That was Uhud Invasion with all its stages and details. It has for long been discussed by scholars and  men of research. Was it a defeat or not? Doubtlessly, the military superiority in the second phase of  the  battle was in favour of the polytheists who could successfully direct the steering mechanism of  hostilities and inflict heavy losses in lives on the Muslims. Admittedly, a part of the believers were  clearly defeated, but this could never be considered a Makkan victory.
The Makkan army failed to occupy the camp of the Muslims. The greater bulk of the Madinese army,  chaos and confusion notwithstanding, did not take to escape, on the contrary they showed matchless  and heroic resistance and managed to gather themselves again around their headquarters fighting  bravely and courageously. They, moreover, did not allow the Makkans to run after them in pursuit.
Neither Muslim captives were taken nor spoils were gained by the Makkans. The enemies of Islam  were  also too cowardly to conduct the third phase of war, and impress their superiority on the battlefield,  on  the contrary, they were in hot haste to evacuate the field even before the Muslims did. Madinah itself,  the capital of the Muslims, was only a stone’s throw from the lines of the enemy, and vulnerably  exposed, yet the polytheists were not bold enough to storm it to plunder its wealth or capture the
Muslim women therein.
These suggestive details in fact support our argument that the event of Uhud was just a precious  occasion on which the Makkans managed only to inflict heavy losses on the Muslims but failed to  achieve their ultimate goals of annihilating the Muslim army in the process of their encompassment  operation. After all, it is not unusual for conquerors to sustain such casualties and losses, but these  could under no circumstances be regarded as victory for the hostile party.
The incident of Hamrâ’ Al-Asad is interesting in this regard. It is a curious sight indeed of a victorious  army in retreat for fear of disgrace and defeat, and the crestfallen and crippled group of Muslims in  pursuit.
Uhud Battle in the final judgement was just one phase of military activities in the whole process of war  between two hostile parties each of whom earned their legitimate portion of both success and failure  and then desisted further engagement but without cowardly escape or resigned surrender. In this  sense, this battle could be rightly regarded as an inseparable war.
In this context, Allâh says:
“And don’t be weak in the pursuit of the enemy; if you are suffering (hardships) then surely, they
(too) are suffering (hardships) as you are suffering, but you have a hope from Allâh (for the  reward, i.e. Paradise) that for which they hope not.” 4:104
The verse explicitly identifies both attitudes as regards losses and hardships as identical. Both parties  concluded the war operations and went back neither victorious nor vanquished.
THE OBSERVATIONS OF THE NOBLE QUR'AN ON THE BATTLE OF UHUD:
Some Qur’ânic verses were revealed to shed light on the most decisive phases of the battle  successively, adduce quite clearly the cause that led to that heavy loss, and illustrate the vulnerable  areas that were still persisting in the souls of some believers as regards their duties in forging a  decisive attitude with respect to the noble objectives for which the Muslim Community, was created  and  was supposed to accomplish.
The Noble Qur’ân also spoke about the attitude of the pretenders to Faith and made clear the hostility  and hatred that they harboured against Allâh and His Messenger. The Words of Allâh managed as well  to erase all traces of ambiguities and insinuations, raised by the hypocrites and their allies, the Jews
—  the authors of conspiracy and intrigue hatching — and which were still in active operation in the hearts  of some weak-of-heart Muslims.
The laudable judgement and long-sought objectives that were attributable to the battle of Uhud, were  also another topic for the Noble Qur’ân to dwell on at length. Sixty verses relevant to the battle were  revealed giving full account of the first phase of the battle:
“And (remember) when you Muhammad Peace be upon him) left your household in the  morning to post the believers at their stations for the battle (o  f Uhud).” 3:121
And to end in a comprehensive commentary on its results and moralities:
“Allâh will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now, until He distinguishes the  wicked from the good. Nor will Allâh disclose to you the of the Ghaib (unseen), but Allâh chooses  of His Messengers whom He pleases. So believe in Allâh and His Messengers. And if you believe  and fear Allâh, then for you there is a great reward.” 3:179