Friday Sermon
9 August 2024
Muhammadsa: The Great Exemplar
After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
Before the Jalsa Salana, accounts related to the Battle of Muraisi‘ were being mentioned. It was stated that Abdullah bin Ubayy made deplorable comments about the Holy Prophetsa and demonstrated his hypocritical ways. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra writes about this incident in the Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophetssa:
“At the end of this war, the Holy Prophetsa remained in Muraisi‘ for a few days. However, during this stay, an untoward incident took place, which almost led to the outbreak of civil war between the weaker Muslims. However, the wisdom and magnetic influence of the Holy Prophetsa saved the Muslims from the dangerous outcomes of this mischief. It so happened that a servant of Hazrat Umarra named Jahjah went to the mainspring in Muraisi‘ to fetch some water. Coincidentally, another person named Sinan, who was from among the confederates of the Ansar, arrived at the spring as well. Both of these individuals were ignorant commoners. An altercation ensued between the two of them at the spring, and Jahjah struck Sinan. That did it, and Sinan began to scream and shout, ‘O People of the Ansar! Come to my aid, I have been beaten.’ When Jahjah saw that Sinan was calling his people to aid him, he also began to call for his own, ‘O Muhajirin, come hither, run!’ When the Ansar and Muhajirin heard this voice, a multitude of them rushed towards the spring with their swords in hand, and before they knew it, quite a large horde of people had gathered. Certain ignorant youngsters were about to attack each other, but a few wise and faithful Muhajirin and Ansar arrived on the scene in time, who immediately separated the people and reconciled them. When the Holy Prophetsa received news of this, he stated that this was a manifestation of ignorant conduct and expressed his displeasure. In this way, the matter was settled. However, when news of this occurrence reached Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Sulul, who was also present in this ghazwah, this evil man desired to revive the disorder. He greatly incited his followers against the Holy Prophetsa and said, ‘This is all your own fault, it is you who have granted refuge to these strangers and allowed them to rule upon you. You still have an opportunity to relinquish your support for them and they shall leave themselves.’ Eventually, this wretched man went so far as to say:
لَئِنْ رَجَعْنَا إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ لَيُخْرِجَنَّ الْأَعَزُّ مِنْهَا الْأَذَلَّ
(The Holy Quran, 63:9)
“‘Just wait and see, now when we arrive to Medina, the most honoured man or people shall exile the most disgraceful person or people from the city.’ At the time, a sincere young man from among the Muslims named Zaid bin Arqamra was present. Upon hearing these words regarding the Holy Prophetsa from the mouth of Abdullah, he became restless, and conveyed news of this incident to the Holy Prophetsa through his paternal uncle. At the time, Hazrat Umarra was sitting in the company of the Holy Prophetsa and upon hearing these words, he became inflamed in anger and indignation. He submitted to the Holy Prophetsa, ‘O Messengersa of Allah! Grant me permission, I shall behead this hypocritical and seditious man.’ The Holy Prophetsa responded, ‘Let it be, Umar! Would you like people to spread the news that Muhammad kills his own followers?’ Then, the Holy Prophetsa summoned Abdullah bin Ubayy and his followers, and enquired of them as regards this matter. They all swore that they had not said such things. Some from among the Ansar also interceded and submitted, ‘Perhaps Zaid bin Arqam may have been mistaken.’ On this occasion, the Holy Prophetsa accepted the statement of Abdullah bin Ubayy and his followers, and rejected the submission of Zaidra. Upon this, Zaidra was deeply grieved, but Quranic revelation was later sent down in confirmation of Zaidra, and the hypocrites were declared to be liars. The Holy Prophetsa summoned Abdullah bin Ubayy and his followers to inform them of this confirmation and instructed Hazrat Umarra to order an immediate departure. It was noon, and generally, the Holy Prophetsa would not depart at such an hour, because, due to the climate in Arabia, this was a time of intense heat and it was extremely difficult to travel at this time. However, in light of the prevalent circumstances, the Holy Prophetsa considered it best to depart at once. Therefore, according to his command, the Muslim army prepared to depart immediately. It was perhaps on this very occasion that Usaid bin Hudair Ansari, who was a very renowned chieftain of the Aus tribe, presented himself before the Holy Prophetsa and submitted, ‘O Messengersa of Allah! You do not normally march at this time of day. What has happened today?’ The Holy Prophetsa said, ‘Usaid! Have you not heard the words of Abdullah bin Ubayy? He says that, “Once we arrive at Medina, the most honoured individual shall cast out the meanest.”’ Usaidra spontaneously said, ‘Indeed, O Messengersa of Allah, you may certainly throw out Abdullah from Medina. By God! It is you who are the most honourable and it is he who is the most disgraceful.’ Then, Usaidra went on to submit: ‘O Messengersa of Allah! You are aware that prior to your arrival Abdullah bin Ubayy was very revered amongst his people, and they were about to accept him as a king, but this was mixed to dust when you arrived. Due to this reason, his heart harbours jealousy towards you. Do not care for his nonsense, and forgive him.’” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets, Vol. 2, pp. 428-431)
