Friday Sermon – Men of Excellence: Hazrat Abu Bakr r.a. (25 February 2022)

Friday Sermon

25 February 2022

Men of Excellence: Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra

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

Accounts relating to Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq^ra were being narrated. One narration with regards to Hajjat-ul-Wada [farewell pilgrimage of the Holy Prophet^sa] is recorded in the following manner. The Holy Prophet^sa left for Hajjat-ul-Wada on a Thursday, when only six days were remaining to the month of Dhul-Qadah, in the 10^th year after Hijrah. According to another narration, the Holy Prophet^sa set off on a Saturday. (Ali bin Burhan al-Din al-Halabi, Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, Bab Hajjatul Wada [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 2002], p. 361)

Nevertheless, in one narration, Hazrat Asma bint Abi Bakr^ra relates, “When the Holy Prophet^sa intended to set off for Hajjat-ul-Wada, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra submitted, ‘O Messenger^sa of Allah! I have a camel and we can load our provisions upon it.’ The Holy Prophet^sa agreed to this. Hence, the same camel was used for the provisions of the Holy Prophet^sa and those of Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra. The Holy Prophet^sa had provisions prepared from flour and barley and loaded them on Hazrat Abu Bakr’s^ra camel. Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra then handed the camel to his servant.”

Hazrat Asma bint Abi Bakr^ra further relates, “We set off for Hajj alongside the Holy Prophet^sa. When we reached Arj, the Holy Prophet^sa dismounted his camel and we did so as well. Following this, Hazrat Aisha^ra sat down beside the Holy Prophet^sa and I sat down beside my father. The provisions of the Holy Prophet^sa and Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra were on the same camel, (as has been mentioned) and this was with a servant of Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra. 

Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra was waiting for him to arrive. The servant arrived, but the camel was not with him. Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra asked, ‘Where is your camel?’ He replied, ‘I lost it the previous night.’ Upon this, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra said, ‘There was only one camel and you have lost that as well?’ Following this, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra stood up in order to hit him. The Holy Prophet^sa was smiling and said, ‘Look at this Muhrim [a pilgrim who is in the state of Ihram]! What is he doing?’” 

Ibn Abi Rizmah relates that the Holy Prophet^sa only said, “Look at this Muhrim! What is he about to do?” The Holy Prophet^sa then started smiling. (Mustafa ‘Abd al-Wahid, Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad fi Sirat Khair al-‘Ibad, Vol. 7, Fi Husn Khulqih [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1993], pp. 12-13), (Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Manasik, Bab al-Muhrim Yu’addibu Ghulamah, Hadith 1818)

Nevertheless, when some of the companions came to know the provisions of the Holy Prophet^sa had been lost, they brought him some hees. This is a confection of very high quality made from dates, flour and butter. This was presented before the Holy Prophet^sa. The Holy Prophet^sa addressed Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra, who was reprimanding his servant, and said, “O Abu Bakr! Be lenient as this matter is neither in your control, nor ours. This servant must certainly have tried not to lose the camel, but it still got lost.” In any case, the Holy Prophet^sa said, “Look, this is a pure form of nourishment, which has been brought to us from Allah the Almighty and it is a replacement of our provisions that were with this servant.” Following this, the Holy Prophet^sa and Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra ate the food and those who used to eat with them also ate therefrom until all were satisfied with their fill. 

Thereafter, Hazrat Safwan bin Mu‘attal^ra arrived. His responsibility was to follow the entourage. The task that was entrusted to him was the same as mentioned in the incident of Ifk; to follow and see if anything had been left behind.

Hazrat Safwan^ra arrived and with him was the camel which was carrying the travel provisions. He brought the camel and sat it at the entrance of where the Holy Prophet^sa had camped. The Holy Prophet^sa then said to Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra, “Check to see if any of your belongings are missing.” Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra replied, “Aside from a bowl which we used to drink water from, nothing is missing.” Upon this, the servant said, “That bowl is with me.” (‘Ali bin Burhan al-Din al-Halabi, Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, Bab Hajjatul Wada’ [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 2002], p. 365), (Sayyid Fadl al-Rahman, Farhang-e-Sirat [Karachi, Pakistan: Zawwar Academy Publications, 2003], p. 110)

Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq^ra relates that he departed alongside the Holy Prophet^sa to perform the pilgrimage during the Hajjatul Wada. With him was his wife, Asma bint Umais^ra. When they reached Dhul-Hulaifah, Hazrat Asma’^ra gave birth to Muhammad bin Abi Bakr. Dhul-Hulaifah is situated 6-7 miles from Medina. Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra went to the Holy Prophet^sa and informed him about the birth. The Holy Prophet^sa said to him, “Tell Asma to bathe, then wear the Ihram for Hajj, and perform all the rites that others do – i.e. the other pilgrims – except for performing the circuits around the House of Allah.” (Sunan al-Nasa’‘i, Kitab al-Manasik al-Hajj, Bab al-Ghusl li al-Ihlal, Hadith 2664), (Yaqut Ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu’jam al-Buldan, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah], p. 339)

