Friday Sermon
15 August 2025
Muhammadsa: The great exemplar
After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
In the previous sermon, I mentioned the destruction of three major idols. Further details in this regard have been recorded in the following manner:
There was an expedition of Hazrat Sa’d bin Zaid Ash’halira, which was dispatched towards Manat in the month of Ramadan in 8 AH. On 24 Ramadan, the Holy Prophetsa dispatched Hazrat Sa’d bin Zaidra in order to destroy the idol Manat. The idol was erected near Qudaid on the shore of the Red Sea, at a place called Mushallal. For this reason, it is also known as the Expedition of Mushallal. (Sharah Zurqani, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 490-491; Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab at-tafsir, Hadith 4861; Min Ma’ark-ul-Islam Al-Faasilah, Vol. 9, Al-Maktabat-ul-Shamilah, p. 12)
Hazrat Sa’d bin Zaid Ash’halira set off along with 20 horsemen. When he reached the destination, he encountered a caretaker. The caretaker asked Hazrat Sa’dra what he had come to do. He replied that he had come to destroy Manat. The caretaker said: “You and such a task?” In other words, it is impossible for someone like you to do this. However, Hazrat Sa’dra advanced towards the idol. It is not known what the reality behind this is, as at times certain accounts have exaggerated, but he states that at that moment, a naked woman who had a dark complexion and dishevelled hair came out of the room. The caretaker then said to his idol: “O Manat! Send down your wrath.” The narrator says that Hazrat Sa’d bin Ash’alira killed the caretaker. If this narration of killing him is correct, then it may be that the caretaker tried to confront him and was killed in the skirmish. To kill him merely on account of his evil prayer is not in accordance with the Islamic teachings, and it does not seem to be authentic. It is also in contradiction with the general guidance of the Holy Prophetsa. In any case, Hazrat Sa’dra and his comrades turned towards the idol and destroyed it. Following this, he came to the Holy Prophetsa along with his comrades. (Al-Tabqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 2, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 111-112; Sharah Zurqani, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, 1996, pp. 490-491)
Ibn Hisham has written that the Holy Prophetsa dispatched Abu Sufyan bin Harb towards Manat. It is also said that Hazrat Alira carried out this task. Nevertheless, according to Waqidi and Ibn Sa’d, Hazrat Sa’d bin Zaidra destroyed it. (Al-Lu’ Lu’ Al-Maknun Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 9, Dar-ul-Islam, p. 208)
And if the remaining narration is attributed to Waqidi as well, then it may be that he added some details of his own accord.
Then, there is the Expedition of Khalid bin Walid towards Nakhlah. This took place on 25 Ramadan in 8 AH, or January 629 CE. On 25 Ramadan, the Holy Prophetsa dispatched a contingent of 30 individuals under the leadership of Khalid bin Walid towards Nakhlah, in order to topple the well-known idol of the Quraish called Uzza. The valley of Nakhlah is located a day’s journey towards the east of Mecca and is situated between Mecca and Ta’if. There was a house in Nakhlah, which was guarded and looked after by the Banu Shayban, who were allies of the Banu Hashim. Uzza was the most revered idol of the Quraish. Imam Bayhaqi relates that this house consisted of three acacia trees. That is, it was surrounded by Acacia trees, and the house was in the middle. Ibn Ishaq says that when the caretaker of Uzza came to know of the arrival of Hazrat Khalidra, he hung a sword around the idol, climbed up a mountain himself and recited these couplets. The translation is:
“O Uzza! Attack Khalid in such a fierce manner that nothing is left of him. Clad yourself in armour and be prepared. O Uzza! Even if you do not kill this person, Khalid, make him responsible for the sin that is soon to be committed, or punish him for this.”
As soon as Hazrat Khalidra reached Nakhlah, he cut down the acacia trees and demolished the house in which the idol of Uzza was kept. Then he returned to Mecca and presented his report to the Holy Prophetsa. The Holy Prophetsa asked, “Did you see anything special there?” Hazrat Khalidra replied in the negative. The Holy Prophetsa said, “Then you have not yet destroyed Uzza. Go back and completely eradicate it.” Upon hearing this command, Hazrat Khalidra immediately set out again to carry out the order.
