Friday Sermon – Muhammad (sa): The Great Exemplar (2 February 2024)

Friday Sermon

2 February 2024

Muhammad^sa: The Great Exemplar

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

I presented examples of the sacrifices of the Companions and their love for the Holy Prophet^sa in relation to incidents from the Battle of Uhud. Among these are incidents relating to the courage of Hazrat Ali^ra as well. As such, according to a narration about Hazrat Ali^ra, on the occasion of the Battle of Uhud, when Ibn Qum‘ah martyred Hazrat Mus‘ab bin Umair^ra, he thought that he had martyred the Holy Prophet^sa. Hence, he returned to the Quraish and said that he had killed the Holy Prophet^sa. When Hazrat Mus‘ab^ra was martyred, the Holy Prophet^sa handed the flag to Hazrat Ali^ra. Subsequently, Hazrat Ali^ra and the remaining Muslims continued fighting. (Ibn Hisham, Al-Sirah Al-Nabawiyyah, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001, p. 529)

Hazrat Ali^ra killed the flag-bearers of the disbelievers, one after the other. Spotting a contingent of disbelievers, the Holy Prophet^sa instructed Hazrat Ali^ra to launch an attack on them. Hazrat Ali^ra killed Amr bin Abdullah Jumahi and dispersed them. Following this, the Holy Prophet^sa instructed him to attack another contingent of disbelievers. Hazrat Ali^ra killed Shaiba bin Malik and upon this, Hazrat Gabrielas said: “O Messenger^sa of Allah! He certainly deserves compassion.” He was referring to Hazrat Ali^ra, and upon this, the Holy Prophet^sa replied: “Indeed! Ali is from me and I am from him.” In response, Gabrielas said: “I am from both of you.” (Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 2, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 65)

Shias greatly exaggerate this statement.

Hazrat Ali^ra relates that, “During the Battle of Uhud, when people dispersed from the Holy Prophet^sa, I started searching amongst those who had been martyred and could not find the Holy Prophet^sa among them. At that moment, I said, ‘By God! The Holy Prophet^sa was neither one to run away, nor have I found him among the martyrs. However, Allah became displeased with us and raised His Prophet^sa. As such, the only good left for me now is to fight until I am killed.’” Hazrat Ali^ra says, “I broke the sheath of my sword and attacked the disbelievers. When they became scattered, I saw the Holy Prophet^sa in their midst.”

Sa‘eed bin Musayyib relates that during the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Ali^ra sustained 16 wounds. Addressing the subject that treasures of blessings are found after experiencing difficulties, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra has written the following:

“Returning from [the Battle of] Uhud, Hazrat Ali^ra handed his sword to Hazrat Fatima^ra and said, ‘Wash this sword for it has performed great feats today.’ The Holy Prophet^sa heard Hazrat Ali^ra say this and said, ‘Ali, it was not only your sword that did so. There are many of your brothers too, whose swords did wonders.’ The Holy Prophet^sa named six, or seven Companions and said, ‘Their swords were no less sharp than yours.’” (Masa’ib ke Neechay Barkaton ke Khazanay Makhfi Hotay Hain, Anwarul Uloom, Vol. 19, p. 59)

There is also mention of Hazrat Abu Talhah Ansari^ra. Hazrat Anas^ra relates, “On the day of the battle of Uhud, people suffered defeat and were separated from the Holy Prophet^sa, but Hazrat Abu Talhah^ra was shielding the Holy Prophet^sa with his shield in front of him. Hazrat Abu Talhah^ra was an experienced archer who used to draw his bowstring with great force. On that day, he broke two or three bows (i.e., he would pull so hard on the string that the bows would break). If anyone (from among the Companions) passed by carrying a quiver full of arrows, the Holy Prophet^sa would say to him, ‘Empty it in front of Abu Talhah.’ (That is to say that he is such a good archer, so give him your arrows.) At the time, he was standing in front of the Holy Prophet^sa.” Hazrat Anas^ra continues to relate, “When the Holy Prophet^sa started looking [at the enemy] by raising his head, Abu Talhah^ra said:

بِأَبِيْ أَنْتَ وَأُمِّيْ يَارَسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ، لَا يُصِيْبُکَ سَہْمٌ،نَحْرِيْ دُوْنَ نَحْرِکَ

‘O Messenger^sa of Allah! Let my parents be sacrificed for your sake! Please do not raise your head and make it visible, lest an arrow of the enemy hit you. My chest be sacrificed before yours.’”

