Friday Sermon
8 March 2024
Muhammadsa: The Great Exemplar
After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
During the Battle of Uhud, there is an incident in which the Holy Prophetsa offered prayers so that the prayers of his companion, Hazrat Sa’dra, would be accepted. The incident is as follows: ‘Aisha bint Sa’d relates from her father, Hazrat Sa’dra who stated: “When the people [disbelievers] returned and launched their attack, I moved to the side and said that I will deal with them personally. I will either free myself, or I will be martyred. I then suddenly saw an individual with a reddish complexion.” He says: “The idolaters were close to defeating us. This individual filled his hand with pebbles and threw them at the [enemy]. Suddenly, Miqdad came between me and that individual. I wanted to ask (Miqdad) about him. He said to me: ‘O Sa’d! That was the Holy Prophetsa.’ Following this, he said: ‘He was calling out for you.’ I stood up and I felt as if I had not been caused any harm at all.” Sa’d was wounded, or was in pain prior to this. He says: “As soon as I heard this voice, I immediately stood up and felt as if I had not been caused any harm. I went to the Holy Prophetsa and he sat me down in front of him. Each time I was going to shoot an arrow, I would say: ‘O Allah! This is your arrow, strike Your enemy with it.’ Upon this, the Holy Prophetsa would say: ‘O Allah! Accept the prayer of Sa’d. O Allah! Allow the aim of Sa’d to find its target. O Sa’d! May my mother and father be sacrificed for your sake.’ Hence, with every arrow I shot, the Holy Prophetsa would simultaneously say: ‘O Allah! Allow the aim of Sa’d to hit the target and accept his prayer.’
“Once I had shot all the arrows from my quiver, the Holy Prophetsa spread out the arrows from his quiver and handed me an arrow without an arrowhead and without any feathers.” That is, it neither had an arrowhead nor was it properly made from the back. He says: “He gave me the arrow and that arrow proved to be faster than the other arrows.”
Allamah Zuhrirh has written that on that day, Sa’d shot 1,000 arrows. (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, pp. 200-201)
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra has written the following:
“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)
In one narration, it is recorded that Hazrat Sa’d bin Abi Waqqasra used to say: “On the day of [the Battle of] Uhud, the Holy Prophetsa took out the arrows from his quiver, spread them out for me and said: ‘Shoot these arrows! May my mother and father be sacrificed for your sake.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bab Iz Hammat Ta’ifatni Minkum […], Hadith 4055)
Under directives from the Holy Prophetsa, how did Hazrat ‘Umarra repel the attack on the mountain, which was launched under the leadership of Khalid bin Walid. In relation to this, there is mention that when the Holy Prophetsa was stationed with a group of his Companionsra on a small hillock, a band of the Quraish suddenly reached the top of the hillock. Among these was Khalid bin Walid. When the Holy Prophetsa saw them at the top, he prayed:
اللّٰهُمّ إِنَّهُ لَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُمْ أَنْ يَعْلُوْنَا اللّٰهُمّ لَا قُوَّةَ لَنَا إِلَّا بِكَ
“O Allah, it does not behove them to defeat us. O Allah, we have no power nor might except with You.”
At that moment, Hazrat Umar Farooqra confronted them with a group of Muhajirin and drove them away, forcing them down the hillock. Owing to this incident, Allah the Almighty revealed the following verse:
وَلَا تَھِنُوۡا وَلَا تَحۡزَنُوۡا وَاَنۡتُمُ الۡاَعۡلَوۡنَ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ مُّؤۡمِنِيۡنَ
“Slacken not, nor grieve; and you shall certainly have the upper hand, if you are believers. (The Holy Quran, 3:140)” (Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 323)
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra has stated whilst narrating this incident:
“When the Holy Prophetsa had arrived at the mountain pass, a contingent of the Quraish headed by Khalid bin Walid attempted to ascend the mountain and wage an attack, but on the command of the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat ‘Umarra fought them along with a few Muhajirin and drove them off.” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophetssa, Vol. 2, p. 340)
There is mention of the Holy Prophet’ssa concern for his Companions despite being injured himself. Hazrat Aishara relates, “Whenever Hazrat Abu Bakrra would mention the day of [the Battle of] Uhud, he would say, ‘That day belonged to Talhahra,’ and then explained, ‘I was among those people who rushed back towards the Holy Prophetsa on the day of the Battle of Uhud. I saw one person was fighting whilst protecting him.’” The narrator states, “I think that Hazrat Abu Bakrra said that this person was defending the Holy Prophetsa. Hazrat Abu Bakrra stated, ‘I said to myself, if only that person was Talhah. Whatever chance I have lost, so be it, and it would please me greatly if that were anyone of my people.’”