When the Holy Prophet^sa passed by the valley of Usfan he asked, “O Abu Bakr^ra, which valley is this?” Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra submitted, “This is the valley of Usfan.” The Holy Prophet^sa then stated, “Hazrat Hud^ra and Hazrat Salih^ra passed by here to perform the pilgrimage of the Ancient House, on two red camels, the bridles of which were made from the bark of date palms. They were wearing a cloak, wrapped with a black and white patterned cloth on top, and they were reciting the Talbiyah [prayer invoked whilst performing the pilgrimage].” (Mustafa ‘Abd al-Wahid, Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad fi Sirat Khair al-‘Ibad, Vol. 8, Fi Siyaq Hajjat al-Wada’ [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1993], p. 461) 

Along the journey during the Farewell Pilgrimage, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra was among those who had sacrificial animals with them. (‘Ali bin Burhan al-Din al-Halabi, Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, Bab Hajjatul Wada’ [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 2002], p. 369)

Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra relates:

“I saw during the Farewell Pilgrimage that Suhail bin Amr was stood at the place to make the sacrifices, and he was ushering the sacrificial animal of the Holy Prophet^sa closer to him. The Holy Prophet^sa slaughtered it with his own hands. He then called for a person to shave off the hair on his head.” Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra further says, “I saw Suhail was placing the blessed hair of the Holy Prophet^sa on his own eyes. I then remembered that this was the same Suhail who was stopping the Holy Prophet^sa from writing ‘Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim’ [in the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful] during the Treaty of Hudaibiyah. Upon this, I praised and glorified Allah, Who guided Suhail to Islam, and who then excelled immeasurably in his sincerity and devotion after being granted guidance.” (Mustafa ‘Abd al-Wahid, Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad fi Sirat Khair al-‘Ibad, Vol. 5, Fi Ghazwat al-Hudaibiyah [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1993], p. 64) 

In relation to Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq^ra leading the prayers during the final illness of the Holy Prophet^sa, Hazrat Aisha^ra relates:

“During his illness, the Holy Prophet^sa said, ‘Tell Abu Bakr^ra to lead the people during the prayers.’” Hazrat Aisha^ra states, “I then said, ‘Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra will not be able to be heard by the people due to [his] weeping whilst standing in your place. Therefore, instruct Hazrat Umar^ra to lead the prayers.’” Hazrat Aisha^ra then says, “I said to Hazrat Hafsah^ra, ‘Tell the Holy Prophet^sa that if Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra stands in his place the people will be unable to hear him from all his weeping, so he should instruct Hazrat Umar^ra to lead the people in prayer.’ Hazrat Hafsah^ra did so, but the Holy Prophet^sa expressed his displeasure and said, ‘Remain silent. You are behaving like the women in the time Joseph^as. Tell Abu Bakr that it is he who will lead the people in prayer.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Adhan, Bab Ahl al-‘Ilm wa al-Fadl Ahaqq bi al-Amanah, Hadith 679) 

Prior to the demise of the Holy Prophet^sa, when Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra was not present, Hazrat Bilal^ra told Hazrat Umar^ra to lead the prayers. When the voice of Hazrat Umar^ra reached the Holy Prophet^sa in his room, he asked, “Where is Abu Bakr^ra? Allah and the Muslims are not pleased that anyone other than Abu Bakr leads the prayers.” Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra was then called and he arrived when Hazrat Umar^ra had already completed the prayer. Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra then continued to lead the prayers during the illness of the Holy Prophet^sa up until his demise. (Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr, Al-Isti‘ab fi Ma’rifat al-Ashab, Vol. 3, Harf al-‘Ain [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 2002], pp. 96-97)

Hazrat Aisha^ra narrates:

“During the course of his illness, the Holy Prophet^sa instructed Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra to lead the people in prayer, and he did so accordingly.” Urwah reports, “When the Holy Prophet^sa felt some relief from his illness, he came into the mosque. He saw that Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra was standing in the front, leading the people in prayer. When Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra saw the Holy Prophet^sa, he stepped back. Seeing this, the Holy Prophet^sa indicated to Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra to remain in his place and the Holy Prophet^sa took a seat beside him. Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra followed the Holy Prophet^sa in prayer, and the people followed the prayer of Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Adhan, Bab man Qama ila Janb al-Imam, Hadith 683) 

This is a narration of Sahih al-Bukhari. There is another similar narration in Bukhari. Hazrat Anas bin Malik Ansari^ra narrates:

“Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra would lead the people in prayer during the illness of the Holy Prophet^sa that led to his demise. It was on a Monday while people were praying in their rows when the Holy Prophet^sa lifted the curtain to his chambers. The Holy Prophet^sa was standing and looking toward us, and it was as though his blessed face was a page of the Holy Quran. He was happy and smiled, and we thought that we would happily take on any hardship upon seeing the Holy Prophet^sa. Meanwhile, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra stepped backward to join the rows as he thought the Holy Prophet^sa had come out for prayer, however, the Holy Prophet^sa conveyed through an indication that we should complete our prayer, and then he let down his curtain. The Holy Prophet^sa passed away that very day.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Adhan, Bab Ahl al-‘Ilm wa al-Fadl Ahaqq bi al-Amanah, Hadith 680) 