This reference has been taken from a narration of Sahih al-Bukhari. (Taken from Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi Bab Iz Hammat Taa’ifatani Minkum, Hadith 4064; Taken from Al-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 3, pp. 384-385)

Hazrat Anas bin Malik^ra relates that Hazrat Abu Talhah^ra protected the Holy Prophet^sa with a single shield. He was an excellent archer, and whenever he shot arrows, the Holy Prophet^sa looked to see where they landed.

There is also mention of the following couplets that Hazrat Abu Talhah^ra would recite during the Battle of Uhud:

وَجْھِيْ لِوَجْہِکَ الْوِقَاءُ

وَ نَفْسِيْ لِنَفْسِکَ الْفِدَاءُ

“My face is there to protect yours, and may my life be sacrificed for yours.” (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 4, Hadith 13781, Alam al-Kutub, Beirut, 1998, p. 665)

Regarding Hazrat Abu Talhah Ansari^ra, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra has written:

“In the course of this rain of arrows, Abu Talhah Ansari^ra broke three bows, stood firm like a rock, and covered the body of the Holy Prophet^sa with his own shield.” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets^sa, Vol. 2, p. 338)

Then there is mention of Hazrat Talhah bin Ubaidillah^ra. The previous Companion was from the Ansar, whereas he [Hazrat Talhah bin Ubaidullah^ra] was from the Quraish. On the day of the Battle of Uhud, he would stop arrows with his hands while protecting the Holy Prophet^sa. Hazrat Talhah^ra participated alongside the Holy Prophet^sa in the Battle of Uhud. He was among those Companions who remained resolute beside the Holy Prophet^sa and took the pledge to sacrifice their lives. When Malik bin Zubair shot an arrow at the Holy Prophet^sa, Hazrat Talhah^ra protected the Holy Prophet’s^sa face by placing his hand in the way. The arrow hit his little finger, rendering it incapacitated. When the first arrow struck, he made a ‘si’ sound from the pain. The Holy Prophet^sa said, “If he had said   [in the name of Allah], he would have entered paradise in a state that people would witness him.” (Ibn Sa’d, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Talhah bin Ubadullah Quraishi, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990, pp. 162-163)

The details of this very incident are found in a narration of Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah. Qais bin Abi Hazim states, “On the day of the Battle of Uhud, I saw the state of Hazrat Talhah bin Ubaidillah’s^ra hand, which was severely wounded whilst protecting the Holy Prophet^sa.”

In one narration, it is stated that he was hit by a spear, and so much blood flowed that he fell unconscious from the weakness. Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra sprinkled water on him until he regained consciousness. Upon regaining consciousness, he immediately asked about the Holy Prophet’s^sa wellbeing. Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra replied by saying, “He is well, and he himself sent me to you.” Hazrat Talhah^ra then said,

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ کُلُّ مُصِيْبَةٍ بَعْدَہٗ جَلَلٗ

“All praise belongs to Allah. After learning of the wellbeing of the Holy Prophet^sa, every hardship is insignificant.” (Al-Sirah Al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 324)

Aishah^ra and Umm Ishaq^ra who were two daughters of Hazrat Talhah^ra, have both recounted that, “n the day of Uhud, our father sustained 24 wounds. His head sustained a deep wound and an artery in his foot was severed. His finger became paralysed, and the remaining wounds were on his body. He was barely conscious. Allah’s Messenger’ssa two front teeth had been broken and his face wounded. He too was unconscious. Hazrat Talha^ra carried the Holy Prophet^sa on his back, pacing backwards, such that whenever any enemy attacked him, he fought him off until he reached a nearby valley and leaned the Holy Prophet^sa up against something. (Al-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 163)

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra mentions the utterly selfless devotion of these Companions and their willingness to sacrifice everything during the Battle of Uhud in the following words:

“On the day of Uhud, when Khalid bin Walid suddenly attacked the Muslims, and the Muslims became separated, some Companions raced towards the Messenger^sa of Allah and gathered around him – a group comprising 30 people at most. The disbelievers attacked the area where the Holy Prophet^sa stood with great force.

