On the second day of the blessed occasion of Jalsa Salana UK 2022, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah strengthen his hand, arrived in the ladies’ marquee at 12:10 BST to deliver an address in the ladies’ session of Jalsa UK.
Upon arrival on the stage, after conveying salaam, Huzooraa invited Sabiha Khan Sahiba to recite a portion of the Holy Quran, who recited verses 21-24 of Surah al-Hadid and presented the Urdu translation from Tafsir-e-Saghir. Huzooraa then called Rizwana Ahmad Sahiba to recite a poem written by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra – the prayerful “Barhti rahey Khuda ki mahabbat Khuda karey”.
Huzooraa then called secretary umur-e-talibaat to announce the names of those who had achieved academic excellence in their respective fields of education – the awards would be given at a later date.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa then took to the podium to deliver his address. Huzooraa conveyed his salaam, and after reciting tashahud, ta‘awuz, Huzooraa said he would present examples of some exemplarily Muslim women from which the picture of a true Muslim woman believer could be seen. The examples of these women included the women companions of the Holy Prophetsa, the Promised Messiahas and those examples of great women who lived during the era of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra.
The number of these women is so large that volumes upon volumes of books would need to be written to complete their accounts. These narrations show that from the very inception of Islam, the great station Islam gave women made these examples of great women possible. These women who gave sacrifices for their lives, wealth and children paint a picture of the great glory of Islam and the rights it gave to women.
Huzooraa said that Ahmadi women desired to hear about examples of other women but by hearing such examples there should not just be a temporary zeal, rather the passion should be to achieve these heights.
The efforts the female companions would carry out to attain the closeness of Allah were such that Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbasra would relate about his mother, Hazrat Umme Fazlra, that she loved fasting so much that she would keep a fast every Monday and Thursday.
Once the Holy Prophetsa was giving out alms and Hazrat Zainab bint Jahashra said something, upon which Hazrat Umarra told her off. The Holy Prophetsa said to Hazrat Umarra to stop because Hazrat Zainab was awwah – the one who feared Allah greatly, one who prayed a lot and who had utmost humility before Allah.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, speaking about the parents of Hazrat Ammarra, said that the disbelievers would inflict great pain upon them. Once the Holy Prophetsa saw them being persecuted and with great fervour said for them to be patient as Allah had prepared heaven for them. After a very short while, Hazrat Ammar’s father, Hazrat Yasirra passed and later Abu Jahl in a fit of anger stabbed Hazrat Sumaiyyara, Hazrat Yasir’s mother, as a result of which she also was martyred. Thus, this great woman did not waiver in her faith and kept resolute, giving the ultimate sacrifice.
Another narration was about Hazrat Asmara, the mother of Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra. His mother was very ill and she said she was extremely worried – to this Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra consoled her and said her demise was inevitable and would ultimately grant her lasting peace. She immediately replied by saying that she would not see death until one of two conditions was fulfilled; the first, that Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra, her son, achieved martyrdom on the battlefield or that he overcame the enemies of Islam and in turn, she would achieve peace. The day Hazrat Abdullahra was martyred, prior to battle, she saw him and said to never fear death and that an honourable death for Islam was greater than life that was a result of being saved but out of disgrace.
When the Holy Prophetsa was returning from the Battle of Uhad, the people of Medina left Medina and came out to welcome the Holy Prophetsa back. There was a lady who was standing in front of the women. Her son had died in the battle and her eyes were developing disease and had weakened. She stood at the front of the women and asked where the Holy Prophetsa was. When she spoke to the Holy Prophetsa, he consoled her and informed her about the death of one of her sons. The woman couldn’t see the face of the Holy Prophetsa properly and she carried on looking right and left but then finally saw the blessed countenance of the Holy Prophetsa. She then said to the Holy Prophetsa that she had drunk all her grief by knowing the Holy Prophetsa was still alive. The death of her son was in honour of the Holy Prophetsa and her delight was in knowing the Holy Prophetsa was still alive. All her grief about her son was for a higher cause and she expressed this to the Prophetsa.
Once Hazrat Umarra, prior to accepting Islam, was beating a female Muslim slave. He would beat her so much that he would only stop after tiring. Huzooraa said that Hazrat Umarra, who was physically strong, would tire from beating a female Muslim slave and told the slave that he only stopped because he had tired. The Muslim slave replied to Hazrat Umarra that Allah would do the same to him. This was her reply and she endured all the beating. But Allah chose Hazrat Umarra and enabled him to accept Islam due to some good deed of his. This was the great patience of Muslim women.
Regarding financial sacrifice. Hazrat ibn Abbasra narrated that the Holy Prophetsa left for the Eid prayers and offered two rakaat. After prayers, he visited the women’s area and exhorted them to offer financial sacrifice. As a result, the women immediately began taking off their bangles and presented them.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra said that Hazrat Aishara had no personal income of her own but would receive gifts from Muslim companions of the Holy Prophetsa. But Hazrat Aishara would present those financial gifts she received in the way of Allah too. Once she received thousands of dinars but she had distributed all of it by the evening and left nothing for herself. A friend of hers said that she should have kept a little to be able to open her fast at least to which Hazrat Aishara said why she didn’t tell her this before but this was just an excuse to avoid the question.
