Friday Sermon

12 January 2024

Muhammad^sa: The Great Exemplar

After reciting the tashahud, ta‘awuz and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^aa stated:

The life of the Holy Prophet^sa was being mentioned in relation to the Battle of Uhud. Further details are as follows: There was no one in closer proximity to the enemy than the Holy Prophet^sa and there were 15 individuals who remained steadfastly by his side [during the Battle of Uhud]. Eight were from the Muhajirin, including Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra, Hazrat Umar^ra, Hazrat Talha^ra, Hazrat Zubair^ra, Hazrat ‘Abd-ur-Rahman bin ‘Auf^ra, Hazrat Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas^ra and Hazrat Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Jarrah^ra. Seven were from the Ansar, including Hazrat Khubab bin Munzir^ra, Abu Dujana^ra, Asim bin Thabit^ra, Harith bin Sima^ra, Sahl bin Hunayf^ra and Sa’d bin Mu’adh^ra. Some are of the opinion that it was Sa’d bin ‘Ubadah^ra and that Muhammad bin Maslamah^ra was among them as well. Others have said that 30 individuals remained steadfast by the Holy Prophet’s^sa side and all of them said: “May my face remain in front of the countenance of the Holy Prophet^sa and may my body remain in front of the Holy Prophet^sa. May he remain protected and may my life be sacrificed for his sake.” (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, pp. 196-197)

In one narration, it is recorded that Talha bin Ubaidullah^ra and 11 other individuals remained alongside the Holy Prophet^sa. In another narration, it is recorded that when the idolaters had encircled the Holy Prophet^sa, he was surrounded by seven Ansari companions and one Quraishi Companion. In another narration, it is recorded that the Holy Prophet^sa remained alone, along with 9 other individuals; seven from the Ansar, two from the Quraish and the Holy Prophet^sa was the tenth. (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, pp. 202-203)

The number of Companions who remained steadfastly by the Holy Prophet^sa, varies across different narrations. A note provided by the Research Cell states that 30 [Companions] are mentioned. One explanation for this may be that the number of Companions [alongside the Holy Prophet^sa] was constantly changing at the time. The individual who saw 15, mentioned 15 and others stated the amount they observed. The Companions must have come and gone from where the Holy Prophet^sa was, which might have caused the difference in number. Nevertheless, this seems correct because as highlighted in certain details – which have been mentioned in the previous sermons – the Companions would surround the Holy Prophet^sa, but the enemy’s attacks would break the circle and consequently, they would disperse and then regroup. In any case, the fact is that the Companions continuously displayed their steadfastness and none of them feared death in the slightest. It is also mentioned that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, the Holy Prophet^sa took an oath from the Companions to sacrifice their lives. When the Muslims seemingly suffered defeat, they remained steadfast and started protecting the Holy Prophet^sa with their lives, so much so that some of them were martyred. On that day, eight individuals pledged allegiance at the blessed hands of the Holy Prophet^sa to be ready to sacrifice their lives. The names of those fortunate individuals, who took this oath, are stated as follows:

Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra, Hazrat Umar^ra, Hazrat Ali^ra, Hazrat Talhah^ra, Hazrat Zubair^ra, Hazrat Sa’d^ra, Hazrat Sahl bin Hunaif^ra, Hazrat Abu Dujanah^ra, Hazrat Harith bin Simmah^ra, Hazrat Khubab bin Mundhir^ra, and Hazrat Asim bin Thabit^ra. None of these Companions were martyred [in the battle]. (Isabah, Part 3, p. 431, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1995; Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, pp. 198)

It is written in Allama Zimakhshari’s book Khasais-e-Ashra that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Zubair^ra steadfastly stayed beside the Holy Prophet^sa, and at that moment he pledged his allegiance to the Holy Prophet^sa until his death. Meaning he promised that he would give his life to protect him, but he would not leave the Holy Prophet^sa. (Sirat al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 321)

Regarding the steadfastness and devotion of the Companions, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra writes in his book The Life and Character of the Seal of the Prophets^sa that:

“The feats of valour that were displayed by the Companions who had gathered around the Holy Prophet^sa were such that history is unable to present the like thereof. These people would revolve around the Holy Prophet^sa like moths around a flame and continuously put their lives at stake for the Holy Prophet^sa. The Companions would take every blow upon themselves and along with protecting the Holy Prophet^sa they would continue to strike the enemy.” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets^sa, Vol. 2, pp. 337-338)

He further writes:

“But how long could these few devotees withstand this grand flood, which was ravaging forward moment by moment from all fronts with its horrific waves. The Muslims would sway from side to side with every wave of every attack waged by the enemy, but as soon as its force would somewhat subside, these helpless Muslims would continue fighting and close in around their beloved Mastersa. At times, the force of the attack would be so perilous that the Holy Prophet^sa would practically be left standing alone. There was one occasion when only twelve men were left standing around the Holy Prophet^sa, and there was even a time when only two people were left standing by the Holy Prophet^sa. Among these devotees the names of Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra, Ali^ra, Talhah^ra, Zubair^ra, Sa‘d bin Waqqas^ra, Abu Dujanah Ansari^ra, Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh^ra and Talhah Ansari^ra have been especially recorded.” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets^sa, Vol. 2, p. 338)

From this reference, the number of Companions around the Holy Prophet^sa which has been cited in different references, is resolved. As I have said, because of the attacks, they were sometimes less and sometimes more [Companions]. The Promised Messiah^as explains while answering an allegation levelled by Christians against the Holy Prophet^sa, when they alleged that he permitted lying or saying something false:

“A sublime example of the teaching of our lord and master, the Honourable Holy Prophet^sa, is established here and it is that the same tawriyah of which your Yasu‘ availed himself throughout his entire life as if mother’s milk – had been admonished by the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to avoid as far as possible.”

The lexical translation of tawriyah is to say one thing while something else is in the heart; in other words, to say something which has double meanings. While elucidating this, the Promised Messiah^as further explained the word tawriyah. I have already stated the lexical definition. The Promised Messiah^as further explains that:

“During a time of disorder, to hide a matter out of fear, or with the intention of hiding a secret as per the dictates of wisdom, it should be stated with such examples and in such a manner, that an intelligent person understands it, and a foolish person does not understand it.”

Meaning, to wisely speak in such a way that it isn’t lying, but despite its diverse meanings, an intelligent person understands the actual fact of the matter, and an unintelligent person does not understand it; rather, his attention gets diverted elsewhere. But the Promised Messiah^as states that it is proven from the ahadith that this is against the highest level of righteousness. The Promised Messiah^as has extensively explained this. Thus, it can never be proven about the Holy Prophet^sa [that he lied]. This is a summary of what the Promised Messiah^as states, that according to the Christians, the person who they call god is in such a state that he twists his words at the smallest matters. Nonetheless, while explaining this, the Promised Messiah^as states:

“[It] had been admonished by the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to avoid as far as possible, so that the purport of a statement should not resemble a lie even in its outward form. But what can I say and what can I write about your Yasu’ who could not uphold such assiduity in truthfulness? A person who lays claim to Divinity should have come into the world like a roaring lion, instead of adopting tawriyah during his entire life and making all his statements in a manner akin to lies, thereby proving that he is not among the perfect personages who announce themselves in the face of their enemies, showing no concern for death. They trust God fully (the person who you call god lived his entire life committing tawriyah) and never exhibit cowardice at any stage (i.e., those who trust Allah – or the one whom they claim is god – in fact, not even the prophets of God do this). I am verily reduced to tears when I imagine how I would respond if someone were to object to the timid state and use of tawriyah—which is a form of falsehood—of such a weakhearted Yasu‘. When I envision Sayyidul-Mursalin^sa [the Chief of the Messengers] while being all by himself during the Battle of Uhud, and proclaiming, in the face of drawn swords, that I am Muhammad^sa, I am the Prophet of God, I am the son of Abdul Muttalib, and on the other hand, I envision your Yasu‘ while trembling, admonishing his disciples not to tell anyone that he is Jesus the Christ—which ran contrary to reality even though this statement would not have led anyone to kill him—I am drowned in an ocean of bewilderment and ask: ‘O my God! Even this person is called a Prophet when such is his standard of courage in the path of God?’” (Taken from Nurul Quran Number 2, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 9, pp. 405-407; Urdu Da’irah Ma’arif, Vol. 9, p. 737, under word Tawriyah)

The expression of astonishment by the Promised Messiah^as for [the Biblical account of] Jesus^as was in the form of a counter-accusative answer. It was not the case that the Promised Messiah^as rejected the prophethood of Jesus^as. The Promised Messiah^as did not reject that Jesus was a prophet, rather, he highlighted the condition of the Prophet they present in their own scripture and consider him to be the son of God. They then try to accuse the Holy Prophet^sa saying that he permitted lying or acting with cowardice.