“One by one, the Muslims in the ring fell under the blows of Mecca swordsmen. From the hill, the archers sent volleys of arrows towards the Holy Prophet^sa. At that time, Talhah^ra, one of the Quraish and the Muhajirin, saw that the enemy arrows were all directed to the face of the Holy Prophet^sa. He stretched out his hand and held it up against the Holy Prophet’s^sa face. Arrow after arrow struck Talhah’s^ra hand, yet this utterly devoted Companion refused to let his hand drop. The arrows continued to strike his hand in such multitudes that ultimately it was completely incapacitated. Talhah^ra lost his hand and for the rest of his life went about with a stump. Many years later, in the time of the Fourth Caliph of Islam when internal dissensions had raised their head, Talha^ra was tauntingly described by an enemy as the handless Talhah^ra. Upon this, another Companion replied, ‘Handless, yes, but indeed a very blessed one. Do you know where he lost his hand? At the Battle of Uhud, in which he raised his hand to shield the Prophet’s^sa face from the enemy’s arrows.

“After the Battle of Uhud, someone asked Hazrat Talha^ra, ‘Didn’t it hurt when the arrows pierced your hand, and didn’t you cry out in pain?’ Hazrat Talhah^ra replied, ‘Yes, it hurt, and yes, my throat wanted to let out a cry, but I didn’t let it out, lest by doing so my hand moved away and the Holy Prophet’s^sa face become exposed to the incoming arrows.’”  (Dibacha Tafsirul Quran, Anwarul Uloom, Vol. 20, p. 250)

Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^ra was also among the selfless Companions who displayed amazing courage and loyalty on this occasion.

Aishah bint Sa‘d narrates from her father, [who said], “When the enemy returned for a second attack, I manoeuvred to one side, thinking that I will either eliminate them and gain salvation or I would achieve martyrdom. Suddenly, I spotted a red-faced individual who it appeared was about to be overcome by the idolaters when he grasped a handful of stones and threw them at the disbelievers. Incidentally, Miqdad appeared between that person and me. As I intended to ask Miqdad who it was I had seen, Miqdad called out to me saying ‘O Sa‘d! That was the Holy Prophet^sa and he was calling you!’ So I stood up and suddenly felt as though I had not endured any pain at all. When I reached the Holy Prophet^sa, he had me sit in front of him. I would shoot arrows and pray, ‘O Allah! This is Your arrow. May it destroy Your enemy!’ And the Holy Prophet^sa would respond ‘O Allah! Accept Sa‘d’s prayer! O Allah, make Sa‘d’s aim hit its target! O Sa‘d! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you!’” Hazrat Sa‘d, while narrating this, describes that, “At that time, I felt as though an angel had descended near me and was fighting alongside me. Later, someone informed me that that person was in fact the Holy Prophet^sa himself.”

It seems that either there were various states of vision that people experienced, or perhaps it actually happened like this. In any case, he was physically near the Holy Prophet^sa.

Sa‘d^ra recounts that, “With each arrow that I shot, the Holy Prophet^sa would pray, ‘O Allah! Make his aim perfect and accept his prayer!’ When I exhausted the arrows from my quiver, the Holy Prophet^sa placed his arrows before me, and handed me an arrow without point or fletching, which ended up being even faster than the other arrows.”

Allamah Zuhri writes that on that day, Hazrat Sa‘d^ra fired about 1000 arrows. (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, pp. 200-201)

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra has written regarding Hazrat Sa’d bin Abi Waqas^ra when during the Battle of Uhud, very few Companions remained on guard around the Messenger^sa of Allah.

“The Holy Prophet^sa would hand arrows to Sa‘d^ra himself and Sa‘d^ra would continue to shower the enemy with arrow upon arrow. At one instance, the Holy Prophet^sa addressed Sa‘d^ra saying, ‘May my mother and father be sacrificed upon you – go on shooting arrows!’ Even to the very end of his life, Sa‘d^ra would recall these words of the Holy Prophet^sa with great pride.” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets^sa, Vol. 2, p. 338)

One narration says that Hazrat Sa’d bin Abi Waqas^ra states, “During the Battle of Uhud, the Holy Prophet^sa took out arrows from his quiver and laid them out for me [to shoot], and the Holy Prophet^sa said ‘keep shooting arrows, may my mother and father be sacrificed for you’”. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bab Iz Hammat Ta’ifatani Minkum, Hadith 4055)