In accordance with the first narration, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra states: 

“Hazrat Aisha^ra narrates, ‘when the Holy Prophet^sa was unwell due to the illness that led to his demise, he was unable to lead the prayers because of severe weakness. For this reason, he instructed Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra to lead the prayers. When Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra started the prayer, the Holy Prophet^sa felt some relief and went out for prayer.’ Hazrat Aisha^ra states, ‘After instructing Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra to lead the prayer and after the prayer had started, the Holy Prophet^sa felt some alleviation from his illness. Thus, the Holy Prophet^sa emerged while two men supported him up.’ She continues to state, ‘At that time, I saw before my eyes that the feet of the Holy Prophet^sa were dragging against the ground due to severe pain. Upon seeing him, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra intended on stepping back. The Holy Prophet^sa became aware of this and indicated to Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra to remain in his place. Then, the Holy Prophet^sa was brought there and he took a seat next to Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra. Following this, the Holy Prophet^sa began to pray and Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra followed him in prayer, and the rest of the people followed Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra in prayer.’” (Sirat al-Nabi^sa, Anwar al-‘Ulum, Vol. 1, pp. 506-507)

In respect to the demise of the Holy Prophet^sa, Urwah bin Zubair has reported another narration from the blessed wife of the Holy Prophet^sa, Hazrat Aisha^ra: 

“The Holy Prophet^sa had passed away while Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra was in Sun‘a’ (in other words, he was in the village of Sun‘a’, located in the outskirts). Upon hearing the news, Hazrat Umar^ra stood up (when the Holy Prophet^sa passed away, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra was not present, however, Hazrat Umar^ra was present and he stood up) and said, ‘I swear by Allah, the Holy Prophet^sa has not passed away.’” 

Hazrat Aisha^ra states:

“Hazrat Umar^ra would say, ‘I swear by Allah, at the time, I felt that Allah will surely cause the Holy Prophet^sa to awaken in order to cut the hands and feet of some of the people.’ Meanwhile, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra arrived, removed the cloth from the face of the Holy Prophet^sa, kissed [his forehead] and said, ‘May my parents be sacrificed for you. You are holy and pure at the time of your demise, just as you were during your life. I swear by Him in Whose hands is my life, Allah will never allow you to be subjected to two deaths.’ After saying this, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra went outside and said, ‘O you who is swearing an oath, stop what you are doing (i.e. he told Hazrat Umar^ra to stop).’ When Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra began speaking, Hazrat Umar^ra sat down. Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra praised God and said, 

ألَا مَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ يَعْبُدُ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَإِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا قَدْ مَاتَ، وَمَنْ كَانَ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ فَإِنَّ اللّٰهَ حَىٌّ لاَ يَمُوتُ

“‘Whosoever worshipped Muhammad^sa, then let it be known that Muhammad has surely passed away. And whosoever worships Allah, then they should know that Allah is Living and can never die.’ Then, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra recited this verse: 

اِنَّكَ‭ ‬مَيِّتٌ‭ ‬وَّاِنَّهُمۡ‭ ‬مَّيِّتُوۡنَ

“That is, surely, thou wilt die, and surely they too will die. (Surah az-Zumar, Ch.39: V31). 

“He then recited the following verse: 

وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ اِلَّا رَسُوۡلٌ ۚ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِنۡ قَبۡلِهِ الرُّسُلُ ؕ اَفَا۠ئِنۡ مَّاتَ اَوۡ قُتِلَ انۡقَلَبۡتُمۡ عَلٰۤي اَعۡقَابِكُمۡ ؕ وَمَنۡ يَّنۡقَلِبۡ عَلٰي عَقِبَيۡهِ فَلَنۡ يَّضُرَّ اللّٰهَ شَيۡئًا ؕ وَسَيَجۡزِي اللّٰهُ الشّٰكِرِيۡنَ 

“‘And Muhammad is only a Messenger. Verily, all Messengers have passed away before him. If then he die or be slain, will you turn back on your heels? And he who turns back on his heels shall not harm Allah at all. And Allah will certainly reward the grateful.’” (Surah aal-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.145)

The narrator says, “Upon hearing this, the people wept profusely.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fada’il Ashab a-Nabi^sa,Bab Qaul al-Nabi^sa lau Kunta Muttakhidhan Khalilan, Hadith 3667-3668) 

Hazrat Ibn Abbas^ra states:

“I swear by Allah, it seemed as though up until that moment when Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra had recited this verse, the people were unaware that Allah had even revealed this verse. It was as if the people learnt this verse from him, and following this, whomever I came across was reciting this very verse.” The narrator states, “Sa‘eed bin Musayyib told me that Hazrat Umar^ra stated, ‘I swear by Allah, as soon as I heard Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra recite this verse, I became so anxious that I fell to the ground because my feet could not hold me up out of awe. When I heard Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra recite this verse, I realised that the Holy Prophet^sa had passed away.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi,Bab Marad al-Nabi^sa wa Wafatuh, Hadith 4454) 

Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar^ra narrates:

“Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra passed by Hazrat Umar^ra while he was saying that the Holy Prophet^sa had not passed away and would not pass away until Allah the Almighty eradicates the hypocrites.” Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar^ra continues, “Upon hearing this, they (the companions) rejoiced and raised their heads, while Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra said, ‘Let it be known that the Holy Prophet^sa has indeed passed away (he was addressing Hazrat Umar^ra and said that the Holy Prophet^sa had indeed passed away). Have you not heard that Allah the Almighty has stated: 

اِنَّكَ‭ ‬مَيِّتٌ‭ ‬وَّاِنَّهُمۡ‭ ‬مَّيِّتُوۡنَ

“Surely, thou wilt die, and surely they too will die.” 

