Friday Sermon – Muhammad (sa): The Great Exemplar (13 October 2023)

Friday Sermon

13 October 2023

Muhammad^sa: The Great Exemplar

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

Incidents in the life of the Holy Prophet^sa that either took place on the occasion of the Battle of Badr or just afterwards were being narrated. Among these accounts is the marriage of the Holy Prophet^sa to Hazrat Aisha^ra, which I will mention today. After the demise of Umm al-Mu’minin [Mother of the believers] Hazrat Khadijah^ra, one day Khaulah bint Hakim^ra, who was the wife of Hazrat Usman bin Maz’un^ra came to the Holy Prophet^sa and said: “O Messenger^sa of Allah! Do you not wish to marry?” The Holy Prophet^sa asked: “To whom?” She replied: “If you wish, then you can marry a virgin, but if you intend to marry a widow, then that is possible as well.” The Holy Prophet^sa said: “Who is the virgin?” He was told that it was Aisha bint Abi Bakr^ra. Upon this, the Holy Prophet^sa inquired: “Who is the widow?” She replied: “Saudah bint Zam’ah. She accepts your claim and follows you.” The Holy Prophet^sa said to Hazrat Khaulah^ra: “Go and speak to both of their families about me.”

After receiving permission from the Holy Prophet^sa, Hazrat Khaulah^ra left and first went to the house of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq^ra to discuss the marriage proposal of Hazrat Aisha^ra. Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra was not at home, but his wife, Hazrat Umm Ruman^ra, was present. Hazrat Khaulah^ra spoke to her, and congratulating her, she said: “O Umm Ruman^ra! What an incredible blessing Allah the Glorious has granted you!” She inquired: “What is this blessing?” Hazrat Khaulah^ra said: “The Holy Prophet^sa has sent me with a marriage proposal for Aisha.” Umm Ruman^ra replied: “Then you should wait for Abu Bakr to return.” After a short while, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra returned home, and Hazrat Khaulah^ra mentioned to him the same thing she had mentioned to Umm Ruman^ra. Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra inquired: “Khaulah, tell us what this blessing is.” Hazrat Khaulah^ra said: “The Holy Prophet^sa has sent me, and I have brought to you a marriage proposal for Aisha.” Hearing this, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra said: “Is Aisha’s marriage to the Holy Prophet^sa lawful? She is the daughter of his brother.” Hazrat Khaulah^ra thought about it, and upon returning, she mentioned this comment of Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra to the Holy Prophet^sa. Upon this, the Holy Prophet^sa said: “Return and tell him that I am your brother in Islam and you are mine. I am lawfully allowed to marry your daughter, and there is no objection to this.” As such, Hazrat Khaulah^ra returned and mentioned this to Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra. Upon this, he said, “Wait!” and left the house. Hazrat Umm Ruman^ra said: “Mut’im bin Adiyy had sent a proposal for his son for Aisha. By Allah! Abu Bakr has never made a promise that he has broken.” Therefore, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra went to Mut’im bin Adiyy, and his wife, Umm al-Fata, was with him as well. This woman said: “O Ibn Quhafah! If we marry our son to your daughter, it is possible that you may convert him to the religion you follow.” Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra said to Mut’im bin Adiyy: “Are you of the same opinion?” He asked both husband and wife.

He replied, “I say the same as she did.” Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra came away from Mut’im, and Allah removed all the anxiousness from his heart in relation to this promise. When he said that their son would not become a Muslim, that marriage proposal came to an end, and his anxiousness was removed. They had made an arrangement about sending a proposal, which they were considering, but that matter was now finished. He then said to Hazrat Khaulah^ra, “Send a message to the Holy Prophet^sa from me.” Hazrat Khaulah^ra then sent the message to him, and the Holy Prophet^sa married Hazrat Aisha^ra. This incident has been recorded in Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal. (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 8, pp. 401-410, Hadith 26288, Alim-ul-Kutub Beirut, 1998; Dairah Mararif Sirat Muhammad Rasoolullah^sa, Vol. 5, pp. 442-443)

Hazrat Aisha^ra related that after their marriage, the Holy Prophet^sa said, “You were shown to me in a dream twice, prior to marrying you. I saw an angel who was carrying you in a piece of silk.”

