Friday Sermon
10 May 2024
Muhammadsa: The Great Exemplar
After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
Today, I will mention some expeditions from the time of the Holy Prophetsa. In this regard, the mischief of the tribe of Banu Asad and the expedition of Abu Salamah will be discussed first. A sariyyah refers to an expedition in which the Holy Prophetsa did not participate personally but sent others on missions. Even these shed light on the life of the Holy Prophetsa; on his wisdom, how he defended the Muslims and how sympathetic he was towards the enemy. These expeditions shed light on all these aspects of his life as well.
In any case, this expedition took place in Muharram of 4 AH, and it was led by Hazrat Abu Salamah bin Abd al-Asad Makhzumira. (Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 6, Darussalam, Riyadh, 1434 AH, p. 424)
Abu Salamah’sra name was Abdullah and his filial appellation was Abu Salamah. His mother was Barrah bint Abd al-Muttalib, who was the paternal cousin of the Holy Prophetsa and the foster brother of Hazrat Hamzahra. He was suckled by the maid of Abu Lahab, Thuwaibah. The mother of the believers, Umm-e-Salamahra, was previously married to him. (Usd-ul-Ghaba, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 295)
Hazrat Abu Salamahra participated in the Battles of Badr and Uhud. He was wounded during the Battle of Uhud and was being treated for a month. The wound had apparently healed to such an extent that no one could recognise it. (Al-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 182)
The backdrop to this expedition is as follows:
The hypocrites and Jews who lived in Medina started celebrating due to the outcome and circumstances of the Battle of Uhud. Once again, the thoughts entered their hearts that they could soon start scheming to eradicate the Muslims. Similarly, the tribes that lived in the surroundings of Medina, who had become fearful due to the magnificent victory of the Muslims during the Battle of Badr, started harbouring these thoughts as well that the Muslims have suffered great losses during [the Battle of] Uhud. As such, they considered this as an opportunity to attack the Muslims and cause them even greater losses and acquire their wealth and belongings by looting them. Hence, only two months had passed following the Battle of Uhud when these tribes started scheming to attack the Muslims, and the first tribe to do so was that of Banu Asad bin Khuzaimah. This tribe lived in Najd. The leader of this tribe, Tulaihah bin Khuwailid, and his brother, Salamah bin Khuwailid, gathered people together and formed an army. An individual from Banu Asad, Qais bin Harith bin Umair, advised his people not to attack the Muslims and said: “O my people! This is not wise. We have not suffered any loss at the hands of the Muslims (i.e., they are not causing us any harm), nor have they attacked us to loot [our belongings]. Our location is far from Yathrib (i.e., it is far from Medina) and we do not have an army like the Quraish either. Even the Quraish sought help against them from the people of Arabia. They wanted to seek revenge, so they set out on their camels and took hold of the reins of their horses. They were 3,000 soldiers, had a large following with them and also had a lot of weaponry. What are you in comparison to this? You will set out with hardly 300 individuals. As such, you will deceive yourselves, you will be far removed from your home and I fear that you will fall into difficulties.” However, they rejected the advice of Qais.
The news of Banu Asad’s plots to attack Medina reached the Holy Prophetsa when a person from the Banu Tayy tribe named Waleed bin Zuhair came to Medina. He had come to meet his niece Zainab, wife of Tulaib bin Umair bin Wahbra. He informed about these plans of the Banu Asad tribe, and so the Holy Prophetsa decided that prior to the Banu Asad tribe attacking Medina, the Muslims would, for their own security, launch an attack in their area. Thus, he called Hazrat Abu Salamah bin Abd al-Asadra and instructed him, “Go forth on this mission. I have appointed you to oversee this.” Thereafter, the Holy Prophetsa tied the banner for him and instructed him, “Continue on your journey until you reach the lands of Banu Asad before they are able to assemble their army to confront you. Once you reach there, launch an attack on them.”