He then continued, “There was a person between me and the Holy Prophetsa whom I could not recognise, even though I was closer to the Holy Prophetsa than him. He was walking so swiftly that I could not walk that fast. I then saw that this person was Hazrat Abu Ubaidah bin al-Jarrahra. I then reached the Holy Prophetsa and saw that his lower incisor (i.e., the tooth between the two front teeth and the canines) had been broken and that his face was wounded. The rings of his helmet had pierced into his cheek. The Holy Prophetsa said, ‘Both of you go and help your companion.’” (Subul al-Huda, Vol. 4, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 199)
He was referring to Talhah, who had lost a lot of blood. Instead of saying that he should be tended to himself, the Holy Prophetsa instructed that they look after Talhah to see what state he was in and try to treat his wounds.
Then there is mention of the Holy Prophet’ssa love and affection for Ziyad bin Sakan, and in turn, his love for the Holy Prophetsa. In this regard, Ibn Ishaq has written, “When the disbelievers had surrounded the Messengersa of Allah, he stated:
مَنْ رَجُلٌ يَشْرِيْ لَنَا نَفْسَهُ
“Who will devote themselves for our sake?”
Thereupon, Ziyad bin Sakan and five Ansari Companions stood up—some say that it was Ummarah bin Yazid bin Sakan. Subsequently, they displayed great feats of courage in front of the Holy Prophetsa, and one by one, they were martyred until only Ziyad or Ummarah remained. They kept fighting until they sustained many injuries, then a party of Muslims returned and pushed the disbelievers away from the Holy Prophetsa. After this, the Holy Prophetsa said, “Bring Ziyad bin Sakan closer to me,” so the Companions brought him closer to the Holy Prophetsa. The Holy Prophetsa used his blessed feet as a pillow for Ziyad, and he died in such a position that his cheek was resting upon the blessed feet of the Holy Prophetsa. He sustained 14 wounds to his body.” (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 203)
I have related some of these incidents before as well. There are some new points in some of these narrations or some new parts, or there is a different style of narration; for this reason, I narrate them again.
The Holy Prophetsa returned to Medina from Uhud. It is mentioned in narrations that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, after the Holy Prophetsa buried the martyrs of Uhud, he returned to Medina. (Taken from Da’irah Ma’arif Sirat Muhammad Rasulullahsa, Vol. 7, Bazm-e-Iqbal Lahore, p. 55; Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 227)
There is also mention of the fact that the Maghrib prayers were offered in Medina.
Thus, an author has written, “When they returned to Medina from the plains of Uhud, Hazrat Bilalra called the Adhan [call to prayer] when it was time for Maghrib [prayer offered right after sunset]. The Holy Prophetsa leaned on Hazrat Sa’d bin Ubadahra and Hazrat Sa’d bin Muadhra in order to come to the mosque and pray. After offering the prayer, the Holy Prophetsa returned to his home. When it was time for Isha [the late evening prayer], Hazrat Bilalra once again called the Adhan, but the Holy Prophetsa could not come due to sleep (meaning he was resting and sleeping. He could not come to the mosque after the Adhan at the time for prayer). Hazrat Bilalra was sitting and waiting outside the door of the Holy Prophetsa (He did not simply return and offer the prayers; rather, he sat there waiting). After a considerable amount of the night passed, Hazrat Bilalra called the Holy Prophetsa for the prayer. When the Holy Prophetsa arrived for the prayer, his health was much better than before. After leading the Isha prayer, the Holy Prophetsa went back to his house. The Companions had formed rows from the prayer area to the home of the Holy Prophetsa. The Holy Prophetsa walked between them and went home alone. At this time, he did not need to lean on anyone’s shoulder.
