Mount Uhud

About Mount Uhud

Mountain in Saudi Arabia

Mount Uhud rises north of Madinah, about four kilometres from the Prophet's Mosque now that the city has grown out to meet it. It runs as a ridge from east to west for about 7.5 kilometres and reaches 1,077 metres, with a distinctive reddish colour. It holds a special place in Muslim hearts: tradition records that it is a mountain the Prophet Muhammad loved and that loves him. At its foot the Battle of Uhud was fought on 19 March 625 CE (Shawwal 3 AH), the second great battle between the Muslims and the Quraysh of Makkah. Seventy companions were martyred, foremost among them Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the Prophet's uncle, honoured as the master of martyrs. The cemetery of the martyrs of Uhud still lies at the foot of the mountain, visited by pilgrims who greet the martyrs and pray for them, and beside it stands the small Mount of the Archers (Jabal al-Rumat) where the Muslim archers were posted on the day of the battle. A visit to Uhud is one of the most important stops on the trail of the Prophet's life in Madinah: standing on the battlefield and seeing the mountain and the cemetery brings the events of the battle and its lessons vividly to mind.

Where:

Medina, Saudi Arabia