Hazrat Ali^ra states, “Aside from Hazrat Sa’d bin Abi Waqas^ra, I have never heard the Holy Prophet^sa give the prayer that his mother and father should be sacrificed for them, to anyone else. The Holy Prophet^sa said to Hazrat Sa’d^ra during the Battle of Uhud that ‘may my mother and father be sacrificed for you, keep shooting arrows. O young man of mighty strength, keep shooting arrows.’” (Jami al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Manaqib, Hadith 3753)

However, there is another narration in Sahih al-Bukhari as well that aside from Hazrat Sa‘d^ra, the name of Hazrat Zubair bin Awwam^ra is also found in history, to whom the Holy Prophet^sa said:

فِدَاکَ اَبِيْ وَاُمِّيْ

“May my father and mother be sacrificed for you.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Faza’il Ilahi, Bab Manaqib al-Zubair bin al-Awwam, Hadith 3720)

Similarly, there is also mention of the sacrifice of Hazrat Abu Dujanah^ra. It is mentioned in a narration that during the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Abu Dujanah^ra acted as a shield to protect the Holy Prophet^sa. Thus, he stood in front of the Holy Prophet^sa while facing him. Whenever an arrow would come his way, he would strike the back of Hazrat Abu Dujanah^ra. He was hunching while standing, and would take all the arrows in his back, to the extent that countless arrows pierced his back.

Regarding the steadfastness of Hazrat Abu Dujanah^ra, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra writes:

“For a very long time, Abu Dujanah^ra shielded the body of the Holy Prophet^sa with his own, and would take every arrow and stone to his own body. This was to such an extent that his body became heavily pierced with arrows, but he did not even sigh, lest his body flinched and the Holy Prophet^sa became even slightly exposed to a single arrow.” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets^sa, Vol. 2, p. 338)

Then there is Hazrat Sahl bin Hunaif^ra, who was among the eminent Companions, and showed great steadfastness during the Battle of Uhud. On that day, he pledged allegiance to the Holy Prophet^sa to be ready to sacrifice his life. At that time, he stood like a shield right in front of the Holy Prophet^sa. When the Muslims became scattered due to the strong attack of the enemy, on that day he shot arrows on behalf of the Holy Prophet^sa. The Holy Prophet^sa stated, “Pass the arrows to Sahl, because shooting arrows is an easy task for him.” (Al-Isti’ab, Vol. 2, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1992, pp. 662-663)

Then there is also mention of a female Companion, Hazrat Umm Ummarah^ra who showed exemplary bravery in the Battle of Uhud, and she was a loyal and devoted Companion. Her full name was Umm Ummarah Mazainiah^ra. Hazrat Umm Ummarah’s^ra actual name was Musaibah. She was the wife of Hazrat Zaid bin Asim^ra. Hazrat Umm Ummarah^ra herself narrates, “During the Battle of Uhud, I departed to see what the people were doing. I had with me a small waterskin filled with water, which I took along to give water to the injured, until the point that I reached the Holy Prophet^sa. At this time, he was among the Companions and the Muslims were in a dominant position (meaning it was the early phase of the battle). Then suddenly, the companions became scattered.” This is referring to the incident of the people who left the mountain pass unguarded, and the idolaters attacked from behind. She says, “At this stage, the idolaters launched attacks upon the Holy Prophet^sa from all sides. When I saw this, I stood and began fighting as well. I was stopping the enemies from coming near the Holy Prophet^sa by using a sword. At the same time, I was shooting arrows from my quiver to the extent that I myself got injured.” She sustained a very deep wound on her shoulder. When she was asked as to who injured her, she said Ibn Qum‘ah did. Hazrat Umm Ummarah^ra narrates, “when the Companions suddenly became scattered and separated from the Holy Prophet^sa, then he advanced, saying ‘point Muhammad^[sa] out to me, because if he survives today then let it be known that I will not survive (meaning today either he will survive, or I will survive). When he came closer, Hazrat Mus‘ab bin Umair^ra and I blocked his path. At that moment, he attacked me. He inflicted this injury during the attack (meaning this shoulder injury they were asking her about; he is the one who inflicted it). I tried to deal many blows, but that enemy of God was wearing two layers of armour.” Some scholars have written that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Nusaibah^ra went to the battle alongside her husband Hazrat Zaid bin Asim^ra, and her two sons Hazrat Khubaib^ra and Hazrat Abdullah^ra, and the Holy Prophet^sa said to all of them, “May Allah shower His mercy upon your entire household.”