“And, [Allah the Almighty has also stated]: 

وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا لِبَشَرٍ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ الۡخُلۡدَ

“We granted not everlasting life to any human being before thee.”’ 

Following this, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra stood at the pulpit and addressed the people.” 

In any case, Abu Abdillah Qurtabi states in the commentary of this hadith, “This incident is a great testament to the bravery of Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra, because the pinnacle of bravery is to remain resolute and steadfast during adversity, and there could have been no greater trial for the Muslims at that time than the demise of the Holy Prophet^sa.

Thus, at that moment, the extent of his knowledge and bravery both became apparent.” (Al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah, Vol. 4, p. 457, Al-Maktab al-Islami, 2004)

His bravery was demonstrated by his ability to endure the tragedy, and his knowledge was demonstrated through his explanation of the verses of the Holy Quran. 

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra states:

 “It is recorded in books of traditions and history that the demise of the Holy Prophet^sa had such a profound impact upon the Companions that they were utterly shocked, rendering some unable to speak, some unable to walk, some unable to maintain control over their senses and thoughts; in fact, some were so deeply impacted by this shock that within the span of a few days, they passed away one after the other. 

“Hazrat Umar^ra was so severely impacted by this shock, that he denied the news of the Holy Prophet’s^sa demise altogether and stood with his sword in his hand declaring, ‘If anyone says that the Holy Prophet^sa has passed away I will kill them. He has merely been summoned just as Moses^as had been. Just as he returned after 40 days, so too will the Holy Prophet^sa return after some time. Those who raise allegations against him and are hypocrites will be killed and crucified.’ He made this declaration with such passion that none of the Companions felt the strength to refute him. In fact, seeing this passion from Hazrat Umar^ra convinced some of them that indeed, the truth is that the Holy Prophet^sa has not passed away and this joy was apparent from their expressions. 

“Thus, people felt either dejected or elated. Upon seeing this state of affairs, some of the more prudent Companions immediately sent a Companion to bring back Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra, who had travelled to a village near Medina with the permission of the Holy Prophet^sa once his health had slightly improved. The Companion had only just set out when he met Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra who was on his way back. Upon seeing him, tears began flowing from the eyes of the Companion who had set out to deliver the news and wept uncontrollably. Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra understood what had happened and asked the Companion whether the Holy Prophet^sa had passed away. He explained that Hazrat Umar^ra was declaring that whoever said the Holy Prophet^sa had passed away, he would behead them with his sword. 

“Upon this, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra proceeded to the Holy Prophet’s^sa home. He removed the sheet that was covering the blessed body of the Holy Prophet^sa in order to confirm that he had indeed passed away. The grief of losing his beloved drew Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra to tears, as he bent down and kissed the Holy Prophet’s^sa forehead and said, ‘By God, Allah the Almighty will not cause you to die twice. The world has suffered by your loss, such suffering which has never been endured upon the demise of any other prophet. Your being is beyond description and your grandeur is such that no amount of mourning will lessen our grief. Had we possessed the power to hinder your demise then all of us would have sacrificed our lives in exchange for saving yours from death.’ 

“After saying this, he covered the Holy Prophet^sa with the sheet and then proceeded towards the area where Hazrat Umar^ra was sitting with a group of Companions and he was telling them that the Holy Prophet^sa had not passed away and was still alive. When he reached there, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra asked Hazrat Umar^ra to be silent, however, he did not listen and continued speaking. Thus, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra moved to one side and began informing people that the Holy Prophet^sa had passed away. The Companions moved away from Hazrat Umar^ra and began gathering around Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra; eventually, Hazrat Umar^ra had no choice but to listen to him. (As has been mentioned earlier), Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra then said:

وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ اِلَّا رَسُوۡلٌ ۚ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِنۡ قَبۡلِهِ الرُّسُلُ ؕ اَفَا۠ئِنۡ مَّاتَ اَوۡ قُتِلَ انۡقَلَبۡتُمۡ عَلٰۤي اَعۡقَابِكُمۡ ؕ وَمَنۡ يَّنۡقَلِبۡ عَلٰي عَقِبَيۡهِ فَلَنۡ يَّضُرَّ اللّٰهَ شَيۡئًا ؕ وَسَيَجۡزِي اللّٰهُ الشّٰكِرِيۡنَ،  يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاالنَّاسُ مَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ يَعْبُدُ مُحَمَّدًا فَإِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا قَدْ مَاتَ، وَمَنْ كَانَ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ حَىٌّ لاَ يَمُوتُ

“Meaning, ‘And Muhammad is only a Messenger. Verily all Messengers have passed away before him. If then he die or be slain, will you turn back on your heels? Surely you will die, and surely they too will die. O people! Let whoever worshipped Muhammad^sa hear that Muhammad^sa has passed away. Whoever worshipped Allah should remember that He is Living and cannot die.’ 