In another narration, it is recorded that when the son of Abdullah bin Ubayy found out about all of this and came to know of Hazrat Umar’sra statement, He presented himself before the Holy Prophetsa and said:
“O Messengersa of Allahsa! If you intend to execute my father on account of the news that has reached you, then give the order to me. By Allah, I will bring you his head before the people leave this gathering. By Allah, the people of Khazraj know that among them, there is no one better than me in kind treatment of their parents. O Messengersa of Allahsa! I fear that if you order someone else to kill my father, then I will not be able to tolerate seeing my father’s murderer walking amongst the people without killing him and then entering the fire. (In other words, he said that if someone else kills his father, he may in turn kill that individual out of anger.) The forgiveness of the Holy Prophetsa is most excellent and the kindness of the Holy Prophetsa is most magnificent.” Having heard him, the Holy Prophetsa said: “O Abdullah! I neither intend to kill him, nor have I ordered anyone to do so. We will most certainly treat him with kindness as long as he remains among us.” Abdullah said, “O Messengersa of Allahsa! The people of this town had agreed on crowning my father [as their leader]. Then, Allah the Almighty brought you here and He lowered him [in ranks] and elevated us through you. There are some people with him who visit him frequently and remind him of the things over which Allah the Almighty has already prevailed.” This was the statement of Abdullah bin Ubayy’s son. (Subul al-Huda wa ar-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar Al-Kotob Al-ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 348-350)
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra states: “[…] the son of ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy, whose name was Habbab, but the Holy Prophetsa changed it to ‘Abdullah […]” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets, Vol. 2, pp. 428–431)
In any case, in accordance with the instructions of the Holy Prophetsa the return journey commenced. Further details in relation to this have been recorded as follows: The remainder of that day, the entire night, and the start of the following day were all spent by the Holy Prophetsa in continuous journey. As the sun was troubling the people, the Holy Prophetsa set up camp and as soon as they dismounted, they fell asleep. Throughout this entire journey, not a single person dismounted his ride unless it was to answer the call of nature, or to offer prayers. The Holy Prophetsa would urge his mount to move on ahead and use the whip for its hind legs. The Holy Prophetsa undertook this lengthy journey so that people would forget what Abdullah bin Ubayy had done the previous day. (Subul al-Huda wa ar-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar Al-Kotob Al-ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 350)
It is mentioned in a narration that the Holy Prophetsa was travelling that day while Zaid bin Arqamra was on his mount beside him. The Holy Prophetsa could see his face. The Holy Prophetsa would dig his heels into his mount for it to speed up. At that moment, he began to receive revelation. Hazrat Zaid bin Arqamra relates, “I witnessed that an uneasiness overtook the Holy Prophetsa, his forehead was full of sweat, and the front legs of his mount started to buckle, to the point that they nearly collapsed, (i.e., they nearly gave way). I realised that the Holy Prophetsa was receiving revelation, because this was his condition when he would receive revelation. I became hopeful that news testifying to my truthfulness would be sent down.”
Hazrat Zaid bin Arqamra continues, “When this condition of the Holy Prophetsa passed, the Holy Prophetsa took hold of my ear whilst I was on my mount, until I got up from my seat. The Holy Prophetsa stated, ‘Young man, your ears were loyal and Allah testified to your truthfulness, (i.e., the revelation was indeed regarding him).’” (Subul al-Huda wa ar-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar Al-Kotob Al-ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 354)
In another narration, Hazrat Zaid bin Arqamra states, “I was travelling alongside the Holy Prophetsa and I had my head lowered out of sorrow. The Holy Prophetsa came towards me; he gently tapped my ear and smiled. In exchange for this one smile, I would not be happier if I were to be given an eternal life.” He said that he was so joyful seeing this smile that it was more valuable to me than my entire life.