Ibn Ishaq writes that when the disbelievers had surrounded the Holy Prophet^sa, he said:

مَنْ رَجُلٌ يَشْرِيْ لَنَا نَفْسَهٗ

“Who will give up themselves for my sake?” Ziyad bin Sakan stood up with five Ansari Companions (according to some narrations, he was Amarah bin Yazid bin Sakan) and showing great courage, one by one they laid down their lives. This continued until only Ziyad (or Amarah) remained and he too sustained multiple injuries. Subsequently, a contingent of Muslims returned and repelled the idolaters away from the Holy Prophet^sa. After this, the Holy Prophet^sa said, “Bring Ziyad bin Sakan to me”. He was brought to the Holy Prophet^sa in a state where he was breathing his last. The Holy Prophet^sa said to bring him close to him and the Companions did so. The Holy Prophet^sa moved his feet towards him and so he put his head on the blessed feet of the Holy Prophet^sa. When Hazrat Ziyad^ra passed away, his cheek was resting on the blessed feet of the Holy Prophet^sa. He sustained 14 wounds on his body.” (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 203)

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra states:

“On one occasion, when an extraordinary wave of an attack by the Quraish arose, the Holy Prophet^sa said, ‘At this time, who offers to sacrifice his life in the cause of Allah?’ This voice happened to reach the ears of an Ansari, who along with six other Companions from among the Ansar, advanced, and each and every one of them gave their lives, fighting around the perimeter of the Holy Prophet^sa. The head of this party was Ziyad bin Sakan^ra. After this attack, the Holy Prophet^sa ordered that Ziyad^ra be brought to him (i.e., when the attack from the disbelievers reduced in intensity and the other Companions regrouped making that area a little less crowded, the Holy Prophet^sa ordered for Ziyad^ra to be brought to him (Ziyad was lying on the floor wounded). The people brought him and presented him before the Holy Prophet^sa. At the time, there was still some life left in Ziyad^ra, but he was in his last breaths. In this condition, he raised his head with immense effort and placed his face upon the footsteps of the Holy Prophet^sa, and it was in this very state that he gave up his life.” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets^sa, Vol. 2, pp. 338-339)

Regarding the martyrdom of Hazrat Mus’ab bin Umair^ra it is written that Hazrat Mus’ab bin Umair^ra was fighting in front of the Holy Prophet^sa and was martyred whilst fighting by Ibn Qum’ah. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001, p. 529)

It is mentioned in accounts of history that in the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Mus’ab bin Umair^ra was the flag-bearer and carried out his responsibilities with great diligence. On the day of the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Mus’ab bin Umair^ra had the flag in his hand when Ibn Qum’ah, who was mounted on a horse, attacked him as a result of which his right arm, which held the flag, was severed. Upon this, he held the flag with his left hand. Ibn Qum’ah attacked him again and severed his left hand as well. Subsequently, he pressed the Muslim flag against his chest. Ibn Qum’ah attacked for a third time and inflicted a fatal blow to Hazrat Mus’ab’s^ra chest with his spear. The spear broke and Hazrat Mus’ab^ra fell to the ground. After this two men from the Banu Abd al-Dar, Suwait bin Sa’d bin Harmalah and Abu Rum bin Umair moved towards the flag and Abu Rum bin Umair picked up the flag. It remained in his possession up until the Muslims returned back to Medina. (Al-Taqbaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 89)

This has been mentioned in one book of history, however in some other narrations it is mentioned that the Holy Prophet^sa gave the flag to Hazrat Ali^ra.

Whilst mentioning this incident, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra writes:

“The army of the Quraish had pretty much surrounded them from all four fronts and continued to crush the Muslims moment by moment through repeated attacks. Yet, even after all this, the Muslims probably would may well have regained themselves shortly thereafter, but the outrage was that a bold warrior from among the Quraish named ‘Abdullah bin Qum’ah attacked Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair^ra, the flag-bearer of the Muslims and severed his right hand with the blow of his sword. Mus‘ab^ra immediately clutched the flag with his other hand and advanced to confront Ibn Qum’ah, but in his second blow, the other hand was severed as well. Upon this, Mus‘ab^ra joined both of his severed hands together in an endeavour to keep the Islamic flag from falling, and held it to his chest, upon which Ibn Qum’ah struck him a third time, and this time Mus‘ab was martyred and fell to the ground. As far as the flag was concerned, another Muslim immediately advanced and took hold of it, but since the size and figure of Mus‘ab resembled the Holy Prophet^sa, Ibn Qum’ah thought that he had slain the Holy Prophet^sa. It is also probable that this scheme of his was merely guided by motives of mischief and deceit. In any case, when Mus‘ab^ra was martyred and fell, Ibn Qum’ah exclaimed that he had slain Muhammad [sa]. At this news, the Muslims lost whatever composure was left in them and their force was scattered completely.” (The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets^sa, Vol. 2, p. 334)

