Friday Sermon – Muhammad (sa): The great exemplar (23 May 2025)

Friday Sermon

23 May 2025

Muhammad^sa: The great exemplar

After reciting tashahhud, ta‘awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^aa said: 

In the previous sermon, I mentioned an incident where a Muslim killed someone despite that person offering the greeting of peace (salaam), and in relation to this, I also recited verse 95 of Surah al-Nisa, in which it is stated that if someone greets you with peace, do not say that he is not a believer. The full details of that incident were not shared at the time.

Further details are – as I had briefly mentioned – that the Holy Prophet^sa had stopped the man from doing this. It is also reported that the Holy Prophet^sa expressed great anger and distanced himself from him. In fact, some narrations state that he even prayed against him. In any case, the Holy Prophet^sa was deeply grieved by this act, because the issue of retribution for the murdered person was later brought before him by the victim’s family after the Battle of Hunain. Therefore, the details of this incident will be shared when the Battle of Hunain is mentioned, insha-Allah.

In any case, the Holy Prophet^sa regarded this as a heinous crime. If only today’s clerics in Pakistan – the so-called custodians of faith – could understand this, and stop the injustices they are committing against Ahmadis, then perhaps they might be saved from Allah’s punishment.

In any case, continuing with the narrations of the various expeditions, I will now speak about the Conquest of Mecca, which took place in 8 AH. This expedition is also referred to as the ‘Great Victory’. As I mentioned, this occurred in Ramadan 8 AH. It was a truly magnificent and grand conquest, the glad tidings of which had already been foretold by Allah the Almighty. As a result of this conquest, people began entering Islam in large groups. (Sharh al-Zurqani, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 386; Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 200)

While explaining the glad tidings of the Conquest of Mecca as foretold in the Holy Quran, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra states:

وَ قُلۡ رَّبِّ اَدۡخِلۡنِیۡ مُدۡخَلَ صِدۡقٍ وَّ اَخۡرِجۡنِیۡ مُخۡرَجَ صِدۡقٍ وَّ اجۡعَلۡ لِّیۡ مِنۡ لَّدُنۡکَ سُلۡطٰنًا نَّصِیۡرًا

“And say, ‘O my Lord make my entry into this city (i.e., Mecca) a good entry (i.e., grant victory and success after the migration), and then make me come forth with a good forthcoming (i.e., the migration) from this very city. And grant me the means to success and support from Thyself.’

“This is the verse of Surah Bani Isra’il which was revealed prior to the migration, in which the migration and the subsequent conquest of Mecca were foretold.” (Dibacha Tafsirul Quran, Anwar-ul–Ulum, Vol. 20, p. 346)

In Surah al-Fath, the glad tidings of the Conquest of Mecca has been mentioned as follows:

لَقَدۡ رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ عَنِ الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ اِذۡ یُبَایِعُوۡنَکَ تَحۡتَ الشَّجَرَۃِ فَعَلِمَ مَا فِیۡ قُلُوۡبِہِمۡ فَاَنۡزَلَ السَّکِیۡنَۃَ عَلَیۡہِمۡ وَ اَثَابَہُمۡ فَتۡحًا قَرِیۡبًا

“Surely, Allah was well pleased with the believers when they were swearing allegiance to thee under the Tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down tranquillity on them, and He rewarded them with a victory near at hand.” (The Holy Quran, 48:19)

The truth is that on the very day the Holy Prophet^sa migrated from Mecca, Allah the Almighty had already given him the glad tidings that “Do not grieve; a day will come when I shall return you to this very place.” Indeed, it is mentioned that the following verse was revealed during the migration:

اِنَّ الَّذِیۡ فَرَضَ عَلَیۡکَ الۡقُرۡاٰنَ لَرَآدُّکَ اِلٰی مَعَادٍ

“Most surely He Who had made the teaching of Qur’an binding on thee will bring thee back to thy place of return.” (The Holy Quran, 28:86)

Imam Fakhruddin al-Razi, in his commentary on this verse, states that the ma‘ad – “place of return” – refers to Mecca, and the reason for this is that it points to the return of the Holy Prophet^sa to Mecca on the day of its conquest.