When the custodians saw Hazrat Khalidra returning, they climbed up the mountain. They began saying, “O Uzza, destroy them!” From that idol-house emerged a dishevelled-haired woman of dark complexion (they perhaps kept women here as well). At that time, Hazrat Khalidra recited this couplet. The Arabic of the couplet is as follows:
يَا عُزَّ كُفْرَانَكَ لَا سُبْحَانَكْ
إِنِّيْ رَأَيْتُ اللّٰهَ قَدْ أَهَانَكْ
“O Uzza! I reject you. I do not declare your purity. I have seen that Allah has humiliated you.”
Afterwards, upon returning, he presented this account to the Holy Prophetsa, who said:
نَعَمْ، تِلْکَ الْعُزّٰی، وَ قَدْ یَئِسَتْ أَنْ تُعْبَدَ بِبِلَادِکُمْ أَبَدًا
“Yes, this was Uzza, and she has now despaired of ever being worshipped in your lands again.” (Al-Sirah Al-Nabawiyyah, ibn Hisham, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 760-761; Furhang-e-Sirat, Zawar Academy, p. 299; Sharah Zurqani, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 487-490; Al-Lu’ Lu’ Al-Maknun Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 9, Dar-ul-Islam, pp. 203-208)
Then there is mention of the expedition of Hazrat Amr bin al-Aasra towards Suwa’ – this too took place in Ramadan 8 AH. At the same time as the expedition to destroy the idol Uzza, the Holy Prophetsa sent Hazrat Amr bin al-Aasra to destroy the idol Suwa’. He was accompanied by some people; however, their number has not been recorded. (Al-Tabqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 2, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 111; Sharah Zurqani, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 490)
Suwa’ was located West of Medina by the seashore in Ruhat and was an idol of the Banu Huzail. This place was at a distance of three miles from Mecca. This idol resembled a woman, and along with honouring it, people would circle around it. Its caretakers were the Banu Lihyan, a branch of the Huzail tribe. (Furhang-e-Sirat, Zawar Academy, p. 136; Sharah Zurqani, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 490; Al-Lu’ Lu’ Al-Maknun Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 9, Dar-ul-Islam, p. 210)
Some idols have been mentioned by name in the Holy Quran, among which is this idol. In Surah Nuh, it is mentioned:
وَقَالُوۡا لَا تَذَرُنَّ اٰلِہَتَکُمۡ وَلَا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَّلَا سُوَاعًا ۬ۙ وَّلَا یَغُوۡثَ وَیَعُوۡقَ وَنَسۡرًا
“And they say to one another, ‘Forsake not your gods under any circumstances. And forsake neither Wadd, nor Suwa‘, nor Yaghuth and Ya‘uq and Nasr.’” (71:24)
Hazrat Ibn Abbasra relates that these idols, which were among the people of Noahas, later came among the Arabs. The idol Wadd belonged to the Kalb tribe, who lived in Dumat al-Jandal; Suwa’ belonged to the Huzail tribe; Yaghuth was of the Murad tribe and later came into the possession of the Banu Ghutaif, who lived near the city of Saba close to Juruf; Ya‘uq belonged to the Hamadan tribe; and Nasr belonged to the Himyar tribe, who were descendants of Dhi al-Qila‘.
In fact, these were the names of certain righteous men from among the people of Noahas. When they passed away, Satan suggested to their people that idols be erected in the places where they used to sit and that these idols be named after them. They did so, and these idols were venerated; the people themselves were not worshipped. But when they [that generation] perished and knowledge of the matter was lost, people began to worship these idols – or made their images and began worshipping them under their names. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Tafsir, Hadith 4920, Translated by Hazrat Syed Zain-ul-Abideen Waliullah Shah Sahibra, Vol. 12, pp. 293-294)
When Hazrat Amr bin al-Aasra reached the place of Ruhat, where Suwa’ was, he found its custodian there, whom he told that he had come to destroy this idol upon the instruction of the Holy Prophetsa. The caretaker responded, “You will certainly not be able to destroy the idol.” When Hazrat Amrra asked why, the custodian responded, “You will certainly be stopped.” Hazrat Amrra said, “Woe unto you. Can this idol hear and see?” Then Hazrat Amrra advanced and broke the idol and also instructed his comrades to destroy the chamber that had been built beside it, and so they destroyed it. Then, Hazrat Amrra asked the custodian what his thoughts were now. Upon seeing that his deity had been destroyed, he said, “I obey Allah and accept Islam.” (Al-Tabqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 2, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 111; Sharah Zurqani, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, 1996, p. 490; Al-Lu’ Lu’ Al-Maknun Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 9, Dar-ul-Islam, p. 210)
With regard to this, it also testifies to the fact that the story of killing the caretaker or someone else is doubtful.
