Friday Sermon – Muhammad (sa): The Great Exemplar (26 April 2024)

Friday Sermon

26 April 2024

Muhammad^sa: The Great Exemplar

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

The reason for the expedition of Hamra al-Asad and its background were mentioned in the previous Friday Sermon. When the Muslims learned of the enemy’s plot to attack Medina after returning from the Battle of Uhud, the Holy Prophet^sa summoned Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra and Hazrat Umar^ra and told them about the statement of the Mazani companion, who had informed him about this. Both of these Companions submitted, “O Messenger^sa  of Allah! Let’s proceed towards the enemy so that they do not attack our children [in Medina].”

When the Holy Prophet^sa finished offering the morning prayer, he called the people together and said to Hazrat Bilal^ra, “Inform the people that the Messenger^sa of Allah commands them to set out for battle against the enemy, and that only those people will join in this battle who partook in yesterday’s battle (meaning the Battle of Uhud).”    

With regards to the flag bearer for the Muslims and the appointment of a deputy to oversee Medina in the Holy Prophet’s^sa absence, it’s written that the Holy Prophet^sa called for the flag to be brought to him, which was still tied from the day before [when they had returned from Uhud]. It had still not been untied. The Holy Prophet^sa gave this flag to Hazrat Ali^ra, and according to another narration, he gave it to Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra.

On this occasion, the Holy Prophet^sa appointed Hazrat Ibn Umm-e-Maktum^ra as the Amir of Medina in his absence. (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, pp. 308-309)

Historians write, “The Holy Prophet’s^sa decision to leave Medina in pursuit of the enemy was an extremely wise one. It’s written in detail that, according to the hypocrites, setting out in pursuit of the enemy the very next day after the loss of 70 men during the Battle of Uhud and without any extra manpower, was a very dangerous move for the Muslims. But the events that transpired afterwards demonstrated that the decision of the Holy Prophet^sa was indeed a very wise one which proved beneficial for the Muslims in many ways.

The Holy Prophet^sa had spent the whole night assessing and reflecting on the situation following Uhud. He suspected that the disbelievers, on their way back to Mecca, might say that that they didn’t take any real advantage despite gaining the upper hand and since they would be feeling regretful over this, therefore it is possible they may return and attack Medina on their way back to Mecca. Thus, whilst adopting an excellent military strategy, the Holy Prophet^sa decided to pursue the enemy.

This decision of the Holy Prophet^sa further increased the confidence of the Muslim soldiers, while making the hypocrites become overawed by the unshakable conviction and determination of the Holy Prophet^sa. Thirdly, when the enemy learned that the Muslim army is on its way to pursue them, their fire of confidence waned to a flicker.” (Allamah Muhammad Azhar Farid, Ghazwat-o-Saraya, Faridiyah Publishers, Sahiwal, p. 215)    

This is a note from a book of history.

The Chief of the Hypocrites Abdullah bin Ubayy also sought permission to join and go along [with the Muslim army] and he came to the Holy Prophet^sa and asked for permission to join this expedition, even though he had abandoned the Muslim army at the Battle of Uhud, taking 300 of his men along with him.

No doubt, he must have been ashamed over his actions and now perhaps to try and redeem himself , or God knows best – perhaps it was under some other plot, since you never know with hypocrites. In any case, he came to the Holy Prophet^sa and asked him for permission to join with him. The Holy Prophet^sa declined his request. (Da’irah Ma’arif Sirat Muhammad Rasoolullah^sa, Vol. 7, Bazm Iqbal, Lahore, p. 121)    

The Holy Prophet^sa did not grant him permission.    

Regarding the remarkable examples of those Companions who, despite being injured from the battle at Uhud, still came forward to answer the call of the Holy Prophet Prophet^sa, it is written:    

“As soon as the Holy Prophet^sa made the announcement, the sincere, selfless [Companions], out of their love and devotion, who were still tending to their wounds, were ready to go forth once more carrying their weapons. When the Holy Prophet^sa made this announcement, they departed immediately. Hazrat Usaid bin Huzair^ra, who had sustained nine wounds, had only just made the intention of applying ointment on his wounds when he heard this. He immediately made his way and did not even stop to apply the treatment to his wounds. Similarly, there were 40 Companions among the Banu Salamah who were injured and they also left at once. Seeing them follow his instructions even in that state, the Holy Prophet^sa prayed for their forgiveness and supplicated:

اَللّٰھُمَّ ارْحَمْ بَنِي سَلَمَہ

“‘O Allah, have mercy on the Banu Salamah.’”

