Friday Sermon
2 February 2024
Muhammadsa: The Great Exemplar
After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
I presented examples of the sacrifices of the Companions and their love for the Holy Prophetsa in relation to incidents from the Battle of Uhud. Among these are incidents relating to the courage of Hazrat Alira as well. As such, according to a narration about Hazrat Alira, on the occasion of the Battle of Uhud, when Ibn Qum‘ah martyred Hazrat Mus‘ab bin Umairra, he thought that he had martyred the Holy Prophetsa. Hence, he returned to the Quraish and said that he had killed the Holy Prophetsa. When Hazrat Mus‘abra was martyred, the Holy Prophetsa handed the flag to Hazrat Alira. Subsequently, Hazrat Alira and the remaining Muslims continued fighting. (Ibn Hisham, Al-Sirah Al-Nabawiyyah, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001, p. 529)
Hazrat Alira killed the flag-bearers of the disbelievers, one after the other. Spotting a contingent of disbelievers, the Holy Prophetsa instructed Hazrat Alira to launch an attack on them. Hazrat Alira killed Amr bin Abdullah Jumahi and dispersed them. Following this, the Holy Prophetsa instructed him to attack another contingent of disbelievers. Hazrat Alira killed Shaiba bin Malik and upon this, Hazrat Gabrielas said: “O Messengersa of Allah! He certainly deserves compassion.” He was referring to Hazrat Alira, and upon this, the Holy Prophetsa 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 Alira relates that, “During the Battle of Uhud, when people dispersed from the Holy Prophetsa, I started searching amongst those who had been martyred and could not find the Holy Prophetsa among them. At that moment, I said, ‘By God! The Holy Prophetsa was neither one to run away, nor have I found him among the martyrs. However, Allah became displeased with us and raised His Prophetsa. As such, the only good left for me now is to fight until I am killed.’” Hazrat Alira says, “I broke the sheath of my sword and attacked the disbelievers. When they became scattered, I saw the Holy Prophetsa in their midst.”
Sa‘eed bin Musayyib relates that during the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Alira sustained 16 wounds. Addressing the subject that treasures of blessings are found after experiencing difficulties, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has written the following:
“Returning from [the Battle of] Uhud, Hazrat Alira handed his sword to Hazrat Fatimara and said, ‘Wash this sword for it has performed great feats today.’ The Holy Prophetsa heard Hazrat Alira 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 Prophetsa 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 Ansarira. Hazrat Anasra relates, “On the day of the battle of Uhud, people suffered defeat and were separated from the Holy Prophetsa, but Hazrat Abu Talhahra was shielding the Holy Prophetsa with his shield in front of him. Hazrat Abu Talhahra 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 Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa.” Hazrat Anasra continues to relate, “When the Holy Prophetsa started looking [at the enemy] by raising his head, Abu Talhahra said:
بِأَبِيْ أَنْتَ وَأُمِّيْ يَارَسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ، لَا يُصِيْبُکَ سَہْمٌ،نَحْرِيْ دُوْنَ نَحْرِکَ
‘O Messengersa 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 Malikra relates that Hazrat Abu Talhahra protected the Holy Prophetsa with a single shield. He was an excellent archer, and whenever he shot arrows, the Holy Prophetsa looked to see where they landed.
There is also mention of the following couplets that Hazrat Abu Talhahra 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 Ansarira, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra has written:
“In the course of this rain of arrows, Abu Talhah Ansarira broke three bows, stood firm like a rock, and covered the body of the Holy Prophetsa with his own shield.” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophetssa, Vol. 2, p. 338)
Then there is mention of Hazrat Talhah bin Ubaidillahra. The previous Companion was from the Ansar, whereas he [Hazrat Talhah bin Ubaidullahra] was from the Quraish. On the day of the Battle of Uhud, he would stop arrows with his hands while protecting the Holy Prophetsa. Hazrat Talhahra participated alongside the Holy Prophetsa in the Battle of Uhud. He was among those Companions who remained resolute beside the Holy Prophetsa and took the pledge to sacrifice their lives. When Malik bin Zubair shot an arrow at the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat Talhahra protected the Holy Prophet’ssa 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 Prophetsa 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’sra hand, which was severely wounded whilst protecting the Holy Prophetsa.”
