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Can women with prolonged menstruation engage in worship?

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Can women with prolonged menstruation engage in worship?

A lady from India wrote a question to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, enquiring, “There are some women whose menstruation does not cease for several months. Can such a woman perform chilla (i.e., partake in a dedicated period of spiritual devotion and seclusion)?”

Huzoor-e-Anwaraa, in his letter dated 18 June 2022, provided the following answer to this question:

“If a woman experiences menstruation for a duration longer than her usual cycle, or if after childbirth she continues to bleed for more than forty days, this is a form of ailment, and such a woman is termed ‘mustahada’, i.e., one who is experiencing prolonged postpartum bleeding. There are clarifications regarding this in the Hadith, which indicate that such a woman is excused from acts of worship up to the end of her regular menstrual days. Once these regular days have passed, she must purify herself and resume her religious obligations. In such circumstances, she will need to perform ablution for each prayer.

“Hazrat Aishara narrated that ‘Fatimara bint Hubaish came to the Holy Prophetsa and expressed, ‘O Allah’s Messengersa, I am a woman who experiences istihada [i.e., persistent bleeding] and I do not become pure for a lengthy period. Should I abandon my prayers?’ Upon this, the Holy Prophetsa responded, ‘No. This is due to a blood vessel and is not menstruation. Hence, when your usual menstrual days arrive, refrain from prayers, and once those specific days have passed, wash away the blood [by performing ghusl] and then commence your prayers.’ The sub-narrator [Hisham] states, ‘After narrating this hadith, my father added [that the Holy Prophetsa had also told her], ‘However, perform ablution for every prayer until the time of your regular menstruation returns.’’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-wudu, Bab ghasli d-dam)

The formative years of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I

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The formative years of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I

During his Jalsa UK address, delivered on 29 July 2023, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa mentioned the research carried out by Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre (AARC) into the early life of Hazrat Hakeem Noor-ud-Din, Khalifatul Masih Ira. We asked Asif M Basit Sahib, the curator at AARC, to gain insights and understand the genesis of this research project, and to uncover the intriguing details and findings he had come across during the course of the study.

Asif M Basit, Curator, Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I with Logo
Hazrat Hakeem Maulvi Noor-ud-Din, Khalifatul Masih Ira

It was winter in 2021 when it first occurred to me that there was very little information on the pre-Qadian life of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira. I mentioned this to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, who encouraged me to start working on finding as much as we can possibly find. The way he said it showed that my suggestion had his full approval and blessing and I wasted no time in embarking on the project.

After Hazrat Hakeem Noor-ud-Dinra accepted Ahmadiyyat at the hand of the Promised Messiahas, and subsequently moved to Qadian, most of his activities got recorded in the periodicals of the Jamaat. And, later on, when he became Khalifa, every word he uttered got recorded in Jamaat’s newspapers and periodicals.
But before the Qadian phase of his life, little was known which, I think, was due to his humility that he didn’t mention the magnificent life he had led.

My curiosity had emanated from the fact that he was a great scholar and, later, the Royal Physician to the Maharaja of Kashmir; and hence, there must be a lot about his stature that we are missing out on.

While going through the available Jamaat literature, I found that he had once written an autobiographical account that a periodical, Hakim Haziq, had published.
All other material, including Mirqat al-Yaqin and Hayat-e-Nur, was derived and expanded from this account. Hence, despite historians and biographers trying to elaborate certain aspects, his spiritual and intellectual prowess remained veiled behind his humility.

I set out in search of any material that I could lay my hands on to find whatever I could about the pre-Qadian life of this great disciple of the Messiahas of this age.
Before I move on, I must appreciate the efforts of Jamaat’s historians in putting together detailed biographical accounts of the great man – more so for they worked as a stepping stone towards the more inconspicuous phases of his life.

As I delved deeper into the project, I was pleasantly amazed to find that a sizeable number of books, written in the East and West both, carried his mention in the leading Yunani Tabibs (doctors of Eastern medicine) of his time.
Other publications, again from India and the Western world, carried mention of him as a prominent scholar of Islam.

Having read in Jamaat publications how widely he had travelled not only across the length and breadth of the Indian subcontinent but also abroad to Mecca and Medina, I was always left intrigued why he was going from place to place when there were esteemed centres of Islamic learning across the subcontinent where he could have settled and studied in peace.

I got the chance to see how highly esteemed these centres of learning were and how cordially he was invited by some of them to join them and also to stay and take it up as a career. He always refused. For instance, Bhopal was a great centre of learning. The Begum of Bhopal and her officials were both fond of Hazrat Hakeem Maulvi Noor-ud-Dinra, respected his knowledge and piety, yet he decided to move on to some other centre.
Kashmir was yet another venture of similar nature but the nature of his job provided him several years to remain in the same place.

He served two Maharajas during his stay but was never overawed by the majesty of their courts and palaces. His aversion to worldly lusts and conspiracies kept him reluctant to feel fully a part of it all. The only one factor that kept him there was firstly the opportunity to teach Islam to people of other faiths, or the handsome income that came with the royal employment – only to send most of it to his holy master, the Promised Messiahas for the purpose of propagation of Islam.

The most interesting part of my quest came when I found myself stuck at a dead-end – when I realised that more material could be retrieved from the state archives in Jammu.
I cannot but help crediting the breakthrough that came about in just a few days to the prayers and blessings of Huzooraa. I picked up the phone and dialled a number that I had come across on the internet. Getting through to government officials in India and Pakistan is not an easy nut to crack.
But, by the grace of Allah, the first number I dialled and the first person who picked up the phone proved no less than an angel all along – until I had obtained what I required. I would think in sheer amazement when some  of their staff would tell me how they had spent all afternoon – or a whole day on some occasions – searching for what I had requested.
To conclude this piece, I request the actual article be read which can be found through the links below:

Part I: www.alhakam.org/formative-years-of-hazrat-hakim-maulvi-nuruddin-part-i/

Part II: www.alhakam.org/formative-years-of-hazrat-hakim-maulvi-nuruddin-part-ii/

Key to the success of Muslims: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s address at a reception in Lahore, 1949

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Key to the success of Muslims: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s address at a reception in Lahore, 1949
Ata-ul-Haye Nasir, Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre
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The Civil and Military Gazette, 5 January 1949

Towards the end of 1948, two representatives of the Grand Mufti of Palestine visited Pakistan – namely, Sheikh Abdullah Ghausiah and Syed Selim al-Husseini. Various dignitaries organised receptions in their honour. One such reception was held by Begum Salma Tasadduq Hussain – MLA West Punjab – on 3 January 1949, in Lahore. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud, Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra, was also invited there to deliver a speech. 

rsz 1begum salma tasadduq hussain 1
Begum Salma Tasadduq Hussain, MLA West Punjab | The Civil and Military Gazette, 11 September 1949

During his speech, Huzoorra said that the major shortcoming of contemporary Muslims is that they act without any plan or scheme, whereas, if they really wish to succeed, they are required to take every step with complete wisdom and according to a certain scheme. (Al Fazl, 4 January 1949, p. 1)

The Civil and Military Gazette reported:

“Our Great Shortcoming

“Up Till Now We Have Been Working Without a Plan — Ahmadiyya Head

“‘Our great shortcoming is that up till now we have been working without a plan. If we really want to achieve something, we must act according to a plan,’ said Mirza Bashiruddin, Ahmadiyya religious head, at a reception given in Lahore on Monday afternoon by Begum Salma Tasadduq Hussain in honour of Sheikh Abdullah Ghausiah and Syed Selim al-Husseini, representatives of the Grand Mufti of Palestine.

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Syed Selim al-Husseini (left) and Sheikh Abdullah Ghausiah (right) | The Civil and Military Gazette, 2 November 1948

“Speaking at the same function, Begum Tasadduq Hussain said: ‘No doubt Ka’aba is our centre, but the seat of Masjid-i-Aqsa (Palestine) is no less important to us spiritually. A Jewish State in the Middle-East shall be a dagger thrust in the heart of Islam. We assure the Palestinians that Pakistan shall always be ready to help them in their noble cause.’

“‘Geographically, we occupy one continuous stretch of land. Our unification shall bring in a new era of peace in this war-torn world; for Islam means peace and stands for peace,’ she added.

“Sheikh Abdullah Ghausiah, speaking after Begum Tasadduq, said: ‘The friendliness with which we were received everywhere in Pakistan, has given us a new spirit, and has made us confident of our success.’

“‘God created in you a man [referring to MA Jinnah] who brought in existence the largest Islamic State. He is no more now, but his spirit lives, and his message rings in the ears of Mussalmans. Keep alive the flame he has lit,’ he added.

“Syed Selim al-Husseini, who followed, said: ‘Palestine is the backbone of the Islamic world, and it is the duty of all Muslims to make a united effort for redeeming the Holy Land. We are determined to liberate Palestine and, by the grace of God, we will succeed.’

“Sardar Mohammad Ibrahim, head of the Azad Kashmir Government, said that he had full sympathy with his Palestinian brothers, and hoped that the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir would do everything to help them as soon as they were free from their own problems. 

“Prominent among those who attended the reception were Mr Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Mr and Mrs Doolittle [US Consul General in Pakistan, H Austin Doolittle and his wife], Mr Fida Hussain and Sirdar Abdul Hamid Dasti. — Star.” (The Civil and Military Gazette, 4 January 1949, p. 6)

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The Civil and Military Gazette, 4 January 1949

The same newspaper, in its 5 January 1949 issue, published a photograph (seen in the beginning) in which Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra and Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan can be seen having a discussion.

Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan (1895-1963) was a well known politician of British India, affiliated to the All-India Muslim League. He served in the 1946 Interim Government of India, as a member of the Central Legislative Assembly. After the formation of Pakistan in 1947, he became the Minister of Food, Agriculture and Health, and then served as a diplomat for Pakistan in many countries.

