Friday Sermon
4 September 2020
Men of Excellence
After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:
Allah the Almighty stated in the Holy Quran:
اَلَّذِیۡنَ اسۡتَجَابُوۡا لِلّٰہِ وَ الرَّسُوۡلِ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَاۤ اَصَابَہُمُ الۡقَرۡحُ ؕۛ لِلَّذِیۡنَ اَحۡسَنُوۡا مِنۡہُمۡ وَ اتَّقَوۡا اَجۡرٌ عَظِیۡمٌ
“[As to] those who answered the call of Allah and the Messenger after they had received an injury – such of them as do good and act righteously shall have a great reward.” (Surah Al-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.173)
Whilst narrating the accounts from the lives of the Companionsra, some of the accounts Hazrat Zubairra remained and I shall narrate them today.
With regard to the verse I have just recited, Hazrat Aishara said to her nephew, Urwah, “O my nephew! Your forefathers, Zubairra and Abu Bakrra were among the companions who have been referred to in this verse. When the Holy Prophetsa was injured during the Battle of Uhud and the idolaters retreated, he feared that they would return to attack again. Hence, the Holy Prophetsa asked, ‘Who will go and follow them?’ 70 companions from among the Muslims were ready to go immediately.”
The narrator of this tradition states that Abu Bakrra and Zubairra were also among them. This narration is from Sahih Bukhari; both, Hazrat Abu Bakrra as well as Hazrat Zubairra were among the injured. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bab alladhina istajabu lillah wa al-rasul…, Hadith 4077)
A similar narration has been recorded in Sahih Muslim as follows:
Hisham narrates from his father, “Hazrat ‘Aishara said to me, ‘Your forefathers were among those companions who responded to the call of Allah and His Messengersa despite being injured.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Faza‘il al-Sahabah, Bab min Fada’il Talhah wa al-Zubair, Hadith 2418)
Hazrat Alira narrates, “I have heard the Holy Prophetsa himself say, ‘Talhara and Zubairra will be granted my company in Paradise.’” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Abwab al-Manaqib, Bab Manaqib Abi Muhammad Talhah, Hadith 3740)
Hazrat Saeedra bin Jubair narrates that the status of Hazrat Abu Bakrra, Hazrat Umarra, Hazrat Usmanra, Hazrat Alira, Hazrat Talhara, Hazrat Zubairra, Hazrat Saadra, Hazrat Abdur Rahmanra and Hazrat Saeedra bin Zaid was such that they used to fight ahead of the Holy Prophetsa on the battlefield and would stand [immediately] behind him in prayer. (Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 3, Atiyyah bin Nuwairahra [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 2003], p. 45)
Hazrat Abdur-Rahmanra bin Akhnas relates that he was in the mosque, when an individual spoke about Hazrat Alira in a very disrespectful manner. Upon this, Hazrat Saeedra bin Zaid stood up and said, “I bear witness that I have most certainly heard the Holy Prophetsa say that 10 individuals will certainly enter paradise. The Holy Prophetsa himself will enter paradise, Hazrat Abu Bakrra will enter paradise, Hazrat Umarra will enter paradise, Hazrat Usmanra will enter paradise, Hazrat Alira will enter paradise, and so too will Hazrat Talhara, Hazrat Zubairra bin al-Awwam, Hazrat Saadra bin Maalik and Hazrat Abdur Rahmanra bin Auf and if I wish, I could name the tenth individual as well.” The narrator states that the people enquired about the identity of the tenth individual. Hazrat Saeedra bin Zaid remained silent for a short while. The narrator states that some people enquired again as to who the tenth individual was, upon this, he said, “Saeed bin Zaid”, i.e. he himself. (Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Sunnah fi al-Khulafa, Hadith 4649)
I believe this narration has already been mentioned in the accounts of Hazrat Talhara.
Whilst mentioning the names of the scribes of the Holy Quran, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra states:
“As soon as a revelation was received by the Holy Prophetsa it was recorded in writing from his dictation. A number of persons are known to have been assigned by the Holy Prophetsa for this purpose. Of these the names of the following fifteen have been mentioned in historical accounts; Zaidra bin Thabit, Ubayyra bin Kaab, Abdullahra bin Saad bin Abi Sarah, Zubairra bin al-Awwam, Khalidra bin Saeed bin al-Aas, Abaanra bin Saeed al-Aas, Hanzlara bin Rabi al-Asadi, Muayqibra bin Abi Fatimah, Abdullahra bin Arqamra az-Zuhri, Sharahbeelra bin Hasana, Abdullahra bin Rawaha, Hazrat Abu Bakrra, Hazrat Umarra, Hazrat Usmanra and Hazrat Alira. Whenever the Holy Prophetsa received a revelation, he would send for one of these persons and dictate to him the text of the revelation he had received.” (Dibacha Tafsir-ul-Quran, Anwarul Ulum, Vol. 20, pp. 425-426)
Hazrat Anasra bin Malik relates that the Holy Prophetsa permitted Hazrat Zubair bin al-Awwam to a wear a silk shirt during one battle as he was suffering from irritable skin condition. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Jihad wa al-Siyar, Bab al-Harir fi al-Harb, Hadith 2919)
When the Holy Prophetsa marked out the boundaries for people’s dwellings in Medina, he allotted a large portion of land to Hazrat Zubairra. The Holy Prophetsa also gave him a date orchard. (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1990] 76)
With regard to the Holy Prophetsa granting land to Hazrat Zubairra, Hazrat Khalifat-ul-Masih IIra says:
“The Holy Prophetsa bestowed a vast piece of land to Hazrat Zubairra which officially belonged to the state. It was so vast that his horse could run until its last breath.” In other words, it could run as far as it was able to. “Hazrat Zubairra threw his whip with full force from the point where his horse had stopped running. Thereupon, the Holy Prophetsa decided that he would not only be given the land up to the point where his horse had stopped, but the area where his whip landed would also be granted to him.”