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 Bakrra sprinkled water on him until he regained consciousness. Upon regaining consciousness, he immediately asked about the Holy Prophet’ssa wellbeing. Hazrat Abu Bakrra replied by saying, “He is well, and he himself sent me to you.” Hazrat Talhahra then said,
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ کُلُّ مُصِيْبَةٍ بَعْدَہٗ جَلَلٗ
“All praise belongs to Allah. After learning of the wellbeing of the Holy Prophetsa, every hardship is insignificant.” (Al-Sirah Al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 324)
Aishahra and Umm Ishaqra who were two daughters of Hazrat Talhahra, 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 Talhara carried the Holy Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa up against something. (Al-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 163)
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra 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 Messengersa of Allah and gathered around him – a group comprising 30 people at most. The disbelievers attacked the area where the Holy Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa. At that time, Talhahra, one of the Quraish and the Muhajirin, saw that the enemy arrows were all directed to the face of the Holy Prophetsa. He stretched out his hand and held it up against the Holy Prophet’ssa face. Arrow after arrow struck Talhah’sra 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. Talhahra 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, Talhara was tauntingly described by an enemy as the handless Talhahra. 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’ssa face from the enemy’s arrows.
“After the Battle of Uhud, someone asked Hazrat Talhara, ‘Didn’t it hurt when the arrows pierced your hand, and didn’t you cry out in pain?’ Hazrat Talhahra 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’ssa face become exposed to the incoming arrows.’” (Dibacha Tafsirul Quran, Anwarul Uloom, Vol. 20, p. 250)
Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqasra 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 Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa, 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 Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa.
Sa‘dra recounts that, “With each arrow that I shot, the Holy Prophetsa would pray, ‘O Allah! Make his aim perfect and accept his prayer!’ When I exhausted the arrows from my quiver, the Holy Prophetsa 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‘dra fired about 1000 arrows. (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, pp. 200-201)
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra has written regarding Hazrat Sa’d bin Abi Waqasra when during the Battle of Uhud, very few Companions remained on guard around the Messengersa of Allah.
“The Holy Prophetsa would hand arrows to Sa‘dra himself and Sa‘dra would continue to shower the enemy with arrow upon arrow. At one instance, the Holy Prophetsa addressed Sa‘dra saying, ‘May my mother and father be sacrificed upon you – go on shooting arrows!’ Even to the very end of his life, Sa‘dra would recall these words of the Holy Prophetsa with great pride.” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophetssa, Vol. 2, p. 338)
One narration says that Hazrat Sa’d bin Abi Waqasra states, “During the Battle of Uhud, the Holy Prophetsa took out arrows from his quiver and laid them out for me [to shoot], and the Holy Prophetsa 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 Alira states, “Aside from Hazrat Sa’d bin Abi Waqasra, I have never heard the Holy Prophetsa give the prayer that his mother and father should be sacrificed for them, to anyone else. The Holy Prophetsa said to Hazrat Sa’dra 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‘dra, the name of Hazrat Zubair bin Awwamra is also found in history, to whom the Holy Prophetsa 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 Dujanahra. It is mentioned in a narration that during the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Abu Dujanahra acted as a shield to protect the Holy Prophetsa. Thus, he stood in front of the Holy Prophetsa while facing him. Whenever an arrow would come his way, he would strike the back of Hazrat Abu Dujanahra. 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 Dujanahra, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra writes:
“For a very long time, Abu Dujanahra shielded the body of the Holy Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa became even slightly exposed to a single arrow.” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophetssa, Vol. 2, p. 338)
