Introduction to the Study of The Holy Quran — Page 143
143 on the hill and attacked us fiercely. The Muslims had dispersed, believing they had won. There was no resistance to this attack by the enemy. Only the Prophet with a handful of guards stood against the entire enemy and all of them fell down fighting. " "If this is true," said Anas, "what use is sitting here and crying? Where our beloved Master has gone, there must we go too. " Anas had the last date in his hand. This he was about to put in his mouth but, instead, he threw it away saying, "O date, except thee, is there anything which stands between Anas and Paradise?" Saying this, he unsheathed his sword and flung himself into the enemy forces, one against three thousand. He could not do much, but one believing spirit is superior to many. Fighting valiantly, Anas at last fell wounded, but he continued to fight. Upon this the enemy horde sprang barbarously upon him. It is said that when the battle was over, and the dead were identified, Anas’ body could not be identified. It had been cut into seventy pieces. At last a sister of Anas identifying it by a mutilated finger said, "This is my brother’s body. " 161 Those Muslims who made a ring round the Prophet but were driven back, ran forward again as soon as they saw the enemy withdrawing. They lifted the Prophet’s body from among the dead. Abu ‘Ubaydah bin al-Jarrah caught between his teeth the rings which had sunk into the Prophet’s cheeks and pulled them out, losing two teeth in the attempt. After a little while, the Prophet returned to consciousness. The guards who surrounded him sent out messengers to tell Muslims to assemble again. A disrupted force began to assemble. They escorted the Prophet to the foot of the hill. Abu Sufyan, the enemy commander, seeing these Muslim remnants, cried aloud, "We have killed Muhammad. " The Prophet heard the boastful cry but forbade the Muslims to answer, lest the enemy should know the truth and attack again and the exhausted and badly-wounded Muslims should have again to fight this savage horde. Not receiving a reply from the Muslims, Abu Sufyan became certain the Prophet was dead. He followed his first cry by a second and said, "We have also killed Abu Bakr. " The Prophet forbade Abu Bakr to make any reply. Abu Sufyan followed by a third, and said, "We have also killed ‘Umar. " The Prophet forbade ‘Umar also to reply. Upon this Abu Sufyan cried that they had killed all three. Now ‘Umar could not contain himself and cried, "We are all alive and, with God's grace, ready to fight you and break your heads. " Abu Sufyan raised the national cry, "Glory to Hubal. Glory to Hubal. For Hubal has put an end to Islam. " (Hubal was the Meccans’ national idol. ) The Prophet could not bear this boast against the One and Only God, Allah, for Whom he and the Muslims were prepared to sacrifice their all. He had refused to correct a declaration of his own death. He had refused to correct a declaration of the death of Abu Bakr and of ‘Umar for strategic reasons. Only the remnants of his small force