his  body, the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) led his followers in prayer in a sitting posture and  so  did the Muslims.
When the preparations of the idolaters for departure came to an end, Abu Sufyan went up the  mountain  and called out: “Is Muhammad (Peace be upon him) among you?” They did not answer him. Then he  asked “Is Ibn Abi Quhafah (i.e. Abu Bakr) among you?” They did not answer. He asked again: “Is
‘Umar  bin Al-Khattab among you?” They did not answer him; for the Prophet (Peace be upon him) forbade  them answering him. He only asked about those three. That is because he and his people knew quite  well that the call to Islam depended to a large degree on those men. Abu Sufyan then said: “As for  those three, we have relieved you of.” ‘Umar could not help but talking, so he said, “O enemy of Allâh,  those whom you have just mentioned, I tell you that they are still alive. Allâh has maintained what  you  hate.” Abu Sufyan answered: “The mutilation of your killed is something I did not order it; but it did  not  displease me.” Then he shouted: “Hubal (an idol), let it be sublime!” The Prophet (Peace be upon him)  said: “Why do you not reply?” “What shall we say?” They asked him. “Say: Allâh is more Sublime and
Exalted and Mightier as well.”
He said: “Al-‘Uzza (i.e. an idol) is ours but you have no ‘Uzza.” “Why do you not reply?” The Prophet
(Peace be upon him) said. “What shall we say?” They inquired. He said: “Say Allâh is our Protector,  but  you have no protector.”
Abu Sufyan said: “Well deeds! Today is a vengeance for Badr Day. This for that. War is attended with  alternate success.” ‘Umar’s reply was: “No. They are not the same. Our killed men are housed in
Paradise; but yours are in Fire.”
Then Abu Sufyan said: “Come on, ‘Umar!” The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) said: “Go and  see what the matter is.” He went there. Abu Sufyan asked him: “I beseech you by Allâh’s Name to tell  me the truth: Have we killed Muhammad (Peace be upon him)?” ‘Umar said: “O Allâh, ‘No’ and now he  islistening to you words.” He said: “For me, you are more truthful than Ibn Qami’a, and even more  reliable.”
Ibn Ishaq said: When Abu Sufyan and those who were with him were leaving he called out notifying:
“We will meet again at Badr next year.” The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) said to one of his  men: “Say: ‘Yes, it is an appointment for both of us.’”
Later on, the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) dispatched ‘Ali bin Abi Talib to trace them out.
He  said to him: “Pursue them and see what they are going to do, and what they aim at. If they dismount  horses and ride on camels’ back, this means that they are heading for Makkah; but if they ride horses  and lead camels unmounted, they are leaving for Madinah. By the One, in Whose Hand my soul is, if  they attacked Madinah I would march to them there and I would fight them.” ‘Ali said: “I went out and  traced them to see what they were up to. I saw them mounting camels and leaving the horses  unmounted. They were heading for Makkah.”
After the departure of the Quraishites, people went out to check the identity of the killed and the  wounded. Zaid bin Thabit said: “The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) sent me on Uhud Day to  seek Sa‘d bin Ar-Rabî‘ and said: “When you see him, say: ‘peace be upon you from me.’ and say to  him
‘the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) says: How do you feel?’” Zaid said: “I started wandering  about checking the killed till I came across Sa‘d when he was dying — with about seventy strokes or  stabs of a sword, a spear and an arrow in his body.So I said: “O Sa‘d, the Messenger of Allâh (Peace  be  upon him) sends you his greetings. and says ‘peace be upon you, tell me how do you feel?’” Sa‘d said:
“And let peace be upon the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him), too. Tell him, I smell the scent of  the Paradise. And tell the Helpers, my people, ‘you shall not be excused before Allâh if the Messenger  of
Allâh (Peace be upon him) is hurt and your eyes are blinking’ (i.e. you are still alive and not dead).”
Then he died.
They came across Al-Usairim — ‘Amr bin Thabit, whom they had already urged to embrace Islam but  refused. They saw him among the wounded on the verge of close death. “What has he come here for?