(When he came for the Maghrib prayer, he used others as support. Then he rested, and offered the Isha prayer later, and he did not require any support going to and from [the mosque]). During this time, some women were wailing over the death of Hazrat Hamzara, so the Holy Prophetsa stopped them from doing so (as I mentioned in the previous sermon as well). When the Holy Prophetsa returned to his home, aside from those on guard, all the men and women had returned to their homes.” (Taken from Da’irah Ma’arif Sirat Muhammad Rasulullahsa, Vol. 7, Bazm-e-Iqbal, Lahore, p. 63)
Only those on duty remained.
Regarding this, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra states:
“After having discharged all relevant engagements, the Holy Prophetsa set back to Medina, as evening drew near.” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophetssa, Vol. 2, p. 348)
Meaning all the work was finished. It was not that they returned home immediately because they were injured, rather, they finished all the work that needed to be done.
Previously, I have mentioned examples of the exemplary patience and contentment of the women of Medina. There are more examples in relation to this as well. What were the emotions of Hazrat Hamnah bint Jahshra? When the Holy Prophetsa returned to Medina after the Battle of Uhud, he met Hazrat Hamnah bint Jahshra, the wife of Hazrat Mus‘ab bin Umairra. The people had informed her that her brother Hazrat Abdullah bin Jahshra had been martyred. She replied by saying:
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]
And she prayed for him to be granted forgiveness. Then they informed her of the martyrdom of her maternal uncle, Hazrat Hamzara, to which she again replied
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
And she prayed for his forgiveness. Thereafter, the people informed her that her husband, Hazrat Mus‘ab bin Umairra, had also been martyred, upon which she began to weep and became anxious. The Holy Prophetsa then said, “A husband holds a special status in the eyes of his wife.” (Sirat Ibn Hisham, p. 396, Dar Ibn Hazm, Beirut)
There is another tradition in which Hazrat Hamnah bint Jahshra is mentioned: it is stated that when she was told that her brother was martyred she replied, “May Allah have mercy on him” and said:
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
The people then said that her husband had also been martyred, to which she said, “Woe be unto me!” The Holy Prophet(sa) then said, “The relationship between a wife and her husband is like no other.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab al-jana’iz, Bab ma ja’a fi l-buka’i ‘ala l-mayyit, Hadith 1590)
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh also mentioned this incident in an address in his own words. Relating the incident of Hazrat Mus’ab bin Umair’sra martyrdom and his wife’s reaction upon learning about it, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh stated:
“Those male or female Companions of the Holy Prophetsa who had lost more than one close relative, would be informed about the loss of their loved ones gradually and not all at once, so that they could process the worrisome news and not be overwhelmed by being told all at once. (Meaning that if a Companion [had lost] more than one relative, they would be informed of it one-by-one rather than all at once. First, they would be told about one martyrdom, then after that another, and so on, to avoid burdening people with all of the heavy news at one time).
“And so, when Hazrat Abdullah’s sister, Hamnah bint Jahshra, came to the Holy Prophetsa, he said to her: ‘O Hamnah, be patient and seek a great reward from your Creator.’ Hazrat Hamnah inquired, ‘O Messengersa of Allah, for whose loss?’ The Holy Prophetsa replied, ‘Your uncle Hamzah.’ Hearing this, Hazrat Hamnahra replied:
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
غَفَرَ لَهُ وَرَحِمَهُ هَنِيئًا لَهُ الشَّهَادَة
“[‘Surely to Allah we belong and Him shall we all return, May Allah forgive and have mercy on him and grant him the status of a martyr.’]
