Friday Sermon
22 November 2024
Muhammadsa: The Great Exemplar
After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
Accounts from [The Treaty of] Hudaibiyyah are being mentioned. In this context, we also find mention of Budail bin Warqa Khuza’i and other messengers of the Quraish coming to the Holy Prophetsa. Detailing this, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra has stated the following:
“Upon reaching the valley of Hudaibiyah, the Holy Prophetsa settled next to its water well. When the Companions had set up camp, a renowned chieftain from the Khuza’ah tribe named Budail bin Warqa, who resided in a nearby region, came to meet the Holy Prophetsa with some of his associates and said, ‘The people of Mecca are ready for war and they shall never let you enter Mecca.’ The Holy Prophetsa responded:
“‘We have not come with the intention of war; rather, we have only come to perform the ‘Umrah. Alas, despite the fact that the fire of war has burnt them to dust, they still do not refrain from fighting. I am even prepared to settle a truce with them so that they may cease war against me, and leave me free for the others. If, however, they reject this proposal of mine and insist on keeping the fire of war aflame, then I also swear by His name in Whose hand is my life, that I shall not retreat from this battle, until I die in this cause, or God gives me victory. If I am faced with defeat in this battle, then so ends the story, but if God grants me victory, and the religion that I have brought is given dominance, then the people of Mecca should not hesitate in believing in me.’
“Budail bin Warqa was greatly moved by this sincere and earnest address. He requested the Holy Prophetsa, ‘If you grant me some respite, I shall go to Mecca and convey your message, so as to seek reconciliation.’ The Holy Prophetsa permitted him to do so and Budail set out to Mecca with a few of his associates.
“When Budail bin Warqa reached Mecca, he gathered the Quraish and said, ‘I have come from that man (i.e., Muhammadsa, the Messenger of Allah), and he has presented to me a proposal. If you permit me, shall I present it to you?’ Upon this, the vehement and irresponsible people among the Quraish began to say, ‘We shall not listen to anything he has to say.’ (i.e., we are not ready to listen to any word of the Holy Prophetsa). However, the influential and trusted people among the Quraish said, ‘Yes, inform us of the proposal.’ As such, Budail repeated the proposal of the Holy Prophetsa.
“Upon this, a man named ‘Urwah bin Mas‘ud, who was a very influential chieftain of the tribe of Thaqif, and was present in Meccaat the time, stood up. In the ancient Arabian manner, he began to say, ‘O ye people! Am I not like a father unto you?’ They responded in the affirmative. He said, ‘Are the lot of you not as my sons?’ Again, they responded in the affirmative. Then ‘Urwah said, ‘Do you doubt me in any way?’ The Quraish responded, ‘Not at all!’ He said, ‘Then it is my view that this man (i.e., Muhammadsa) has presented an excellent proposal. You should accept this proposal and I request that you allow me to go to Muhammadsa in order to further discuss this proposal.’ The Quraish said, ‘Certainly. Go and discuss this proposal.’” (Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyyeen, pp. 755-756)
Further details are as follows. ‘Urwah came to the Holy Prophetsa and said, “I have left Ka’b bin Lu’ayy and ‘Amir bin Lu’ayy at the well of Hudaibiyyah and with them are two she-camels. They have called the Ahabish and their associates.” Ahabish were allies of the Quraish and had taken an oath at the foot of the Habshi Mountain. As such, they became known as the Ahabish.