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra further writes:
“The horses in our country can run for miles as well, but Arab horses can run even faster. If we suppose that the horse could only run up to four or five miles [before stopping], even then the land that was granted to him would be approximately 20,000 acres.”
Imam Abu Yusuf writes in his book, Kitab al-Kharaj, that the Holy Prophetsa allocated a portion of land for Hazrat Zubairra which contained date-palms. This excerpt from Imam Abu Yusuf’s writings was also cited by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra writes:
“The land he was given had date-palms and at one point, this belonged to the Jewish tribe Banu Nadir and this was a village recognised as Juruf.” Juruf is the name of a place situated three miles from Medina in the direction of Syria. “This was a traditional village. When we place this account alongside the other narrations, it can be concluded that at the time, the Holy Prophetsa gave the upper part of the land to Hazrat Zubairra” i.e. where there is mention of the horse running, and this equated to approximately 15,000 or 20,000 acres. “This was given to him at a time when he was already the owner of a village which contained date-palms.” (Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, Islam aur Malkiyat-e-Zameen, Anwar al-Ulum, Vol. 21, p. 429) (Yaqut Ibn Abdullah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 4 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi], 247)
Urwah bin Zubair relates that Marwan bin Hakam said that the year in which there was an outbreak of a disease which caused [severe] nosebleeds, Hazrat Usmanra bin Affan also suffered greatly from this, to the extent that it prevented him from performing the Hajj and he even wrote down his will. In that moment, one of the Quraish approached him and said, “Elect someone as the Caliph” i.e. due to his severe condition. Hazrat Usmanra asked, “Have people made this request?” To which he replied in the affirmative. Hazrat Usmanra asked who they wish to be appointed as the Caliph, but to this he remained silent. Then another person came, who the narrator says he believes was Harith, and he also asked him to appoint a Caliph. Hazrat Usmanra asked, “Is this what the people are asking?” to which he replied, “Yes”. Hazrat Usmanra asked, “Who should be the Caliph after me?”, to which the man remained silent. Hazrat Usmanra then said, “Perhaps they desire to elect Hazrat Zubairra.” To which he replied, “Yes”. Hazrat Usmanra then said, “By Him in Whose Hands is my life, as far as I know, he is the best among the people”, i.e. referring to Hazrat Zubairra, “and was the dearest to the Holy Prophetsa.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fazail Ashab al-Nabisa, Bab Manaqib al-Zubair bin al-Awwam, Hadith 3717)
Hazrat Zubairra relates that once he had a dispute in the presence of the Holy Prophetsa with an Ansari companion who had taken part in the Battle of Badr, in regard to the tributary they both used to irrigate their fields with. Whilst resolving the matter, the Holy Prophetsa stated, “Zubair, water your field and leave the rest of the water for your neighbour.” The Ansari companion was displeased with this response and said, “O Messengersa of Allah, you have issued this verdict only because he is your cousin.” Upon hearing this, the expression of the blessed countenance of the Holy Prophetsa changed and he said to Hazrat Zubairra, “Control the flow of water so it only irrigates up to your boundary edge [of the land].” Hence, the Holy Prophetsa granted Hazrat Zubairra his full rights, whereas previously, the advice of the Holy Prophetsa was such that it allowed for both Hazrat Zubairra and the Ansari companion to derive benefit. However, when the Ansari expressed his discontentment at the decision of the Holy Prophetsa, he then issued the verdict according to what was the actual due right of Hazrat Zubairra.
Hazrat Zubairra relates, “By God, my impression is that the following verse of the Holy Qur’an was revealed with regards to this incident:
فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ حَتّٰى يُحَكِّمُوْكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُواْ فِي أَنْفُسِهِمۡ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيۡتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوْا تَسۡلِيْمًا
“‘But no, by thy Lord, they are not believers until they make thee judge in all that is in dispute between them and then find not in their hearts any demur concerning that which thou decidest and submit with full submission.’” (Surah al-Nisa, Ch.4: V.66) (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 1, p. 453, Musnad Zubair bin al-Awwam, Hadith 1419, ‘Alam al-Kutub, Beirut, 1998)
Hazrat Zubairra narrates that when the following verse was revealed:
ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمۡ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ عِندَ رَبِّكُمۡ تَخۡتَصِمُوْنَ
“Then surely on the Day of Resurrection you will dispute with one another before your Lord” (Surah al-Zumar, Ch.31: V.32), he asked, “O Messengersa of Allah, does this refer to our worldly disputes?”, to which the Holy Prophetsa answered, “Yes”.