Tufail bin Nu’man sustained 13 wounds. Khirash bin Simmah sustained 10 wounds. Ka’b bin Malik sustained over 10 wounds. Qutbah bin Amir sustained nine wounds. Despite all this, the Muslims rushed towards their weapons without even stopping to apply ointment to their injuries. God Almighty has recorded this unparalleled passion of the Companions of the Holy Prophet^sa in the Holy Quran, so that people could forever pay tribute to them.  

God Almighty states:    

اَلَّذِيۡنَ اسۡتَجَابُوۡا لِلّٰہِ وَ الرَّسُوۡلِ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَاۤ اَصَابَہُمُ الۡقَرۡحُ لِلَّذِيۡنَ اَحۡسَنُوۡا مِنۡہُمۡ وَاتَّقَوۡا اَجۡرٌ عَظِيۡمٌ

“As to those who answered the call of Allah and the Messenger after they had received an injury — such of them as do good and act righteously shall have a great reward.” (The Holy Quran, 3:173; Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, p. 308, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 308; Da’irah Ma’arif Sirat Muhammad Rasoolullahsa, Vol. 7, p. 122, Bazm Iqbal, Lahore, p. 122)

Hazrat Aishah^ra used to say that one of the embodiments of this verse was Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq^ra as well as Hazrat Zubair bin Al-Awwam^ra. (Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2,0, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 35)

There is mention of Hazrat Jabir bin Abdullah^ra being granted permission to go alongside them for this expedition. It is mentioned that the announcement of the Holy Prophet^sa was made that only those who had participated in the Battle of Uhud could join them, and this was strictly followed. There was, however a fortunate, sincere Companion who, despite not having participated in the Battle of Uhud, was granted permission to accompany them and that was Hazrat Jabir bin Abdullah^ra. Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Umar have stated:

“Jabir bin Abdillah went to the Holy Prophet^sa and said, ‘O Messenger^sa of Allah, your caller announced that only those who were present in the battle yesterday (i.e., the Battle of Uhud) can go forth with you. I desired to participate in the battle [of Uhud], but my father left me behind to look after my seven sisters. (Or, according to another narration, he had nine sisters. In any case, he said) My father said to me, ‘O my son, it does not behove you or me to leave these women without a male. I fear that these women are weak, however, I cannot give you precedence over myself in participating in the jihad alongside the Holy Prophet^sa. (He stated that I do not wish to leave the women alone, and I also desire to participate in the jihad. So I desire to go, and you remain.) Stay here with your sisters and I shall accompany the Holy Prophet^sa in the jihad.’” He said, “‘For this reason, whilst following my father’s instructions, I was unable to participate in the jihad yesterday. Otherwise, I also fully intended to.

“Thus, after listening to Hazrat Jabir’s^ra words, which were infused with love and passion, the Holy Prophet^sa granted him permission to participate. Hazrat Jabir^ra used to recount with great pride that, ‘Aside from me, no other person accompanied the Holy Prophet^sa who did not participate in the previous day’s battle.’ Many people who did not participate in the previous day’s battle asked to accompany him, but the Holy Prophet^sa denied them.”