In another narration, it is mentioned that the angel said to the Holy Prophet^sa, “This is your pious spouse.” The Holy Prophet^sa asked him to remove the cloth. And so, he removed it, and he saw that it was Hazrat Aisha^ra. The Holy Prophet^sa stated, “I thought that if this is from Allah Almighty, then He shall surely fulfil it. Then you were shown to me again in a dream, whilst you were being carried in a piece of silk cloth. I said, ‘Remove the cloth,’ and he did so. What I saw was you there. I then said that if this is from Allah, He shall surely fulfil it.” This narration of Hazrat Aisha^ra is mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-T’abeer, Hadith 7011; Sahih Al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Tabir, Hadith 7012)

In Al-Isti’ab, a book comprising the accounts of the Companions, there is a narration of Hazrat Aisha^ra that, “Once, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra asked the Holy Prophet^sa, ‘O Messenger^sa of Allah, why do you not have the rukhsati [the formal sending off of the bride to the groom]?’ (The marriage had been settled with Hazrat Aisha^ra but the rukhsati had not yet taken place. Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra therefore asked why he had not had the rukhsati yet.) The Holy Prophet^sa stated, ‘It is because of the amount for the mehr [dowry].’ Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra gave him 12 and a half Awqiyahs, (one Awqiyah is equivalent to 40 Dirhams) and the Holy Prophet^sa sent this amount to our home (i.e., the dowry).” (Al-Sirat Al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, p. 167, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut)

There is a disagreement among historians, biographers, and later narrators in relation to the age of Hazrat Aisha^ra at the time of marriage, and people continue to raise allegations due to this. However, in principle, when Hazrat Aisha^ra married, there was nothing out of the ordinary in terms of her age, which would have caused the people there to raise any criticism or allegation. If anything extraordinary did indeed happen, the hypocrites and opponents would have vehemently raised an allegation, yet there is no mention of this in any book. In relation to the books in which the age of Hazrat Aisha^ra has been mentioned as much lower than the ordinary, the Hakam and Adl [Judge and Just Arbiter] the Promised Messiah^as has declared them to be baseless narrations. He states that the narrations of Hazrat Aisha^ra being nine years of age are unfounded. This is proven neither in any hadith nor in the Quran. (Arya Darham Aur Hum, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 10, p. 64)

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^ra has written the following details in relation to the rukhsati of Hazrat Aisha^ra:

“After the demise of Hazrat Khadijah^ra, the Holy Prophet^sa was tied in a bond of matrimony to Aisha Siddiqah^ra. This was in 10 Nabawi during the month of Shawwal. At the time (when this marriage was settled), Hazrat Aisha^ra was seven years of age. However, even at the time, it seems that her growth and development had matured remarkably well; otherwise, there was no reason for Khaulah bint Hakim^ra, who had suggested this marriage, to consider her as being a suitable match for the Holy Prophet^sa. In any case, she had not fully matured until then, and for this reason, although the Nikah had taken place, the rukhsatanah [when the bride goes to live with the groom] was yet to take place, and thus, according to local custom, she continued to reside with her parents. However, now, in the second year of Hijrah, after five years had elapsed since the announcement of her marriage, she had fully matured at the age of twelve. As such, it was Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra himself who approached the Holy Prophet^sa and requested for the rukhsatanah to take place. Upon this, the Holy Prophet^sa arranged for the dowry to be paid […] and in the month of Shawwal 2 A.H., Hazrat Aisha^ra bid the home of her parents farewell and entered the household of the Holy Prophet^sa.” (Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyeen, [English], Vol. 2, pp. 237-238)

This is according to the research of Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^ra, however, some historians have mentioned her age to be even bigger than this.