He said: “They are wearing cheetah skins, i.e., the disbelievers are wearing cheetah skins, and are ready for war. They have taken an oath that they will not clear the path between you and the House of Allah, unless you destroy them.” That is, unless the Holy Prophetsa destroys them. He continued: “Out of the two [possible] outcomes in relation to you and the people you are going to fight, one thing is for certain.” He then said to the Holy Prophetsa, “You are either going to destroy your own people, although it is unheard of until today that a person destroyed his people and relatives, or the people that are with you are going to disgrace you.” In other words, he tried to scare the Holy Prophetsa in this manner as well by saying that these people who are with him are cowardly. He made wrong speculations about the companions and said, “By Allah! The countenances of these people with you are of those who flee.” In another tradition, it is stated that “among these people are individuals whom I neither recognise, nor know anything about their ancestors and morals. I believe that they will flee and leave you.” In yet another tradition, it is recorded that “I can see that if you were to fight the Quraish, they would hand you over to them. (In this manner, he tried to influence and scare the Holy Prophetsa.) They will imprison you and what greater difficulty can there be than this?” Hazrat Abu Bakrra, who was sitting behind the Holy Prophetsa, became enraged and said, “Go and show your devotion to your idol, Lat. Do not say these things to us! Are we going to leave the Holy Prophetsa?” ‘Urwah replied, “Who is this?” The Holy Prophetsa said, “This is Abu Bakrra.” Upon this, ‘Urwah said, “By Allah! If I was not indebted to you, I would certainly have replied to this.” At some point, Hazrat Abu Bakrra did ‘Urwah a favour. In relation to this, it is recorded that ‘Urwah sought assistance in paying blood money. He had killed someone and had to pay the blood money. He sought assistance, upon which someone gave two camels and another person gave three camels. However, Hazrat Abu Bakrra assisted him with ten camels. This was the favour of Hazrat Abu Bakrra on ‘Urwah.
Then ‘Urwah began speaking to the Messengersa of Allah, and while he spoke, he would touch the Holy Prophet’ssa beard. Hazrat Mughirahra bin Shu’bah stood by the Holy Prophetsa with a sword in hand and a helmet on his head. When ‘Urwah approached the Holy Prophetsa to speak to him and stretched out his hand to touch his blessed beard, Hazrat Mughirahra moved him out of the way using the point of his sword, saying, “Move your hands away from the Holy Prophetra before my sword reaches you, for it is not fit for any idolater to touch the beard of the Holy Prophetsa.”
‘Urwah raised his head up and asked, “Who is this?” The people told him it was Mughirah bin Shu’bah. According to one narration, the Messengersa of Allah himself explained that “This is your nephew Mughirah bin Shu’bah.” ‘Urwah turned to him and said, “O disloyal one! Didn’t I already try to help fix your treachery once before?”
The details of what ‘Urwah is referring to here are in relation to the pre-Islamic era of ignorance wherein Mughirah had gone somewhere with a group of people and ended up killing them and taking their belongings. He then later accepted Islam. So the Holy Prophetsa said, “As far as your Islam is concerned, I will accept it of you, but as for your wealth, I have nothing to do with it.”
This is a narration mentioned in Bukhari. In any case, it seems ‘Urwah must have helped Mughirah in some way or another to settle this matter when it happened. Then ‘Urwah started to look at the Companions of the Holy Prophetsa carefully. Whenever the Messengersa of Allah would spit, the Companions would take it and rub it on their hands and chest, and whenever he commanded them to do something, they would do it immediately. When the Holy Prophetsa would perform ablution, the Companions would rush forth to try and get it. They wouldn’t allow a single hair of the Holy Prophetsa to fall except that they would collect it and keep it. They would keep their voices low in front of the Holy Prophetsa and would look at the Holy Prophetsa with lowered eyes out of great humility and respect. When ‘Urwah finished speaking with the Messengersa of Allah, the Holy Prophetsa said the same thing to him as he had said to Budail bin Warqa, and continued to offer up proposals for peace.
Then ‘Urwah came to the Quraish and began saying, “O my people! I have served as an ambassador to kings, the courts of Caesar, Chosroes, and Negus. By Allah, I have never seen a king who is obeyed as much as the obedience shown to Muhammad[sa] by his Companions.”
Whereas he initially came intending to scare the Holy Prophetsa regarding the disbelievers, when he witnessed these scenes, he was impacted by it and made this statement to the disbelievers.
