This series of articles focuses on the early pioneering African-American men and women who converted to Islam Ahmadiyyat. They established mosques, missions and propagated their faith tirelessly across America between the 1920s and 1970s. Each article is a snapshot in time which focuses on a city and some of the converts.
Dr Talha Sami, UK
“[In Chicago] We went skating with the missionary. Everybody would go. All the members would go to museums and picnics. We were like a family.” (Sister Nycemah Amin-Yacub)
Rashid Ahmad American recalls what life was like in Chicago when he moved there in 1945. He related numerous accounts when he was a non-Muslim about the street life, decades before he studied in Rabwah, Pakistan. He said prostitution and theft would be common ways to earn money without working (Perseverance, pp. 13-14) and one neighbourhood was even called a “bucket of blood”.
On the flipside he discussed his own run-ins with the law where the racism of the Chicago police department was prevalent – he cites the example of Two Gun Pete Washington who served on Chicago southside from 1934 to 1960 – it is reported that during this time, he killed more than a dozen black men. (Ibid, p. 15)
Amongst all this, there had been a plethora of black movements based in Chicago during this time:
1. Mr F Hammurabi Robb came to the southside and began “The Negro” in Chicago, in the late 1920s
2. Mr Hammurabi directed the “Worldwide Friends for Africa” (also known as the House of Knowledge) in the 1930s
3. “Th e Peace Movement of Ethiopia” was established in 1932 in Chicago; it had Garveyite tendencies and a back-to-Africa approach
4. “The Pacific Movement of the Eastern World” was founded in Chicago in 1932 which supported the Japanese military but aimed to secure black equality at the same time. One of its key members was Major Satoka Takahashi who maintained close ties with the Nation of Islam and Moorish Science Temple of America. His first appearance was at the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) at the Chicago meeting in 1932. He was forced out of the USA on 20April 1934. He was responsible for “The Development of Our Own, Pacific Movement of the Eastern World” and the “Onward Movement of America”. One by one, all these movements fell to the wayside. (Satokata Takahashi and the Flowering of Black Messianic Nationalism, The Black Scholar, pp. 23-46)
5. In 1939, the “Colored American National Organisation” was established in Chicago
Sunni orthodoxy had not been well preserved in the Midwest during the 20th century. In Ross, North Dakota, Lebanese Muslims organised prayers in the 1900s, but only by 1930 did they decide to build a mosque – by 1940, a few people were using it and it was torn down in 1970. In Cedar Rapids, Iowa the first prayer meetings were in 1920 in a rented hall but the building was completed in 1934. Mistakenly, it has often become known as the first “mother mosque” of America. (American Islam: Growing Up Muslim in America, p. 57)
The foundations of Islam in America had actually been laid by Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra, the Ahmadi missionary. It was reported by The Chicago Daily Tribune that there were 2,000 members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the United States by the 1930s. (Chicago Daily Tribune, 26 October 1930)
The Chicago Herald Examiner stated:
“… approximately 1,000 Moslems are said to live in Chicago. 20,000 are scattered throughout the country”.
In the early 1930s, a congregation was led by the Ahmadi Muslim converts. The legacy of the chapter at this time was that it was 98% American converts; this was something that had been left by the Mufti. He had started, through the grace of Allah, a wave of American converts to Islam.
One of these converts included African-American convert, Omar Khan, who was converted by Sufi Muti-ur-Rahman Bengalee Sahib and then went on to be the president of his chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. Other notable converts were also brother Noor-ud-Din and Muhammad Ahmad, the latter a Caucasian. Catherine Uber was another convert. All of them were given prominent roles and spoke at different functions of the community. (Early Ahmadi Converts of North America [Thesis], pp. 85-87)
A historic photograph of early members of the United States Ahmadiyya Community with missionary Sufi Muti-ur-Rahman Bengalee Sahib seated in the middle, 1946
Nur-ul-Islam, who was the distinguished sadr (president) of Chicago for 20 years and Hameeda Khatun Chambers, who served the Chicago chapter tirelessly, were two prominent early converts. They both came from strict, strong Christian backgrounds, but ultimately became zealous preachers of Ahmadiyyat.
Nur-ul-Islam
“His most outstanding quality was his passion for tabligh. He had a strong emphasis on praying five times a day.” (Nycemah Yacub-Ameen)
Nur-ul-Islam was born in Georgia on 22 August 1908 as Timothy Titus Smith. He was the son of Samuel Smith and was a middle child of 11 children. His parents were first cousins. His father was a Baptist minister. They were quite well-off, having 300 acres of land and a huge house. They had a house of seven gables. Unfortunately, their wealth was short-lived; at the age of around 20, he was ironing his slacks, getting ready to go on a date, when their house caught fire. The family instantly became homeless and then relocated to Chicago, Illinois.
This was the time when they first heard about the Ahmadiyya Movement through another person, known only as Gibbs. The latter attended the meetings but never signed any of the allegiance paperwork. Timothy formally joined the Ahmadiyya movement in 1932 or 1933 under the tenure of Bengalee Sahib (Women Pioneers of Ahmadiyya USA [unpublished], p. 105).
Shortly after, he met his wife in 1934, who became an Ahmadi Muslim later. Mary Ethel Skyles, his wife, took the name Naima, when she converted whilst Timothy took the name Nur al-Islam. He was a tenacious individual; he said he could not marry her until she joined the Ahmadiyya movement. They were formally married in 1935.
Like so many others, Nur-ul-Islam had the challenges of dealing with his family when he accepted the Ahmadiyya community. His 10 brothers and sisters thought of them as strange, as did his in-laws. They would also disrespect him and taunt him. Once, a jibe was made about his beard, to which he responded, “Jesus had a beard; what about that?” The response ended any further verbal abuse.
His own family did not take his conversion so well. His minister father tried to dissuade him from his past culminating in many painful discussions. Eventually, one day, he told his father, “If you promise to stand before God and answer for me on the Day of Judgement, I will leave Islam and return to a Baptist Church”. Their response was, “Boy, you know I can’t do that”. That ended the debate.
He was a hard-working man and worked two jobs. Sometimes he would work 16 hours a day in a steel mill. He was very committed and involved in the propagation of Islam. Their daughter recalls that “she always said, ‘Whatever I can do, you can do’.”
Ahmadiyya headquarters, Chicago 4448 Wabash Avenue, 1922
Nur-ul-Islam was very passionate about tabligh; this should be no surprise given his evangelical background. He would do his best and had many different methods – for example, he would regularly give out leaflets. At other times, he would take certain routes when driving just to give people lift s so he could propagate Islam. During these discussions, he was very insistent about Jesusas dying on the cross. Those that usually accepted his argument would have an intellectual bent. He was sadr of Chicago for approximately 20 years. He was re-elected over and over. He loved being in the mosque and offering services.
His daughter recalled that not a day, week, month or year passed in which he ever missed his Jamaat duties. Such was his dedication that once, he was crippled over in pain, but still made it to the mosque. During the meeting, he collapsed and was carried away by an ambulance to hospital where he stayed for one week with a bleeding ulcer. Eventually, his family relented; two of his sisters and one brother joined the community, remaining so until their death. When Liaquat Ali Khan (first prime minister of Pakistan) visited the USA, he was extended a welcome and greetings from the Ahmadiyya Community. He acknowledged this in a letter to Nur-ul-Islam (“Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam”, Ahmadiyya Gazette, June 1950, Vol. 1, no. 4, p. 11)
“In Nur-ul-Islam’s house the training was: you say your five daily prayers, you attend the mosque a minimum of once a week and as a teenager, you fast during the month of Ramadan. During one period of his life, Nur-ul-Islam was a welder working in the steaming hot steel mills 16 hours a day and yet he fasted. His children, whom he gave a quarter a week allowance, had to give him 10 cents back for chanda.” (Nycemah Yacub-Amin, Memories of Nur-ul-Islam, Interview with missionary Mahmood Kausar)
Hameeda Khatun Chambers
“She was seasoned in the fi re of sacrifice and commitment [and] had prayed and persevered alone. She had remained active in the cause of God.” (Dhul Waqar Yacub)
Irene Smith was born on 16 April 1910 and was 12 years old when her family crossed the border of Albany, Georgia heading west to Chicago. She was the daughter of a staunch Baptist minister. Like Nur-ul-Islam, she too was raised in a strict Christian environment with regular attendance at church as a necessity. This level of consciousness was ingrained from an early age. Her first introduction to the Movement was through her brother who had been a Muslim for 10 years. She attended the mission house for 30 consecutive nights during the holy month of Ramadan. She had heard the call to prayer in a movie many years earlier and felt that this had resonated upon her.
By 1946, she was captivated and she signed the allegiance form and entered Islam Ahmadiyyat. She had numerous administrative offices in Chicago and within Lajna Imaillah, she was Lajna president from 1965 to 1968. She was steady and focused in her eff orts for more than 50 years and held various administrative offices within the Chicago chapter and Lajna Imaillah.
In 1986, she wrote to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh saying that she was sick and was a pensioner and could not afford to pay the obligatory contributions (chanda). Huzoorrh responded, “I do not want you to stop paying this because I don’t want you to stop receiving blessings”.
Huzoorrh also wrote a letter to Sheikh Mubarak Ahmad Sahib with the letter attached. He further wrote “I am surprised such devout people have been neglected” and then instituted a scheme where the community began to send her $300 regularly. (Early Ahmadi Converts of North America [Thesis], p. 17)
Hameeda Khatun’s financial contributions were exemplary. She contributed to 27 of the fundraising drives throughout the organisation. During the 1970s, she was single-handedly responsible for keeping payments up to date on the Sadiq Mosque, ensuring the utility bills were paid and processed incoming mail. Hameeda Khatun died in January 2000 at the age of 90. (Women Pioneers of Ahmadiyya USA [unpublished], p. 10)
Being a Waqif-e-Nau, I have always tried to be up-to-date, as much as possible, with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih’saa latest instructions. Huzoor’s addresses and public speeches – and indeed the kind advice he often gives to people who have crossed his blessed path – are all treasures of information that I keep preciously.