“When Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra quoted both of the verses just mentioned and informed people that the Holy Prophet^sa had passed away, the Companions realised the reality and immediately began weeping. Hazrat Umar^ra himself states, ‘When Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra proved the Holy Prophet’s^sa demise through verses of the Holy Quran, it felt to me as if those two verses had been revealed on that very day, and my knees became weak, almost unable to bear the weight of my body. I began stumbling and the immense shock caused me to fall to the ground.’” (Dawat al-Amir, Anwar al-‘Ulum, Vol. 7, pp. 345-347)

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra states regarding the first consensus among the Muslims on this occasion:

“All prophets prior to the Holy Prophet^sa passed away, including Jesus^as. When the Holy Prophet^sa passed away, the Muslims were in a state of anguish and the grief became unbearable. This same anguish led Hazrat Umar^ra to draw out his sword while saying, ‘if anyone says that the Holy Prophet^sa has passed away, I will behead them. The Holy Prophet^sa has not passed away, rather, just like Moses^as, he has gone to meet God and will return to eliminate the hypocrites, and then pass away.’ Hazrat Umar^ra believed that until the hypocrites were eliminated, the Holy Prophet^sa could not pass away. Since there were still hypocrites present at the time of his demise, he thought that the Holy Prophet^sa had not yet passed away. Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra arrived from a village he had been visiting near Medina. He went to the Holy Prophet’s^sa home, saw his body and confirmed that he had indeed passed away, after which he left. He emerged whilst saying, ‘Allah the Almighty will not allow the Holy Prophet^sa to die twice’, meaning one being the physical demise, whilst the other referring to the spiritual death of Muslims upon his demise. He then went straight to the congregation of the Companions and said that he wished to say something to the people. Hazrat Umar^ra was standing with his sword in hand with the intention that if anyone announced the Holy Prophet’s^sa demise, he would kill them. Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra stood and made this very announcement to the people, saying:

مَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ يَعْبُدُ مُحَمَّدًا فَإِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا قَدْ مَاتَ، وَمَنْ كَانَ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ حَىٌّ لاَ يَمُوتُ

“Meaning, ‘Let whoever worshipped Muhammad hear that Muhammad^sa has passed away. Let whoever worshipped Allah rejoice, for He is Living and can never die.’

“Then, (as mentioned earlier), he recited the following verse from the Holy Quran:

وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٞ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِن قَبۡلِهِ الرُّسُلُ ۚ أَفَإِيْن مَّاتَ أَوۡ قُتِلَ انقَلَبۡتُمۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَعۡقَٰبِكُمۡ ۚ

“‘And Muhammad is only a Messenger. Verily all Messengers have passed away before him. (How then would he not pass away as well?). If then he die or be slain, will you turn back on your heels (and leave Islam)?’

Hazrat Umar^ra states, ‘When Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra recited this verse of the Holy Quran, it opened my eyes and it felt as if this verse had only just been revealed. It became clear to me that the Holy Prophet^sa had passed away. My feet began to tremble and I fell to the ground.’” 

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra continues:

“This is the only Ijma‘ [consensus] of the companions because, at the time, all the companions were present. In reality, the Muslims never experienced a time like this because, after that, they never gathered together in the same manner. In this consensus, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra recited the following verse: 

“‘Muhammad was but a messenger, verily all messengers before him have passed away. Therefore, it is not an objectionable matter if he too passes away.’ And all of the companions agreed with him.” (Mas‘alah-e-Wahi-o-Nubuwwat ke Muta‘allaq Islami Nazariyyah, Anwar al-‘Ulum, Vol. 23, pp. 327-328) 

Whilst explaining this in relation to Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra, the Promised Messiah^as says: 

“Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq^ra has done such a great favour to this Ummah that it cannot be adequately thanked. Had he not gathered all the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, in the Prophet’s^sa Mosque and recited this verse to them that all the previous Prophets had died, the Ummah would have perished. For, in that case, today’s mischievous ulema would have contended that the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, too believed that Hazrat ‘Isa is alive. But now, due to Siddique the Great presenting this aforementioned verse, an ijma‘ has formed among all the Companions that all past Prophets had died—even couplets were composed reflecting this consensus. May God shower thousands of blessings upon Abu Bakr’s soul. He saved all souls from perdition. All the Companions were included in this ijma‘, not even a single one of them was out of it. It was the first ijma‘ of the Companions and was an act deserving of the utmost gratitude. There is a mutual similarity between Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, and the Promised Messiah, namely, the promise of God, in the Holy Qur’an, regarding both of them was that they would appear at a time when a state of fear will prevail upon Islam and a chain of apostasy will start. So, that is exactly what happened in the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr, and in the time of the Promised Messiah. That is, in the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr hundreds of ignorant Arabs had turned apostate after the demise of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and there remained only two mosques where prayers were held. Hazrat Abu Bakr re-established them on Islam. Similarly, in the time of the Promised Messiah hundreds of thousands of people renounced Islam and became Christians. Both these circumstances are mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, that is, they are mentioned by way of a prophecy.” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part 5, pp. 379-380 footnote, [English edition])