He then says, “Hazrat Abu Bakrra then met me and asked, ‘What did the Holy Prophetsa say to you?’ I responded, ‘He did not say a word to me, but he tapped my ear and smiled at me.’ He then said, ‘Glad tidings to you.’ Then Hazrat Umarra met me and I said the same as I had to Hazrat Abu Bakrra.” (Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Abwabu tafsiri l-qur’an, Bab wa min surati l-unafiqin, Hadith 3313)
It is mentioned in a narration that when Surah al-Munafiqun was revealed, the Holy Prophetsa called for Zaid. He then recited those verses and said:
إِنَّ اللّٰهَ قَدْ صَدَّقَكَ
“Verily Allah has testified to your truthfulness.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Tafsir, Bab Qauluhu “Wa Ia qeelalahum ta‘alaw…” Hadith 4904)
Hence, after the revelation of Surah al-Munafiqun, Hazrat Ubadah bin Samitra passed by Ibn Ubayy but did not send greetings of peace upon him. Then, Aus bin Khauli passed by him, and he too did not greet him with the greetings of peace. Seeing this, Ibn Ubayy said, “What is it that the two of you are colluding?” Hearing this, these two Companions approached him and rebuked and reproached him severely over this act, saying that the Holy Quran had revealed something which proved his word to be false. Aus bin Khauli said, “I shall never speak of you again until I am certain that you have forsaken your ways and have sought repentance from Allah. We continued to curse Zaid bin Arqam on your account, that you had spoken falsely about a man from your own people, until Zaid’s truthfulness came to light, and the seal of the Quranic verses was placed over your lies.” (Kitab al-Maghazi Waqidi, Vol. 1, Dar Al-Kotob Al-ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 356)
When the Holy Prophetsa instructed his Companions to depart, Abdullah bin Ubayy’s son Hazrat Abdullahra went in front of the Companions and stood upon the path for his father. When he saw his father, he stopped him and said, “I will not let you go until you attest that you are the most disgraced and Muhammadsa is the most honoured.” The Holy Prophetsa was passing by and said, “Let him go. By my life, we shall most certainly treat him with kindness so long as he remains among us.” (Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Part 2, Dar Al-Kotob Al-ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 50)
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra writes the following in relation to this:
“Abdullah bin Abdullah bin Ubayy was so incensed against his father that when the Muslim army set back for Medina, Abdullahra stood before his father and blocked his passage, saying, ‘By God! I shall not permit you to return, until you confess with your own tongue that the Holy Prophetsa is most honoured and you are the most disgraced.’
“Abdullah pressed his father to such an extent that finally he was compelled to say these words, upon which Abdullah left him free to proceed. When the return journey began, the remainder of that day, the entire night, and the start of the following day, were all spent by the Muslim army in continuous march. When the camp was finally set up, the people were so terribly exhausted that they all fell into a deep sleep. Hence, in this manner, through the wisdom of the Holy Prophetsa the people’s attention was diverted away from this unpleasant incident and redirected to something else for quite an extended period of time.