The Holy Prophetsa sent an army of 150 Companions under the command of Abu Salamahra to reprimand those tribes. The person from the Banu Tayy tribe, i.e., Waleed bin Zuhairra, also escorted them as a guide and to show the way. (Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 6, Darussalam, Riyadh, 1434 AH, pp. 424-425; Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 6, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 34)
Some of the names of the Companions who participated in this expedition are Abu Sabrah bin Abi Ruhmra, Abdullah bin Suhail bin Amrra, Abdullah bin Makhramah Amrira, Mu’attib bin Fadlra, Arqam bin Abi Arqamra, Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrahra, Suhail bin Baida’ra, Usaid bin Hudair Ansarira, Abbad bin Bishr Ansarira, Abu Na’ilah Ansarira, Abu Absra, Qatadah bin Nu’manra, Nadr bin Harithra, Abu Qatadah Ansarira, Abu Ayyash Zuraqira, Abdullah bin Zaid Ansarira, Khubaib bin Yasafra, Sa’d bin Abi Waqqasra, Abu Hudhaifah bin Utbahra, and Salim Maula Abi Hudhaifahra. (Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Waqdi, Vol. 1, Alam Al Kotob, Beirut, pp. 341; Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 6, Darussalam, Riyadh, 1434 AH, p. 424)
In order to maintain the secrecy of this mission, the Companions went swiftly and not via the ordinary route, so that they could reach the enemy as quickly as possible. They journeyed for consecutive days and nights. According to one narration, they would hide away for a part of the day and then travel at night. In this manner, they reached close to Qatan Mountain after four days.
In relation to Qatan, it is written that this is the name of a mountain near Faid, and Faid is the name of a destination en route to Kufah, where the spring of Banu Asad bin Khuzaimah was located. Having reached there, the Muslims immediately launched an attack, seizing their cattle and capturing three of their shepherds, whilst the rest fled successfully. Those who fled went and informed the Banu Asad camp of the Muslim army’s arrival and attack, and they described the numbers of Banu Salamah’sra army as very large. (These shepherds greatly exaggerated by saying how large the army was, and this caused them to be even more fearful.) And this struck even more fear into the Banu Asad tribe. They were so overcome with dread that they began to flee in fear in all directions.
When Hazrat Abu Salamahra reached the camp of Banu Asad and saw that the enemy had fled, he sent his companions to search for them. Hazrat Abu Salamahra divided them into three groups; one remained with him and the other two were sent in opposite directions, instructing them, “Do not go too far in pursuit of the enemy, and if you are not confronted by them, then return and spend the night here.” He reiterated, “Do not split up; remain together.” However, the enemies had run so fast whilst in a state of bewilderment that the Muslims were not confronted by any of them. Hazrat Abu Salamahra took all of the spoils of war and began his return journey to Medina. The guide who accompanied them also returned with them. After travelling for one night, Hazrat Abu Salamahra distributed the spoils of war. He put aside the khumus [one-fifth] of the spoils of war for the Messengersa of Allah and gave the guide who helped them navigate an amount with which he was also happy, distributing the rest of the spoils of war amongst the remaining Companions. Each companion received 7 camels along with a number of goats. And so, after traversing a nearly 10-day journey, this group returned home happily to Medina. (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 6, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 34; Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 6, Darussalam, Riyadh, 1434 AH, pp. 425-428; Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyeen, pp. 511-512; Atlas Sirat-e-Nabawisa, Darussalam, Riyadh, 1424 AH, p. 253)
What I have stated just now has been taken from various books of history – some of it is also taken from “The Life & Character of The Seal of Prophets.”
