Friday Sermon
22 August 2025
Muhammadsa: The great exemplar
After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
In relation to the life of the Holy Prophetsa, some battles and expeditions were being discussed. In this regard, today, I will discuss the Battle of Hunain. This battle took place in Shawwal [the tenth month of the Islamic calendar] in the eighth year after Hijra [the migration of the Holy Prophetsa from Mecca to Medina]. Why is it called the Battle of Hunain? The reason for this is that Hunain is the name of a village between Mecca and Ta’if, located approximately 26 kilometres from Mecca. This battle took place at this location, and it is known as the Battle of Hunain for this reason. The main tribe that took part in this battle was the Hawazin tribe, and therefore, it is also known as the Battle of Hawazin. Some people have also named it the Battle of Autas, because a section of the opposing army had fled from Hunain and went to the valley of Autas. The Muslims followed them and defeated the enemy there. Owing to this, some people have referred to it as such. However, most authors have mentioned the Battle of Autas as a separate account. (Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut; Alamah Burhanuddin Halabi, Ghazwat al-Nabisa (Urdu translation), p. 623, p. 151; Da’irah Ma’arif Sirat Muhammad Rasulullahsa, Vol. 9, Bazm Iqbal, Lahore, p. 221; Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 2, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 114)
The Battle of Hunain has been mentioned in the Holy Quran as follows:
لَقَدۡ نَصَرَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ فِي مَوَاطِنَ كَثِيرَةٖ وَيَوۡمَ حُنَيۡنٍ إِذۡ أَعۡجَبَتۡكُمۡ كَثۡرَتُكُمۡ فَلَمۡ تُغۡنِ عَنكُمۡ شَيۡـٔٗا وَضَاقَتۡ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتۡ ثُمَّ وَلَّيۡتُم مُّدۡبِرِينَ
ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ وَعَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَأَنزَلَ جُنُودٗا لَّمۡ تَرَوۡهَا وَعَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَآءُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ
ثُمَّ يَتُوبُ ٱللَّهُ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ
“Surely, Allah had helped you on many a battlefield, and on the Day of Hunain, when your great numbers made you proud, but they availed you nought; and the earth, with all its vastness, became straitened for you, and then you turned your backs retreating. Then Allah sent down His peace upon His Messenger and upon the believers, and He sent down hosts which you did not see, and He punished those who disbelieved. And this is the reward of the disbelievers. Then will Allah, after that, turn with compassion to whomsoever He pleases; and Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.” (Surah at-Taybah, Ch.9: V.25-27)
The cause of this battle was that when Mecca was conquered, most major tribes of Arabia had either entered the fold of Islam, or agreed to obey the Holy Prophetsa. However, the Banu Hawazin and the Banu Thaqif, who lived close to Mecca, were extremely rebellious and hostile. Not only did they reject obeying [the Holy Prophetsa], but their leaders gathered together and said that Muhammad[sa] had subjugated the tribes of Arabia, including those in Mecca. They will most certainly advance towards us now. Therefore, it would be better if we attacked them before they start advancing towards us. They drew this conclusion themselves, and they also said that thus far, Muhammad[sa] had only encountered inept people and that he had not yet faced someone like us. All the combatants from the tribes of Thaqif, Nasr and Jusham joined the Banu Hawazin. Some individuals from the tribes of Sa’d bin Bakr and Banu Hilal also joined. (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 5, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 310)
Some narrations indicate that the Banu Hawazin had, in fact, begun preparations to confront the Muslims much earlier. When they saw that Muhammadsa was gradually bringing other tribes – including the Jews – under his influence, they became concerned that idol-worship might come to an end and that Muhammadsa, along with his Companions, would gain dominance over all. Therefore, they deemed it necessary to block his path and began their preparations. Under the leadership of Urwah bin Mas’ud, they sent a delegation to the city of Jerash, located in [present-day] Jordan, to procure weapons and military equipment.