“At the time of marriage, the mother of Hazrat Aisha^ra was residing in the suburbs of Medina in a place named Al-Sunh. The women from among the Ansar gathered there and adorned Hazrat Aisha^ra for her rukhsatanah. Then, the Holy Prophet^sa went there himself, after which Hazrat Aisha^ra bid her home farewell and entered the household of the Holy Prophet^sa” (Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyeen, [English], Vol. 2, p. 246)

With regards to Hazrat Aisha’s^ra qualities, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^ra writes:

“Despite her young age, the intelligence and memory of Hazrat Aisha^ra were absolutely remarkable, and under the education and training of the Holy Prophet^sa she developed astonishingly at a most extraordinary pace. In actuality, this was the very purpose of the Holy Prophet^sa in bringing her to his home at such a young age; so that he could train her from a tender age according to his wishes, and she could receive the longest possible opportunity to remain in his company; so that she could be made fit for the sensitive and magnificent work that fell upon the wife of a law-giving Prophet. As such, the Holy Prophet^sa succeeded in this purpose and Hazrat Aisha^ra rendered such service in the reformation, education and training of Muslim women, as is unparalleled in the history of the world. A very large and significant portion of the ahadith of the Holy Prophet^sa is based on the narrations of Hazrat Aisha^ra. As a matter of fact, the number of her narrations alone reach a grand total of 2,210. The level of her knowledge, wisdom and deep understanding of religion was such that the most eminent companions accepted her as an authority and would benefit from her grace. It is even related in narrations that after the Holy Prophet^sa, the companions were not confronted with a single scholarly issue, for which Hazrat Aisha^ra did not have an answer. There is a statement of ‘Urwah bin Zubair^ra on record that:

“‘In the knowledge of the Holy Quran, in the knowledge of the law of inheritance, in the knowledge of lawful and unlawful things, in the science of jurisprudence, in poetry, in medicine, in the knowledge of the narrations of Arabia, and in the science of genealogy, I have not seen a greater scholar than Aisha^ra.’

“In virtue and contentment, she possessed such a great status that on one occasion, she happened to receive a sum of 100,000 dirhams from somewhere, and before sunset, she had distributed the entirety of it in charity, even though she did not have anything to eat for that evening in her own home. It was due to these very praiseworthy attributes, which had begun to show their splendour even in the era of the Holy Prophet^sa, that she was held especially dear by the Holy Prophet^sa […] At one instance, the Holy Prophet^sa said, ‘There have been many excellent models among men, but very few among the women.’ Then the Holy Prophet^sa named Asiyah, the wife of Pharaoh and Mary, the daughter of ‘Imran, then he continued by saying, ‘Aisha^ra possesses such superiority over the women, as Tharid, which is among the best foods of Arabia, possesses over other foods.’ On one occasion, some of the other noble wives of the Holy Prophet^sa complained to him about Hazrat Aisha^ra, but he remained silent. However, when his wives persisted, the Holy Prophet^sa said:

“‘What shall I do with these complaints? All that I am aware of is that I do not receive revelation from my God in the company of any other wife, but I often receive this revelation in the company of Aisha^ra.’

“Goodness gracious! How holy was the wife who was endowed with this distinction, and how holy was the husband whose criteria for domestic love was nothing other than sanctity and purity!… It is also mentioned in the ahadith that in her last days, Saudah bint Zam‘ah^ra gave her own turn of company with the Holy Prophet^sa to Hazrat Aisha^ra, and in this way, Hazrat Aisha^ra received a double opportunity to benefit from the company of the Holy Prophet^sa […]. Since the Holy Prophet^sa was especially concerned for the education and training of Hazrat Aisha^ra and since she was worthy of receiving special attention due to her age and characteristics, the Holy Prophet^sa accepted this proposal of Saudah^ra. Nevertheless, even after this, the Holy Prophet^sa continued to regularly visit Hazrat Saudah^ra, and like his other wives, he would show affection towards her and take care of her comfort.