As I am passionate about economic and financial issues, the instructions and words of our beloved khalifa in this regard have always created a large degree of enthusiasm and a strong desire in me to expand my exploration of the specific points that Huzooraa underlines.
Not everyone knows that our beloved leader obtained a master’s degree in agricultural economics at the University of Faisalabad in 1977. I do not have the exact details of his course at university, but one thing is certain: when Huzooraa served the community for eight years in Ghana, he successfully grew wheat for the first time in Ghana while he was the supervisor of the Ahmadiyya Agricultural Farm in Depali.
So, what could have been Huzoor’s economical mantra? The answer may lie in the following words:
“When I studied Economics, our professors used to repeat the maxim of ‘Minimum resource, maximum utility’, and that is what we should always seek to achieve in our Jamaat as well.’” (Huzoor’s Tour of Germany – Part 2, April 2017, p. 56, www.pressahmadiyya.com/wpcontent/uploads/2017/01/Germany-April2017-part-2.pdf)
Upon realising that Huzooraa used this maxim frequently, I became curious as to its underlying meaning. While I began to look into this further, I almost instantaneously understood that there was in fact a deep Islamic wisdom behind it. If Huzooraa succeeded in planting and harvesting wheat for the first time in Ghana despite tough circumstances and it never happening before, out of sheer love for us, Huzooraa is now trying to plant the seeds of taqwa in our hearts.
Trust and transparency
When we think about this maxim, we realise it echoes to all those persons who are entrusted with administration, and particularly those who manage the funds of the community. Among the issues discussed in every Jamaat, the annual budget is of paramount importance. As the community’s funds are entirely based on the financial sacrifices of the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa has said that the economic principle of “minimum resource, maximum utility” should always be kept in mind.
Huzooraa also adds that the spirit with which financial sacrifices have been made should never be forgotten:
“At all times, the office-bearers or those who allocate or spend the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s money should keep in mind the spirit with which the funds have been collected. Often, Ahmadis set aside their own personal needs and requirements and put themselves in difficulty so that the needs of our Community can be fulfilled … If Ahmadi Muslims are making such earnest sacrifices and tolerating personal adversity for the sake of Allah’s Community, then the office-bearers and those who produce the budget must pay great attention to ensuring that every single penny is utilised extremely carefully and accounted for.’” (Majlis-e-Shura UK, 2018, London, www.alislam.org/articles/majlis-e-shura-uk-2018/)
The first Islamic teaching we can perceive here is that when a person is made responsible for a specific task, they are answerable and accountable to the one who entrusted them with those responsibilities. Man must not consider himself unaccountable just because of his material wealth or position that he is given in this world. Every office-bearer must always remember that the most basic and fundamental aspect of any position is that it is a trust, and that God will hold them accountable for their actions:
“Verily, Allah commands you to give over the trusts to those entitled to them, and that, when you judge between men, you judge with justice. And surely excellent is what Allah admonishes you with! Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.” (Surah al-Nisa, Ch.4: V.59)
It will have escaped no one that Huzooraa, out of boundless benevolence, keeps in view the sacrifices of every single member of the community. He also said one occasion that the finance of the community must remain “transparent” and that the members have a right to know how the community spends the money collected. (Huzoor’s Tour of Germany & Belgium – Part 2, 2018, pp. 64- 65: www.pressahmadiyya.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Germany-Belgium-2018-Part-2.pdf)
Huzooraa is reminding us that related to the concept of social accountability is the principle of full disclosure. Several verses of the Quran refer to “relevance”, and information is relevant from an Islamic point of view only when it includes the attribute of truth – fair and accurate disclosure of the matters at hand. (Surah al-Nisa, Ch.4: V.136)
Simple lifestyle
Secondly, this maxim also corresponds to another important teaching of the Holy Quran that would be beneficial for everyone to follow in their daily lives. Indeed, the current economic world order has brought a degree of prosperity for some segments of society in different parts of the world. However, the damaging consequences of this order prevail over its productivity. It has produced a society which believes and practices a wasteful and extravagant lifestyle rather than a moderate and frugal life that is desired by our Creator:
“And give to the kinsman his due, and to the poor and the wayfarer, and squander not thy wealth extravagantly. Verily, the extravagant are brothers of satans; and Satan is ungrateful to his Lord.” (Surah Bani Isra‘il, Ch.17: V.27-28)
“And those who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor niggardly but adopt a moderate position in the middle.” (Surah al-Furqan, Ch.25: V. 68)
Defining extravagance, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra says:
“Islam does not stop us from spending money on people’s genuine needs. It only restricts individuals from wasteful expenditures that come about by neglecting the rights of public at-large. If a multi-storey building is built with hundreds of offices for the use of thousands of people, it is a legitimate expense. However, if an individual builds a house with large number of rooms to show off his wealth, then that expenditure would be considered extravagant and not legitimate in Islam. Such a person would be answerable before God on the day of judgement to explain why he did not spend money for the benefit of mankind.” (The Economic System of Islam, p. 49)
As mentioned above, Islam prohibits excess and wasteful consumption and advocates a simple lifestyle. When evaluated with respect to the worldly goals of happiness and contentment, the pursuit of frivolous luxury is harmful, and seeking simplicity in lifestyle is beneficial. This is because people quickly get used to luxury and it does not provide them with additional happiness. Simple lifestyles allow satisfaction with relatively little effort and can be achieved by all. They leave one free to do things which really matter instead of wasting one’s precious life on an empty pursuit of consumption.
Psychologically, people drowning in excessive consumption are persuaded to feel proud of themselves if they are in possession of something novel as compared to others in their social circles. But such a system of value tends to stigmatise as inferior all who fail to acquire the new items possessed by their peers and neighbours. This creates jealousy and an impulse to “catch up” and overtake others in wealth, leading to a never-ceasing rat race.
However, in Islam, the poor are encouraged not to envy the rich, but to be content since “the true richness is the richness of the soul” (Sahih Muslim, The Book of Zakat).
Namely, this consists in the feeling of satisfaction and the fact of being content with little, without attaching too much to ephemeral goods. True wealth does not consist in possessing an abundant quantity of wealth accompanied by the desire to obtain and accumulate ever more.
On closer scrutiny, we observe, therefore, that Islam provides good advice concerning the areas where the horizons of society and economy meet.
If these teachings are implemented, they can turn our dusks and dawns into twilights of exceptional beauty. And these are best expressed through the words of our Khalifa.
Every so often, Netflix will air a special that stirs attention. Nowadays, the top of that list is “The Social Dilemma”, which has brought to light a problem we were all begrudgingly cognisant of but did not always want to admit.
As I sat to watch the documentary, a memory resurfaced in my mind of the first time social media blinded me to the beauty of life that I was then immersed in. I was in Nice, France with some friends as we continued our Europe trip. I recall the day I set up my first Facebook account and how, within seconds, my screen was lighting up with notifications one after another. Friends, family and all sorts of acquaintances began liking, tagging, and DM’ing my every move as updates about everyone continued rolling in.
I had become so immersed by that first rush of curiosity and excitement that as my friends spent the day enjoying the mesmerising sights of Southern France, I sat glued to my screen, tumbling down a never-ending rabbit hole. And the reality is that I do not remember a single message or person I spoke to that day, yet my friends clearly remember every instance of natural beauty and wonder that they experienced in Nice. This is the ugly truth behind social media. And this documentary captures this reality like never before.
This experience of a single day’s obsession was something I was not used to growing up. From my basic understanding of Islam, I knew not to fall prey to the crowd and that I should break free from the shackles of addiction and manipulation.
Yet on that absurd day, I felt like a lab rat who was amused by simple lights and colors, too hypnotised to change direction. Still I was fortunate enough to hear from our spiritual leader, Khalifatul Masih, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, about the ills of social media and how Facebook should be avoided to safeguard oneself from its dangers. I was able to move on. Others were not so fortunate.
Millions suffer from social media addiction and woefully, the majority are not able to free themselves of it. Perhaps one of the most poignantly highlighted accounts of deception by the social media industry is the discovery that we are neither the clients, nor the customer; we are merely the product. Companies may acquire us as customers, but they cultivate our attention to rewire our perception of reality and our place in it so they can secure our future within their control. And it is our gradual change in perception that they invest in to create unlimited sources of revenue.
Contrary to popular belief, the documentary unveils that our data is not being shared between companies because the reality is that our data is being processed, analysed and set on a course of manipulation by the social media giants to sell that analysis profit. This business model is what inevitably leads to the addictive nature of social media.
Although the documentary likened social media addiction to drug addiction, the truth is that it stems from a different kind of addiction; the addiction of pornography. Drug addiction leaves the user craving more of the same thing whereas porn addiction leaves users desirous of something new and novel.
Since the basic stimulus quickly loses its attraction, no longer fulfilling their wants, people wind down a path searching for exotically new and absurd things. Usually these people would not have found any of those things appealing at the outset but because they are slowly being conditioned to find beauty in novelty, the exotic and strange becomes appealing. This gradual transformation is portrayed in the documentary when one teenager slowly loses focus on his extracurricular activities, eventually ending up on conspiracy theorists’ vlogs in a blind haze grasping for the next eye-catching thing.
This reminds me of an example that my friend would often share of someone who fixes up his car because he no longer finds it beautiful. Initially, he might put a simple sticker or a new muffler tip on his car to keep it modern and attractive. Slowly he becomes so obsessed by the desire for novelty that he continues to modify the car until it is unbearable to see by anyone other than him.
Nevertheless, he still finds this hideously remodeled car beautiful because it looks updated to him. This is the most effective way of causing behavioral change; constantly make someone desire novelty until they are forced to experience and like things that are increasingly absurd and strange until one day, their entire perception of reality is altogether changed. Granted the documentary did acknowledge the existence of perception change and persuasion technology, it did not however explain how these phenomena are accomplished.