He said, “By Allah, I have never seen a king whose Companions honour him as much as Muhammad’s [sa] Companions honour him. By Allah, there is no king like him. When he spits, his Companions touch it with their hands and rub it on their faces and bodies, and when he commands something, they hasten to fulfil his orders. When he performs ablution, they rush to catch his ablution water, and they do not allow even a single strand of his hair to fall to the ground; instead, they preserve it. In his presence, his Companions speak in soft voices, and out of respect, they do not lift their gaze to look directly at him, nor does anyone speak without his permission. When he (meaning the Holy Prophetsa) permits, then the Companions speak; if he doesn’t grant permission, they all remain silent.”
He further said, “He has presented you with a good proposal (meaning the Holy Prophetsa has offered you something beneficial). Thus, you should accept it.” He continued, “Truly, I have cautioned my nation, and you must understand well that if you intend to raise the sword against him, he will also unsheathe his sword against you. If you stop their leader (meaning if you stop the Holy Prophetsa), I have seen that these people will not care about what happens to them. By Allah, I have even seen women among them who will not hand him over to us. O my people, change your opinion, go to him, and accept what he has proposed to you.” That is, accept the peace treaty he has proposed, or the proposal for ‘Umrah. He added, “I am your well-wisher, but I also fear that you will not receive any help against the man who has come to visit the House of Allah. He has sacrificial animals with him, which they will slaughter and then return back.” In response, the Quraish said, “O Abu Yafur, (meaning they addressed ‘Urwah) do not say this. Has anyone besides you said this? Rather, we will send him back this year, and he will come next year.” Then ‘Urwah replied, “You will have to face great difficulty.” Thereafter, ‘Urwah and his companions departed for Ta’if. (Subul al-Huda Wa al-Rishad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 44-45; Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Shuroot, Hadith 27321 and 2732; Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 8, Dar-ul-Islam, p. 93; Musnad Ahmad Ma’a Hashia Sindhi, Vol. 11, Maktaba Idaarat-ul-Shouni Al-Islamiyyah, p. 207)
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has also narrated the events surrounding the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah. While recounting these events, he states:
“When the Holy Prophetsa set out to perform the Tawaf (circumambulation) of the Ka’bah, the disbelievers of Mecca, upon hearing of this, sent one of their chieftains to confront him. The chieftain was tasked with informing the Holy Prophetsa not to come to perform the Tawaf that year.
“This chief came to the Holy Prophetsa and began speaking to him. During the conversation, he would touch the Holy Prophet’ssa blessed beard. He was requesting the Holy Prophetsa to defer the Tawaf to another year.”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further states:
“This act of touching the Holy Prophet’ssa beard was not out of disrespect. Rather, it was a cultural practice among the people of Asia. When they sought to plead with someone or secure their agreement, they would touch the other person’s beard as a sign of entreaty or, alternatively, touch their own beard to emphasise their sincerity, saying, ‘I am an elder and a leader of my people; please heed my request.’ Thus, this leader touched the Holy Prophet’sra beard as a gesture to implore him.
“Witnessing this, a Companion stepped forward, struck the chieftain with the hilt of his sword and said, ‘Remove your impure hand!’ Recognising the Companion, the chieftain responded, ‘Are you not the one upon whom I conferred a favour on such-and-such occasion?’ Upon hearing this, the Companion fell silent and retreated. However, the chieftain once again touched the Holy Prophet’ssa beard in his plea. The Companions later admitted that they were deeply angered by the leader’s repeated act of touching the Holy Prophet’ssa beard, but at that time, they could not think of anyone among them who had not, at some point, received a favour from this chieftain. (In other words, his generosity towards others had been extensive). They wished fervently that there had been someone among them upon whom this chieftain had no claim of kindness.