The expedition of Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra towards Banu Jazimah also took place in Shawwal of 8 AH. After the conquest of Mecca, when Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra returned from demolishing the idol of ‘Uzza, the Holy Prophetsa sent him towards Banu Jazimah. This tribe was a branch of Banu Kinana, settled in the direction of Yalamlam near Mecca. The Holy Prophetsa instructed Hazrat Khalidra to invite this tribe to Islam and also said that they must not be fought against. This was a principal directive of the Holy Prophetsa from the beginning: that it must always be remembered that fighting was not to be undertaken.
Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra departed accompanied by 350 men from among the Muhajirin, the Ansar, and Banu Sulaim. (Al-Tabqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 2, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 112)
When Hazrat Khalidra reached there, he saw that the people had taken up arms, as though preparing for an attack. Hazrat Khalidra told them to put down their weapons, as the people had already accepted Islam. Upon hearing Khalid’sra words, one man among them, named Jahdam, stood up and addressed his people, saying: “O Banu Jazimah, do not lay down your arms. This is Khalid. Once you put down your arms, you will face arrest and death. This is why I will not put down my weapon.” At this, the rest of the people tried to advise Jahdam, saying: “Why are you insistent on shedding our blood? Put down your weapon.” They continued to advise him until they took the weapon from him.
After throwing away their weapons, these people were taken captive; this is also mentioned in the narration, and each Muslim was given one or two captives. They remained imprisoned for the whole night. (Al-Sirah Al-Nabawiyyah, ibn Hisham, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 755; Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 9, Dar-ul-Islam, p. 215)
Perhaps they were imprisoned because they had taken up arms, and their intentions were unknown.
Nevertheless, according to one narration, when Hazrat Khalidra arrived and invited them to Islam, instead of saying, اَسْلَمْنَا – “We have accepted Islam” – they began saying, صَبَأْنَا صَبَأْنَا; “We have abandoned our faith; we have abandoned our faith”. Upon this, Hazrat Khalidra was led to the misunderstanding that they were not Muslims, and thus he issued the command for their execution. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-maghazi, Hadith 4339)
This is the reasoning that is presented as an explanation. Ibn Sa’d has narrated that when Khalid reached them, he asked the people: “Which religion do you follow?” They replied: “We are Muslims; we perform prayers, etc.” Hazrat Khalidra asked: “Then why have you taken up arms?” They said: “There has been enmity between us and a certain Arab tribe. We feared it was that hostile tribe, and so we took up arms.” (Al-Tabqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 2, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 112)
It appears that from this situation, Khalidra became cautious, and certain doubts and misgivings arose in his heart regarding them. Even if some justification is presented for this, nonetheless, the narrations indicate that these captives performed prayers and appeared to be Muslims. However, it is entirely possible that among these captives were some, such as Jahdam himself and those who agreed with him, who displayed rebellion, and Hazrat Khalidra was not satisfied with them. Furthermore, the saying of صَبَأْنَا صَبَأْنَا [“We have abandoned our faith, we have abandoned our faith”] had made Hazrat Khalidra more uncertain.
This is why he issued an edict in the last part of the night that killing the prisoners seems to be the best course of action. Hearing this, some Muslims ended up killing their prisoners, but the Muhajirin and Ansar, who had been Muslims for a longer time, did not agree with Khalid’sra opinion and so did not kill their prisoners. The chief of the Ansar, Hazrat Abu Usaid Sa’idira, went to Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra to reason that these people are Muslims and that killing them is not right. Hazrat Abdullah bin Umarra and Hazrat Salim Maula Abi Hudhaifahra also disagreed with Hazrat Khalid’sra view and stopped their own friends from killing those in their custody as well.
One of these prisoners who was freed reached Medina and informed the Holy Prophetsa, who in turn asked, “Did nobody disagree with Khalid? Did nobody try to stop him?” He replied that there was a man of average height and light complexion, and also a taller man. Both of them spoke to Khalid – one of them with a stronger tone than the other. Hazrat Umarra was present in this gathering. He informed the Holy Prophetsa: “Your Holiness, one of them was my son Abdullah (referring to Hazrat Abdullah bin Umarra) – the tall one – and the other was Hazrat Salim Maula Abu Hudhaifahra.’” (Al-Lu’ Lu’ Al-Maknun, Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 9, Dar-ul-Islam, p. 210; Al-Sirah Al-Nabawiyyah, ibn Hisham, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 756)
When the Holy Prophetsa learned about this entire ordeal, he was deeply perturbed and grieved. He explained that “I never instructed Khalid to execute them. I had only directed him to invite them to Islam.” Then the Messengersa of Allah raised both his hands and twice supplicated:
اَللّٰہُمَّ اِنِّیْ اَبْرَأُ اِلَیْکَ مِمَّا صَنَعَ خَالِد
“O Allah, I absolve myself from whatever Khalid has done!”