As I have already mentioned, the momentary lapse in the concentration of the Muslims transformed the victory of the Muslim army into a temporary defeat. However, in the history of warfare, the Holy Prophet^sa is considered the greatest commander and expert in making wise and decisive orders. He kept a keen eye on the ever-changing situations in battle. He was able to protect his dispersed, weaker army in the face of an army four times its size, thereby preventing the enemy from fulfilling its evil intentions of completely crushing the Muslim army.

After the martyrdom of Hazrat Mus’ab bin Umair^ra, the Holy Prophet^sa gave the Muslim flag to Hazrat Ali^ra. He took the flag in his hand and stood against the enemy, imbued with the desire for victory. His sword continued to strike one after the other, causing the Muslim army to recover its resolve.

Hazrat Ali^ra gathered with a small group of the Muslim army around the Holy Prophet^sa and fought until they found a path out of the siege of the idolaters. Thus, under the leadership of the Holy Prophet^sa, this small band found a way out and made their way to the dispersed Muslim army, which was losing its resolve after hearing the news that the Holy Prophet^sa had been martyred. As a result, the disbelievers of Makkah began to launch continuous attacks against the Muslim army to render their escape unsuccessful. However, the Holy Prophet’s^sa strategy of retreating was so successful that this handful of people were able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in a semicircle, and whilst crushing all the attacks of the enemy, were allowing themselves to slip towards the valley. The enemy tried its utmost to surround them, but the Holy Prophet^sa defeated the swarms of their assaults and made a path forward. (Ghazwat-o-Saraya, Faridiyya Printing Press, Sahiwal, pp. 199-201)

There is also mention of a state of sleep and slumber that overcame the companions as they fought during the Battle of Uhud. Allah Almighty brought about circumstances that caused them to slumber. The details of this are such that Hazrat Zubair bin al-Awwam^ra narrates, “When the tides turned during the Battle of Uhud, I found myself close to the Holy Prophet^sa. When we were all confused and afraid, a sort of sleep-like state descended upon us. The conditions were such that it seemed as though we were overtaken by slumber. Hence, there was not a single one of us whose chin was not on their chest.” That is to say, their heads were falling down due to the state of slumber. He continues, “By Allah, it seemed to me as if I were hearing the voice of Mu’attib bin Qushair Ansari in a dream. He was saying, ‘If we had the authority to make a decision, we would never be killed here in this manner.’ (Mu’attib bin Qushair Ansari was a companion who participated in the Bai’at Aqabah, the Battle of Badr and the Battle of Uhud.) I remembered these words of his whilst in this state of seeing him in the dream, when Allah the Almighty revealed in relation to this incident:

ثُمَّ اَنۡزَلَ عَلَيۡکُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ الۡغَمِّ اَمَنَةً نُّعَاسًا يَّغۡشٰي طَآئِفَةً مِّنۡکُمۡ ۙ وَطَآئِفَةٌ قَدۡ اَہَمَّتۡہُمۡاَنۡفُسُہُمۡ يَظُنُّوۡنَ بِاللّٰہِ غَيۡرَ الۡحَقِّ ظَنَّ الۡجَاہِلِيَّةِ ؕ يَقُوۡلُوۡنَ ہَلۡ لَّنَا مِنَ الۡاَمۡرِ مِنۡ شَيۡءٍ ؕقُلۡ اِنَّ الۡاَمۡرَ کُلَّہٗ لِلّٰہِ

‘Then, after the sorrow, He sent down peace on you—a slumber that overcame a party of you, while the other party was anxious concerning their own selves, thinking wrongly of Allah like unto the thought of ignorance. They said, ‘Is there for us any part in the government of affairs?’ Say, ‘All government belongs to Allah.’ (The Holy Quran, 3:155)

