Friday Sermon
7 June 2024
Muhammadsa: The Great Exemplar
After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
Today I shall speak about the Expedition of Hazrat Mundhir bin Amrra, also known as the Expedition of Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah. This tragic incident took place in the fourth year after Hijrah. According to some, this expedition took place before the Expedition of Raji‘ and according to others, it took place after [the incident of] Raji‘. Similar to the Expedition of Raji‘, this incident too, is a most horrific example of the treachery and brutality of the enemy. This expedition is known as the Expedition of Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah. Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah was a well en route from Mecca to Medina, in the area of the Banu Sulaim tribe, and this was also the name of the place. Due to this, it has become known as the Expedition of Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah. Hazrat Mundhir bin Amrra was the leader of this expedition and as such, it is also called the Expedition of Hazrat Mundhir bin Amrra. Additionally, it is also called Saryyat al-Qurra. All the Companions that set off for the Expedition of Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah were young and since they were reciters of the Holy Quran, people called them qura [reciters]. (Subul Al-Huda Wa Al-Rishad, Vol. 6, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 57; Sirat Encyclopedia, Vol. 6, 491, Darussalam Research Centre, p. 487; Furhang-e-Sirat, Zawar Academy, Karachi, 2003, p. 69)
In relation to the background of this expedition, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra writes:
“These tribes (Sulaim and Ghatafan) […] inhabited the central region of Arabia in the Sath-e-Murtafa‘ Najd and had allied with the Quraish of Mecca against the Muslims. Slowly but surely, the evil of these mischievous tribes was continuing to grow and the Sath-e-Murtafa‘ Najd was continuing to be poisoned with the venom of enmity against Islam. As such, in the days we are describing now, an individual named Abu Bara’ ‘Amiri, who was a chieftain of the tribe situated in central Arabia known as the Banu ‘Amir, presented himself before the Holy Prophetsa in order to meet him. The Holy Prophetsa very gently and kindly conveyed the message of Islam to him and at the outset, he also listened to the address of the Holy Prophetsa with interest and attention but did not accept Islam. Albeit, he submitted to the Holy Prophetsa, ‘Send a few Companions along with me to Najd, who can travel there and preach the message of Islam to the people of Najd. I am confident that the people of Najd will not reject your message.’ The Holy Prophetsa said, ‘I do not trust the people of Najd.’ Abu Bara’ responded, ‘Do not worry, I guarantee their security.’ Since Abu Bara’ was the chief of a tribe and was an influential man, the Holy Prophetsa took his word and dispatched a party of Companions towards Najd. This is the narration as it is related by history.
“It is narrated in Bukhari that a few people from the tribes of Ri‘l and Dhakwan, etc. (which were branches of the renowned tribe known as the Banu Sulaim) presented themselves before the Holy Prophetsa and claimed to accept Islam. Then they requested that a few men should be dispatched along with them to assist them against those people of their nation who were enemies of Islam […] (There is no elaboration as to the nature of the assistance they requested – missionary or military.) Upon this, the Holy Prophetsa sent off this company […]
“However, unfortunately with respect to the details of Bi‘r-e-Ma‘unah, even the details as narrated in Bukhari have become mixed to a degree, due to which all the relevant facts cannot be identified in full. In any case, however, what is ascertained for certain is that on this occasion, the people belonging to the tribes of Ri‘l and Dhakwan, etc. presented themselves before the Holy Prophetsa as well, and they requested for a few Companions to be sent along with them. One prospect for the reconciliation of both these narrations is that perhaps Abu Bara’ ‘Amiri, chieftain of the ‘Amir tribe, also came along with the people of Ri‘l and Dhakwan, and he spoke to the Holy Prophetsa on their behalf. As such, according to the historical account, the Holy Prophetsa said, ‘I do not trust the people of Najd,’ to which he responded, ‘Do not worry, I give you the assurance that your Companions shall not be harmed.’ This indicates that the people of Ri‘l and Dhakwan had also come with Abu Bara’ and the Holy Prophetsa was concerned on their account.
واللّٰه اعلم
[And Allah knows best.]