Pioneer Missionaries: Part 11 – Unyielding faith in the face of a storm of opposition: Divine protection witnessed by pioneer missionaries

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Pioneer Missionaries: Part 11 – Unyielding faith in the face of a storm of opposition: Divine protection witnessed by pioneer missionaries

A series looking at pioneer missionaries and devotees of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat who gave precedence to faith over the world.

Click here for Part 10

Awwab Saad Hayat, Al Hakam
Qadian 1
An old view of Qadian | Image: library

As the Jamaat’s pioneer missionaries ventured out to spread the message of the Promised Messiahas as representatives of the Khalifatul Masih, they encountered various obstacles, including severe weather and enemy attacks, just to name a few.

What happened when the enemies attacked Abraham with fire and what occurred to those who believed in Noah and boarded the ark are incidents we are familiar with. It is the same God who saved His noble prophets and continues to care for those whom He loves. Those who have accepted the Holy Prophetsa of Islam and are completely obedient to him have also embraced the Messiahas he prophesied would come in the Latter Days.

Divine protection amidst adversity: Miraculous preservation of Ahmadiyya mission in Ba, Fiji

The Jamaat’s Missionary in Fiji, Sheikh Wahid Sahib, writes that in 1968, it was decided to establish a branch of the Ahmadiyya Mission in the renowned city of Ba in Fiji and purchase a suitable house for this purpose. However, he writes, strong opposition began in this city. Opponents of Islam Ahmadiyyat initiated efforts to prevent the success of this Islamic mission in the city of Ba and hinder its progress.

During that period, the leader of the opponents was a formidable individual named Abu Bakr Ko Ya. He, along with other opponents of the Jamaat, started openly declaring their intention to set fire to the Ahmadiyya mission building in Ba. Thus, with this danger on site, every possible measure was taken to ensure the security of the premises. He writes that they also informed the local police station about the situation, and they assured their vigilance and support.

One night, the opponents managed to find an opportunity to express their innate feelings towards Islam Ahmadiyyat. One of them set fire to a portion of the mission house by pouring oil. The opponents deemed that the fire would quickly spread throughout the wooden structure, causing extensive damage. As soon as the fire started, the arsonist fled the scene. However, by the grace of God, the fire miraculously extinguished itself without causing any harm.

Sheikh Wahid Sahib writes that the mission house was empty at that moment. Upon their return the following day, they discovered that a fire had been intentionally set on the side of the building, which was predominantly made of wood. Some of the wooden areas were burnt, but fortunately, the fire had been extinguished before it could spread further. He added that on that very day, the damage was repaired.

During the inspection of the damaged area, the missionary in charge, Noorul Haq Sahib Anwar, stood in the burnt room and let out a deep sigh, expressing his sadness. He uttered the following words, “Whoever attempted to set fire to this centre for the propagation of the religion of Islam, may God reduce their own house to ashes.”

As fate would have it, a few days later, the house of Abu Bakr Ko Ya, the leader of the opponents, unexpectedly caught fire in Ba. Despite all their efforts to extinguish it, his house was completely reduced to ashes. (Ruh Parwar Yadain, Muhammad Sidique of Amritsar, pp. 94-95)

“Fire is my servant, and a servant of my servants”: Divine protection during war

Maulvi Ghulam Hussain Ayaz Sahib, a respected figure in the Jamaat, was among the dedicated and self-sacrificing missionaries who not only engaged in preaching but also bore their own expenses. He shouldered the responsibility of his financial burdens, relieving the Jamaat from any kind of financial obligation.

During the war between the British and the Japanese, as the British forces were retreating from Singapore, there was intense shelling from both sides. In the midst of this chaos, a shell exploded near the neighbourhood where Maulvi Ghulam Hussain Ayaz Sahib was residing. A fire broke out, rapidly spreading closer to his house. Upon witnessing this incident, members of the local Jamaat became greatly concerned. The nearby area was ablaze, and retrieving the belongings seemed challenging. However, the men present at the scene intended to somehow retrieve the goods. In such a scenario, Maulvi Ghulam Hussain Ayaz Sahib forbade them, assuring them not to worry, and he added that the Promised Messiahas had once stated, “Fire is my servant, and a servant of my servants.” Just as Maulvi Sahib uttered those words, a miraculous event occurred; the fire abruptly changed its course, consuming the houses situated in front and behind, sparing only a few houses in the middle. Remarkably, much of the area remained unscathed, and the neighbouring houses were also kept safe from harm. (Al Fazl, 6 February 1946)

An example of great humility and unwavering faith

A lengthy article by Major Munir Ahmad Farrukh was published in  Al Fazl on 23 July 2010. The author expresses the view that his grandfather, Hazrat Mian Ghulam Qadirra was from a place near Qadian and was the first member of his family to accept Ahmadiyyat. Two of his sons, Maulana Ghulam Ahmad Farrukh Sahib and his elder brother Hazrat Maulana Ghulam Hussain Ayazra, had the privilege of dedicating their lives.

Major Muneer Ahmad Farrukh Sahib further mentioned that in 1972, his father, Ghulam Ahmad Farrukh Sahib, was dispatched to Fiji as a preacher. Unfortunately, he suffered a stroke during his time there. In light of his health condition, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh advised him to return. According to the planned schedule, Munir Ahmad Farrukh Sahib states that they were present at Karachi Airport to receive him. Considering his situation, an ambulance was arranged as well. However, upon the plane’s arrival, Ghulam Ahmad Farrukh Sahib was not among the passengers who disembarked. Major Munir Ahmad Farrukh Sahib adds that communication methods in those times were not as advanced. And thus, when they contacted the airport authorities, they were informed that the plane had made a stopover in Singapore before reaching Karachi and that they would only be able to obtain further information the following morning.

The news of Ghulam Ahmad Farrukh Sahib’s health had deeply unsettled everyone. His absence from the expected flight has only added to the anxiety. Particularly, Major Munir Ahmad Farrukh Sahib writes that his mother, while concealing her grief, remained engrossed in prayers. Witnessing her yearning, they, as siblings, also joined her in fervent supplication. The night was spent in prayer. Major Munir Ahmad Farrukh Sahib states that the next morning, his mother sat by the outer door, waiting, as if certain that someone would arrive. As someone knocked at the door, the mother hastened to open it, firmly believing that it could be none other than her husband. Major Munir Ahmad Farrukh Sahib states that he witnessed that his father’s feet were unsteady due to his health condition. His health conveyed a powerful message that even if similar situations were to occur a hundred times, where he would have to sacrifice wealth, life, and children, he would still believe that the debt of righteousness has not been fully repaid.

Major Munir Ahmad Farrukh Sahib added that tears welled up in his father’s eyes as he looked at his family. Ghulam Ahmad Farrukh Sahib said that he arrived in Karachi at night and spent the night at Ahmadiyya Hall Karachi. In his hand, he held an old, small bag that he had brought with him from Pakistan. Major Munir Ahmad Farrukh Sahib said that the family assumed that the remaining luggage would be in the taxi. As they quietly ventured outside with the intention of retrieving them, Ghulam Ahmad Farrukh Sahib gently remarked, “This is all I have in my hand.”

This humble soul made his stopover in Singapore with the aim of meeting those Ahmadis who had joined Jamaat after the preaching of his brother when he was stationed there and was able to make a big Jamaat.

The miraculous storm: A testament to faith and Divine intervention

Among the early preachers of the Jamaat, we find the notable figure of Hazrat Maulana Ghulam Rasool Rajekira who dedicated his entire life to the propagation of Ahmadiyya. He had the privilege of spreading the message of the Promised Messiahas throughout the Indian subcontinent. While he was not sent to regions beyond Pakistan and India, his preaching services had a significant impact and encompassed a wide range of areas.

Hazrat Maulana Ghulam Rasool Sahib Rajekira mentioned that Chaudhry Nithe Khan Sahib, who was a sincere Ahmadi, organised a preaching meeting in his village. He extended invitations to Ahmadi friends residing in the vicinity, urging them to participate in this gathering. The gathering was planned to span two days. Upon learning about this gathering, non-Ahmadis of the area, known for their slanderous and abusive remarks, including their clerics, also became aware of the event. They, in turn, set up their own canopy and erected a stage near the local jamaat’s jalsa place, where they initiated their customary series of insults directed towards Islam Ahmadiyyat.

The opponents began uttering profanities and engaging in blasphemy. Then, within a few minutes, a powerful wind emerged from one side, and this storm veered towards the opposition’s gathering. The gust was so strong that their canopy was lifted and carried away, while the structures collapsed and scattered in different directions, resulting in complete chaos and the failure of their plan.

The Jamaat’s gathering was scheduled to commence after twelve o’clock. The storm persisted. Hazrat Maulana Ghulam Rasool Sahib Rajekira stated that as he went to deliver his speech, he humbly requested everyone in attendance to pray that Allah grant success to their gathering in every respect.

Therefore, he said, he raised his hands, along with all those present, and prayed fervently before the Almighty. He said that he prayed fervently to God saying that God promised in the Holy Quran that sincere believers and the transgressors and disbelievers cannot be equal. The non-Ahmadi gathering had no purpose other than to mock and deny the Promised Messiah, while the Jamaat’s purpose was solely to affirm and uphold the Messiah of the age. He prayed to Allah to demonstrate the difference through this storm and command the angels who control it to cease, so that the Jamaat may proceed with the proceedings of the gathering and elevate the word of Allah.