It is probably because that model of addiction is so uncannily like the porn industry that they would have unwantedly ended up exposing more than one reality that plagues us today. And yet it could not be more evident that subscribing to social media eventually means that patterns of likes, dislikes, and interest are discovered. This in turn causes platforms to create a bubble of like-minded content while at the same time, pushing the boundaries by providing something new but somehow related so that users are hypnotised into endless scrolling. This is called tunnel persuasion. A consequence of tunnel persuasion is that users experience quick-lived satisfaction from any given content and are soon on the hunt for something else. There is no end in sight.
Ask anyone who is a regular TikTok user, they will tell you that after a few days, the most annoying thing to see is a previous post appearing again. Be that as it may, when a platform caters to their desires, one begs the question, why is seeing the same thing again so distasteful? Another example is found in YouTube. Why is it that every YouTuber ends their video with the phrase “make sure to like and subscribe” and yet whenever it is heard, it makes people physically cringe?
The reason is because the same statement heard over and over quickly becomes unappealing. This can also lead to self-image issues. Why are people so disgusted by the face they see in the morning after waking up? It is because their reflection is the same as yesterday and their brains are now engineered to be attracted only to that which is novel in an excessive way. This is what makes the perfect environment for things like Snapchat dysphoria to take hold of people by unrealistically accusing them of characteristics which are so criminal to have, yet nobody else even notices.
In the grand scheme of things, the social media business model aims to manipulate the masses. Mob like mentality is a normal term that has been known since time immemorial. It is easier to get action from a mob than from an individual.
Therefore, it is no surprise that tunnel persuasion, when combined with other techniques, makes manipulation of the masses oh-so easy. The danger is when manipulation of masses is for sale. It has always been at the fingertips of the wealthy and powerful and that is precisely why religious books always speak of the little guy going against the status quo to correct the trajectory of mankind. Not to mention his or her efforts are always stopped by the rich and wealthy, who rein control over society through their influence. The only difference is that nowadays, this influence is being directed through the agendas of social media giants.
Hence as an Ahmadi Muslim, when I read the Quran and see the struggle of past prophets who constantly pushed against the tide to reform and guide their people, I am instantly reminded of the reality that “history repeats itself ”.
Despite all the technology and intellectual advancements we enjoy, people are still as gullible and naïve as they were thousands of years ago. Whether it was the magicians who performed in front of Pharoah or the social media platforms that spread the Pizzagate conspiracy theory, both had objectives to please their provider without concern of the consequences.
The Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community addressed the entire movement across the globe on various occasions and said something that was completely out of this world, that Facebook was in fact a growing danger and must be avoided. It was a direction that the world was not ready for. And as a result, many people may have scoffed and laughed at the stance that was presented.
But time revealed the advice he gave that day saved countless people from the ill-effects of a business model that has ruined the lives of millions. He said in one instance, “I have individually been saying to people that Facebook leads to wrong actions and can be a source of worry for an individual … May Allah the Exalted save us from all harm and may the Jamaat tread on the paths leading to progress.” (Friday Sermon, 31 December 2010)
But not all people are fortunate enough to have such insight readily available. I remember reading an article almost a decade ago of a young girl from a typical American high school who made the grave decision to share a nude photo with close friends who inevitably shared it with the whole school. She never showed up to school the next day, not because she did not want to, but because she had hung herself out of shame.
I spent years pondering what her parents must have gone through and more importantly, how she had an entire life ahead of her that was tragically cut short.
I remember walking around in the villages of east Africa and seeing other Americans from similar cities and backgrounds who were living there and helping to change the world for the better and thinking to myself that that girl could have been one of them if she had not fallen prey to the hidden monstrosity of social media. Instead, she ended her life because of a single text.
When our children are killing themselves, we must realise that our entire society is being ravaged by a lack of censorship. This leads me to my final impression of the documentary, the role of regulation.
At the very core of Islamic teachings is regulation for the sake of real progression. Some people might see regulation as the antithesis to freedom, but true freedom is a regulated order that allows for more growth. If you were to remove all of the street-lights in Central London in the name of freedom, would that result in easier commute or complete chaos? It becomes obvious that street-lights are a regulation of society, allowing for the greater value of safety and efficiency. This is exactly what Islam promotes.
The rules surrounding things like the consumption of alcohol and pork give Muslims an innate ability to easily embrace regulation and to live by rules and laws if they so choose. And for the idea of regulation to flourish, there is another concept in Islam known as moderation.
Excessive use of anything is contrary to a balanced lifestyle which is an integral part of a healthy life. And if you add the avoidance of addictions and a hint of moral responsibility in the mix, you find a three-step rule in Islam that enables individuals and society as a whole to rid itself from the shackles of any harmfully prevailing trend. Namely, in order to succeed, society must embrace regulation by the means of moderation, avoidance of addictions and affirming a moral responsibility for the health and wellbeing of its people.
It was 1,400 years ago when the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa forbade the drinking of alcohol. Streams of alcohol flowed the streets of Medina when alcohol was finally deemed “haram” or prohibited. This became the only true adaptation of prohibition in the history of the world and yet, even this was not without additional safety measures for society.
For one, any items that reminded people of drinking alcohol were also forbidden in order to safeguard the masses from any influence in returning to alcoholism. The idea was to disconnect society completely from the environment that encouraged drinking.
Unsurprisingly the documentary failed hopelessly in resolving the social media dilemma since at the very end, it asked for only one thing; regulation.
A hundred years ago, when the government banned alcohol in this very country on the sole basis of regulation, it quickly disintegrated and society reverted back as if nothing happened. The only reason could be that regulation alone is not effective if the people themselves have not been educated and morally uplift ed. Otherwise what motivation do they have to make such a drastic change among themselves?
On the other hand, the people who readily accepted the Quran’s injunction to forego alcohol were morally transformed which is why the ill-effects of alcohol were easily recognised and weaned off of without any pushback.
Furthermore, if regulation were blindly enacted in America without previous uplifting and educating of the masses, they would defiantly rebel, perceiving their freedoms were being infringed upon. Meanwhile the accused party will already have misinformation spread in favour of its continued existence.
If a people can argue that wearing masks is counterproductive in stopping the spread of Covid-19, how can you expect such people to be sensible enough to embrace with open arms the idea of regulation in regard to their use of social media.
This is why I hold the words of the Khalifa of Islam so dear to me and feel that his guidance is what can genuinely help us liberate the millions, if not billions, of people who have been duped by such companies. It starts from within.
“These days, a new method of introduction has been created on the computer and the Internet called Facebook. Though it is not that new, but it was introduced in the last few years. I had previously discouraged you from this practice. I had said in my sermons that it encourages immodesty. It shatters boundaries amongst people; boundaries from one another; boundaries around secrets. It exposes secrets and invites indecency. The creator of this site has said, ‘I have created this and I believe that whatever a man is on the outside and inside should be exposed to others.’
“In his view, exposing someone means that if someone wants to post a nude picture of themselves, they may and even encourages others to comment on it. This is allowed! Inna lillah! Similarly, anyone can post about anything he sees. If this is not extreme moral regression and degradation, then what is?
“In this state of moral regression and degradation, an Ahmadi has to teach the high standard of morality and virtue.” (Concluding address, Jalsa Salana Germany, 26 June 2011)
In conclusion, The Social Dilemma documentary exposed one of the greatest plagues of our era. My only hope is that it does not fall on deaf ears. In order for us to take benefit from the message of this documentary, we must finally realise that real change will only occur when the collective willpower of the people makes an educated eff ort to reform society and hold guilty parties accountable.
So the next time you are mindlessly staring at your screen, blind to the real world, you are actually sitting in and allowing yourself to fall further down the rabbit hole. Remember this. Until you as an individual and we as a society do not put our will power and effort into coming up for air, things will never change.
In this third year of Al Hakam, we will present a selection of incidents from the blessed life of the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, this time, with some more details
13 November 1889: On this day, the Promised Messiahas replied to a letter he received from Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira in which he wrote some of his poetry. In the letter, the Promised Messiahas expressed his gratitude and praised Hazrat Munshi Rustam Ali’sra poetry and prayed that God continued to purify his heart.
The Promised Messiahas further went on to mention that during the time of the Holy Prophetsa, there was a poet who had not accepted Islam, but his poetry was on the topic of belief in one God. On one occasion, when the Holy Prophetsa heard his poetry, he stated:
آمن شعرہ وکفر نفسه
Meaning that his poetry had believed, but he (the poet) remained a disbeliever.
After narrating this incident, the Promised Messiahas wrote that Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira should compile his poetry. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, pp. 566-567)
Hazrat Munshi Rustam Alira
13 November 1897: The Promised Messiahas, on this day, wrote a letter to Hazrat Haji Seith Allah Rakha Abdur Rahmanra in which he prayed for him and said that one must have firm faith in God. One must remember that God is Ever Merciful and forgives all. The Promised Messiahas went on to say that those who continue to show patience and steadfastness are truly among the fortunate. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, p. 354)
14 November 1896: On this day, the Promised Messiahas replied to a letter he received from Hazrat Haji Seith Allah Rakha Abdur Rahmanra in which he stated that he was coming to meet Huzooras. The Promised Messiahas mentioned and expressed his delight on this matter and further said that before travelling, one must perform istikhara (a prayer for seeking God’s grace) for three days before travelling.
The Promised Messiahas described his manner of performing istikhara. Huzooras said one must first preform ablution and then offer two rak‘aat. In the first rak‘ah, after reciting Surah al-Fatihah, one should follow it by reciting Surah al-Kafirun. Then, in the second rak‘ah, after reciting Surah al-Fatihah, one should follow it with Surah al-Ikhlas. Then, the Promised Messiahas said that in the end, during the qa‘dah position, one must pray for their journey. (Maktubat-e-Ahmad, Vol. 2, pp. 341-342)
15 November 1895: The Promised Messiahas issued an announcement regarding his upcoming research monographs (Sat Bachan and Arya Dharam). These books were published during this month.