In any case, it is recorded about the demise of Hazrat Abu Salamahsa that he stayed outside Medina for this expedition for more than ten nights. When he returned home to Medina, the wound he had suffered at Uhud reopened, rendering him ill, and he passed away the same year on the third of the month of Jumada al-Akhir. (Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 182)
Tulaihah bin Khuwailid, the chief of the Banu Asad tribe who I mentioned earlier, was an extremely brave man, well-known in the Arab peninsula for being equal to 1,000 soldiers on horseback and famous for his eloquence. He joined Islam in the 9th century by presenting himself before the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa with the delegation of the Banu Asad tribe. However, he apostatised and, in the lifetime of the Holy Prophetsa, created disorder by falsely claiming to be a prophet. After failing at this, he eventually left Arabia. Then, after some time, he returned to Medina, re-entering Islam at the hands of Hazrat Umarra, remaining steadfast in his faith in Islam until his dying breath.
Having participated with great bravery in the famous battle of Qadisiyyah (in Persia) and other Islamic battles, in the 21st year after the Holy Prophet’ssa migration, he was martyred fighting in one of these battles. (Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 6, pp. 430-431, Darussalam, Riyadh, 1434 AH; Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyeen, pp. 511-512)
God Almighty desired for him a good end, and so eventually, he was granted the ability to accept Islam.
Then, the expedition of Hazrat Abdullah bin Unais Juhanira is mentioned. He was an ally to the Banu Salamah tribe from among the Ansar. He participated in the Second Pledge at Aqabah and the battles of Badr, Uhud and other battles. He was amongst those who had broken the idols of Banu Salamah. (Usd-ul-Ghaba, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, 2008, p. 178; Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, Ibn Hisham, Dar-ul-Ma’rifah, Beirut, pp. 416, 419)
He passed away in Syria during the 54th year after the Holy Prophet’ssa migration, or in the 74th year, according to other sources. (Asaba Fi Tamyeez al-Sahabah, Vol. 4, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, 1995, p. 14; Usd-ul-Ghaba, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, 2008, p. 178)
When the people of various tribes surrounding Medina learned about what happened at the Battle of Uhud, amongst those who considered Islam to be weak and had planned to attack when the chance arose was the chief of the Banu Lahyan tribe, Khalid Bin Sufyan Hudhali Lahyani. According to some narrations, his name was Sufyan bin Khalid. Either way, he thought that since the Muslims still have fresh wounds from the battle of Uhud, he would capitalise on their weakened state and attack them, looting and raiding Medina to impose his power. This person’s heart dripped with malice towards Islam; he was also a very arrogant man. He was preparing an army near the valley of Nakhlah or Rifaat, near Uranah. He had begun rallying the soldiers of surrounding tribes to plot against the Muslims and the people of various tribes had gathered around him for this purpose. (Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 6, Darussalam, Riyadh, 1434 AH, p. 433)
When the Holy Prophetsa learned that Sufyan bin Khalid was preparing an army against Medina, he opted for a uniquely strategic decision: instead of sending an army, which would have resulted in spilt blood on both sides, the Holy Prophetsa decided to target the man leading this army instead. Hence, the Holy Prophetsa selected his brave Companion, Hazrat Abdullah bin Unaisra for this important and dangerous mission. (Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 6, Darussalam, Riyadh, 1434 AH, pp. 433-434)
He called Abdullah bin Unaisra and told him all the details of Sufyan bin Khalid’s plans, instructing him to quietly go and assassinate him. (Sirah Ma’arif Sirat Muhammad Rasoolullahsa, Vol. 7, Bazam-e-Iqbal, Lahore, 2022, p. 135)
Hazrat Abdullahra said to the Holy Prophetsa, “O Messengersa of Allah, tell me how he looks.” The Holy Prophetsa said, “When you see him, fear will overcome you, and right when you see him, you will remember Satan.” Hazrat Abdullahra said, “O Messengersa of Allah, I have never feared anyone.” The Holy Prophetsa replied, “Yes, that is fine, but when you see him, you will get goosebumps.” Thus, he departed alone on the 5th of Muharram 4 AH for this expedition.
