In the Assault of al-Asheera, our Master Muhammad [s] led, Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib was holding the banner.

The Muslim Army's companies and patrols succeeded to threaten the trade of the Quraish.

The Quraish announced the economic war against the Muslims. So, they attacked the Muslims' houses who immigrated from Makkah to Madina. They intensified their war against the Muslims everywhere.

In the meantime, the Quraish urged the Arab tribes to attack Yathrib.

Our Master Muhammad [s] wanted to punish the Quraish. He thought that the best way to punish them was to threaten their trading caravans going to Sham.

Al-Hamza went with our Master Muhammad [s] on each assault.

Our Master Muhammad [s] heard that a trading caravan headed by Abu Sufyan was coming back from Sham to Makkah. So, our Master Muhammad [s] asked the Muslims to face the caravan.

On Ramadhan 12^th 2 AH., our Master Muhammad with 313 immigrants and supporters went outside Madina.

Abu Sufayn heard about the movement and the aim of the Muslims who wanted to face the caravan. So, he quickly sent man to the Quraish to tell them about the dangerous situation.

Abu Jahal found that action a suitable chance to destroy Islam and the Muslims. So he began urging the Quraish to fight the Muslims. He and the Quraishi leaders called up nine hundred and fifty fighters. Abu Jahal headed the fighters and marched towards the springs of Badr, where the Muslims had camped.

On Ramadhan 17^th, the two armies came together. The polytheists were beating the war drums. But the Muslims were remembering and glorifying Allah.

Jibreel came down from the heavens. He read him this verse:

And if they incline to peace, then incline to it

The Prophet [s] asked the Quraish to make peace but Abu Jahal refused. He thought that he would destroy Islam, for his army was three times as many as the Muslim Army.

The two armies got ready to clash. One of the

polytheists shouted:

Muhammad, let your brave men come out to fight us!

So, our Master Muhammad [s] said:

Ubaidah bin al-Harith, al-Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib, and Ali bin Abu Talib, stand up.

They moved briskly. They were ready to die for Allah's way.

Ubaidah stood before his opponent Utbah bin Rabeeah.

Ali stood before al-Waleed bin Utbah.

Hamza stood before Shaiba bin Rabeeah.

So, the first battle in the history of Islam broke out.

Immediately, al-Hamza hit and knocked down his opponent. Ali hit the enemy of Islam and killed him.

Ubaidah hit his opponent, but his opponent hit him too. He fell to the ground. Al-Hamza and Ali killed Utbah. Then they took Ubaidah to the camp to tend to him.

When the polytheistic heroes fell over the ground one by one, Abu Jahal ordered his fighters to launch a general attack.

The Muslims faced the attack with spirits filled with belief confidence in Allah. So, Allah granted the Muslims a victory.

Abu Jahal and the polytheistic leaders fell over the ground. So, the other polytheists escaped with alarm.

The Revenge

The people of Makkah heard about the news of the defeat. So, the women wept over the killed polytheists. But Hind, Abu Sufyan's wife, kept silent.

The people said to Hind:

Why don't you weep over your brother, your father and your uncle?

She said:

I don't weep over them lest Muhammad and his companions rejoice at our misfortune!

Hind thought about a way to get her revenge on our Master Muhammad [s] or Ali bin Abu Talib [a] or al-Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib.

Hind urged the polytheists to get their revenge on them. Three thousand polytheistic fighters got ready. Hind bint Utbah, Abu Sufyan's wife, was with them. There were fourteen women around her. They were beating drums.

In Makkah there was a strong slave called Wahshy. Hind went to him. She promised to give him a lot of gold and money if he killed our Master Muhammad [s] or Ali bin Abu Talib [a] or al-Hamza (May Allah be pleased with him).

Wahshy said:

I can't hit Muhammad because his companions surround him.

I may kill al-Hamza because anger makes him see nothing.

Hind gave Wahshy some gold before hand. She was always looking at the spear Wahshy prepared to kill al-Hamza.

The polytheistic army arrived at al-Abwaa (an area near Madina where Aminah, our Master Muhammad's mother was buried fifty years ago).

Hind wanted to dig up Aminah and insisted on that. But the Quraishi leaders refused her action so that the Arabs would not dig out their dead.

Our Master Muhammad [s] headed the Muslims. Abu Sufyan headed the polytheists.

Our Master Muhammad [s] ordered fifty skilled bow men to stay at the foot of al-Ainain Mount to protect the Muslims' back troops. He ordered them not to leave their places under any circumstance.

The polytheists began attacking the Muslims. Uthman bin Abi-Talha, the banner holder, was in advance.