“In any case, the Holy Prophetsa dispatched a party of Companions under the leadership of Mundhir bin ‘Amr Ansarira in Safar 4 AH These people were mostly from the Ansar and totalled seventy in number, and almost all of them were qaris, i.e., they were well-versed in the Holy Quran.” (Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyeen, pp. 517-518)
In relation to this, one author writes that at every moment, the Holy Prophetsa solely desired for the religion of Allah to prevail over the world, that everyone would come under the fold of Islam and that they would become servants of the One God so that they would prosper in this world and in the Hereafter. For this very reason, he placed great importance on the duty of propagating and preaching the religion. For this purpose, he did not hesitate to utilise every means and make even the greatest of sacrifices. This is why, despite sensing danger from the immoral and rural inhabitants of Najd, he placed his trust in Allah and on the reassurance of Abu Bara’, he dispatched a large group of Companions towards his people. He merely took these measures in order to fulfil the duty of propagating and preaching Islam and in order to advance the blessed task of spreading and disseminating the message of Islam. (Sirat Encyclopedia, Vol. 6, Darussalam Research Centre, pp. 490-491)
In any case, Hazrat Mundhir bin Amrra, commander of the army, departed alongside Muttalib Sulami, the guide of Banu Sulaim. When they reached Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah, they pitched up their tents and left their mounts to graze under the supervision of Hazrat Amr bin Umayyah Damrira. Accompanying him was Harith bin Simmah. Ibn Hisham has written that it was Mundhir bin Muhammad rather than Harith. (Subul Al-Huda Wa Al-Rishad, Vol. 6, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 58)
In relation to this expedition, there is mention of a letter that the Holy Prophetsa wrote to Amir bin Tufail. The details of this are that the Holy Prophetsa handed a letter addressed to Amir bin Tufail to a group of the Companions. He was the nephew of Abu Bara’ Amir bin Malik and one of the most arrogant and haughty chieftains of Banu Amir. His story goes that he recognised the truthfulness of the Holy Prophet’ssa claim in his heart, and he knew full well that the Holy Prophetsa would soon triumph and attain control over the entire Arab lands, but meanwhile, he was dreaming of his own governance. Satanic thoughts began to spring in his mind as to why he shouldn’t go before this to make a deal with the Holy Prophetsa. He, therefore, went to him and said, “I give you the choice of you ruling over the Bedouins and me over the city dwellers, or that I become your successor and vicegerent after you, otherwise I shall fight you with an army of 1,000 red and golden horses and 1,000 camels of Ghatafan.” He presented three conditions. The Holy Prophetsa rejected these ignorant demands of Amir bin Tufail. He didn’t accept any of it, so he returned unsuccessful.
In light of the incident of Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah, the Holy Prophetsa deemed it appropriate to invite him towards Islam. Hence, he sent some Companions with a letter specifically addressed to him. (Sirat Encyclopedia, Vol. 6, Darussalam Research Centre, pp. 492-493)
The leader of the army, Hazrat Mundhir bin Amrra handed the letter of the Holy Prophetsa to Hazrat Haram bin Milhanra and sent him to Amir bin Tufail, chief of the Banu Amir tribe. (Subul Al-Huda Wa Al-Rishad, Vol. 6, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 58)
It is recorded in relation to Hazrat Haram bin Milhan’sra taking of this letter that he brought two Companions with him, one of whom had a limp in his leg. His name was Ka’b bin Zaidra, whilst the majority of biographers have made no mention of the other Companion’s name. Nevertheless, under the chapter on the expedition of Raji‘ in Fath al-Bari, a commentary of Sahih al-Bukhari, it is written in the details of this incident that the other Companion’s name was Mundhir bin Muhammadra. In any case, the three of them set off. Hazrat Haramra had instructed his two Companions from the beginning, “Remain close to me. I shall go to him. If he grants me security then all is well, but if I am killed, then both of you must return to your Companions.” (Dairah Ma’arif Sirat Muhammad Rasool-ul-Allahsa, Vol. 7, Bazam Iqbal Lahore, p. 156; Fath-ul-Bari, Vol. 7, Dar al-Rayyan Li al-Turath, Cairo, 1986, p. 448)
Thereafter, he went fearlessly to the enemy of Allah, Amir bin Tufail, who was sitting with some people of the Banu Amir tribe. Haramra addressed them all, saying, “Do you grant me security if I convey to you the letter of the Messengersa of Allah?”
