When the Meccan army fled from Badr they announced that they would attack Medina again and avenge upon the Muslims for what the Meccans had suffered in the battle; and only a year later they did attack Medina again in full force. They felt so humiliated and disgraced at their defeat that the Meccan chiefs forbade surviving relations to weep over those who had died in the battle. They also laid down that profits from commercial caravans would be constituted into a war fund. With full preparations, therefore, an army of three thousand under the command of Abu Sufyan(ra) attacked Medina. The Prophet(sa) held a council and asked his followers whether they would meet the enemy in Medina or outside. He himself favoured the former alternative. He preferred to let the Muslims stay in Medina and let the enemy come and attack them in their homes. This, he thought, would place the responsibility for aggression and attack on the enemy. But at the council were many Muslims who had not had the chance to take part in the Battle of Badr, and who now longed to fight for God. They insisted on having a straight and open fight and on having the chance to die fighting. The Prophet(sa) accepted the general advice (Tabaqat).
While this was being debated, the Prophet(sa) related a vision of his. He said, "I had a vision. I saw a cow, and I also saw my sword with its point broken. I saw the cow being butchered, and that I had put my hand inside a coat of armour. I also saw myself riding a ram." The Companions asked the Prophet(sa) how he interpreted the vision.
"The butchering of the cow" said the Prophet(sa), "indicates that some of my Companions will be killed in battle. The broken point of my sword indicates that some important one among my relations will meet his death, or maybe, I myself will suffer pain or injury of some kind. Putting my hand in a coat of armour seems to mean that if we stay in Medina it is better for us. The fact that I have seen myself riding a ram means that we will overpower the commander of the dis- believers, and that he will die at our hands" (Bukhari, Hisham and Tabaqat).
It was made clear by this vision and its interpretation that it was better for Muslims to stay in Medina. The Prophet(sa), however, did not insist upon this, because the interpretation of the vision was his own, not a part of revealed knowledge. He accepted the advice of the majority and decided to go out of Medina to meet the enemy. As he set out, the more zealous section of His following realizing their mistake, approached the Prophet(sa) and said, "Prophet(sa) of God, the way you advised seems better. We ought to stay in Medina and meet the enemy in our streets."
"Not now," said the Prophet(sa). "Now the Prophet(sa) of God has put on his armour. Come what may, now we shall go forward. If you prove steadfast and persevering, God will help you" (Bukhari and Tabaqat). So saying, he went forward with a force of a thousand. At a small distance from Medina they camped for the night. It was the Prophet's(sa) custom to let his fighting force rest a while before they met the enemy. At the time of the morning prayers, he made a round. He found that some Jews also had joined the Muslims. They pretended they had treaties of alliance with the Medina tribes. As the Prophet(sa) had had knowledge of Jewish intrigues, he sent off the Jews. As soon as he did so, Abdullah bin Ubayy ibn Salul, chief of the hypocrites, withdrew with his three hundred followers. He said the Muslim army was now no match for the enemy. To take part in the battle was now certain death. The Prophet(sa) had made a mistake in sending off his own allies. The result of this eleventh-hour desertion was that only seven hundred Muslims were left under the Prophet's(sa) command. The seven hundred stood against an army more than four times their number, and many more times better in equipment. In the Meccan army were seven hundred fighters in armour; in the Muslim army only one hundred. The Meccans had a mounted force of two hundred horses, Muslims had only two horses. The Prophet(sa) reached Uhud. Over a narrow hilly pass there, he posted a guard of fifty, charged with the duty of repelling any attack on it by the enemy or any attempt to possess it. The Prophet(sa) told them clearly their duty. It was to stand where they had been posted, and not to move from the spot until they were commanded to do so, no matter what happened to the Muslims. With the remaining six hundred and fifty men, the Prophet(sa) went to do battle with an army about five times as large. But, with the help of God, in a short time the six hundred and fifty Muslims drove away three thousand skilled Meccan soldiers. The Muslims ran in pursuit. The hilly pass on which fifty Muslims had been posted was in the rear. The guard said to the commander, "The enemy is beaten. It is time we took some part in the battle and won our laurels in the next world." The commander stopped them, reminding them of the clear orders of the Prophet(sa). But the men explained that the Prophet's(sa) order was to be taken in the spirit and not in the letter. There was no meaning in continuing to guard the pass while the enemy was running for life.