Jazib Mehmood, Jamia Ahmadiyya International Ghana
It is always important to listen to the sermons of the Khalifa of the time. In a world brimming with diverse interpretations and understandings of faith, the sermons of Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa stand as a beacon of true knowledge and wisdom. These sermons are not mere speeches but are profound narratives guiding believers towards the correct comprehension of Islamic teachings. This is the case with every sermon, but as a case in point, let us briefly discuss a recent sermon, delivered on 22 December 2023. By examining just one theme from this sermon, we uncover the significance of the messages conveyed by Huzooraa.
Before this particular sermon commenced, I had a misunderstanding regarding an incident from the Battle of Uhud; I thought that the companions of the Holy Prophetsa who had been given the duty of guarding a crucial spot during the Battle of Uhud had been in error since they had apparently given precedence to the spoils of war over the command of the Holy Prophetsa (God forbid).
When Huzooraa began his sermon, it almost immediately became clear that I was missing something. But first, some context: In the said sermon, Huzooraa spoke about the Battle of Uhud, and how some companions had been appointed by the Holy Prophetsa to guard a crucial spot from where it was feared that the disbelievers could launch a surprise attack.
When the battle was nearly over and the victory of the Muslims seemed clear, these companions decided it was safe to leave their duty and join their Muslim brothers, some of whom had already begun to gather the spoils of war.
Huzooraa mentioned that many historians and scholars of Islam had deduced that these companions felt that they should also be part of those gathering the spoils of war, and they left their duty, which was emphatically accorded to them by the Holy Prophetsa.
Many of these scholars of Islam had also inferred this view from the verse of the Holy Quran, which stated:
مِنْكُمْ مَنْ يُرِيدُ الدُّنْيَا وَمِنْكُمْ مَنْ يُرِيدُ الْآخِرَةَ
“Among you were those who desired the present world, and among you were those who desired the next.” (Surah Aal-e-‘Imran, Ch.3: V.153)
However, Huzooraa pointed out that when the companions were ready to sacrifice everything they had for the sake of Islam and the Holy Prophetsa, then it cannot be said that the Companionsra were chasing after the spoils of war. Yes, in the case of victory, receiving the spoils of war can be a secondary thing, but the purpose and intention of the companions could never be to attain the spoils of war.
Rather, Huzooraa stated that the worldly desire referred to in the above-quoted verse was the Companions’ desire to actively take part in face-to-face combat, which was certainly a worldly desire as compared to the instructions they had been given by the Holy Prophetsa to remain at their post.
Furthermore, from their vantage point, thinking that the battle had been won, the Companionsra on the hill certainly would have wished to join their brothers in rejoicing over this victory.
The inherent logic at this point was immediately apparent to me. It was also a reminder that one must not accept views without considering their implications. In this case, accepting that these Companionsra, who had been ready to sacrifice their lives for the Holy Prophetsa, had somehow been guilty of disobeying his command (God forbid) was a misguided view of the matter.
This rectification reminds me of one of the blessings that Ahmadis enjoy under the guiding shadow of Khilafat, which, following the teachings of the Promised Messiahas – has always continued to correct such seemingly harmless opinions, which is inadvertently an affront to highly venerated religious personalities in Islam and even other religions (something most Muslims are unfortunately deprived of today).
Thus, it is a blessing of Khilafat that we are able to listen to Huzoor’saa words from all over the world. May Allah enable us to reap these blessings and may we truly become the heirs of the blessings of Khilafat. Amin.