How did the news of the Banu Hawazin’s preparations reach the Holy Prophetsa? When he set out from Medina with the intention of conquering Mecca, he dispatched an advance unit to march ahead of the army. This advance unit captured a man from the Hawazin who was a spy sent by the Hawazin to gather information about the Muslims. When the Holy Prophetsa questioned him and investigated thoroughly, he disclosed that the Banu Hawazin had gathered a large army and had also enlisted the support of the Banu Thaqif. They had sent a delegation to Jerash to acquire heavy arms and weaponry. (Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 166-167; ‘Imta’ al-Asma’, Vol. 1, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 356; Bashmil, Ghazwah Hunain, Nafis Academy, Karachi, pp. 83-85; Al-lu’lu’ al-Maknun Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 9, Dar al-Salam, p. 240)
While the Banu Hawazin were still engaged in these preparations, Mecca was conquered with ease and without any significant resistance. This conquest emboldened the Hawazin, and in their arrogance, they resolved that they themselves would march out to confront Muhammadsa and his Companions. They believed that they were the ones who could overpower the Muslims and wipe them out.
Thus, all these tribes appointed Malik bin Auf – a 30-year-old youth and chief of the Hawazin – as their commander. A force of 20,000 was mobilised and began advancing towards Hunain.
The chief of the Banu Hawazin, Malik bin Auf, took a step in preparing for this battle that perhaps no one in the history of Arabia had ever taken before. The commander ordered that not a single man from any tribe should go out to fight alone; rather, each one must take along his wife, children, and even his livestock and possessions. His purpose in this was that every soldier in his army would fight with all his might and the utmost bravery, for in his mind, he would know that there was no way to flee since his wife, children, and livestock were all with him.
In this battle, there is also mention of an old chieftain, Duraid bin al-Simmah, who tried to dissuade them from fighting. He was with the Hawazin. It is written that among the Banu Jusham, there was a man named Duraid bin al-Simmah, who was more than one hundred years old. He was a frail old man who had lost his eyesight. He no longer had the strength to fight, but he was experienced in the art of war. In earlier times, he had been renowned for his bravery and horsemanship. They took him along so they could benefit from his experience and expertise.
When Malik bin Auf agreed with the people to march against the Holy Prophetsa, the people brought their wealth, their women, and their children until they reached the valley of Autas, where they encamped.
The aged Duraid bin al-Simmah dismounted and placed his hand on the ground. He asked, “Which valley are we in?” They said, “In the valley of Autas.” He replied, “This is a good place for horses to run – [the land] is not so hard that it causes harm, nor so soft that hooves sink. But why do I hear the cries of children and the sounds of camels, donkeys, goats, and cattle?”
The people answered, “By the command of Malik bin Auf, everyone has brought along their children, women, and livestock.” Duraid then said to Malik, “You are the chief of your people. The outcome of this day will leave its mark on the days to come. Why have you brought along children, camels, donkeys, goats, and cattle?” Malik bin Auf replied, “I want to place every man’s family behind him so that he will fight the enemy with full bravery.”
Duraid said, “This is a most misguided opinion. By Allah, you only know how to herd sheep” – meaning, you have no understanding of battle, nor do you know anything about fighting. He continued, “Tell me, can a defeated army ever recover anything? Listen – in battle, the only things that will benefit you are a man’s spear and his sword. But if the outcome of the battle turns against you, you will lose your wives, children, and all your wealth.
O Malik, why did you not place the horses and fighters in front and send the Hawazin’s women and wealth to their fortresses? Then ride your horses and fight, while the infantry supports them from within the lines. If victory comes your way, then your families and wealth will return to you. And if you fail, at least you will be able to go back to them. This way, all your families and livestock will be saved.”
But Malik bin Auf replied, “By Allah, I will not do this, nor will I change my decision. You have grown old, and your judgement has become impaired.”
Duraid said, “O people of Hawazin, by Allah, this opinion is not correct. This man will bring disgrace upon your women, and he will hand you over to the enemy, while he himself will go hide in the forts of Thaqif. So return and leave him.” In this way, he advised them not to fight.
At this, Malik – who had been appointed as the commander – drew his sword and said, “O people of Hawazin, by Allah, you must obey me, otherwise I will place the full weight of this sword upon myself and drive it through my chest” – meaning, I will take my own life.