“Thus, through His Grace, Allah the Exalted safeguarded the Muslims from the mischief of the hypocrites. In actuality, it had always been the effort of the hypocrites to spur a state of civil war and internal division amongst the Muslims, and if it was possible, to lower the position of the Holy Prophetsa in their eyes. However, Islam and the magnetic personality of the Holy Prophetsa had created such a bond of unity amongst the Muslims, that no conspiracy could fracture it. Such feelings of respect and veneration, loyalty and faithfulness, and love and affection had taken root in the hearts of the Muslims for the Holy Prophetsa, that it was not in the power of man to shake these emotions. As such, just contemplate this occurrence alone. Abdullah bin Ubayy, chief of the hypocrites, attempted to capitalise on a temporary conflict between two common Muslims, somehow sow the seed of dissension and discord between the Muslims, and injure the love and awe of the Holy Prophetsa. However, he was met with absolute failure, and was made to drink from the goblet of humiliation at the hands of his own son in such a manner that he perhaps never forgot it until his last breath.” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophetssa, Vol. 2, p. 431)
It is written in another narration that after this incident, whenever Abdullah bin Ubayy would say something like this, his people would reprimand him and tell him to desist. When the Messengersa of Allahsa learned of this, he said to Hazrat Umarra, “Umar, what do you say now? If on that day I had commanded for him to be killed like you had advised me, people would have started thinking ill of me and turned away. Now, if I were to ask any of those same people to kill him, they will certainly do it since the truth has become self-evident.” Hazrat Umarra recounts that “by God, I realised that the opinion of the Holy Prophetsa is far more blessed than my own.” (Ibn Hisham, Al-Sirah al-Nabwaiyyah, Dar Al-Kotob Al-ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 672)
Whilst mentioning the Battle of Banu Mustaliq and the incident with Abdullah bin Ubayy, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra writes:
“Because the Meccan disbelievers were bent upon mischief and friendly tribes were turning hostile, the hypocrites among Muslims had also ventured on this occasion to take part in the battle on the Muslim side. They probably thought they might have a chance to do some mischief. The encounter with Banu Mustaliq was over in a few hours. The hypocrites, therefore, did not have any chance to do any mischief during the battle. The Holy Prophetsa, however, decided to stay in the town of Banu Mustaliq for a few days. During his stay, a quarrel arose between a Muslim of Meccan origin and a Medinite Muslim over drawing water from a well. The Maccan happened to be an ex-slave. He struck the Medinite, who raised an alarm, crying out for fellow Medinites—known as the Ansar. The Meccan also raised an alarm and cried out for fellow Meccans— i.e. the Muhajirin. A commotion erupted. Nobody enquired what had happened. (There were heightened emotions and a fight began. This is how disorder spreads) Young men on both sides drew their swords. ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Sulul thought it a God-send. He decided to add fuel to the fire. Addressing the Muslims of Medina he said: ‘You have gone too far in your indulgence to the Muhajirin. Your good treatment of them has turned their heads, and now they are trying to dominate you in every way.’ The speech might have had the effect which Abdullah desired. The quarrel might have assumed serious proportions. But it did not. Abdullah was wrong in assessing the effect of his mischievous speech. Believing, however, that the Ansar were being persuaded, he went so far as to say:
“‘Let us return to Medina. Then will the most honoured among its citizens turn out the most despised.’
“By the most honoured citizen, he meant himself and by the most despised, he meant the Holy Prophetsa (God forbid). As soon as he said this, believing Muslims were able to see through the mischief. It was not an innocent speech they had listened to, they said, but the speech of Satan, who had come to lead them astray. A young man stood up and reported to the Holy Prophetsa through his uncle. The Holy Prophetsa sent for ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul and his friends and asked them what had happened. Abdullah and his friends denied that they had taken any such part as had been attributed to them in this incident. The Holy Prophetsa said nothing. But the truth began to spread. In the course of time Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Sulul’s own son, ‘Abdullah, also heard about it. Abdullah at once saw the Holy Prophet sa, and said, “O Messengersa of Allahsa, my father has insulted you. Death is his punishment. If you decide so, I would rather have you command me to kill my father. If you command someone else, and my father dies at his hands, I may be led to avenge my father by killing that man. Maybe I incur the displeasure of God in this way.”’ (This had also impacted the people of that area to a degree, and so he said it would be best if he were commanded to kill his father.) However, the Holy Prophetsa said, ‘I have no such intention. I will treat your father with compassion and consideration.’ When Abdullah compared the disloyalty and discourtesy of his father with the compassion and kindness of the Holy Prophetsa, his faith only increased further. In the same way, his anger towards his father also grew in proportion. When the army reached close to Medina, he stopped his father on the way and said he would not let him go any farther on the road to Medina until he had withdrawn the words he had used against the Holy Prophetsa. ‘The lips that said, “The Prophet[sa] is despised and you are honoured,” must now say, “The Prophet is honoured and you are despised.” Until you say this I will not let you go further.’ Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul was astonished and frightened and said, ‘I agree, my son, that Muhammad is honoured and that I am despised.’ Young Abdullah then let his father go.” (Dibacha Tafsirul Quran, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 20, pp. 265-267)
During this journey, an incident took place where the Holy Prophet’ssa camel went missing at a certain spot where they had set up camp. The details of this event are as follows: Upon returning from the Banu Mustaliq, the Prophet Muhammadsa stopped at a spring called Fuwayq al-Naqi or Baqa. Baqa is located on the upper side of Naqi, and Naqi is situated 40 kilometres south of Medina. In any case, the Muslims let their animals graze at this location, and during this time, a strong sandstorm arose. Due to this storm, the Prophet Muhammad’ssa camel Qaswa went missing. The Muslims began searching for it in every direction.