According to one narration, at the time of the migration, when the Holy Prophet^sa was between Mecca and Medina, he expressed his love for Mecca. At that moment, the Angel Gabriel descended and said:

“Do you feel an attachment to your homeland and place of birth?” The Holy Prophet^sa replied, “Yes.” Gabriel then said: “Allah the Almighty has declared:

اِنَّ الَّذِیۡ فَرَضَ عَلَیۡکَ الۡقُرۡاٰنَ لَرَآدُّکَ اِلٰی مَعَادٍ

“‘Most surely He Who had made the teaching of Qur’an binding on thee will bring thee back to thy place of return.’” That is, Allah will grant you dominance over the Quraish and return you to Mecca. For the Holy Prophet^sa had been in Mecca, then left it, and eventually returned – and this could not have suitably applied to any place other than Mecca.

According to researchers, this verse of the Holy Quran is a proof of the prophethood of the Holy Prophet^sa, because he conveyed a prophecy from Allah Almighty about the unseen, and events unfolded exactly as foretold. (Razi, Al-Tafsir al-Kabir, Vol. 13, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 19)

At another place in the Holy Quran, the prophecy of the Conquest of Mecca has also been made, in which the Holy Prophet^sa along with all Muslims are essentially reminded that wherever they go, they should not forget that in the end Mecca shall be conquered, and they must also strive, work hard, and pray for it. And in light of this Quranic prophecy, we can say that one of the purposes and central goals of all the battles and military expeditions of the Holy Prophet^sa thus far was the Conquest of Mecca. 

Hence, while mentioning this great prophecy of the Quran: 

وَ مِنۡ حَیۡثُ خَرَجۡتَ فَوَلِّ وَجۡہَکَ شَطۡرَ الۡمَسۡجِدِ الۡحَرَامِ

[“And from wherever thou comest forth, turn thy face towards the Sacred Mosque] (The Holy Quran, 2:150)

This is a verse from Surah al-Baqarah. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra, states in his commentary: 

“The commentators have interpreted “from wherever thou comest forth” to mean that wherever you may be, in every condition, keep the Sacred Mosque as the Qiblah. The reason they give for this, is that from the earlier command one might have assumed that perhaps this Qiblah is only for the people of Medina and not for others. Therefore, Allah the Almighty said: “Wherever you come forth from, turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque.” 

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra continues: 

“But the truth is that, whether in this verse the Holy Prophet^sa is being addressed or whether all Muslims are being addressed, the meaning cannot be about facing the Qiblah, firstly, because the prayers that are offered while residing in a city or town are generally more in number than those offered while leaving [on a journey out of] the city. In such a case, the command should have been one that applies to the greater number of prayers, rather than giving an order that, due to being in a state of travel, would apply to very few situations. For example, a person might leave a city at 10am, or between Asr [late-afternoon prayer] and Maghrib [prayer offered right after sunset], or in the middle of the night, and all these are times in which the question of prayer does not even arise. In such circumstances, the command “and from wherever thou comest forth, turn thy face towards the Sacred Mosque” becomes meaningless, because rarely is there an opportunity for prayer at the time of leaving a city. By then, a person has usually either already prayed or, if he has yet to pray, he can offer it slightly later. In any case, there is no direct connection between departure and prayer. 

“Furthermore, these meanings could only be accepted as valid if there were any prayer specifically tied to the moment of departure. But everyone knows that no prayer is tied to the moment of departure. In such a case, applying this verse to the act of departing for a journey is by no means correct. 

“Another argument proving that ‘from wherever thou comest forth’ does not refer to facing the Qiblah during prayer is that, while travelling, even the concept of direction sometimes ceases to apply, and one prays in whichever direction they are facing. For example, if a person cannot get down from a mount, then it is proven from the Holy Quran and the practice of the Holy Prophet^sa, that in such a case, one can offer prayers no matter the direction they are facing. (If one is offering prayer during travel, then it is permissible to offer prayers in any direction) whether it be towards the Qiblah or elsewhere. At such times, the issue of direction does not arise; East, west, north, and south all become the same. The focal point of one’s heart should only be toward the Holy Ka‘bah. (While praying, you must only think that your attention is toward the Holy Ka‘bah.) 