15 November 1901: Hazrat Nawab Muhammad Ali Khanra reached Qadian with a phonograph on this day. It was the latest technology available to save sound recordings. The Promised Messiahas spared his time after Asr to examine this device. Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim Sialkotira recorded his melodious voice. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, p. 193)
Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim Sialkotira
15 November 1906: The nikah of Hazrat Ahmad’sas son, Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra, was announced on this day with Hazrat Bu Zainab Bibira, daughter of Hazrat Nawab Muhammad Ali Khanra. The marriage ceremony took place three years later. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, p. 474)
Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmadra
17 November 1884: The Promised Messiahas was in Delhi and his nikah was announced on this date with Hazrat Syeda Nusrat Jehan Begumra, daughter of Hazrat Mir Nasir Nawabra. It was Monday, 27 Muharram 1302 Hijri. The nikah was announced by the famous cleric of the city, Maulvi Syed Nazeer Hussain. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 1, pp. 242-244)
17 November 1901: The Promised Messiahas went for his daily walk while listening to an article written by one of his companions. It seems that it was a relatively lengthy piece because the Promised Messiahas completed his walk and sat in the clinic of Hazrat Maulvi Nuruddinra to finish the article.
Meanwhile, Mr DD Dixon, a European traveller, arrived in Qadian. It is said that he had travelled to the Arab world, Karbala, India and Kashmir during his tour. He stayed in the Gol Kamra, Qadian for one day. He took a few photographs also; one narration suggests that it was after Asr Prayer, when he took three photos, two group-photos and one portrait of the Promised Messiahas. The Promised Messiahas assigned his companion, Hazrat Sheikh Masihullahra to prepare special food for the guest as he had some experience of cooking Western-style dishes.
The next day, when Mr Dixon left Qadian, the Promised Messiahas went with him for his daily walk towards Batala and on the way, Huzooras explained his mission and saw him off at the canal bridge. Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra acted as the interpreter. Mr Dixon was very impressed by the hospitality. He witnessed high moral values and also witnessed a massive presence of learned scholars of a vast range of subjects in the small village of Qadian. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, pp. 195-197)
18 November 1884: The Promised Messiahas set off on his journey towards Qadian from Delhi with his wife who he had just married, Hazrat Nusrat Jehan Begumra, affectionately known to Ahmadi Muslims as Hazrat Amma Janra.
18 November 1899: On this day, Huzooras published an ishtihar (announcement), in which he mentioned the fulfilment of his prophecy regarding a so-called respectable officer of the Rumi Sultanate, named Hussain Kami, which was published in Huzoor’sasIshtiharat on 24 May and 25 June 1897. In his ishtihar of 24 May 1897, Huzooras stated that the said person came to meet him in Qadian, who pretended to be an ambassador of the Sultanate of Rum and pretended to be a pious person.
Huzooras mentioned that the newspaper, Nazim-ul-Hind falsely wrote in its issue of 15 May 1897 that the said person, who was the naib of the Sultan-e-Rum, had been called to Qadian so that Hazrat Mirza Sahibas could repent at his hands and renounce his claim of being the Promised Messiah.
Huzooras stated that as soon he saw his face when he came to meet him, Huzooras was intuitively told that he was not an honest or pure-hearted person. Moreover, God revealed to him that the Sultanate of Rum was in a poor condition due to such people who occupy the high posts in the Sultanate, do not fulfil their duties honestly and are not loyal to the Sultanate.
Huzooras stated that Hussain Kami requested to pray for him. In reply, Huzooras told him:
“The condition of the Sultanate of Rum is not good and what I have seen in a divine vision is that I do not find its members [position-holders] in a good state [spiritually]. And in my view, with this condition, the fate is not a good one.”
Huzooras stated that he advised the Turk to repent as his condition was not good as per the revelation. Huzooras then said that after the publication of his ishtihar, many newspapers started publishing against him, in favour of Hussain Kami.
Huzooras went on to say that recently, Hussain Kami had been dismissed from his post after being found guilty of fraud. Huzooras quoted a newspaper, in which Hussain Kami’s fraud was mentioned, that he committed a fraud in chanda collection and that chanda never reached Constantinople. (Majmua-e-Ishtiharat, Vol. 2, p. 571)
18 November 1902: Hazrat Syed Abdul Latifra of Afghanistan arrived in Qadian on this day. It is narrated by Syed Abdul Sattar Sahib that when Syed Abdul Latifra arrived in Qadian, he loudly proclaimed:
(They will come by every distant track and will come to you from afar.) (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, p. 312)
Hazrat Syed Abdul Latifra Shaheed
19 November 1885: A bitter opponent of the Promised Messiahas, Pandit Lekhram came to Qadian on this date. He stayed for two months, but opted to live with rival camps. He himself missed the blessed company of a prophet of God and years later, met with his dreadful fate.
Due to the sudden outbreak of Covid-19 once again in Sri Lanka since the first week of October 2020, tabligh was carried out through social media in various ways.
The online lessons of the Holy Quran were organised by Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Colombo via Zoom.
Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Negombo prepared posters containing sayings of the Promised Messiahas in Tamil and Sinhala languages, and were circulated through social media.
It is worth mentioning here that a leading website, www.lankaweb.com, published the statement of Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa in light of the recent incidents in France. This press release was also sent to the French Embassy in Colombo.
Moreover, an important article about the existence of God, titled, “God always brings victory to His believers”, was also published on the same website. This is the fifth article on this subject, published on this website.
Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Slough held their 14th annual peace symposium on 24 October 2020, on the theme of “True Justice & Peace”. It was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic and was attended by approximately 140 participants.
The proceedings began with the recitation of the Holy Quran and its English translation, followed by a welcome address by Regional Amir Middlesex, Muhammad Sohail Qureshi Sahib, who introduced Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya and its objectives, to the guests.
The local president of Jamaat Slough, Atiq Ahmad Bhatti then introduced the local Jamaat’s “local community welfare & support initiative” which has been running since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March. This presentation covered the support that is being given to the local communities in Slough, including regular food donations to the NHS and the homeless community, the distribution of face masks to care homes and other projects being undertaken.
Some distinguished guests then proceeded to briefly speak on their friendship with the Slough Jamaat and the humanitarian work done by the Jamaat. Speakers included Bob Slater President of the Burnham Royal British Legion, Councillor Preston Brooker, the Mayor of Slough Marg Rhiall, the High Sheriff of Berkshire and Shin Dother founder of Slough Outreach.
The keynote address was delivered by Rabeeb Mirza Sahib, Regional Missionary Middlesex. He spoke on the true Islamic teachings for establishing justice and peace. He spoke about the teachings of the Promised Messiahas in this regard. He then presented some excerpts from addresses of Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa, delivered around the world on this subject.
Some feedback is as following:
“I found it interesting. Thank you for inviting Shirley and I.” (Cllr Preston Brooker, the Mayor of Slough)
“It was my pleasure. It was absolutely wonderful to see so many people. The guest speaker was great. Everybody enjoyed and learned more about the work you do for the diverse community. Love for all, hate for none. So proud to be associated with you.” (Karnail Pannu, from the Windsor & Maidenhead Interfaith Community Forum)
“Thank you … I did indeed find it informative. It was good to hear about all the good work you have been doing. The messages of peace were also good to hear in these very divisive times.” (Keith Greenough, President Burnham Beeches Rotary Club)
“It was indeed an honour to be included as usual … I pray that you and your community remain well and be blessed by God in all that you do. With every blessing.” (Rev Margaret Dudley, Thames Valley Methodist Circuit)
“Thank you for the invite. It was, as always, very informative. Stay safe; stay blessed.” (Rev Jason Griffiths, Vicar, St Andrews Church Burnham)
“Thank you for a rewarding seminar. The most telling aspect to me was the emphasis on putting others first. I will keep that thought with me. Every blessing.” (Andrew Fleet, from Churches Together)
“It was an honour to be in attendance with you today. Thank you so much for the invite. It was great to see so many likeminded people on there. I learned so much about your wonderful community. Love and peace to you all.” (Shin Dother, Founder Slough Outreach)
“Smoothest Zoom meeting I have ever participated in. It was an honour to be invited. Thank you for inviting us. Warmest wishes.” (Cllr Jackie Slater, Burnham Parish Council)
Waseem Ahmad Sahib reports that Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya British Columbia region has been hosting the “World Religion Conference” in the city of Prince George since 2004. The city is located near the geographic centre of British Columbia, approximately 800 km North of Baitur Rahman mosque, Vancouver.
With a population of 74,000 people, Prince George is the largest city in northern British Columbia. It has a university and a college, offers affordable housing, well-paying jobs and comprehensive transportation infrastructure. It is a vital transportation hub with an international airport, highways and railways. Home to Fraser and Nechako rivers, it offers an extensive park and trail system with more than 100 parks and green spaces.
The “World Religions Conference” has the following goals and objectives:
1. Explore teachings and practices of different religious and philosophical traditions, with the hope that such mutual exploration will encourage better understanding and promote harmonious co-existence among the members of Canada’s cultural mosaic
2. Strive to shorten the gap between diverse communities, and to demonstrate that we can live together in spirit of acceptance, harmony and compassion
3. Promote interfaith respect, harmony, inclusiveness and diversity. It inculcates mutual understanding and respect between different faith traditions and philosophies of the world. It promotes respect, harmony, and cohesion among all people
Presently, Prince George has a very small Jamaat. Hence, the event was done under the supervision of Rizwan Peerzada Sahib, regional co-ordinator tabligh in British Columbia. Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Abbotsford, British Columbia played a crucial role in the promotion of the event.
The event promotion started a month earlier. The task was divided into the following three main parts, each being assigned to a different team:
1. Online paid marketing: Paid advertisements were placed on social media, where more than 21,875 people viewed the conference invitation.