Zaid bin Nusait Ansari was also part of one of the groups; he was a hypocrite. Also part of this group were Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr bin Waqshra, Salama bin Salamara, and Usaid bin al-Hudair. Zaid bin Nusait was from the Jewish tribe of Banu Qainuqa, and was considered one of the Jewish scholars who had seemingly become a Muslim, but remained Jewish at heart. This hypocrite (i.e., Zaid bin Nusait) said, “Why are people running around?” They said that they were searching for the Holy Prophet’ssa camel, which went missing. Nusait said, “Why does Allah not inform him that it is in such and such location?” The Companions found his statement strange. They said, “O enemy of Allah the Almighty! May the Lord Almighty destroy you. You are a hypocrite.” When he made this statement, the believers realised that this statement was replete with hypocrisy. They said, “You are a hypocrite.”
Then Hazrat Usaid bin al-Hudairra turned to him and said, “If I did not fear the reaction of the Holy Prophetsa, I would have put this spear straight through you. O enemy of God, if you had this hypocrisy in your heart, then why did you come out with us?” He replied, “I came out to gain worldly provisions.” His intent became exposed. Sarcastically, he said, “By God, the Holy Prophetsa informs us of much greater matters. He informs us about heavenly matters, so why would it not be possible for him to inform us about the camel?” He said that the Holy Prophetsa says that Allah the Almighty bestows great prophecies, and gives him knowledge of the unseen, why does He not give news about the camel? He began making such hypocritical statements. Those who were present there rushed towards him and said, “By God, if we had known that you had such thoughts in your heart, we would not have spent even a moment together with you. Now we cannot stay together.” Out of fear, he fled from there, afraid that the Companions might attack him. They threw his belongings that he left there outside [the camp]. In any case, he ran away, hiding from the Companions, he went and sought refuge with the Holy Prophetsa.
By that time, revelation had already descended upon the Holy Prophetsa from the heavens, regarding what he had said. While that hypocrite was listening, the Holy Prophetsa said, “One of the hypocrites is rejoicing over the misfortune that the Holy Prophet’ssa camel has gone missing. He says, ‘Why does Allah not inform him that it is in such and such place, because I swear by my life, Muhammadsa has informed us about matters far greater than this.’” The Holy Prophetsa said, “No one knows the unseen except Allah the Almighty.” The Holy Prophetsa said all this while the hypocrite was sitting there. The Holy Prophetsa then said: “Allah the Almighty has informed me about where the camel is. It is in such and such a ravine, with its reins entangled in a tree. Go in that direction.” The noble Companions went in that direction and found it exactly as the Holy Prophetsa had told them. When the hypocrite saw this, he was dumbfounded. He quickly went to the Companions, who were previously with him. When he approached them, the Companions said, “Do not come near us.” He said, “I want to say something to you.” He went closer to them and said, “I ask you in the name of Allah the Almighty, has anyone from among you gone to the Holy Prophetsa and informed him of what I said?” They replied, “No, by God. We have not even left this gathering.” He said, “I have seen the people discussing what I said, and the Holy Prophetsa informed them of this matter.” Then that person told them everything that the Holy Prophetsa had said, and that the camel had been found. He said, “I had doubts about the Holy Prophetsa, but now I testify that he is indeed the true Messengersa of Allah the Almighty. It is as if I have accepted Islam today.” After this incident, he said that he wholeheartedly accepted Islam. The Companions said, “Go to the Holy Prophetsa so that he may seek forgiveness for you.” Thus, he went to the Holy Prophetsa and sought forgiveness and confessed his sin. (Subul al-Huda wa ar-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar Al-Kotob Al-ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 351-352; Sirat Encyclopedia, Vol. 7, Darussalam, Riyad, p. 194; Kitab al-Maghazi, Vol. 1, Dar Al-Kotob Al-ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 358-359)
Ibn Ishaq narrates that some people believe that Zaid (i.e., the hypocrite) repented, while others say that he did not repent. (Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, Vol. 2, Dar Al-Kotob Al-ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 512)
In any case, there are a few more incidents related to this, which will be mentioned in the future.