“After this the Messengersa of Allah said, ‘O Hamnah, be patient and seek a great reward from your God.’ She inquired, ‘for whose loss?’ The Messengersa of Allah replied, ‘Your brother, Abdullah.’ Again, Hazrat Hamnah replied:
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
غَفَرَ لَهُ وَرَحِمَهُ هَنِيئًا لَهُ الشَّهَادَة
“After this, the Holy Prophetsa again said ‘O Hamnah, be patient and expect a great reward from Allah.’ She again inquired, ‘for whose loss?’ The Messengersa of Allah replied, ‘For Mus’ab bin Umair.’ Hearing this, Hazrat Hamnah said: ‘Woe be unto me!” Hearing this, the Messengersa of Allah replied, ‘Verily, the wife has a great right over her husband that knows no equal.’
“Hazrat Hamnah was asked why she had only articulated her grief for her husband. She replied, ‘O Messengersa of Allah, It occurred to me that his children have become orphans, which worried me, and it was in this state that I uttered these words.’
“Upon hearing this, the Holy Prophetsa prayed for the children of Mus‘ab, saying, ‘O Allah, be their Guardian and Protector, treat them with kindness and affection and take good care of them.’” (Taken from Khutbat-e-Tahir Before Khilafat, p. 363)
The following incident is about Hazrat Hindra, whom I spoke about in a previous sermon; what was her love for the Holy Prophetsa and how did she strive to attain the pleasure of Allah the Almighty? It is stated that her husband, brother and her son were all martyred. When she found out that they had been martyred, then, as mentioned previously, she desired to bring them back to Medina. However, she later took them back [to Uhud]. In this regard, further details state that it was God Almighty’s desire for the martyrs of Uhud to be buried in Uhud. This much has been narrated previously. Hazrat Aishahra had set out to enquire about what happened at Uhud. She enquired about Hazrat Hindra, who was returning from Uhud. I mentioned her reply in a previous sermon – further details about this incident are as follows: Hazrat Hindra replied: “The Holy Prophetsa is alive and well. Aside from him, we can endure every calamity.” Meaning that if the Holy Prophetsa was fine, then nothing else mattered. Following this, Hazrat Hind recited the following verse:
وَرَدَّ اللّٰہُ الَّذِيۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا بِغَيۡظِہِمۡ لَمۡ يَنَالُوۡا خَيۡرًا ؕ وَکَفَي اللّٰہُ الۡمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ الۡقِتَالَ ؕ وَکَانَ اللّٰہُقَوِيًّا عَزِيۡزًا
“And Allah turned back the disbelievers in their rage; they gained no good. And Allah sufficed the believers in their fight. And Allah is Powerful, Mighty.” (The Holy Quran, 33:26)
Hazrat Aishara asked who was on the camel? It was then that Hazrat Hindra said: “My brother, my son, Khallad and my husband, Amr bin Jamuh.” Hazrat Aishahra asked: “Where are you taking them?” She replied: “I am taking them to Medina to bury them.” She then tried to pull her camel but the camel sat down at that very spot. Hazrat Aishahra said: “There is too much load on the camel.” Hazrat Hindra stated: “This camel can usually take the load of two camels. But right now it is doing the complete opposite.” She then scolded the camel, upon which it stood up. But when she tried to direct it towards Medina, it sat down again. Then when she pulled it in the direction of Uhud, it began to move quickly. Hazrat Hindra came to the Holy Prophetsa and informed him of this incident. The Holy Prophetsa replied: “This camel was under divine command (i.e., it was under divine orders not to go towards Medina and stay at Uhud) Did your husband say anything to you before he left for Uhud?” She replied: “When Amr was about to set off for Uhud, he turned to face the direction of the Ka’bah and prayed, ‘O Allah! Do not return me to my loved ones in a state of humiliation and grant me martyrdom.’” The Holy Prophetsa responded: “It was for this reason your camel was not moving. O people of the Ansar! There are certain pious people among you that if they take an oath in God’s name, God Almighty will certainly fulfil that oath. Amr bin Jamuh was indeed one of them.” The Holy Prophetsa then turned to Amr bin Jamuh’s wife and said: “O Hind! From the time your brother has been martyred, angels have formed a covering over him and are waiting for him to be buried.”