The Holy Prophetsa also expressed great displeasure toward Hazrat Khalidra for rushing to make such a rash decision without due consideration. He should have evaluated the situation carefully. (Al-Lu’ Lu’ Al-Maknun Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 9, Dar-ul-Islam, p. 217; Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Hadith 4339)
The Holy Prophetsa then sent Hazrat Alira to go to the Banu Jazimah to pay the blood money of those who had been killed and to thoroughly investigate the issue.
Hazrat Alira went there and paid the blood money for all those who had been killed and returned to them all the wealth that the Muslims had acquired from them, down to the wooden drinking bowl of a dog. After paying the blood money to each of them, Hazrat Alira had some leftover money and so asked the people of Banu Jazima if there was anyone left who had not received remuneration, to which they responded in the negative.
Hazrat Alira still gave the leftover wealth to them, saying, “I am giving this last part of the wealth sent by the Holy Prophetsa out of precaution lest there was some damage incurred that neither you nor the Messengersa of Allah was aware of.”
Hazrat Alira returned to the Holy Prophetsa and presented a report with details of his journey, explaining that even the most minor belongings have been returned to the victims, and even the leftover wealth has been given to them. The Holy Prophetsa was very pleased to hear this and said to Hazrat Alira, “You did right and you did well.”
Before this incident, the Holy Prophetsa had also seen a dream which is mentioned in the biography of Ibn Hisham. The Holy Prophetsa explained, “I saw in a dream a food made from Hais (which is made from date, cheese and ghee). When I took a bite of it, it tasted delicious, but when I tried to swallow it, a piece of it got stuck in my throat, which Ali removed with his hand.”
While interpreting this dream, Hazrat Abu Bakrra submitted: “O Messengersa of Allah, this [dream] refers to one of the expeditions that you shall dispatch. Some aspects of it will please you, while others may displease you. Thereafter, you will appoint Ali, who will bring ease to the matter,” meaning he will rectify the situation. (Al-Sirah Al-Nabawiyyah, ibn Hisham, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 756; Sahih Muslim, Translated by Wahid-ul-Zaman, Vol. 3, p. 152)
Subsequently, this dream was fulfilled in the events of that expedition.
Hazrat Syed Zainul Abideen Waliullah Shah Sahibra, a renowned elder of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat and commentator of Sahih Bukhari, while analysing the details of this incident and related narrations, writes:
In both Al-Tabaqat by Ibn Sa‘d and Sirat Ibn Hisham, mention is made of this campaign, which took place after the Victory of Mecca, whereby the Holy Prophetsa, in order to assess the inclinations of various tribes towards Islam, dispatched several contingents (not to compel them, but to understand their willingness). Among these was the dispatching of Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra towards the tribe of Banu Jazimah.
Tabaqat Ibn Sa‘d has explained this in the following words:
بَعَثَہٗ اِلٰی بَنِیْ جَذِیْمَۃ دَاعِیًا اِلَی الْاِسْلَامِ وَلَمْ یَبْعَثْہُ مُقَاتِلًا
That is, the Holy Prophetsa sent Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra in Shawwal, 8 AH, along with 350 Muhajirin and Ansar, to the tribe of Banu Jazimah, a sub-tribe of Banu Kinanah residing near Yalamlam, close to Mecca. Their purpose was not to engage in any fighting but to invite them towards Islam. The tribe had shown signs of inclining toward Islam. This expedition is also known as “Yawm al-Ghumaisah”, the term Ghumaisah referring to a flowing spring. It was the name of a location in the desert area near Mecca where Banu Jazimah resided.
Hazrat Abdullah bin Umarra, who narrates this incident, was himself present during this expedition. His narration is brief, but Ibn Ishaq provides further detail. According to his account, only a specific faction of Banu Jazimah refused to accept Islam, while the majority of them had embraced Islam. Those who refused armed themselves and engaged in battle, which compelled Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra to confront them. Upon their defeat, many were taken prisoner.