“At that moment, a man stepped forward, fully clad in armour and chainmail, and addressed the leader with great zeal, saying, ‘Remove your impure hand!’ This was Hazrat Abu Bakrra. When the leader recognised him, he admitted, ‘Yes, I cannot say anything to you because I have never conferred any favour upon you.’” (Hindustani Uljhanon Ka Aasan Tareen Hal, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 18, p. 560)
Then Hulais bin Alqamah Kinani, chief of the Ahabish, said (as I mentioned before, the Ahabish were an allied tribe of the Quraish who made a pact at the foot of a mountain named Habashi; hence they became known as the Ahabish): “Allow me to go to the Holy Prophetsa.” The Quraish permitted him to go. When he saw the Holy Prophetsa from a distance, the Holy Prophetsa said, “This person comes from a tribe which honours sacrificial animals.” The Holy Prophetsa instructed the Companions, “Go and bring your sacrificial animals before him so that he may see them.” So they sent forth their animals.
He noticed animals at the edge of the valley whose hairs had shed around the neck due to wearing the collars for an extended period of time. Those animals were constantly making noise. The Companions welcomed him as they recited the Talbiyah. They had been there for half a month. The Companions had not applied any fragrance, and their hair was also unkempt. When he saw this, he said, “Holy is Allah, it would not be appropriate for these people to be stopped from proceeding to the House of Allah.” His heart was immediately softened. He said, “Allah the Almighty has not permitted the Lakham, Juzam, Qindah and Himyir tribes to perform the pilgrimage while the son of Abdul Muttalib is stopped from doing so. It is not appropriate for the Quraish to stop them from going to the House of Allah. By the Lord of the Ka’bah, the Quraish can perish, there is no doubt that these people have come to perform the ‘Umrah.” He made this statement in support of the Muslims.
Upon hearing this, the Holy Prophetsa said, “By Allah, O brother of Banu Kinanah, it is certainly so.” This was the Holy Prophet’ssa response to him. He was so moved that he went to the Quraish and said, “I have seen that which makes it improper to stop the Muslims. I have seen animals whose neck hairs have fallen off due to their collars and those collars have been around their necks for quite a long time. People’s hair has become unkempt and this is all so that they may perform circuits around the House of Allah.” He said to the disbelievers, “By Allah, we did not agree with you, nor did we make an oath that you would stop such people who uphold the sanctity and honour of this House of Allah and will do justice to it; those who wish to take their sacrificial animals to their place of sacrifice. By He in Whose hands is my life, clear their path towards the Ka’bah; otherwise, I will take my people and abandon you.” He told them to allow the Muslims to perform ‘Umrah. The Quraish said, “O Hulais, remain quiet so that we may make them accept our desired stipulations.” According to another narration, the Quraish said, “Sit down; you are a Bedouin and you know nothing. Whatever you have heard from Muhammad[sa] and seen is but deception and lies (God forbid).” (Subul al-Huda Wa al-Rishad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 45)
During this journey, there is also mention of Hazrat Ka’b bin Ujrahra being granted permission to shave his head. The details are as follows:
Hazrat Ka’b bin Ujrahra relates, “We were in Hudaibiyyah along with the Holy Prophetsa. We were in the state of Ihram while the idolaters had kept us in a state of besiegement. My hair was quite long and lice would fall on my face. The Holy Prophetsa walked past me and asked, ‘Are the lice in your head causing you discomfort?’ I responded in the affirmative. The Holy Prophetsa further stated, ‘I did not think your condition would deteriorate to such an extent.’ The Holy Prophetsa then instructed me to shave my head, saying I could shave it first. Allah the Almighty revealed the following verse:
فَمَنۡ كَانَ مِنۡكُمۡ مَّرِيۡضًا اَوۡ بِهٖۤ اَذًي مِّنۡ رَّاۡسِهٖ فَفِدۡيَةٌ مِّنۡ صِيَامٍ اَوۡ صَدَقَةٍ اَوۡ نُسُكٍ
“‘And whoever among you is sick or has an ailment of the head, should make an expiation either by fasting or almsgiving or a sacrifice.’ [2:197]
“In other words, one is permitted to shave their head under such circumstances of difficulty. (Subul al-Huda Wa al-Rishad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 35)
There is also mention of Mikraz bin Hafs being sent as an ambassador from the Quraish. As mentioned earlier, various people took permission from the Quraish and came as ambassadors to meet the Holy Prophetsa. One of them was also Mikraz bin Hafs. He also asked the Quraish for permission to go to the Holy Prophetsa. Upon seeing him come, the Holy Prophetsa stated this was a deceitful man and the “fajir” [evil] is also mentioned in the narration. When he came to the Holy Prophetsa, the Holy Prophetsa said the same thing as he had said to ‘Urwah and Budail. He then returned to his people and informed them of what the Holy Prophetsa had said.