Suddenly, the wind ceased, gradually transforming into a gentle, cool breeze that eventually subsided completely within a matter of minutes. This cessation of wind had a profound impact, affecting both the adversaries and members of the Jamaat present. (Hayat-e-Qudsi, Part III, pp. 26-27)

This Week in History: 4-10 August

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This Week in History: 4-10 August

A glimpse into the rich history of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

4 August 1893: On this day, an Arab religious scholar, Muhammad bin Ahmad from Mecca, wrote to the Promised Messiahas. This learned man visited India and made a stop-over in Qadian. After accepting the claims and beliefs of the Promised Messiahas, he enjoyed his blessed company for some time. Finally, he returned to his native country and wrote a letter from Mecca after performing Hajj. While replying to his letter, the Promised Messiahas penned a detailed treatise, which was later printed in the shape of a book, Hamama-tul-Bushra. (Hamama-tul-Bushra, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 7, p. 582)

5 August 1955: On this day, the editor of the magazine Eastern World had an audience with Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra. On the same day, some students from Zanzibar, Africa, had the opportunity to see Huzoorra and spend time in his company. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 16, p. 552)

5 August 2011: On this day, during his Friday Sermon, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa spoke on the blessed life of his mother, Hazrat Syeda Nasira Begum Sahiba, who had passed away a few days earlier. She was the daughter of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra and was born in October 1911. She had served as the sadr of Lajna Imaillah for a long time.

Huzooraa said that after he was elected Khalifatul Masih V, it was as if there was a change in their relationship, and whenever there was a conversation on the phone, he felt this. Huzooraa added that in Qadian in 2005, when he met her for the first time after Khilafat, it was a strange and unique experience. The respect for Khilafat that he had seen in her eyes for the previous Khulafa was evident for him as well. It was no longer a relationship of a mother and son; rather, it was a relationship of respect and reverence for Khilafat.

6 August 1898: On this day, the Promised Messiahas wrote of an idea for a graveyard for his Jamaat. In a letter to Nawab Muhammad Khan Sahib, he revealed this thought. He added that the idea of a special cemetery derived from the Islamic creed and that the Sharia wholly backed it. Huzooraa gave the example of the special burial ground made in the holy city of Medina. Notably, this was years before the establishment of Bahishti Maqbarah. (Maktubat-e-Ahmadiyya, Vol. 2, pp. 230-231)

6 August 1931: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra wrote an article for ‘Kashmir Day’ which was to be held on 14 August 1931. (“Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad’sra services to the Muslim cause: Guidance for Turkey, peace in the Arab world and the Kashmir Movement”, Al Hakam, 19 February 2021, Issue 153, pp. 42-43)

6 August 1976: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh inaugurated the Jalsa Salana of the United States of America. Prior to the inauguration, the mayor of New Jersey welcomed Huzoorrh. During his inaugural address, Huzoorrh shed light on the status of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya and advised the members to always hold fast to the rope of Khilafat, to always show complete obedience to Khilafat, and to strive to spread the message of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Part 3, p. 595)

6 August 1982: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh presided over the first-ever Majlis-e-Mushawarat of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Norway. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Part 4, p. 816)

7 August 1998: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh instructed that all institutions of the Jamaat should have a red book to note down important matters and flaws. (Khutbat-e-Tahir, Vol. 17, pp. 537-553)

8 August 1976: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh travelled from Washington DC to Toronto. Around 400 people gathered to welcome Huzoorrh. This was the first time any Khalifatul Masih visited Canada. (Silsila Ahmadiyya, Part 3, p. 595)

8 August 2014: During his Friday Sermon on this day, while speaking about the opposition to the Jamaat, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:

“At this juncture, I am reminded of a dream, which I have previously narrated as well. That is, if we wish to see a change in circumstances and save the Jamaat from these trials, then, as a Jamaat [community], we must prostrate to Allah by purifying our souls for His sake and sincerely and earnestly praying to Him. If we submit to Allah in this manner, and this is the state across the Jamaat, and our nights are spent in such a way that we pray for the Jamaat, then in a matter of a few days, as a result of a few nights’ prayers, a revolution can be brought about. Otherwise, a revolution shall come and circumstances shall change, but this will take time. It is the Almighty Allah’s promise that circumstances will change, insha-Allah.” (“Patience and prayers: Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat’s response to opposition”, Al Hakam, 27 January 2023, Issue 254, p. 15)

9 August 1899: On this day, the Promised Messiahas published an announcement regarding the marriage proposal of Maulvi Muhammad Ali Sahib, who was then young, had recently attained his law degree, and was working on the English translation of Hazrat Ahmad’sas books. Huzooras took the pain of many personal issues of his helpers out of his care and love for the servants of religion. (Majmu‘ah-e-Ishtiharat [2019], Vol. 2, pp. 535-536)

10 August 1897: On this day, the Promised Messiahas was in Batala for a court hearing at the court of Lt Col Montagu William Douglas, CSI, CIE. Huzooras reached the courtroom at around 8am. In the aftermath of missionary Henry Martyn Clarke’s humiliation in the field of argument and logic during Jang-e-Muqaddas, this abrupt accusation of attempted murder against the Promised Messiahas by him gained sensation and hype in the press. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 1, p. 625)

10 August 1916: On this day, The Civil and Military Gazette stated:

“We have received from Qadian the first part of a new edition of ‘The Holy Quran,’ with English translation and explanatory notes. This edition is being published under the auspices of Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad, the second successor of the Promised Messiah, by the Anjuman-i-Taraqqi-i-Islam, Qadian, Punjab.” (“Promised Messiah’s message spreads to corners of earth and continues through Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya”, Al Hakam, 17 March 2023, Issue 261, p. 8)

10 August 1945: On 6 and 9 August 1945, the USA callously dropped nuclear bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively. During his Friday Sermon on this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra said:

“As a result of these happenings, I can foresee that in the future, wars will not reduce; rather, they will increase. […] Moreover, it is invalid and childish to think that atomic [power] will strengthen the hands of the big powers, and no one could attain military power against them. […] So, the need of the time is to reduce these lethal [weapons], instead of increasing them.”

For more details, see “The 6 & 9 August 1945 tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Ahmadiyya call for peace”, Al Hakam, 5 August 2022, Issue 229, p. 20.

Love for All, Hatred for None: What it means for Ahmadi Muslims

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Love for All, Hatred for None: What it means for Ahmadi Muslims
Jazib Mehmood, Jamia Ahmadiyya International Ghana
Ahmadiyya
Photo courtesy: AMA UK

Last week, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the UK held its 57th Annual Convention in Hampshire. And although it is held in the UK, it has blossomed into an international convention that is attended by Ahmadis all over the world due to the presence of the head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa.

Whether you attended the convention in person, or watched it live from home, you will most likely have seen or heard the famous slogan of the community: Love for All, Hatred for None.

In this short piece, we will dive a bit into its history and find out what this slogan means.

History of an Ahmadiyya motto

It was in 1936 that Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra first addressed the idea that had sprouted among the scholars of the Jamaat that the Jamaat should have a motto. Some scholars had suggested verses of the Holy Quran like:

فَاسۡتَبِقُوا الۡخَيۡرٰتِ

“Vie, then, with one another in good works.” (Surah al-Ma’idah, Ch.5:V.49) On the other hand, some had advocated for Urdu phrases like “I shall give precedence to my faith over the world”.

In his Friday Sermon on 28 August 1936, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra spoke about how the motto of the Jamaat could not be any one verse of the Holy Quran, since the entire Quran was a source of guidance for us.

Instead, he explained that the true motto of the Jamaat is the shahadah:

لَا إِلَه إِلّا اللهُ مُحَمّدٌ رّسُولُ اللّٰهُ

Meaning that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger. This, he stated, proclaimed the Unity of God, and combined within it all the commandments of the Holy Quran. (Khutbat-e-Mahmood, Vol. 17, p. 564)

The slogan “Love for All, Hatred for None” was bestowed on the Jamaat by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh, who first voiced the words in Spain. Addressing a large congregation at an event where Huzoorrh laid the foundation stone of the first mosque in Spain in 700 years, he stated:

“Islam teaches us to live with mutual love and affection and with humility. It teaches us no distinction between a Muslim or a non-Muslim. My message to everyone is that you must have ‘Love for All, Hatred for None!’” (The Review of Religions, March 2008, p. 52)

Since then, the Jamaat has adopted these words as its slogan. Explaining the meaning of these words, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa states:

“We also use this slogan [i.e., Love for All, Hatred for None] to make it clear to the world that Islam teaches love, peace, and kindness, and it is not correct to associate cruelty and viciousness with the faith of Islam. We employ this slogan to signify that we wish to live together by breaking down walls of hatred.

“When we serve humanity in any way at all or when we disseminate the message of Islam, we do so because we have love for every person in the world, and we wish to remove hatred from each heart and instead sow the seeds of love. We do so because this is what our master, the Holy Prophetsa taught us.” (Friday Sermon, 9 May 2014; Al Fazl International 30 May 2014, Vol. 21, Issue 22, p. 5)

How can we love everyone?

Some people raise the question of whether it is possible to love everyone since there are many bad people in the world. There are many people for whom Allah the Almighty has also clearly stated in the Holy Quran that He does not love them.

In this regard, the Promised Messiahas beautifully explains that we must hate their actions but not their persons. Explaining the teachings of Islam in this regard, he states:

“The Quran does not encourage you to love your enemies. Rather, it teaches you to dissolve your personal enmities and show compassion to everyone. But, those who oppose God, your Messenger[sa], and the Book of Allah are certainly your enemies.