Once, in Mecca, the Holy Prophetsa was meeting some Muslims from Medina who had come to see him. In the entourage there were two women, one was Hazrat Umme Amarara. This great Muslim woman showed such high levels of faith that when her son, Hazrat Khubaibra was caught by Musaylima Kazzab, he was asked by Musaylima if he believed in the Holy Prophetsa to be a prophet. Hazrat Khubaibra said he did. Masailma asked if he believed him to be a prophet of Allah too. Hazrat Khubaibra said no, to which Musaylima cut off an arm. He then asked these questions again and again to which Hazrat Khubaibra gave the same answers, despite having one arm and then multiple limbs cut off by Musaylima. He did not waver and died in this way.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa said this fortitude of faith in Hazrat Khubaibra was the result of Hazrat Umme Amara’s upbringing.
With regards to increasing religious knowledge and learning. Once the Muslim women complained to the Holy Propehtsa and said the men spent all the time with the Holy Prophetsa and therefore they desired one day to be designated for them. So the Holy Prophetsa kept one day to meeting the Muslim women and teaching them. This was the passion of the Muslim women to learn about their faith.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra in his commentary of the Quran has written that Islam does not command women to sit at home with the doors closed. Rather it is proved from early Islam that Muslim women would go out to battle, take care of the injured, listen to the Holy Prophet’s addresses, horse ride, would learn and teach knowledge from and to men. They were commanded only to cover their heads, necks and some parts of their faces. Islam never told women to stay at home and neither was this the practice of the women companions of the Holy Prophetsa. Once at the mosque, the Holy Prophetsa allowed Hazrat Aishara to stand behind him and observe the competitions between the men that were related to warfare. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra said this event had a finer point within it. From this incident, it is proven that Islam desires for women to be acquainted with warfare. This incident shows that the Holy Prophetsa desired for women to know what happened on the battlefield, how the sword was wielded and used, etc. If women had become scared of battle and swords etc., they would have never sent their children into battle and neither would they themselves have participated in the cause of defending the nation.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra said Muslim women had achieved in battles what European women, who don’t wear the Islamic dress, have not achieved even up to this day.
Once a Muslim woman went out and released her brother who had been captivated by the powerful Romans, all on her own. The Muslim army came to know of this after she had brought her brother back.
During the Battle of Uhad, Hazrat Umme Amarara would give water to the soldiers when the Muslim army was still winning. But when the tables turned, she picked up a sword and stood beside the Holy Prophetsa and fought valiantly against the enemies. The Holy Prophetsa even made mention of this.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenra then said he would narrate about women from the time of the Promised Messiahas. This was an age of financial sacrifice and an age to equip oneself with the knowledge to reply to the attacks made on Islam. This age was also the age for prayer, as through prayers, everything shall be achieved.
Regarding Hazrat Amma Janra, the blessed wife of the Promised Messiahas, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra MA said that she was completely engrossed in salat. She would always offer tahajjud and zuha prayers and would be so engrossed in the prayers and enjoy them that those looking would be amazed. She would pray with great ferver for all members of the Jamaat and for the success of Islam Ahmadiyyat.
Hazrat Nawab Mubarika Begum Sahibara wrote that during Ramadan in particular Hazrat Amma Janra would give great amounts to the poor. She would also say that at the beginning of the year, in Muharram, if one gave alms, their whole year would pass in financial ease – this she said the Promised Messiahas would teach.
The mother of Hazrat Chaudhary Zafrullah Khan Sahibra went to see the Promised Messiahas when he made his claim. When her husband returned home from somewhere, he questioned her and said that he hoped she had not accepted allegiance to the Promised Messiahas. She said that she did pledge allegiance and it was a matter of faith. To this, her husband showed some displeasure to which she said it mattered not what he thought as this was related to faith.
Fakhr-un-Nisa Sahiba was from Hyderabad, India. She would say that she did not accept Ahmadiyyat due to following her husband. She said that when her husband returned from Qadian after accepting Ahmadiyyat at the hands of the Promised Messiahas, she desired to know with certainty herself about the truth of Ahmadiyyat and as a result, Allah showed her a dream through which she accepted too in 1900.
Hazrat Umme Tahir Sahiba, the mother of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh, had a heart that was full of the love of Allah and the Holy Prophetsa. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra MA narrated that he once heard her narrating the following hadith:
Once a companion asked the Holy Prophetsa about Judgement Day. The Prophetsa replied by asking if he had even prepared for Judgment Day. The companion replied by saying that as far as his salat and fasting were concerned, he did not know if they would be accepted. But what he was certain about was that he possessed true love for Allah and His Prophetsa. To this, the Holy Prophetsa gave him the glad tidings that Allah would not separate a believer from those whom he loved. He would certainly meet them. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra narrates that when she narrated this hadith her face lit up and she said she saw that her heart was in the same condition.
Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa narrated more examples of great Muslim women and said every Ahmadi woman should vow that they will create within themselves a revolution and try to achieve such heights.
Huzooraa then led everyone in silent prayer after which various groups of Lajna had the opportunity to present choral poems before Huzooraa.
(Report prepared by Al Hakam)