Hazrat Ka’b bin Amr Ansari^ra relates, “On one occasion, on the day of the Battle of Uhud, I was among 14 of my people besides the Holy Prophet^sa. Thereupon, we were overtaken by a state of slumber, which served as a source of peace (i.e., it was a slumber that brought comfort). Despite being in a state of battle, it was such a slumber which was granting us tranquillity. There was not a single one of us whose snoring could not be heard.” He continues, “I saw that Bishr bin Bara’ bin Ma’rur’s sword was slipping from his hand, without him even realising it. In the meantime, the idolaters were launching attacks against us.” (Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 310; Usd al-Ghabah, Vol. 5, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 216)

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV^rh has written the commentary of this verse and stated: “It is possible that he felt as if the sword had fallen because at the time, they were overcome by a state of slumber and the weapons which they were firmly holding would have become loosened in their grip, causing the weapons to fall. In any case, the word ‘nu‘as’ has been used and in light of the various aspects of the meanings of the word ‘amanatan nu‘as’ the translation can be summarised as: ‘Then after the sorrow, He sent down peace on you – a form sleep or a state of slumber which granted peace or granted you a state of peace the impact of which had an element of sleep or included sleep.’ The meaning of ‘amanatan nu‘as’ is also a temporary state in which one is overcome by slumber and the head falls forward. However, the word ‘nu‘as’ that has been used here does not refer to this type of slumber, rather it is a state in between being wakefulness and sleep. Prior to falling asleep, one enters an intermediary stage of sleep whereby one’s entire body becomes relaxed and this in itself  brings about a state of peace. If this state of relaxation continues, then it leads to a state of sleep. In such a state even if one is walking, they will not fall; in fact, they will feel a sudden jolt before falling and they would know the state they were in. However, if they enter a state of sleep, then they have no control over their body. Nonetheless, it is possible that Bishr bin Bara^ra may have also been overcome by a state of deep sleep, but despite it being a state of war, it was nonetheless a state of peace, and in such a state one can also fall. Thus, even if this is deemed to be the case, then the grip of his hand would have loosened, causing the sword to fall. However, this is such a state that one immediately realises that they are about to enter a state of deep sleep and a person suddenly jolts and wakes up. Hence, Allah the Almighty states that He granted them a state of peace, that was similar to a state of slumber but not as deep as the state of sleep, whereby one has no control over their body. This granted them a feeling of peace without rendering them completely inactive.”

Similarly, in a hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari, Abu Talha^ra states that right in the midst of the Battle of Uhud, they were overcome by a state of slumber. This state of slumber is one which has already been mentioned previously. Hazrat Talha^ra states that the sword would be on the verge of falling and then he would take hold of it again. Thus, this hadith shows that it was not such a state of sleep whereby things would fall from their hands or they fell whilst walking. It was a tranquil state but yet they still had control over their bodies. [The weapons] would be on the verge of falling but they would take hold of it again. This state of slumber did not just appear for a sudden moment, rather it was a state which continued to overcome them for a while.

There is a narration in Tirmidhi (Abwab at-Tafsir) from Hazrat Abu Talha^ra who states, “On the day of Uhud, I looked up and saw that everyone was being taken over by a state of slumber and was lowering down behind their shields.” Owing to staying awake or extreme fatigue, the companions were in a very bad state and by being overtaken by this state, Allah the Almighty was granting them a state of comfort and peace. He further narrates that this did not happen to just one tired soldier, in fact all the Companions who were engaged in fighting along with the Holy Prophet^sa against the enemy were suddenly overcome by this state as if it descended from the heavens and covered over all of them. At the time, they were desperately in need of a state of peace and for the opportunity to refresh themselves and this was not a time to sleep. In such circumstances where one is extremely fatigued, they can be overcome by such a state. In any case, for an entire group of people to be taken over by a state of slumber at once and that too at a time when a battle is ongoing and there is a great risk from the enemy, is indeed a miracle and not just a mere coincidence. This can happen to an individual but this, however, was not a mere coincidence; rather it was a miracle and a special form of peace was granted to them at the time by Allah the Almighty. (Taken from Darsul Quran, 6 Ramadan, 17 February 1994)

Allamah Abdur Razzaq has narrated from Zuhri that on the day of Uhud, the Holy Prophet^sa was attacked 70 times with the sword but Allah the Almighty saved him from every attack.

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani states that it is possible that Zuhri has literally taken it to be 70 [attacks] or is referring to this to indicate a large number by this. (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 198)

The Promised Messiah^as states:

“In battle, those who were with the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, were considered to be the bravest. For the Holy Prophet^sa would be in the most dangerous place. Holy is Allah! How impressive! In Uhud, he was showered with swords, and such carnage ensued that the Companions found it difficult to bear, but this valiant warrior stood firm like a rock and went on fighting. No blame lies on the companions, for Allah the Exalted forgave them. The underlying secret in this incident was to exhibit the bravery of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.”