Then, when the following verse was revealed:
ثُمَّ لَتُسْـَٔلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعِيْمِ
“Then, on that day you shall be called to account about the [worldly] favours’ (Surah al-Takathur, Ch.102: V.9), Hazrat Zubairra asked the Holy Prophetsa, “Which bounties shall we be called to account for when we only possess water and dates?” The Holy Prophetsa replied, “Beware, the era of bounties and wealth is well-nigh. Today there may be this restraint, but God-willing, the time of abundance is to come.” (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 1, p. 449, Musnad Zubair bin al-Awwam, Hadith 1419, ‘Alam al-Kutub, Beirut, 1998)
Hafs bin Khalid says, “The noble man who related this Hadith would travel to us from Mosul.” Mosul is a well-known city of Syria and was of great importance among the Islamic territories and cities in that time due to its large population and vast area. People would gather in this city from various cities. It is situated near Nineveh, 222 miles from the edge of the Tigris River in Baghdad. This is what is written in the lexicon which provides historical details of this city.
In any case, the narrator says, “He [i.e. the noble gentleman] would travel to us from Mosul. I have accompanied Hazrat Zubairra bin al-Awwam on a number of journeys. On one occasion, when we were in a desert, he needed to wash himself, so he asked me to form a cover around him. I therefore formed a covering around him using a cloth as he washed himself. Unintentionally my gaze fell upon his body and I saw that his entire body was completely covered in sword wounds. I said to him, ‘By God, up until now, I have never seen such scars on a body left by sword-wounds as I have seen upon your body.’ He responded by asking, ‘You have seen the scars on my body?’ and then said, ‘By God, all these scars were received whilst fighting in the way of Allah alongside the Holy Prophetsa.’” (Al-Mustadrak Ala al-Sahihain li al-Hakim, Vol. 3, p. 406, Kitab Marifat al-Sahabah, Hadith 5550, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002) (Sayyid Fadl al-Rahman, Farhang-i-Sirat (Karachi, Pakistan: Zawwar Academy Publications, 2003), p. 84)
Hazrat Usmanra, Hazrat Miqdadra, Hazrat Abdullahra bin Masud and Hazrat Abdur Rahmanra bin Auf had all instructed that as part of their will Hazrat Zubairra ought to look after their wealth [after their passing]. In accordance with this, he safeguarded their wealth and would spend his own wealth on their children. As he was blessed with an abundance of wealth, he would not spend their money on their children, but instead he would spend from his own pocket, so that their heirs could make use of their own wealth. This shows he had no greed at all for any wealth.
It is mentioned with regard to Hazrat Zubairra that he had 1,000 servants who would offer the kharaj to him, i.e. the produce of his lands. However, he would not take any of it for himself, but instead he would give it all away as charity.
Muti bin Aswad relates, “I heard Hazrat Umarra say that Hazrat Zubairra is amongst those individuals who are regarded as the pillars of the faith.” (Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1995] 460)
Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra narrates, “When Hazrat Zubairra was standing on the day of the Battle of the Camel, he called me and I stood beside him.” He then said, “O my dear son, today either the oppressors shall be killed, or the oppressed. It seems as though I shall be killed in a state of being oppressed. My greatest worry is regarding my debt. Do you think there will be enough money from my wealth to pay off my debt?” He further stated, “My son, repay my debts by selling my wealth. I pledge a third of my wealth and so after repaying my debts, if there is any wealth remaining, then a third of it is for your children.” He pledged whatever remained for Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubair’sra children.
Hisham said that the sons of Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra were the same age as Hazrat Zubair’sra sons, Khubaib and Abbad. Meaning Hazrat Abdullah’s sons were of similar age to his own brothers. At that time, Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra had nine daughters. Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra relates that Hazrat Zubairra began stating his will regarding the debts he owed, saying, “O my son, if you are unable to repay any portion of my debt, then seek help from my Master.” Abdullah bin Zubairra states that he did not understand what he meant by “master,” and so he asked him, “Who is your master?” Hazrat Zubairra replied, “It is Allah.” Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra states that whenever he faced difficulty in repaying his father’s debts, he would say, “O Zubair’s master, repay his debt.” Accordingly, the debt would be paid off, meaning Allah the Almighty would arrange the means for the repayment of this debt. Whatever property had been left behind would prove sufficient in repaying the debt. When Hazrat Zubairra was martyred, he did not own a single dirham or dinar except a few plots of land, which included Ghabah. He had 11 properties in Medina, two properties in Basra, one in Kufa and one in Egypt.
The manner in which Hazrat Zubairra came into debt was that people used to bring their wealth to keep it with him as a trust, but he would fear the possibility that of the wealth being spent, therefore he would consider it as loan. He wouldn’t take the wealth as a trust but said he would take it as a loan and would thus spend from it as well. Furthermore, the wealth would remain safe from any potential loss, hence he would tell them that he was taking it as a loan and would repay it. In any case, Hazrat Zubairra never became affluent, whether it be through accumulating wealth or generating revenue, nor from any other financial endeavour. However, he would participate in battles alongside the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat Abu Bakrra, Hazrat Umarra and Hazrat Usmanra. In other words, he always participated in Jihad, but he was not from among those who accumulated wealth.
Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra relates that when he calculated his father’s debt, it amounted to 2.2 million.
Hazrat Hakim bin Hizamra once met Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra and asked, “O my nephew, how much debt does my brother have to repay?” Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra concealed the actual amount and said, “100,000”. Hazrat Hakim bin Hizamra said, “By God, I do not think you have enough wealth to repay this.” He said that this based on the apparent wealth he had. Then Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra said, “If I were to tell you that the debt is in fact 2.2 million, what would you say?” To this he replied, “I do not think you could bear such a debt – it will be difficult to repay. If you are unable to repay it then come to me for help. I will pay the debt for you.”
Hazrat Zubairra had purchased Ghabah for 170,000; Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra sold it for 1.6 million. He then announced that if anyone was owed an amount by Hazrat Zubairra, they should meet him in Ghabah. Upon selling the land in Ghabah for 1.6 million, he announced that if anyone was owed a debt, they should come to Ghabah to collect it.
Hazrat Abdullah bin Jafarra was owed 400,000 by Hazrat Zubairra; he said to Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra, “If you like I can pardon this debt or if you like, you can include this amongst the debts you owe, on the condition that you will repay it later.” Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra refused this offer. And so, Hazrat Abdullah bin Jafarra said that in that case he could give him a piece of the land. Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra said, “Your portion will be from here to here”, and gave that portion of the land to Hazrat Abdullah bin Jafarra as a repayment of the debt.
Subsequently, there were four and a half portions of the land remaining. Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra went to Hazrat Muawiyahra. This is an incident from era of Hazrat Muawiyah. Amr bin Usman, Munzir bin Zubair and Ibn Zam‘ah were also present there. Hazrat Muawiyahra asked what the price of the land in Ghabah was. Hazrat Ibn Zubairra informed him that each portion was worth 100, 000. Hazrat Muawiyahra then asked how many portions of the land remained. He informed him that there were four and a half portions remaining. Munzir bin Zubair said that he would purchase one portion for 100,000. Amr bin Usman said that he would purchase one portion for 100,000 and Ibn Zam‘ah also said that he would purchase one portion for 100,000. Then, Hazrat Muawiyahra asked how many portions remained, to which Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra replied that one and a half portions remained. Hazrat Muawiyahra said that he would purchase the remaining portion for 150,000. Thus, the land which remained in Ghabah was also sold. Abdullah bin Jafarra later sold his portion to Hazrat Muawiyah for 600,000.
Thus, just as Hazrat Zubairra had said, Allah the Almighty would create means for the debt to be cleared; hence, some of his property was sold and the debt was repaid. When Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra had completely repaid the debt, Hazrat Zubair’sra progeny asked for their inheritance to be given to them, [saying] now that the debt had been repaid, they wanted their share of inheritance. Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra said, “No. By God, I will not distribute it among you until I have made an announcement on the day of Hajj for four years”, meaning he would make an announcement on the occasion of Hajj for four years that anyone who was owed a debt by Hazrat Zubairra should come to him so that they may repay it. Thus, he made this announcement at Hajj for four years; when four years had passed, he distributed the inheritance among the progeny of Hazrat Zubairra.
Hazrat Zubairra had four wives; he had divided one eighth, i.e. the portion allotted to one’s wife [from the inheritance], into four parts. Thus, each wife received 1.1 million (when the remaining property was distributed, each wife received 1.1 million). According to one narration, his total wealth amounted to 35.2 million. Sufyan bin Uyaynah narrates that the inheritance of Hazrat Zubairra which was distributed was 40 million.
Hisham bin Urwah narrates on the authority of his father that the total amount left behind by Hazrat Zubairra was approximately 51 to 52 million. Similarly, Urwah relates that Hazrat Zubairra owned land in Egypt, including Alexandria. He also owned land in Kufa and some houses in Basra. He received an income from his properties in Medina. (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1990] pp. 80-81)
Nonetheless, after all his debt was cleared, the remaining wealth was distributed amongst his heirs.