The Holy Prophet^sa departed in such a condition that his blessed face was wounded, his blessed forehead was injured, and his blessed tooth was broken. His lower lip, or according to other narrations, both of his lips were wounded from the inside. His right shoulder was injured due to the attack from Ibn Qam’ah’s sword, and both of his knees were wounded as well. First, the Holy Prophet^sa went to the mosque and offered two units of prayer. The rest of the people had already gathered. Then the Holy Prophet^sa asked for his horse Sakb to be brought to the door of the mosque. In this expedition, only the Holy Prophet^sa had a horse. When the Holy Prophet^sa departed, he was wearing his armour and helmet, and only the eyes of the Holy Prophet^sa could be seen. During this time, the Holy Prophet^sa met Hazrat Talhah bin Ubaidullah^ra. The Holy Prophet^sa asked, “Talha, where are your weapons?” Hazrat Talha^ra replied, “They are very near.” After saying this, he quickly went and brought his weapon, even though he had nine wounds from the Battle of Uhud on his chest alone. Totalling all the wounds on his body, he had over 70 injuries. Hazrat Talhah^ra narrates, “More than my own injuries, I was worried about the injuries of the Holy Prophet^sa. The Holy Prophet^sa came towards me, and began asking, ‘Where do you find the enemy’, meaning where do you think Abu Sufyan and his army are right now? I stated, ‘The area in the lower terrain.’ The Holy Prophet^sa responded, ‘This is what I think as well’. Then the Holy Prophet^sa stated ‘insofar as they (i.e., the Quraish) are concerned, they will never be given the opportunity to do this to us ever again, to the extent that Allah the Almighty will conquer Mecca by our hands.’”

According to one narration, the Holy Prophet^sa said to Hazrat Umar^ra, “O Ibn Khattab^ra! The Quraish will never be able to do this to us ever again, to the extent that we will kiss the Black Stone.”

Thabit bin Thaliba Khazraji was appointed to show the way for the Holy Prophet^sa to help him reach Hamra al-Asad. According to another narration, Thabit bin Zahak was the one who showed the way. (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, pp. 308-309; Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, pp. 350-351)

Both narrations exist. At this instance, the Holy Prophet^sa dispatched two Companions to go ahead of them and gather intelligence. According to the details, the Holy Prophet^sa sent ahead the two sons of Sufyan, Saleet and Nu’man, who belonged to the Banu Sahm branch of the Aslam tribe, to gather information. He also sent a third person from the Banu Uwair branch of the Aslam tribe, however his name has not been mentioned. Two of them saw the Quraish at a place called Hamra al-Asad. The Quraish were speaking to one another and as soon as they saw them both, the Quraish killed them. When the Holy Prophet^sa departed along with his Companions and reached Hamra al-Asad, he set up camp for his army. He then buried the two Companions in a single grave, as the bodies were still lying there; both were together.

During this expedition, there is mention of the obedience demonstrated by two brothers from the Ansar and how they travelled by foot despite their injuries. It is mentioned in the details [of this incident] that Hazrat Abdullah bin Sahl^ra and Hazrat Rafi bin Sahl^ra belonged to the Banu Abd Al-Asha’l tribe and upon returning from the Battle of Uhud they were extremely wounded from the battle. Hazrat Abdullah^ra was more severely wounded of the two. When both brothers heard about the commandment of the Holy Prophet^sa with regards to taking part in the expedition towards Hamra al-Asad, they said to one another that if they did not take part in this expedition alongside the Holy Prophet^sa then they would be greatly deprived of this opportunity. Such was their level of faith. They also expressed the fact that they did not have a mount they could ride upon, nor did they have any idea of how to accomplish this task. Upon this, Hazrat Abdullah^ra stated, “Come with me, let us walk there.” Hazrat Rafi^ra said, “By Allah, I do not even have the strength to walk owing to my wounds.” Such was their condition. His brother then said, “Let’s slowly walk and go towards the Holy Prophet^sa.” And so, they both staggered along. Whenever Hazrat Rafi^ra felt extremely weak, Hazrat Abdullah^ra would carry him on his back and at times he would walk himself. They were both wounded and whoever of the two felt a little better would then carry the other on his back and they continued walking in order to reach the Holy Prophet^sa. At times, their condition would be such that they couldn’t even move due to severe weakness, but eventually, they reached the Holy Prophet^sa by the time of the night prayer. At the time, the Companions were lighting a fire, in other words, they had already set up their camp. They were both presented before the Holy Prophet^sa and Hazrat Abad bin Bishr^ra was appointed to stand guard for the Holy Prophet^sa that night. When they arrived, the Holy Prophet^sa asked them what had prevented them from coming [earlier]. They both explained the reason (and mentioned it in detail). Upon this, the Holy Prophet^sa prayed for them and stated, “If you both are granted a long life, you will find yourselves being granted with horses, donkeys and camels as mounts.” That is, although at this time you have come by foot whilst stumbling and falling, however, if you are given a long life then you will witness this all for yourselves and all of these different kinds of mounts will be granted to you. But along with this, the Holy Prophet^sa stated, “However, these will not be better than this journey you have made at this moment in time by walking and stumbling across [to reach here].” In other words, their reward was far greater than even the best bounties of that time. It is also mentioned that this incident was with regard to the sons of Hazrat Anas and Monis Fuzala, but it is possible that this incident occurred with both of them. (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Ghazwah Hamra’ al-Asad, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya, Beirut 1993, p. 310)