The Hawazin consulted among themselves and said, “By Allah, if we disobey Malik, he will kill himself, and though he is a young man only about thirty years old, if he dies, we will be left with Duraid. And since he is an old man, we cannot fight relying on him. So, we should agree with Malik.” Thus, they followed Malik’s decision.
Then Malik asked Duraid, “Do you have any other opinion besides this?” Duraid replied, “Yes. Station your men in ambush points, where they will serve as reinforcements. If the enemy attacks you, they will strike from behind, and you will be able to attack again with your main force. Once you charge, not even one of them will be able to turn back.”
At this, Malik ordered his men to conceal themselves in the ravines and at the foothills of the valleys and said, “Launch the very first strike in one overwhelming attack so that you can defeat the Muslim army.” (Sirat Ibn Hisham, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 761-762; Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 151-152; Tarikh al-Khamis, Vol. 2, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyahh, Beirut, pp. 508-509; Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 5, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 311-312; Bashmil, Ghazwah Hunain, Nafis Academy, Karachi, p. 78)
The Holy Prophetsa also received news of the preparations of the Banu Hawazin. The details, some of which have been mentioned previously, are as follows:
The Messengersa of Allah had already been informed of some reports, and news of these events had reached Mecca. So the Holy Prophetsa had sent Hazrat Abdullah bin Abi Hadrad Aslami to gather intelligence about the army of the Hawazin tribes. Earlier, a spy had reported that only weapons were being collected.
Now that the preparations were complete, the Holy Prophetsa once again sent one of his men – Hazrat Abdullah bin Abu Hadrad Aslami – to bring back information. He infiltrated the army of the Hawazin, moved among them, and gathered all kinds of intelligence. He stayed among them for one or two days, until he even heard Malik himself speaking. In order to raise the morale of his men, Malik was saying:
“Never before has Muhammadsa fought against a people who are skilled in the art of war. He has only fought against the youths of those tribes who had no knowledge of battle, and thus he prevailed over them.”
“In the morning, arrange your livestock and your women in rows behind you. Then, attack all at once and break the sheaths for your swords and fight with 20,000 unsheathed swords and strike all together as though you are a single person. Know that victory is achieved by the one who strikes first.” Then, Abdullah bin Abu Hadrad went to the Holy Prophetsa and informed him of everything. The Holy Prophetsa had no choice but to prepare for battle. (Sharh Alamah Zurqani, Vol. 3, Ghazwah Hunain, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 500-501; Alamah Shibli Naumani, Sirat al-Nabi, Vol. 1, Dar al-Isha’at, Karachi, p. 355)
Before departing from Mecca to face the Banu Hawazin, the Holy Prophetsa took stock and found that the Muslim army had very limited resources for battle as compared to the expected scale of the war. To make up for this shortage, the Holy Prophetsa approached Safwan bin Umayyah, a wealthy chieftain of Mecca who was still an idolator at the time and asked him for some weaponry as a loan. Safwan asked the Holy Prophetsa if he wished to borrow his wealth or usurp it. The Holy Prophetsa said, “No, we are only seeking to borrow it and I assure you that it will be returned.” Upon this, Safwan agreed and gave 100 chainmail, which came with helmets and shields. According to some narrations, Safwan also provided camels to transport the weaponry. After the battle, when the chainmail was being collected in order to return it to Safwan, there were a few pieces that were missing. Since the Holy Prophetsa had guaranteed that the chainmail would be returned, he told Safwan that he would pay him their equivalent price. However, this Safwan was no longer the same Safwan from the time when he gave this chainmail. Safwan was present at the Battle of Hunain even though he was an idolator at the time, and after the Battle of Hunain, he accepted Islam. He did participate in the battle despite being an idolator, and after the battle, he accepted Islam. Hence, when the Holy Prophetsa offered to pay the price of the chainmail, Safwan said:
يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ! لِأَنَّ فِي قَلْبِي الْيَوْمَ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ يَوْمَئِذٍ
“No, O Messengersa of Allah, because the state of my heart today is not the same as it was on that day.”