There is also mention of the Holy Prophetsa sending Hazrat Khirash bin Umayyahra towards the Quraish. In other words, the Holy Prophetsa also sent an ambassador. Muhammad bin Ishaq writes that the Holy Prophetsa sent Hazrat Khirash bin Umayyahra and mounted him on his own camel. The name of the camel was Tha’lab. This was so that he could convey to the people of Quraish as to why they had come. However, Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl cut the legs of the camel. Ikrimah also intended to kill this representative [of the Holy Prophetsa], but the Ahabish [tribe] stopped him from doing so, and so he let Hazrat Khirashra go. He returned to the Holy Prophetsa and informed him of everything that had happened. (Subul al-Huda Wa al-Rishad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 46)
In any case, the Quraish continued to thwart any efforts of peace and the Holy Prophetsa continued to overlook this. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra has written the details of this in one place as follows:
“The Quraish of Mecca did not suffice at this, rather in the blindness of their rage, they also intended that now, as the Holy Prophetsa and his Companions were so close to Mecca and so very far from Medina, an attack should be launched against him, so that he may be harmed as much as possible. For this purpose, they dispatched a party of about 40 to 50 men towards Hudaibiyyah and in the veil of negotiations, these people were instructed to circle the Muslim camp and, whenever possible, continue injuring the Muslims. As a matter of fact, from some narrations, it is even ascertained that these people were 80 in number and on this occasion, they even conspired to assassinate the Holy Prophetsa. However, [by the grace of Allah], the Muslims remained vigilant in their place. As such, the secret of this conspiracy of the Quraish was discovered and all of those concerned were arrested. The Muslims were very displeased at this action of the people of Mecca, which they committed in the Ashhur-e-Hurum and in the sacred proximity of the Haram at that, but the Holy Prophetsa forgave them and did not allow for it to become an obstacle in the negotiations.” (Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyyeen, pp. 759-760)
Then, there is a famous incident when Hazrat ‘Uthmanra was sent as an ambassador by the Holy Prophetsa. Allamah Baihaqi relates from ‘Urwah that thereafter, the Holy Prophetsa called for Hazrat ‘Umar bin Khattabra in order to send him to the Quraish. However, Hazrat ‘Umarra submitted, “O Messengersa of Allah! The Quraish are well aware of my enmity [for them] and I fear they will take my life and there is no one amongst the Banu Adiyy who will protect me.” He further said, “However, O Messengersa of Allah, if you wish, then I will go.” Upon this, the Holy Prophetsa did not say anything to him. Hazrat ‘Umarra then submitted, “O Messengersa of Allah, I shall inform you of such an individual who is held in higher regard than me in Mecca and belongs to a noble family, who will be able to protect him. He will be able to convey your message. His name is Hazrat ‘Uthman bin ‘Affanra.”