They said, “Yes, we give you safe refuge.” Haramra began to converse with them. Musa bin Uqbah narrates that Haramra was about to read out the letter of the Holy Prophetsa. It is mentioned in Tarikh al-Tabari that Haramra addressed those people and said, “O people of Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah, I have come to you as a messenger of the Holy Prophetsa. I swear that there is no god but Allah and Muhammadsa is His servant and messenger. You ought to believe in Allah and His messengersa.” This blessed dialogue of Haramra was happening when the people present there exposed their evil intent. They gestured to one of their men who quickly stood behind Haram’sra back and attacked him with his spear, which went through his body. It is stated in another narration that Haramra took the letter and went to Amir bin Tufail, but this despot did not even read the letter, and attacked him, thus martyring him. (Sirat Encyclopedia, Vol. 6, Darussalam Research Centre, pp. 494-495)
Nonetheless, when quite some time had passed and Haramra didn’t return, the Muslims went looking for him. After going forward, they came face to face with a battalion which was coming to attack them. They surrounded the Muslims. The enemies outnumbered them. The battle ensued and the Companions of the Holy Prophetsa were martyred. (Al-Tabqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 2, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, 1990, p. 40)
Mention of the martyrdom of Hazrat Amir bin Fuhairahra in this expedition is found in such terms: He was the freed slave of Hazrat Abu Bakrra. He also had the distinct honour of migrating alongside the Holy Prophetsa and Hazrat Abu Bakrra to Medina. He was also martyred during Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah when they were attacked there. When Hazrat Amr bin Umayyah Damrira was captured, Amir bin Tufail asked them who this was. Indicating to a person killed, Amr bin Umayyahra responded that this is Amir bin Fuhairahra. Amir bin Tufail said, “I saw Amir bin Fuhairahra; after he was martyred, his body was raised towards the sky.” He witnessed this when he was not yet a Muslim. “[He was raised] to the extent that I saw that he was between the heavens and the earth. Then he was placed down on the ground.” The Holy Prophetsa received this news, and the Holy Prophetsa told the Companions about their martyrdom, and said, “Your brothers have been martyred, and they prayed to their Lord, ‘tell our brothers regarding us that we were pleased with You and You were pleased with us.’” Thus, Allah the Almighty informed them regarding this. This is a narration of Sahih al-Bukhari.
There is disagreement about who martyred Hazrat Amir bin Fuhairahra. Some narrations state that Amir bin Tufail martyred him, whereas another narration tells us that Jabbar bin Salamah martyred him. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Bab ghazwati r-raji‘, Hadith 4093; Al-Isitiab, Vol. 2, Dar al-Jeel, Beirut, 1992, p. 796; Al-Isitiab, Vol. 1, Dar al-Jeel, Beirut, 1992, pp. 229-230)
Mentioning the incident of Hazrat Amir bin Fuhairahra getting martyred, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra writes:
“Thus, Islam did not flourish by the sword; rather, it did so through the high moral teachings which penetrated the hearts and caused a tremendous change in the morals of the people. One Companion said that the reason he accepted Islam was that he was a guest among those people who treacherously martyred the 70 qaris. (These were huffaz, who had memorised the entire Holy Quran.) When they launched an attack on the Muslims, some of them had climbed a hilltop whilst others stood ready to combat. As the enemies far outnumbered the Muslims, who were unarmed and defenceless, they overpowered the Muslims, killing them one by one. In the end, only one Companion remained, who had accompanied the Holy Prophetsa in the migration and was the freed slave of Hazrat Abu Bakrra, whose name was Amir bin Fuhairahra. It took many of the enemies to bring him down and one of them thrusted a spear through his chest. As the spear penetrated, he spontaneously uttered the words:
فُزْتُ وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ
“‘I swear by the Lord of the Ka‘bah, I have prospered.’”
“(The person narrating this incident was not a Muslim at the time. He narrates:) ‘When I heard these words being uttered, I was left astonished. I thought to myself, this man is far from his wife, and his children and is in such an ordeal where a spear has been thrust through his chest, yet as he was dying, the only thing he uttered was, ‘I swear by the Lord of the Ka‘bah, I have prospered.’ Is this person not a madman? Hence, I asked others why he had spoken such words. They replied, ‘Little do you know that these Muslims are indeed mad. When they die in the way of Allah Almighty, they believe God is pleased with them and they have obtained their goal.’’ He says, ‘This had such a profound effect on me that I decided to go and see their headquarters to study their religion for myself. Therefore, I reached Medina and upon hearing about its teachings, I accepted Islam.’ These Companions stated regarding this incident that a man was killed with a spear in this incident, he was far away from his hometown and relatives, yet the words that flowed from his tongue were:
فُزْتُ وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ
“‘I swear by the Lord of the Ka’bah, I have prospered.’ This had a profound effect on that individual that whenever he would relate the incident, all of a sudden, his body would tremble and his eyes would flow with tears when he would reach the part where the words:
فُزْتُ وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ
“[‘I swear by the Lord of the Ka‘bah, I have prospered’] were uttered.” (Sair-e-Ruhani, Anwar-ul-UAluoom, Vol. 22, pp. 250-251) Hence, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra writes that Islam spread due to its beauties, not by force.
