Medina Intelligence on the Uhud Army

While Quraysh completed its preparations in Mecca, al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib was watching its movements closely. ¹ As soon as the Meccan army moved toward Medina, al-Abbas sent an urgent letter to the Prophet containing all the precise details of the army's size and equipment.

Al-Abbas's messenger covered the road between Mecca and Medina, a distance of some five hundred kilometres, in only three days. ¹ He delivered the letter to the Prophet while he was at the mosque of Quba.

After the letter was read, Ubayy ibn Ka'b reading it, the Prophet ordered the news kept secret. ¹ At once Medina entered a state of general alert: the men did not put down their weapons, even during prayer, in readiness for any emergency.

To secure the Prophet's protection, a detachment of the Ansar, including Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, Usayd ibn Hudayr (may God be pleased with him) and Sa'd ibn Ubada, guarded his door and spent the night at his side, armed. ¹ Guard detachments were also posted at all of Medina's entrances and passes, and reconnaissance patrols toured the likely routes the polytheists might take, to avoid any surprise. ¹