The Promised Messiah^as states: 

“On one occasion, he was struck by swords repeatedly, but he would firmly proclaim that he was Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah. It is said that the Holy Prophet^sa sustained seventy wounds to his forehead. They were light wounds nonetheless, but this displays his exalted character.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 1, p. 130)

Abu ‘Amir relates the incident of the Holy Prophet^sa falling in a ditch. The narration is as follows, Abu Amir Fasiq dug a number of graves on the battlefield of Uhud, so that the Muslims would fall into them without realising them there and thus get injured. The Holy Prophet^sa also fell into one of them not realising it was there. The Holy Prophet^sa fell unconscious and injured both his knees. Hazrat Ali^ra quickly ran to him and took hold of him and Hazrat Talha bin Ubaidullah lifted him up and helped him out.

The wretched Ibn Qum’ah was the reason for the Holy Prophet^sa falling as he attacked the Holy Prophet^sa and struck him with his sword. The sword struck the Holy Prophet’s^sa neck. Although the sword itself did not impact him, however the force of the blow caused his blessed neck such a jolt that he experienced discomfort in his neck after that for a month or more. At the same time, he started hurling stones at the Holy Prophet^sa one of which struck him in the back. Utbah bin Abi Waqqas, brother of Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas also threw a stone at the Holy Prophet^sa which struck him in the mouth, breaking his bottom fourth, or the tooth between the front and canine teeth. Similarly, his bottom lip was also split open. Imam Ibn Hajr Asqalani states that a piece of his tooth broke off, rather than the entire tooth breaking from the root. When Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas, Utbah’s brother learned that it was his brother who attacked the Holy Prophet^sa, he entered the [enemy] army looking for him with revenge on his mind. He himself says, “There is perhaps nothing I coveted more in the world than to kill him.” However, Utbah dodged him and got away. [Sa’d] returned once more looking for him but every time he would evade him. When he was about to go a third time the Holy Prophet^sa said to Hazrat Sa’d^ra, “O servant of God, do you intend to give your life?” Hazrat Sa’d^ra says that in this way, the Holy Prophet^sa was stopping him and so he did not go. The Holy Prophet^sa made the following prayer against Utbah bin Abi Waqqas:

اَللّٰهُمَّ لَا يَحُوْلُ عَلَيْهِ الْحَوْلُ حَتّٰى يَمُوْتَ كَافِرًا

“O Allah, do not let another year pass before he dies in the state of being a disbeliever.” Allah the Almighty accepted his prayer, as on the very same day, Hazrat Hatib bin Abi Balta’h^ra killed him. Hazrat Hatib^ra says, “When I saw the depraved audacity of Utbah bin Abi Waqqas, I immediately asked the Holy Prophet^sa where Utbah was. The Holy Prophet^sa pointed out to me the direction he had gone. I immediately went after him until I finally found him. I swiftly struck him with my sword, severing his neck and dropping his head at a distance. I took possession of his sword and horse and took them to the Holy Prophet^sa. Upon hearing this news, the Holy Prophet^sa said twice:

رَضِيَ اللّٰہُ عَنْکَ۔ رَضِيَ اللّٰہُ عَنْکَ

‘Allah is pleased with you; Allah is pleased with you.’”

In this attack, the helmet which the Holy Prophet^sa was wearing also broke, and due to the constant attacks from the enemy, the Holy Prophet^sa sustained injuries to his face and cuts on his skin. One of the people who attacked the blessed face of the Holy Prophet^sa was Abdullah bin Shahab Zuhri, who later accepted Islam. (Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, p. 317; Fath al-Bari, Vol. 7, Hadith 4070, Qadimi Kutub Khanah, Karachi, p. 464)

These details are ongoing and will be mentioned in the future, God willing.

At this time, I wish to make mention of a few deceased members. The first mention is of respected Abu Hilmy Muhammad Ukashah Sahib of Palestine. Sharif Odeh Sahib writes about him, “A few days ago, our Ahmadi brother in Gaza, Muhammad Ukasha Sahib was brutally martyred. His body was found some distance away from his home.”

اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ

[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]

The deceased was a sincere Ahmadi. He was 75 years old. He migrated from his village to the Gazan city of Jabalia where he lived in a refugee camp. He has seven sons, five daughters, and 35 grandchildren. One of his grandsons says that they had not been able to contact him for several weeks. During the temporary pause in fighting, he went looking for him but did not find him at his home. His body was found a hundred metres from his home amongst the dead bodies. He had been shot in the head and martyred.

