Life-of-Muhammad

68Life of Muhammad saagain to fight this savage horde. Not receiving a replyfrom the Muslims, Abu Sufyan ra became certain theProphet sa was dead. He followed his first cry by a secondand said, "We have also killed Abu Bakr ra ." TheProphet sa forbade Abu Bakr ra to make any reply. AbuSufya ra n followed by a third, and said, "We have alsokilled ‘Umar ra ." The Prophet sa forbade ‘Umar ra also toreply. Upon this Abu Sufyan ra cried that they had killedall three. Now ‘Umar ra could not contain himself andcried, "We are all alive and, with God's grace, ready tofight you and break your heads." Abu Sufyan ra raisedthe national cry, "Glory to Hubal. Glory to Hubal. ForHubal has put an end to Islam." (Hubal was theMeccans' national idol.) The Prophet sa could not bearthis boast against the One and Only God, Allah, forWhom he and the Muslims were prepared to sacrificetheir all. He had refused to correct a declaration of hisown death. He had refused to correct a declaration ofthe death of Abu Bakr ra and of ‘Umar ra for strategicreasons. Only the remnants of his small force had beenleft. The enemy forces were large and buoyant. But nowthe enemy had insulted Allah. The Prophet sa could notstand such an insult. His spirit was fired. He lookedangrily at the Muslims who surrounded him and said,"Why stand silent and make no reply to this insult toAllah, the Only God?"The Muslims asked, "What shall we say, OProphet sa ?" "Say, 'Allah alone is Great and Mighty. Allahalone is Great and Mighty. He alone is High andHonoured. He alone is High and Honoured.' "The Muslims shouted accordingly. This cry stupefiedthe enemy. They stood chagrined at the thought that theProphet sa after all had not died. Before them stood ahandful of Muslims, wounded and exhausted. To finishthem was easy enough. But they dared not attack again.Content with the sort of victory they had won, theyreturned making a great show of rejoicing.In the Battle of Uhud, Muslim victory becameconverted into a defeat. Nevertheless, the battle affords