Hazrat ‘Umarra did not say this out of any fear; what it meant was that if he were to go, then they would kill him, and thus, the purpose of conveying the message would not be fulfilled and would result in unrest. That is why he suggested that it would be better for him not to go and for Hazrat ‘Uthmanra to go instead. The Holy Prophetsa called for Hazrat ‘Uthmanra and instructed him, “Go to the Quraish and tell them that we have not come to fight, in fact, we have come to perform the ‘Umrah.” (Subul al-Huda Wa al-Rishad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 46)
The details of this incident have been mentioned in The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophetssa by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahibra as follows:
“[The Holy Prophetsa] instructed Hazrat ‘Uthmanra to go to Mecca and inform the Quraish of the peaceful designs of the Muslims and their intent to perform ‘Umrah. The Holy Prophetsa also gave Hazrat ‘Uthmanra a personal letter which was addressed to the chieftains of the Quraish. In this letter, the Holy Prophetsa had expounded the purpose of his journey, and assured the Quraish that their purpose was merely the observance of a worship and that they would peacefully perform the ‘Umrah and return thereafter. The Holy Prophetsa also said to Hazrat ‘Uthmanra that, “Try to meet the weaker Muslims as well and lift their spirits, and tell them to show a little more patience. For God is soon to open the door of success upon us. (The Holy Prophetsa had great conviction.)
“Hazrat ‘Uthmanra went to Mecca with this message, and after meeting Abu Sufyan, who was the Chieftain of Mecca at that time as well as a near relative, Hazrat ‘Uthmanra was presented before a public gathering. In this meeting, Hazrat ‘Uthmanra presented a letter sent by the Holy Prophetsa and this letter was also read individually by the chieftains of the Quraish. However, despite this, all the people stubbornly clung to the view that either way, the Muslims could not enter Mecca that year. Upon the insistence of Hazrat ‘Uthmanra, they said, ‘If you are exceedingly desirous, then we can give you (i.e. Hazrat ‘Uthman) special permission to circumambulate the Ka’bah, but no more.’ Hazrat ‘Uthmanra said, ‘How is this possible, that the Messenger of Allah is stopped outside of Mecca and I circumambulate the Ka’bah?” But the Quraish did not accept anything, and eventually disheartened, Hazrat ‘Uthmanra prepared to return. Upon this instance, the wicked people of Mecca, perhaps with the thought that in this manner they should be able to secure more beneficial conditions for themselves in negotiations, detained Hazrat ‘Uthmanra and his companions in Mecca. Upon this, rumour spread amongst the Muslims that the people of Mecca had martyred Hazrat ‘Uthmanra.”
When this news reached, the Holy Prophetsa took the oath called the Bai‘at-e-Ridwan. The details of this are as follows:
“When this news (i.e., the news of Hazrat ‘Uthman’s martyrdom) reached Hudaibiyyah, the Muslims were infuriated, because Hazrat ‘Uthmanra was the son-in-law of the Holy Prophetsa and was among the most venerable of Companions. He had gone to Mecca as an Islamic ambassador. Furthermore, those days were also of the sacred months, and then Mecca itself was a sanctuary. The Holy Prophetsa immediately made an announcement and gathered his Companions beneath an acacia tree. When the Companions had assembled, the Holy Prophetsa mentioned this news and said, ‘If this news is true, then by God, we shall not move from this place until we seek revenge for ‘Uthman.’ Then the Holy Prophetsa said to the Companions, ‘Come and place your hand on my hand (which is the Islamic way of Bai’at) and take an oath that none of you shall show his back, and will sacrifice his life if need be, but shall not retreat from this place.’
“Upon this announcement, the Companions lunged forward in such a manner as if toppling over one another. Every single person from among these 1400 to 1500 people (who were the entire lot of the Muslims at the time) sold themselves once again in loyalty at the hand of their beloved master. When the bai‘at was taking place, the Holy Prophetsa placed his left hand upon his right and said, ‘This is the hand of ‘Uthman, for if he were here, he would not have been left behind in this holy covenant. But at this time, he is engaged in the work of Allah and His Messenger.’ As such, this radiant scene came to its conclusion.