2. Online free marketing: Unpaid online advertisements were placed on various social media platforms. 1,092 people viewed the programme promotion, 108 people engaged with the posts, while 37 people commented. 900 emails were also sent to promote the event.
3. Online posting of free advertisements promoting the conference which were placed in nine different cities.
The event was also available at the online event management and ticketing website. Radio advertisements were placed in multiple local radio stations. One radio show held a 15-minute interview with missionary of British Columbia, Umair Khan Sahib. Another team ensured the smooth transmission of the online proceedings.
The programme started at 6pm with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Qaid Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Abbotsford, Mirza Naveed Sahib. Regional co-ordinator of tabligh in British Columbia, Rizwan Peerzada Sahib delivered the welcome remarks.
The missionary of British Columbia, Umair Khan Sahib delivered a presentation on the topic of “Contribution of religions to the world”.
The regional president of British Columbia, Naeem Ahmad Lakhan Sahib gave introductory remarks too. The event was moderated by president of the Church of Latter Day Saints, Prince George, Mr David Coleman.
The following seven speakers from various faith presented their views:
1. Hinduism: Dr Pranesh Kumar
2. Church of the Latter Day Saints: Mr Jon Duncan
3. Sikhism: Dr Balbinder Singh Deo, PhD
4. Judaism: Rabbi Dr. Laura Duhan Kaplan
5. Bahaiism: Mrs Charlotte Wenninger
6. Christianity: Pastor Fleming Blishen
7. Islam: Umair Khan Sahib
335 non-Ahmadi Muslim guests and 16 members of the Jamaat attended online. These included Councillor Sandy Blue of the city of Abbotsford. All dignitaries appreciated this event.
Men of Excellence: Hazrat Muawizra bin Harith and Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab
After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:
Today, the companion whose accounts I shall narrate first is Hazrat Muawizra bin Harith. Hazrat Muawizra belonged to the Khazraj tribe of the Ansar. Hazrat Muawiz’sra father’s name was Harith bin Rifa‘ah. His mother’s name was Afraa bint Ubaid. Hazrat Muazra and Hazrat Aufra were his brothers. All three of these brothers used to be referred to by the name of their father as well as their mother. Hence, all three were also known as Banu Afraa [the sons of Afraa]. (Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 5, Muawiz bin Afra [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2003] 231) (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Muawiz bin Afra (Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990), 374.)
Ibn Ishaq is the only one to have reported that Hazrat Muawizra was among the 70 Ansar who participated in the Second Pledge at Aqabah.
Hazrat Muawizra married to Umm Yazid bint Qais. The names of his two daughters from this marriage were Hazrat Rubai‘ bint Muawizra and Hazrat Umairah bint Muawizra. (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Muawiz bin Afra [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1990] 374)
Hazrat Muawizra had the opportunity to participate in the Battle of Badr alongside his two brothers; Hazrat Muazra and Hazrat Aufra. (Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 5, Muawiz bin Afra [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2003] 231)
During the Battle of Badr, Hazrat Muazra, Hazrat Aufra and Hazrat Muawizra, who were referred to as the Banu Afraa and their freed slave Abul Hamraa, had one camel between them, and they would take turns to ride on it. (Al-Waqidi, Kitab al-Tarikh wa al-Maghazi, Vol. 1, Badr al-Qital [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah (2013)] 38)
I presented the following narration once before in relation with Hazrat Muazra but it is also important that it is mentioned here in relation to Hazrat Muawizra, hence, I will narrate it here as well. Hazrat Anasra narrates, “On the day of the Battle of Badr, the Holy Prophetsa said, ‘Who will go to see what became of Abu Jahl?’ Hazrat Ibn Mas‘udra went and saw that both sons of Afraa had attacked him with their swords to such an extent that he was on the brink of death. Hazrat Ibn Masudra went to him and asked, ‘Are you Abu Jahl?’”
Hazrat Anasra further narrates, “Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas‘udra grabbed hold of Abu Jahl by the beard. Abu Jahl said, ‘Have you killed a greater man than this?’ or he said ‘has his tribe had killed a greater man?’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bab Qatl Abi Jahl, Hadith 3962)
This is a narration from Sahih Bukhari.
In the commentary to this narration, Hazrat Sayyid Zain-ul-Abideen Waliullah Shah Sahibra states:
“In some narrations, it is mentioned that the two sons of Afraa, Muazra and Muawizra attacked Abu Jahl to the extent that he was on the brink of death and that Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas‘udra severed his head later on. Imam Ibn Hajar Asqalani has expressed the possibility of Muawizra bin Afraa having also attacked him [i.e. Abu Jahl] after Muazra bin Amr and Muazra bin Afraa had already done so.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fard al-Khumus, Bab man lam Yakhmus al-Aslab, Hadith 3141, Vol. 5, p. 491, footnote, Urdu translation, published by Nazarat-e-Ishaat Rabwah)
Whilst relating the incident of Abu Jahl’s killing, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra states:
“Sometimes, a person celebrates something and deems it to be useful for him. However, that same thing becomes the cause of his destruction and downfall.
“At the occasion of Badr, when the disbelievers of Mecca arrived at the scene, they thought, ‘We will be rid of these Muslims in no time.’ Abu Jahl said, ‘We will mark this as a joyous occasion and drink wine.’ He thought to himself that he would not return until he killed all the Muslims. However, that same Abu Jahl was killed by two young boys from Medina. The disbelievers of Mecca used to look at the people of Medina with contempt. Abu Jahl had to experience such humiliation that even his final wish was left unfulfilled. It was a custom among the Arabs that if a chief was killed in a battle, they would cut his neck in a manner that it would be prominent so that he can be recognised as one of the chiefs. Abdullah bin Mas‘udra saw him as he was lying there motionless and injured and said to him, ‘Look what has become of you!’ He replied, ‘I do not regret anything but the fact that the children of farmers from Medina have killed me.’ That is, children of people who plant crops and work as farmers; such work was considered inferior in the eyes of the Meccans and they believed that such people from Medina had no knowledge of war and fighting. However, these very people killed him and shattered his arrogance. As a matter of fact, it was not just these people, rather it was their sons, who were not experienced in the slightest. Abdullahra asked Abu Jahl if he had any last wish. He replied that he wanted his neck to be cut off slightly longer. However, Abdullahra said that he would not fulfil this request of his either and severed his neck close to his chin. The day he wanted to be a source of happiness for him became a day to mourn and he was not even able to digest the alcohol he had consumed.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmud [Khutbat Eid-ul-Fitr] Vol. 1, p. 11)
On the occasion of the Battle of Badr, Hazrat Muawizra was martyred during combat by Abu Musafi‘. (Ibn Abd al-Barr, Al-Isti‘ab fi Ma‘rifat al-Ashab, Vol. 4, Muawiz bin Afra [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Jil, 1992] 1442)
The next companion to be mentioned is Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab. Hazrat Ubayyra belonged to the Banu Muawiyah branch of the Khazraj tribe of the Ansar. His father’s name was Kaab bin Qais and his mother’s name was Suhaila bint Aswad. Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab had two titles; one was Abu Munzir, as given by the Holy Prophetsa and the second was Abu Tufail, given by Hazrat Umarra because of his son, Tufail. (Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 1 [Beirut, Lebanon: Maktabat Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2016] 168-169)
Hazrat Ubayyra was of moderate height. The colour of his hair and beard was white and he did not dye them in order to conceal his grey hair. (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 (Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2017) 378)
He did not dye his beard nor his hair. Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab participated in the second pledge at Aqabah along with seventy other individuals. Hazrat Ubayyra knew how to read and write even before he accepted Islam and once he became a Muslim, he received the honour of writing the revelations received by the Holy Prophetsa. The Holy Prophetsa formed a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Ubayyra and Hazrat Talha bin Ubaidillahra. According to another narration, the Holy Prophetsa established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Ubayyra and Hazrat Saeed bin Zaidra. (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2017) 378]
With regard to Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab, it is mentioned that Allah the Exalted commanded the Holy Prophetsa to recite the Quran to Ubayyra. Furthermore, the Holy Prophetsa said that Ubayyra was the best qari [who recites the Quran according to the rules of recitation] among his people. (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 2017] 378)
It is mentioned in regard to him that he had great knowledge of the Holy Quran due to this very reason. Other narrations about this will be mentioned later.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states:
“Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab was among those four individuals with regard to whom the Holy Prophetsa said that they are the qurra-e-ummat [reciters of the Holy Quran] of this ummah.” That is, if anyone wished to learn to read the Quran, they should learn from them. (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 10, p. 84)
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further states:
“The following 15 names of scribes are those to whom the Holy Prophetsa dictated the Holy Quran and are proven from history. They are, Zaid bin Thabitra, Ubayyra bin Kaab, Abdullah bin Saad bin Abi Sarahra, Zubair bin al-Awamra, Khalid bin Saeed bin al-Aasra, Aban bin Saeed al-Aasra, Hanzala bin al-Rabi al-Asadira, Mu‘ayqib bin Abi Fatimara, Abdullah bin Arqam Zuhrira, Shurahbil bin Hasanahra, Abdullah bin Rawahara, Hazrat Abu Bakrra, Hazrat Umarra, Hazrat Uthmanra and Hazrat Alira. When [a portion] of the Holy Quran was revealed to the Holy Prophetsa, he would call one of these individuals and dictate the revelation to him.” (Dibachah Tafsir al-Quran, Anwar al-Ulum, Vol. 20, pp. 425-426)
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states in one instance that the Holy Prophetsa appointed a group of teachers who taught the Holy Quran; they learned and memorised the entire Holy Quran from the Holy Prophetsa and taught it to others. There were four esteemed teachers who were responsible for learning the Holy Quran from the Holy Prophetsa and teaching it to others, and there were many companions under them who would also teach the Holy Quran to others. The names of these four esteemed teachers are Abdullah bin Mas‘udra, Salim, the freed salve of Abu Hudaifahra, Muaz bin Jabalra and Ubayyra bin Kaab. The first two were Muhajireen and the latter two were Ansar. With regard to their work, Abdullah bin Mas‘udra was a labourer, Salimra was a freed slave, while Muaz bin Jabalra and Ubayyra bin Kaab were chieftains of Medina. Thus, keeping in view every member of society, the Holy Prophetsa appointed qaris from each rank.