“[…] Nowadays, when one is sitting in a train, there is no fixed direction either, because the train sometimes turns north, sometimes south, sometimes east, and sometimes west. (We observe this similarly in long journeys via airplanes.) Nevertheless, the prayer of the passenger who offers prayers are not invalidated. If we take the interpretation of the commentators as correct, then neither can a person riding an animal act upon this command, nor someone sitting in a train. So, when direction does not remain fixed during departure, then how can it be correct to interpret this verse to mean that ‘wherever you depart from, face the Ka‘bah in prayer’?

“Then this interpretation is also incorrect because the literal meaning of the words in this verse are, ‘Wherever you emerge from, turn your face toward the Sacred Mosque,’ in other words, turn your face toward the Sacred Mosque from whence you’ve set out. 

“Now, everyone can understand that the obligatory prayers cannot be offered while walking. Rather, they are observed by stopping at a place to offer them. Indeed, if the words of the verse were 

حَیْثُ مَا کُنْتَ فَوَلِّ وَجْھَکَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَام

“‘Wherever you are, turn your face toward the Sacred Mosque,’ then the interpretation of ‘turn your face toward the Sacred Mosque wherever you may be’ could be deemed correct, but the words here are:

مِنۡ حَیۡثُ خَرَجۡتَ فَوَلِّ وَجۡہَکَ شَطۡرَ الۡمَسۡجِدِ الۡحَرَامِ

“Meaning, ‘O Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah^sa,’ or ‘O ye Muslims, wherever you set out from, turn your face toward the Sacred Mosque.’

“Now, it is obvious that the obligatory prayers are not offered while exiting a place but by stopping somewhere first. Hence, it becomes clear that to interpret this to mean offering prayer is incorrect on all fronts. Commentators say that if the connection between the daily prayer and physically exiting from one’s place is not acknowledged, then this would be considered repetition, even though this too is incorrect. The only reason they see this as repetition is because they have failed to understand the true interrelation between the various subject-matter in the Holy Quran. Wherever they see any apparent conflict in the Quran, they immediately resort to discussing abrogation, hiding behind the practice of saying that one verse is abrogated on account of another, seeking to absolve themselves of facing any sort of allegation. Even though, if the realities of the Holy Quran that the Promised Messiah^as has demonstrated to the world were borne in mind, neither would they see any repetition, nor would there arise the need to declare some verses as abrogated. 

“The fact is that when the Messenger of Allah^sa was driven out from the blessed town of Mecca, the enemies of Islam had the opportunity in that moment to raise an objection: ‘Since you are the promised one in fulfilment of the Abrahamic prayer and thus connected to the Holy Ka’bah, why were you driven out of Mecca? How can you be the true manifestation of the Abrahamic prayer now that you have been driven out from Mecca.’ 

It is in response to this objection that God Almighty announced the words:

مِنۡ حَیۡثُ خَرَجۡتَ فَوَلِّ وَجۡہَکَ شَطۡرَ الۡمَسۡجِدِ الۡحَرَامِ

“That ‘O Muhammad^sa, Messenger of Allah, your being driven out from Mecca is but temporary. We promise you that we shall once again grant you the opportunity to return and that in fact you shall become victorious over Mecca.’ However, as is the divine way with God’s promises to His servants, He also expects that they will strive toward fulfilling it. It is not that God promises them something and so they sit on their hands and do nothing to fulfil this divine promise, thinking that now that God has made a promise, He should fulfil it completely by Himself – what need have we to partake in its fulfilment? (Lest people begin thinking like this.) 

