Friday Sermon – Muhammad (sa): The Great Exemplar (31 January 2025)

Friday Sermon

31 January 2025

Muhammad^sa: The Great Exemplar

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

In the previous Friday sermon, the events surrounding the Expedition of Dhi Qarad were mentioned. As stated, prior to embarking on this expedition, the Holy Prophet^sa sent some of his Companions towards the enemy. Later, the Holy Prophet^sa also followed with an army. In this regard, it has further been recorded that when the Holy Prophet^sa and the Companions arrived, the army of the enemy fled upon seeing them. When the Muslims reached their camp, Hazrat Abu Qatada’s^ra horse was there and it had been hamstrung. One Companion said, “O Messenger^sa of Allah! The horse of Abu Qatadah has been hamstrung.” The Holy Prophet^sa stood beside it and repeated twice: “Alas! How many enemies did you face in the battle!” Following this, the Holy Prophet^sa and the Companions advanced until they reached the place where Hazrat Abu Qatada^ra and Mas’ada fought. This was discussed in the previous sermon. They thought that Hazrat Abu Qatada^ra was on the floor, wrapped in a cloth. One companion said, “O Messenger^sa of Allah! It seems that Abu Qatada has been martyred.” The Holy Prophet^sa replied: “May Allah have mercy on Abu Qatada. By that Being Who has granted me honour, Abu Qatada is chasing after the enemy and reciting couplets to arouse the spirit of the soldiers.”

Hazrat Abu Qatada^ra relates: “When the army of the Holy Prophet^sa saw my horse that had been hamstrung and saw that a dead person was wrapped in my cloth, they believed that I had been martyred.” Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra and Hazrat ‘Umar^ra quickly advanced, removed the cloth and saw the face of Mas’ada. Both of them said, “Allah is the greatest! The Holy Prophet^sa has spoken the truth. O Messenger^sa of Allah! This is Mas’ada.”

Upon this, the Companions also glorified Allah. A short while later, Hazrat Abu Qatada^ra presented himself before the Holy Prophet^sa, while pulling some camels along with him. The Holy Prophet^sa said, “O Abu Qatada! You have succeeded. Abu Qatada is the chief of the cavalry. O Abu Qatada! May Allah bless you.” In another narration, it is recorded that the Holy Prophet^sa said, “May Allah bless your children and the offspring of your children.” Thereafter, the Holy Prophet^sa said, “O Abu Qatada! What happened to your face?” Hazrat Abu Qatada relates: “I replied: ‘May my mother and father be sacrificed for your sake! I was struck with an arrow. By that Being Who has honoured you! I thought that I had removed it.’ The Holy Prophet (sa) said, ‘O Abu Qatada, come close to me.’ Thus, I went closer to the Holy Prophet^sa and he gently removed the arrow, placed his saliva on it and then put his hand over it.”

Hazrat Abu Qatada relates: “By that Being Who has granted the Holy Prophet^sa with prophethood! It appeared to me as if I had not been injured or wounded in the least.” Previously, it was said that Hazrat Abu Qatada^ra removed the arrow himself. However, it is possible that the tip of the arrow was still stuck, which the Holy Prophet^sa removed as the mark could still be seen. In another narration, it is recorded that when the Holy Prophet^sa saw Hazrat Abu Qatada, he said, “O Allah! Bless his hair and his skin.” He also said, “You have succeeded.” Hazrat Abu Qatada^ra relates: “I said, ‘O Messenger^sa of Allah! You have succeeded!’ When Hazrat Abu Qatada^ra passed away at the age of 70, it is said that even then, from his appearance, it seemed as though he was 15 years old. That is, he looked very youthful. (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, 1993, p. 100)

In this battle, the mention of Hazrat Salamah’s^ra encounter with the enemy at Dhu Qarad is found as follows: Hazrat Salamah^ra narrates: “I was chasing the enemy so persistently, that I swear by the One who honoured the Holy Prophet^sa, I could no longer see the Companions behind me, nor could I see any trace of them. The enemy reached a gorge before sunset, where there was a spring named Dhu Qarad. When they attempted to drink water, they noticed that I was still pursuing them, so they withdrew from it. By then, the sun had set. When I saw one of them, I shot an arrow at him. Earlier that morning, I had shot him with another arrow; now I had shot another arrow, both of which hit him. The enemy fled, leaving behind two horses, which I captured, by which time the Holy Prophet^sa had arrived, and I took the captured horses to him.” (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, 1993, pp. 98-99)

Regarding the Holy Prophet^sa reaching Dhu Qarad, Hazrat Salamah^ra states, “The Holy Prophet^sa arrived at the time of Isha [evening prayer] and encamped near the same spring where I had stopped the enemy. The Holy Prophet^sa had taken possession of the camels and everything else that I had seized from the enemy. Hazrat Bilal slaughtered one of the camels taken from the enemy, and roasted its liver and hump for the Holy Prophet^sa. Hazrat Sa’d bin ‘Ubadah also sent ten camels laden with dates, which the Holy Prophet^sa received at Dhu Qarad.”

