The Prophet Searches for the Martyrs of Uhud
When Abu Sufyaan and his army withdrew from the battlefield, the Prophet went to search for his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. He passed by some of them including Hamzah bin ‘Abd Al-Muttalib, Mus‘ab bin ‘Umayr, Hanthalah bin Abi ‘Aamir, Sa‘d bin Ar-Rabee‘ and Al-Usayrim, may Allah be pleased with them all. When the Prophet saw them, he said: “I bear witness for these [martyrs] that for anyone who is wounded in the way of Allah, Allah will resurrect him with his wound bleeding, the color of it will be that of blood but the scent will be that of musk. Place those who are the more learned of the Quran below their companions in the grave.”
In Al-Bukhari’s narration of this incident, Jaabir bin ‘Abdullaah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “The Prophet gathered every two martyrs of Uhud in one piece of cloth, and would then ask: ‘Who was the more learned of the Quran?’ When he would be pointed out to him, he would put that one first in the grave and say: “I will be a witness for them on the Day of Resurrection.” He then ordered them to be buried with their blood on their bodies, and they were neither washed nor was a funeral prayer offered for them.” [Al-Bukhari]
“The Prophet ordered the martyrs to be buried where they had been killed and those who were carried to Madeenah [to be buried there] were brought back to be buried where they were killed.” [Sunan An-Nasaa’i]
When the Prophet saw Hamzah bin ‘Abd Al-Muttalib, may Allah be pleased with him, who was severely mutilated, he was extremely grieved and wept bitterly. Then, he said, “Had I not feared that Safiyyah [Hamzah's sister] would grieve and people would take that as a practice, I would have left him to be in the abdomens of the beasts and the birds. If Allah The Almighty makes me defeat Quraysh in any battle, I will mutilate thirty of their men.”
When the Muslims saw to what extent the Prophet grieved at what had happened to his uncle Hamzah, may Allah be pleased with him, they said, “By Allah, if Allah grants us victory against them someday, we will mutilate them as never done by any of the Arabs before.” Thereupon, Allah The Almighty revealed (what means): {And if you punish [an enemy, O believers], punish with an equivalent of that with which you were harmed. But if you are patient - it is better for those who are patient.} [Quran 16:126]
The polytheists committed brutal acts and mutilated the Muslim martyrs ripping open their abdomens, slashing off their noses, and cutting off their ears and the genitals of some of them. Nonetheless, the Prophet and his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, showed patience and complied with the commandment of Allah The Almighty; he forgave, showed patience, expiated for his oath and forbade mutilation.
Ibn Is’haaq narrated on the authority of Samurah bin Jundab, may Allah be pleased with him, that, “The Prophet never left a session without encouraging us to spend in charity and forbidding us from mutilation.”