An Ahmadi in Gaza named Yasir Shaheen Sahib says, “Ten years ago, the deceased had a satellite dish installed and asked me to help him find the MTA channel. At that time, I learned about Ahmadiyyat through him. Some time later he provided me with further details about the Jamaat and sent me some books. Then for a period of time we would continue to have debates. I then offered the istikharah prayer after which my wife and I pledged allegiance. Muhammad Ukashah Sahib was very pleased with the fact that I pledged allegiance. Thereafter, our relationship only became stronger. He would relate to me the commentary of Quranic verses for hours and hours. He would read out excerpts from Tafsir-e-Kabir for me and explain concepts such as abrogation to me. His manner of speaking was very likeable. He had been writing a book for quite some time and he would call me to listen to his book in order to improve it and bring up various matters for discussion. His intention was to expand his home to include a library in which he could have photocopies of the Jamaat’s literature, however, his family was cruel to him on account of him being an Ahmadi and so he was unable to fulfil this wish of his. It was through him that I became acquainted with the Jamaat in Gaza. We would all visit him in his sitting room. In his final years, due to ill health, he often remained in his home as it was difficult for him to move about.”

Another Ahmadi from Gaza says, “The deceased was tall, slender, and had a white beard. The impact of his piety and virtue could immediately be felt by anyone he spoke with. He would always be engaged in the remembrance of God and reading the Jamaat’s literature. It was his great desire for the Jamaat to have a mosque near his home. During the war in 2014, he penned an article in which he said that the day was near when graves would be bombarded and their headstones would become scattered. This was exactly what happened. Despite being embroiled in difficulties, he always met everyone with a smile. He was very generous and intelligent as well. He was able to read what the other was thinking rather quickly.

Doctor Yousaf Sahib says, “Brother Hilmy was very sincere and was a true Ahmadi. Even before he became an Ahmadi, his mentality and dealings were like those of an Ahmadi. Hence, as soon as he learned about the Jamaat he pledged allegiance. After pledging allegiance, he would speak to scholars and other locals about Ahmadiyyat, due to which he faced a great deal of opposition and difficulties from his family. In his last days, he would walk with his crutches and be the first to arrive for the Friday prayer or any other meeting, despite experiencing great difficulty and danger along the way due to the opponents. He offered his financial contributions before others did, despite not having much. His desire was for the Jamaat and its beliefs to be spread throughout the world because they present the solution to all of humanity’s problems. He intended to give his house and a portion of his land to the Jamaat so that a mosque and the Jamaat’s headquarters could be built there; however his opposing relatives stopped this from happening. May Allah the Almighty elevate his station and make his children the recipients of his prayers. May his children and relatives understand Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam and witness peace and security. May Allah the Almighty bring about peace in their region, stop the oppressors and eliminate them.

Israel is also starting a military operation on its border with Lebanon to combat Hezbollah, which will result in the conditions only worsening. Similarly, the USA and Britain have started a military operation against the Houthi tribe of Yemen. All of these things are only expanding the war further. Now, many commentators have said that a world war seems to be drawing near. There is a great need for prayers. May Allah the Almighty grant understanding and wisdom to humanity.

I will mention another deceased member, Amatul Nasir Zafar Sahiba, wife of Haidar Ali Zafar Sahib, a missionary serving in Germany. She passed away a few days ago.

اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ

[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]

By the grace of Allah, she was a musiah. Apart from her husband, she is survived by her son and two daughters. Her maternal grandfather, Chaudhry Aminullah Sahib^ra was a companion of the Promised Messiah^as. Haidar Ali Zafar Sahib writes, “I am a missionary and served in the field in different times. She lived apart from me for approximately 12 years but never once complained to me about it. Once, when something did arise and troubled her, I asked her why she didn’t tell me earlier. In response, she said that she did not want to cause me any disturbance whilst serving in the field.” In Frankfurt, she also served as the local president [of Lajna Imaillah] for the Baitus Subooh jamaat. During the year in which the Khilafat Jubilee took place, she served as president [of Lajna Imaillah] of Frankfurt. She was very regular in offering prayers and fasting. She offered Tahajjud [pre-dawn voluntary prayers] and regularly recited the Holy Quran. She was very charitable and caring and would fulfil her financial contributions on time. May Allah the Almighty grant her His mercy and forgiveness.