“However, even then, you ought not to exclude them from your prayers and supplications. Oppose their actions, not their persons, and seek to rectify their deeds.” (Noah’s Ark, p. 50)

Further elucidating this Islamic teaching, the Promised Messiahas states in another place:

“If it is asked that when it is forbidden to love Satan and those of satanic character, how then should we treat them? The reply to it is that the Holy Word of God, the Holy Quran, instructs us to be extremely compassionate towards them, in the same way as a kind-hearted person shows compassion towards the leper, the blind, the handicapped, etc., all those who are suffering. […]

“It is the sign of a truly compassionate person that he does not always treat the pitiable person with gentleness, but takes appropriate action concerning him as dictated by the need of the time and circumstance – at times being gentle and at times being strict. […]

“Therefore, the true purport of the Quranic teaching is that love, the reality of which is to become coloured in the hues of the beloved, is permitted only when it is for God and for righteous people and is otherwise strictly forbidden.” (The Light of the Holy Quran – Number Two, pp. 132-135)

“All I say to you is: be true”

Once, an Ahmadi asked Hazrat Khalifatul IVrh how we can love everyone when there is so much evil in this world. Huzoorrh gave the following beautiful reply:

“I think I agree with you that this noble adage is not for everyone to follow. We must follow [the] truth. Some of us cannot suppress our hatred against evil, and as such, they are forgiven – they are excused. And there shouldn’t be any artificiality in Ahmadi sentiments. Just because we write this slogan largely on different walls or banners doesn’t mean that we change our nature and become false. […]

“The point is, you should not hate anybody just because of racial differences, religious differences, or any general views. But personally, if somebody is evil – and you know him to be an evil person – I don’t see [how] anybody can help hating him, because man hates evil. If somebody commits a very grave crime against a poor innocent child, I don’t see how an Ahmadi can love him and say, ‘Love for All, Hatred for None’. […]

“It doesn’t mean that you must love Satan as well or evil personified. What [the motto] means is that, initially, this is our attitude towards everybody. This is our message to the whole [of] mankind: We are here to love you, not to hate you. But if somebody behaves in a manner that [makes it] impossible for us to continue to love him, then [we] must be forgiven [for not loving such a person].

“All I say to you is: be true. Be honest. Honestly try – again I say to you – honestly try to love everyone.” (Question & Answer Session 24 June 1991)

Responsibility of an Ahmadi Muslim

In his Friday Sermon on 9 May 2014, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa also explained in great detail that our true motto, the root of all our endeavours, is the shahadah. Huzooraa addressed the community in the following words:

“We should not feel smug by merely raising slogans that the world appreciates and through which we are praised in various places. We should be mindful that this slogan is just one source for attaining the broader objective for which man was created. Our humanitarian works, our promotion and practice of love, our rejection of hatred, and our hatred for hatred itself are to attain God’s love and to establish the Unity of God. […]

“This slogan is in fact a means to an end, the end being the objective of our lives. It is a stepping stone towards the objective for which the advent of the Holy Prophetsa took place, and then, in his subservience, the Promised Messiahas was sent by God in the current age to attain the objective. And that objective is to instil true insight into the Unity of God and to try to practise all of God’s commandments. […]

“Thus, we should not just shout or express slogans to become popular in the eyes of the world, but shout this slogan to achieve our goal. […]

“It should be remembered that all Quranic commandments are excellent and beneficial in their own right, but لَا إِلَه إِلَّا اللهُ is dominant over them all. This is the real motto, which we need to keep in sight at all times, and we need to reflect on the need for the Unity of God and its establishment. […]

“Thus, our motto, which is appointed by God, is, لَا إِلَه إِلّا اللّٰه, the rest are all details that can be useful as advice.” (Friday Sermon, 9 May 2014; Al Fazl International 30 May 2014, Vol. 21, Issue 22, pp. 6–8)

The teaching of the Holy Quran proclaimed in the words “Love for All, Hatred for None” is such a vital one that it resonates with even non-Muslims today. It is a need of the time that drives Ahmadis to shout it from the rooftops.

But at the same time, we constantly remind ourselves that our end goal is to establish the Unity and Oneness of Allah the Almighty in the world. And this, dear reader, is why when you saw the banner that proclaims “Love for All, Hatred for None” at Jalsa Salana this year, you must also have seen the shahadah on the same banner.

Jamaat events held by auxiliaries in Ivory Coast

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Jamaat events held by auxiliaries in Ivory Coast
Shahid Ahmad Masud, Regional Missionary Bondoukou, Ivory Coast
WhatsApp Image 2023 07 25 at 23.00.06
Photo courtesy: AMJ Ivory Coast

Khuddam ijtema and tarbiyati class

Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Bondoukou, Ivory Coast, arranged their first annual regional ijtema and second tarbiyati class for khuddam and atfal from 21 to 23 July 2023 at Baitul Ahad Mosque.

After the Asr prayer, the tarbiyati class commenced with the recitation from the Holy Quran. I had the honour of delivering a speech at the event.

The focus of the class was to enhance the spiritual and physical capabilities of the khuddam and atfal. A total of 52 participants were present in the class.

The ijtema started with the recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by the Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya pledge, an Urdu poem, and a speech by the local missionary, Sawadogo Ahmad Sahib.

During the concluding session of the tarbiyati class and ijtema, prizes were distributed among the top performers  of different academic and sports competitions.

A silent prayer concluded the event.

Lajna tarbiyati class and Jalsa Seerat-un-Nabi

Lajna Imaillah Bondoukou, Ivory Coast, organised its first tarbiyati class and Jalsa Seerat-un-Nabi on 22 and 23 July 2023. The tarbiyati class started with a recitation from the Holy Quran. The class consisted of two parts: education and sports. Two documentaries were played for members on television. Participants of the class also visited the museum in Bondoukou.

On 23 July 2023, Jalsa Seerat-un-Nabi was held, which started with the recitation from the Holy Quran with French translation, followed by a hadith and a poem. Afterwards, two speeches were delivered in French on the blessed life of the Holy Prophetsa and his relationship with Allah the Almighty.

A non-Ahmadi guest was also present at the jalsa. The event concluded with a silent prayer.

Medicine, Science, Learning, Innovation and Mentorship Conference 2023 held in USA

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Medicine, Science, Learning, Innovation and Mentorship Conference 2023 held in USA
Shazia Sohail, Secretary Ishaat, Lajna Imaillah USA

The Medicine, Science, Learning, Innovation and Mentorship Conference was held between 1-3 July 2023, at the JW Marriott Bonnet Creek in Orlando, Florida, USA. This was probably the first-of-its-kind meeting, hosted by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Medical Association (AMMA), Ahmadi Women Scientists Association (AWSA), and Association of Ahmadi Muslim Scientists (AAMS). With over 50 sessions and 27 poster presentations attended by more than 250 people, this conference offered a broad range of topics from cutting-edge research to career paths, with the goal of connecting rising and experienced professionals in the field of science and medicine across the country to perform their work in light of the teachings of the Holy Quran.

Dr Nadia Malik Sahiba, Nazima-e-A‘la of this conference, said:

“Alhamdulillah, the event exceeded all expectations, and we have received very positive feedback. It has been humbling to see, in particular, the 13-35 age group so engaged, comfortable, and excited to learn together. Overall, it has been very encouraging and a step in the right direction as we set the pace for future events and conferences.”

Dr Shanaz Tejani-Butt Sahiba, Nazima Programme, MSLM23, said:

“Three professional organisations had to collaborate ultimately to come up with an integrated conference. The goal was to generate interest and create content for heterogeneous audiences. […] The first day of the event was all about passion for service. As I walked around the venue and engaged in the sessions, I could feel the electricity and the energy. The second day was about connecting our scientific knowledge with the teachings of the Holy Quran. Our speakers shared their personal career journeys and highlighted the direct impact their work has on the overall betterment of humanity. We also created time and opportunities for attendees to be able to interact and seek mentorship on Day 2. […] The third day was focused on broader, high-level topics to showcase the diverse industries and the scope of impact our fellow Ahmadis are driving and contributing to. Overall, from a programmatic point of view, I believe the audience learned a lot, and the quality of presentations and sessions exceeded expectations each day.”

Dr Nusrat Sharif Sahiba from AWSA USA said:

“As far as I know, this was the first-ever meeting between our three Ahmadi professional associations: AWSA, AMMA, and AAMS, and it truly was a unique event in terms of organisation, agenda, and venue.”

Azhar Haneef Sahib, missionary-in-charge USA, said:

“The conference was excellently organised, and there was a truly great collaboration between seasoned medical professionals, students, and diverse scientists. We created great synergy between our youth and elders, and insha-Allah together we can continue to build a prosperous future.”

Sister Dhiya Bakr Sahiba, Sadr Lajna Imaillah USA, expressed that this event was exhilarating, enlightening, and inspirational. “Alhamdulillah and masha-Allah, this event has got me energised and thinking ahead about all the wonderful things we can accomplish together. This is just a stepping stone; this was just the beginning.”

Interfaith seminar held by Lajna Imaillah Bangladesh

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Interfaith seminar held by Lajna Imaillah Bangladesh
Atiyatul Ohid, Convener, Centenary Celebration Implementation Committee, Lajna Imaillah Bangladesh

Lajna Imaillah Bangladesh held an interfaith seminar on 10 July 2023, at the Darut Tabligh Mosque complex in Dhaka, as part of its centenary celebrations. Sadr Lajna Imaillah Bangladesh, Rehana Khair Sahiba, presided over the gathering.

42 non-Ahmadi guests and 185 Ahmadis attended the event. In the context of their respective faiths, the eminent representatives of the Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, and Islamic faiths offered thought-provoking lectures.

The distinguished guests included Supriya Bhattacharya, President of Bangladesh Mahila Oikya Parishad; Sister Reba Veronica D’Costa, RNDM, Co-Coordinator Inter-Religious Dialogue Commission, Banga Maha Dharmapadesh; Professor Dr Niru, Chairman of the Department of Pali, University of Dhaka; and Roshan Jahan Sahiba, Naib Sadr Lajna Imaillah Bangladesh.

