The Lesson from the Battle of Uhud
To continue, there is a direct correlation between the message of the Quran and Gaza today. There was once a time when Muslims controlled much of the world. From Granada to Java, they opened up the world for a civilization that elevated God before everything else. Interestingly, the first thousand years of this ummah were like Badr – successful. Then after Badr, Muslims made a crucial mistake during Uhud.
The Quran comments on both, the victory and the defeat – Badr and Uhud in Surah Aal-’Imran. In Uhud, the Prophet stationed the army facing the enemy and placed around 50 archers on the Mount of Ruma behind them and told them never to leave their position even if the battle was over. Initially, the Muslim army routed the enemy and the polytheists started to flee. The Muslims started to pursue them and then started to collect the spoils of war. At that moment, the archers left their positions to amass the dunya – spoils. In no time, the Makkan cavalry successfully attacked the Muslim army in the rear where the archers had abandoned the mount. The fleeing Makkans regrouped and fiercely re-attacked the Prophet and his companions. The result was that Muslims were pressed between two forces and had to retreat to the Mountain of Uhud.
In the sequel of Uhud there is a lesson. The Ummah abandoned its position from the top of the mount as a leader and protector to run after the baser desires. So God left Muslims in abyss with empty desires while the enemy surrounded and assaulted Muslims. The cost of disobedience to the messenger of God resulted in great sufferings. Similarly, the Ummah kept collecting the dunya and the world shifted from around them. How else can Muslims explain the imperialist nations devouring Muslim lands for last 400 years?
Muslims were afflicted with grave consequences by their disobedience to God. Many great sahaba such as Hamza ibn Abi Talib and Mus’ab bin Umair were martyred and even the Prophet was injured and a false rumor circulated that he was killed. Muslims were confounded. However, this was a trial to sort out hypocrites and those opportunists who only accompanied the Muslims to gain in this world, and to teach a lesson that disobedience to the Prophet means loss in both worlds.
Muslims should not look at any calamity simply as a loss but remember what they gain with God when they are patient. For this reason, the Muslim worldview is based on the fact that every difficulty in the sake of God is compensated for the believers. God revealed:
“If you should be suffering – so are they suffering as you are suffering, but you expect from Allaah that which they expect not. And Allaah is ever Knowing and Wise” (An-Nisaa’: 104).
The Story of an Ansari Woman:
The perseverance and suffering of the Gazans is observed in the story of an Ansari woman whose father, brother and husband were martyred in Uhud. One by one she heard the soul-shattering news of the martyrdom of all her male family members and yet she asked persistently “Tell me if the Prophet is safe?” As soon as she witnessed the Prophet safe and sound she uttered, “All sufferings are insignificant if you (Prophet of God) are safe and sound.” Truly, as long as the love of God and His Prophet is safe and sound in the heart, all sufferings are insignificant.
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