“There is a difference of opinion with respect to the literacy of Hazrat Aisha^ra. However, it is established by a narration in Bukhari that she was in the possession of a written manuscript of the Holy Quran, wherefrom she personally dictated various verses to a Muslim from Iraq, which, in the least, proves that she could in fact read. It is most probable that after her rukhsatanah, she learned how to write, though various historians have stated that she was unable to write. Following the demise of the Holy Prophet^sa, Hazrat Aisha^ra lived for more or less forty-eight years, and met her Beloved Creator in 58 A.H., during the month of Ramadan. At the time she was approximately sixty-eight years of age.” (Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyeen, [English Translation], Vol. 2, pp. 247-250)

Another incident that took place in the lifetime of the Holy Prophet^sa and immediately after the Battle of Badr is in relation to his daughter, Hazrat Zainab^ra. She was in Mecca and later migrated to Medina. The Holy Prophet’s^sa son-in-law, Abu Al-Aas bin Rabi’ was taken as a captive by the Muslims during the Battle of Badr. His wife was in Mecca at the time and she sent her necklace as a ransom for her husband which her mother, Hazrat Khadijah^ra, had gifted to her on the occasion of her wedding. The individual who brought this necklace was Abu Al-Aas’s brother, Amr bin Rabi’. When the Holy Prophet^sa saw the necklace, he became very sad and emotional. The Holy Prophet^sa said to the companions, “If you deem it appropriate, set free Zainab’s husband and also return this necklace as well.” The companions submitted, “Certainly, O Messenger^sa of Allah.” And so, Abu Al-Aas was freed and Hazrat Zainab’s^ra necklace was also returned to her. However, the Holy Prophet^sa set Abu Al-Aas free on the condition that as soon as he would reach Mecca, he would allow Hazrat Zainab^ra to migrate to Medina. (Al-Sirat Al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, pp. 264-265, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)

Ibn Ishaq states that upon being set free when Abu Al-Aas arrived back in Mecca, the Holy Prophet^sa sent Zaid bin Harithah and another Ansar companion to remain in Batn-e-Yajaj. Batn-e-Yajaj was situated 8 miles from Mecca. The Holy Prophet^sa instructed them to remain there until Zainab^ra went past them, and thereafter, they should accompany her and bring her to him. And so, they immediately set off. This incident took place approximately a month after the Battle of Badr.

Upon arriving in Mecca, Abu Al-Aas gave Hazrat Zainab^ra permission to go to the Holy Prophet^sa. Subsequently, she began to prepare her provisions for travel and Hazrat Zainab^ra states, “I was busy preparing the provisions for my journey when Hind bint Utbah said to me, ‘O Daughter of Muhammad^[sa]! I have heard that you wish to go to your father.’ I made an excuse to divert the conversation elsewhere. However, upon hearing this, she said, ‘O bint Amm, do not act in this manner. If you need any provisions that can benefit you in your journey or require any wealth through which you can reach your father, then I have everything you may need. Do not be hesitant to ask from me.’”

Women do not harbour such hatred and malice in their hearts as men do. Hazrat Zainab^ra relates, “I believe she said this out of her sincerity; however, I was fearful of her, and so I presented some excuse.”

Ibn Ishaq states that Hazrat Zainab^ra made the preparations for the journey, and when she completed her preparations, Abu Al-Aas’s brother, Kinanah bin Rabi’ presented her with a mount, and he then took hold of his bow and quiver and set off with Hazrat Zainab^ra while it was still day and Hazrat Zainab^ra was seated in a palanquin. When the Quraish came to learn of this, they set out in search of her and found her in Dhi Tuwa. Dhi Tuwa is a famous valley in Mecca, about half a mile away from Masjid-e-Haram. Habbar bin Aswad Fihri went ahead first and frightened the mount with his spear. Hazrat Zainab^ra was expecting at the time and consequently suffered a miscarriage. Following this, her brother-in-law took out an arrow, sat down and announced that if anyone came before him, they would become a target of his arrows.