Friday Sermon – Muhammad (sa): The great exemplar (7 July 2023)

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Friday Sermon – Muhammad (sa): The great exemplar (7 July 2023)

Friday Sermon

7 July 2023

Muhammadsa: The great exemplar

Mubarak Mosque

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

In the previous sermon, whilst mentioning an incident of the disbelievers of Mecca being overawed by the Muslims was related, it was stated that a disagreement between Abu Jahl and ‘Utbah ensued regarding the battle. Upon hearing the taunts of Abu Jahl, ‘Utbah declared that he would take part in the war and hence a battle commenced. In the details regarding this, it is written that ‘Utbah bin Rabi’ah set out, walking between his brother, Shaybah bin Rabi’ah, and his son, Waleed bin ‘Utbah. They crossed all the ranks and asked for a duel. (Ibn Hisham, Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, p. 246, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)

Hazrat Alira relates that ‘Utbah bin Rabi’ah stepped forward, followed by his son and brother, and asked who would fight him. Some young men from the Ansar [Muslims native to Medina] answered his call. ‘Utbah asked the Ansar who they were. They told him who they were. ‘Utbah replied to them: “We are not concerned with you! We only seek to fight our uncle’s sons.” Meaning that he only wanted to fight the Quraish, the people of Mecca and not the Ansar! He then loudly proclaimed: “O Muhammad! Send forth our equals from among our relatives in order to fight us!” Upon this, the Holy Prophetsa said: “O Hamzah, step forward! Arise, O Ali! Go forth, O ‘Ubaidah bin Harith!”

Hazrat Hamzahra was the paternal uncle of the Holy Prophetsa and Hazrat Ali and Hazrat ‘Ubaidah were his paternal cousins. Hazrat Alira says: “Hamza marched towards ‘Utbah, I advanced towards Shaybah. Hazrat ‘Ubaidah and Waleed fought each other fiercely, and both of them had wounded and weakened the other. Following our respective duels, we turned towards Waleed. We killed him and picked up Hazrat ‘Ubaidah and brought him back.” (Sunan Abu Da’ud, Kitab al-Jihad, Bad fi al-Mabarazah, Hadith 2665; Al-Lu’lu al-Maknun, Sirat Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 48, Maktabah Dar al-Islam, Riyad, 1433 AH)

Hazrat Hamzahra and Hazrat Alira had already killed their opponents. When Hazrat Hamzahra and Hazrat Alira  brought their companion, Hazrat ‘Ubaidah, back into their army, his foot had already been severed. When he came before the Holy Prophetsa, he said: “O Messengersa of Allah! Am I not a martyr?” The Holy Prophetsa replied: “You are certainly a martyr!” (Tarikh at-Tabari, Vol. 2, p. 32, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2012)

Hazrat ‘Ubaidah, the paternal cousin of the Holy Prophetsa, could not recover from these wounds and passed away on the journey back from Badr. (Sirat Khatamun Nabiyyin, p. 360)

Regarding Hazrat ‘Ubaidahra bin Harith, it is mentioned in a narration that when his foot was severed by the sword, his comrades carried him back. When he was brought to the Holy Prophetsa, he was placed beside him. The Holy Prophetsa placed his blessed foot under Hazrat ‘Ubaidah’sra foot and with an expression of love, ‘Ubaidah looked to the Holy Prophetsa and said: “O Messengersa of Allah! If Abu Talib were alive today, he would know that I am most entitled to his words.” Following this, he recited couplets of Abu Talib, the translation of which is as follows:

“By the House of Allah! You lied that Muhammadsa would be left alone. Until now, we have not even defended him with our spears or arrows. You have lied that we will hand him over to you. For this, you will have to walk over our corpses, a time when we would be heedless of even our own sons and daughters!” Hearing this, the Holy Prophetsa said: “I am a witness that indeed you are a martyr!” (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, pp. 35-36, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1993; Usd al-Ghabah, Vol. 3, p. 548, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya, Beirut)

There is mention of a prayer of Abu Jahl on this occasion. When the two armies faced one another, in other words when the full-scale battle was about to commence, Abu Jahl prayed, “O God, today, destroy the one among us who breaks the ties of kinship and speaks of that which we have never heard of.” (Sirat Ibn Hisham, p. 428, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)

In relation to this, the Promised Messiahas writes:

“During the Battle of Badr, a man named Amr bin Hisham – who later came to be known as Abu Jahl and was the chieftain and ringleader of the Quraish – prayed in the following words:

اللُٰھُمَّ مَنْ کَانَ مِنَّا اَفْسَدَ فِي الْقَوْمِ وَ اَقْطَعَ لِلرَّحْمِ فَاَحِنْہُ الْيَوُمِ

“‘O God, whoever among us (referring to himself and the Holy Prophetsa) in Your estimation is the most rebellious of our people, is causing disunity, and is becoming the means of breaking the ties of kinship by severing familial bonds and depriving the people of their rights, destroy him today.’

“What Abu Jahl meant by these words was that God forbid, the Holy Prophetsa was a mischief-maker, who has caused tensions among the people, and that he was unjustly creating discord within the religion of the Quraish, and that He had violated all the rights of the people and became the means of cutting ties of kinship. It seems that Abu Jahl was certain that, God forbid, the life of the Holy Prophetsa was unholy and impure. It was then that he made the heartfelt prayer, yet he was unable to live, perhaps even an hour after making this prayer and the wrath of God struck him and cut his head off in that very place. On the other hand, the one whose pure life he used to slander emerged from that battlefield victorious.” (Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 23, pp. 174-175)

Scenes of the battle have been described in one place as follows:

“Now, the field of battle was heated by bloodshed. Before the Muslims was a party three times their number, which had entered the field of battle, embellished with all kinds of military equipment, determined to erase all traces of Islam. The poor Muslims were fewer in number, less equipped and struck by shocks of poverty and exile, and as far as apparent means were concerned, they were prey of a few minutes before the people of Mecca. However, they had become intoxicated by the love of Divine Unity and Prophethood. Living faith is a power in comparison to which there is no greater power on earth, and it had instilled within them a supernormal strength. At that time, in the field of battle, they were displaying an unparalleled example of service to the faith. Every man would step ahead of the other, and seemed restless to offer his life for the sake of God. Hamzahra, Alira and Zubairra cut down rank upon rank.” (The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophetssa, Vol. 2, pp. 151-152)

It is recorded regarding the first martyr among the Muslims that Hazrat Mihjahra, the freed slave of Hazrat Umarra, was made a target of arrows and was thus martyred. He was the first among the Muslims to embrace martyrdom [in the battle]. Thereafter, Hazrat Harithah bin Suraqahra, a person from among the Bani Adiyy bin Najjar tribe, attained martyrdom. He was drinking water from a reservoir when an arrow was shot in his direction, which hit him in his neck, resulting in his martyrdom. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, p. 428, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)

Hazrat Anasra relates that Harithah bin Suraqah bin Harithra was martyred in the Battle of Badr whilst he was still in his youth. His mother, Rabi’ah bint Nazar, the aunt of Hazrat Anasra, went to the Holy Prophetsa and said, “O Messengersa of Allah, you know full well the regard I had for Harithahra. If he is in Paradise, I shall remain patient and hope for reward, but if it is anything other than this, then you will see what I shall do.” The Holy Prophetsa replied, “Alas! Have you gone mad? Is there only one paradise?” The Holy Prophetsa then said, “There are many paradises, and your son is in Jannah al-Firdaus.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazai, Bad Fazl Man Sahida Badran, Hadith 3982; Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 387, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

It is written in relation to the passion and resolve displayed by the Companions for Jihad, that the Holy Prophetsa said, “Whoever fights today with patience and deeming it a reward, without fleeing, God shall make them enter paradise.” When Umair bin Humam of the Banu Salamah heard this, he had some dates in hand, which he was eating at the time. Hearing this, he said, “How excellent is this! The only thing between me and paradise is if these people kill me.” He then picked up his sword and fought until he was martyred. Auf bin Harithra, son of Afra’, asked the Holy Prophetsa, “O Messengersa of Allah, what action of His servant pleases Allah Almighty?” He answered, “To slay an enemy without wearing armour.” Upon this, he removed all his armour and threw it away, and after slaying many disbelievers, he was martyred. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, p. 428, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)

In a narration of Sahih al-Bukhari regarding the killing of Abu Jahl, Hazrat Abdur Rahmanra bin Auf states, “I was standing in the rows during the Battle of Badr. When I looked around, I saw two young boys to my right and left, and their presence there did not leave me with a sense of security. I thought to myself, ‘These are young men or boys, how can they protect me?’ I did not feel safe. All of a sudden, one of them quietly asked me in a way so the other would not be able to hear, ‘Uncle, show me where Abu Jahl is.’ I replied, ‘My nephew, what have you got to do with Abu Jahl?’ He replied, ‘I have made an oath to Allah that if I find him, I shall kill him or be killed attempting it.’ Then, the other boy quietly asked me the same thing, in a way the other would not hear.”

Hazrat Abdur Rahmanra says, “It would have pleased me more to have two grown men in their place.” Meaning that despite their zeal and passion, he was not convinced and still desired two strong men to his left and right. He says, “I pointed towards Abu Jahl and told both of them. Immediately after hearing this, both of them pounced upon him like hawks and slayed him. These two boys were Mu’az and Mu’awwiz, the children of Afra’.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Hadith 3988; Umdah al-Qari, Vol. Al-Sabi’ Ashar, p. 132, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)

Hazrat Mu’azra states, “I heard people claim that no one would be able to get to Abu al-Hakam, and so I resolved that I would certainly attack him, hence, I leapt towards him and with a single strike of my sword, I cut his leg from the knee down. Ikrimah, his son, then attacked me and severed my hand so that it was only dangling by its skin. The entire day, I continued to fight in this state and when my pain exceeded, I placed my foot on my hand and tore it off.” (Tarikh at-Tabari, Vol. 2, p. 32, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2012)

Upon the conclusion of the battle, the Holy Prophetsa stood amongst the slain and began to search for Abu Jahl. When he could not find him, he prayed:

اللّٰھُمَّ لَا تُعْجِزُنِيْ فِرْعَوْنَ ھٰذِہِ الْاُمَّةِ

“O Allah! Do not allow me to suffer defeat against the Pharaoh of this ummah. Do not allow him to escape from here.”