Or, according to another narration, he said, “May Allah the Almighty bless your household.” Nonetheless, when this prayer was made by the Holy Prophet^sa, Hazrat Umm Ummarah^ra, or Nusibah, submitted to him and said, “Please pray to Allah the Almighty that we are together with you in paradise.” Whilst offering a prayer, the Holy Prophet^sa responded, “O Allah, grant them nearness and companionship to me in Paradise.” Immediately, Hazrat Umm Ummarah^ra said, “Now I do not care what happens to me in this life. The gift of this prayer is sufficient for me.”

In respect to her, the Holy Prophet^sa once said, “During the battle of Uhud, whether I looked to the right or left, I saw her defending me and fighting against the enemy.” During the battle of Uhud, Hazrat Umm Ummarah^ra sustained 12 wounds, including those inflicted by spears and swords. (Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2008, pp. 313-314)

Regarding Hazrat Umm Ammarah, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra writes,

“There was also a Muslim lady by the name of Umm Ummarah^ra, who fought her way through to the Holy Prophet^sa. At the time, Abdullah bin Qum‘ah was advancing to strike the Holy Prophet^sa. This Muslim lady immediately moved forward and took the blow to herself. Then she took a firm grip of her sword, made aim, and retaliated with her own blow. However, he was a man clad in double armour, and this was a weaker woman, for this reason, her strike was unable to penetrate the target. Ibn Qum‘ah boldly cut straight through the Muslim ranks, and just before the Companions could stop him, reached in close range of the Holy Prophet^sa. As soon as he reached there, he took a strike at the blessed countenance of the Holy Prophet^sa with such force and so ruthlessly that the hearts of the Companions trembled in fear. The courageous Talhah^ra dashed forward and took the blow to his bare hand, but the sword of Ibn Qum‘ah severed his hand and fell upon the flank of the Holy Prophet^sa. By the Grace of God, no wound was sustained because the Holy Prophet^sa was clad in double armour and the force of the blow had also fallen weak due to the courageous act of Talhah^ra, but due to this shock, the Holy Prophet^sa took a spin and fell to the ground. Ibn Qum‘ah raised another slogan of joy saying, ‘I have killed Muhammad^[sa]!’

Upon striking the Holy Prophet^sa Ibn Qum‘ah fell back, calling out a slogan of joy and, in his own fancy, thought that he had killed the Holy Prophet^sa. However, as soon as the Holy Prophet^sa hit the ground, Hazrat Ali^ra and Talhah^ra raised him up. When the Muslims were assured that the Holy Prophet^sa was alive and safe, their faded countenances lit up in joy. Now, slowly and gradually, the heat of battle began to subside, partly due to the reason that the disbelievers had become somewhat relaxed in their belief that Muhammad^[sa], the Messenger of Allah, had been martyred. Hence, they diverted their attention from battle and began to tend to their dead, while others began to mutilate the bodies of the Muslim martyrs. On the other side, most of the Muslims had also scattered.” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets^sa, Vol. 2, pp. 339-340)

During this war, there are accounts of a conversation with Abu Sufyan and also of why the Quraish retreated. On the day of the Battle of Uhud, when the Holy Prophet^sa went up the mountain alongside his Companions, he was pursued by the disbelievers. According to a narration in Sahih Al-Bukhari, Abu Sufyan called out three times and said, “Is Muhammad^[sa] amongst you?” The Holy Prophet^sa stopped the Companions from responding. Then, he asked three times, “Is the son of Abu Quhafah (i.e., Abu Bakr) amongst you?” Following this, he asked three times, “Is Ibn Khattab (i.e., Umar) amongst you?” He then returned to his people and said that they had been killed. Hearing this, Hazrat Umar^ra could not control himself and exclaimed, “O enemy of Allah! By God, you have lied. Those whom you named are all alive. There are many misfortunes that remain in your fate.” This is also a narration of Sahih al-Bukhari. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Jihad wa al-Siyar, Bab Ma Yakrahu min al-Tanazu wa al-Ikhtilaf fi al-Harb)

Abu Sufyan replied, “This battle is revenge for the Battle of Badr. War is unpredictable; sometimes its fortune shifts to one side, and sometimes to the other. You will find amongst you the corpses of such people whose ears and noses have been severed (i.e., they have been mutilated). I did not command for this to be carried out, but I also do not find it objectionable.”