In one narration, it is mentioned that Habbar struck the mount with his spear, which resulted in Hazrat Zainab^ra falling on a rock. As she was expecting at the time, this caused her to miscarry. Nonetheless, upon seeing this unfold, the people returned, at which point Abu Sufyan and the leaders of the Quraish came. They said, “Young man, do not fire any arrows until you have spoken to us.” Thus, he stopped firing arrows. Abu Sufyan said: “What you did was not right! You are taking this woman in broad daylight, whereas you are fully aware of our situation and the deeds of Muhammad^[sa]. When you take Muhammad’s^[sa] daughter in broad daylight in front of everyone, people will think that we have been humiliated and disgraced and that our weakness and feebleness have been exposed.” He further said, “I swear on my life, we have no need to stop her, nor do we have any strong feelings one way or another. The best course of action would be to take her back; when the circumstances change and the situation improves and people learn that we have brought her back, you can secretly take her to her father.” Upon this, Kinanah agreed. According to Ibn Ishaq, Hazrat Zainab^ra stayed in Mecca for a few days. Then, when the people had stopped talking about the incident, Hazrat Zainab^ra was handed over to Hazrat Zaid and his comrades in the night. They brought Hazrat Zainab^ra to the Holy Prophet^sa in the cover of darkness.

Imam Baihaqi has narrated the incident of Hazrat Zainab^ra migrating from Mecca on the authority of Hazrat Aisha^ra, saying: “The Holy Prophet^sa sent Zaid bin Harithah^ra to Mecca with his ring in order to bring Zainab^ra back with him. Zaid^ra very cleverly gave the ring to a shepherd, who gave it to Hazrat Zainab^ra. Upon seeing the ring, she recognised it and asked him who had given it to him. He said that a man gave it to him who was outside of Mecca. Hence, Hazrat Zainab went outside of Mecca at night and sat behind him, who then brought her back to Medina. The Holy Prophet^sa would say that of all her daughters, Zainab^ra had the highest standing because she suffered on account of him. (Al-Sirat An-Nabawiyyah, Ibn Kathir, Vol. 2, pp. 516-518, Dar-ul-Ma’rifah, Beirut, 1976; Al-Sirat An-Nabawiyyah, Ibn Hisham, p. 445 [footnote], Dar-ul-Ma’rifah, Beirut, 2001; Furhang-e-Sirat, p. 59 and 180, Zawar Academy Karachi)

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^ra has written details of this incident in The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets^sa as follows:

“In lieu of a monetary ransom, the Holy Prophet^sa set the condition with Abul-‘As that when he returned to Mecca, he would send Zainab^ra to Medina. In this manner, a believing soul was delivered from a house of disbelief. After some time, Abul-‘As also became a Muslim and migrated to Medina and in this manner, husband and wife were once again reunited. With regards to the migration of Hazrat Zainab^ra, it is narrated that when she set out from Mecca to come to Medina, a few people from the Quraish of Mecca attempted to take her back by force. When she refused, a wretched man named Habbar bin Aswad very barbarically attacked her with a spear. The trauma and shock of the attack resulted in a miscarriage. As a matter of fact, on this occasion, she received such a deep shock that afterwards, she was never able to fully recover. Ultimately, it was in this state of weakness and illness that she suffered an untimely demise.” (Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyeen, [English], Vol. 2, p. 162)

This is all I will mention for now.

“At this time, I would like to make an appeal for prayers, relating to the conditions of the world today. Over the past few days, the war between Hamas and Israel has been ongoing, due to which civilians on both sides, including women, children, and the elderly, are being killed or have already been killed without distinction.