At the time of Hazrat Amir bin Fuhairah’sra martyrdom, both statements, فُزْتُ وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ and فُزْتُ وَاللّٰهِ, are reported in the narrations. These words were uttered by other Companions as well.
In relation to this, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states:
“Upon studying history, we learn that the Companions would go into war as though their martyrdom would bring them peace and contentment. If they were inflicted any pain during war, they perceived it to be a means of comfort and not pain. Thus, throughout historical accounts, we find countless examples wherein it shows that the Companions deemed being killed in the way of Allah to be a source of contentment for them. For example, the huffaz [those who have memorised the Holy Quran] who were sent to a tribe towards Central Arabia for the purpose of propagating Islam; among them was Haram bin Milhanra; when he went to meet Amir bin Tufail, the leader of the Amir tribe, the rest of the delegation remained behind. Initially, Amir bin Tufail and his tribesmen openly welcomed him out of hypocrisy. However, as soon as he sat down and became comfortable, and began preaching about Islam, a wretched individual indicated to his comrade, and an individual attacked Haram bin Milhanra from the back with a spear, causing him to fall down. As he fell, the following words were on his lips:
اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ فُزْتُ وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ
“I.e., ‘Allah is Greatest! By the Lord of the Ka’bah! I have attained salvation.’ Then, these evil individuals surrounded the remaining Companions and attacked them. Amir bin Fuhairahra, the freed slave of Abu Bakrra who was with the Holy Prophetsa during the migration was also among this group of Companions. In fact, his killer, who later accepted Islam, stated that the reason he accepted Islam was that at the time he killed Amir bin Fuhairahra, Amir spontaneously said:
فُزْتُ وَاللّٰهِ
“I.e., ‘By God! I have attained my objective.’ These incidents prove that instead of being a source of sorrow for the Companions, death was a source of happiness.” (Eik Ayat ki pur-ma’arif Tafsir, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 18, pp. 612-613)
Jabbar bin Salamah, the person who martyred Amir bin Fuhairahra, later accepted Islam. He states:
“The thing that drew me towards Islam was that on the day of Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah, I aimed a spear and threw it between the shoulders of Amir bin Fuhairahra. I saw the tip of the spear protrude from his chest. Straight after this I heard him say: فُزْتُ وَاللّٰهِ ‘By Allah, I have succeeded’. These words fell on my ears and became etched on my heart. I began to ponder over what these words meant; what sort of success had he attained, for I had just killed him? With this confusion in mind, I went to see a Muslim by the name of Dahhak bin Sufyan Kilabi. I narrated to him the entire incident and enquired about the meaning of these words. He told me that this success referred to attaining paradise. Upon hearing this, I said: ‘By God! He truly did succeed.’ He invited me to accept Islam and so I accepted Islam.” (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 1, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 504-505; Sirat Encyclopedia, Vol. 6, Darussalam Research Centre, pp. 502-503)
With regards to the expedition of Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra writes:
“When these people reached a place known as Bi‘r-e-Ma‘unah, which was named as such due to a water well, an individual named Haram bin Milhanra, who was the maternal uncle of Anas bin Malikra, went forward with the message of Islam to ‘Amir bin Tufail, who was chief of the ‘Amir tribe and paternal nephew of Abu Bara’ ‘Amiri. The rest of the companions remained behind. When Haram bin Milhanra arrived to meet ‘Amir bin Tufail and his followers as an emissary of the Holy Prophetsa, at first, they warmly welcomed him in their hypocrisy; but after he had been fully seated and made to feel at ease (i.e. when Amir bin Milhan was at ease), and began to preach the message of Islam, a few evil ones from among them made a signal to someone, who struck this innocent emissary with a spear from behind and put him to death there and then. At the time, the following words were on the tongue of Haram bin Milhanra:
اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ فُزْتُ وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ
“‘Allah is the Greatest. By the Lord of the Ka‘bah, I have attained my objective.’