Mutarrif states, “On one occasion, we said to Hazrat Zubairra, ‘O Abu Abdillah! With what purpose have you come here now? You have allowed one Khalifa to be harmed to the extent that he was martyred and now you seek retribution.’ Hazrat Zubairra replied, ‘In the era of the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat Abu Bakrra, Hazrat Umarra and Hazrat Usman Ghanira, we would recite the following verse of the Holy Quran:
وَاتَّقُوْا فِتۡنَةً لَّا تُصِيْبَنَّ الَّذِيْنَ ظَلَمُوْا مِنْكُمۡ خَآصَّةً
“And beware of an affliction which will not smite exclusively those among you who have done wrong,” [Surah al-Anfal, Ch.8: V.26]
(But instead this affliction will be commonplace). Yet we never thought that we would also be the ones on whom this verse would be fulfilled, to the extent that the trial has befallen us.’” (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 1, p. 451, Musnad Zubair bin al-Awwam, Hadith 1414, Alam al-Kutub, Beirut, 1998)
Whilst mentioning the conditions in which Hazrat Alira was elected as the Khalifa, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states:
“When Hazrat Usmanra was martyred, seeing that the discord among Muslims was growing, the companions present in Medina went to Hazrat Alira and insisted that he ought to take the Bai‘at of the people. At the same time, some from among the rebels also went to Hazrat Alira and said that the Islamic government was close to being divided. They stated that he ought to take the Bai‘atof the people, so that the state of fear could be vanquished and peace could be restored. Thus, the people urged Hazrat Alira to take the Bai‘at and having refused on a number of occasions, he accepted this responsibility and began taking the Bai‘atof the people. At the time, some prominent Companions were outside of Medina. Some were forced to take the Bai‘at. In this regard, we find mention that Hakim bin Jabla and Malik Ashtar were sent along with a few men brandishing their swords in order to compel Hazrat Talhara and Hazrat Zubairra to take the Bai‘at, i.e. they stood around them with their swords drawn and told them to accept Hazrat Alira or else they will be killed.
“According to some narrations it is even mentioned that they were forcibly dragged and brought along with them. Undoubtedly a Bai‘atperformed under coercion is no Bai‘atin its true essence. When it came to pledging allegiance, they said that they would perform the Bai‘aton the condition that Hazrat Alira would exact retribution against the killers of Hazrat Usmanra. Later on, when they saw that Hazrat Alira did not exact retribution immediately, they relinquished their Bai‘at and left Medina for Mecca. One group from among those who killed Hazrat Usmanra went to Hazrat Aishara and urged her to seek retribution against the killers of Hazrat Usman by declaring Jihad. Thus, she acted accordingly and sought help from other Companionsra. Hazrat Zubairra and Hazrat Talhara joined her and a battle ensued between the two groups: Hazrat Aishara, Hazrat Talha, Hazrat Zubairra and between Hazrat Alira, which is known as Jang-e-Jamal [Battle of the Camel]. In the beginning of this battle, Hazrat Alira reminded Hazrat Zubairra of a prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa, as a result of which Hazrat Zubairra left the battlefield.”
Hazrat Zubairra left the battle early on and vowed not to fight against Hazrat Alira. He also affirmed that he was mistaken in his understanding.
“Similarly, Hazrat Talhara also pledged allegiance to Hazrat Alira before his demise. We find in narrations that when Hazrat Talhara was left fatally wounded and was suffering from his injuries, a man walked past him. Hazrat Talhara asked him which camp he belonged to? He replied that he belonged to the army of Hazrat Alira. Upon this Hazrat Talhara took his hand and placing it on top of his, stated, ‘Your hand is that of Ali’sra and I pledge allegiance to Hazrat Alira once again.’” (Khilafat-e-Rashidah, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 15, pp. 44-45)
With reference to Hazrat Zubairra it is written that Hazrat Zubairra was martyred when he had left the battlefield and was returning from Jang-e-Jamal. With regard to fighting against Hazrat Alira he affirmed that he was wrong and subsequently, he left but his martyrdom took place on the way back from Jang-e-Jamal. When Hazrat Alira reminded him by saying, “I implore you in the name of God that have you not heard the Holy Prophetsa say, ‘You will fight against Ali and you would be the one who transgresses.’” Hazrat Zubairra replied, “Yes, and I have only just recalled this.” He then left. This was the reason why he refrained from fighting Hazrat Alira. The details of this were mentioned in relation to the accounts of Hazrat Talhara bin Ubaidillah. From these accounts, it is evident that this discord was instigated by the rebels and the hypocrites and as result of the confusion [created by the rebels] many of the companions became embroiled in this. Nonetheless, the event that transpired was not the right course of action.
Harb bin Abi Al Aswad narrates, “I met Hazrat Alira and Hazrat Zubairra. When Hazrat Zubairra was on his mount and began cutting through the ranks in order to leave, his son, Abdullah, stood in front of him and asked what had happened to him. Hazrat Zubairra replied, ‘Hazrat Alira has reminded me of a saying of the Holy Prophetsa, which I have also heard from the blessed tongue of the Holy Prophetsa. The Holy Prophetsa had stated that I would confront Hazrat Alira in battle and I would be the oppressor. For this reason, I will not fight against Hazrat Alira.’ His son said to him, ‘You have come here to bring about peace between the people and Allah the Almighty will bring about reconciliation through you.’ Hazrat Zubairra said, ‘I have already made a promise [to not fight Hazrat Alira and leave].’ Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubairra said, ‘You can give expiation of this promise by freeing your slave, Jirjis, and remain here until Allah the Almighty brings about reconciliation between the people.’”