With regards to the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra, it is mentioned that when the noble companions learnt of the Holy Prophet’s^sa demise, they gathered in the Saqifah [courtyard] of the Banu Sa‘idah. In this gathering, they were discussing the issue of Khilafat. The Ansar gathered in favour of Sa‘d bin Ubadah^ra, the leader of the Khazraj. (Muhammad al-Salabi, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq^ra aur Karname [Pakistan: Maktabat al-Furqan], p. 174) 

At the time, Hazrat Sa‘d bin Ubadah^ra was unwell. After mentioning his considerable sacrifices and services for Islam, the Ansar declared him to be worthy of Khilafat. Nonetheless, after declaring him to be worthy of Khilafat, the Ansar had not yet pledged allegiance to him when a person from among the Ansar posed the question that what would happen if the Muhajirin did not accept their Khilafat. Upon this, a person suggested that there ought to be one Khalifa from among the Ansar and one Khalifa from among the Muhajirin. However, Hazrat Sa‘d bin Ubadah^ra brushed this aside declaring it to be a weakness on part of the Aus tribe. 

The Ansar were still debating the issue of Khilafat in the courtyard of the Banu Sa‘idah when Hazrat Umar bin al-Khattab^ra, Hazrat Abu Ubaidah bin al-Jarrah^ra and other prominent companions were gathered in Masjid Nabawi, coming to terms with the tragic loss of the Holy Prophet^sa. Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra, Hazrat Ali^ra and other members of the Holy Prophet’s^sa family were occupied with making the funeral preparations. No one had even thought about the matter of Khilafat and were unaware that the Ansar had gathered together to deliberate on the matter and wished to elect a leader from among them. (Siddiq Akbar, Muhammad Husain Haikal, translated by Anjum Sultan Shahbaz, pp. 85, 86, Shirkat Printing Press Lahore)

In al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, it is written that Hazrat Umar^ra came to Hazrat Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah^ra and said, “Extend your hand so that I can pledge allegiance. For you have been declared the ‘Custodian of the Faith’ by the Holy Prophet^sa himself.” Hazrat Abu Ubaidah^ra said to Hazrat Umar^ra: “Ever since you have accepted Islam, I have never seen an oversight on your part like this. Will you pledge allegiance to me, whilst we have ‘Siddiq’ and ‘One of the two’ (i.e. Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra) present among us?” (Ibn Sa‘d, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Dhikr Bai’at Abi Bakr^ra [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1990], p. 135)

During this conversation, they learnt about the gathering of the Ansar. Upon this, Hazrat Umar^ra sent a message to Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra informing him that there was an important matter to resolve. Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra refused to come outside since he was preoccupied with ensuring the funeral arrangements. Upon this, Hazrat Umar^ra sent another message inside saying, “There is an urgent matter for which your presence is vital.” Upon this Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra came outside and asked Hazrat Umar^ra what could be more important than the burial arrangements of the Holy Prophet^sa for which he was calling him. Hazrat Umar^ra said, “Do you know the Ansar have gathered in the courtyard of the Banu Sa‘idah, and have decided to elect Hazrat Sa‘d bin Ubadah^ra as the Khalifa. A person from among them said that there ought to be one leader from among them and one leader from among the Quraish.” Upon hearing this, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra, Hazrat Umar^ra and Hazrat Abu Ubaidah^ra reached the courtyard of the Banu Sa‘idah, where they were in the midst of the debate. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq^ra, Hazrat Umar^ra and Hazrat Abu Ubaidah^ra went and sat among them. (Muhammad Husain Haikal, Hazrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr^ra [Lahore, Pakistan: Shirkat Printing Press, 2007], pp. 86-87), (Al-Hajj Hakeem Ghulam Nabi, Sayyiduna Siddiq Akbar^ra [Lahore, Pakistan: Adabiyyat], p. 72-73) 

 In one narration, Hazrat Umar^ra stated:

“We went to the Ansar. When we reached near to them, we met with two righteous people, Uwaim bin Sa‘idah and Ma‘an bin Adi. They both informed us of the intentions of the Ansar. They then asked, ‘Where are you headed to?’ to which we said, ‘We are going to see our Ansar brothers.’ They said, ‘You do not need to go to them, you can solve the matter amongst yourselves.’ We said to them, ‘By God, we will certainly go to them.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Hudud, Bab Rajam al-Hubla min al-Zina…, Hadith 6830), (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Hadith 4021) 

Nonetheless, they went to them. Hazrat Umar^ra further says:

“We reached the Ansar. In my mind, I thought of a speech that I would deliver before the Ansar. Thus, when we reached there and I was about to say what I had thought, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra said to me, ‘Wait until I have spoken. After that, say whatever you wish to say.’ Then Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra began speaking and said everything that I had wanted to say, in fact, he said even more.” (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1987], p. 242)

With regards to what Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra said in his speech, it is recorded briefly in the following narration; Abdullah bin Abdir Rahman states: 

“After praising Allah and glorifying Him, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra said: ‘Verily Allah sent Muhammad^sa as a messenger and a guardian towards His creation so that they can worship Allah and affirm His Oneness. Prior to this, they would worship various gods, and would say that these gods would intercede on their behalf and bestow benefit on them, even though they were carved from wood and stone.’ Then Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra recited the following verse:

وَيَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللّٰهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُمۡ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمۡ وَيَقُولُونَ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ شُفَعَـٰٓؤُنَا عِندَ اللّٰهِ ۚ

“‘And they worship, instead of Allah, that which neither harms them nor profits them; and they say, ‘These are our intercessors with Allah.’