At this time, I wish to request prayers for the conditions in Bangladesh. There was an uprising against the government there and the government was overthrown; however, disorder persists. It is said that there were some improvements yesterday. Because of this, factions in opposition to the Jamaat have taken advantage and are causing harm to Ahmadis. Some of our mosques were vandalised and burned; Jamia Ahmadiyya and other Jama’at buildings were damaged after they were attacked and things were burned. Some Ahmadis have been severely injured; they were beaten up and suffered injuries. Many Ahmadi houses have been damaged and burned. Regarding some houses, it is reported that they have been razed to the ground. Some had their possessions burnt. There is absolute lawlessness, and Ahmadis have now suffered loss in that area twice: once before during their Jalsa and now in this incident. However, their faith has not wavered in the slightest. By the grace of Allah, they are firm in their faith. And they have said that they will bear this for the sake of Allah the Almighty. May Allah the Almighty bestow his mercy and blessings, keep Ahmadis under His protection and seize the opponents.
Similarly, pray for the circumstances of Ahmadis in Pakistan, as difficult circumstances are prevailing there as well. May Allah the Almighty protect them against every evil. These days, clerics and those seeking their own benefit have become more active in opposition to Ahmadis. They are committing cruelties in the name of Allah the Almighty and the Holy Prophetsa. May Allah the Almighty ensure the means for them to be seized swiftly.
Pray for the Muslims in Palestine as well; may Allah the Almighty seize those committing injustices against them and may these cruelties come to an end. Pray generally for the Muslim world. May the cruelties that they are perpetrating against one another come to an end. May they become those who truly establish a connection with Allah the Almighty and may they accept the Imam of the Age, for this is the only path to their survival and salvation. However, these people fail to understand this.
At this time, I will also lead two funeral prayers and I will make mention of those deceased. The first mention is of Zakaur Rahman Sahib Shaheed, son of Chaudhary Abdur Rahman Sahib of Lala Musa, District Gujrat. He was recently martyred during the days of Jalsa [UK]. On 27 July, at around 9:30 am, two unknown individuals entered his clinic and opened fire, resulting in his martyrdom.
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّا اِلَيْہِ رَاجِعُوْن
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]
He was 53 years old. According to the details, Dr Zakaur Rahman Sahib Shaheed had opened his clinic as per his routine and he was sitting there when two unknown and masked individuals arrived at 9:30am on a motorcycle; one of them entered the clinic while the other remained standing outside the clinic. The person who entered the clinic opened fire on respected Dr Sahib, as a result of which he was struck by three bullets; one of them struck him in the chest near his heart, one in his stomach, and one struck his hand. After the incident, both perpetrators managed to flee. Upon hearing the firing, respected Dr Sahib Shaheed’s neighbour went to the clinic and found Dr Sahib in an injured state. Dr Sahib Shaheed tried to tell his neighbour something; however, he vomited blood and passed away.
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّا اِلَيْہِ رَاجِعُوْن
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]
At the time of his martyrdom, he was alone in Pakistan as his wife was in the UK attending the Jalsa Salana [Annual Convention]. Ahmadiyyat was established in Dr Zakaur Rahman Sahib Shaheed’s family through Hazrat Hafiz Ahmad Dinra, a Companion of the Promised Messiahas from Chak Sikandar, who was also amongst the 313 Companions. The deceased martyr’s great paternal grandfather, respected Naik Alam Sahib, who was Hazrat Hafiz Ahmad Din Sahib’sra nephew, did bai’at on 10 June 1901 after which he also had the honour of pledging allegiance directly at the hand of the Promised Messiahas during his journey to Jhelum.
There was another martyr in his family as well; Khalil Ahmad Solangi Sahib, who was martyred in Lahore and was the cousin of the late Dr Zakaur Rahman Sahib. The deceased martyr had the opportunity to serve the Jama’at in various capacities. He served as the Finance Secretary for Lala Musa, District Gujrat for an extended period of time. At the time of his martyrdom, he was serving as the local president. He was regular in offering financial contributions and he would help the poor and needy. As a form of tabligh [propagation], he would bring his friends to visit the headquarters when he was young and the conditions were better.