The Holy Prophetsa remained there until the martyrs were buried. He then said: “O Hind! Amr bin Jamuh, your son, Khallad and your brother, Abdullah, are together in paradise as friends.” Hind replied: “O Messengersa of Allah! Please pray that may Allah the Almighty place me in their company.” (Kitab al-Maghazi, Vol. 1, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, pp. 232-233)
Sa’d bin Abi Waqqasra narrates that the Holy Prophetsa passed by a woman from the Banu Dinar, whose husband, brother and father were all martyred in the battle of Uhud, fighting alongside the Holy Prophetsa. When condolences were conveyed to her, she asked about the wellbeing of the Holy Prophetsa. The people replied: O such and such! The Holy Prophetsa is fine and, by the grace of Allah, he is in the way that we all desire him to be. The woman replied: “Show me, I wish to see for myself.” Someone indicated in the direction of the Holy Prophetsa. When she saw the Holy Prophetsa, she said: “Aside from [any news about] the Holy Prophetsa, every calamity is insignificant.” (Sirat Ibn Hisham, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 545)
In another narration, there is mention of the woman’s son being martyred. Hazrat Anas bin Malikra states that during the battle of Uhud, rumours of the martyrdom of the Holy Prophetsa reached Medina, as a result of which the people of Medina became extremely uneasy, to the extent that people could be heard wailing and screaming in the streets of Medina. One woman from the Ansar became frightened and came outside. In front of her were the bodies of her brother, son, and husband. The narrator states: “I do not know which of them she saw first, but when she moved to the last of the bodies, she asked, who are they? The people replied: ‘It is your brother, husband and your son.’ She asked, ‘How is the Holy Prophetsa?’ The people replied: ‘He is up ahead.’ The woman went to the Holy Prophetsa and held onto the cloak of the Holy Prophetsa and said: ‘O Messengersa of Allah! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you! As long as you are well, I have no worry for any other loss!’” (Mu‘jam al-Ausat, Vol. 5, Hadith 7499, Dar al-Fikr, Beirut, pp. 329-330)
According to one narration, the name of the woman was Sumairah bint Qais, who was the mother of Nu’man bin Abd Amr. (Kitab al-Maghazi, Vol. 1, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 251)
Whilst mentioning this incident, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra once stated:
“We find numerous such examples of bravery amongst the blessed Companionsra. Only one or two examples like these can be found amongst millions of people across hundreds of countries, however, one can find hundreds of these examples in just a few thousand Companions (it is possible that one will find such an example in other people, but that will only be one or two examples amongst millions of people. However, in this case, one will find hundreds of such examples in just a few thousand people). What a great example this is in relation to this woman.”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra then states:
“I have related this incident many times and it is worthy of being mentioned in every gathering in order to keep the memory of this incident alive. Certain accounts are so extraordinary that even if they are recounted over and again, they still do not get old. So too is the incident of this woman, who, on the occasion of the Battle of Uhud, heard that the Holy Prophetsa had been martyred. Out of anxiousness, along with the other women of Medina, she came outside and upon seeing the first horse-rider coming from the direction of Uhud, she enquired, ‘How is the Holy Prophetsa?’ He replied, ‘Your husband has been killed.’ Upon this, she stated, ‘I have enquired from you about the Holy Prophetsa and you are informing me about my husband.’ He then said, ‘Your father has also been killed.’ However, this woman stated, ‘I am enquiring from you about the Holy Prophetsa and you are telling me about my father.’ The rider then stated, ‘Both of your brothers have also been killed.’ However, this woman again said, ‘Just answer my question. I am not asking about my relatives. I am enquiring about the Holy Prophetsa.’ Since this Companion’s heart was content knowing that the Holy Prophetsa was well, therefore he felt that the most important matter for her would be to inform her about the death of her relatives. However, for this woman, the most beloved thing was the life of the Holy Prophetsa. It is for this reason that she sternly told him that he should answer her question. Upon this, he stated that the Holy Prophetsa was fine and well. Hearing this, she stated, ‘if the Holy Prophetsa is alive then I have no sorrow regardless of who dies.’”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states:
“It is evident that the example of the old lady is of no significance compared to the example of this woman which even the reporter acknowledges.”