Then, he began to recite the phrase:

اُعْلُ ھُبَل۔ اُعْلُ ھُبَل

“Glory to Hubul, glory to Hubul.”

The Holy Prophet^sa then said, “Will you not respond to him now?” The Companions asked, “O Messnger^sa of Allah, what shall we respond with?” The Holy Prophet^sa said, “Say,

اَللّٰہُ اَعْلٰي وَاَجَلُّ

“Allah is the Most High and Exalted.”

Abu Sufyan then said, “We possess Uzza while you do not possess Uzza.” Upon hearing this, the Holy Prophet^sa asked, “Will you people not respond to this?” Hazrat Bara’ bin ‘Azib^ra narrates, “The Companions asked, ‘O Messenger^sa of Allah, what shall we say?’ The Holy Prophet^sa said:

اَللّٰہُ مَوْلَانَا وَلَا مَوْلٰي لَکُمْ

“Allah is our Guardian, whilst you have no guardian.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Jihad wa al-Siyar, Bab Ma Yakrahu min al-Tanazu wa al-Ikhtilaf fi al-Harb, Hadith 3039)

Following this, Abu Sufyan loudly addressed the Muslims and said, “Next year, we will face you at Badr once again.” The Holy Prophet^sa instructed one of his companions to reply, saying, “Indeed, our meeting is promised.”

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra writes in The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets^sa:

“While the Muslims were busy tending to the wounded, on the opposite end, on the battlefield below, the Quraish of Mecca were most ruthlessly mutilating the bodies of the Muslim martyrs. The savage custom of muthlah [mutilating dead bodies] was carried out with all its barbarity and the bloodthirsty beasts of Mecca did whatever their hearts desired with the bodies of the Muslim martyrs. The women of the Quraish severed the noses and ears of the Muslims and wore them as garlands. Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan cut out the liver of Hazrat Hamzah^ra and chewed it. Hence, in the words of Sir William Muir, ‘Many acts of barbarous mutilation were committed on the slain.’ The chieftains of Mecca searched long and hard for the body of the Holy Prophet^sa in the field of battle, and their eyes eagerly craved to witness this sight, but that which was not to be found could not be found. (I.e., it was impossible as the Holy Prophet^sa was not there.) When Abu Sufyan had lost hope in this search, he took a few of his followers and proceeded to the mountain pass, where the Muslims had gathered and, standing next to it, called out:

“‘O Muslims! Is Muhammad^[sa] among you?’

“The Holy Prophet^sa forbade anyone from responding, and thus, the Companions remained silent. Then, he inquired about Abu Bakr^ra and ‘Umar^ra, but even at this, in accordance with the instruction of the Holy Prophet^sa, no one responded. Upon this, in a most arrogant tone, he called out in a loud voice, ‘All of these people have been slain, for if they had been alive, they would have responded.’ At this, Hazrat ‘Umar^ra was unable to restrain himself, and uncontrollably said:

“‘O enemy of Allah! You lie! We are all alive and Allah shall disgrace you at our hands.’

“Upon recognising the voice of Hazrat ‘Umar^ra, Abu Sufyan said, ‘Tell the truth ‘Umar! Is Muhammad^[sa] alive?’ ‘Indeed! Indeed!’ said Hazrat Umar^ra, ‘By the Grace of God, he lives and is listening to your every word.’ In a relatively low voice, Abu Sufyan said, ‘Then, Ibn Qum’ah has lied, because I consider you to be more truthful than he.’  After this, Abu Sufyan exclaimed:

اُعْلُ ھُبَلْ

“‘O Hubl! Exalted by thy name!’