Thus, he refused to take any amount. Similarly, the Holy Prophetsa also borrowed 3,000 spears from his cousin Nawfal bin Harith and said, “I see your spears piercing the backs of the enemy.” This statement of the Holy Prophetsa foretold that the enemy would be defeated and would flee, incurring a heavy loss of life. Similarly, the Holy Prophetsa borrowed some weaponry from Ibn Abi Rabi’ah. This glimpse into the Holy Prophet’ssa esteemed morals is noteworthy; the Holy Prophetsa had achieved victory over Mecca, and its people were now conquered. According to the rules and traditions of war, the victor controlled the wealth of the defeated. However, in this instance where weaponry was needed for a battle, every single weapon was obtained as a loan with the promise that the same number of weapons which were borrowed would be returned. The Holy Prophetsa also took a loan of about 30 to 40 thousand dirhams from Abdullah bin Abi Rabi’ah, the stepbrother of Abu Jahl. It is narrated that he accepted Islam on the day of the Conquest of Mecca.
According to another narration, the Holy Prophetsa took a loan from three people from the Quraish: 50,000 dirhams from Safwan bin Umayyah, 40,000 dirhams from Abdullah bin Abi Rabi’ah, and 40,000 dirhams from Huwaitab bin Abdul Uzza. This totalled 130,000 dirhams. According to some narrations, the Holy Prophetsa took these loans on the occasion of the Conquest of Mecca to help those Companions who were in need and distributed them among them. Every person was given approximately 50 dirhams. According to another narration, this amount was taken as a loan in order to pay the blood money of those who were killed from the Banu Jazimah. It is possible that the Holy Prophetsa took this loan for various purposes, including financial aid and paying blood money. Allah knows best.
وَاللّٰہُ اَعْلَمُ
(Da’irah Ma’arif Sirat Muhammad Rasulullahsa, Vol. 9, Bazm Iqbal, Lahore, pp. 236-238; Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 153; Sunan Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Buyu’, Bab fi Tadmin…, Hadith 3563; Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 5, Hadith 16524, Alam al-Kutub, Beirut, pp. 614-615; Al-Isti’ab, Vol. 3, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 896-897; Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 5, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 258; Bashmil, Ghazwah Hunain, Nafis Academy, Karachi, p. 43)
I will mention the remaining details in the future, insha-Allah.
After the Friday prayer, I will lead two funeral prayers in absentia. One is of the respected Khawaja Mukhtar Ahmad Butt Sahib, son of Khawaja Abdur Rahman Sahib of Sialkot. He recently passed away at the age of 92.
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَ اِنَّا اِلَیْہِ رٰجِعُوْنَ
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]
He was born in Sialkot. He studied law and then joined the Air Force and obtained his training from Risalpur. He rendered remarkable service in the Pakistani Air Force as a legal officer until 1974. In that same year, he was discharged from his post along with other Ahmadi officers. During the sensitive period of riots against the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in 1974, he served in the Jamaat’s legal commission under the instructions of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh, and as part of the Jamaat’s efforts, he met with Hanif Ramay, the Chief Minister of Punjab.
He had a close connection with Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra and Hazrat Chaudhry Zafrulla Khan Sahibra. He also had the opportunity of helping Hazrat Chaudhry Zafrulla Khan Sahib in preparing the first volume of The Essence of Islam. At the central level, he served as the Director of the Fazl-e-Umar Foundation and also served as a Qadhi in Darul Qadha Rabwah for many years. I also worked with him in Qadha for some time; he was a very wise and humble person. He always had a connection with Khilafat, and later, he also maintained a close connection with me. He moved to Canada in 2002, where he served as a Regional President. He was regular in offering prayers and reciting the Holy Quran. He was at the forefront of making financial sacrifices and was a sincere and loyal Ahmadi. His life was an excellent example of loyalty to Khilafat, humility and sincerity.
He is survived by his wife, a daughter, two sons, and many grandchildren.