“God Almighty made a promise to the people of Moses^as that they would be given the land of Canaan. Prophet Moses^as set out with his people toward it. When they reached it, he told his people, ‘Go ye and fight and conquer this land.’ But the people of Moses made the mistake of thinking that since God Almighty has promised us this land, He will Himself fulfil it and make it over to us. If we conquer this land, then what use is God’s promise? Since God Almighty has made the promise, He ought to fulfil it Himself. We do not need to make any effort to this end. Thus, they replied to Moses^as:

اِذۡہَبۡ اَنۡتَ وَ رَبُّکَ فَقَاتِلَاۤ اِنَّا ہٰہُنَا قٰعِدُوۡنَ

“O Moses! You used to say to us that God shall grant us this land. Now the entire responsibility of making good on this promise is upon you or your God. If we ourselves conquer this land, then what good were you or your God? Since you would tell us that it is the promise of God Almighty that this land shall surely be granted to us, therefore, go thou and thy Lord and fight, and here we sit – we shall not do anything. Once you conquer the land and hand it over to us, only then shall we enter it.

“Now it may appear that they were correct to say this because if someone promises to give another person a particular thing, and later that individual comes to claim it, only to be told, ‘Go and purchase it from the market yourself,’ everyone would deem such a promise unnecessary if after all he had to purchase it from the market himself. 

“Thus, this argument may seem rational. However, in relation to divine communities, such a notion is utterly unreasonable. That is why God Almighty did not praise the Israelites. He did not say: ‘You do not need not fight, it is upon Us to secure the land and hand it to you.’ Rather, He declared: ‘You have dishonoured Us. Therefore, you shall be deprived of this land. Go, and wander in the wilderness for forty years. You shall not inherit this land – your new generation shall be its inheritors, for you have shown dishonour to Us.’

“Now, such an approach can be considered to be valid and reasonable from a worldly perspective, but from the perspective of a divine mission, it is completely unreasonable and renders one deserving of divine punishment. The reason is that when a human makes a promise, they have no control over heavenly or earthly changes, (i.e., a person does not have any influence over the heavenly and worldly changes). Hence, when one makes a promise, it is only in relation to that which lies within their own capacity. But when God Almighty makes a promise, it implies that – even if the fulfilment of that promise appears impossible – but through Divine help it shall be fulfilled. 

“The nation which had been enslaved by Pharaoh for centuries, who made bricks and cut wood for him and engaged in the most degrading tasks, how could they possibly conquer such a great land ruled by a powerful nation such as the people of Ad? It was no easy feat to attain this land, yet God said: ‘Though the acquisition of this land appears impossible to you, We promise We shall grant you this land and you will attain it through Our help.’

“Therefore, a divine promise does not mean that one should now remain idle and put forth no effort. Rather, it signifies that when you endeavour towards that goal, God shall assist you and make you triumphant. In essence, there is a distinction between the nature of a divine promise and that of a human. Divine promises that require practical effort necessitate human involvement. To fulfil them, one must strive. If one does not involve themselves in its fulfilment, they become deserving of punishment.

“In contrast, this does not apply to the promises made by a human. A person cannot say: ‘I shall change the course of divine destiny for you.’ for this is not in human control. Should anyone make such a claim, they would rightly be questioned by Allah the Almighty: ‘Who are you to alter destiny?’ On the other hand, God can say: ‘If you act according to My command and strive for this, I shall assist you and alter the course of destiny,’ for destiny is within His power, and He may change it as He wills.

“When the Holy Prophet^sa was vouchsafed the divine promise of the Conquest of Mecca, the Muslims were also warned alongside this: ‘O Muslims, do not be like the people of Moses who thought that since God had promised them victory, He would fulfil it Himself and they would not need to make any effort on their part. In fact, you too must strive to fulfil it.’ 

“The promise of God meant: ‘You are weak – if you were not, why would you have left Mecca? Leaving Mecca signified your weakness, and your enemy is strong. But God shall grant you strength, and you shall reclaim Mecca from your adversaries.’

“Thus, the term ‘khurooj’ [i.e. departure/go forth], mentioned in the command:

وَ مِنۡ حَیۡثُ خَرَجۡتَ فَوَلِّ وَجۡہَکَ شَطۡرَ الۡمَسۡجِدِ الۡحَرَامِ

“means that wherever you depart from, let your direction and purpose be the conquest of Mecca.

“The term ‘khurooj’ also carries the connotation of military expeditions. In that context, the verse means: ‘Wherever you embark upon a military campaign – be it east, south, west, or north – your objective should be to lay the foundation for the conquest of Mecca.’

