Mount Uhud and the Martyrs of Uhud: A Visitor’s Guide

Mount Uhud is the long red-brown mountain on the northern edge of Madinah. At its foot, in the third year after the Hijrah, the Muslims fought the Battle of Uhud, and seventy Companions were martyred, among them the Prophet’s ﷺ uncle Hamzah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib.

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Uhud is a mountain that loves us and we love it” (al-Bukhari and Muslim). Visiting the martyrs here and greeting them is an established practice with roots in the Sunnah.

Mount Uhud and the battle of 3 AH

A year after their defeat at Badr, the Quraysh marched on Madinah with a large army. The Prophet ﷺ placed fifty archers on a small hill under ‘Abdullah ibn Jubayr and told them not to leave their position whatever happened (al-Bukhari).

The Muslims were winning when most of the archers left the hill, thinking the battle was over. Khalid ibn al-Walid, then still fighting for Quraysh, led his cavalry around and attacked from behind. The Prophet ﷺ was wounded, and many Companions fell. Allah reflects on the battle in Surah Al ‘Imran, including the verse “Do not think of those killed in the way of Allah as dead; rather, they are alive with their Lord” (Qur’an 3:169).

The martyrs, including Hamzah, Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr and ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh, were buried where they fell, some two or three to a grave. Years later, the Prophet ﷺ went out to the martyrs of Uhud and prayed for them, as if bidding farewell to the living and the dead (al-Bukhari, from ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir).

What you will see at Mount Uhud

The martyrs’ cemetery is a walled enclosure with railings, through which visitors look in and greet the dead. Opposite is the small hill once called Jabal ‘Aynayn and now known as Jabal al-Rumah, the Archers’ Hill. A few minutes’ climb up its steps gives a clear view over the battlefield, the cemetery and the mountain behind.

Beside the cemetery stands the large, recently rebuilt Sayyid al-Shuhada Mosque, named after Hamzah, whom the Prophet ﷺ is reported to have called “the master of the martyrs” (al-Hakim and others).

How to visit Mount Uhud

The site is about 5 km north of Masjid an-Nabawi, 10 to 15 minutes by taxi or on a tour bus. Plan for 45 minutes to an hour at Mount Uhud. Early morning after Fajr is best, before tour groups arrive and before the heat. The area around the cemetery is flat; the Archers’ Hill has steps and is moderately steep.

Etiquette at Mount Uhud: the Sunnah greeting

Greet the martyrs with the words taught by the Prophet ﷺ, reported in Sahih Muslim: “As-salamu ‘alaykum ahl ad-diyar min al-mu’minin wal-muslimin, wa inna in sha’ Allahu bikum la-lahiqun, nas’alullaha lana wa lakum al-‘afiyah.”

Practical tips

Mount Uhud quick facts

Combine your visit with Masjid al-Qiblatayn using the ziyarat route planner, read our wider Madinah ziyarat guide, or see every site on the ziyarat hub.

Mount Uhud: frequently asked questions

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