“In Islamic history, this bai‘at is known as the Bai‘at-e-Ridwan, i.e., that bai‘at wherein the Muslims acquired the reward of God’s complete pleasure. The Holy Quran has also especially mentioned this bai‘at. It states:
لَقَدۡ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنِ الۡمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ اِذۡ يُبَايِعُوۡنَكَ تَحۡتَ الشَّجَرَةِ فَعَلِمَ مَا فِيۡ قُلُوۡبِهِمۡ فَاَنۡزَلَ السَّكِيۡنَةَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَ اَثَابَهُمۡ فَتۡحًا قَرِيۡبًا
“‘O Messenger, Allah the Exalted was well-pleased with the Muslims when they were taking bai‘at under the tree. For through this bai‘at, the sincerity that was hidden in their hearts, was brought to the discernible knowledge of God. So God revealed tranquillity upon their hearts, and rewarded them with a near victory at hand.’ [Holy Quran, Surah al-Fath, 48:19]
“The companions would also refer to this bai‘at with great pride and love and many of them would often tell those who came later that, ‘You consider the Conquest of Mecca to be the victory, but we consider the Bai‘at-e-Ridwan to be the actual victory.’ There is no doubt that along with its details, this bai‘at was a magnificently great victory, not only because it opened the door to future victories but also because the spirit of sacrifice in Islam, which was the central point of the religion of Muhammadsa, was manifested in a most magnificent manner. Furthermore, these devotees of Islam showed by their actions that they were prepared to bargain with life and death in every field for the sake of their Messengersa and the truth he had brought. This is why, whilst referring to the Bai‘at-e-Ridwan, the honourable Companions would say, ‘This bai‘at was an oath to death. In other words, it was a bai‘at of the oath that every Muslim would sacrifice his life for the sake of Islam and its glory, but would not retreat.’ Moreover, another salient feature of this bai‘at was that this oath and agreement was not merely a verbal declaration in a state of temporary emotion. Quite the contrary, it was the voice from the depths of hearts, behind which the full power of the Muslims was united upon a single focus.” (Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyyeen, pp. 760-763)
The news of Hazrat ‘Uthman’sra martyrdom and the Bai‘at-e-Ridwan has been mentioned by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra in one of his sermons or addresses:
“Upon hearing this news of Hazrat ‘Uthmanra, the Holy Prophetsa gathered the Companions and stated, ‘The life of an ambassador is protected in all people and nations. You have heard that ‘Uthman has been killed by the Meccans. If this news proves to be true then we shall forcefully enter Mecca. In other words, our initial intention was to enter Mecca in peace but since the circumstances have changed, therefore we are no longer bound by this. Those of you who are ready for this should come forward and take the following pledge with me that if we have to proceed ahead then either we will return victorious or then we shall all embrace martyrdom one by one on the battlefield. As soon as the Holy Prophetsa made this announcement, the 1500 pilgrims who came along with him turned into 1500 warriors and these devotees lunged forward in their efforts to excel one another in their efforts to place their hand upon the hand of the Holy Prophetsa. In the history of Islam, this pledge holds great significance and is known as the Pledge of the Tree because at the time of when the Holy Prophetsa took this pledge, he was sitting under a tree.” (Dibacha Tafsir-ul-Quran, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 20, pp. 307-308)
There are further details in relation to the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah, which I will narrate in the future, insha-Allah.
At this moment in time, I would also like to say that just as everyone is aware, conditions even in Europe are rapidly progressing towards war. There is an increasing threat of the Ukraine-Russia war spreading and other European nations are being threatened. Many of those who possess wisdom and peace-seeking leaders are worried by this state of affairs. In any case, pray that Allah the Almighty protects Ahmadis and all those who seek peace against the ill effects of these wars. May these people not use such weapons in this war that will have a harmful impact upon future generations.
Pray also for Muslim nations; may Allah the Almighty grant them reason and understanding and enable them to recognise the truth.
I would also like to draw attention to the fact that due to the manner in which the state of affairs has rapidly deteriorated and continues to deteriorate, although people are already aware, I would like to draw attention once again to the fact that everyone should strive to keep rations for 2-3 months in their homes. However, most importantly, everyone should strive to draw nearer to Allah the Almighty, to attain His pleasure and to strengthen their relationship with Him. May Allah the Almighty enable us to do so.
(Official Urdu transcript published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 13 December 2024, pp. 2-6. Translated by The Review of Religions.)