied, “Let us go after the Messenger of Allah. We will walk as long as we can. When one of us weakens, the other will carry him. If we can no longer carry each other, we will crawl. We will not stay behind.” They set out. When Rafi’ could no longer walk, Abdullah carried him. Then Abdullah became exhausted, and the two brothers crawled until they finally reached the army. Allah praised this remarkable response in the Qur’an: “Those who responded to Allah and the Messenger after being wounded—for those among them who did good and feared Allah is a tremendous reward.” (Qur’an 3:172) The Prophet ﷺ left his house wearing his armor. His cheek was still wounded from the rings of his helmet, his forehead and lower lip were injured, his knees were bruised, and his right shoulder still ached from the blow of Ibn Qami’ah. He entered the mosque, prayed two rak’ahs, then mounted his horse. Talhah ibn Ubaydillah was watching. The Prophet asked: “Talhah, where is your weapon?” He replied, “It is nearby, O Messenger of Allah. But look at you—how can you mount your horse with all these wounds?” The Prophet simply said, “Do not worry.” Talhah hurried to arm himself. He himself had suffered thirty-nine wounds at Uhud, one of his hands had been permanently disabled, and he had collapsed unconscious during the battle. When he returned, the Prophet asked: “Talhah, where do you think Quraysh are?” Talhah, who knew the routes well, answered: “At al-Sayalah, O Messenger of Allah—and Allah knows best.” The Prophet said: “That is what I believe as well.” The Muslim army marched until they reached Hamra’ al-Asad, about twenty kilometers south of Madinah, where they established camp. During the day, the Prophet ordered the companions to gather firewood. At night, he instructed them to light numerous fires so that anyone observing from afar would think the Muslim army was far larger than it really was. The sight of the many campfires quickly spread throughout Arabia, creating the impression of a powerful force. Meanwhile, Abdullah and Rafi’ continued struggling toward the camp, walking when they could and crawling when they could not. When they finally arrived, the Prophet smiled and said: “Only now have you come?” They replied, “Yes.” He asked, “What delayed you?” They explained their injuries, the long journey, and how they had crawled nearly twenty kilometers because they had no mount. The Prophet prayed for them and then turned to the companions around him, saying: “If your lives are prolonged, you will one day have mounts besides horses, mules, and camels.” He then recited Allah’s words: “And He created horses, mules, and donkeys for you to ride and as adornment. And He creates what you do not know.” (Qur’an 16:8) The companions asked what he meant by “what you do not know.” The Prophet did not specify. Had he spoken of cars, trains, or airplanes, his companions would not have understood. Instead, he used the Qur’anic expression, “what you do not know,” leaving the meaning open to future generations.