مَا نَعۡبُدُهُمۡ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَآ إِلَى اللّٰهِ زُلۡفَىٰٓ

“‘We serve them only that they may bring us near to Allah in station.’” 

“He then stated, ‘Arabs would dislike it if someone abandoned the faith of their forefathers. Thus, from among the Holy Prophet’s^sa tribe, Allah the Almighty primarily bestowed the opportunity upon the Muhajirin to attest to the truthfulness of Holy Prophet^sa and accept his message and support him in time of need. They remained steadfast with the Holy Prophet^sa throughout the terrible persecution and rejection by his own people.’

“Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra further said: 

“‘Despite the fact that everyone opposed them and persecuted them. Yet, in spite of them being fewer in numbers, they never feared the oppression and the united front of their own people. They [i.e. the Muhajirin] were the first people on the face of the Earth to worship Allah [in Islam] and profess belief in Allah and His Messenger^sa. They are the friends and relatives of the Holy Prophet^sa and after him, they are the worthiest of being granted this station. Except for a transgressor, no one would quarrel with them in this matter. O people of the Ansar! Your eminence and your acceptance of Islam first [collectively] cannot be denied. Your assistance of Allah’s faith and His Messenger^sa is the reason why Allah was pleased with you. Furthermore, it was ordained for the migration of Allah’s Messenger^sa to take place towards you. The majority of his wives and companions live here. After the initial Muhajirin, there is no equal to you in rank and status. The leader is from among us and you are the viziers. You will be consulted in every important matter and we will not make any important decision without consulting you first.’” (Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1987], p. 242)

The speech delivered by Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra in the courtyard of Banu Sa‘idah has been mentioned in Sirat al-Halabiyyah as follows: 

Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra stated:

“As far as the matter of Khilafat is concerned, the Arabs will not accept anyone other than from among the Quraish. The Quraish, in terms of their lineage and tribe and in their land, which is Mecca, have always occupied a lofty and high status. Through our lineage we are connected with all the Arabs because there is not a single tribe which does not have a close relation in some way or another with the Quraish. We, the Muhajirin, were the first to accept Islam and belong to the same clan and family of the Holy Prophet^sa and have close ties with him. We are from the family of the Prophet^sa and thus have a greater right to Khilafat.” (Ali bin Burhan al-Din al-Halabi, Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, Bab ma yudhkaru fi Muddat Maradih… [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 2002], pp. 504-505)

Whilst mentioning these same incidents, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal writes in his Musnad about the role played by Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra. After mentioning about Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra arriving on the occasion of the Holy Prophet’s^sa demise and delivering a speech to the Muslims and announcing the demise of the Holy Prophet^sa, it narrates as follows: 

“After delivering his speech and announcing the demise of the Holy Prophet^sa, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra and Hazrat Umar^ra quickly left for the courtyard of the Banu Sa‘idah. Upon reaching there, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra initiated the conversation and recited whatever had been revealed in the Holy Quran regarding the Ansar and did not leave anything out. He also mentioned all the excellences the Holy Prophet^sa had said about the Ansar. 

“Thereafter, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra stated, ‘You all recall that the Messenger^sa of Allah stated that if all the people walked through a valley and the Ansar walked through another valley, he would walk through the valley of the Ansar.’ Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra then turned towards Hazrat Sa‘d^ra and stated, ‘O Sa‘d! Do you recall the time when you were also sat there and the Holy Prophet^sa stated that the Quraish have a greater right to Khilafat and that the pious people will be led by the pious people of the Quraish and the rebellious ones will be under the rule of the rebellious people of the Quraish?’ Upon this, Hazrat Sa‘d^ra replied, ‘Yes, you indeed have spoken the truth. We are the viziers and you are the leaders.’” (Ahmad bin Hanbal, Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 1, Musnad Abi Bakr^ra, Hadith 18 [Cairo, Egypt: Dar al-Hadith, 1994], p. 185, 189)

These accounts will insha’Allah continue in the future. 

I would like to draw attention towards prayers in light of the current situation of the world. The situation has become extremely perilous and continues in severity. It is not just one country, in fact many countries will become embroiled in this conflict if it continues and its horrifying consequences will last for generations to come.

May God enable the people to recognise God Almighty and not to play with human lives for the sake of fulfilling their worldly desires. 

In any case, we can only pray and admonish them, and we have been continually doing so for a long time now. But especially during these days, Ahmadis should pray extensively that may Allah the Almighty safeguard humanity from the horrifying conditions of war and the unimaginable destruction that could take place. 