“For instance, if you plan to attack an enemy from the south, but learn that they have allies to the west who might launch an assault from the rear, then first attacking the west is, in essence, a preliminary step towards the southern campaign. Similarly, if their allies reside in the north and you engage them first, this too serves the original purpose of defeating those in the south.

“It is in reference to this very principle, Allah the Almighty says: ‘O Muslims, in every expedition against a people, country or area, let the true purpose of your direction be towards the conquest of Mecca, for Allah intends to grant you its victory.’

“Thus, when we study the battles and expeditions of the Holy Prophet^sa, this principle becomes manifest. The overarching purpose of all his military expeditions was none other than the ultimate Conquest of Mecca. In whichever battle, he felt that the fulfilment of this objective was lost, or when a battle with a particular people threatened to delay the Conquest of Mecca, the Holy Prophet^sa would completely refrain from engaging in it – even when provoked.

“Many tribes challenged him and acted in an inciteful manner, but the Holy Prophet^sa always responded with patience and forbearance. However, if a tribe challenged them whose defeat would clear the path to Mecca, he did not hesitate to act.

“Indeed, upon analysis of all the Islamic battles reveals a deep, divinely guided wisdom behind them – particularly those preceding the conquest of Mecca, whose sole objective was to pave the way for that very victory.

“Had the verse simply meant: ‘Wherever you are, turn your face toward the Qiblah,’ then as mentioned earlier, the words:

وَ مِنۡ حَیۡثُ خَرَجۡتَ

“‘from wherever you go forth’ would not have been used, instead it should have been ‘wherever you are, turn towards the direction of the Qiblah. The words ‘wherever you may be’ should have been used in order to instruct one to turn towards the Qiblah. This is because at the time of departing, people do not pray, rather they prepare to walk.  

“Hence, this verse has nothing to do with the offering of prayers. In fact, the only meaning of this verse is that wherever you go forth from, whether it be a place facing the east or a place facing the west, whether it be a place facing the north or a place facing the south, your direction should be towards Mecca. In other words, your attention, your thoughts, and your mind should be focused solely on the fact that you must gain victory over Mecca and by establishing Islam there bring all of Arabia under its influence. 

“Wujuhun also means ‘directions’. Therefore, this means that you should have a singular purpose; to conquer the Holy Ka’bah and make it the centre of Islam, because until Islam spreads in Mecca, until Mecca does not come under the rule of Muslims, the rest of Arabia cannot become Muslim. This was the established programme for Muslims, and this programme was undoubtedly well beyond their capabilities. Though there was no formal government in Arabia there also wasn’t complete lawlessness. It had various kings associated with it who would form pacts and the like. 

“Similarly, though Mecca was not formally governed, it was the capital of a nation that had a population of 1.5 to 2 million. The surrounding tribes looked towards it and deemed their decisions and laws to be binding. Then, according to those times, it was a very large city with a population of 15,000 to 16,000. And not just in this city, but all 1.5 to 2 million men of the population of the nation were soldiers and were very skilled in warfare. They were fighters, brave and quarrelsome and it was not easy for the Muslims to combat them. At the time this verse was revealed to the Holy Prophet^sa, the Muslims only had 400 to 500 soldiers, or a thousand at most. Including women and children, they would have numbered a total of 11,000 or 12,000. The Muslims did not have more numbers that this, and their military strength was nothing worth mention. Yet, despite the Muslims being in a very weak state, not having numbers even comparable to the disbelievers, not having any weaponry, and not having any military strength in comparison to the disbelievers, Allah the Almighty presented a challenge to the disbelievers; that though they might see the Muslims as being small in number, as being weak and powerless, those very Muslims would conquer their land one day and take over their capital. They would attain such victory that they would institute the laws of Islam there and completely eradicate disbelief from the land of Arabia. 