His wife, Amatul Qayyum Sahiba, is the daughter of the late Ghulam Ahmad Akhtar Sahib. Ghulam Ahmad Akhtar Sahib served in the Railways as a Director – he held a high-ranking position. After retirement, during the era of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, he also served as Nazir-e-A‘la for some time. At times, he was also assigned duty on the stage alongside Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra during speeches, assisting in security. In any case, he belonged to a devoted family.
Khawaja Iftikhar Sahib was the father-in-law of Dr Zahid Khan Sahib, the current Sadr Qaza Board UK.
Khawaja Sahib’s daughter, Aisha Khan, writes:
“I always found him to be an obedient servant of Khilafat. He raised all three of his children on this very foundation, impressing upon us that aside from obedience to the Jamaat and Khilafat, our lives should have no other purpose. That is what he told us. Even when he suddenly lost his job in the Air Force in 1974 and later found limited success in his private law practice, he never gave up patience or abandoned trust in Allah the Almighty. Never once did he extend his hand to another human being for assistance; he always presented his needs solely before Allah the Almighty.”
She continues:
“Ever since my childhood, I have seen him as a devout worshipper, consistently engaged in virtuous deeds. He would always pay his chanda [alms] at the beginning of each month, and if he had the means, he would even offer it in advance. He went above and beyond in maintaining relationships. His loyalty to Khilafat, as I mentioned, was exceptional. He was also deeply committed to the system of the Jamaat, and in fact, all his brothers share a profound bond of sincerity with both the Jamaat and Khilafat, as well as their father. He was the one who instilled this spirit in them. By Allah’s grace, the entire family has a deep bond of loyalty.
His wife, as mentioned earlier, is the daughter of Akhtar Sahib – she also belongs to a devoted family. Because of the upbringing provided by both husband and wife, their children, too, have developed a sincere bond with the Jamaat and are actively serving. May Allah enable them to continue their good deeds, and may He treat the deceased with forgiveness and mercy.
The second funeral prayer is of Saeeda Begum Sahiba, wife of Nazeer Ahmad Sahib of India, who also passed away in recent days at the age of 75.
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَ اِنَّا اِلَیْہِ رٰجِعُوْنَ
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]
By the grace of Allah the Almighty, she was a musia [part of the Al-Wasiyyat Scheme]. She is survived by her husband, three daughters and four sons.
She was the mother of Tahir Ahmad Tariq Sahib, Naib Nazir Islah-o-Irshad in Qadian. He had come to the UK as a representative, and while he was here, his mother passed away back home. As a result, he was unable to attend her funeral. He also belongs to a devoted household. Tahir Sahib’s younger brother, Shabbir Ahmad Sahib, is also a mu’allim [religious teacher] of the Jamaat. One of her daughters [of the deceased] is married to a missionary, Jabbar Sahib. The remaining two sons are also serving the Community. It is a family deeply involved in service. May Allah treat her with forgiveness and mercy.
Tahir Ahmad Tariq Sahib writes:
“For the past twenty-five years, she suffered from breathing difficulties, but she endured her illness with immense patience and dignity. She never uttered a word of complaint. Her family hailed from Charkot Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir. Ahmadiyyat entered the family through Hazrat Qazi Muhammad Akbar Bhatti Sahibra, a Companion of the Promised Messiahas, and thereafter, it spread throughout the family.
She was a deeply religious woman, devoted to prayer and fasting. Though only modestly educated, in our childhood, every evening she would recite Quranic prayers, poems of the Promised Messiahas, Ahadith, and stories of the prophets. She had a refined personality, and she was very sociable – always dealing with her relatives and loved ones with affection and compassion. She had great love for Khilafat and the administrative system of the Jamaat. She voluntarily dedicated our lives [to God] and constantly reminded us to uphold the responsibilities of our devotion. She would prepare us daily to go and learn the Holy Quran and also placed great emphasis on secular education. She ensured all her children received a proper education.”
May Allah the Almighty treat her with forgiveness and mercy.
(Official Urdu transcript published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 12 September 2025, pp. 2-5. Translated by The Review of Religions.)