Following this, people began to search for him and Hazrat Abdullahra bin Mas‘ud eventually found him. (Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Bab Zikr Maghaziyyah, Vol. 2, p. 236, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)

According to another narration, the Holy Prophetsa also prayed the following:

“O Allah! Do not allow him to escape from Your grip.” (Tarikh at-Tabari, Vol. 2, p. 36, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2012)

When the Holy Prophetsa ordered the people to find the body of Abu Jahl, Abdullahra bin Mas‘ud came across him whilst searching amongst those who had been slain. The Holy Prophetsa stated, “If you are not able to identify him, then you can recognise him by the wound mark on his knee. Once, on the occasion of a meal hosted by Abdullah bin Jud’an, I pushed Abu Jahl with such force that he fell on his knees and wounded his knee and the mark of the wound still remains on his knee. Ibn Mas‘ud states, “I managed to identify him by that very mark and at the time he was taking his final breaths. I placed my foot on his neck since he had tormented me a great deal in Mecca. I then said, ‘O enemy of God! Have you seen how God has humiliated you?’ Upon this, he said, ‘What is the reason for me to feel humiliated? So what if you manage to kill someone. There is nothing more to it. However, have you ever killed someone who possesses a loftier rank than me? Now, tell me, who was victorious in the battle?’”

Hazrat Abdullahra bin Mas‘ud states, “In his final moments, whilst I had my foot placed on his neck, Abu Jahl said to me, ‘O you lowly shepherd, you have set foot on a place where you should not have.’”

Abdullahra bin Mas‘ud states, “I then severed his head and brought it before the Holy Prophetsa and placed it at his feet and humbly submitted, ‘O Messengersa of Allah! This is the head of Abu Jahl, the enemy of God.’ Upon this, the Holy Prophetsa expressed his gratitude to God and said:

اللّٰہُ الَّذِي لَا اِلٰہَ غَيْرَہُ

‘Holy is He, Who has no partner.’”

This is a narration from Ibn Hisham. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, p. 433, Darl al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001; Sharh al-Zurqani, Vol. 2, p. 297, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut; Sirat Ibn Hisham (translated), Vol. 1, p. 447, Idarah Islamiyyat)

In another narration, when Hazrat Abdullahra bin Mas‘ud killed Abu Jahl, he came before the Holy Prophetsa and informed the Holy Prophetsa about Abu Jahl’s death. The Holy Prophetsa then walked alongside Hazrat Abdullahra bin Mas‘ud and stated, “By Allah, there is none worthy of worship except Him.” Abdullahra bin Mas‘ud also repeated the same that “By Allah, there is none worthy of worship except Him.” The Holy Prophetsa then stood beside the dead body of Abu Jahl and said, “O enemy of Allah! May all praise be to Allah, Who has humiliated you.” (Musnad Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 2, p. 165, Hadith 44242, Alam al-Kutub, Beirut, 1998)

Hazrat Qatadahra narrates that the Holy Prophetsa stated, “Every ummah has a Pharaoh and the Pharaoh of my ummah is Abu Jahl. Allah the Almighty caused him to be killed very severely. The two sons of Afra and angels brought him down and Abdullahra bin Mas‘ud put him to an end.” (Subul al-Huda wa al-Rashad, Vol. 4, p. 52, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1993.)

The Promised Messiahas states: 

“Abu Jahl has been described as Pharaoh, but in my view, he was far worse than Pharaoh because, after all, Pharaoh had proclaimed:

اٰمَنۡتُ اَنَّہٗ لَاۤ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا الَّذِيۡۤ اٰمَنَتۡ بِہٖ بَنُوۡۤا اِسۡرَآءِيۡلَ

“‘[…] I believe that there is no god but He in Whom the children of Israel believe…’ (Surah Yunus, Ch.10: V.91)

“However, Abu Jahl did not accept at all. All of the disorder in Mecca was owing to him. He was extremely arrogant, selfish and pretentious.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 4, p. 247)

The Promised Messiahas states:

“Just like Prophet Mosesas, the Holy Prophetsa also saved the pious people of his nation from the brutal and bloodthirsty people and he took them from Mecca to Medina just like Prophet Mosesas did. Abu Jahl, who was the Pharaoh of this ummah, perished on the battlefield of Badr.” (Tiryaq-ul-Quloob, Ruhani Khazain Vol. 15, o. 532

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states:

“On the occasion of Badr, when the disbelievers of Mecca came, they were convinced that now they would surely kill the Muslims. Abu Jahl stated that they would celebrate and drink lots of wine. They were determined not to return without killing the Muslims. However, Abu Jahl was killed by two youths of Medina – the disbelievers of Mecca would consider the people of Medina to be extremely lowly people and would refer to them as farmers (they thought that these people only know how to grow vegetables and cultivate land and are unacquainted with the art of warfare. Nevertheless, these two youths killed him) and he was made to endure such humiliation that even his final wish could not be fulfilled. It was a custom amongst the Arabs that if any leader was killed in battle, his head would be severed by striking him at the lower end of his neck, so it remained long and served as a sign that a leader had been slain. Abdullahra bin Mas‘ud found Abu Jahl whilst he was wounded and not moving at all. He asked him his condition and Abu Jahl replied that he was not sorrowful over anything except the fact that he had been killed by two farming children of Medina. Abdullahra then asked if he had any last wishes, to which he replied that his only wish was for his head to be severed from the lower end of his neck. Upon this, Abdullahra bin Mas‘ud stated that he would not even allow this wish of his to be fulfilled and fiercely cut his neck from just below his chin. What he thought was going to be an occasion of celebration became the occasion of his death and the alcohol he had consumed had not even been properly digested.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 1, p. 11)

With regards to the Holy Prophetsa thowing stones at the idolaters, it is written in Sahih al-Bukhari that when the Holy Prophetsa was in his tent praying, Hazrat Abu Bakrra held his hand and said, “O Messengersa of Allah! Please stop. You have prayed extensively before your Lord.” At the time, the Holy Prophetsa was wearing his chainmail and came out of his tent and was reciting:

سَيُہۡزَمُ الۡجَمۡعُ وَيُوَلُّوۡنَ الدُّبُرَ بَلِ السَّاعَةُ مَوۡعِدُہُمۡ وَالسَّاعَةُ اَدۡہٰي وَاَمَرّ

“The hosts shall soon be routed and will turn their backs in flight. Aye, the House is their appointed time; and the Hour will be most calamitous and bitter.” (Surah al-Qamar, Ch.54: V.46-47)

The details of this have been written in The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra as follows:

“Hence, be it Muhajirun or Ansar, both fought valiantly and sincerely. However, the enemy numbers and its strength in equipment proved to be an almost indestructible force, and the outcome of the war remained ambiguous for some time. The Holy Prophetsa was continuously engaged in fervent supplications, and his agony multiplied moment by moment. However, finally, after quite a long time, the Holy Prophetsa rose from prostration and stepped out of the tent, reciting the following Divine glad-tiding:

سَيُہۡزَمُ الۡجَمۡعُ وَيُوَلُّوۡنَ الدُّبُرَ

(The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophetssa, Vol. 2, p. 153)

In the commentary of the verse of Surah al-Anfal:

وَمَا رَمَيۡتَ اِذۡ رَمَيۡتَ وَلٰکِنَّ اللّٰہَ رَمٰي

(Surah al-Anfal, Ch.8: V.18)

Imam Razirh writes:

“When the Quraish launched an attack, the Holy Prophetsa prayed, ‘O Allah, the people of the Quraish have brought their horses and prized possessions in order to reject and deny Your Messenger. O Allah, I seek of You what You promised to me.’ Upon this, Gabriel appeared and said, ‘O Messengersa of Allah, take a handful of sand and cast it towards the disbelievers.’ When the two armies clashed, the Holy Prophetsa instructed Hazrat Alira to bring a handful of sand and pebbles from the valley, which he threw at the faces of the disbelievers, saying,

شَاھَتِ الْوُجُوْہُ

(That is, may their faces be ruined.) As a result, the disbelievers began to wipe their eyes and were ultimately defeated. Then, Allah the Almighty stated:

وَمَا رَمَيۡتَ اِذۡ رَمَيۡتَ وَلٰکِنَّ اللّٰہَ رَمٰي

That is, ‘It was not you who threw the handful of sand, for your throw would only have the impact of a human throw. In truth, it was Allah who threw it, owing to which the sand entered their eyes.’ Although the Holy Prophetsa carried out the act of throwing, its impact manifested through Allah the Almighty.” (Imam Razi, Tafsir al-Kabir, Vol. 8, p. 112, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2004)

Whilst describing events from this battle, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra writes:

“Stepping out of his tent, the Holy Prophetsa cast a glance in all four directions to find the field of battle heated by bloodshed. At that time, the Holy Prophetsa took a handful of sand and pebbles and threw them towards the disbelievers, and fervently called out:

شَاھَتِ الْوُجُوْہُ

“‘May their faces be ruined.’