The narrator says Hazrat Zubairra freed his slave Jirjis and remained there. However, the dispute worsened between the people and so he mounted his horse and left. Hazrat Zubairra resolved to leave and on his way back to Medina he reached a place called Safwan, which is located near Basra. A person named Bakr, from the Banu Mujashia met Hazrat Zubairra and said, “O Companion of the Messengersa of Allah, where are you heading to? You are my responsibility and I will not allow anyone to harm you.” So he accompanied Hazrat Zubairra until they crossed paths with another person, Ahnaf bin Qais, to whom he said, “This is Zubairra who I met in Safwan.” Ahnaf said, “Two groups of Muslims are fighting one another and are smiting one another’s heads with swords, whilst he [Hazrat Zubairra] heads to his son and family?”
When Umair bin Jurmouz, Fazala bin Habis and Nufay heard this, they rushed on their mount in pursuit of Hazrat Zubairra and found him with a caravan. Umair bin Jurmouz, mounted on his horse, came behind Hazrat Zubairra and attacked with his spear, injuring him slightly. Hazrat Zubairra, who was mounted on a horse named Zhul Khimar, fought back. Ibn Jurmouz, realising he was moments from death, called out to his two friends. They attacked until ultimately Hazrat Zubairra was martyred.
According to one narration when Hazrat Zubairra was facing his murderer and managed to overpower him, the murderer sought refuge using the name of Allah. Hearing this Hazrat Zubairra let his grip on him go. This man said this a few times but then treacherously rescinded on his oath and wounded Hazrat Zubairra. Hazrat Zubairra said to him, “May Allah cause your ruin. You had been seeking protection by using Allah’s name yet then abandoned your oath.” After Hazrat Zubairra was martyred, Ibn Jurmouz brought the head and sword of Hazrat Zubairra to Hazrat Alira. Hazrat Alira took the sword and said, “I swear by Allah, this was the sword that would remove the expressions of anxiety from the countenance of the Holy Prophetsa, yet now it is amidst disorder and bloodshed.” Ibn Jurmouz requested permission to enter. The courtier informed that Ibn Jurmouz is present who is the one who killed Hazrat Zubairra, and is standing at the door requesting to be allowed to come in. Hazrat Alira replied, “May he enter the hellfire, who killed Ibn Safiyyah (Hazrat Zubairra). I have heard the Holy Prophetra say that every Prophet is granted companions and his companion was Zubairra.”
Hazrat Zubairra was buried in the valley of Siba‘a. Hazrat Alira and his companions began to cry over his demise. Hazrat Zubairra was 64 years old when he was martyred. According to other narrations he was 66 or 67. (Al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihain li al-Hakim, Vol. 3, p. 413, Kitab Marifat al-Sahabah, Hadith 5575, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002) (Ibn Abd al-Barr, Al-Isti‘ab fi Ma’rifat al-Ashab, Vol. 2, Mistah bin Uthathahra [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Jil, 1992], 516) (Al-Mustadrak Ala al-Sahihain li al-Hakim, Vol. 3, p. 412, Kitab Marifat al-Sahabah, Hadith 5571, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002) (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990], 78) (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990], 83) (Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1995], 460)
The residents of Medina would say regarding Hazrat Atikah bint Zaidra, wife of Hazrat Zubairra bin al-Awwam, that whoever desires to attain martyrdom should marry Hazrat Atika bint Zaidra. She was first married to Abdullah bin Abi Bakr, who was martyred. Then she married Hazrat Umarra bin Khattab, who was also martyred. Then she married Hazrat Zubairra bin al-Awwam who was also martyred.
On the martyrdom of Hazrat Zubairra, Hazrat Atikara wrote the following couplets:
غَدَرَ ابْنُ جُرْمُوزٍ بِفَارِسِ بُهْمَةٍ
يَوْمَ اللِّقَاءِ وَ كَانَ غَيْرَ مُعَرِّدِ
يَا عَمْرُو لَوْ نَبَّهْتَهٗ لَوَجَدْتَهٗ
لَا طَائِشًا رَعِشَ الْجَنَانِ وَلَاالْيَدِ
شَلَّتْ يَمِيْنُكَ إِنْ قَتَلْتَ لَمُسْلِمًا
حَلَّتْ عَلَيْكَ عُقُوْبَةُ الْمُتَعَمِّدِ
ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ هَلْ ظَفِرْتَ بِمِثْلِهٖ
فِيْمَنْ مَضٰى فِيْمَا تَرُوْحُ وَ تَغْتَدِيْ
كَمْ غَمْرَةٍ قَدْ خَاضَهَا لَمْ يَثْنِهِ
عَنْهَا طِرَادُكَ يَا ابْنَ فَقْعِ الْقَرْدَدِ
“Ibn Jurmouz, on the day of battle, deceived that brave rider, who was not one to flee. O Amr bin Jurmouz, if you had captured him you would find him not cowardly, with hands trembling.
“May you wither away as you murdered a Muslim. You are now accountable for the punishment of murder. May ruin befall you.
“Amongst all those you spend company with day and night of that era, have you ever vanquished a person with such a high status as he.
“O you who is unable to bear even trivial suffering, Zubair was a person who even in the harshest circumstances would be at the forefront of battle.