Even in times of war, Islam does not permit the killing of women, children, or anyone who is not engaged in the fighting. This is something that the Holy Prophet^sa has given strict guidance on. (Abu Daud, Kitab-ul-Jihad, Hadith 2614)

The world is saying, and there is some truth to it, that Hamas initiated this war and is guilty of killing Israeli civilians indiscriminately. Despite the fact that the Israeli army has previously killed many innocent Palestinians in this manner, Muslims, however, must still act according to the teachings of Islam. The Israeli army is responsible for its own actions, and other methods could have been adopted to resolve this issue. If a war is warranted, then it can be fought between armies, not with women, children or the innocent.

Thus, the actions of Hamas were wrong; they have caused far greater harm than any benefit.  Nonetheless, the response to all that has happened and the war should have remained limited to Hamas, and that, in reality, is what would constitute true bravery and courage.

However, now the actions being taken by the Israeli government are also very dangerous. It seems as if there is no end to this situation. The potential loss of innumerable innocent lives, including those of women and children, is unfathomable. The Israeli government claimed that they would completely raze Gaza to the ground, and for this, they have dropped many bombs. They have reduced the city to rubble.

The latest circumstances are that they have said more than a million people should leave Gaza, and some have indeed started leaving. Thankfully, as feeble as it may be, the UN has raised its voice to some degree, saying that this would be a violation of human rights and that it would be wrong, leading to many difficulties. As such, Israel should reconsider this order. Rather than firmly saying that this is wrong, [the UN] is merely making a request.

In any case, the innocent who are not engaged in the war are not at fault at all. If the world considers Israeli women, children, and ordinary citizens to be innocent, then the Palestinians are also just as innocent.

The teachings of the People of the Book also state that such killings are impermissible. If the actions of the Muslims are deemed wrong, then these people should reflect on their own conduct as well.

In any case, we must pray fervently.

The Palestinian Ambassador [Head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK] gave a television interview here, perhaps to the BBC, and in response to a question, said that Hamas is a militant group, not a government, and it has no connection to the Palestinian government. At the same time, he raised the question, and rightfully so, that if true justice were to be established, then such things would not transpire. If major powers did not have double standards, then such restlessness and warfare in the world would never happen. Hence, if these double standards were eliminated, then it would bring an end to such wars.

These are the very things that I have been stating in light of Islam’s teachings for quite some time. At the moment, people agree; however, they are not prepared to act accordingly.

Now, all the major powers, or Western powers, have put justice aside and are uniting in taking harsh measures against Palestinians, and there is talk of armies being sent from all directions. Images of the victims are shown to depict the atrocities being perpetrated, and false reports are shown in the media. At times, there will be news about the condition of Israeli women and children and the dire circumstances they are facing, yet later it turns out that they were not Israelis but, in fact, Palestinians. However, the media does not take any accountability for this, and there is no sympathy expressed for them. These people simply follow the rule that “might is right”. They bow before those who have worldly wealth.

Upon analysis, it would seem that the major powers are bent on fanning the flames of war, rather than putting them out; they do not wish to end warfare. After the First World War, the major powers created the League of Nations in order to put an end to wars. However, due to their failure to fulfil the demands of justice, and  establish its authority, it proved unsuccessful. Consequently, the Second World War broke out, and it is said that more than 70 million lives were lost. The same is happening now with the UN. It was created to establish justice in the world, support the oppressed and to try to put an end to wars. However, these are all far from becoming reality. Everyone is simply concerned with their own interests.

The average person cannot even fathom the harmful consequences of the war that will result from these injustices; however, all the major powers are well aware of the grave consequences. Yet, despite this, there is no attention given to establishing justice. No one is even prepared to pay attention to this.