The example which Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra was giving was that of an old German lady whose son was killed during the Second World War. She laughed sarcastically in reaction to this news. This incident was reported in the newspapers at the time and mentioned how much patience this lady had expressed upon the death of her son and that she did not express any grief, rather reacted to it by laughing. Whilst mentioning this Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states:
“This expression of emotion seems to bear a great burden. (Although she laughed but in reality it carried with it a great burden). Deep within her heart, she (i.e. the German lady) was crying, but on the outside, she displayed strength as if to say that it was fine.”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states:
“However, this was not the case with the female Companion; she was not suppressing her emotion and crying within her heart and not outwardly expressing it. In fact, she was expressing emotions of joy even within her heart knowing that the Holy Prophetsa was alive. The German lady indeed was sorrowful but was not expressing it, however this female Companion felt no grief in her heart. This is such an extraordinary example which is unparalleled in the history of the world. And if these people are not the ones to whom this statement applies:
مِنۡہُمۡ مَّنۡ قَضٰي نَحۡبَہٗ
“Then who else would it apply to?”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further states:
“When I read this incident of this woman, my heart is filled with respect and honour for her and my heart desires to touch the mantle of this woman and then place my hands over my eyes for this woman has left such a unique and unparalleled example in her devotion to my beloved.” (Taken from Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 20, pp. 542-543)
Whilst recounting this very expression of love and devotion, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states elsewhere:
“Ponder as to how great her love was for the Holy Prophetsa. People informed her about the demise of her father, brothers and husband, one after the other, and yet she continued to ask about the Holy Prophetsa. This is an account of another woman who expressed such deep love for the Holy Prophetsa.” (Quroon-e-Ula ki Musalman Khawatin ka Namoona, Anwarul Uloom, Vol. 25, p. 440)
In another place Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states:
“Try to picture this scene in your minds for a moment; every one of you has experienced someone pass away who is close to them. Someone may have witnessed their mother, father, brother or sister pass away. Try to think of that time; when those who are about to die have the finest food prepared for them by their relatives and are provided with treatment and care. But the state of the one who is about to die is as if a calamity has befallen in their home and the one dying is not concerned about anything else apart from their death. However, the Holy Prophetsa had instilled such love in the hearts of his Companions that they did not have any concern for anything except for him. However, this love for him was derived from the fact that he was God Almighty’s beloved. They did not love him simply for being Muhammadsa, rather it was for him being a Messenger of Allah.”
Then, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further states, “In essence, these people loved God Almighty, and because God Almighty loved the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, his Companions also loved him. It was not just the men, but if you observe the women, their hearts were also brimming with immense love and devotion for him.” He further states, “This love for the Holy Prophetsa was put into their hearts by God Almighty. Despite this, however, they always gave precedence to God Almighty over everything, and it was this belief in the Unity of God that enabled them to triumph in all parts of the world. Their love for God Almighty eclipsed even their parents, siblings and spouses. They pursued only one goal, and that was to please their God. It is for this reason that Allah the Almighty stated the following regarding them:
رَضِيَ اللّٰہُ عَنۡہُمۡ
“[Allah is well pleased with them. (Holy Quran, 5:120)]
“They preferred Allah the Almighty over everything, and Allah the Almighty preferred them.” Nonetheless, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra continues, “With the passage of time, the Muslims failed to uphold this standard. Now, if they have a relationship with Allah the Almighty, it is only imaginary; they imagine as though they are very deeply connected. Indeed, in their minds, they claim to believe in Allah the Almighty and His Unity. However, their hearts are devoid of this and are inclining elsewhere. Any mention of the Holy Prophetsa tugs at their heartstrings; they indeed possess love [for him], however, they lack belief in the Unity of God in its true form.” (Taken from Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 23, pp. 46-47)
A biographer writes, “Indeed, the plight of Medina was painful. However, when comparing Mecca to Medina, both sides suffered a loss under vastly different circumstances. (Medina was under immense hardship as the situation was dire. Mecca had its own hardships and they were in danger. Yet when compared against one another, there was a stark difference. What was that difference?).