The next mention is of Nasim Akhtar Sahiba, wife of Habib Ullah Khalon Sahib of Ghatyalian. She passed away recently.

اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ

[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]

By the grace of Allah the Almighty, she was a musiah and paid all her Wasiyyat chanda before her demise. She even paid the portion that was due from her property during her lifetime. Apart from her husband, she is survived by her six sons and two daughters. One of her daughters passed away during her lifetime. She raised her children with great love and provided them with an education. Four of her sons are life-devotees. One of her sons, Navid Adil Sahib, is serving as missionary-in-charge in Liberia. Due to serving in the field, he was not able to attend her funeral. He writes, “Ahmadiyyat entered her family through her father, Maula Bakhsh Sahib, who took the pledge of allegiance during the era of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^ra. She had considerable religious knowledge. Sometimes, people who would meet her would ask about her formal education, however, she did not have much secular education. She [his mother] would often say that her interest in religious knowledge came from her father, because he would listen to the dars and lectures in the mosque and reiterate them at home without fail. (Thus, parents can have a great impact if they have such discussions at home.) Her love for the Jamaat and Khilafat was boundless. She was fearless and had great honour for her faith. She could not stand to hear anything against the Jamaat and the Promised Messiah^as. She was very regular in offering prayers and offered Tahajjud prayer as well. She regularly performed the Aitkaf except during the last few years of her life. She would complete the full recitation of the Holy Quran three to four times during Ramadan. She would always remember God and recite Durood. Once, she accidently fell and broke her leg. At the time, I (her son, Adil Sahib, who is writing this) and my brother were with her. Right when it was time for us to go, she fell and broke her leg. She told me to go and fulfil my duties, and called her son-in-law from a neighbouring town and went to the hospital with him. She told me [her son], ‘It is your duty to go and serve your faith immediately.’”

Navid Adil Sahib says, “Seven years later, I went to visit her while on vacation and she advised me that life and death are in the hands of God. You cannot tell when the time will come for anyone. If something of this nature occurs, do not come and leave your post; rather stay where you are.” Thus he remained at his [Jamaat] centre and was unable to attend his mother’s funeral.

Next, I will mention respected Mubarkah Begum Sahiba, wife of Rashid Ahmad Zamir Sahib of Bashirabad State. She passed away recently.

اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّاۤ اِلَيۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ

[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]

Ahmadiyyat entered her family through her father, Bahawul Haqq Sahib, who pledged allegiance in 1948 at the hands of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^ra. She possessed extraordinary qualities. She regularly offered the five daily prayers and Tahajjud. She was a pious and virtuous woman who selflessly served the Jamaat. She had the opportunity to serve the Jamaat in various capacities. She also served as Sadr Lajna. She spent almost her whole life serving the Jamaat. She taught the Holy Quran to hundreds of boys and girls. She observed the veil with great care and inculcated this habit within girls. She was active in partaking in serving humanity. She fulfilled the needs of the poor and widows. She helped many poor and orphaned girls get married. She taught many girls sewing and stitching.  Every Friday, she would go to the mosque two hours prior to the Friday Prayers and clean the women’s area herself. Thereafter, she would offer voluntary prayers. She was very faithful and trustworthy. Many women would entrust their jewellery and money to her for safekeeping because of her trustworthiness. She never quarrelled with anyone, nor was she ever disrespectful. She possessed very high morals. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, she was a musiah. When she entered into the scheme of Wasiyyat, she also enlisted her daughters. In this way, she also encouraged other women in her village to join the system of Wasiyyat. Apart from her husband, she is survived by her son and five daughters. She was the mother-in-law of missionary Uthman Ahmad Sahib, serving in the Raqim Press in Sierra Leone, and missionary Sa’adat Ahmad Sahib, serving in Burkina Faso. Both her daughters, who were married to these missionaries, were unable to be with her during her final moments. They remained in their posts where they are serving. Her daughter, Asifah Sahiba, writes, “I have the opportunity of serving alongside my husband, Uthman Ahmad Sahib, in Sierra Leone. Due to serving in the field, I could not attend my mother’s funeral and burial. Similarly, my younger sister, Maryam Bushrah, is in Burkina Faso and was also unable to attend.” May Allah the Almighty grant them patience and strength, and may He grant mercy and forgiveness to the deceased. May her prayers for her children be fulfilled.

(Official Urdu transcript published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 2 February 2024, pp. 2-7. Translated by The Review of Religions.)