“Amir bin Tufail did not suffice upon the murder of this emissary of the Holy Prophetsa alone. As a matter of fact, after this he incited the people of his tribe, the Banu ‘Amir, to attack the remaining party of Muslims as well, but they refused and said that they would not attack the Muslims due to the guarantee of Abu Bara’. Upon this, ‘Amir collected the Banu Ri‘l, Dhakwan and ‘Usayyah, etc. from the tribe of Sulaim (i.e., the same tribes who had come to the Holy Prophetsa as a delegation according to the narration of Bukhari) and attacked this small and helpless community of Muslims. When the Muslims saw these bloodthirsty beasts racing towards them, they said, ‘We have no quarrel with you. We have only come with an assignment from the Holy Prophetsa; we have not come to fight,’ but they did not listen to a word and murdered them all.” (Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyeen, pp. 518-519)
This has always been the way of the cruel and unjust.
With regards to the martyrs of Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah, it is written: “Those who have written about the battles in the life of the Holy Prophetsa unanimously agree that in this expedition, aside from Hazrat Amr bin Umayyah Damrira and Ka’b bin Zaidra, all the Companions were martyred. Hazrat Ka’b bin Zaidra was injured on the day of Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah and passed away in the battle of the Ditch, and Hazrat Amr bin Umayyahra passed away in the reign of Mu’awiyahra. The names of all the Companions who went for this expedition are not mentioned in the books of history and biographies. However, of the Companions that were martyred, they have recorded the names of approximately 29. When this is published, the names can be recorded there, I will not mention them now. There are 29 names, so it is a long list.
[Hazrat Amir bin Fuhairahra, Hazrat Hakam bin Qaisan, Hazrat Mundhir bin Muhammadra, Hazrat Abu Ubaidah bin Amrra, Hazrat Harith bin Simmahra, Hazrat Ubay bin Muadhra, Hazrat Anas bin Muadhra, Hazrat Abu Sheikh bin Abi Thabit ra, Hazrat Haram bin Milhanra, Hazrat Sulaim bin Milhanra, Hazrat Sufyan bin Thabitra, Hazrat Malik bin Thabitra, Hazrat Urwah bin Asma bin Saltra, Hazrat Qutbah bin Abd Amrra, Hazrat Mundhir bin Amrra, Hazrat Muadh bin Maisra, Hazrat Aidh bin Maisra, Hazrat Masud bin Sa’dra, Hazrat Khalid bin Thabitra, Hazrat Sufyan bin Hatibra, Hazrat Sa’d bin Amrra, Hazrat Tufail bin Sa’dra, Hazrat Sahl bin Amirra, Hazrat Abdullah bin Qaisra, Hazrat Nafi’ bin Hudail bin Warqara, Hazrat Dahhak bin Abd Amrra (he was the brother of Qutbah), Hazrat Umair bin Ma’badra (Allama Ibn Ishaq has stated his name as Amr), Hazrat Khalid bin Ka’bra and Hazrat Suhail bin Amirra. (Subul Al-Huda Wa Al-Rishad, Vol. 6, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 61-63; Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 4, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, p. 182)]
“Amongst the Companions who partook in this expedition, two persons separated from the group to graze their camels; namely, Hazrat ‘Amr bin Umayyah Damrira and Hazrat Mundhir bin Muhammadra, or according to some historians, Harith bin Simmahra instead of Mundhirra. They glanced towards their encampment from far away and saw flocks of birds flying in the air. They understood these desert signs well. They immediately discerned that a battle is taking place. When they returned, they were a witness to the bloodshed caused by the cruel disbelievers. Upon seeing this unfold from far away, the two consulted with one another about their course of action. One of them said, ‘We should flee from here immediately to Medina to inform the Holy Prophetsa,’ however, the other disagreed and said, ‘I will not flee from the place where our commander, Mundhir bin ‘Amr, was martyred.’ Thus, he forged on, fought and was martyred.” This was mentioned in The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets. (Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyeen, p. 519; Sirat Encyclopedia, Vol. 6, Darussalam Research Centre, p. 499)
Apart from Hazrat ‘Amr bin Umayyah Damrira, another Companion who was lame also survived. His name was Ka’b bin Zaidra. Some narrations suggest that the disbelievers even attacked him. He was accompanying Hazrat Haram bin Milhanra when he was severely wounded and the disbelievers left him, thinking him to be dead. However, despite being brutally wounded, there was still life left in him. He was saved from amongst the bodies of the Companions and lived until he attained martyrdom during the Battle of the Ditch. (Sirat Encyclopedia, Vol. 6, Darussalam Research Centre, p. 499)
Regarding the capture of Hazrat ‘Amr bin Umayyahra, it is recorded that upon his capture, he was asked [about his tribe], to which he replied that he belonged to the Banu Mudar. Upon this, Amir bin Tufail grabbed him and cut the hair covering his forehead. Following this, he freed him on behalf of his mother, who had taken an oath to free a slave. When the Arabs would make captives, they would cut the hair from the forehead of those whom they decided to free and grant favour.