It is narrated in a hadith that the Holy Prophetsa used to say:
“Anyone who desires to read the Quran should learn from the following four individuals: Abdullah bin Mas‘ud, Salim, Muaz bin Jabal and Ubayy bin Kaab.”
These were the four people who either learned the entire Quran from the Holy Prophetsa or would recite it before him to ensure they did not make any mistakes. Aside from them, there were also many other companions who learned various portions of the Holy Qur’an directly from the Holy Prophetsa. (Dibachah Tafsir al-Quran, Anwar al-Ulum, Vol. 20, pp. 427-428)
Hazrat Anas bin Malikra narrates that the Holy Prophetsa said to Ubayyra, “Allah has commanded me to recite to you the chapterلَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا مِنْ اَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ [i.e. Surah al-Bayyinah].”
Hazrat Ubayyra enquired whether God had specifically mentioned his name to which the Holy Prophetsa replied “Yes.” Upon hearing this, Hazrat Ubayyra began to cry.
This narration is from Sahih al-Bukhari. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Manaqib al-Ansar, Bab Manaqib Ubayy bin Kaab, Hadith 3809)
There is another narration in which Hazrat Anas bin Malikra relates that the Holy Prophetsa said to Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab, “Allah the Almighty has commanded me to recite the Quran to you.” Hazrat Ubayyra enquired, “Did Allah mention my name to you?” to which the Holy Prophetsa replied, “Yes.” Hazrat Ubayyra asked, “Did the Lord of this world and the Hereafter mention me?” to which the Holy Prophetsa replied, “Yes.” Upon this, Hazrat Ubayy’sra eyes filled with tears. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Tafsir, Bab Surah “Lam yakun…”, Hadith 4961)
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has also explained this incident in his own words. He states:
“It is narrated by Abu Hayyah Badri that Surah al-Bayyinah was revealed in its entirety, i.e. all in one go; and then Gabriel informed the Holy Prophetsa that Allah the Almighty had commanded him to ensure Ubayy bin Kabra memorised this chapter. The Holy Prophetsa said to Ubayyra bin Kaab, ‘Gabriel has informed me that God Almighty has commanded that I should ensure you memorise this chapter.’ Ubayyra bin Kaab said, ‘O Messengersa of Allah, did God Almighty mention my name?’ The Holy Prophetsa replied, ‘Yes.’ Hearing this, Ubayy bin Kaab began to cry out of happiness. (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 8, p. 342)
After the demise of the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat Umar Farooqra often recounted this incident. Once, while standing at the pulpit in Masjid al-Nabawi [the Prophet’s Mosque], he said that the greatest qari was Ubayyra. Once, during his expedition to Syria, whilst in Jabiyah – which is a settlement near Damascus – he delivered a sermon wherein he said:
Meaning, “Whoever has a desire to learn the Holy Quran should go to Ubayy.” (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 149) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi] 91)
Hazrat Anasra narrates that there were four people during the time of the Holy Prophetsa who committed the entire Quran to memory, all of whom were from the Ansar; Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab, Hazrat Muaz bin Jabalra, Hazrat Abu Zaidra and Hazrat Zaid bin Thabitra. This narration is from Sahih al-Bukhari. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Manaqib al-Ansar, Bab Manaqib Zaid bin Thabit, Hadith 3810, translated version, Vol. 7, p. 290, Nazarat-e-Ishaat Rabwah)
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra states that the names of prominent huffaz [those who have memorised the entire Quran] from the Ansar were Ubadah bin Samitra, Muaz, Mujama bin Harithahra, Fuzalah bin Ubaidra, Maslamah bin Mukhalladra, Abu Dardara, Abu Zaidra, Zaid bin Thabitra, Ubayyra bin Kaab, Saad bin Ubadahra and Umm Waraqahra. (Dibachah Tafsir al-Quran, Anwar al-Ulum, Vol. 20, p. 430)
The Holy Prophetsa once said that the most benevolent upon his people was Hazrat Abu Bakrra. The strictest with regard to God’s religion was Hazrat Umarra, meaning he was very strict in adhering to religious principles. The most modest was Hazrat Uthmanra, as in he had achieved the greatest levels of modesty. The person with the greatest understanding of what is lawful and unlawful was Hazrat Muaz bin Jabalra. The person with the greatest awareness of his obligations was Hazrat Zaidra bin Thabit. The person with the highest knowledge in recitations of the Holy Quran was Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab. And every ummah has a Custodian; and the Custodian of this Ummah was Hazrat Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrahra – whose accounts have been narrated previously. (Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, Abwab al-Manaqib, Bab Manaqib Muaz bin Jabal … Hadith 3790)
The first scribe to write a revelation of the Holy Prophetsa after his migration to Medina was Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab. At the time, it was not common for the scribe’s name to be written at the end of a Quranic inscription; however, Hazrat Ubayyra initiated this practice and the other companions also adopted this practice. (Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 1 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2016] 170) (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 158)
Meaning, the name of the person who had inscribed the text would not be written, rather the text would simply be written out [without any indication of who transcribed it]. Hazrat Ubayyra began signing his name at the end of an inscription to make it known that it had been written by him, and thus, it became common practice.
Hazrat Ubayyra memorised the Holy Quran after hearing every single word from the Holy Prophetsa himself. The Holy Prophetsa noticed his passion for learning and as a result paid special attention towards his education. The lofty rank and awe of prophethood would make even the most senior companions to abstain from asking [many] questions; however, Hazrat Ubayyra would ask questions without hesitation. He would not ask questions unnecessarily; he paid due regard to the esteemed rank of prophethood and asked questions in a respectable manner, but he did not hesitate in doing so. Due to Hazrat Ubayy’sra passion, sometimes the Holy Prophetsa would initiate the conversation himself without being prompted by a question. (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 148)
Once, the Holy Prophetsa was leading the Fajr [pre-dawn] prayer, during which he forgot to recite a verse in his recitation [of the Holy Quran]. Hazrat Ubayyra was not able to join the congregation from the beginning of the prayer, instead he joined in the middle [of the prayer]. Upon completing the prayer, the Holy Prophetsa enquired if anyone in the congregation had noticed anything different in his recitation. Everyone remained silent. Then, the Holy Prophetsa asked whether Ubayyra bin Kaab was present. By this time, Hazrat Ubayyra had completed offering his Salat. Despite joining the congregation late, he must have joined by the second rak‘ah [unit of prayer] to have been able to hear the mistake that was made or notice the verse which had been forgotten.
In any case, Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab had completed offering his Salat and informed the Holy Prophetsa that he had not recited such and such verse. He said, “O Messengersa of Allah, you did not recite such and such verse during your recitation; has it been abrogated or did you simply forget to recite it?” The Holy Prophetsa replied that he had merely forgotten to recite it. Then, the Holy Prophetsa said to Ubayyra, “I knew you would be the only one to notice this.” (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 148)
Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab narrates, “Once, I was in the mosque when a man entered and began offering Salat. He recited the Quran in such a manner which seemed very unusual to me. Then another man entered the mosque and started reciting [the Holy Quran] with a different qir‘ah [reading]. When we had all offered our Salat, we went to the Holy Prophetsa.
“I informed the Holy Prophetsa that this person has recited the Holy Qur’an in such a qir‘ah [reading] which seems strange to me. Then another person came who recited it in a different reading to the first person. So the Holy Prophetsa asked both of them to recite their qir‘aat of the Holy Quran, to which they recited. The Holy Prophetsa then declared both their qir‘aat to be correct and told them both they had recited correctly.”
Upon the reversal of his own opinion, Hazrat Ubayyra says, “When I had formed an opinion that such and such person recited incorrectly and the Holy Prophetsa corrected my view declaring both readings to be correct, I became extremely embarrassed in a manner I had not even experienced in the era of ignorance when I knew little. The embarrassment I felt at that point was like none other I had felt in my entire life.
“When the Holy Prophetsa saw me overcome in this state and the embarrassment was plain to see on my face, he placed his hand on my chest. I was covered in sweat as if I was beholding God Almighty in this state of fear. Then the Holy Prophetsa said to me, ‘O Ubayy, I was instructed that I should recite the Holy Quran in one qir‘ah. I replied by requesting ease for my people. I was then instructed that I should recite it, i.e. the Holy Quran in two qir‘aat, to which I again replied asking ease for my people. On the third try, he instructed that I should recite it in seven qir‘aat. Thus, in response to each one of my requests I was told by the angel that I have been given the right to seek whatever I wish from God,’ i.e. the angel Gabriel said, ‘For each response [to your request], Allah the Almighty has granted you the right to seek from Him whatever you desire of Him.’ ‘I then said (i.e. the Holy Prophetsa states), “O Allah, forgive my people, O Allah, forgive my people. And I deferred the third prayer for the day in which all of creation will turn to me [for intercession], including Prophet Abrahamas.”’” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab Salat al-Musafirin wa Qasriha, Bab Bayan anna al-Quran…, Translation of Nur Foundation, Vol. 3, pp. 308-309)
One can gauge an understanding of Hazrat Ubayy bin Kaab’sra mastery over the qir‘aat [readings of the Holy Quran] that the Holy Prophetsa himself would recite the entire Holy Quran to him. Thus, the year in which the Holy Prophetsa passed away, he recited the Quran to Hazrat Ubayyra and stated, “Gabriel has told me that I should recite the Quran to Ubayy.” (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 149)
And so, the Holy Prophetsa recited the Holy Quran to Hazrat Ubayyra.