“Considering the state of the Muslims, this was a fantastical claim to make. What’s more, this claim was not limited to a specific area, rather the impact of this claim was wide ranging and vast, because not only was victory over Mecca foretold, not only was the conquest of Arabia announced, rather Christianity was also challenged, Judaism was also challenged, Magism was also challenged and it was announced with great veracity that Islam would overcome all these religions and become victorious over the entire world. This claim was a fantastical one; that is why the disbelievers used to call the Holy Prophet^sa mad – God forbid – and also considered the Companions to be mad as well, because they could not see any worldly means for the fulfilment of the claim that they were making. However, the reality is that for extraordinary things to happen, until a certain state does not come about in each person, which in certain conditions is considered in medical terms as monomania (being entirely focused on a singular thing) until he does not forget about everything else, until a sort of constant unrest and uneasiness does not come about, and until he does not develop a distinct passion for extraordinary works, he can never be successful in these undertakings. 

“It is this very matter that the Holy Quran has drawn attention towards in this verse; that you should forget all else and make this your sole goal; that we will conquer Mecca for the sake of Islam. Until this centre and this fortress is not obtained, you will not attain victory in all of Arabia, nor the entire world. Here, the question arises as to why Allah the Almighty said that ‘And from wheresoever thou comest forth, turn they face towards the Sacred Mosque’ instead of saying ‘whichever direction you wage an attack, remain focused upon the Sacred Mosque’? The answer is that it is at the time of departure that the decision is made as to the purpose of the attack. It is not that one begins fighting first, and then thinks of its purpose later. Since the purpose here was to draw attention towards keeping the Conquest of Mecca in mind, Allah said that at the time of setting forth, consider the implications of your battle upon the conquest of Mecca. If that battle is not helpful towards the conquest of Mecca then abandon it. 

“However, this should not be taken to mean that Islam gives its followers permission for an offensive war, because history can attest that battles against the disbelievers had started even before this verse was revealed. It should also be remembered that:

مِنۡ حَیۡثُ خَرَجۡتَ 

“[‘And from wheresover thou comest forth’] is addressed only to the Holy Prophet^sa, because there would remain no need for Mecca to be conquered in the same way after the Holy Prophet^sa, as there was not to be any attack against Mecca after him. Rather, it was to remain entirely under the control of Muslims. In other words, this was a prophecy for the future that Mecca would never again be physically conquered, because an effective community would be brought about that would maintain the supremacy of Mecca and it would always remain under the control of Muslims.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol, 3, 2022, pp. 11-18)

This commentary and introduction was necessary because the coming mention of the incidents relating to the Conquest of Mecca will be easier to understand with this background. The rest will be mentioned in the future, insha-Allah.

At this time, I will also mention a martyr and lead his funeral prayer after the [Jumuah] prayer: Dr Sheikh Muhammad Mahmud Sahib of Sargodha, son of Sheikh Mubashar Ahmad Sahib of Delhi. Opponents of Ahmadiyyat opened fire and martyred him on 16 May.

اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّا اِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْن

[“Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”]

According to the details, on the day of the incident Doctor Sahib was returning with his family from offering the Friday prayer to the Fatima Hospital in Sargodha where he practiced. He entered the hospital, crossed the main entrance and reached the corridor across the emergency and was walking towards his room when a person who was already there and had been following him took out a pistol from a shopping bag and shot him in the back. He was struck by two bullets which went through him. He was immediately taken to the civil hospital; however, he could not endure the wounds upon which respected Doctor Sahib became a martyr. 

اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّا اِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْن

[“Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”]

Following the incident, the assailant, brandishing his weapon, fled from outside the hospital on a motorcycle accompanied by an accomplice. At the time of martyrdom, the deceased was 59 years old. Ahmadiyyat was introduced to the martyr’s family through Hazrat Sarfraz Hussain Dehlvi^ra, who was the brother of his great-grandfather, respected Babu Ejaz Hussain Sahib. He had the honour of accepting Ahmadiyyat by pledging allegiance to the Promised Messiah^as. Subsequently, the martyr’s great-grandfather, respected Babu Ejaz Hussain Sahib of Delhi, also pledged allegiance through his brother’s influence. Both the martyr’s great-grandfather Babu Ejaz Hussain Sahib and grandfather Babu Nazir Ahmad Sahib had the honour of serving successively as Amirs of the Jamaat in Delhi.