Thereafter, ‘Amr bin Umayyahra departed from there until he reached a shaded place where he rested. At the same time, two other persons came there and joined Hazrat ‘Amrra. ‘Amrra inquired as to who they were, to which they replied that they belonged to the Banu ‘Amir. According to another narration, they claimed to be from the Banu Sulaim. Both of them had made a pact with the Holy Prophetsa that he would grant them protection, however, ‘Amr bin Umayyahra was unaware of this agreement. ‘Amr waited for them to fall asleep. When they fell asleep, ‘Amrra killed them both. At the time, he was only thinking that by killing them, he had avenged the Companions [that had been martyred] by the Banu ‘Amir. Following this, when he came before the Holy Prophetsa and informed him about what had happened and about the killing of the two individuals, the Holy Prophetsa said, “You have killed two such people for whom we must pay blood money.” Thus, the Holy Prophetsa paid their blood money.
Then, regarding the massacre of his Companions, the Holy Prophetsa said, “This has been perpetrated by Abu Bara’. It is for this reason that I was not content with sending my Companions with him. I had doubts that these tribes may cause harm to the Companions.”
Abu Bara’ was very grieved when he learned that his nephew Amir bin Tufail breached his protection and security and he was also grieved by the result that this had on the Companions of the Holy Prophetsa. Hence, Abu Bara’’s son Rabi‘ah attacked Amir bin Tufail, who was his cousin. Rabi‘ah struck Amir with a spear which pierced his thigh, causing him to fall from his horse. Amir shouted and said, “If I die, then Abu Bara’ is responsible for my blood, and if I survive, then I will see to my own affairs.” Amir bin Tufail remained alive after this attack. It was the prayers of the Holy Prophetsa that reached him, causing him to be afflicted by the plague, resulting in him dying while still in a state of disbelief. (Sirat Al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 242-243; Dairah Ma’arif Sirat Muhammad Rasool-ul-Allahsa, Vol. 7, Bazam Iqbal Lahore, p. 164; Al-Tafsir Al-Kabir, Imam Razi, Vol. 9, Part, 18, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, 2004, p. 12)
In any case, Abu Bara’ was also a part of this; he should have come at the start and stopped them.
As far as Abu Bara’ or Amir bin Malik is concerned, there are both types of narrations; some scholars have regarded him as a Companion. For example, according to one narration, Abu Bara’ Amir bin Malik, along with 25 people from the Banu Bakr and Banu Ja‘far tribes, went to the Holy Prophetsa and he appointed Amir bin Malik and Dahhak bin Sufyan Kilabi as governors over the Banu Bakr and the Banu Ja‘far. This narration shows that he later went on to become a Muslim, whereas according to some narrations, Abu Bara’ did not become a Muslim. In any case, there are two types of narrations. (Al-Isaba Fi Tamyeez Al-Sahaba, Vol. 3, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 485-486)
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra writes in this regard:
“The Holy Prophetsa and his Companions received news of the incidents of Raji‘ and Bi‘r-e-Ma‘unah at more or less the same time. The Holy Prophetsa was deeply grieved by these incidents, to the extent that narrations relate that the Holy Prophetsa was never so deeply grieved by anything before or after these events. Undoubtedly, for approximately eighty Companions to be suddenly murdered by deception, especially such Companions who were huffaz of the Holy Quran, and were from a poor and selfless class of people, was no small event, even by standards of the barbaric customs and practices of Arabia. For the Holy Prophetsa personally, this news was no different than the loss of eighty sons, rather, even more so. The reason being that for a spiritual man, spiritual bonds are far dearer to him than the worldly relations of a worldly man. Hence, the Holy Prophetsa was deeply grieved by these tragic events, but in any case, Islam teaches patience. Upon hearing this news, the Holy Prophetsa said:
اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَاِنَّا اِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُوْنَ
“[‘Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.’]