Hazrat Salamah^ra narrates, “I said that I had kept the enemy away from the water, and they were thirsty. Please send me with a hundred warriors so that I can pursue them and finish off every single one of them. Upon hearing this, the Holy Prophet^sa smiled so broadly that his blessed teeth became visible in the light of the flame. He then asked, ‘Salamah, do you think you can do this?’ I replied, ‘By the One who has honoured you, yes, I can.’” The Holy Prophet^sa then said:

مَلَکْتَ فَاَسْجِحْ 

“When you have subdued them, then show leniency.” 

This was an Arab proverb, meaning that the best form of forgiveness is to show kindness and not act with harshness. Meaning if they had left then let them be. There was no need to pursue them any further.

Regarding the events of this expedition, Hazrat Salamah^ra narrates “In the morning, the Holy Prophet^sa said, ‘The best from the cavalry today is Abu Qatadah, and the best from the infantry is Salamah bin Akwa.’” Hazrat Salamah^ra states that the Holy Prophet^sa granted him the rewards of both a mounted warrior and one who fought on foot, and also let him ride behind him on his camel.

There is another narration about Hazrat Salamah^ra from this journey. Hazrat Salamah^ra states, “As we neared Medina on our return, a Companion from among the Ansar who was known for bringing a fast runner, announced, ‘Is there anyone who will race me to Medina?’ He repeated these words multiple times.” Hazrat Salamah^ra states, “I was riding behind the Holy Prophet^sa on his camel. I asked that Companion from the Ansar, ‘Do you not respect any honourable person?’ I.e., are you not afraid of anyone honourable, as you go around making this announcement? He replied, ‘No, I fear no one except the Holy Prophet^sa.’ So I then said to the Holy Prophet^sa, ‘O Messenger^sa of Allah, may my parents be sacrificed for you, allow me to race him.’ The Holy Prophet^sa said, ‘Alright, if you wish to do so then you may.’ I then said to the person, ‘Let’s race.’”

He then narrates, “I bent my legs, leapt off [the camel], and began running. Initially, I stayed one or two strides behind him, i.e., he was ahead and I was behind, conserving my energy. Then, I increased my speed and overtook him, and placed my hand between his shoulders, saying, ‘By Allah, I have beaten you.’ He smiled and said, ‘I think you may be right.’ Thus, I started running ahead until we reached Medina.” As for how long the Holy Prophet^sa remained outside Medina for this campaign, it is recorded that he departed on Wednesday morning, stayed one day and one night at Dhu Qarad in order to gather intelligence about the enemy. Then he returned to Medina on a Monday, thus making it five nights he spent outside the city.

The details regarding the martyrs of this expedition are as follows: among the Muslims, Hazrat Muhriz bin Nadla^ra was martyred. According to Ibn Hisham, Ibn Waqas bin Mujazziz^ra was also martyred. Additionally, Hazrat Abu Dharr’s^ra son was martyred at the camel enclosure before the battle.

As for the disbelievers, it is recorded that ‘Abdur Rahman bin ‘Uyaynah, Hubaib bin ‘Uyaynah, Mas’adah bin Hakamah Fazzari, Aubar, and his son ‘Amr were killed. (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol.5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, 1993, pp. 100-104; Umdah al-Qari, Vol. 14, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 286; Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 95)