Hazrat Abdullahra states, “When I reached a place called Uranah, which is a valley near Arafat, I saw Sufyan walking while holding a staff. Walking behind him were members of those tribes who were now affiliated with him.” He wasn’t using this staff because of old age; rather, at that time, it was a custom for people to keep a staff in their hands. Nonetheless, Hazrat Abdullahra states, “Because of what the Holy Prophetsa told me regarding him, I was able to immediately recognise him, because right when I saw him I was overcome with fear, even though I had never been afraid of anyone before. Thus, I said in my heart that ‘Allah and His Messengersa have told the truth.’ At that time, it was time for the Asr prayer, which is why I was afraid that if I had to confront him at that moment, I may miss my Asr prayer. That is why I offered prayer in the condition that I was walking towards him, and alongside this, I would gesture my head, (meaning he prayed by gesturing with his head). When I got close to him, he asked me who I was. I told him, ‘I am from the Banu Khuza’ah. I heard that you are amassing an army against the Holy Prophetsa. Thus, I have come to join you as well.’ He replied, ‘I am certainly amassing an army against Muhammad[sa].’ Thus, I walked with him for some time. Then I began talking to him, and he took great interest in what I was saying. Sufyan bin Khalid said, ‘Actually, Muhammad[sa] has not seen anyone like me yet. Until now, he has only seen people who were not experts in warfare.’ Finally, when he reached his tent, and those near him dispersed, he said to me, ‘O Khuza’i brother, come here please.’ When I came near him, he told me to sit down. I sat down near him to the extent that the quietness of the night had descended, and people fell asleep. I suddenly got up, killed him and beheaded him. I left that area and hid in a cave within the nearest mountain. While searching for me, people came all the way to the cave, but they didn’t find anything. Thus, losing hope, those people went back. After this, I left the cave and set out. I would travel during the night and hide somewhere during the day. Eventually, I reached Medina, and upon seeing me, the Holy Prophetsa immediately stated:
اَفْلَحَ الْوَجْہُ
‘This is the face of one who has been successful.’” He [Hazrat Abdullahra] very humbly and wisely addressed the Holy Prophetsa and quickly said:
اَفْلَحَ وَجْھُکَ يَارَسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ
“It is your countenance that is a symbol of success, O Messengersa of Allah,” meaning this entire success is yours, it is a result of the blessings of your prayers. After this, Hazrat Abdullahra gave all the details and placed the head of this rebellious leader in front of the Holy Prophetsa. It is stated in another narration as well that the Holy Prophetsa gave the news about Sufyan bin Khalid, before the arrival of Hazrat Abdullah bin Unaisra.
Hazrat Abdullahra states, “Joyful over this victory, the Holy Prophetsa gifted me a staff, and said, ‘This will be the sign of Heaven between you and me. You will use it for support in Heaven.’” From then on, this staff always remained with Hazrat Abdullah bin Unaisra, to the extent that in his last moments, he addressed the members of his household for his will and said, “Put this staff in my clothing in such a way, that it is between me and the clothing.” Thus, the members of his house executed this will. Hazrat Abdullah bin Unaisra used to be called “The one with the staff.” (Sirat Al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, pp. 231-232; Sharah Allamah Zurqani, Vol. 2, p. 474, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut)
Hazrat Abdullah bin Unaisra stayed outside Medina for a total of 18 days, and returned on a Saturday when there were 7 days left of Muharram. (Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 2, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 39)
Whilst detailing this expedition, which took place in Muharram 4 AH, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra writes:
“The incitement of the Quraish and the temporary defeat of the Muslims at Uhud were now beginning to manifest its dangerous effects with great speed. As such, in the very same days when the Banu Asad was planning to raid Medina, the Holy Prophetsa received news that the people belonging to the tribe of Banu Lahyan were assembling a large army in their homeland, ‘Uranah, which is situated close to Mecca, upon the instigation of their chieftain Sufyan bin Khalid; and that their intent was to strike Medina. The Holy Prophetsa who was extremely wise and well aware of the condition of various Arabian tribes, and of the strength and influence of their chieftains, understood as soon as this news was received that this entire mischief and disturbance was the work of Sufyan bin Khalid, chief of the Banu Lahyan; and that if this person was removed from the equation, the Banu Lahyan could not dare to attack Medina. The Holy Prophetsa also knew that, at present, except for Sufyan there was no one else who possessed enough influence in this tribe to lead such a movement. Hence, taking into account that if a contingent was dispatched to resist the Banu Lahyan, not only would this cause the poor Muslims additional financial burden, but it was also likely that this course of action might open the door to further violence and bloodshed. Therefore, the Holy Prophetsa proposed that a single person should go and, upon finding an opportunity, execute Sufyan bin Khalid, the mastermind and root of this mischief. Hence, the Holy Prophetsa dispatched ‘Abdullah bin Unais Ansarira and since ‘Abdullah had never seen Sufyan before, the Holy Prophetsa personally described the figure of Sufyan, etc. to ‘Abdullahra. In the end, the Holy Prophetsa said, ‘Remain alert! Sufyan is an embodiment of Satan.’ As such, ‘Abdullah bin Unaisra very skilfully reached the encampment of the Banu Lahyan (who were in fact diligently engaged in preparations to strike Medina); and found an opportunity at night and put an end to Sufyan. When the Banu Lahyan found out about this, they pursued ‘Abdullahra, but he managed to vanish undetected. When ‘Abdullah bin Unaisra came before the Holy Prophetsa, the Holy Prophetsa immediately understood from the sight of his face that he had returned successfully. Hence, as soon as the Holy Prophetsa saw him, he said,
اَفْلَحَ الْوَجْہُ
“‘This countenance appears to be one of success. ‘Abdullah responded, and how beautifully indeed,
اَفْلَحَ وَجْھُکَ يَارَسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ
“O Messengersa of Allah! All success belongs to You.” At the time, the Holy Prophetsa endowed his staff to ‘Abdullahra as a reward and said, ‘This staff shall give you support in paradise.’ ‘Abdullahra safeguarded this blessed staff with immense love and sincerity, and asked for it to be buried with him upon his demise. Thus, his wish was complied with accordingly. The joy which was expressed by the Holy Prophetsa upon the successful return of ‘Abdullahra and the special reward which was granted to him demonstrates that the Holy Prophetsa considered the sedition of Sufyan bin Khalid to be extremely dangerous and considered his execution to be a source of mercy for the public peace.” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophetssa [English], Vol. 2, pp. 361-362)
Enemies of Islam allege that, God-forbid, the Holy Prophetsa disrupted peace and shed human blood. The Holy Prophetsa valued human life so much that even to save the lives of people in enemy tribes, he proposed that it was better to forfeit one life so as to save all others. This is the pinnacle of human compassion. In today’s so-called [compassionate] world, people kill many innocent children, women and elders whilst targeting a select few. They confidently claim that such occurrences are to be expected in war. On the contrary, the Holy Prophetsa instructed during all wars that no child, woman, elderly, or religious clergy should be killed who are not directly involved in the war. (Sunan Abi Daud, Kitab al-Jihad, Hadith 2614; Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 1, p. 468, Hadith 2728, Alam Al Kotob, Beirut, 1998)
Thus, this is the lofty example of Prophet Muhammadsa and the teachings of Islam.