Some of them, seeing themselves surrounded, began to utter the words “Saba’na Saba’na” to express their acceptance of Islam. The term Saba’na literally means “we have become Sabi’” (i.e., have left our former religion and adopted a new one). During the early days in Mecca, the disbelievers would mockingly refer to the Holy Prophetsa as a Sabi’, a term used disparagingly to denote someone who had abandoned their [ancestral] faith.
However, these individuals who were fighting did not clearly or wholeheartedly profess Islam but merely used the word “Saba’na” in an ambiguous manner, likely as a means to evade death during the conflict. Nevertheless, they were not spared.
Hazrat Abdullah bin Umarra states that he himself refrained from killing any captives under Hazrat Khalid bin Walid’sra orders and later informed the Holy Prophetsa of the entire episode. Upon hearing the account, the Holy Prophetsa raised his hands and expressed his disapproval and displeasure at the actions of Hazrat Khalidra.
According to the reports of Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Sa‘d, among the Muslim fighters were members of the Banu Sulaym and Mudlij tribes, who, like Banu Jazimah, were sub-tribes of Banu Kinanah. In previous combats, these tribes had inflicted harm upon Banu Jazimah. Hence, when Banu Jazimah saw the Banu Sulaym and Mudlij tribes among the Muslim army, they armed themselves in preparation for combat.
Hazrat Khalidra attempted to pacify them, saying: “The people have embraced Islam – why then do you seek battle? Lay down your arms.” As mentioned earlier, a chieftain named Jahdam advised his people not to disarm, warning that they would otherwise be captured or killed. Some among the tribe tried to restrain him, asking: “Why do you invite bloodshed?”
According to the narration of Ibn Hisham, it is found that among the tribes of Banu Kinanah, there also existed longstanding matters of blood vengeance, owing to which some individuals fought, were killed, or taken captive. It appears that some of the combatants of Banu Sulaym, relying on the judgement of Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra, executed certain captives as part of an old retaliation and interpreted their expression of Islam as hypocrisy. However, the Muhajirin and Ansar did not accept Khalid’sra verdict, and upon hearing the above declaration of Islam, they released their captives rather than kill them. The verdict of the Holy Prophetsa on this matter is quite clear.
This is further confirmed by a narration of Hazrat Abdullah bin Umarra, from which it becomes evident that the command to kill the captives was not a direct order from Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra but an edict with which most of the Companions disagreed. Had it been a command, all would have complied, and no one would have differed. However, in giving this fatwa, Khalidra erred due to certain factors. The Holy Prophetsa was deeply grieved by Khalid’sra mistake, and to make amends, he sent Hazrat Alira, who paid blood money for each slain child, even compensating for the dogs that had been killed. This is recorded in Sirat Ibn Hisham.
Beyond the prescribed blood money, additional sums were also paid. Imam Baqir too has mentioned that the responsibility of compensating for the losses was entrusted to Hazrat Alira. Hazrat Khalidra, during the encounter, began killing and imprisoning people, not meaning that he executed those who surrendered their weapons. Among the narrations cited by Ibn Sa’d on this issue is one attributed to Ibn Ishaq, quoting Hazrat Ibn Abi Hadrad Aslamira, who was part of that campaign. According to Ibn Sa‘d, while some did engage in combat, it is also recorded that when Hazrat Khalidra saw the Banu Jazimah armed, he asked them:
مَا بَالُ السِّلَاحِ عَلَیْکُمْ
“Why are you bearing arms?” They replied, “Due to our old hostilities with certain Arab tribes, we feared you might be among them, and so we armed ourselves.”
Hazrat Khalidra then ordered that they be taken captive. Their hands were bound, and they were distributed among the Companions.
Imam Ibn Hajar, after quoting this incident, wrote that those who fought surrendered after the fighting. Imam Bukhari’s version is brief, and even in the narrations from Kitab al-Maghazi, there is no clearly connected narrative. However, it is generally understood that the skirmish during this expedition to propagate Islam was at least partially driven by lingering tribal vendettas from the Era of Ignorance. To assume that captives were executed merely because of a disagreement over the word “Saba’na” [we have adopted a new faith] seems unreasonable – especially when the Muhajirin and Ansar openly opposed the ruling that was given.