There are also details with regard to the provisions of the Muslims and the generosity of Hazrat Sa’ad bin Ubadah^ra. The details are as follows:

Hazrat Jabir bin Abdullah relates that the main items of provision for the expedition of Hamra al-Asad consisted of dates which they would eat. Hazrat Sa’ad bin Ubadah^ra brought 30 camels and dates which were plentiful for them to reach Hamra al-Asad. The narrator has also stated that two or three camels would be slaughtered each day from the camels he brought. At times, they would also eat camel meat in addition to the dates.

There are also details with regard to the strategy adopted by the Holy Prophet^sa in battle and how he overawed the enemy. One of the ways to strike awe and fear in the hearts of the enemy was to light many fires in the night in order to show as if it were a large army, thereby causing the enemy to become fearful. Hence, wherever the Holy Prophet^sa would set up camp, he would instruct the Companions to spread out and light fires across different places. And so, each person would light his own fire and a total of 500 fires were lit in different places and could be seen from a distance. Subsequently, the news of the Muslim army and its fire spread far and wide and through this, Allah the Almighty caused the enemy to become overawed.

It is also mentioned that Ma’bad Khuzai met the Holy Prophet^sa during this time and he also went to Abu Sufyan and warned the Quraish of the Muslim army. The details of this have been mentioned as follows:

Ma’bad bin Abu Ma’bad Khuzai, who was still a polytheist at the time, met with the Holy Prophet^sa. Although there are some historians who state that he accepted Islam on this occasion, the majority of the historians say that he did not accept Islam at the time, but did so later on.

Both the believers and the idolaters from among the Banu Khuza’ah were very sincere towards the Holy Prophet^sa. There were many people from other branches of this tribe who had accepted Islam, and were also very sincere towards the Holy Prophet^sa. They had promised the Holy Prophet^sa that they would not hide anything from him. Ma’bad stated, “O Muhammad^sa! The hardship you and your Companions have had to endure is hard for us to bear. We desire that Allah the Almighty elevates your rank and protects you from every hardship.” Upon this gesture of compassion, the Holy Prophet^sa said to Ma’bad, “Break the resolve of Abu Sufyan.” In other words, as you are travelling along, when you meet him, instil fear in him. But how he was going to do this was something that he had to decide himself. Thereafter, Ma’bad left for Mecca and the Holy Prophet^sa remained in Hamra al-Asad. Ma’bad met Abu Sufyan and his comrades in Rauha, which is situated approximately 40 miles from Medina. At this point, the army of Quraish had decided to go back in pursuit of the Holy Prophet^sa. They claimed that they had already killed the best men and the leaders of the Muslim army. However, that was not the case, apart from Hazrat Hamzah^ra and perhaps a few others, the Holy Prophet^sa, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra, Hazrat Umar^ra, Hazrat Uthman^ra, Hazrat Ali^ra and many other commanders and leaders remained protected and safeguarded by the grace of God Almighty during the Battle of Uhud. They claimed that they had left before they could completely destroy them, however, they would now return and destroy the rest of their people and become free from them. When Abu Sufyan saw Ma’bad, he said, “This is Ma’bad, he must have some news.” He then asked, “Ma’bad, what is the situation there?” In order to scare Abu Sufyan, Ma’bad replied, “I found that Muhammad^[sa] and his Companions have formed such a large and formidable army in pursuit of you the like of which I have never seen before. The people of Aus and Khazraj who were left behind have now also joined.” He made some of these details up by himself. He then said, “They have taken an oath that they will not return until they have found you and sought revenge. They are extremely enraged and regret the fact that they were not able to take part in the battle previously.

