The Day of Uhud was indeed a severe day for the Muslims, as no less than seventy Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) were martyred in the battle against the disbelievers.
In the aftermath of the battle, a few women of Madeenah Munawwarah made their way to Uhud to enquire after their near and dear ones. Among them was Sayyidah ‘Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha).
En-route, she encountered Sayyidah Hind bintu ‘Amr bin Haraam (radhiyallahu ‘anha) who was driving a camel which carried the bodies of three martyrs on it. Sayyidah ‘Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) asked her regarding the condition of the Muslims in Uhud. Sayyidah Hind (radhiyallahu ‘anha) replied, “(They are in a) good (state). As for Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), he is safe, and every calamity is easy to bear after him (i.e. after knowing that he [sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam] is safe)! As for the other Muslims, then Allah Ta‘ala blessed some of them with martyrdom, and He turned back the disbelievers with their fury (rage), not having acquired any good. And Allah Ta‘ala was sufficient for the believers in battle, and Allah Ta‘ala is Most Powerful and Most Mighty.”
Sayyidah ‘Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) then gestured towards the bodies on the camel and asked her, “Who are these (martyrs)?” She replied, “My brother (Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Haraam [radhiyallahu ‘anhu]), my son, Khallaad (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), and my husband, ‘Amr bin Jamooh (radhiyallahu ‘anhu).”
Sayyidah ‘Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) asked her, “Where are you taking their bodies?” She replied, “I am taking them to Madeenah Munawwarah to be buried there.” Saying this, she urged the camel to move, but the camel refused to move towards Madeenah Munawwarah and instead knelt on its knees. Observing this, Sayyidah ‘Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) commented, “The camel is perhaps kneeling as it cannot manage carrying a load this heavy?” Sayyidah Hind (radhiyallahu ‘anha) responded, “That is not the problem! This camel often carried the load of two camels! I suspect that there is some other reason for it kneeling.” She then reprimanded the camel, succeeding in making it stand, but when she directed it towards Madeenah Munawwarah, it knelt once again and refused to move.
Eventually, when she turned the camel back towards Uhud, the camel proceeded swiftly. On returning to Uhud, she went to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and informed him of the camel’s refusal to take the bodies to Madeenah Munawwarah. On hearing this, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) replied, “This camel has been commanded (by Allah Ta‘ala). Did ‘Amr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) say anything (before leaving for Uhud)?” Sayyidah Hind (radhiyallahu ‘anha) replied, “When he was heading towards Uhud, he faced the qiblah and made du‘aa saying, “O Allah! Do not send me back to my family as a failure, and bless me with martyrdom!”
Hearing this, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “That is the reason why the camel is refusing to move (towards Madeenah Munawwarah, as ‘Amr [radhiyallahu ‘anhu] had made du‘aa that he should not return home).” Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then said, “From you, O Ansaar, there are certain people who are such (i.e. so beloved to Allah Ta‘ala) that if he takes an oath in the name of Allah Ta‘ala, then Allah Ta‘ala will most certainly fulfill his oath, and one such person is ‘Amr bin Jamooh (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). I have indeed seen him walking with his limp in Jannah. O Hind! The angels have continued to shade your brother, from the time he was killed until now, waiting for him to be buried.”
After they were buried, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) addressed Sayyidah Hind (radhiyallahu ‘anha) and said, “O Hind! All of them are together in Jannah.” She replied, “O Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)! Make du‘aa to Allah Ta‘ala to allow me to be with them!”
(Al-Maghaazi – Waaqidi vol. 1, pg. 265 and Subulul Hudaa war Rashaad vol. 4, pg. 214)
Similar to the incident of Sayyidah Hind (radhiyallahu ‘anha) is the incident of another Ansaari woman, from the Banu Dinaar clan, who also came to Uhud to enquire after her near and dear ones. As she proceeded through Uhud, she passed by the bodies of her father, son, husband and brother, all of whom achieved martyrdom. As she passed each body, she asked, “Who is this?” and at each body, she was told in turn, “Your father”, “Your brother”, “Your husband” and “Your son”.
Despite these being her closest family members, she did not pause at any of the bodies, but continued ahead asking, “How is the Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)?” The Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) replied, “By the grace of Allah Ta‘ala, he is as you would like (i.e. he is safe and sound).” However, she was not satisfied, and said, “Show him to me so that I may see him (i.e. I may see with my own eyes that he is indeed safe).” They told her that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was ahead and pointed towards him.
When she found Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), she held onto the corner of his blessed clothing and exclaimed, “May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)! Every calamity is easy to bear and not a matter of concern, after knowing that you are safe from any harm!”
(Tabraani – Majma‘uz Zawaaid #10145 and Seerah Ibni Hishaam vol. 3, pg. 99)
Lessons:
1. The Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) had such love for Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), that it surpassed their love for their own kith and kin and even their ownselves. There are other similar incidents recorded of other women who had lost their family members in the Battle of Uhud, yet expressed that their greater concern was for the safety of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). It was this love for Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) that motivated them to follow his every guidance, teaching and command unquestioningly and display complete submission before him. Hence, the mark of true love for Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is that one sacrifices his own ways, ideas, inclinations and mindset for that of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and the sunnah.
2. In the path of Deen, there was no sacrifice too great for the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum). They were prepared to sacrifice their wealth, parents and even their children in the path of Allah Ta‘ala. At the very least, we should sacrifice our impermissible desires and unlawful demands of our family members to remain loyal to Allah Ta‘ala and earn His pleasure.