The idolators of Mecca took their loss at Badr with weakness, anguish and anxiety. On the other hand, after experiencing hardship at Uhud, the people of Medina demonstrated unprecedented patience, faith, steadfastness and courage. Muslims suffered a loss at Uhud, but their reaction was to show unparalleled patience, steadfastness and bravery. The loss incurred at Uhud by Medina’s army did not cause any of its residents to become feeble, anxious and helpless. The greatest testament to this is a Muslim woman who lost her son, husband, brother and father in the Battle of Uhud. She was not unsettled by this, nor did this loss cause her to become intemperate. She was a woman belonging to the Banu Dinar who stepped onto the battlefield and saw her own son, husband, brother and father killed in cold blood. Losing control is a whole separate matter, she was not bothered in the least and only asked about the one person who was dearer to her than the four she had lost: that was the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. When she saw that he was well, she remarked, ‘Any calamity, no matter how severe, pales against the safety and well-being of the Holy Prophetsa.’” (Muhammad Ahmad Bashmil, Ghazwah-e-Uhud, Nafees Academy, Karachi, pp. 237-238)
I will, insha-Allah, mention further accounts in the future.
Pray for the Palestinians. May Allah the Almighty create ease for them. As a result of their depraved mentality and actions, the enemy is bent upon destroying them. Rather than trying to stop the war, the major powers are trying to fan its flames. The US President called for a ceasefire last Monday, and now it is said that a ceasefire will happen before Ramadan, but only as a temporary one for six weeks. All this will do is give Israel time to recoup and then start their cruelties afresh. It is only Allah the Almighty Who can put a stop to them. Hence, we must pray a great deal.
Through charity organisations, Ahmadis should try to provide the Palestinians with food, medicine or any sort of aid. In your own respective social spheres, you should also make efforts to bring an end to these injustices. As I mentioned before, you should continue writing letters to politicians and not tire of doing so. You should tell them that what they are doing is wrong.
May Allah the Almighty enable the Palestinians to also increase their prayers and improve their spiritual conditions. The risk of a world war is also increasing amidst the war between Ukraine and Russia, in which – according to news reports – America and Europe are becoming directly involved. We, here, should also pray for that Allah the Almighty saves the world from ruin.
As a precautionary measure, I have previously prescribed, as did Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh, a homeopathic remedy to safeguard against the impacts of nuclear radiation. It is available in the Jamaat’s homeopathy department in plentiful quantities. Everyone should at least complete another course of three doses each of these medicines. Furthermore, Ahmadis should stockpile rations for two to three months in their homes, especially in those parts of the world where the impact of the war can be direct. Even if the war does not take place, this is beneficial. The stockpiles people made prior to this helped them through various troubles that came, and they reported that it was beneficial for them.
Pray for the Ahmadis in Yemen as well, that Allah the Almighty swiftly procures the means for their release. The Yemeni army or a group has developed suspicion that the Ahmadiyya Jamaatis scheming against the country; may their suspicions be removed and may [the Ahmadis] swiftly be released. May Allah the Almighty grant the world reason, so that rather than falling into the depravities of the world in the name of advancement, they may recognise Allah the Almighty instead. May Allah the Almighty establish the Muslim countries upon justice, thereby enabling them to become united. May He also enable us to spread the message of Allah the Almighty to every single person.
There is also some tragic news. Tahir Iqbal Cheema Sahib, son of Khizar Hayat Cheema Sahib, who was the local president of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Chak 84, District Fatah, District Bahawalpur, was recently martyred.