The martyr completed his FSc [examinations] from FC College, Lahore, then enrolled at Rawalpindi Medical College, graduating with an MBBS degree in 1990. After obtaining his MBBS, he passed the Punjab Public Service Commission exam and served for four years at Services Hospital and Jinnah Hospital in Lahore. In 1998, he was granted membership of the Royal College of Physicians UK, and in 2021, he was honoured with a Fellowship from the same institution. The deceased martyr moved to Sargodha in 2001, motivated primarily by a desire to serve humanity. He became the first specialist in liver and stomach diseases in the Sargodha district.

In Sargodha, he joined a private hospital, where he enjoyed an excellent relationship with the hospital owner. However, the owner had a political background and intended to stand in the National Assembly elections in 2018. Facing threats from religious clerics, the owner was forced to ask the doctor to leave the hospital and that he could no longer work there. Consequently, doctor sahib departed and joined another hospital.

Since moving to Sargodha in 2001, he regularly dedicated time as a visiting physician at Fazl-e-Omar Hospital in Rabwah. Allah the Almighty had gifted him with the ability to heal, and many patients benefitted significantly from his treatment. Besides his secular knowledge, he was deeply versed in religious studies, extensively studying Quranic commentary, Tadhkirah, Ruhani Khazain and other Jamaat literature, including literature addressing contentious issues. He also served the Jamaat as Naib Amir of Sargodha district.

He was actively involved with the Medical Association after its establishment, becoming its Vice President in 2024. He also served as President of the Sargodha chapter. Despite suffering from cancer for the past three years, he always prioritised the illnesses of others over his own and remained ever-ready to serve. His compassion and love for patients were exceptional, often providing free treatment to the needy, even giving them fare money for their return journeys. He also paid personally for some patients’ medical tests. 

As it was mentioned earlier, he was the first specialist for liver and stomach diseases in the Sargodha district. He quietly and significantly contributed to the marriages of financially disadvantaged girls. One such individual narrates that Doctor Sahib regularly assisted him financially for a long period. Initially, this person visited once or twice a month but gradually began visiting every two or three days. Despite this increased frequency, Doctor Sahib continued to support him. On one occasion, when this individual made an unreasonable demand, Doctor Sahib, who usually would never get angry and had a gentle disposition inadvertently spoke harshly. Owing to his innate disposition and piety, he remained restless through the night for speaking sternly and called the individual the following day, apologised sincerely, and provided substantial financial assistance.

He deeply revered elders of the Jamaat and often travelled specially to Rabwah to treat patients whenever required.

His mother, Amatul Hayy Sahiba, states that he deeply respected his parents, fulfilling all their needs without them having to ask. She never asked for it, but he always fulfilled her needs. He exhibited numerous admirable traits from childhood, kept to his own work, was deeply committed to Khilafat, cared profoundly for the poor and sick, and meticulously managed financial transactions. He kept the entire family together.

His wife, Amatul Noor Sahiba, mentions he constantly advised their children to remain connected with Jamaat. His devotion to Khilafat was extraordinary, regularly listening to sermons and meticulously noting points in a diary – a practice few, including life-devotees, consistently follow. He would note points from the Friday Sermon so he could benefit from them. His contributions to financial sacrifices were exemplary; at his martyrdom, his Wasiyyat contributions were fully settled up to 2025.

He has four children, including two sons – one of whom is a doctor – and two daughters. His son, Dr Basir, recounts how he always emphasized maintaining a strong bond with Khilafat. His daughter, Saimah, describes him as an exceptionally affectionate father who advised her after her marriage that after moving in with her in-laws, she should remain attached with the Jamaat and never refuse the opportunity and honour to serve it. She notes he consistently found ways to integrate Jamaat service even into general activities.

One daughter-in-law recalls how strongly he emphasised placing trust in Allah. Whenever asked for guidance, he always started and ended his advice with prayers.

His sister remarks that he was deeply troubled by opposition to the Jamaat. He consistently offered voluntary prayers and Tahajjud [pre-dawn voluntary prayers] daily.

The Amir of the Sargodha district, Khalid Mahmood Sahib, describes him as a great humanitarian, a humble man, characterized significantly by humility and service to humanity.

Majority of the time he would return the fees of the poorer patients. Making sacrifices for the Jamaat was one of his salient qualities. Aside from paying his Chanda and promises etc, he would assist by making additional sacrifices. He showed great respect to the office bearers of the Jamaat.