“They are extremely remorseful of their actions that they did not participate before. They have such anger to confront you that I have seldom seen such severe anger.” Abu Sufyan replied, “Curse be upon you! What are you saying! It seems that you will not leave from here until you see the foreheads of the horses.” This is a proverb, which means he will not return until they are destroyed. Abu Sufyan said: “By God! We have unanimously decided to overpower them and completely uproot them.” Ma’bad said: “I must advise you to stop what you are doing, for the dreadful scenes I have witnessed have compelled me to compose some couplets.” Abu Sufyan said: “What are those couplets?” Ma’bad recited the following:

کَادَتْ تُھَدَّ مِنَ الْاَصْوَاتِ رَاحِلَتِي

اِذْ سَالَتِ الْاَرْضُ بِالْجُرْدِ الْاَبَابِيْلِ

تَرْدِي بِاُسْدٍ کِرامٍ لَا تَنَابِلَةٍ

عِنْدَ اللِّقَاءِ وَلَا مِيلٍ مَعَازِيلِ

فَظَلْتُ عَدْوًا اَظُنُّ الْاَرْضَ مَائِلَةً

لَمّا سَمَوْا بِرَئِيْسٍ غَيْرِ مَخْذُوْلِ

فَقُلْتُ وَيْلَ ابْنِ حَرْبٍ مِنْ لِقَائِکُمْ

اِذَا تَغَطْمَطَتِ الْبَطْحَاءُ بِالْجِيْلِ

اِنِّي نَذِيْرٌ لِاَھْلِ الْبَسْلِ ضَاحِيَةً

لِکُلِّ ذِيْ اِرْبَةٍ مِنْھُمْ وَ مَعْقُوْلِ

مِنْ جَيْشِ اَحْمَدَ لَا وَخَشٍ تَنَابِلَةٍ

وَلَيْسَ يُوْصَفُ مَا اَنْذَرْتُ بِالْقِيْلِ

“When horses of the most sublime breed arrived in droves, it was nigh that the sounds of their hooves would startle my camel whereby it stumbles and falls.”

There was only one horse there, but in his poem, he set the scene with such exaggeration that it scared them.

He then continued:

“They were carrying lion-like brave warriors on their backs, they are not small in stature, nor without their weapons in the battlefield, nor are they inexperienced riders, (i.e., they are experts and armed with bow arrows, and swords, as well as being peerless in the art of horse riding). Upon this, I raced to deliver the news, but it felt as though the world was crumbling beneath the feet of those horses which carried the mighty and powerful general, who was not alone (i.e., he was advancing with his formidable army) I said to myself, ‘O ye who are part of this army, fighting will be the end of Ibn Harb (i.e., Abu Sufyan) when the battlefield will reverberate; I warn every intelligent and wise person of the Quraish about the mighty army of Ahmad^sa, whose warriors are not inept or deprived. There are no words with which I can warn you of the dread of the army I speak about.”

The nerve-shattering conversation with Ma’bad and his couplets, as well as the words of Safwan bin Umayyah, broke the courage of Abu Sufyan and his compatriots. They became anxious and overawed and Abu Sufyan deemed it the safest course of action to get back to Mecca as soon as possible.

The Research Cell has written a note on this stating, “The conversation in which the Holy Prophet^sa told Ma’bad to break the resolve of Abu Sufyan is recorded in some books of history and not mentioned in others.” They say, “One possibility is that this directive was a military strategy in which the Holy Prophet^sa said this to Ma’bad. But it is also possible, and it is closer to reality that he did not say anything to him. However, since Ma’bad was sympathetic to the Muslims, that is why Allah the Almighty placed this in his heart and that he said all this to Abu Sufyan of his own accord.”