“Upon the instruction of the Holy Prophet^sa, the Companions remained silent, (because the Holy Prophet^sa had forbidden them), but the Holy Prophet^sa who ordered silence for his own name, became restless upon hearing the name of an idol in with the name of God the Exalted. ‘Why do you not respond?’ said the Holy Prophet^sa. The Companions submitted, ‘O Messengersa of Allah! How shall we respond?’ The Holy Prophet^sa said, ‘Proclaim:

اَللّٰہُ اَعْلٰي وَاَجَلّ

“‘Greatness and grandeur belongs to Allah the Exalted alone.’

“Abu Sufyan responded:

لَنَاالْعُزّٰي وَلاَ عُزّيٰ لَکُمْ

“‘We have ‘Uzza but you have no ‘Uzza!’

“ The Holy Prophet^sa instructed the Companions to say:

اَللّٰہُ مَوْلانا وَلَا مَوْلٰي لَکُمْ

“‘We have Allah, Who is our Helper, but you have no Helper.’

“After this, Abu Sufyan said:

“‘Battle is like a pail, at times, it rises and at times it falls. Consider this day to be a recompense for Badr. You shall find such bodies in the field of battle that have been mutilated. I did not order this, but when I found out about it, I did not find this action of my men displeasing either. Next year, we shall meet again at Badr on the same days.’

“As per the instruction of the Holy Prophet^sa a Companion responded, ‘Very well then, we shall meet again.’ After saying this Abu Sufyan descended with his followers and quickly thereafter, the army of the Quraish took the road to Mecca.”

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra further writes: “It is strange to note that on this occasion, although the Quraish had attained victory against the Muslims, and with respect to their apparent means, if they had desired, they could have further capitalised on this opportunity; not to mention, the opportunity to attack Medina was open to them in any case. However, the Power of God was such that despite this victory, in their hearts, the Quraish were struck with awe, and considering the victory attained in the field of Uḥud as being lucky enough, they thought it wise to make haste to Mecca.

“Nevertheless, despite all this, as an act of further precaution, the Holy Prophet^sa immediately dispatched a party of seventy Companions, which also included Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra and Hazrat Zubair^ra, in pursuit of the army of the Quraish. This is the narration, as it is related in Sahih al-Bukhari. The manner in which most historians describe the account is that the Holy Prophet^sa sent Hazrat ‘Ali^ra, or in light of various narrations, Sa‘d bin (Abi) Waqqas^ra in the footsteps of the Quraish and instructed him to bring news as to whether the army of the Quraish intended to attack Medina. The Holy Prophet^sa went on to tell him that if the Quraish were mounted on their camels and were taking their horses along unmounted, then they should rest assured that they were returning to Mecca, and did not intend to attack Medina. However, if they were mounted on horses then they would know that their intention was not good. The Holy Prophet^sa strictly instructed him that if the army of the Quraish was heading towards Medina, he should be informed at once and in a state of great passion, he said, ‘At this time, if the Quraish attack Medina, by God, we shall fight them and give them a taste of their own.’ Thus, the men dispatched by the Holy Prophet^sa went and quickly returned with the good news that the army of the Quraish was proceeding towards Mecca.” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets^sa, Vol. 2, pp. 342-344)

While mentioning that the Holy Prophet^sa fell unconscious as a result of his injuries and the incidents that ensued, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra states, “A short while later, the Holy Prophet^sa gained consciousness, and the Companions sent men in every direction of the battlefield to inform the Muslims that they should gather. The fleeing army began to regroup and the Holy Prophet^sa took them to the foot of a mountain. When whatever remained of the army stood in the mountain pass, Abu Sufyan loudly proclaimed, ‘We have killed Muhammad^[sa].’ The Holy Prophet^sa did not respond to Abu Sufyan so as not to alert the enemy about what the reality was and thus leading them to launch an attack, thereby exposing the wounded Muslims to another enemy attack. Upon not receiving any response from the Muslim army, Abu Sufyan became certain that his suspicion was correct and proclaimed with a loud voice, ‘We have also killed Abu Bakr.’ The Holy Prophet^sa instructed Abu Bakr^ra not to respond as well. Then Abu Sufyan proclaimed, ‘We have also killed Umar.’ Umar^ra, who was a very passionate man, wished to respond by saying, ‘By the grace of God, we are alive and ready to combat you.’ However, the Holy Prophet^sa forbade him from doing so, saying that he should not put the Muslims in difficulty and should remain silent. Now the disbelievers were convinced that they had killed the founder of Islam and his right and left arms. Upon this, Abu Sufyan and his comrades loudly raised the following slogan:

اُعْلُ ھُبَل ۔ اُعْلُ ھُبَل

“‘Great be the glory of our honourable idol Hubal for it has defeated Islam today.’”