“After this, the Holy Prophetsa said the following words:
“‘This is a result of the action of Abu Bara’, for I had disliked sending off these people and was apprehensive of the people of Najd.’
“The incidents of Bi‘r-e-Ma‘unah and Raji‘ demonstrate the intense level of hatred and animosity which the tribes of Arabia harboured in their hearts against Islam and the followers of Islam, to the extent that they would not even refrain from the most despicable lies, treachery and deceit. Despite the remarkable intelligence and vigilance of the Muslims, due to their thinking well of others, which is the hallmark of a believer, at times they would be lured into their trap. These were huffaz of the Quran and devoted worshippers, who would supplicate during the nights, sit in a corner of the mosque and remember Allah; then they were poor and hunger-stricken people, who were lured out of their homeland by these cruel disbelievers with the excuse of ‘teaching them religion’; and when they had reached their land as guests, they were murdered in cold blood. Any level of grief suffered by the Holy Prophetsa would not have been enough. But at the time, the Holy Prophetsa did not employ any military action against these cold-blooded murderers.” (Sirat Khatam-ul-Nabiyeen, pp. 520-521)
After the incidents of Raji and Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah, the Holy Prophetsa did Qanut in his prayers for one month. According to one narration, the Holy Prophetsa received the painful news of Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah and Raji‘ in the same night. In both incidents, the Companions were killed as the result of deceit and betrayal. There were only ten Companions in Raji whereas there were 70 Companions in the Expedition of Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah, out of which only two survived. Hence, the deep pain and anguish felt by the Holy Prophetsa upon the incident of Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah can be understood from the narration in which Hazrat Anasra states, “I have never seen the Holy Prophetsa as pained as he was upon the martyrs of Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah.” (Sirat Encyclopedia, Vol. 6, Darussalam Research Centre, p. 506)
For an entire month, the Holy Prophetsa did Qanut during Fajr [prayer offered right before dawn] in which he cursed the Ri’l, Dhakwan, and Banu Lahyan. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, Beirut 2003, p. 108)
Hazrat Anas bin Malikra narrates that the Holy Prophetsa prayed against the Ri’l and Dhakwan tribes for a month. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Witr, Hadith1003)
The words of this prayer are recorded in Sahih Muslim as follows:
“O Allah, send Your curse upon Ri’l and Dhakwan and upon Usayyah who disobeyed Allah and His Messengersa. May Allah the Almighty have mercy on the Ghifar tribe and may Allah keep the Aslam tribe safe.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-masajidi wa mawadi‘i s-salat, Hadith 1557)
While mentioning the Holy Prophetsa receiving the news of Raji and Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra writes:
“For thirty days continuously, after having received this news, the Holy Prophetsa supplicated while standing in his morning Salat, weeping and crying before God, individually naming the tribes of Ri‘l, Dhakwan, ‘Usayyah and the Banu Lahyan in the following words:
“‘O Our Master! Have mercy upon us and hold back the hands of the enemies of Islam who are ruthlessly and stone-heartedly spilling the blood of innocent Muslims with the intention that Your religion may be expunged.’” (Sirat Khatam-ul-Nabiyeen, p. 521)
This was the incident of the Expedition of Bi’r-e-Ma‘unah.
I continuously draw attention towards praying for the people of Palestine who are being oppressed. May Allah the Almighty swiftly create the means for the oppressors to be seized.
These innocent people are being killed just as the Companions were. They are being deceived by being sent to one place and then another, and then ultimately, those very places come under bombardment. May Allah the Almighty bestow His mercy.
Also, pray for the general condition of the world, for it is hurtling towards great destruction, and signs of war continue to increase. May Allah the Almighty protect Ahmadis around the world from the harmful impacts of the war and its evils.
Also, particularly pray for the Ahmadis living in Pakistan. The conditions for them these days are once again becoming increasingly difficult. May Allah the Almighty show mercy and liberate them from their oppressors.
(Official Urdu transcript published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 28 June 2024, pp. 2-6. Translated by The Review of Religions.)