64/17. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4043 — Archers of Uhud and the Cost of Leaving Orders
The Ghazwa of Uhud
وَقَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: {وَإِذْ غَدَوْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ تُبَوِّئُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَقَاعِدَ لِلْقِتَالِ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ} وَقَوْلُهُ جَلَّ ذِكْرُهُ: {وَلاَ تَهِنُوا وَلاَ تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنْتُمُ الأَعْلَوْنَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ إِنْ يَمْسَسْكُمْ قَرْحٌ فَقَدْ مَسَّ الْقَوْمَ قَرْحٌ مِثْلُهُ وَتِلْكَ الأَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَيَتَّخِذَ مِنْكُمْ شُهَدَاءَ وَاللَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ وَلِيُمَحِّصَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَيَمْحَقَ الْكَافِرِينَ أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَنْ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا مِنْكُمْ وَيَعْلَمَ الصَّابِرِينَ وَلَقَدْ كُنْتُمْ تَمَنَّوْنَ الْمَوْتَ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَلْقَوْهُ فَقَدْ رَأَيْتُمُوهُ وَأَنْتُمْ تَنْظُرُونَ} وَقَوْلِهِ: {وَلَقَدْ صَدَقَكُمُ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ إِذْ تَحُسُّونَهُمْ بِإِذْنِهِ حَتَّى إِذَا فَشِلْتُمْ وَتَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي الأَمْرِ وَعَصَيْتُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَرَاكُمْ مَا تُحِبُّونَ مِنْكُمْ مَنْ يُرِيدُ الدُّنْيَا وَمِنْكُمْ مَنْ يُرِيدُ الآخِرَةَ ثُمَّ صَرَفَكُمْ عَنْهُمْ لِيَبْتَلِيَكُمْ وَلَقَدْ عَفَا عَنْكُمْ وَاللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ}، {وَلاَ تَحْسِبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا} الآيَةَ.And the Statement of Allah جل جلاله: "And (remember) when you (O Muhammad ﷺ) left your household in the morning to post the believers at their stations for battle, (of Uhud). And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower." (V. 3:121) Also the Statement of Allah جل جلاله: "So do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will be superior (in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers. If a wound (and killing) had touched you, be sure a similar wound (and killing) has touched the others. And so are the days (good and not so good), We give to men by turns, that Allah may test those who believe, and that He may take martyrs from among you. And Allah likes not the Zalimun (wrong-doers, polytheists). And that Allah may test (or purify) the believers (from sins), and destroy the disbelievers. Do you think that you will enter Paradise before Allah tests those of you who fought (in His Cause) and (also) tests those who are As-Sabirin (the patient)? You did indeed wish for death (Ash-Shahadah – martyrdom) before you met it. Now you have seen it openly with your own eyes." (V. 3:139-143) And His Statement: "And Allah did indeed fulfil His Promise to you when you were killing them (your enemy)… (till the end of the Verse) … And Allah is Most Gracious to the believers." (V. 3:152) And His Statement: "Think not of those as dead who are killed in the Way of Allah …" (V. 3:169)
Sahih al-Bukhari 4043: Archers of Uhud Hadith and Obedience
Sahih Bukhari : 4043
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4043
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى، عَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ لَقِينَا الْمُشْرِكِينَ يَوْمَئِذٍ، وَأَجْلَسَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم جَيْشًا مِنَ الرُّمَاةِ، وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ وَقَالَ " لاَ تَبْرَحُوا، إِنْ رَأَيْتُمُونَا ظَهَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ فَلاَ تَبْرَحُوا وَإِنْ رَأَيْتُمُوهُمْ ظَهَرُوا عَلَيْنَا فَلاَ تُعِينُونَا ". فَلَمَّا لَقِينَا هَرَبُوا حَتَّى رَأَيْتُ النِّسَاءَ يَشْتَدِدْنَ فِي الْجَبَلِ، رَفَعْنَ عَنْ سُوقِهِنَّ قَدْ بَدَتْ خَلاَخِلُهُنَّ، فَأَخَذُوا يَقُولُونَ الْغَنِيمَةَ الْغَنِيمَةَ. فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ عَهِدَ إِلَىَّ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ لاَ تَبْرَحُوا. فَأَبَوْا، فَلَمَّا أَبَوْا صُرِفَ وُجُوهُهُمْ، فَأُصِيبَ سَبْعُونَ قَتِيلاً، وَأَشْرَفَ أَبُو سُفْيَانَ فَقَالَ أَفِي الْقَوْمِ مُحَمَّدٌ فَقَالَ " لاَ تُجِيبُوهُ ". فَقَالَ أَفِي الْقَوْمِ ابْنُ أَبِي قُحَافَةَ قَالَ " لاَ تُجِيبُوهُ ". فَقَالَ أَفِي الْقَوْمِ ابْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ هَؤُلاَءِ قُتِلُوا، فَلَوْ كَانُوا أَحْيَاءً لأَجَابُوا، فَلَمْ يَمْلِكْ عُمَرُ نَفْسَهُ فَقَالَ كَذَبْتَ يَا عَدُوَّ اللَّهِ، أَبْقَى اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ مَا يُخْزِيكَ. قَالَ أَبُو سُفْيَانَ أُعْلُ هُبَلْ. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَجِيبُوهُ ". قَالُوا مَا نَقُولُ قَالَ " قُولُوا اللَّهُ أَعْلَى وَأَجَلُّ ". قَالَ أَبُو سُفْيَانَ لَنَا الْعُزَّى وَلاَ عُزَّى لَكُمْ. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَجِيبُوهُ ". قَالُوا مَا نَقُولُ قَالَ " قُولُوا اللَّهُ مَوْلاَنَا وَلاَ مَوْلَى لَكُمْ ". قَالَ أَبُو سُفْيَانَ يَوْمٌ بِيَوْمِ بَدْرٍ، وَالْحَرْبُ سِجَالٌ، وَتَجِدُونَ مُثْلَةً لَمْ آمُرْ بِهَا وَلَمْ تَسُؤْنِي. أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ اصْطَبَحَ الْخَمْرَ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ نَاسٌ ثُمَّ قُتِلُوا شُهَدَاءَ.
Al-Bara Narrated from:
We faced the pagans on that day (of the battle of Uhud) and the Prophet (ﷺ) placed a batch of archers (at a special place) and appointed `Abdullah (bin Jubair) as their commander and said, "Do not leave this place; if you should see us conquering the enemy, do not leave this place, and if you should see them conquering us, do not (come to) help us," So, when we faced the enemy, they took to their heels till I saw their women running towards the mountain, lifting up their clothes from their legs, revealing their leg-bangles.The Muslims started saying, "The booty, the booty!" `Abdullah bin Jubair said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) had taken a firm promise from me not to leave this place." But his companions refused (to stay). So when they refused (to stay there), (Allah) confused them so that they could not know where to go, and they suffered seventy casualties.Abu Sufyan ascended a high place and said, "Is Muhammad present amongst the people?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do not answer him." Abu Sufyan said, "Is the son of Abu Quhafa present among the people?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do not answer him." `Abu Sufyan said, "Is the son of Al-Khattab amongst the people?" He then added, "All these people have been killed, for, were they alive, they would have replied." On that, `Umar could not help saying, "You are a liar, O enemy of Allah! Allah has kept what will make you unhappy."Abu Sufyan said, "Superior may be Hubal!" On that the Prophet said (to his companions), "Reply to him." They asked, "What may we say?" He said, "Say: Allah is More Elevated and More Majestic!" Abu Sufyan said, "We have (the idol) Al-`Uzza, whereas you have no `Uzza!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to his companions), "Reply to him." They said, "What may we say?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Say: Allah is our Helper and you have no helper."Abu Sufyan said, "(This) day compensates for our loss at Badr and (in) the battle (the victory) is always undecided and shared in turns by the belligerents. You will see some of your dead men mutilated, but neither did I urge this action, nor am I sorry for it."Narrated Jabir: Some people took wine in the morning of the day of Uhud and were then killed as martyrs.
[1] Hubal was one of their idols.Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4043, 4044In-book reference : Book 64, Hadith 90USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 375
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4043
This archers of Uhud hadith is a strong lesson about obedience. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) placed archers under Abdullah bin Jubair and told them not to leave their place, whether they saw victory or defeat. When the enemy ran, some Muslims began saying, “The booty, the booty.” Abdullah reminded them of the Prophet’s promise, but they refused to stay. The report then says their faces were turned away and seventy were killed. The Hadith also records the exchange with Abu Sufyan and the Prophet’s instruction to reply with words of tawhid: “Allah is More Elevated and More Majestic” and “Allah is our Helper.” The core teaching is direct: clear prophetic instruction should not be left for quick gain, even when the moment looks safe.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) gave the archers a clear order to stay in place.
- The desire for booty led some to leave their assigned post.
- Abdullah bin Jubair reminded them of the Prophet’s firm instruction.
- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) taught his companions how to answer false claims with words of faith.