Writing about Dr Zakaur Rahman Sahib Shaheed, the Amir of the Gujrat District says: “The deceased martyr possessed many good qualities, of which making financial sacrifices was prominent. His quality of obedience to Jamaat officials and, most of all, Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya was also very evident. He would meet everyone happily and with a smile on his face. He was brimming with the passion of serving humanity. Dr Sahib Shaheed would often treat the poor for free. He was in good standing with the non-Ahmadis in his area, which was mentioned by the non-Ahmadis themselves after his martyrdom, and some non-Ahmadis even attended his funeral.”
Amir Sahib writes, “Prior to Eid-ul-Adha in 2024, Dr Sahib mentioned to me that some government officials had come to him and said that his life was in danger and that until Eid he should not sit at his clinic.” However, he was brave and continued sitting at his clinic. The deceased is survived by his wife, respected Nagina Rafiq Sahiba, one son and three daughters. Two of his daughters are married and one daughter is studying in Germany. May Allah the Almighty elevate the martyr’s station, grant patience to his family, and enable his children to carry on the legacy of his virtues.
The second funeral announcement is for Saeedah Bashir Sahiba, the wife of Malik Bashir Ahmad Sahib. She also passed away recently at the age of 83.
اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّا اِلَيْہِ رَاجِعُوْن
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]
The deceased was a musiah [part of the Al-Wasiyyat scheme]. She is survived by one son and two daughters. She was the mother of Malik Ghulam Ahmad Sahib, a missionary in Ghana, who, due to being in the field, was unable to attend his mother’s funeral and burial.
Her son, Ghulam Ahmad Sahib – who is a missionary – narrates that Ahmadiyyat entered their family through her grandfather, Hazrat Malik Allah Bakhsh Sahibra, a Companion of the Promised Messiahas. He was a devout and righteous person who, upon witnessing the solar and lunar eclipses, travelled on foot from Lodhran to Qadian to pledge allegiance. His mother was also fortunate to receive the affection of Hazrat Amma Jan, Hazrat Nusrat Jahan Begum Sahibara. Ghulam Ahmad Sahib shares that his mother used to tell them about the love she received from Hazrat Amma Jaanra in Rabwah. She said, “I stayed with her, and for some reason. For some reason, I did not like eating bread. Despite the hardships, Hazrat Amma Janra used to give me money to buy a roll from the market, which I would then eat with milk.” She also recalled, “Once, when I was crying as a child, Hazrat Amma Jaan lovingly sat me on her lap, comforted me, and fed me with her own hands.”
Ghulam Ahmad Sahib further mentions that his mother was raised like an orphaned child, but the pure company of Hazrat Amma Janra, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, and other elders had a profound impact on her. She was regular in offering Tahajjud [pre-dawn voluntary prayers] throughout her life and was diligent in her regular prayers. Not only did she maintain her own prayers, but she also encouraged her children to do the same. Despite her weak eyesight, she would complete the entire recitation of the Holy Quran two or three times during Ramadan. She had a deep love, loyalty, and sincerity towards the Khilafat. She would listen to the sermons and addresses of the Khalifa with great attention and in complete silence.
One of her notable qualities, as mentioned by her son, was that she strongly disliked speaking to others in a loud voice. If the children ever spoke loudly, she would admonish them. Her son states that he always observed her as a true and faithful companion to her husband, and she instilled in her children the importance of regular prayers, taught them Yassarnal Quran [a basic book for learning to read the Quran], and then taught them the Holy Quran. She deeply embedded the love for the Khilafat and the Jamaat’s system in their hearts. She often expressed her desire to visit the mosque in Sialkot so that she too could offer prayers in the blessed places where the Promised Messiahas had offered prayers. Ghulam Ahmad Sahib mentions that, coincidentally, he was posted to Sialkot, so he took his parents to Sialkot. His mother offered prayers and nawafil [voluntary prayers] with great emotion in every part of the mosque and expressed her gratitude to Allah the Almighty for fulfilling her heartfelt wish.
She was very devout in her prayers, remained content with the will of Allah the Almighty, and was completely detached from the impurities and desires of the world. She was a sincere and exemplary woman in every respect. May Allah grant her forgiveness and mercy. May her virtues continue in her children and future generations.
(Official Urdu transcript published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 30 August 2024, pp. 2-6 Translated by The Review of Religions.)