In such circumstances, Muslim nations, at the very least, should come to their senses. They should set aside their differences and establish unity. In order to better their relationships with the People of the Book, if Allah has given the commandment to the Muslims:

تَعَالَوۡا اِلٰي کَلِمَةٍ سَوَآءٍۢ بَيۡنَنَا وَبَيۡنَکُمۡ

“Come to a word equal between us and you,” [3:65] i.e., by uniting over the Unity of God, then Muslims who have the exact same creed should unite between themselves even more so by setting aside their differences.

The Muslims must ponder over this and establish their unity. This is the only way to eradicate disorder from the world. They should unite and raise a resounding voice for the fulfilment of the requirements of justice and the rights of the oppressed, wherever they may be. If they unite as one, then there will also be strength in their voice. Otherwise, these Muslim governments will be responsible for the loss of innocent Muslim lives. These powers should always remember the guidance of the Holy Prophet^sa, that both the oppressors and the oppressed must be helped. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Mazalim, Hadith 2443)

This important point must be understood.

May Allah the Almighty grant Muslim governments reason and understanding and enable them to unite and establish justice. May He grant reason and understanding to the world’s powers so that rather than leading the world to destruction, they try to save the world from destruction. May their purpose not be to satisfy their egos. They should always remember that when destruction comes, even they will not be safe from it.

In any case, all we have is the weapon of prayer, which every Ahmadi should use now, more than ever before.

Some Ahmadi households in Gaza were destroyed; may Allah the Almighty keep them safe. May He keep all the innocent and oppressed safe, wherever they may be.

May Allah the Almighty grant understanding to Hamas, so they do not become responsible for the cruelties inflicted on their own people, nor should they commit injustices against anyone. If they are compelled to fight, then they must do so according to the commandments of Islam. Enmity for another nation should not lead us away from acting justly; this is the command of Allah the Almighty.

May Allah the Almighty enable the major powers to establish justice on both sides and thereby establish peace. It should not be that they lean toward one side and thus usurp the rights of the other side. May they not commit injustices and cruelties.

May Allah the Almighty grant us the opportunity to witness peace and security in the world.

After the Friday prayers, I will also be leading two funeral prayers. One funeral is present here, while the other will be offered in absentia. This funeral, which is present here, is of Dr Bashir Ahmad Khan Sahib. He used to reside here in the UK, in the Fazl Mosque area. He passed away a few days ago at the age of 92.

اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ

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

He was the grandson of Hazrat Mir Ahmad Sahib^ra, and the son-in-law of former Amir Jamaat of the Sarhad Region, Hazrat Qazi Muhammad Yusuf Sahib^ra, both of whom were companions of the Promised Messiah^as. He was the son of Mahmud Khawas Khan of Peshawar. The deceased was regular in offering prayers and fasting, and was deeply devoted to Khilafat. He cared for the needy and was a sincere, pious individual. Under the Nusrat Jahan Scheme, he dedicated his life and also went to work in the Ahmadiyya hospital in Techiman, Ghana, where he had the opportunity to serve there for some time.

After returning from Ghana, he had the opportunity of setting up medical camps in villages near Islamabad [Pakistan], along with other Ahmadi doctors. During the time of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV^rh, upon his move to the UK, he also diligently performed the duty of preparing the translation and summary of the Friday Sermons. He had great love for the Holy Quran. He regularly studied and pondered over the Holy Quran, and he also taught its translation to his children. As a child, during the time of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra, he had the opportunity to go and stay in Qadian for a long time. He had memorised many of the addresses of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra. Similarly, he also had many excerpts and poems of the Promised Messiah^as committed to memory. He was a musi [part of the system of Al-Wasiyyat]. He is survived by his wife, son and six daughters. His son-in-law, Dr Musallam Aldroubi, says, “He was regular in offering the Tahajjud prayers. He was a pure and faithful person. He was righteous, brave and courageous, and he had extraordinary love for the Jamaat and Khilafat. I learned the precious lesson of having love for the Caliphs from him. The deceased was also very passionate about preaching. He never spared an opportunity to spread the message.”

