Role of Umar in Battle of Uhud

The Battle of 'Uhud; 11 Shawwal A.H. 3 (A.C. 625).

Margoliouth writes: "It appears, too, that at the start events were proceeding as the Prophet had imagined. The champions of Badr, 'Ali and Harnza, dealt out death as unsparingly as before; the heroism of Quraish compelled them to meet these companions in a series of single combats, in which their own champions were killed, and their overthrow spread discomfiture and panic" (1).

1) Margolioulth : "Life of Muhammad", p' 296.

When the battle began, Imam 'Ali, Hamza and Abu Dujana went" straight towards the enemy, engaged the armies and fought at the risk of their lives. Imam 'Ali killed all the standard-bearers of Quraish, and panic took hold of the armies, who fled leaving behind their goods. The detachment of archers, whom the Prophet (P) had ordered to guard the pass in the mountains and remain there in all events, left their post and engaged themselves in looting the enemy's goods. Khalid ibn AI-Walid of Quraish, finding himself presented with the opportunity, descended upon the Muslims, and their victory was turned into defeat. Now the Muslims began fleeing in all directions, leaving the Prophet (P), who had been wounded, alone. I cannot do better than to quote a passage (in translation) from "Madarij-an-Nabuwwa" by Shaikh 'Abd Al Haq, a great Sunni divine and historian:

During the battle of 'Uhud, the enemy fought so desperately that the Muslims took to flight, leaving the Prophet (P) alone. He got so angry that the sweat 'dripped from his forehead. In that condition, he looked round and saw Imam 'Ali standing by his side, The Prophet (P) looked at him and asked why he did not take to flight and join his comrades. Imam 'Ali replied,

 "Should I tum Kafir after having once accepted [man (faith in God)? I will follow you everywhere.

"Now a party. of the enemy advanced towards the Prophet (P), who said to Imam 'Ali, "0 'Ali, protect me from this party; do this service to me, as this is the time for help". 'Ali therefore turned to that party and killed so many of them that the rest ran away. It is said that on that day 'Ali received eighteen wounds, four of them being so serious that on receiving each wound, he fell down from his horse .... The famous phrase "There is no courageous man like 'Ali, and no sword like his Dhu Al-Fiqar was uttered on that day. (2).

(2) Madarij-an-Nubuwwa, Nawalkishore, Vol. 2, p. 167. See also Shah Wali Allah: "Izalat-al-Khafa'" (Urdu translation), part 3, p.285.Rawdat-as-Safa', Vol. 2, p. 333.

Those who hold that the Prophet (P) did not designate Imam 'Ali as his successor, or that he was wrong in selecting Imam 'Ali for the Caliphate, think that the Prophet (P) forgot or ought to have forgotten, when in prosperity, the service which Imam 'Ali had rendered to Islam and its founder in their adversity.

Now let us turn to the others. 'Umar said that on the day of 'Uhud, the Muslims fled for their lives from the field of battle, and that he himself fled and climbed a hill, jumping from place to place like a mountain goat (3) 

(3) As-Sayyuti: "Ad-Dur Al-Manthur". Vol. 2, p. 88

It appears that after some time, he and his companions sat down to take rest. From At-Tabari we learn that 'Umar and Talha together ,with some of the Muhiijirin and Ansar, ran away from the field and were sitting on a rock, when someone called out that Muhammad had been killed. Anas ibn Al-Nadr went up to these persons and asked them why they were sitting there. The men on the rock replied that Muhammad (P) had been killed, and expressed their wish that there had been somone who would go to 'Abdallah ibn 'Ubbai, a Munafiq at Medina, and request him to intercede with Abu Sufyan and get an amnesty for them (4)

 (4) At-Tabarl: Vol. 3, p. 20; p. 19.

Seeing Imam Ali and the Prophet (P) standing firm on the field of battle, Muslims began to rally round the Prophet (P). Abu Bakr says that the people began to return to the Prophet (P), that he was the first to come back to him, and that after him came Abu 'Ubaida ibn AI.Jarra (5)

(5) Al-Hakim: "AI-Mustadrak", Vol. 3, pp. 26, 27.,Tarikh.al-Khamis, Vol. I, p. 485.

"Uthman ibn Affan had fled with two others to a great distance, and returned on the third day. The Prophet (P) remarked to 'Uthman that the distance he had fled was great'?  (6)

(6) At-Tabarl: Vol. 3, p. 21,Tarikh Al-Kamil, Vol. 3, p. 60.

We learn the following from "Habib-as-Sayyar":

One day, Zaid ibn Wahab said to Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, "I have heard that on the day of 'Uhud, no-one except Ali, Abu Dujana and Suhail ibn Hanif remained in the field with the Prophet. Is this information correct?" Abdullah ibn Mas'ud replied that in the first instance when the Muslims took flight, no-one but Ali had remained with the Prophet. Again Zaid asked, "Abu Bakr and 'Umar, where were they?" Abdullah ibn Mas'ud replied that they also had run away. When Zaid asked about 'Uthman, he replied that "Uthman had fled to a great distance, and returned on the third day, whereupon the Prophet remarked to him that he had run to a great distance. (7)

(7) Habib-as-Sayyar, Vol. I, Part 3. p. 37.

We do not hear of Abu Bakr, 'Umar or 'Uthman taking part in the battle; we hear only of them taking part in the flight.

Discomfited by the firm and courageous 'attitude of the Prophet and the fierce fighting of Ali, the Makkans broke off and went back to Makka.