The Makkans nursed their humiliating defeat at Badr with deep rancor. Their poets, following ancient Arab tradition, daily called for the restoration of tribal honor through bloody revenge. With many of Makkah’s top leaders having perished at Badr, **Abu Sufyan** rose as the paramount chief of the Quraysh. Furthermore, representatives of the Medinan Jewish tribe of **Banu Nadir** actively encouraged the pagans to attack Muhammad (pbuh) and drive him from their city.

The Battle Formation

Finally, in the year **625 CE**, a large Makkan force numbering some **3,000 men** marched north toward Madinah. When Muhammad (pbuh) learned of the impending assault, he quickly mustered about 1,000 men and marched out to meet the foe beside Mount **Uhud**, a few hours’ march from the city. Just before the battle commenced, 300 men, led by the chief Hypocrite, **‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy**, suddenly withdrew, leaving the Muslim force with only **700 fighters**.

The Prophet (pbuh) steadied his demoralized men with reminders of God’s help to the faithful. Knowing the Makkans had a powerful cavalry contingent under the command of **Khālid ibn al-Walīd**—a renowned military genius—Muhammad (pbuh) anticipated a flanking maneuver. To guard against the cavalry swinging behind the outnumbered Muslims, he strategically placed **fifty archers** on a critical hill to protect his rear formation.

The Flanking Disaster

When the battle began, the Muslims’ superior discipline and organization allowed them to decimate the Makkans’ unorganized frontal assaults. The Muslim foot soldiers not only held off the more numerous enemy but actually forced them into a disorganized retreat. It appeared the Muslims were on the verge of a second stunning victory.

As the Muslim infantry pursued their fleeing enemies, the archers on the hill looked longingly at the abandoned battlefield, now strewn with discarded weapons, camels, and a host of valuable goods. Disobeying their clear orders from the Prophet (pbuh)—a tradition of greed Muhammad (pbuh) had tried to abolish after Badr—about forty archers descended to collect the war booty.

Seeing his opportunity, Khālid ibn al-Walīd immediately swung his cavalry through the small pass, completely taking the few remaining archers by surprise. After quickly dispatching them, the Makkan cavalry attacked the advancing Muslim line from the rear. It was a complete disaster.

The Retreat and the Aftermath

The confused Muslims were scattered, and dozens were killed as the Makkan infantry turned and renewed their attack. The Prophet (pbuh) ordered a hasty retreat up the slopes of Mount Uhud. He narrowly escaped death when several warriors surrounded him, one striking his helmet so forcefully that it drove armor into his cheek. A cordon of loyal Muslim defenders, including a brave woman fighter, quickly formed around the Prophet (pbuh), helping him up the mountain.

By the time the bulk of the Muslims reached safety, over **seventy** of their comrades lay dead. The jubilant Makkans celebrated by tragically mutilating the dead and torturing the wounded, as their traditions dictated. Later, the Muslims mourned, questioning how they could have lost despite having God’s favor. The Qur’an provided the answer: God was helping them, but through their own **disobedience** (the archers abandoning their post), they failed themselves.

The very next day, the resilient Prophet (pbuh) rallied less than five hundred able-bodied men and marched them back to Uhud to challenge the Makkans once more. The Makkans, fearing another confrontation, decided to keep their bragging rights intact and withdrew to Makkah, avoiding a second battle.

The Expulsion of Banu Nadir

Soon after, hostilities broke out between the Muslims and the second Jewish tribe of Madinah, **Banu Nadir**. The catalyst was a foiled assassination plot against the Prophet (pbuh). The Banu Nadir’s neighborhood came under siege. Though the Hypocrites had secretly promised to defend them, $\text{‘Abdullāh}$ ibn Ubayy’s forces never materialized. Similar to the previous expulsion, the pressure from the Muslim blockade forced the rebels to surrender.

The Banu Nadir received the same penalty: packing and leaving the city. The bulk of the tribe went to Syria, while a remnant settled in the Jewish fortress city of **Khaybar**, further north. The defeat at Uhud had weakened the Muslims’ reputation, emboldening Bedouin raiders to attack allied tribes and brazenly murder the Prophet’s (pbuh) emissaries and missionaries. The mood in Arabia had definitively turned toward greater hostility.