Hazrat Ubayyra would teach the Holy Quran to an Iranian in the blessed era of the Holy Prophetsa. When he taught him the verse,
The Iranian was not able to properly pronounce the word “atheem” [sinners] and whenever he would recite the word atheem, he would recite it as yateem. Hazrat Ubayyra was very concerned as to how he could teach him. The Holy Prophetsa happened to be passing by and seeing the concern on the face of Hazrat Ubayyra, he stopped. When he heard the discussion he said in Persian, “Try saying it as طَعَامُ الظَّاثِمْ [ta‘amun zathim] this is with a ظ [zaa]. When he tried reciting it in this manner he very clearly said اثيم [atheem]. Thus, when Hazrat Ubayyra read out ظَاثِمْ [zathim] and the Iranian replied saying اثيم [atheem] and was able to pronounce it correctly.
Thereupon, the Holy Prophetsa said to Hazrat Ubayyra, “Correct his speech according to his own language so that he may learn to recite the Holy Quran correctly, and ensure he pronounces the letters fully, God Almighty will reward you for this.” (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 152)
On one occasion, the Holy Prophetsa was delivering the Friday Sermon and recited Surah Bara‘at. Hazrat Abu Dardara and Hazrat Abu Dharrra did not yet know of this chapter. So during the sermon, they indicated through a gesture to Hazrat Ubayyra in order to ask when this chapter was revealed as they had not yet heard it. Hazrat Ubayyra indicated that they should remain silent.
Upon the completion of prayer, when Hazrat Ubayyra stood up to go home, both of these noble men asked Hazrat Ubayyra why he had not answered their question. Hazrat Ubayyra replied that their prayer that day had become invalidated owing to a vain act. Hearing this, they both went to the Holy Prophetsa and related to him what Hazrat Ubayyra had said. The Holy Prophetsa stated that indeed Hazrat Ubayyra had spoken the truth; in other words, they should not have spoken whilst the [Friday] sermon was being delivered. (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 157)
Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab relates:
“The Holy Prophetsa stated, ‘O Abu Munzir, do you know which verse in Allah’s book that has been granted to you is the greatest of all?’ I submitted, ‘Allah and His Messengersa know better.’ The Holy Prophetsa again asked, ‘O Abu Munzir, do you know which verse in Allah’s book that has been granted to you is the greatest of all?’ I gave the same response, but when the Holy Prophetsa asked again, I stated:
[Allah – there is no God but He, the Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining. (Ch.2: V.256)]
Hazrat Ubayyra states, “The Holy Prophetsa placed his hand upon my chest and stated, ‘By God, O Abu Munzir, may your knowledge be a source of blessing for you.’” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab Salat al-Musafirin wa Qasriha, Bab Fadl Surat al-Kahf wa Ayat al-Kursi, Translation of Nur Foundation, Vol. 3, p. 300.)
In other words, the Holy Prophetsa expressed his approval to his answer.
During the blessed lifetime of the Holy Prophetsa, Hazrat Ubayyra taught the Holy Quran to Hazrat Tufail bin Amr Dausi, who in return presented him with a bow as a gift. Hazrat Ubayyra took hold of the bow and presented himself before the Holy Prophetsa. The Holy Prophetsa enquired where he got the bow from and Hazrat Ubayyra submitted that it was a gift from one of his students. The Holy Prophetsa instructed him to return it and to refrain from such gifts. Similarly, another student gifted him a piece of cloth and the Holy Prophetsa gave the same instruction. Thereafter, Hazrat Ubayyra completely abstained from taking anything in return of teaching the Holy Quran.
The people of Syria would learn the Holy Quran from Hazrat Ubayyra and would also get the scribes of Medina to produce copies of the Holy Quran. In return of their services for transcribing the copies of the Quran, they would invite the scribes to eat with them. However, Hazrat Ubayyra would never accept their invitation. Once, Hazrat Umarra enquired from Hazrat Ubayyra regarding the kind of foods eaten in Syria and he replied that he never ate with them and would always eat his own food. (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 151-152)
Hazrat Ubayyra participated in all the battles alongside the Holy Prophetsa including the battle of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq [the Ditch]. (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2017] 378)
During the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Ubayyra was struck by an arrow which pierced into his median vein, which carries blood to the head, chest, back and to the hands and feet. Subsequently, the Holy Prophetsa sent a physician to treat him, who then cut the vein and then branded it with his own hand. (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 141, 142) (Urdu Lughat, Vol. 22, p. 29, Urdu Lughat Board, Karachi)
There is an incident which took place during the Battle of Uhud, which, although it has been previously narrated, I will briefly mention it again.
After the battle, the Holy Prophetsa instructed Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab to go and assess the conditions of those injured. As he went searching, he came across Hazrat Saad bin Rabira who had been fatally wounded and was breathing his last. Hazrat Ubayyra asked him if he wished for him to convey any message to his relatives and loved ones. Hazrat Saadra smiled and replied that he was hoping a Muslim would walk by so that he could pass onto him his message. He then stated, “Place your hand in mine and promise me that you will certainly convey my message.”
His message was, “Convey my greetings of peace [salam] to my fellow Muslim brethren and tell my people and relatives that the Holy Prophetsa is the most excellent trust which Allah the Almighty has granted to us and we protected this trust with our very lives. Now I depart, but I hand over the responsibility of protecting this trust over to you. Let it not be the case that you show negligence in its protection.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 7, p. 338)
In 9 AH, when Zakat had become obligatory, the Holy Prophetsa appointed various people to different parts of Arabia for its collection. Hazrat Ubayyra was appointed to collect the Zakat from the tribes of Banu Bali, Banu Azar and Banu Saad. One day, Hazrat Ubayyra visited a village and one of the villagers brought out all his animals before Hazrat Ubayyra and stated that he could take any one of them as part of his Zakat. From among the camels, Hazrat Ubayyra selected a two-year old young camel. The individual who was presenting his donation stated that this camel was of no benefit for it could neither produce milk nor be used as a mount. He recommended a different camel to Hazrat Ubayyra which was much healthier and not too aged. Hazrat Ubayyra replied that this was not possible as he could not go against the teachings of the Holy Prophetsa. Hazrat Ubayyra then advised that it was better for them that they both go to Medina, which was not far from there, and present the matter before the Holy Prophetsa and whatever the Holy Prophetsa instructed, he should do accordingly. Agreeing with the suggestion of Hazrat Ubayyra, they both travelled to Medina with the camel and presented the entire matter before the Holy Prophetsa. The Holy Prophetsa stated that if he wished to donate the bigger camel, he could do so and it would be accepted [as Zakat] and God Almighty would grant him its reward. Thus, he presented the camel to the Holy Prophetsa and left.
During the era of Hazrat Abu Bakrra, the compilation of the Holy Quran [into book form] was initiated. A committee consisting of [several] companions was formed for this task of which Hazrat Ubayyra was its supervisor. Hazrat Ubayyra would recite the Holy Quran and the companions would write it down. Since this committee comprised of those who were very learned and possessed deep knowledge, occasionally they would have discussion and discourse on certain verses. When the following verse of Surah al-Taubah was being written down:
[Then they turn away. Allah has turned away their hearts because they are a people who would not understand. (Ch.9: V.127)]
It was mentioned that this was the final verse to be revealed. Hazrat Ubayyra stated that in fact there were two more verses that the Holy Prophetsa taught him after this. Therefore this was not the last verse, rather there were two verses revealed after that as well. (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 142)
Hazrat Umarra introduced many beneficial initiatives during his Khilafat, one of which was the formation of a consultative body [Majlis-e-Shura]. The system of Majlis-e-Shura was established during the era of Hazrat Umarra. This consultative body was formed of prominent companions from among the Muhajireen and Ansar and Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab was also its member in representation of the Khazraj tribe. (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Isha‘ah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 142-143)
An individual by the name of Jabir or Juwabir states that during the era of Hazrat Umar’sra Khilafat, he went to see Hazrat Umarra in relation to some matter. He states that there was a person who was stood next to Hazrat Umarra who had white hair and was wearing white clothes. The aforementioned individual said, “Verily, the means to attain our objective and the provisions for the hereafter are present in this very world and our deeds in this world shall be rewarded in the hereafter.” Jabir states that he asked, “O Leader of the Faithful, who is this person?” Hazrat Umarra replied, “Ubayyra bin Kaab, the leader of the Muslims.” (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2017] 378, 379)
Abdur Rahman bin Abd Qari narrates that one night, during the month of Ramadan, he went with Hazrat Umarra to the mosque and saw that people were scattered in various groups whilst offering their prayers. Some were offering the prayer on their own, whilst others were offering prayers with a small congregation behind them. Upon seeing this, Hazrat Umarra stated that he deemed it better if everyone was brought together as one congregation behind a single qari [Imam]. Upon making this decision, Hazrat Umarra appointed Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab to lead the congregation. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Salat al-Tarawih, Bab Fadl man Qam Ramadan, Hadith 2010, Translated version, Vol. 3, 680-681, Nazarat-e-Ishaat Rabwah)
In other words, the Muslims were offering their nawafil [voluntary] prayers at night.
Hazrat Ubayyra is among those esteemed companions who had heard a large part of the ahadith [oral traditions] directly from the Holy Prophetsa. Many companions studied ahadith from him and in fact, the majority of his students would comprise of companions. (Even the companions would listen to the ahadith from him.) Hazrat Umarra bin Khattab, Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansarira, Hazrat Ubadah bin Samitra, Hazrat Abu Hurairahra, Hazrat Abu Musa Ash‘arira, Hazrat Anas bin Malikra, Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbasra, Hazrat Sahl bin Saadra and Hazrat Suleman bin Sardra were among those who benefited from Hazrat Ubayy’sra knowledge of ahadith. (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 153)
Hazrat Qais bin Ubadahra once came to Medina to meet the companions and states that he found Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab to be of a lofty rank. He states that it was the time for prayer and people had all gathered and Hazrat Umarra was also present. There was a certain matter for which people needed to be given guidance and so after the completion of the prayer, Hazrat Ubayyra stood up and related sayings of the Holy Prophetsa to the people. Their passion and zeal to listen to what he was saying was evident from the way they were all attentively listening to him. Hazrat Ubayy’sra extraordinary status had a left deep impact on Qais. (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 154.)
