By: Seyyed Ali Shahbaz

"Do you suppose that you would enter paradise, while Allah has not yet ascertained those of you who have waged jihad and not ascertained the steadfast?” (3:142)
"How many a prophet there has been with whom a multitude of godly men fought. They did not falter for what befell them in the way of Allah, neither did they weaken, nor did they abase themselves; and Allah loves the steadfast.” (3:146)     
"When you were fleeing without paying any attention to anyone, while the Prophet was calling you from your rear, He requited you with grief upon grief, so that you may not grieve for what you lose nor for what befalls you, and Allah is well aware of what you do.” (3:153)
"O you who have faith! Do not be like the faithless who say of their brethren, when they travel in the land or go into battle, ‘Had they stayed with us they would not have died or been killed,’ so that Allah may make it a regret in their hearts. But Allah gives life and brings death, and Allah sees best what you do.” (3:156)
Above are some of the ayahs of Surah Aal-e Imran of the Holy Qur’an pertaining to the crucial Battle of Ohad which the Arabs imposed upon Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) and in which after initial success the Muslims faced a setback that would have turned into a complete route if not for the valour of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS) in single-handedly defending the honour of Islam.
Every single event of the luminous life of the Seal of Messengers is a valuable lesson for Muslims in every age and place. As could be understood by the above-cited ayahs, it is a test of faith, whether in war or peace, because whatever the Prophet does is on the commandment of God Almighty.
Obedience to the Prophet and his Infallible Successors, is obedience to God Almighty. It means Divine Leaders guide humanity towards real peace and prosperity in life and salvation in afterlife.
In other words, the representatives of God on earth are not like the manmade leaders, who are not sure of either themselves or their goals, irrespective of whether they are hereditary (whose forbears have seized power through military might), or those elected and selected by the people.
Thus, in view of these facts, when the Arabs of Mecca – with the connivance of the crafty Israelites as well as the hypocrites amongst the Muslims – assembled a strong well-armed force of 3,000 and marched upon Medina with the intention of killing the Prophet and wiping out Islam, God Almighty decided to test the faith of the believers.
The Prophet consulted his companions whether to give battle to the enemy in the streets of the city or to march outside into the open countryside (not that the Divine Leader he was in need of the imperfect counsel of fallible minds but to test their degree of faith and prudence), and chose the latter course, because he did not want the women, the children and the elderly to be exposed to the danger of fighting and that too against merciless hordes who would commit any sin or crime.
The hypocrites amongst the Muslims deserted the Prophet at the last moment under their leader Abdullah bin Obbaiy, while those weak of faith accompanied him with reluctance but hoping for booty in case the Arab infidels fled.
It so happened that the Muslims took the early initiative in repulsing the attack of Abu Sufyan and his Arab hordes, thanks to the flashing blade of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (AS), but the sight of the camp baggage of the fleeing Meccans was indeed a test for those in the army of Islam.
Those of the Muslims who were afraid of war and reluctant to face the enemy dashed for the spoils, including those guards posted at the mountain pass by the Prophet with instructions not to leave their posts.
The result was catastrophic. One of the enemy commanders, Khaled bin Waleed, who was hiding behind the mountain with fresh forces, suddenly burst upon the Muslims making most of them flee, despite the calls of the Prophet to stand ground.
The Prophet’s valiant uncle, Hamza (AS), was attacked from behind by the Abyssinian Wahshi, who like the modern day cannibalistic Takfiri terrorists, carved out the liver of his victim and took it to his mistress Hind bint Otaiba to be chewed. She was the wife of Abu Sufyan, and thus the mother and grandmother of such despicable tyrants as Mu’awiyya and Yazid.
All books of hadith and history state that the lone person now standing beside Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) and warding off the repeated assaults of the Arabs was Imam Ali (AS). Later some 13 other Muslims returned to the battlefield after being assured the Prophet was alive.
As could be gleaned from the book "al-Mustadrak as-Sahihayn” by the famous Sunni Muslim scholar Hakem an-Nisabouri, the only one defending Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) was his cousin and son-in-law Imam Ali (AS). He has recorded a hadith that reads:  
"Ali has four distinctions which no one share with him: He was the first male who prayed with the Messenger of God. He was the bearer of his banner in every battle and he was the one who stayed with him at the Battle on the day of al-Mihras (the Battle of Ohad), and he is the one who washed his blessed body and laid him in his grave.”
Later, the Prophet while praising the faith and swordsmanship of his dear cousin, said that on the Day of Ohad Archangel Gabriel could be heard chanting:
"La Fatha illa Ali, la Saif illa Dhu’l-Feqar (there is no braver youth than Ali and no sharper sword than Dhu’l-Feqar).
Thus, there are important lessons to be learned from this immortal encounter by today’s Muslims, whose ranks are unfortunately split, while their archenemies the US and the illegal Zionist entity, along with the hypocrites amongst the Arab regimes, are preparing for the kill.
In such a situation, only firm adherence to the path of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) and treading the footsteps of Imam Ali (AS) in discerning divine leadership will help them defeat the despicable enemies.