Khattabi states that the statement of the Holy Prophetsa:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَبْرَأُ إِلَيْكَ مِمَّا صَنَعَ خَالِدٌ
[“O Allah, I disavow what Khalid has done.”] affirms that he disapproved of Khalid’s haste in judgement and his lack of investigation regarding the meaning of the word “Saba’na.” It was incumbent upon Hazrat Khalidra to ascertain precisely what those who uttered “Saba’na” meant by it.
According to a narration of Imam Baqir, the Holy Prophetsa summoned Hazrat Alira and instructed him: “Go to these people and stamp out the traces of the Era of Ignorance.” Hazrat Alira went and paid blood money to each and every victim. This narration clearly demonstrates that the root cause of the conflict was deep-seated enmity and vengeance. When the Holy Prophetsa said, “Crush the vestiges of the past,” he had discerned that old grudges lingered in their hearts and were the true cause of the killings.
Whenever the Holy Prophetsa dispatched an expedition, he always instructed them not to rush into combat. They were to act with deliberation and gentleness and not to fight until they had first invited the people to Islam, clearly communicated the commandments, and established concrete proof for Islam’s truth. He also instructed that no attack should be launched where the call to prayer could be heard.
In the incident described above, the tribe of Banu Jazimah had themselves sent word that they had accepted Islam. Thus, the campaign was explicitly dispatched with the purpose of preaching Islam, not engaging in warfare.
According to Tabaqat Ibn Sa‘d, when Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra reached the Banu Jazimah, he asked, “Who are you?” They replied, “We are Muslims. We offer prayers, believe in Muhammadsa as the truthful one, and have built mosques in our courtyards where we call the Adhan.” Hazrat Khalidra asked, “Then why are you armed?” They answered, “Due to enmity with certain Arab tribes, we feared you might be among them.” After such a clarification, engaging them in battle was absolutely unjustifiable.
It appears that in the regions around Yalamlam, some old sparks of tribal animosity were reignited, which led one faction to engage in combat. Later, when those same warriors professed their Islam by saying “Saba’na,” their lives were not spared. Being the commander of the army, Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra became the target of reproach.
Ibn Hisham also records the conflict and estrangement between Hazrat Khalidra and Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Aufra that occurred on this occasion. Hazrat Abdur Rahmanra said to him,
عَمِلْتَ بِاَمْرِ الْجَاھِلِیَّۃِ فِی الْاِسْلَامِ
“You have acted with the conduct of the Era of Ignorance after accepting Islam.”
Hazrat Khalidra replied:
إنَّمَا ثَأَرْتَ بِأَبِيكَ
“(By saying this), you are only taking vengeance for your father!”
Hazrat Abdur Rahmanra retorted, “That is false. I already avenged my father’s killer. But it is you who have avenged your uncle Fakihah bin Mughirah.” This altercation escalated to the point of bitterness between the two, and when the Holy Prophetsa became aware of it, he said to Khalid, “Do not speak ill of my Companions (he was a pioneer Companion). By God, even if you were to spend gold equal to Mount Uhud in the way of Allah, you would not attain the rank of any one of my Companions, whose hearts are filled with remembrance of Allah morning and evening.”
Ibn Ishaq’s narration in Sirat Ibn Hisham also mentions that Fakihah bin Mughira Makhzumi, Auf bin Abdur Rahman Zuhri, and Affan bin Abu al-Aas went to Yemen on a trade expedition. On their return, they carried property belonging to a man from Jazimah who had died in Yemen, intending to return it to his heirs. A man from Banu Jazimah named Khalid bin Hisham met them along the way. When he learned of the man’s death, he claimed a right to the property. They refused to hand it over, which led to a quarrel and eventually a fight. In the fight, both Auf bin Abd Auf and Faqih bin Mughirah were killed. Affan bin Abi al-Aas and his son Uthman escaped and took the belongings of the slain.
Abdur Rahman bin Auf, seizing the opportunity, killed Khalid bin Hisham to avenge his father’s death.
This incident enraged the Quraish, and they attacked in an attempt to avenge their slain and reclaim their property. However, Banu Jazimah responded by saying: “The killing of your men was an individual act. We had no part in it, nor were we aware of it. We are willing to pay compensation for both the lives lost and the financial damages.” The Quraish accepted their apology and proposal for reparations. This account is narrated in Sirat Ibn Hisham.