Previously it was mentioned that the enemies captured the wife of Hazrat Abu Dharr^ra. The assailants captured her, tied her up and took her along with them. Her captors used to keep their cattle in front of their homes at night. One night, she broke out of her binds and approached some camels that were tied up near her. Whenever she approached one of them, they would grunt in agitation, and even when she left the camels they would make noise. This continued until she reached Adba – the Holy Prophet’s^sa camel which the enemies had stolen – who did not grunt or make any noise but remained totally calm. It was a well-tamed camel. The woman mounted the camel of the Holy Prophet^sa and raced away. When her captors learned of her escape, they tried to capture her but they failed. The narrator of this account relates that this woman had actually made an oath to God that if He made this camel a means of escape for her, she would sacrifice the camel. When she arrived in Medina and people saw her, they began to say that this was Adba, the Holy Prophet’s^sa camel. She insisted that she had made a promise to God that if He helped her escape, she would sacrifice the camel in His way. After some discussion, the people went to the Holy Prophet^sa and presented the matter to him, to which the Prophet^sa replied, “Holy is Allah. What an unfortunate reward she has imposed upon this camel. The camel has helped her escape, and this is what she wants to do to it. This oath to God that if the camel helps her escape she will slaughter it is not a good exchange.” He then taught that no promise should be made that leads to the disobedience of God, nor is using something that one doesn’t own as an offering permitted. The Holy Prophet^sa explained to the woman that she did not even own the camel: “I own it. With God’s blessings and His good fortune you should return to your home.” (Sahih Muslim, Vol. 8, Kitab an-nazar, Bab la wafa’a li nazarin fi ma‘siyatillahi…, Hadith 3085, pp. 236-237; Sirat Ibn Hisahm, Ghazwah Dhi Qarad, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 667; Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 95)

Now, I will mention another expedition. This expedition is known as the Expedition of Abban bin Sa’id toward Najd. It took place in Muharram 7 AH. (Muhammad Azhar Farid, Ghazwat-o-Saraya, Faridiyyah Publishers, Sahiwal, p. 390)

According to another narration, it took place in the month of Jamaadi al-Thani in the same year. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra has also placed the expedition at Muharram in 7 AH. (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 6, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 128; Sirat Khatamun Nabiyyin, p. 837)

This seems to be the most accurate estimate, because according to the narrations, before departing toward Khaibar, Hazrat Abban bin Sa’id^ra was sent from Medina toward Najd, and they embarked on their journey toward Khaibar in Muharram 7AH. (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 115)

Details about Hazrat Abban^ra are as follows: 

His father was among the chieftains of the Quraish. Abban’s brothers Amr and Khalid had already become Muslims and were among the party who emigrated to Abyssinia. Abban had fought in the Battle of Badr alongside the idolaters. He had given Hazrat Uthman^ra tribal protection during the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah. When Amr and Khalid returned from Abyssinia, the two brothers called upon Abban. They convened at Khaibar before the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa and Abban accepted Islam. One narration records that Hazrat Abban bin Sa’id accepted Islam between the time that the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah and the Battle of Khaibar took place. At the time of the Holy Prophet’s^sa demise, Abban was serving as the Governor of Bahrain. Afterwards, he went to see Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra and then left for Syria.

He was martyred in 13AH. According to one narration, he passed away in 23AH during the era of Hazrat Uthman^ra. (Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, Vol. 1, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 168-170; Usd al-Ghabah, Vol. 1, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 148)

Before embarking on the journey for the Battle of Khaibar, the Holy Prophet^sa sent an expedition toward Najd. Najd is partially a desert land region but is verdant, with many valleys and mountains running throughout. It ranges from Yemen in the south, extending northward to the desert regions of Syria and Iraq. To its west is situated the desert region known as the Hijaz. This area is 1,200 meters above sea level, which is why it is called Najd. The purpose of this army was to – in the absence of the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa – keep Medina safe against the enemy tribes, who were always looking for an opening so that they could attack Medina. Any time the Holy Prophet^sa left Medina with his Companions, was considered a crucial moment for the enemy forces to attack. The enemy thought that now the Holy Prophet^sa is not in Medina anymore and that since his Companions have also left with him, leaving very few people in Medina, if they were to strike Medina they could capture it. Because of this looming threat, whenever the Holy Prophet^sa joined an expedition he would send some Companions toward such tribes as well. (Da’irah Ma’arif Sirat Muhammad Rasoolullah, Vol. 8, Bazm-I-Iqbal, Lahore, p. 412; Farhang-e-Sirat, Zawar Academy, Karachi, p. 297)

This expedition has been mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari in the following way: The Holy Prophet^sa sent Hazrat Abban^ra toward Najd as a leader of a contingent from Medina. Hazrat Abu Hurairah^ra relates that then Hazrat Abban^ra and his comrades came to the Holy Prophet^sa after he conquered Khaibar. Hazrat Abu Hurairah^ra relates that since Abban and his contingent arrived after the victory of Khaibar, he requested the Holy Prophet^sa not to give them any of the spoils of war, upon which the two disagreed. The Messenger^sa of Allah said, “Sit down, O Abban,” and he did not give Abban any of the spoils of war because Abban had not formally engaged in battle at Khaibar.” This seems like the most plausible reason. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bab Ghazwah Khaibar, Hadith 4328 and 4329; Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 6, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 128)

Then another battle found in the books of history which is quite well known and that is of Khaibar. Khaibar is a vast expanse of lush greenery, containing various springs and bodies of water and is counted amongst the biggest sources of dates in the Arabian Peninsula. It is sufficient to understand its verdancy by the fact that just one of its valleys known as Katibah contained over 40,000 date-palm trees.