Nonetheless, this is the note they have written. Whatever Ma’bad said, he did so of his own accord. The Holy Prophet^sa did not tell him to mislead them through false statements. However, the way he described them caused the disbelievers to become frightened. At the time the army of the disbelievers was preparing to return to Mecca, a caravan of Abdul Qais passed by Abu Sufyan. They had camped in the same place. Abu Sufyan asked him where he was heading to which he replied that he was going to Medina. Upon this, Abu Sufyan wished to launch a personal attack and as a means of propaganda – which failed – he said: “Will you pass on a message to Muhammad^[sa] from me. In exchange, I will give you camels laden with raisins from the Ukaz Market.” He replied: “Yes.” Abu Sufyan said: “When you meet Muhammad^[sa] tell him: ‘We have unanimously agreed to march upon you and your Companions so that we can uproot those remaining once and for all. We are right behind you.” Having said this, he left for Mecca. This caravan met at Hamra al-Asad. Abdul Qais conveyed what Abu Sufyan and his companions said to the Holy Prophet^sa. Hearing all this, the Holy Prophet^sa said:

حَسْبُنَا اللّٰہُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَکِيْل

“Sufficient for us is Allah, and an excellent Guardian is He.”     (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, pp. 310-311; Al-Rahiq al-Makhtum, Dar al-Wafa, Egypt 2010, p. 253; Sharh Zurqani, Vol. 2, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 264)

Nonetheless, there was a brief stay at Hamra al-Asad after which the Muslims returned because the disbelievers had already left. The details of this are as follows; after hearing Ma’bad Khuzai’s words, Abu Sufyan abandoned his intentions of attacking Medina and departed for Mecca. Ma’bad informed the Holy Prophet^sa about Abu Sufyan’s departure through a messenger. The Holy Prophet^sa remained [at Hamra al-Asad] from Monday to Wednesday, after which he returned to Medina.

Al-Baladhuri states that the Holy Prophet^sa was away from Medina for five days during this journey. (Imta’ al-Asma’, Part 1, Khabr Ma’bad al-Khuza’i wa Insiraf al-Mushrikin, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut 1999, pp. 180-181; Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 312)

According to one narration, the Holy Prophet^sa returned to Medina on Friday, hence, he spent five days outside of Medina. (Kitabl al-Maghazi, Vol. 1, Alam al-Kutub, Beirut 1984, p. 334)

Hazrat Abu Ubaidah^ra narrates that before returning to Medina, the Holy Prophet^sa had imprisoned Mu’awiyah bin Mughirah. Mu’awiyah bin Mughirah was the maternal grandfather of Abdul Malik bin Marwan. Apart from Mu’awiyah, Abu ‘Azza Jumuhi was also imprisoned. There is a narration regarding Mu’awiyah bin Mughirah, that Hazrat Zaid bin Harithah and Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir killed Mu’awiyah during their journey back from Hamra al-Asad to Medina. The reason for this was that Mu’awiyah was hiding in Medina and providing its enemies with inside information. When he was caught, he sought the protection of Hazrat Uthman^ra. This is why Hazrat Uthman^ra sought permission from the Holy Prophet^sa to grant him protection. Upon granting permission, the Holy Prophet^sa instructed that he should leave within three days. If he was to be seen after three days, he would be killed. However, he continued to stay there beyond the three days in hiding. Thus, the Holy Prophet^sa instructed both Hazrat Zaid bin Harithah^ra and Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir^ra that they would find him hiding in such and such places. They both found him hiding in that very place and killed him. (Ibn Hisham, Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2001, p. 548)