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra continues, “The Holy Prophet^sa, who had advised to remain silent when his death was being proclaimed, and the deaths of Abu Bakr^ra and Umar^ra were being announced, so that the enemy army would not turn back and attack the already injured Muslims and thus the handful of remaining Muslims would be martyred. But now, when the honour of the One God came into question and a slogan of associating partners with God was raised on the battlefield, his spirit became anxious and with great passion he turned to the Companions and said, ‘Why do you not respond?’ The Companions said, ‘O Messenger^sa of Allah , what should we say?’ The Holy Prophet^sa said, ‘Say:

اَللّٰہُ اَعْلٰي وَاَجَلُّ۔ اَللّٰہُ اَعْلٰي وَاَجَلُّ

“‘[Greatness and grandeur belong to Allah alone]. You lie when you say Hubul is great. (You are lying.) Allah, Who is One and has no partner is Honourable and is the Greatest.’

“In this manner, the Holy Prophet^sa also informed them that he was still alive. This bold and brave response had such a profound impact upon the disbelieving army that despite their hopes being mixed to the dust as a result of this response, and despite the fact that only a handful of wounded Muslims stood before them, and by all material means it would have been easy for them to attack and kill them, they did not have the courage to launch another attack. They rejoiced over whatever degree of victory they had already achieved and returned to Mecca.” (Dibacha Tafsirul Quran, Anwarul Uloom, Vol. 20, pp. 252-253)

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra has mentioned this incident in various instances from various different perspectives, which will be further mentioned in the future, insha-Allah.

As I have been continuously reminding, continue to pray for the general state of the Palestinians. There is some news that efforts are perhaps being made to end the fighting in Gaza and perhaps the Israeli government may agree to this. However, the chances of a war breaking out at the border of Lebanon seem to be increasing, which would impact the Palestinians in the West Bank. There is no trace of justice among Western governments. Now, Western commentators are openly declaring that the injustices have exceeded all bounds. The US President is fanning this war only to improve their own economy, as doing so increases their income through the arms trade. Now, their own analysts say that the US is trying to extend this war and creating disorder in the world in order to better its own economy. They do not realise that they cannot avoid the wrath of God Almighty.

“Through prayers and reaching out to their contacts, Ahmadis must play their part in order to prevent these atrocities. Recently there was also news that the US and UK stopped funding a UN agency that renders aid. They refused to do so because 11 or 12 members of Hamas were involved with them, and as a result of this, they are perpetrating the injustice of not helping the Palestinians. This is nothing but a ploy to compel the Palestinians. But it is astonishing that if the Western world has stopped their aid, why is there no news from any of the Muslim countries that have the wealth of oil announcing that they will help render aid instead. The UN agency has announced that if they do not receive any help, then they will not be able to provide any aid beyond the month of February. May Allah the Almighty enable these Muslim countries to play their role and may the disorder in the world come to an end. Now there is also a risk of a war with Iran.

Similarly, pray for the Ahmadis in Yemen. A sincere Ahmadi there died while imprisoned or being held captive due to not receiving proper medical attention. Details are difficult to come by; in any case, pray for these people as well, who are engulfed by difficulties. Upon receiving further details, insha-Allah, I will lead his funeral prayer.

Pray for the Ahmadis in Pakistan as well. Ahmadis are always made targets for their political gain. Similarly, the Community also faces threats from certain extremist groups. Members of the Community face a two-fold danger wherever they are [in Pakistan]; one on account of being citizens and the other due to being Ahmadis. Pray for the Ahmadis in Rabwah and all other cities; may Allah the Almighty keep them under His protection. May He turn the evil of the evildoers back on them. May Allah the Almighty protect Ahmadis in every country. May the world recognise the reality that there is no path other than turning to Allah the Almighty. The only way for them to survive is to recognise Allah and accept the one sent by Him. May Allah the Almighty enable them to do so. [Amin.]

(Official Urdu transcript published in the Al Fazl International, 23 February 2024, pp. 2-6. Translated by The Review of Religions.)