In any case, these incidents provide context for certain things and why there were rivalries. This is another incident that is recorded and gives insight into why they became enemies, and this gives context to the incident which led to Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra being scrutinised and was the very reason for the Companions being discontent with Hazrat Khalid’sra decision. In any case, there is no justification that can be made for Hazrat Khalidra, because he had only been sent for the purpose of inviting people to Islam, for which the use of any sort of force was impermissible. The majority of the Companions gave him good advice, which he did not accept, and the Banu Sulaim took the opportunity to kill their captives in the cover of the night.
In a narration of Ibn Ishaq, a justification that has been written for Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra is that, upon seeing people’s refusal to accept Islam, he waged war against them on the advice of Hazrat Abdullah bin Huzafah Sahmira. In this regard, Ibn Ishaq says that some who deem Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra to be excused for killing those people state that Abdullah bin Huzafah Sahmi was the one who told him that the Holy Prophetsa had instructed him to kill those people if they refused to accept Islam. This justification is not correct because the leader was Khalidra, not Abudllah bin Huzafah Sahmi. Regardless of whether this mistake was made knowingly or as a misjudgment, the leader of the army was responsible for the mistake. Especially given the fact that after conducting an investigation, the Holy Prophetsa expressed extreme displeasure towards Khalidra and declared his disapproval, then regardless, we must accept the Holy Prophet’ssa decision. This was no insignificant incident, and given that the Holy Prophetsa has issued his verdict on this, there is no need to search for justifications of whether Khalidra was right or wrong in what he did. The Holy Prophetsa said that what he did was wrong and expressed his disapproval; this is enough for us. In any case, if we search for justifications, then it would contradict Islam’s fundamental teachings regarding the freedom of religion. The Holy Prophetsa only allowed fighting against combatants and instructed to show kindness whilst spreading Islam.
After the Conquest of Mecca, the Holy Prophetsa commissioned numerous expeditions towards the tribes of Arabia in order to preach the message of Islam. The leaders of these expeditions were given explicit instructions to avoid fighting. The books on expeditions and history clearly state that these delegations were sent solely to invite towards Islam. Statements from Sirat Ibn Hisham and Tabaqat Ibn Sa’d in this regard have already been mentioned. Allamah Tabari has also expounded upon this in the following words: “The Holy Prophetsa sent expeditions around Mecca in order to steer people away from idol worship and invite them instead to the worship of Allah the Exalted. These expeditions were certainly not given orders to fight.”
These days, extremist clerics use these things as justifications for killings and fighting. However, the teachings of the Holy Prophetsa are quite clear in saying that unless someone wages an attack, one must not fight them; otherwise, it would be a crime. The above-stated narration of Imam Bukhari attests that Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra was sent to the Banu Jazimah in order to invite them to Islam:
فَدَعَاهُمْ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ
“And in accordance with what was instructed, he invited them to Islam.”
The people were unable to properly articulate their acceptance of Islam, and due to their anxiety, they simply said, “We have changed our faith.” This statement did not apply to the entire tribe, because the majority of them were already Muslims. In fact, it was only the people hailing from a certain lineage who thought that revenge would be exacted against them, which is why they took up arms and started to fight. Upon realising their defeat in battle, they expressed their acceptance of Islam by saying “Saba’na”. The narration of Imam Bukhari is very brief, and he only accepted that narration which met his standard of authenticity. Jahdam advised his people not to lay down their arms but to fight. This also demonstrates that he was apprehensive due to the prior bloodshed. In the initial narration of Ibn Ishaq, his words have been recorded as follows: “O Banu Jazimah, remember that this is Khalid. After you lay down your arms you will be captured and imprisoned followed by execution.” Some from among his people took hold of him and said, “You desire bloodshed. People have already accepted Islam and have laid down their arms. The war is over and now there is peace.” The people kept trying to explain this to him and took his weapons. Upon Hazrat Khalid’sra instruction, everyone else also laid down their arms. This has been recorded in Sirat Ibn Hisham.
This statement shows that Jahdam’s apprehensions were not unfounded. It appears that Companions lived among the tribe for some time in order to teach the religion of Islam to the new Muslims, as is evident from the words of the narration:
حَتّٰی اِذَا کَانَ یَوْمٌ اَمَرَ خَالِدٌ
[“Until, on a certain day, Khalid instructed] and during their stay, unfavourable circumstances arose due to which there was a battle with some people in the tribe and upon being defeated, the tribespeople were imprisoned. When the prisoners were handed over to the soldiers, it is not improbable that some people would have found an opportunity to act on old grudges and kill them.