Hind and some women were surrounding him. They were beating the drums, and encouraging the fighters to fight.

They were singing the following lines of poetry (the meaning only):

We, Tariq's daughters, walk on the cushions.
Like the walking of bright sand grouse,
Musk is in the partings.
The pearls are round the necks.
If you advance, we'll embrace you.
And if you escape, we'll abandon you.
And the abandonment will be sorrowful.

Hamza shouted with enthusiasm:
I'm the son of the water carriers of pilgrims!

He attacked the banner holder. He hit him and cut off his hand. So the banner holder retreated. Then, his brother took the banner.

The Muslims were attacking them intensely. The banner holders were falling over the ground one by one.

When the banner fell to the ground, the polytheists became dismayed. So, they ran away. The great idol, which they took to grant them a victory fell off the camel!

The Muslims chased the runaway. The archers forgot the Prophet's orders and left the foot of the mountain to collect booty. So, the lines of the Muslim Army was subjected to being surrounded and attacked.

Khalid bin al-Waleed, a polytheist then, took the Muslims aback. The surprise left the Muslim Army in chaos.

Wahshy, a slave from Makkah, was holding a long spear and looking for al-Hamza. He was thinking about nothing but to kill al-Hamza.

During the strong clashes, Wahshy was behind a big rock looking at al-Hamza.

While al-Hamza was busy fighting, Wahshy aimed his spear and threw it at the Prophet's uncle. The spear hit al-Hamza on the belly.

Al-Hamza tried to attack Wahshy. But he fell to the ground and became a martyr.

Wahshy ran fast to tell Hind about his action.

Hind rejoiced. She took off her gold and gave it to Wahshy and said:

I'll give you ten Dinars when we go back to Makkah.

Hind hurried to al-Hamza's body. She cut off his ears and nose to make a necklace. Then she drew a dagger and cut open the martyr's belly She took out his liver savagely and bit it like the dog.

Then Abu Sufyan came and tore al-Hamza's body with his spear.

The Master of Martyrs

The polytheists withdrew from the battlefield. Our Master Muhammad [s] and his companions came down the mountain to bury the martyrs.

The Prophet [s] asked his companions about the place of al-Hamza.

Al-Harith said:

I know his place.

Our Master Muhammad [s] asked al-Harith to show him al-Hamza's body.

The man went about looking for him. He found his body torn. So, he hated to tell the Prophet [s] about it.

Our Master Muhammad [s] ordered Ali to look for al-Hamza's body. He found him. He did not tell the Prophet because he did not want to hurt him.

So, our Master Muhammad [s] himself went to look for him. He found him in a sorrowful condition.

Our Master Muhammad [s] wept very much when he saw what they had done to al-Hamza's body.

The wolves did not do what Hind and Abu Sufyan did.

Our Master Muhammad [s] was very angry. So, he said:

Uncle, may Allah have mercy upon you. You had done good deeds and maintained close relations with your relatives!

If Allah grants me a victory, I'll maim seventy persons of the Quraish.

The Muslims swore by Allah to do that. So, Jibreel came down and read this verse:

And if you take your turn, then retaliate with the like of that which you were afflicted; but if you are patient it will certainly be best for those who are patient.

So Allah's Apostle forgave them. He was patient. And he prevented the Muslims from maiming.

Our Master Muhammad [s] took off his gown and covered the martyr and said to him:

Uncle, The Lion of Allah, the Lion of His Apostle, doer of good deeds, remover of worries, defender of Allah's Apostle, and saver of his face.

Safiyah, al-Hamza's sister and our Master Muhammad's aunt, went with Fatima aI-Zahra to make sure of the Prophet's safety.

Ali bin Abi Talib [s] came across Safiyah and said to her:

Aunt, come back!

He did not want her to see her brother in that condition. But she said:

I won't came back till I see Allah's Apostle.

In the distance, the Prophet [s] saw her. So, he ordered her son al-Zubair not to allow her to see her martyred brother.

Al-Zubair received her and said:

Mother, come back.

She said:

Till I see Allah's Apostle.

When she saw our Master Muhammad [s] and made sure of his safety, she asked him about al-Hamza:

Where's my brother?

The Prophet [s] kept silent. So, Safiyah knew that her brother became a martyr. So, she and Fatima al-Zahra wept over their martyred brother and uncle.

So, our Master Muhammad [s] condoled them:

Be cheerful! Jibreel told me that Hamza has been regarded as the Lion of Allah and the Lion of His Apostle in the Heavens!

Uhud Mount stands as evidence for al-Hamza's bravery, the Master of the Martyrs, and the polytheists' savageness.