“Then, the Holy Prophetsa called out to the Companions to launch a sudden attack. When the voice of their Beloved Master reached their ears, they raised a slogan of God’s Greatness, and pushed forward with an instant assault. On the other hand, the Holy Prophetsa had only just thrown a handful of sand when a gust of wind began to fill the eyes, mouths and noses of the disbelievers with pebbles. The Holy Prophetsa said,‘This is an army of God’s angels who have come to support us with divine succour.’ In some narrations, it has also been related that at the time, some people even saw these angels. In any case, chieftains like ‘Utbah, Shaibah and Abu Jahl, had already been mixed to dust. As a result of this instant attack by the Muslims and the sudden gust of wind, the Quraish began to lose strength, and panic quickly erupted in the army of the Quraish. The field of battle was cleared in no time.” (The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophetssa, Vol 2, pp. 153-154)

The Promised Messiahas states:

“At this level of communion with God, sometimes humans are able to carry out such actions that are beyond human capabilities and take on Divine strength and colour. For instance, our master and leader of all Prophets, the Seal of Prophets, peace be upon him, threw a handful of pebbles upon disbelievers during the Battle of Badr, and that handful of pebbles was not thrown by means of prayer but through his own spiritual strength. However, that handful of pebbles manifested with Godly force and fell upon the enemy forces in such a miraculous way that there was none among them whose eyes had not been impacted; they all became as though they were blind and were overcome by astonishment and anguish, causing them to run senselessly. It is this miracle to which Allah, the Almighty, alludes to in this verse[…] that is, ‘When you threw that handful, it was not you that threw it, but God Almighty Who threw it.’ In other words, Divine power manifested covertly. This was not the result of mere human strength.” (A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 5, p. 65)

Nonetheless, within a short amount of time, the idolaters showed signs of failure and frustration. Their ranks were in disarray due to the vehement attacks of the Muslims. They began to panic and run about. The Muslims pursued and defeated them. Regarding the strong passion and zeal of Hazrat Sa‘dra in his opposition to the disbelievers, it is recorded that when the enemy finally admitted defeat and threw down their weapons, the Companions began capturing the disbelievers. Upon this, the Holy Prophetsa saw displeasure in Hazrat Sa‘d’sra expression. In other words, he was looking towards the Muslims’ course of action with displeasure. The Holy Prophetsa addressed Hazrat Sa‘dra and said, “O Sa‘d, it seems as though you are dissatisfied with imprisoning the idolaters.” Hazrat Sa‘dra submitted, “Indeed, O Messengersa of Allah. This is our first battle and victory against the idolaters, and in my opinion, it is better to kill as many of them as possible as opposed to keeping them alive.” (Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 2, p. 230, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)

He expressed that he did not wish to imprison them, rather, he desired to kill them all.

Regarding angels descending during the Battle of Badr, Allah the Almighty states in the Holy Quran:

اِذۡ تَسۡتَغِيۡثُوۡنَ رَبَّکُمۡ فَاسۡتَجَابَ لَکُمۡ اَنِّيۡ مُمِدُّکُمۡ بِاَلۡفٍ مِّنَ الۡمَلٰٓئِکَةِ مُرۡدِفِيۡنَ

“When you implored the assistance of your Lord, and He answered you, saying, ‘I will assist you with a thousand of the angels, following one another.’” (Surah al-Anfal, Ch.8: V.10)

The Holy Prophetsa has also testified to the fact that angels descended during the Battle of Badr. On the day that the Battle of Badr took place, the Holy Prophetsa said, “Behold Gabriel! He is holding the reins of his horse and is equipped with weapons of warfare.” Many narrations of the Companions recorded in Sirat Ibn Hisham confirm that angels descended during the Battle of Badr. (Da’irah Ma`arif-e-Sirat Muhammad Rasulullah(sa), Vol. 6, p. 214, Bazm Iqbal Lahore, April 2022)

There are many narrations by the Companions pertaining to this. The angel Gabriel appeared before the Holy Prophetsa and said, “Among the Muslims, how do you rank those who were present at Badr?” The Holy Prophetsa replied, “They are the best Muslims,” or a statement of this nature. Gabriel replied, “In the same manner, those angels are the most superior who participated in the Battle of Badr.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bad Shuhood al-Mala’ikah Badran, Hadith 3992)

One biographer has also recorded a narration of Hazrat Ibn Abbasra, who states, “A man from the Banu Ghaffar told me the following: ‘My paternal cousin and I climbed a mountain from which we could see the battlefield of Badr. We were idolaters and were waiting to see who would face defeat so that we could join those who plunder. Whilst we were on that mountain, a cloud drew near to us. From it, we could hear the sound of horses neighing. Then I heard a voice that called out, saying, “O Haizum, move forward.” Upon hearing that voice, my paternal cousin’s heart ruptured, and he died there and then. As for me, I too was near death, however, I was able to hold myself together.’” (Sirat Ibn Hisham, p. 431, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)

Sohail bin ‘Amr, who was a disbeliever at the time, says, “On the day of the Battle of Badr, I saw people [dressed] in white, riding black and white spotted horses. They were between the heavens and the earth and were killing and capturing the people of the Quraish.” Thus, it was not only the Muslims who witnessed angels during the Battle of Badr, but the disbelievers saw them also. (Da’irah Ma`arif-e-Sirat Muhammad Rasulullahsa, Vol. 6, p. 215, Bazm Iqbal Lahore, April 2022)

Abu Usaid Malik bin Rabi’ah, who was present during the Battle of Badr, narrates an incident after he had lost his vision. He said, “Had I been at Badr today and I still had my vision (when he said this, he had already lost his vision, but he was relating something about Badr when he was still able to see and he witnessed the Battle of Badr with his own eyes) then I would certainly have shown you the valley where the angels came out from. I have no doubt or confusion about this.”

Abu Da’ud Ma’zani, who was present at the Battle of Badr, narrates, “No doubt, on the day of Badr, I chased after a disbeliever in order to attack him, when all of a sudden, I saw that his head was severed before my sword even reached him. I realised that someone else had killed him.”

Hazrat Abdullahra bin Abbas narrates that on the day of Badr, the angels could be recognised by their white turbans with the ends hanging on their backs, while on the day of Hunain, they were recognised by their red turbans. Hazrat Alira narrates that the turban is an Arab’s crown, and on the day of Badr, the angels could be recognised by their white turbans, which were hanging on their backs, but Gabriel was wearing a yellow turban.

Hazrat Ibn Abbasra narrates that the angels did not fight in any battle aside from the Battle of Badr. They participated in other battles only to increase numbers and help, however, they would not actually fight anyone. (SIrat Ibn Hisham, pp. 431-432, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)

This narration is from Sirat Ibn Hisham.

Some people think that the descending of angels was only for the believers as a form of glad tidings and to give them comfort, otherwise, the angels did not actively take part in the war. This thought contradicts authentic narrations. It is proven through authentic narrations that the angels actively took part in the battle. However, the issue arises that if a single angel would have been enough to help, then why did thousands of angels descend? After citing the narrations from Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim about angels descending during the battle, Imam Ibn Kathir writes, “The angels being sent by Allah and the Muslims being informed of this was a form of glad tidings, otherwise, Allah could have helped the Muslims against the disbelievers even without this. This is why He has stated that help comes only from Allah and in Surah Muhammad Allah says that if He desired, he could have taken retribution from the disbelievers Himself, if He so desired. However, He tries people.” (Da’irah Ma‘arif-e-Sirat Muhammad Rasulullah(sa), Vol. 6, pp. 218-219, Bazm Iqbal Lahore, April 2022)

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states:

“During the Battle of Badr, God Almighty manifested Himself from the clouds. In other words, the battle had not yet started when it rained, which caused the disbelievers great loss and rendered the believers great benefit from the standpoint of war. Then, in order to help the believers and to establish their awe over the disbelievers, the angels also descended upon the hearts. In fact, during the Battle of Badr, there were many disbelievers who saw them with their own eyes, and in accordance with a matter decreed, the Arab chieftains were killed one by one.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 2, p. 458)

Similarly, in Tafsir-e-Saghir in the explanatory note under Surah Aal-e-Imran verse 127 it is written:

“The only reason angels have been mentioned is that when a person receives glad tidings in a dream or a vision, it increases their resolve, otherwise, the actual message was that God would help them.” (Tafsir-e-Saghir, p. 96, Surah Aal-e-Imran, V. 127)

In any case, this was a vision with appeared as reality and was seen by others, even the non-Muslims.

The Promised Messiahas writes about this in at-Tabligh, which is a part of A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam which is in Arabic. The Arabs sometimes say that when I read longer passages, it poses difficulties for them in translation, and so I try to also read out the Arabic. The Promised Messiahas states:

وَ قَدْ جَرَتْ عَادَتُہٗ وَ سُنَّتُہٗ اَنَّہٗ يَخْتَارُ الْاِخْفَاءَ وَالْکَتْمَ فِي وَاقِعَاتٍ قَضَتْ حِکْمَتُہٗ اِخَفَاءَ ھَا وَ يَخْلُقُ الْاَھْوَاءَ فَتَحْشُرُ الْآرَاءُ اِلٰي جِھَاتٍ أُخْرٰي۔ وَ إِذَا أَرَادَ اِخْفَاءَ صُوْرَةِ نَفْسٍ وَاقِعَةٍ فَرُبَّمَا يَرٰي فِي تِلْکَ الْمَوَاضِعِ الْوَاقِعَةَ الْکَبِيْرَةَ صَغِيْرَةً مَھُوْنَةً ‘ وَالْوَاقِعَةَ الصَّغِيْرَةَ الْمَسْنُوْنَةَ کَبِيْرَةً نَادِرَةً وَالوَاقِعَةَ الْمُبَشَّرَةَ مُخَوَّفَةً وَالْوَاقِعَةَ الْمُخَوَّفَةَ مُبَشَّرَةً ۔ فَھٰذِہٖ أَرْبَعَةُ أَقْسَامٍ مِنَ الْوَاقِعَاتِ مِنْ سُنَنِ اللّٰہِ کَمَا مَضٰي۔ أَمَّا الْوَاقِعَةُ الْکَبِيْرَةُ الْعَظِيْمِةُ الَّتِي اَرَادَ اللّٰہُ اَنْ يُرِيَھَا صَغِيْرَةً حَقِيْرَةً فَنَظِيْرُھَا فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَاقِعَةُ بَدْرٍ لِمَنْ يَتَدَبَّرُ وَ يَرٰي۔ فَاِنَّ اللّٰہَ قَلَّلَ اَعْدَاءَ الْاِسْلَامِ بِبَدْرٍ فِي مَنَامِ رَسُوْلِہٖ لِيُذْھِبَ الرَّوْعَ عَنْ قُلُوْبِ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ وَ يَقْضِيَ مَا أَرَادَ مِنَ الْقَضَاءِ۔ وَ أَمَّا الْوَاقِعَةُ الَّتِي اَرَادَ اللّٰہُ اَنْ يُرِيَھَا  کَبِيْرَةً نَادِرَةً فَنَظِيْرُھَا فِي الْقُرْآنِ بِشَارَةُ مَدَدِ الْمَلَائِکَةِ کَيْ تَقَرَّ قُلُوْبُ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَ لَا تَأْخُذَھُمْ خِيَفَةٌ فِيْ ذَالِکَ الْمَأْوٰي۔ فَاِنَّہٗ  تَعَالٰي وَعَدَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ لِلْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَ بَشَّرَھُمْ بِأَنَّہٗ يُمِدُّھُمْ بِخَمْسَةِ آلَافٍ مِنَ الْمَلَائِکَةِ وَ مَا جَعَلَ ھٰذَا الْعَدَدَ الْکَثِيْرَ إِلَّا لَھُمْ بُشْرٰي۔ لِاَنَّ فَرْدًا مِنَ الْمَلَائِکَةِ يَقْدِرُ بِاِذْنِ رَبِّہٖ  عَلٰي اَنْ يَّجْعَلَ عَالِي الْاَرْضِ سَافِلَھَا فَمَا کَانَ حَاجَةٌ اِلٰي خَمْسَةِ آلَافٍ بَلْ اِلٰي خَمْسَةٍ وَلٰکِنَّ اللّٰہَ شَاءَ اَنْ يُّرِيَھُمْ نُصْرَةً عَظِيْمَةؐ فَاخْتَارَ لَفْظًا يَفْھَمُ مِنْ ظَاھِرِہٖ کَثْرَةُ الْمُمِدِّيْنَ وَ اَرَادَ مَا اَرَادَ مِنَ الْمَعْنِيْ۔ ثُمَّ نَبَّہَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ بَعْدَ فَتْحِ بَدْرٍ اَنَّ عِدَّةَ الْمَلَائِکَةِ مَا کَانَتْ مَحْمُوْلَةٌ عَلٰي ظَاھِرِ اَلْفَاظِھَا بَلْ کَانَتْ مُؤَوَّلَةً بِتَأْوِيْلٍ يَعْلَمُہُ اللّٰہُ بِعِلْمِہِ الْأَرْفَعِ وَالْاَعْلٰي۔ وَ فَعَلَ کَذَالِکَ لِتَطْمَئِنَّ قُلُوْبُھُمْ بِھٰذِہِ الْبُشْرٰي وَ يَزِيْدَھُمْ حُسْنَ الظَّنِّ وَالرِّجَاءِ۔

The translation is as follows:

“It has always been Allah the Almighty’s practice and custom to keep those matters hidden that require the wisdom behind them to remain hidden and where the people’s desires and opinions are contrary to the reality at hand. Sometimes, He shows a great incident to appear small and insignificant or expresses a small incident to appear grand and extraordinary. Sometimes He makes an incident of glad tidings appear as a warning, or a warning to appear as a glad tiding. These are the four types of incidents which continue according to the practice of Allah the Almighty. There was the great incident of Badr, which Allah the Almighty desired to make appear as if it were a minor and insignificant matter. Hence, whosoever desires to, should ponder and open their eyes. On the occasion of Badr, Allah showed the Holy Prophetsa a dream in which the enemies of Islam seemed smaller in number, so that the Muslims would not fear them and so that Allah’s desire would come to fruition. Then, that which Allah desired to appear grand and extraordinary had been likened in the Holy Quran to the glad tidings of the help of angels, in order to ease the hearts of the believers and so that they would have no fear during the battle. Hence, in the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty promised the believers and gave them the glad tiding that He would grant them help with five thousand angels. This help was expressed to be greater so that it may be a form of glad tidings for them, even though a single angel holds the power to destroy the earth upon the command of his Lord. Hence, there was no actual need for five, let alone five thousand. However, Allah the Almighty desired to manifest His mighty help, and so He used such words that expressed the great number of those rendering help and this is exactly what was meant. Then, after the victory of Badr, he informed the believers that the number of angels was not limited to mere words, rather its actual meaning was that which Allah the Almighty, the Most High and Exalted, knows. Allah did this so that through this glad tiding, He may grant their hearts ease and increase their positive thinking and hope.” (At-Tabligh, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 5, pp. 447-449)

Regarding the defeat suffered by the disbelievers, it is written that after a short while the disbelieving army began to show signs of defeat and helplessness when the open warfare began. Their ranks were completely upended by the fierce attacks of the Muslims. The battle was almost over, as was mentioned earlier, and the disbelievers retreated in an unorganised manner and it turned into a stampede. The Muslims followed them, killing them, striking them and capturing them until they meted out a resounding defeat. (Al-Rahiq al-Makhtum (Translated), p. 299, Al-Maktabah al-Salafiyyah, Lahore, 2000)

In one narration it is mentioned that this battle was a humiliating defeat for the idolaters and a manifest victory for the Muslims. In this battle, 14 Muslims were martyred; six from the Muhajirun and eight from the Ansar. In contrast, the idolaters suffered a heavy defeat; 70 of their men were killed and 70 were captured, most of whom were the prominent chieftains and leaders [of the Quraish]. (Al-Rahiq al-Makhtum (Translated), p. 306, Al-Maktabah al-Salafiyyah, Lahore, 2000)

The Companions who were martyred in the Battle of Badr numbered 14 in total, as mentioned before, six of them were from the Muhajirun and eight were from among the Ansar. The name of the Muhajirun were: Ubaidah bin Harith bin Muttalib, Umair bin Abu Waqqas, Dhu al-Shimalain, i.e. Umair bin Abd Amr, Aaqil bin Bukair, Mihja, the freed slave of Umar bin al-Khattab, and Safwan bin Baida. The martyrs from among the Ansar were: Sa‘d bin Khaithamah, Mubashir bin Abdul Munzir, Yazid bin Harith, Umair bin Humam, Rafi bin al-Mu’alla, and Harithah bin Suraqah.

Among the idolaters 70 men were killed, the majority of whom were the chieftains of the Quraish. The prominent names of those who were killed are as follows: Hanzalah bin Abu Sufyan, Harith bin Hadrami, Ahmar bin Hadrami, Ubaid bin Sa’id bin al-Aas, Aas bin Sa’id bin al-Aas, Uqba bin Abi Mu’it, Utbah bin Rabi’ah, Shaibah bin Rabi’ah, Walid bin Utbah bin Rabi’ah, Harith bin Aamir Abul Bakhtari, Aas bin Hisham, Nadr bin Harith, Abul Aas bin Qais, Aas bin Hisham has been mentioned twice or they are two separate people, Umayyah bin Khalaf, Abu Jahl, whose name was Amr bin Hisham. The majority of these people were those who would inflict harm on the Muslims and the Holy Prophetsa in Mecca. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, p. 476-480, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001; Kitab al-Maghazai li al-Waqidi, Vol. 1, p. 145, Aalam al-Kutub, Beirut, 1984)

God-willing, the remaining accounts will be mentioned in the future.

I would like to draw your attention towards offering prayers. Pray for the Muslims of Palestine; may Allah create ease for them, support the oppressed, and grant them leaders, who fulfil their rights, rightfully guide them and strive to save them from injustices. They are having to endure extreme oppression and it seems as if there is no one to take care of them and guide them. If the Muslims become united, they can avert these difficulties. Similarly, in Sweden and in some other countries, the wrongdoers have been given permission to do whatever they wish in the name of “freedom of speech and religion”. Through this, day in and day out, they are perpetrating acts that hurt the sentiments of Muslims.

Their actions are absolutely despicable; they dishonour the Holy Quran or use abusive language against the Holy Prophetsa. Allah the Almighty is the One Who can seize them. Even for this, the Muslim governments are at fault, because owing to their disunity and quarrels, the anti-Islamic organisations carry out these wrongful acts. If there is a response from the Muslims, it is only temporary and even then it is ineffective. Thus, pray earnestly for the leaders of the Muslim world and the Muslim ummah, there is a great need for this. There is also a dire situation in France where Muslims are being targeted. The response by the Muslims is also wrong, as are those who are assisting them.

Nothing will be achieved through disorder and violence. The Muslims need to act in accordance to the Islamic teachings. Only when their words and deeds are in accordance with the Islamic teachings, will they attain any kind of success. In any case, we can only pray; thus, pray especially for the Muslim world and for the world in general as well that may Allah the Almighty protect everyone from injustices, establish peace and harmony in the world and enable everyone to understand the importance of fulfilling the rights of one another. Otherwise, as I have mentioned many times that the world is heading towards huge destruction. May Allah the Almighty grant His mercy.

Similarly, pray for the Ahmadis in Pakistan; may Allah the Almighty protect them from every kind of evil. In France, although it appears that there are a lot of protests taking place in support of the young boy who was killed, in reality, the reaction of the people there is such that I have heard that the fund-raising campaign was carried out for both the boy who was killed and the police officer who was arrested. The campaign for the boy has only raised 200,000 euros, whereas, for the police officer, regarding whom they have said that they will take action against and even the government has issued statements to this effect, they have raised over a million euros for him. May Allah the Almighty grant mercy, enable the people to act with justice and also enable the Muslims to become united.

(Official Urdu published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 24 to 29 July 2023, pp. 5-10. Translated by The Review of Religions.)

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