In this regard, Ibn Hisham has written on the authority of Ibrahim bin Ja’far Mahmudi with reference to the dream seen by the Holy Prophetsa and Hazrat Abu Bakr’sra interpretation, which I mentioned earlier, that [in the dream] the Holy Prophetsa took a few bites from a dish made of dates, barley and clarified butter, which were quite delicious; however, he began choking on one of the last bites. Hazrat Alira placed his hand in the Holy Prophet’ssa mouth and removed it. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiqra interpreted this as referring to a preaching delegation and suggested that Hazrat Alira should be sent to fix Khalid’s mistake. This dream also indicates that this incident pertained to a limited portion of the Banu Jazimah and was specifically regarding the prisoners. It was not that all the prisoners were killed simply on account of saying “Saba’na”. In fact, these people had not accepted Islam, and the fear and despair of previous retribution were so dominant in their minds that they began fighting in order to protect themselves. Some people from Sulaim bin Mansur and Mudlaj bin Mura, who were a part of Hazrat Khalid’sra army, feared that revenge would be taken against them, and so it was only the people from the Tribe of Sulaim who killed their prisoners at night and took their revenge. No one from the Muhajirin and the Ansar killed their prisoners; in fact, they acted upon the instructions and excellent example of the Holy Prophetsa and freed them. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Translation & Commentary by Hazrat Syed Zain-ul-Abideen Waliullah Shah Sahibra, Vol. 9, pp. 193-199)
This explanation of Bukhari has been written by Hazrat Waliullah Shah Sahibra, and he further writes in a very scholarly note: “It becomes abundantly clear that Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra did not have any ill intentions. He made an error in judgment and made a decision in haste. The events that subsequently transpired were his responsibility as leader of the army. Due to this, the Holy Prophetsa became displeased with Hazrat Khalidra and expressed his disapproval before God. When the Holy Prophetsa investigated the entire matter, it was established that these killings were the result of a misunderstanding. Hence, rather than ordering just retribution, the Holy Prophetsa decided that the blood money should be paid. After Hazrat Khalid bin Walidra presented his pleas and apologies, not only did the Holy Prophetsa forgive him…” It is wrong to say that the Holy Prophetsa punished him, prayed against him, or remained upset with him. Shah Sahibra writes that not only did the Holy Prophetsa forgive him, “[…] but only a few days later he was appointed as the commander of the vanguard and cavalry unit in preparation for the Battle of Hunain.” (Al-Lu’ Lu’ Al-Maknun Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 9, Dar-ul-Islam, pp. 212-224; Ghazwah Hunain, Muhammad Ahmad Bashmeel, Nafees Academy, Karachi, p. 48)
If the Holy Prophetsa was so displeased with him, he would not have appointed him as the commander of another battalion. However, the Holy Prophetsa did appoint him as the commander.
In addition, there is also a brief mention of two more expeditions. The Expedition of Yalamlam: The Holy Prophetsa sent this expedition of 200 men under the leadership of Hazrat Hisham bin Aas to Yalamlamra, towards the Southeast of Mecca, located between Mecca and Ta’if, at a distance of a two-night journey.
The Expedition of Uranah: This is a valley in front of Arafat. It is recorded that the Holy Prophetsa appointed Hazrat Khalid bin Sa’id bin Aasra as the commander over an army of 300 men and sent them to Uranah. These expeditions have been mentioned by Muhammad bin Umar Waqidi, and no other renowned historian has mentioned them; therefore, it must be considered whether this is even accurate or not, as no further details are mentioned either. However, one historian has written that, “According to our knowledge, there is no historian who has written about the undertakings of this military company which was led by Khalid bin Sa’id bin Aas to Uranah. There is, however, no dispute in the fact that it was sent to the Huzail tribe, which resided in Uranah.” (Al-Lu’ Lu’ Al-Maknun Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 9, Dar-ul-Islam, p. 224; Ghazwah Hunain, Muhammad Ahmad Bashmeel, Nafees Academy, Karachi, pp. 35-37)
In any case, this clearly exhibits from the life of the Holy Prophetsa that he never acted with harshness. As for the wrongful allegation levelled by the opponents of Islam that the Holy Prophetsa ordered killings in battle, the Holy Prophetsa in fact expressed displeasure even when something like this was done, even by mistake.
The remaining battles and expeditions from the life of the Holy Prophetsa will be mentioned in the future, insha-Allah.
(Official Urdu transcript published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 5 September 2025, pp. 2-6. Translated by The Review of Religions.)