The Khaibar Valley is situated 96 miles north of Medina. The Jews had been settled here for a long time. According to historical accounts, the Israelites had been settled here since the time of Prophet Moses^as. According to some historians, they had settled here from the time of Nebuchadnezzar. There are some other narrations which also indicate that the Jews were settled in Khaibar for a long time and they would live in big forts which they had constructed. This place had a special significance for them and the same is said to hold true even today. In Hebrew, “Khaibar” means a fortress. Some Jewish tribes had settled in Medina, but the Jewish tribes in Khaibar had one distinction over those in Medina and that was the tribes in Khaibar were known for their exceptional bravery and resolve in battle. Furthermore, they were also more united than the other tribes. For this reason, this area of the Arabian Peninsula was considered a strong and unified force. (Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 8, Dar al-Salam, pp. 328-331; Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 2, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 81; Farhang-e-Sirat, Zawar Academy, Karachi, p. 66)

Whether the Jews of Medina or the Jews of Khaibar, their conspiracies and treacherous ploys against the Holy Prophet^sa and Islam had greatly exceeded. Owing to their intense jealousy and enmity, they did not leave any stone unturned in their efforts to completely destroy the Holy Prophet^sa and Islam. On the contrary, the Holy Prophet^sa always showed kindness towards the Jews of Medina and established treaties of peace with them. Whenever they broke their treaties or violated their conditions, the first response of the Holy Prophet^sa would be to forgive them. They even went to the extent of attempting to kill the Holy Prophet^sa on many occasions. Whilst violating their treaties, they even helped the enemy forces to attack Medina. As a consequence, the Jews would be handed a very severe punishment, which would be in complete accordance with the principles of justice and fairness. However, the level of compassion and forgiveness of the Holy Prophet^sa was so great that he granted peace and security to their lives and wealth and only expelled them from Medina and even then permitted them to take along with them whatever possessions they wanted. If, God forbid, the objective of the Holy Prophet^sa was to coerce them and treat them unjustly, then owing to the repeated treachery of the Jews of Medina, he would have never forgiven them. If the intention of the Holy Prophet^sa was to cause bloodshed, then he would have never allowed the Banu Qainuqah and Banu Nadir to leave Medina in full protection whilst granting protection to their lives. If the purpose of the Holy Prophet^sa was to acquire wealth, then the Banu Nadir, who were considered to be the wealthiest people in the whole of Arabia, would never have been permitted to leave Medina with large sacks and bags full of gold and silver in open display before the citizens of Medina. The amount of kindness and generosity, forgiveness and compassion shown by the Holy Prophet^sa to the Jews of Medina warranted that after the Jews settled in Khaibar, they ought to have sought peace and reconciliation with Islam and the founder of Islam. After their exile from Medina, a large number of Jews settled in Khaibar. However, Khaibar, which was already a mighty force skilled in warfare, now became a focal point for plotting dangerous schemes and conspiracies against the Muslims.

A large delegation of the Jews of Khaibar consisting of prominent leaders went to meet the idolaters of Mecca. They prepared a scheme to destroy Islam and the blessed personage of the Holy Prophet^sa. After the Meccans agreed to it, this delegation decided to visit the neighbouring tribes as well. After one of the tribes agreed, they raised an army of 15,000, which historically was a very huge army and they attacked Medina. This was known in Islamic history as the Battle of the Confederates or the Battle of the Ditch. This has been mentioned previously. There is no doubt, that were it not for the special succour and help of Allah the Almighty, then alongside the Muslims, the name of Medina would have been wiped out completely. Without a doubt, the Jews of Khaibar were also among the ringleaders of this dangerous conspiracy and now they became engrossed in looking for ways to finish off the Muslims. Even the strict punishment handed out to Banu Quraizah in Medina for the breaking of their covenant did not persuade the Jews of Khaibar to change their ways. Thus, it had now become imperative to take direct action against this treacherous and scheming people in order to establish peace in the region, in a way whereby every person would be able to practice their own faith and religion without any fear or danger to them, resembling the verse:

 یَکُوْنَ الدِّیْنُ لِلّٰہِ

Meaning, “[Until] religion is freely professed for Allah” and that there remains no compulsion in the matters of faith, because this is a matter between man and God.