“O ye of light complexion, your spear attack could not diminish the honour and greatness of Hazrat Zubairra in slightest.” (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990], 83)
It is narrated in Al-Tabaqat Al-Kubra that when Ibn Jurmouz arrived and requested permission from Hazrat Alira to enter, Hazrat Alira preferred to not see him. Upon this he [Ibn Jurmouz] said, “Was Zubair not amongst the party creating disorder?” Hazrat Alira responded, “May ruin befall you. I am certain that Talhara and Zubairra will be counted amongst those regarding whom Allah the Almighty says:
وَنَزَعۡنَا مَا فِي صُدُورِهِمْ مِّنۡ غِلٍّ إِخۡوٰنًا عَلٰى سُرُرٍ مُّتَقٰبِلِيْنَ
“And We shall remove whatever of rancour may be in their hearts so that they will become as brothers seated on thrones, facing one another.” (Surah al-Hijr, Ch.15: V.48) (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1990], 84)
Hazrat Zubairra had numerous marriages at different times and had a large number of children. The details are as follows:
The following were born through Hazrat Asma bint Abi Bakrra: Abdullah, Urwa, Munzir, Asim, Khadijatul Kubra, Ummul Hassan and Aisha.
From Hazrat Ummul Khalidra the following children were born: Khalid, Amr, Habiba, Sauda and Hind.
From Hazrat Rubab bint Unaifra the following were born: Musab, Hamza and Ramla.
From Hazrat Zainab Umm Jafar bin Mursadra the following were born: Ubaida and Jafar.
From Hazrat Umm Kulthum bint Uqbah, Zainab was born.
From Hazrat Hilal bint Qaisra, Khadijatul Sughra was born. (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990], 74)
And one of his wives was Hazrat Atika bint Zaidra. (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990] 83)
These were the accounts relating to the life of Hazrat Zubairra, which come to an end here.
After this, I will mention details of some deceased members and will also lead their funeral prayers after the Friday prayer.
The first mention is of Al-Hajj Ibrahim Mbay Sahib from The Gambia, who was serving as the Naib Amir III. He passed away on 10 August.
اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّا اِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُوْن
“Verily to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”
The deceased was born on 4 June 1944 in Banjul and accepted Ahmadiyyat in 1961/62 during the era of the late respected Chaudhry Sharif Sahib, who was the former Amir of [the Gambia] Jamaat. He was among the pioneering members of the Jamaat. He was very regular in his five daily prayers and in offering the Tahajud prayer. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, he was also a musi [part of the institution of Al-Wasiyyat] and always remained at the forefront in offering financial sacrifices. The deceased’s son states that shortly before his demise, he offered the Tahajud prayer. He then asked for some water and soon after passed away. The deceased had great love for the Holy Quran and recited it regularly. He had the opportunity to serve his faith as the Naib Amir for a very long period of time. He also had the opportunity to serve as the afsar Jalsa Salana, national secretary for external affairs and as sadr Majlis Ansarullah, The Gambia. The deceased was also a board member of the Masroor Secondary School. He was a qualified teacher and taught in various parts of the country.
The deceased also travelled to the USA to pursue further education in his field of study and acquired a master’s degree. Thereafter, he returned to The Gambia in order to serve his country and faith. He was among the founding members of a very famous management development institute in The Gambia, which provides higher education to the civil servants as well as others. Many of The Gambia’s top civil servants have received their training from this institute. The deceased also served as the headmaster for Tahir Ahmadiyya Senior School and also the Nusrat Senior Secondary School. He taught many students from his own country and also foreign students. He held a very reputable position amongst the intellectual circles and many would refer to him as their teacher. He is survived by two wives, seven sons and two daughters. One of his wives, Mrs Aqeebah Sahiba, is serving as the Sadr Lajna Imaillah of The Gambia. One of his sons is a life-devotee and graduated from Jamiatul Mubashireen. Similarly, one of his sons has previously served as the Sadr of Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya. Two of his sons are residing in the USA and one of his daughters resides here in the UK. May Allah the Almighty grant the deceased His mercy and forgiveness and enable his children to also remain attached to their faith in accordance with his wishes.
Amir Sahib of The Gambia writes:
“I was also one of his students at the Crab Island Middle School. The Ahmadi students there along with other Muslim students arranged for a class on the subject of Islamic Studies to be held once a week on Thursday and the deceased would take this class. The deceased had great respect for the Jamaat office-holders and the Nizam-e-Jamaat [administrative structure of the Jamaat]. Despite the fact that he was my teacher, he always demonstrated complete obedience to me as an amir and also the other Jamaat office-holders. He was an extremely sincere, hardworking and generous individual. He was a loyal servant of Khilafat and always showed utmost obedience. He had a bond of great love with Khilafat and always remained at the forefront in the defence of the Jamaat and Khilafat. He possessed a lot of religious knowledge as well and would always use arguments and wisdom when conversing with others. He would utilise the advanced modes of technology and through different means try and convey the message of the Promised Messiahas and would always be engaged in Tabligh work.”
The second funeral is of respected Naeem Ahmad Khan Sahib, son of Abdul Jaleel Khan Sahib, who was serving as the Naib Amir of Karachi. He passed away two to three months ago at the end of April:
اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّا اِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُوْن
“Verily to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”
Ahmadiyyat entered his family through respected Akhtar Ali Sahib, who performed Bai‘at through Hazrat Maulvi Hassan Ali Sahib Bahaglpurira, who was a companion of the Promised Messiahas.