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]
The incident leading to Tahir Iqbal Cheema Sahib’s martyrdom is as follows: Two unidentified individuals opened fire on 4 March, resulting in his martyrdom. At the time of his martyrdom, the deceased was 60 years old. Further details are that after Fajr [prayer offered right before dawn] Tahir Iqbal Cheema Sahib, the local president of Chak 84 Fatah District Bahawalpur left for a walk as was his routine. Two unidentified individuals riding a motorcycle followed him and opened fire. He was struck in the head by two bullets, as a result of which he was martyred at the scene. The assailants fled after the incident. The police have filed a case against the two unidentified individuals, however, there has never really abeen ny actual investigation into these matters there. Nonetheless, a case has been filed. The deceased martyr did not have any enmity or personal grudge against anyone. He had a good reputation in his village and the surrounding villages and was known as being very noble. Aside from the element of religion, there does not seem to be any other reason for his martyrdom.
Ahmadiyyat was established in the deceased martyr’s family through his great paternal grandfather Muhin Khan Sahib’s brother Hazrat Hakim Din Sahib, a companion of the Promised Messiahas. In 1905, he travelled from Chak 46 North Sargodha to Qadian, where he pledged allegiance and then subsequently remained in Qadian. Thereafter he encouraged his brothers and other members of his family to pledge allegiance and join the fold of Ahmadiyyat. As a result of this, the deceased martyr’s great paternal grandfather, Muhin Khan Sahib, along with all of his brothers pledged allegiance through a letter and joined the fold of Ahmadiyyat. This family later moved to Chak 84 Bahawalpur. In 1964, the deceased martyr was born in Chak 84 Bahawalpur and it was there that he obtained his education until the Matriculation level. He went on to adopt the occupation of farming.
By the grace of God, he was part of the Wasiyyat scheme. At the time of his martyrdom he was serving as the Local President of his Jamaat. Prior to this, he had the opportunity of serving as the Secretary Maal and Zaeem Ansarullah. He was regular in offering financial contributions, he was regular in offering prayers and keeping fasts while also being very mindful of offering Tahajjud [pre-dawn voluntary prayers]. Even while travelling, he would be particular about offering prayers. He loved Khilafat; he regularly listened to my sermons and would ensure whether everyone at home had also listened to the sermon.
At the time of his martyrdom, his accounts for all mandatory financial contributions and Hissa Jaidad were complete. He would particularly tend to the hospitality of Jamaat guests and would strive to host them at his own home and thus take care of them personally, rather than at the Jamaat level. The deceased also oversaw matters pertaining to the cemetery there. There are many difficulties when it comes to graves and cemeteries in Pakistan; with every passing day, some evil individual or group breaks the headstones of our [members’] graves. He tended to matters of the cemetery there. He would monitor the graves and maintain them as well; this is a big undertaking there these days. Many people would commit their things to his trust, including non-Ahmadis as well. The only person they trusted was an Ahmadi, knowing that he would be the one to properly care for their things, yet they still maintain their opposition. Their ways of doing things are strange. In any case, those who did placed their assests in his trust were good people; however, others still do not understand. His wife, Kishwar Naheed Sahiba says, “My late husband was very kind to me. At home, he would evaluate the offering of prayers and whether everyone had listened to the [Friday] sermon. He always treated my relatives as his own and like friends.”
The martyr’s daughter, Madiha Tahir, says, “He was at the forefront of serving the Jamaat and obedience was one of his salient qualities. He had the utmost respect and devotion for Khilafat. He was a fearless and courageous Ahmadi. He always treated his children as friends.”
The Amir of Bahawalpur District, the missionary in Bahawalpur District and other office bearers have always spoken highly of the deceased martyr. He was loved by everyone. He was filled with a passion for serving humanity and hospitality were some of his salient features. He treated representatives from the Markaz and life-devotees as his own. The deceased martyr is survived by his wife, two sons and one daughter. One of his sons, Luqman Ahmad, lives in Germany with his family. His daughter, Madiha Tahir, is here in the UK. One son, Salman Tahir, was with him and worked as a farmer as well. May Allah the Almighty elevate the deceased martyr’s station, grant him mercy and forgiveness, and grant his entire family patience and enable them to carry on the legacy of his virtues. God willing, I will lead his funeral prayer [in absentia] after the [Friday] prayer.
(Official Urdu transcript published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 29 March 2024, pp. 2-6. Translated by The Review of Religions.)