A famous orientalist, Montgomery Watt, who is never shy to spew poison against Islam and the Founder^sa of Islam, writes in his book, the translation of which is: “The simple and clearest reason for the attack on Khaibar was that they (i.e., the people of Khaibar) had frantically used their wealth to incite neighbouring tribes to raise arms against the Muslims.” (W. Montgomery Watt, Muhammad, Prophet and Statesman, p. 189)

Hence, this was the particular background as to why the Holy Prophet^sa took this decision, after receiving heavenly indications, that he would launch an attack on Khaibar.

Allama Ibn Sa’d writes that the Battle of Khaibar took place in Jumadi al-Ula of 7 AH. (Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 2, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 81)

According to Ibn Uqba, and Allama Ibn Ishaq, the Holy Prophet^sa returned to Medina from Hudaibiyah in Dhu al-Hijjah and after remaining in Medina for approximately 20 nights, he left for Khaibar in the month of Muharram. (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 115)

Under the remaining headings of his notes in Sirat Khatamun Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^ra has placed the Battle of Khaibar in Muharram and Safr of 7 AH. (Sirat Khatamun Nabiyyin, p. 837)

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra states, “Approximately five months after returning from Hudaibiyah, the Holy Prophet^sa decided to expel the Jews from Khaibar, as it was situated only a short distance from Medina and from where schemes could easily be planned against the Muslims. Thus, the Holy Prophet^sa left with 1,600 companions towards Khaibar in August 628 CE.” (Dibacha Tafsirul Quran, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 20, p. 325)

Some historians mention this expedition as taking place five months after the Treaty of Hudaibiyah and this is what Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra has mentioned in the Introduction to the Study of the Holy Qur’an. However, the majority of historians and scholars of Hadith mention this expedition to have taken place a few days after the Treaty of Hudaibiyah in the month of Muharram. This is what Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^ra has also mentioned. واللہُ اَعْلَمُ, i.e., “And Allah knows best”.

Fundamentally, the Treaty of Hudaibiyah was a great victory. The Holy Quran has declared it to be a grand victory as it is stated:

اِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُّبِيْنًا 

“Surely, We have granted thee a clear victory” (The Holy Quran, 48:2). This was that door through which the grand victories of the likes of Khaibar and Mecca were made possible. In reality, Allah the Almighty had made this promise on the return journey from the Treaty of Hudaibiyah, while they were in between Mecca and Medina, by revealing Surah al-Fath. In this chapter, the tidings of the victory of Khaibar are mentioned in the following manner.

لَقَدۡ رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ عَنِ الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ اِذۡ یُبَایِعُوۡنَکَ تَحۡتَ الشَّجَرَۃِ فَعَلِمَ مَا فِیۡ قُلُوۡبِہِمۡ فَاَنۡزَلَ السَّکِیۡنَۃَ عَلَیۡہِمۡ وَاَثَابَہُمۡ فَتۡحًا قَرِیۡبًا ۙ وَّمَغَانِمَ کَثِیۡرَۃً یَّاۡخُذُوۡنَہَا ؕ وَکَانَ اللّٰہُ عَزِیۡزًا حَکِیۡمًا وَعَدَکُمُ اللّٰہُ مَغَانِمَ کَثِیۡرَۃً تَاۡخُذُوۡنَہَا فَعَجَّلَ لَکُمۡ ہٰذِہٖ

“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; (i.e., the victory at Khaibar) and great spoils that they will take (i.e., they received great spoils from Khaibar). And Allah is Mighty, Wise. Allah has promised you great spoils that you will take, and He has given you this in advance […]” (The Holy Quran, 48:19-21).

The details regarding the preparation for the army and the appointment of a deputy in Medina are mentioned as follows:

When the Holy Prophet^sa announced to head towards Khaibar, it was declared that only those who had participated in the Treaty of Hudaybiyah would accompany him. According to one narration, the Holy Prophet^sa said that those who were departing in search of spoils of war should not accompany him; only those who were passionate to undertake Jihad should join the expedition. (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 115; Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 2, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 81)

According to Ibn Hisham, the Holy Prophet^sa appointed Hazrat Numaila bin Abdullah Laisi^ra as his deputy in Medina, while according to Imam Bukhari, Hazrat Sibah bin Urfatah^ra was appointed as the deputy. 

(Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 115; Imam Bukhari, Al-Tarikh al-Saghir, Maktabah al-Ma’arif, 1986, p. 43)

Both Allamah Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Sa’d have stated that the use of a large flag was first introduced during the Battle of Khaibar; prior to this, only small flags had been used. The Holy Prophet^sa granted the flags to Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra , Hazrat Umar^ra, Hazrat Hubab bin Mundhir^ra, and Hazrat Sa’d bin Ubadah^ra. The flag of the Holy Prophet^sa was black, made from Hazrat Aisha’s^ra shawl. It was named “Uqab” and was with Hazrat Hubab bin Mundhir^ra. (Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 52; Sharh al-Zurqani, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 255)

According to narrations, Hazrat Ali^ra was also given a flag, but this flag was given to him at Khaibar because Hazrat Ali^ra could not initially travel along with the Holy Prophet^sa due to a severe eye condition, which rendered him unable to see clearly. However, later, he became restless and joined the journey, eventually reaching Khaibar.

During this expedition, Hazrat Umm Salamah^ra, the Mother of the Believers, accompanied the Holy Prophet^sa. 

(Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Bierut, p. 115; Da’irah Ma’arif Sirat al-Nabi, Vol. 8, Bazm-I-Iqbal, Lahore, p. 391; Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 8, Dar al-Salam, p. 365)

According to one narration, six or seven female Companions also joined in this expedition, while another narration mentions that as many as twenty female Companions participated in the expedition.

Hazrat Umm Sinan Aslamiyyah^ra narrates that when the Holy Prophet^sa intended to head towards Khaibar, she went to him and requested, “O Messenger^sa of Allah, if you permit, I would like to accompany you. I will clean the water skins, safeguard the army’s supplies, and tend to the sick and wounded.” She says that the Holy Prophet^sa granted her permission. Likewise, some women from the tribe of Banu Ghaffar also came to the Holy Prophet^sa and said, “O Messenger^sa of Allah, we also wish to participate in the battle. We will tend to the wounded and assist the soldiers in whatever capacity we can.” The Holy Prophet^sa granted them permission and prayed for them to be bestowed with blessings. (Da’irah Ma’arif Sirat Muhammad Rasoolullah^sa, Vol 8, Bazm-I-Iqbal, Lahore, p. 371; Sunan Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Jihad, Bab fi al-Mar’ati wa al’Abd Yahziyan min al-Ghanimah, Hadith 2729; Imta al-Asma, Vol. 1, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 321)

When the Jews of Medina learned of the preparations of the Holy Prophet^sa and his Companions, they were greatly troubled. They realised that if the Holy Prophet^sa entered Khaibar, the fate of Khaibar would be the same as that of Banu Qainuqa, Banu Nadir, and Banu Qurayza, who had already been defeated. (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 115)

The Jews of Medina were wealthy, and the Muslims of Medina, due to their financial weakness, often borrowed from them. At this time, in the interest of the Jews of Khaibar, the Jews of Medina immediately began demanding repayment of the debts, in order to create difficulty for the Muslims and prevent them from going to war. (Bashmil, Fath-e-Khaibar, Nafees Academy, Karachi, p. 67)

There is an incident in relation to a Companion. Hazrat Ibn Abu Hadrad narrates that he was required to pay five dirhams, and according to another narration he owed four dirhams to a Jewish creditor, Abu Shahm, who demanded the money back from him. Hazrat Ibn Abu Hadrad replied, “Give me some time. I will repay you once I return from Khaibar, God willing, for Allah has promised His Messenger^sa that Khaibar will be granted to them as spoils.” Abu Shahm, filled with envy and animosity, responded, “Do you think fighting the people of Khaibar is like fighting common Bedouins? I swear by the Torah, there are 10,000 warriors there.”

Both of them presented their case to the Holy Prophet^sa. At that time, the situation was extremely tense, and this Jew expressed a strong bias in favour of the Jews of Khaibar, mocking the Muslim soldiers. As the head of state, the Holy Prophet^sa had the authority to stipulate a punishment for the Jew. However, the Holy Prophet’s^sa remarkable example of patience, forbearance, justice, and tolerance was evident as he instructed, “Give this Jewish man his due right.” Hazrat Ibn Abu Hadrad responded, “By Him Who sent you with the truth, I am not able to repay him right now.” The Holy Prophet^sa repeated, “Regardless of the circumstances, give him his right.”

Hazrat Ibn Abu Hadrad narrates that he removed his turban and used it as a waistcloth. He then sold the garment of his waistband in the market and repaid the Jew’s debt. He was given another piece of cloth, a cloak, by either Salmah bin Aslam or according to another narration it was given to him by an elderly female Companion, after she learned about the situation and gifted it to him.

It was Allah’s decree that during the campaign at Khaibar, Hazrat Ibn Abu Hadrad received spoils of war, which included a female prisoner who was related to the very same Abu Shahm. He then sold this woman to him.