After the Friday prayers, I shall lead a funeral prayer in absentia of respected Khushi Muhammad Shakir Sahib, who was a missionary of the Community. He passed away a few days ago at the age of 69: 

إِنَّا‭ ‬لِلّٰهِ‭ ‬وَإِنَّآ‭ ‬إِلَيۡهِ‭ ‬رٰجِعُونَ

 [Verily, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return] 

By the grace of Allah the Almighty he was a Musi. Ahmadiyyat entered their family through their paternal grandfather, Hazrat Maulvi Kareem Bakhsh Sahib^ra, who was a companion of the Promised Messiah^as. He accepted Ahmadiyyat upon witnessing the sign of the plague. The brother of Hazrat Maulvi Kareem Bakhsh Sahib’s^ra wife, Hazrat Haji Muhammad Abdullah Sahib^ra also had the good fortune of doing the Bai‘at at the hand of the Promised Messiah^as. In the list of companions of the Promised Messiah^as published in Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 8, Hazrat Haji Muhammad Abdullah Sahib’s^ra name is 23^rd on the list. (Zameemah Tarikh Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 8, p. 11)

With regards to the details of Khushi Muhammad Shakir Sahib; he passed his matriculation exam in 1969 and then devoted his life for waqf and entered Jamia Ahmadiyya. He obtained his Shahid degree from Jamia in 1977 and passed his Arabi Fazal exam in 1978. He then served the Jamaat and in 1987 he obtained a master’s in Islamiyat. 

Aside from serving in various cities in Pakistan, he also had the opportunity to serve as a missionary in Guinea Conakry where he also obtained a diploma in the French language. Allah the Almighty blessed him with six sons and one of his sons, Nasir Islam Sahib is also a missionary of the community and is currently serving in Rabwah. 

Khushi Muhammad Sahib had the opportunity to serve in various regions of Pakistan from 1977 to 1991. From 1991 to 2007, he served in Sierra Leone and Guinea Conakry. After returning from there, he had the opportunity to serve in various offices in the Anjuman from 2008. He also had the opportunity to serve in Additional Nizarat Islah-o-Irshad Muqami and in Nizarat Umur-e-Aama. 

Whilst serving in Africa many pious souls accepted Ahmadiyyat through him and many Jamaats were established. He was a very selfless and hardworking missionary. Various people have related many faith-inspiring accounts of his in the field of tabligh as to how Allah the Almighty helped him. He also had the opportunity to serve as an Aseer Rah-e-Maula [prisoner in the way of Allah] in July 1986 in a case related to the Kalimah Tayyibah. 

His wife writes:

“I can testify that throughout my whole life he never missed his prayer nor the tahajjud prayer. Whenever he would return from an official Jamaat trip, despite the fatigue and tiredness, he would ensure to offer his prayers and he would try to offer it in congregation. Even when his illness had greatly intensified and it was very difficult for him to walk, he would go to offer the prayers in congregation. 

“He possessed countless qualities. He would always remain occupied in fulfilling the rights of Allah and the rights of His creation. He would be mindful of even the minutest aspects of taqwa and had great love for Khilafat. He was very obedient, humble and modest. He had great respect for the missionaries and office-bearers and showed great love and affection to children. He would generously spend on his relatives and looked after the poor. He had a great passion for tabligh. In the final days of his illness, when his health deteriorated quite a lot, he was taken to the emergency department for three nights and three days and when he would return home, even then he would not miss his tahajjud prayer. One day he came from the hospital and offered his Fajr prayer and then got ready and went to the office. When he was advised not to go, he would say that this was the duty of a waqf and therefore he should not be stopped from his work.” 

His son, Nasir Islam, who is a missionary of the community states:

“Ever since we can recall, we have observed our father offering the tahajjud prayer and demonstrating an exemplary level of obedience. Whether it be a senior office-bearer or junior, he would always show obedience. He would give sadaqah [charity] daily. He would always complete the tasks that were set for the day. He was extremely sociable and had a great passion for tabligh.” 

He further states:

“I have observed my father that whilst in Africa, whether he was going to the mosque or returning, going for a walk, sitting in a hotel eating, or if he was sitting in a waiting room or if he met a police or military officer, he would never let an opportunity for tabligh go. If we saw someone coming, we would often say that now that our father has seen him that person cannot escape now and our father will certainly do tabligh to him.” 

Another son of his states:

“Our father told us that once in Africa he was facing a lot of challenges in the field of tabligh. He offered a lot of prayers and offered the tahajjud prayer. He then heard a voice whilst in prostration, ‘failure is not in my nature.’ Subsequently, the next day the challenge he was facing in his tabligh work was removed.” 

In any case, many people have written accounts about him and all of them have said that he was very sociable, humble, devoted to worship and had a firm bond with Khilafat and perfect trust in Allah the Almighty. May Allah the Almighty grant him His forgiveness and mercy. May He elevate his status and enable his children to continue his good deeds. 

(Official Urdu transcript published in Al Fazl International 18-24 March 2022, pp. 5-10. Translated by The Review of Religions.)