Then there is Hazrat Sahl bin Hunaifra, who was among the eminent Companions, and showed great steadfastness during the Battle of Uhud. On that day, he pledged allegiance to the Holy Prophetsa to be ready to sacrifice his life. At that time, he stood like a shield right in front of the Holy Prophetsa. When the Muslims became scattered due to the strong attack of the enemy, on that day he shot arrows on behalf of the Holy Prophetsa. The Holy Prophetsa 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 Ummarahra who showed exemplary bravery in the Battle of Uhud, and she was a loyal and devoted Companion. Her full name was Umm Ummarah Mazainiahra. Hazrat Umm Ummarah’sra actual name was Musaibah. She was the wife of Hazrat Zaid bin Asimra. Hazrat Umm Ummarahra 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 Prophetsa. 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 Prophetsa from all sides. When I saw this, I stood and began fighting as well. I was stopping the enemies from coming near the Holy Prophetsa 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 Ummarahra narrates, “when the Companions suddenly became scattered and separated from the Holy Prophetsa, 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 Umairra 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 Nusaibahra went to the battle alongside her husband Hazrat Zaid bin Asimra, and her two sons Hazrat Khubaibra and Hazrat Abdullahra, and the Holy Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa, Hazrat Umm Ummarahra, 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 Prophetsa responded, “O Allah, grant them nearness and companionship to me in Paradise.” Immediately, Hazrat Umm Ummarahra 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 Prophetsa 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 Ummarahra 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 Ahmadra writes,
“There was also a Muslim lady by the name of Umm Ummarahra, who fought her way through to the Holy Prophetsa. At the time, Abdullah bin Qum‘ah was advancing to strike the Holy Prophetsa. 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 Prophetsa. As soon as he reached there, he took a strike at the blessed countenance of the Holy Prophetsa with such force and so ruthlessly that the hearts of the Companions trembled in fear. The courageous Talhahra 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 Prophetsa. By the Grace of God, no wound was sustained because the Holy Prophetsa was clad in double armour and the force of the blow had also fallen weak due to the courageous act of Talhahra, but due to this shock, the Holy Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa Ibn Qum‘ah fell back, calling out a slogan of joy and, in his own fancy, thought that he had killed the Holy Prophetsa. However, as soon as the Holy Prophetsa hit the ground, Hazrat Alira and Talhahra raised him up. When the Muslims were assured that the Holy Prophetsa 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 Prophetssa, 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 Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa 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 Umarra 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 Prophetsa then said, “Will you not respond to him now?” The Companions asked, “O Messngersa of Allah, what shall we respond with?” The Holy Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa asked, “Will you people not respond to this?” Hazrat Bara’ bin ‘Azibra narrates, “The Companions asked, ‘O Messengersa of Allah, what shall we say?’ The Holy Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa instructed one of his companions to reply, saying, “Indeed, our meeting is promised.”
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra writes in The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophetssa:
“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 Hamzahra 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 Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa forbade anyone from responding, and thus, the Companions remained silent. Then, he inquired about Abu Bakrra and ‘Umarra, but even at this, in accordance with the instruction of the Holy Prophetsa, 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 ‘Umarra 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 ‘Umarra, Abu Sufyan said, ‘Tell the truth ‘Umar! Is Muhammad[sa] alive?’ ‘Indeed! Indeed!’ said Hazrat Umarra, ‘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 Prophetsa, the Companions remained silent, (because the Holy Prophetsa had forbidden them), but the Holy Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa. The Companions submitted, ‘O Messengersa of Allah! How shall we respond?’ The Holy Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa 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 Ahmadra 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 Prophetsa immediately dispatched a party of seventy Companions, which also included Hazrat Abu Bakrra and Hazrat Zubairra, 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 Prophetsa sent Hazrat ‘Alira, or in light of various narrations, Sa‘d bin (Abi) Waqqasra 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 Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa 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 Prophetssa, Vol. 2, pp. 342-344)
While mentioning that the Holy Prophetsa fell unconscious as a result of his injuries and the incidents that ensued, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states, “A short while later, the Holy Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa instructed Abu Bakrra not to respond as well. Then Abu Sufyan proclaimed, ‘We have also killed Umar.’ Umarra, 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 Prophetsa 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-Maudra continues, “The Holy Prophetsa, who had advised to remain silent when his death was being proclaimed, and the deaths of Abu Bakrra and Umarra 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 Messengersa of Allah , what should we say?’ The Holy Prophetsa 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 Prophetsa 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-Maudra 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.)
