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The Quraishi leaders had targeted two persons in the new battle, namely, the Prophet (PBUH) and
Hamzah (May Allah be pleased with him). If one had heard them talking and plotting before the war, one
would realize that Hamzah was their second main target after the Prophet (PBUH).
Before they went to war, they had already chosen the person in charge of assassinating Hamzah: an
Abyssinian slave with extra ordinary skill in spear throwing. They planned for him to kill Hamzah, his
only role being to hit him with a deadly spear. They warned him not to be busy with any other
preoccupation other than Hamzah, regardless of the situation on the battlefield. They promised him the
excellent reward of his freedom. The slave, whose name was Wahshiy, was owned by Jubair Ipn
Mut`am. Jubair's uncle had been killed in the Battle of Badr, so Jubair said to Wahshiy, "Go out with the
army, and if you kill Hamzah you will be free." Afterwards, the Quraish sent Wahshiy to Hind Bint
`Utbah, Abu Sufyaan's wife, to give him more encouragement to kill Hamzah, because she had lost her
father, uncle, brother, and son and it was said that Hamzah had been behind their deaths.
This was the reason why Hind was the most enthusiastic one of all the Quraish to escalate the war.
All she wanted was Hamzah's head, whatever the cost might be. She spent days before the battle pouring
all her rage into Wahshiy's heart and making the plans for him. She promised him if he killed Hamzah
she would give him her most precious trinkets. With her hateful fingers she held her precious pearl
earrings and a number of golden necklaces around her neck and gazed at him saying, "All these are yours
if you kill Hamzah." Wahshiy's mouth watered for the offer, and his soul yearned for the battle after
which he would win his freedom and cease to be a slave, in addition to all the jewelry decorating the
neck of the leading woman of the Quraish, the wife of its leader, and the daughter of its master. It was
clear then that the whole war and the whole conspiracy were decisively seeking Hamzah.
The Battle of Uhud started and the two armies met. Hamzah was in the middle of the battlefield in
battle dress and on his bosom he put an ostrich feather that he used to wear while fighting. He was
moving everywhere cutting off the head of each polytheist he reached among the army of the Quraish. It
seemed that death was at his command. Whenever he ordered it for anyone it reached him in the heart.
The Muslims were about to gain victory and the defeated army of the Quraish started to withdraw in
fright, but the Muslim archers left their places on the mountain to collect the spoils of war that the
Quraish had left. If they had not left their places, giving the Quraish cavalry the chance to find a way, the
battle would have ended as a gigantic grave for all the Quraish, including men, women, horses, and even
cattle.
The Quraish attacked the Muslims by surprise from the back and started strilang them with thirsty
swords. The Muslims tried to pull themselves together, picking up the weapons they had put down upon
seeing the Quraish withdrawing, but the attack was too violent. When Hamzah saw what had happened,
he doubled his strength and his activity. Hamzah was striking all around him while Wahshiy was
observing him, waiting for the right moment. Let us hear Wahshiy himself describe the scene.
I was an Abyssinian man who used to throw the spear in an Abyssinian way that scarcely misses its
target. When the armies met I searched for Hamzah till I found him in the middle of the crowd like a
huge camel. He was killing every one around him with his sword. Nothing could stop him. By Allah, I
prepared for him. I wanted him. I hid behind a tree so that I might attack him or he might come close to
me. At that moment Sabaa'u Ibn `Abd Al-'Uzzaa approached him before me. When Hamzah glanced at
him he shouted, "Come to me, you son of the one who circumcises!" and he hit him directly in the head.
Then I shook my spear till I was in full control over it and threw it. The spear penetrated him from the
back and came out from between his legs. He rose to reach me but could not and soon died. I came to his
body and took my spear and went back to sit in the camp. I didn't want anything else to do with him. I
killed him only to be free.
Let Wahshiy continue his story: When I returned to Makkah, they set me free. I stayed there till the
Prophet (PBUH) entered Makkah on the Day of the Conquest. I fled to At-Taa'if. When the delegation of
Al-Taa'if went to declare their conversion to Islam, I heard various people say that I should go to Syria or
Yemen or any other place. While I was in such distress, a man said to me, "Woe to you! The Prophet