In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
An Abridgment of the Prophetic Biography (Seerah),
authored by Sheikh Musa ibn Rashid al-Azimi,
may Allah preserve him.
The letter of al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him)
to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him)
was closely watching Quraysh's movements and military preparations.
When this army set out,
al-Abbas sent an urgent letter to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
including in it all the details of the army.
Al-Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Barr said:
"Al-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him)
used to write news of the polytheists to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
and the Muslims in Mecca drew strength through him."
Imam al-Dhahabi said:
"Al-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) remained deeply compassionate toward the Prophet (peace be upon him),
full of love for him,
patiently enduring harm,
even before he had embraced Islam;
so much so that on the night of al-Aqabah,
he stood faithfully by his nephew during the night
and secured firm pledges for him from the seventy.
He then went out to Badr with his people under compulsion,
and was taken captive,
whereupon he made known to them that he had embraced Islam.
He then returned to Mecca,
and I do not know why he continued to stay there.
Furthermore, there is no mention of him on the day of Uhud or the day of the Trench;
he did not march out with Abu Sufyan,
nor did Quraysh say anything to him regarding that, as far as I know.
Then he came to the Prophet (peace be upon him)
as an emigrant shortly before the Conquest of Mecca,
so the exact date of his arrival has not been fully verified for us."
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) consulting his Companions.
After the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) verified the news about Quraysh,
he gathered his Companions and consulted them
on whether he should march out to face them or remain in Medina.
The view of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was
that they should not leave Medina,
but rather fortify themselves within it,
so that if the polytheists entered it,
the Muslims would fight them at the openings of the alleyways,
while the women would pelt them from above the rooftops.
Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) informed them
of a vision he had seen in his dream.
Imam Ahmad narrated in his Musnad with a good chain of transmission
on the authority of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) who said:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) took as spoil
his sword, Dhu al-Faqar, on the day of Badr,
and it was concerning it that he saw the vision on the day of Uhud,
saying:
'I saw a notch in my sword, Dhu al-Faqar,'
meaning a breach in it,
'and I interpreted it to mean a breach that will occur among you.
And I saw that I was riding behind a ram,
and I interpreted it to be the commander of the enemy battalion.
And I saw that I was in a fortified coat of armor,
and I interpreted it to be Medina.
And I saw cows being slaughtered,
and the cows, by Allah, are good;
the cows, by Allah, are good.'"
Imam al-Nasa'i narrated in al-Sunan al-Kubra with an authentic chain of transmission
on the authority of Jabir ibn Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with them both) who said:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) consulted
the people on the day of Uhud,
and said:
'I saw in a dream as a sleeper sees,
as though I were in a fortified coat of armor,
and as though cows were being slaughtered and followed;
so I interpreted the coat of armor to be Medina,
and the cows to be a group of people, and Allah’s decree is good.
If only you would fight them in the alleyways,
while the women pelt them from above the walls!'"
In the narration of Imam Ahmad with an authentic chain of transmission
on the authority of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), he said:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
'If only we would remain in Medina,
then if they come upon us inside it, we would fight them.'"
The opinion of those who did not attend Badr.
A group among the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) hastened—
specifically those who had missed going out on the day of Badr—
to suggest going out to face the enemy,
and they persistently urged the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to do so.
They said, "O Messenger of Allah,
by Allah, they never dared enter upon us inside it during the pre-Islamic days of ignorance,
so how could they enter upon us inside it under Islam?"
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"Have it your way, then."
In the narration of al-Nasa'i in al-Sunan al-Kubra with an authentic chain of transmission:
"They said: 'Shall they enter Medina upon us?
It was never entered upon us before;
rather, let us march out to face them!'
So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
'Have it your way, then.'"
Al-Hakim narrated in al-Mustadrak with a good chain of transmission
on the authority of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) who said:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) took as spoil
his sword, Dhu al-Faqar, on the day of Badr,
and it was concerning it that he saw the vision on the day of Uhud.
That was because when the polytheists
advanced toward the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) on the day of Uhud,
the opinion of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was
to remain in Medina and fight them there.
But people who had not been present at Badr said to him:
'Let the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) march out with us to them,
and we will fight them at Uhud,'
hoping to attain the same virtue that the people of Badr had attained."
Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir said:
"Many of the people insisted upon nothing less than marching out to the enemy,
and did not defer to the counsel and judgment of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
Had they been content with what he instructed them, that would have been best,
but the divine decree prevailed.
Most of those who advised him to go out
were men who had not witnessed Badr,
and they knew the superior virtue that the participants of Badr had previously attained."
An Abridgment of the Prophetic Biography (Seerah).
Though long may be the longing people bear for one another,
the longing felt for you transcends all bounds.
May Allah bestow blessings upon you whenever the call to prayer is raised,
and whenever lips move in the enduring remembrance of Allah.