Now, I will speak about the Expedition of Raji‘. Because the account of this expedition is lengthy, I will only mention a few details today. This expedition is also known as the Expedition of Marthad bin Abi Marthad on account of it being led by Hazrat Marthadra, however, it is more commonly referred to by the name of Raji‘. (Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 2, p. 42, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, 1990)
Raji‘ was the name of a spring located in Hijaz that belonged to the Banu Huzail. Today, it is known as Watiyyah and is located 70 kilometres north of Mecca. (Dairah Ma’arif Sirat-ul-Nabi Rasoolullahsa, Vol. 7, Bazm-e-Iqbal Lahore, 2022, p. 138-139)
This expedition took place in Safar, at the beginning of 4 AH at Raji‘. (Sirat Encyclopedia, Vol. 6, Darussalam, Riyadh, 1434, p. 477)
According to Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham, this expedition took place three years after the Battle of Uhud. In the commentary of Sahih al-Bukhari, Sharh Fath al-Bari, and Mawahib, it is reported to have taken place at the end of the third year [following the Battle of Uhud]. (Sirat Ibn Ishaq, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, 2002, p. 371; Ibn Hisham, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, 2001, p. 591; Fathul Bari, Vol. 7, Qadeemi Kutub Khana Aaraam Baagh Karachi, p. 483; Al-Mawahib Li-duniyah, Vol. 1, Al-Maktab Al-Islami, Beirut, 2004, p. 416).
Our Research Cell has provided a note about the Expedition of Raji‘, which may warrant looking into because of the fact that there are varying dates. Nonetheless, this may be beneficial to researchers, hence I will mention it:
In the books of history, and even in Sahih al-Bukhari, the Expedition of Raji‘ and the Expedition of Bi’r Ma’unah have been mixed up. Some historians have pointed this out. Similarly, most historians inadvertently write that the Expedition of Raji‘ took place in Safar, 4 AH, and in its details, they mention that during this expedition, Hazrat Khubaibra and Hazrat Zaidra were sold in Mecca. However, due to the start of the sacred months, the people of Mecca imprisoned them, and when the sacred months had passed, they killed both of them. Most historians have stated this, however, when one carefully evaluates the matter, it becomes clear that there are four sacred months, three of which are consecutive; namely Dhu al-Qa’dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram. Rajab comes five months after Muharram. If this expedition occurred in Safar, then three sacred months had passed before it, while the fourth sacred month was to come four months after Safar. Therefore, if it is to be accepted that this expedition took place in Safar 4 AH, it does not make any sense to also say that the sacred months had come. Furthermore, if they were not passing through the sacred months, then there was no reason to keep the two prisoners for so long. The people of Mecca were eager to kill them and satisfy their thirst for revenge, so what need did they have to imprison them for so long, during which they had to feed and protect them? The historians who have stated that this event took place in Safar 4 AH have not pondered over these questions. There are two possibilities for us to consider; one is to accept that the matter of the sacred months and the imprisonment of the two [companions] for a period of time is incorrect. [The second is that] we deem all the narrations to be true and accept that they were passing through the sacred months, during which they were imprisoned. Albeit, in this case, we must also accept that most historians and biographers were mistaken in preserving the history of this expedition, and we must agree with the very few that state that the two were sold in Mecca during the sacred months, i.e., to be precise, when Dhu al-Qa’dah had begun.
Thus, whilst mentioning the accounts of the Expedition of Raji‘, Ibn Ishaq, whose book is among the earliest biographies, and Ibn Hisham have both written that this expedition took place after the Battle of Uhud in 3 AH. Furthermore, Ibn Hajar has written in Fath al-Bari, the authentic commentary of Sahih al-Bukhari, that this incident took place at the end of 3 AH. Another reliable biography, Al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah, has also written the same. Thus, it seems most plausible that this expedition took place in the last few days of Shawwal, 3 AH. Hazrat Khubaibra and Hazrat Zaidra were martyred in Safar of 4 AH. When news of their martyrdom reached Medina, over time, these particular narrations and the history surrounding these incidents became more commonly accepted. Nonetheless, Allah knows best.