(Da’irah Ma’arif Sirat Muhammad Rasoolullah^sa, Vol. 8, Bazm-I-Iqbal, Lahore, pp. 373-374; Bashmil, Fath-e-Khaibar, Nafees Academy, Karachi, p. 68)

Upon hearing the news of the Muslim army’s advance towards Khaibar, the Jews of Madinah not only expressed their hatred, enmity, and prejudice against the Muslims, but they also hired a Bedouin from the Ashja’ tribe and immediately sent him to Khaibar with essential information about the Muslims’ military preparations, along with a message urging the Jews to stand firm and fight the Muslims. In reality, the opponents of the Muslims did not need a spy, as the hypocrites in Medina were already carrying out such tasks quickly and efficiently. Thus, on this occasion as well, the leader of the hypocrites, Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, did not remain silent. Through one of his associates, he sent an urgent letter to the Jews of Khaibar. The contents of the letter were as follows:

“Muhammad^[sa] is coming towards you. Take measures for your defence, gather your wealth inside your fortresses, and prepare to face him on the battlefield. Do not be afraid of them at all. You are large in number, and Muhammad’s^[sa] men are few in number, and they have only a small number of weapons.” (Bashmil, Fath-e-Khaibar, pp. 69 and 72 as referenced in Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah)

When the Jews of Khaibar learned of the arrival [of the Muslim army], their leaders convened a meeting and there is mention of differing opinions expressed [among the Jewish leaders]. It is mentioned that when the Jews of Khaibar found out about the arrival of the Muslim army they convened a meeting to discuss how to fight against them. The Jewish leaders put forth various suggestions. One group suggested that the Jews should barricade themselves inside their fortresses and fight from behind the walls, believing that the Muslims would eventually be forced to abandon the siege due to frustration. However, Abu Zainab, the brother of the famous Khaibar warrior Marhab, proposed an alternative strategy: instead of fighting from within the fortresses, they should face the Muslims directly in the open field. He pointed out that the Jews of Medina had previously tried to defend themselves by barricading inside their forts, but in the end, it was the Muslims who emerged victorious. Despite this, the first group rejected Abu Zainab’s suggestion, arguing that their fortresses were far stronger than those of the Jews of Medina.

A third proposal by the Jews, which was even more arrogant and bold, came from Sallam bin Mishkam, the military commander of Khaibar’s forces. He suggested that they should launch an attack on Medina themselves and, joining forces with all their allies, eliminate the Muslims. The majority agreed with this opinion, but Kinanah bin Abu Al-Huqaiq, the chief of Khaibar, opposed it. He stated that their fortresses were not like those of Yathrab, and in a state of pride and arrogance, declared that Muhammad^sa would never dare to approach them. However, all leaders agreed to prepare and send a delegation to the surrounding warrior tribes to request military assistance.

Consequently, a fourteen-member delegation was formed, which according to some traditions was led by Kinanah, the chief of Khaibar himself. This delegation approached the tribes of Banu Asad, Ghatafan, and others, offering half of Khaibar’s annual produce in exchange for military support. The Banu Murrah tribe, exercising foresight, declined to provide such assistance. However, warring tribes like Banu Asad and Banu Ghatafan immediately dispatched an army of one thousand armed soldiers and began preparations to send an additional force of four thousand troops. (Bashmil, Fath-e-Khaibar, Nafees Academy, Karachi, pp. 75-77)

In any case, I will provide more details about this in the future, insha-Allah. At this time, I would like to mention some deceased members.

The first mention is of respected Muhammad Ashraf Sahib, son of respected Muhammad Bakhsh Sahib of Mandi Bahauddin, who recently passed away according to divine decree.

اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّا اِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْنَ

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

He is survived by three daughters and six sons. One of his sons, Kashif Javed Sahib, is currently in Senegal serving as the acting Missionary-in-charge and National President of the Jamaat, and for this reason, could not travel from Senegal to attend his father’s funeral. His son, who is a missionary, writes:

“My father was an extremely simple-hearted, good-natured, God-fearing person. He had immense love for Ahmadiyyat and Khilafat. He was the only Ahmadi in his family and often used to say that whatever we achieved was because of Ahmadiyyat. He would advise his children to always maintain their connection with Ahmadiyyat and Khilafat. His grandfather, Muhammad Azam Sahib, accepted Ahmadiyyat in 1968 in a village called Bhabra near Sargodha, and at that time, my father also became an Ahmadi.” He further says that his father was the only brother from his mother’s side who became an Ahmadi. After completing his matriculation, he left the village and took employment at Shah Taj Sugar Mill in Mandi Bahauddin, where he remained until his demise. In his old age, he eagerly learned to read the Holy Quran and then studied it with such dedication and love that he would complete one or two full readings every month. During Ramadan, he would complete it two or three times. He particularly helped the poor and never turned away anyone empty-handed. The missionary says his father would tell him that whatever blessings Allah the Almighty was bestowing upon them were due to the blessings of having devoted his life for the Jamaat.