Musallam Sahib continues, “When I was in Syria and Jordan, and he would visit me, I noticed that he became good friends with my neighbours very quickly. Also, he would establish good relations with my guards and employees and teach them about Ahmadiyyat.”

His wife, Zubaidah Sahiba, says, “During the time of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III^rh, he was instructed to travel to West Africa under the Nusrat Jahan Scheme. With complete obedience, he began to prepare immediately. He made preparations so quickly that it even left me astonished. Our daughter was two months old at the time, but he said that we must make immediate preparations because this is the instruction of our Imam. So along with our four children, we arrived in Rabwah, had an audience with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III^rh and received guidance. Then, we returned to Bannu, handed in his holiday request and began praying, because during those days, there were restrictions in place by the government for doctors to travel abroad. This was also the era of Bhutto. Nonetheless, he was granted permission and we departed. With regards to offering prayers in congregation, he would always pray for all difficulties and obstacles to be removed so he could offer prayers in congregation. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, these prayers were heard and he was able to pray in congregation.”

His wife continues, “When Allah the Almighty enabled us to purchase a car, he also brought his friends along to the mosque and transported them back home. He was very happy to do this for them. When we were given a home close to the Fazl Mosque, he was delighted that he could offer all five daily prayers in the mosque. He looked for every opportunity to serve his faith. He never spared an opportunity to preach. He always paid his chanda on time and also advised us to do the same.” May Allah the Almighty bestow His mercy and forgiveness and enable his children to carry on his virtues.

The other funeral prayer, which is in absentia, is that of Wasimah Begum Sahiba, wife of Dr Shafique Sehgal Sahib. Shafique Sehgal Sahib was the former Amir Jamaat of the Multan region. He served as the Naib Wakil-ul-Tasnif. She passed away at the age of 89.

اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ

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

She was a musiah. She is survived by her husband and three sons.

Her husband, Dr Muhammad Shafique Sehgal Sahib, writes, “My wife was the granddaughter of Hazrat Sheikh Mushtaq Ahmad Sahib^ra, a companion of the Promised Messiah^as. She was the daughter of the late Justice Sheikh Bashir Ahmad Sahib of Lahore. She was also the niece of Sayyidah Umm Wasim Sahiba. She had a bond of complete devotion to Khilafat and always remained loyal to it.”

Her grandson Muhyi Uddin writes, “My grandmother had a great spirit of sacrifice. She frequently read the Ruhani Khazain.” He further says, “Because my grandfather is a life-devotee, I once asked my grandmother if she too was a life-devotee. She responded by saying that the Caliphs have said that the wives of life-devotees are also life-devotees.” Aishah, her daughter-in-law, who is also her niece, says, “My aunt was very friendly and loved by all. In the pledge for the Lajna, women promise to sacrifice their life, wealth, time, and children, and she was an example in fulfilling this pledge.” She further says, “After my marriage, she imparted great moral guidance to me pertaining to many matters. She also taught me the word-by-word translation of the Holy Quran.

Then, Zakiyah, her daughter-in-law and niece, says, “My aunt helped the poor and was an exemplary woman. She loved everyone. She never objected to anything her husband said. She was a very helpful person who was always prepared to help people.” Her sister, Naimah Jamil Sahiba says, “She was kind like my mother. I was widowed at the age of 50, but Allah the Almighty sent her to me in the form of an angel. She always helped me in everything and guided me.” She further says, “She was devout in her worship, but she also paid great consideration towards fulfilling the rights of mankind. She took on the responsibility of helping with the marriages of many girls. She never considered even a poor villager beneath herself. She always tried her utmost to financially support any of her household workers who were in need.”

May Allah the Almighty bestow His Mercy and forgiveness upon her. May He enable her children to carry on her virtues.

(Official Urdu transcript published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 3 November 2023, pp. 2-7. Translated by The Review of Religions.)