Maulvi Akhtar Ali Sahib was the maternal uncle of the deceased’s mother and his father’s paternal uncle. Naeem Khan Sahib completed his matriculation exams from Patna in Bihar, India and after the independence of Pakistan, he migrated to Lahore in 1948. He completed his intermediate studies from Dayal Singh College and then completed his MSc from TI College Lahore. Thereafter, he moved to London and in 1959, he returned to Karachi and was employed in a gas company and retired in 1993 at the position of a senior general manager. He began his services for the Jamaat as the Naib Nazim for Sanat-o-Tijarat [trade and industry] in Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya. Thereafter, he was appointed as the Naib Qaid Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Maqami Karachi and was then appointed as the Qaid of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya in 1966. He continued to serve at this position for four years and then served as the Zaim-e-Ala for Martin Road Karachi and also served as the Nazim Ansarullah for Karachi district and continued to serve at this position till 1997 and also served as the Nazim Ansarullah of Karachi (local). In 1997, the deceased was appointed as the Secretary for Waqf-e-Jadid Karachi and continued to serve in this role till 2019. He also had the opportunity to serve as the Naib Amir of Karachi and was one of the directors of the Fazl-e-Umar Foundation. The deceased also had the opportunity to serve as the auditor of the very first executive committee of the International Association of Ahmadiyya Architects and Engineers and for many years he also served as the president for its Karachi chapter. In 1970 when a plan was formed to produce and install machinery for the roti plant for Jalsa Salana, the deceased had the honour of serving as one of the engineers in this project.
The deceased’s daughter, Amaarah Sahiba, writes:
“After the demise of our mother”, Naeem Khan Sahib’s wife passed away quite some time ago, “our father not only treated us like a compassionate father, but also fulfilled the role of a caring mother and a sympathetic friend in the most excellent manner. He always demonstrated loyalty for his faith and Khilafat and was very regular in his prayers. He always taught us about the importance of establishing a bond with the Jamaat.”
His son-in-law, Dr Ghaffar Sahib, writes:
“Our family ties were formed 30 years ago and during this entire period, I had the opportunity to observe the deceased from close and his close company and companionship has had a very positive impact upon me. He had an extremely pure disposition and always adopted simplicity. His standard of worship was indeed worthy of admiration. He was very regular in his Tahajud prayer and even during the latter stages of his life when he needed support to walk owing to a stroke, he still did not allow any change to come about in his regular activities. In fact, he had told the male nurse to wake him up at a certain time and seat him and he would then offer his Tahajud prayer. Similarly, despite his disability, he would continue to do Jamaat work on his laptop.”
Naseem Tabassum Sahib, who is serving as a missionary, states that he would always have a smile on his face and despite his illness, he would always come to the office. He would show great love to the life-devotees and treated them with great respect.
May Allah the Almighty grant the deceased His mercy and forgiveness and elevate his station. May He also enable his progeny to continue on his good deeds.
There is also a further detail about him; Zartasht Munir Sahib from Norway writes, “The deceased was always ready to serve his faith. He always showed great love, sincerity and loyalty for Khilafat.”
He further writes:
“When I was serving as the district qaid, he would guide in me an excellent manner. I have observed that he always demonstrated an exemplary level of obedience and cooperation with every Amir.”
The next funeral is of respected Bushra Beghum Sahiba, wife of the late Thekedar Wali Muhammad Sahib of Germany, who passed away on 19 July at the age of 74 owing to a heart attack in Germany:
اِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَ اِنَّا اِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُوْن
“Verily to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”
The deceased’s paternal grandfather was Hazrat Mian Nizam-ul-Deen Sahibra of Nabha, who was a companion of the Promised Messiahas.
The deceased was very regular in her Tahajud prayers and Salat. Extremely hospitable, looked after the poor and needy and was always at the forefront in offering financial sacrifices. She was a very pious and sincere lady and had a bond of great love with Khilafat. In her childhood, owing to weakness in her eyes, she could not read the Holy Quran; however, after her marriage, with the help of her children, she was able to memorise a few chapters of the Holy Quran. Apart from listening to the Tilawat of the Holy Quran on MTA, she would also regularly listen to my sermons as well as other programmes. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, she was a musia.
She is survived by four sons and two daughters. One of her sons, Shafiq-ul-Rahman Sahib, is currently serving as the missionary and is the missionary-in-charge in New Zealand. Another son, Attiq-ul-Rahman Sahib is currently serving here in [the UK] as a life-devotee in the records department of the private secretary’s office.
Shafiq-ul-Rahman Sahib, who is the missionary-in-charge [in New Zealand] could not attend his mother’s funeral. Her burial took place here in the UK. May Allah the Almighty grant him peace and patience. May Allah the Almighty grant the deceased His forgiveness and mercy and enable her progeny to become the recipients of her prayers.
After the Friday prayers, I shall lead their funeral prayers [in absentia].
(Original Urdu transcript published in Al Fazl International, 25 September 2020, pp. 5-10. Translated by The Review of Religions.)