The background to this expedition is that in the previous incident, i.e., the expedition of Abdullah bin Unais, it was mentioned that the chief of the Banu Lahyan, Sufyan bin Khalid, was killed, owing to which this tribe were thirsty for revenge. They would spend day and night forming plans of how to exact revenge against the Muslims. Hence, a few people from this tribe went to the Adal and Qarah tribes. They were known for being skilled archers. The Adal tribe was a branch of the Banu Haun bin Khuzaimah tribe, which was linked to Adal bin Daish. The Qarah tribe is also a branch of the Haun tribe and is associated with Daish. The Banu Lahyan told them: “Go to Muhammad[sa] in Medina and tell him to send some of his companions with you to preach Islam to your tribe. It is very likely that he will send some of his companions with you, and when they come with you, we will seize them near Mecca and sell them. We will get a heavy price for it and the Meccans can kill them. We will be able to exact our revenge and from the wealth we gain, we will give you a portion thereof.” Hence, with this planning in mind, seven people from the Adal and Qarah tribes came to Medina in the form of a delegation. They came to the Holy Prophetsa and said: “Islam has gained great popularity among our tribe. Can you send some of your people with us who can preach the message of Islam?” During this time, the Holy Prophetsa had prepared a group of ten Companions who would go into the environs of Mecca on reconnaissance missions in order to gather information. When this delegation came, the Holy Prophetsa sent off this same group [of ten] with them. (Sirat Encyclopedia, Vol. 6, Darussalam, Riyadh, 1434, pp. 448-449)
According to another narration, the Holy Prophetsa sent seven companions along with them. (Subul-Al-Huda Wa Al-Rashad, Vol. 6, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 40)
Ibn Hisham has written that the Holy Prophetsa sent six Companions with them, while Ibn Sa’d has written that there were ten in total and has given the names of seven people from among them. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, Dar ibn Hazam, Beirut, p. 432; Subulal-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 6, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 39)
Sahih al-Bukhari also mentions ten people, and the majority of the books on the biography of the Holy Prophetsa also mention 10 people, however only the names of seven Companions are mentioned. The Holy Prophetsa appointed Asim bin Thabitra as the leader of the delegation, and according to other narrations, he appointed Marthad bin Abi Marthad Ghanawira. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Hadith no. 3989; Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 2, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, 1990, p. 42)
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states:
“In the fourth year after Hijrah [migration], two Arab tribes, Adal and Qarah, sent their representatives to the Holy Prophetsa who mentioned that many people from their tribe were being inclined towards Islam and requested for some people to be sent to them who were well-versed in the Islamic teachings, so that they could live amongst them and teach them about this new faith. This, in fact, was a conspiracy which was hatched by the Banu Lahyan, who were bitter enemies of Islam. Their objective was to kill the delegation of the Muslims that would be accompanying them and thereby exact revenge for their leader, Sufyan bin Khalid. Thus, they sent these representatives of the Adal and Qarah tribes to the Holy Prophetsa in order to bring some of the Muslims back with them and made great promises of reward to them. When the people of Adal and Qarah went to the Holy Prophetsa and put their request before him, the Holy Prophetsa took their word and sent 10 Muslims with them in order to teach them about the beliefs and principles of Islam.” (Dibacha Tafsir-ul-Quran, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 20, p. 260)
Subsequently, they went with them and I will, insha-Allah [God-willing] relate the incidents that followed.
Today, again, I would like to remind you to especially pray for the Ahmadis who have been imprisoned in Yemen due to their faith, particularly for the Sadr Lajna. She is being held in prison in very harsh conditions, as are a few others, who are not willing to give in to their demands. Especially pray for them that may Allah the Almighty procure the means for their release.
Pray also for the Ahmadis imprisoned in Pakistan due to their faith, that they be released.
Continue praying for the Palestinians. When it seems that the conditions are improving, they end up taking a turn for the worse. The Israeli government is acting very stubbornly. May Allah the Almighty save the Palestinians from their cruelty, and may He enable the Muslims to play their role.
(Official Urdu Transcript published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 31 May 2024, pp. 2-6. Translated by The Review of Religions.)