One son, Mubasher Javed Sahib, says that he has been the Finance Secretary for several years, and his father was always regular in paying his contributions. Whenever he received his pension, he would try to pay the entire year’s contribution at once. Even at the time of his demise, he was concerned whether his contributions had been paid, and he was very grateful at the time of his death that Allah the Almighty had enabled him to pay all his contributions. May Allah the Almighty bestow him with forgiveness and mercy and grant patience and comfort to all [those he leaves behind].

The second mention is of Habib Muhammad Shatry Sahib, Naib Amir II of Kenya, son of Muhammad Habib Shatry Sahib. He was of Arab descent, and he passed away recently at the age of 56.

اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّا اِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْنَ

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

The deceased was a musi and is survived by his parents, wife, and three children. The National President of the Kenya Jamaat, Mahmood Tahir Sahib, says that his ancestors were from Yemen, and his father, Habib Shatry Sahib, accepted Ahmadiyyat in August 1982 and was a very sincere Ahmadi. The deceased was his eldest son. Shortly after his father’s acceptance, he also accepted Ahmadiyyat and fulfilled his pledge of allegiance until his demise.

He received his elementary education in Mombasa and was an extremely capable and talented student. The school even sent him to France for some time for further education. He always described his meetings with Khulafa as the best moments of his life – he had met Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV^rh and had also met me. He had the opportunity to serve in various capacities. At the time of his demise, he was serving as National Secretary Talim and Naib Amir II of Kenya. He further says, “I have known him for twenty years; he showed great respect to life-devotees and would perform any task assigned to him with utmost seriousness and never needed any reminders. He was regular in prayers, carefully observed Allah’s commandments and limits, was regular in financial contributions, possessed excellent morals, cared for the poor, fulfilled the rights of being obedient to his parents, and looked after his younger siblings. He was wise, sincere, and loyal. He held high positions in major companies, and Allah the Almighty had blessed him with financial prosperity. While he had connections with business, political, government and religious people from a worldly perspective, he never hid his belief in Ahmadiyyat but rather used it as an opportunity for preaching. This was why many high-ranking people from the government, business sector, politics and elites from Mombasa attended his funeral. May Allah the Almighty bestow the deceased with forgiveness and mercy and grant patience and strength to all his loved ones.

The third mention is of respected Anubi Madingo Sahib, who was the local president of a jamaat in Zimbabwe. He passed away recently.

اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّا اِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْنَ

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

His son, Yusuf Anubi Sahib, who is the President of the Zimbabwe Jamaat, writes that he was initially a Sunni Muslim and used to oppose the Community, but he had love for Islam in his heart. He was first in Malawi, where there was considerable opposition. Then he moved to Zimbabwe, where, out of his love for Islam, he gathered people around him and arranged congregational prayers in his area. He had a burning desire in his heart to become a true Muslim. Later, he came in contact with the Jamaat. Our missionary, Samiullah Sahib, had detailed discussions with him, and finally, he accepted Ahmadiyyat and was the first Ahmadi in his area.

After accepting Ahmadiyyat, he faced opposition, and the people he had gathered together left him. They created difficulties for him, so he left the centre he had set up for Jamaat gatherings and congregational prayers, and he started offering prayers and Friday prayers at home with his family members. However, he did not lose resolve and continued preaching, and many people heard his message, the message of the Jamaat, and joined the Jamaat through him. 

He was an influential personality, and many people joined the Jamaat after seeing him. Through his own financial sacrifice, he purchased land on which the first mosque of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in Zimbabwe is currently under construction. His wish was for it to be completed in his lifetime, but although it could not be completed then, it is now under construction. He was a very loyal, honest and trustworthy person. He would resolve people’s issues with great wisdom. Even before being elected as President of the Jamaat, people often trusted and relied on him. He would help the needy from his personal resources. His home was always full of guests, and he had a deep relationship of devotion with the Jamaat. He would always encourage everyone to stay connected with the Jamaat. He is survived by eight children, and as I mentioned, his son is the President of Zimbabwe Jamaat, and one of his grandsons, Qasim Anubi, is the first central missionary in Zimbabwe who studied at Jamia.

May Allah the Almighty bestow the deceased with forgiveness and mercy, and may the teachings of the Jamaat continue in his generations, and may they continue to do good deeds.

(Official Urdu transcript published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 21 February 2025, pp. 2-6. Translated by The Review of Religions.)