Then, it is further recorded that at the very place of Hamra al-Asad, the Holy Prophet^sa imprisoned Abu ‘Azza, who was a poet for the polytheists. This is the same Abu ‘Azza who was imprisoned by the Muslims during the Battle of Badr, and whilst presenting his state of poverty and lone daughters to the Holy Prophet^sa, he said, “I am a family man. My daughters have no one to provide for them. Have mercy on me.” Upon this, the Holy Prophet^sa freed him without taking any ransom on account of his daughters, and he vowed that he would no longer wage war against the Holy Prophet^sa, nor would he gather an army against him, and nor would he incite anyone against him. Despite that, he broke his vow by accompanying the Quraish during the Battle of Uhud. He would impassion and provoke others with his poetry to fight against the Holy Prophet^sa. The Holy Prophet^sa prayed that he be not spared on this occasion. Hence, it so happened that he was imprisoned. According to one narration, after the Battle of Uhud, when the polytheists stayed at Hamra al-Asad, they left Abu ‘Azza sleeping there. Until dawn, he remained sleeping there, oblivious. Hazrat Asim bin Thabit was the one who apprehended him. He was the only polytheist to be imprisoned during this expedition. According to another narration, it was Hazrat ‘Umair bin Abdullah who took hold of him. After being caught, Abu ‘Azza was brought before the Holy Prophet^sa. Upon seeing the Holy Prophet^sa, he said, “O Muhammad^[sa], show me kindness and let me go on account of my daughters. I vow before you that I will never repeat my actions again.” The Holy Prophet^sa said, “No. Now you will never have the chance to see Mecca again.” According to another narration, [the Holy Prophet^sa] said, “From now on, you will never sit by the Black Stone with your beard and boast, saying, ‘I fooled Muhammad^[sa].’” Then, the Holy Prophet^sa instructed Hazrat Zaid^ra to smite his neck. According to another narration, this instruction was given to Hazrat ‘Asim bin Thabit^ra, after which the Holy Prophet^sa said, “A believer cannot fall into the same trap twice.” (Al-Sirah al-Halaboyyah, Vol. 2, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 352; Sirat Halabiyyah Urdu, Vol. 2, (second half), Dar al-Isha’at, Karachi 2009, pp. 236-237)

The remaining accounts will be mentioned in the future, Insha-Allah.

Continue to pray for the condition of the world. May Allah the Almighty protect every Ahmadi from every kind of harm.

At this time, I will be leading the funeral prayer [in absentia] of Faraz Ahmad Tahir Sahib, who was martyred just recently in Australia. It is reported that during this incident, an Australian man attacked him with a knife in a shopping mall in Bondi, one of Sydney, Australia’s most well-known locality.

اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ

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

The deceased worked as a security guard in the shopping mall. He was 30 years old and was not married. During this incident, 12 people were injured, and six people were killed. Among the six that were killed, five were women.

Faraz Ahmad Tahir Sahib was originally from Rabwah. In 2018, he migrated from Pakistan to Sri Lanka. After staying there for four years, he came to Australia through the UNHCR. Just last month, he acquired his security license. The day on which he died was the first day he was working a day shift. He used to work during the night, but it was his first time working during the day. According to the details reported, when Faraz Ahmad Tahir saw people running in panic, he came forward to stop the attacker. Upon this, the attacker stabbed him and he was not able to recover. He was the first to be killed during this incident. His family entered the fold of Ahmadiyyat through his great-grandfather, Mian Ahmad Sahib, who was a resident of the Shahpur district. The grandfather of the deceased, Sufi Ahmad Yar Sahib, has had the honour of serving the Jamaat for a long time. His father, Bashir Ahmad Sahib passed away in 2005, and his mother, Raziah Begum, passed away in 2014.

The deceased is survived by three brothers, two sisters and his grandfather, Sufi Ahmad Yar Sahib. According to further details, the Prime Minister of Australia and the Premier of New South Wales have paid tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of the late Faraz Ahmad Tahir. Similarly, the High Commissioner of Pakistan in Australia also paid tribute to the bravery of the late Faraz Ahmad Tahir and expressed his condolences, assuring his full support. There have been more than 120 reports published in the media about the deceased and this incident and more continue to be published. His funeral was today [in Australia], which was attended by the Premier, Prime Minister and others who paid tribute to him once again. The bravery and sacrifice of the late Faraz Tahir Sahib are being expressed on social media in beautiful words, and many people are calling him a national hero. This sacrifice that he made shows that he did not leave Pakistan for fear of death; rather, he left the country because he had grown weary of the religious restrictions placed upon Ahmadis; where they are stopped from saying even the name of Allah and His Messenger^sa.

The National President of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya [Australia], Adnan Qadir, says, “On Sunday, 21 April, a programme was held by the Australian government near the shopping mall to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in this incident. The event was attended by the Australian Prime Minister, the Premier of New South Wales, the opposition leader, Members of Parliament, the local mayor and the mayors of other councils, top officers of the police, army and navy, many members of the media and leading officials from other sectors. Members of the Jamaat were also invited to this event.”