Zubair Sahib, the missionary of the Sargodha Jamaat says: “A very dear individual has departed from us; who was a servant of humanity, a personification of mercy and benevolence; someone who healed hundreds of thousands, he was a devotee of Khilafat and an angel personified. The late martyr was a Dervish, and every aspect of his life was exemplary. Whenever an office bearer of Life Devotee would go to him, he would get up from his chair, and even when they would leave, he would see them out up to the door.” He further says: “When he was told that the conditions are worsening, he should employ a security guard or have a khadim for safety measures, Doctor sahib would reply: ‘I could indeed keep a guard or an attendant with me for security, but I cannot bear the thought that – God forbid – if someone were to come to kill me, another person might lose their life on my account.’

“Although the opponents had distributed leaflets throughout the district inciting that he was deserving of death and such and such punishment, he never paid any heed to such threats. The list that the opponents had compiled of Ahmadis who were to be targeted featured Doctor Sahib’s name at the very top. In fact, there was a certain cleric, Akram Toofani, who had even issued an edict declaring it lawful for him to be killed and that edict had been publicly distributed as well. Yet, despite all this, the government took no action.”

The administrator of Fatima Hospital, which is a Christian hospital, and himself a pastor, remarked:
“A servant of humanity and a noble soul has departed from us. Our hearts are overwhelmed with grief.” In fact, this gentleman, who is a Christian, came to Rabwah to attend the funeral of the deceased, along with members of the hospital’s administrative staff and other colleagues.

Social and print media also covered the martyrdom of Doctor Sahib. An Assistant Commissioner wrote a post – this is all they can do, they are unable to take any real action, for they lack the courage to stand up to the clerics or to take any decision against them – nonetheless, even this act reflects a degree of bravery – that as a woman she wrote in her post: “Sheikh Mahmood was nothing less than a saviour for the poor. He was an exceptional medical specialist. At times, he would even provide costly diagnostic tests free of charge to the underprivileged. There is perhaps hardly a single household in the entire district that did not benefit from Doctor Sahib’s care.” 

She is not part of the Jamaat but she praised him saying that he would often treat patients free of charge, and that this, in her view, was a tremendous act. She said, “I say this with full awareness because I myself am a doctor. Dr Sahib could have gone abroad, to any country, and earned a great deal of wealth, living a life of luxury. But he chose instead to stay in Sargodha and devote himself to serving humanity.”

She further says: “Today, for the first time, I have wept over the passing of someone with whom I had no personal connection, it was only a bond of humanity. This gentleman had bestowed immense favours upon the servants of God. If one were to ask what his crime was, the answer is that his only crime was that he was an Ahmadi.”

Another doctor wrote: “Doctor Sahib was the first medical specialist in Sargodha to have completed the ARCP. Despite his exceptional competence and seniority, even to this day, he performed procedures at the lowest rates in Sargodha. He was murdered solely because of his faith. Is there any law left in this country?”

A journalist and anchor from a private television channel wrote: “I have no words to condemn this barbaric and utterly tragic act. It is beyond expression.”

Another journalist remarked: “This has gone on for far too long. In order to save Pakistan, extremist groups and organisations must be stopped. It is imperative to ban these extremist organisations if we are to put an end to such activities which violate basic human rights and target Ahmadis.”

There is such fear of these so-called custodians of faith that even the government, law enforcement agencies and the courts are powerless before them. May Allah the Almighty swiftly bring about the means to seize them. It is necessary now to be rid of them completely in order for the country to be saved, because these so-called religious people, who in fact are carrying out extremism in the name of religion, are bent on seeking to destroy the country. They attack anyone who opposes them. In any case, our supplications are before Allah the Almighty alone and we ought to do justice to this. May Allah the Almighty elevate the ranks of the deceased martyr and grant patience and steadfastness to his loved ones. He leaves behind his elderly mother; may Allah the Almighty alleviate her grief. May Allah the Almighty keep his wife and his children in His protection and security.

(Official Urdu published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 13 June 2025, pp. 2-6. Translated by The Review of Religions.)