His older brother, Mudassar Bashir, says, “The deceased was a hardworking, cheerful and fearless boy since his childhood. The deceased was 11 years old when our father passed away.” He says, “Our elder brother Muzaffar Ahmad Sahib raised us like a father. Along with his studies, the deceased would help our brother in his business. The deceased was very hardworking, and he loved his siblings very much. He was gentle and jovial. He never became upset at anything his siblings did. The deceased was also at the forefront of taking part in Community activities. During his time living in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and then Australia, essentially wherever he lived, he was active in performing duties for the Jamaat. He very sincerely and loyally loved Khilafat. He had desired that upon receiving his nationality he would go to London to meet the Khalifa.” This was his desire. His younger brother Sheraz Ahmad says, “He would recite the Holy Quran very beautifully and was regular in offering his daily prayers.”

Kamran Mubashar Sahib, a missionary, says, “A good quality which I observed in the deceased was that he greatly respected elders and missionaries of the Jamaat. He would never refuse any sort of instruction received from them. If ever his attention was drawn towards a mistake he had made he would never become upset over it; rather he would remain silent out of humility while accepting his mistake, and then he would rectify it.”

One of his friends, Ahmad Ibrahim, says, “The deceased possessed an extraordinary love for the faith and the Caliphate. He respected the Community’s office bearers and was regular in offering the daily prayers. I had developed the relationship of a brother and friend with him. Even if I ever told him off about something, he would look down, listen, and say that he would not let the opportunity arise in the future for such a complaint to be made again. He was a very cheerful and loving person.”

The local president of the Jamaat in Brisbane says, “Last month in March, he came to Brisbane for a week to meet his friends and relatives. He said that he had come to seek forgiveness and make amends with anyone who had any enmity or complaint against him. He continuously asked for forgiveness from everyone. It almost seemed as if he had come to bid everyone farewell.”

A friend of his, Shajar Ahmad says, “He was hardworking, fearless and conscious of his responsibilities. The other security guard who was injured alongside him said that as soon as the attacker entered the shopping mall and he saw people running, the deceased tried to stop him, exhibiting great bravery by standing in front of him and offering his life in order to protect others.”

People are also paying tribute to Faraz Tahir Sahib on social media. Chris Murphy writes in his comments, “I noticed a smartly dressed security guard Faraz Tahir patrolling at Westfield (shopping centre) when I was there before the slaughter began. […] A hero who gave his life trying to protect others.”

A lady, Rebecca Ivers writes, “Faraz Tahir left his country to be saved from cruelties and came to Australia to find peace and a better future. He was well-liked amongst his community. He gave his life to save others. My condolences to his family and community. This is a horrible tragedy.” There are many similar comments which people have made, both from those who saw the events at the shopping mall and those who read about them.

A student from Jamia Ahmadiyya Rabwah, Hasoor Ahmad says, “Faraz Tahir was my cousin. He was a good person. He was regular in offering the five daily prayers and advised others to do the same. He would always meet me with a smile. He considered me to be his younger brother. Whenever he had to explain something he would do so very lovingly. He would always request for prayers, saying, ‘I will pray for you, please pray for me as well.’” He says, “He called me for the last time on the day of his martyrdom when it was four in the morning in Australia. His older brother said to him that it was four in the morning he had to go to work as well, so he should go to sleep. He replied, ‘I have just offered tahajjud [pre-dawn voluntary prayer] and I have prayed for all of you. I will offer Fajr [prayer right before dawn] and then leave for work. There is no time to sleep.’ This was his first morning shift. He had previously worked the night shift.” He further writes, “This is the third martyrdom in our family. First was my uncle Muhammad Nawaz Sahib, who was martyred on 11 September 2012 in Orangi Town, Karachi. Then his uncle, Ijaz Ahmad Sahib, was martyred on 4 September 2013 in Orangi Town, Karachi. Now Faraz Ahmad Sahib has been martyred.” As I said before, he showed that he did not leave his country [Pakistan] for fear of death, rather, he left to find religious freedom. May Allah the Almighty elevate the deceased’s station and grant patience and forbearance to his family.

(Official Urdu transcript published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 17 May 2024, pp. 2-6.  Translated by The Review of Religions.)