Hazrat Ubayyra would also provide guidance from the Holy Quran in relation to jurisprudential matters. Once, a lady came to the Hazrat Umarra and stated that her husband had passed away while she was expecting and had now given birth.
At the time of his demise, she was expecting but now she had given birth but the period of her iddat had not been completed yet. Iddat is a period of four months and 10 days, which a wife must observe after the demise of her husband.
She was still observing this period when she gave birth. Therefore, she asked whether she should still complete the full period of the iddat or was that enough.
Hazrat Umarra instructed that she should continue to observe the full period of the iddat that had been prescribed for a widow.
Shen then went to Hazrat Ubayyra and enquired about the matter from him as well. She told him about the matter she had presented before Hazrat Umarra and also the verdict he had given.
Hazrat Ubayyra told her to go to Hazrat Umarra and tell him that Ubayy states that she no longer needed to observe the remaining period of the iddat. He also told her that if Hazrat Umarra enquired about him, she should tell him where he was and should come and call for him. The lady went to Hazrat Umarra and so he asked her to call Hazrat Ubayyra. Hazrat Ubayyra came and Hazrat Umarra asked how he had come to this verdict. Hazrat Ubayyra replied that he based it on the Holy Quran and then quoted the following verse:
“And [as for those] who are with child, their period shall be until they are delivered of their burden.”
Hazrat Ubayyra then stated that any lady who was expecting and was widowed would also be counted among them. Hazrat Ubayyra stated that he had also heard a hadith of the Holy Prophetsa regarding this matter as well. Hazrat Umarra then told the lady that she should act in accordance to what Hazrat Ubayyra had said, in other words what he had said was correct.
The house belonging to the Holy Prophet’ssa paternal uncle, Hazrat Abbasra was attached to one side of Masjid-e-Nabwi. Hazrat Umarra wanted to extend the area of the mosque and asked Hazrat Abbasra if he would sell his house so that he could include that area as part of the mosque. Hazrat Abbasra stated that this was not possible.
Hazrat Umarra then asked if he could gift it and again Hazrat Abbasra refused to do so as he was would usually do things in his own way. Hazrat Umarra then asked if he himself would then extend the mosque and this would be a great act for the benefit of the ummah if he was to extend the mosque and include his house as part of it. Hazrat Abbasra replied that this was also not possible. He did not agree to this either.
Hazrat Umarra said, “You will have to accept one of these three options.” Hazrat Abbasra replied, “I agree to none of these options.”
Thus, as the matter remained unresolved, both of them appointed Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab as an arbitrator. Hazrat Ubayyra said to Hazrat Umarra, “What right do you have to take something that he is not content on giving?” and then said, “You cannot take it from him.”
Hazrat Umarra asked Hazrat Ubayyra whether he based his decision on the Holy Quran or a Hadith. Hazrat Ubayyra stated that he based it on a hadith and then stated that when Prophet Solomanas constructed [the temple] in Jerusalem, one of the walls that was built on someone else’s land fell down. Prophet Solomonas received a revelation stating that he should seek permission from the owner before constructing on the land.
Upon hearing this, Hazrat Umarra fell silent. However, Hazrat Abbasra was loyal and sincere and had pledged allegiance to Khilafat and he was overcome with this passion. Although he initially refused, he had, however, a pious and virtuous disposition. He had great honour for the faith and respect for Khilafat which he demonstrated. When Hazrat Umarra agreed to the decision and fell silent, Hazrat Abbasra then said to Hazrat Umarra, “Very well, I will include my home as part of the mosque.” (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 155)
On one occasion, Hazrat Umarra decided to prohibit people from performing Hajj Tamattau‘.
There are three types of Hajj, some youths may not be aware of this: Hajj Tamattau‘ is where one enters into a state of ihram for Umrah before arriving in Mecca. They first perform the Umrah and then come out of the state of ihram. Then on 8 Dhul Hijjah, they will enter into a new state of ihram and perform the Hajj. This is known as Hajj Tamattau‘. The more commonly known form of Hajj is Hajj Mufrid and Hajj Qiran is when one performs the Umrah and Hajj in the same state of Ihram.
Nonetheless, Hazrat Umarra decided to prohibit people from performing Hajj Tamattau‘. Hazrat Ubayyra said, “You have no right to stop people from this.” He subsequently stopped Hazrat Umarra from carrying this out saying that it was wrong to stop them. Thus, Hazrat Umarra abandoned his idea.
On one occasion, Hazrat Umarra decided to prohibit people from wearing cloaks from Heera, which was an area three miles from Kufa towards Najaf. The reason was that urine was added in order to dye the cloth or perhaps they would add animal urine in order to fade the cloth. Hazrat Ubayyra said, “You are not authorised to sanction this because the Holy Prophetsa himself wore clothes of this colour and wore cloaks from there, thus we also wore it during the life of the Holy Prophetsa and there were no issues.” Upon hearing this, Hazrat Umarra remained silent and said that Hazrat Ubayyra was correct. (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 156) (Yaqut Ibn Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 2 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi] 328) (Fiqh-e-Ahmadiyyah, Vol. 1, pp. 335-336)
During the Khilafat of Hazrat Umarra, on one occasion, a disagreement arose between Hazrat Umarra and Hazrat Ubayyra over an orchard. Hazrat Ubayyra began to weep and said, “Am I to witness all this in your era?” Hazrat Umarra said, “This was not my intention. You are free to obtain a verdict from any Muslim. As there is a disagreement between us, I will not pass the verdict. You are free to obtain a verdict from anyone else, as I believe that I am in the right.”
Hazrat Ubayyra appointed Zaid bin Thabit as the arbitrator to which Hazrat Umarra agreed. The matter was presented before Hazrat Zaidra. Although Hazrat Umarra was the Islamic Khalifa, yet he came before Hazrat Zaidra as one of the two parties.
Hazrat Umarra rejected the view held by Hazrat Ubayyra [in regard to the orchard]. Hazrat Umarra said, “You seem to have forgotten. Think about it and try to recall.” Hazrat Ubayyra thought about it for a short while and said that he could not recall anything.
Hazrat Umarra then gave details about the entire incident saying that such and such took place. Hazrat Zaidra asked Hazrat Ubayyra what proof he had about his demand. He replied that he did not have any proof.
He said, “I do not have any proof at this point, but do not take an oath from Amir-ul-Momineen.” He said that he did not have any proof but he should not take an oath from Amir-ul-Momineen. Hazrat Umarra stated, “If it is necessary for me to take an oath then I have no hesitation in taking an oath.” Nevertheless, a decision was made regarding the matter. (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 145-146)
Hazrat Uthmanra bin Affan selected 12 people from among the Quraish and Ansar for the codification [standardisation into a single codex or consonantal text] of the Quran, including Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab and Hazrat Zaidra bin Thabit. (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2017] 381)
During the era of Hazrat Uthmanra, differences in pronunciation and dialect of the Quran became widespread throughout the Islamic lands. In order to eliminate these differences, Hazrat Uthmanra summoned the companions who recited variant readings and heard all these variants individually. Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab, Hazrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbasra and Hazrat Muaz bin Jabalra all had different dialects. In observing this, Hazrat Uthmanra wished to unite all Muslims upon a single mode of recitation of the Quran. There were twelve people from among the Quraish and Ansar who were extremely proficient in the Quran.
Hazrat Uthmanra assigned this important task to them and appointed Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab as the head of this committee. Hazrat Ubayyra would recite the words of the Quran and Hazrat Zaidra would write them down. All the various codices [manuscripts] of the Quran that are present today are in accordance with the reading of Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab. (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 143)
Utai bin Damrah states that he said to Ubayyra bin Kaab:
“What is the matter with the Companions of the Holy Prophetsa; we come from far off places so we can listen to incidents and accounts from you and so we can learn. However, when we come to you, you brush us aside as if we have no standing in your eyes.” Upon this, Ubayyra bin Kaab said, ‘By God! If I am alive until next Friday, I will reveal something to you and I care not whether after listening to what I have to say, you then wish to kill me or let me live.’”
The narrator states, “On the following Friday, I went to Medina and to my surprise, I saw huge crowds of people walking through the streets. I asked the people what was going on, to which one person said, ‘Are you not from this city?’ I replied in the negative. He then said, ‘Today, one of the leaders of the Muslims, Ubayyra bin Kaab has passed away.’”
The narrator then said, “By God! I have not witnessed the manifestation of God’s attribute of Al-Sattar [covering one’s shortcomings] as much as I did for him.” I.e. referring to Ubayyra bin Kaab. (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2017] 380)
As he had vowed on oath that he would say something after which he was unsure as to how he would be treated in return for saying that. From what the narrator stated, it seems as though Allah the Almighty saved Hazrat Ubayyra from saying something which, deep down, he did not want to say. Aside from this Allah knows best what is meant by this statement.
Nonetheless, upon hearing of his demise, the narrator stated, “I have not witnessed the manifestation of Gods attribute of Al-Sattar as much as for him (i.e. referring to Ubayyra bin Kaab).”
Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab states in one narration that he completes one reading of the Holy Quran in eight nights. (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2017] 379.)
Hazrat Ubayy bin Kaab’sra love for the Holy Prophetsa can be gauged from the following incident.
In Masjid al-Nabawi, the Holy Prophetsa used to deliver the sermon whilst leaning against the trunk of a date-palm tree that was used a pillar. Later, a pulpit was constructed and when the Holy Prophetsa sat on the pulpit to deliver the Friday sermon, a weeping sound resounded from that trunk which was heard by all those that were in the mosque.
The Holy Prophetsa went to that trunk and placing his hand over it, he embraced the trunk. The trunk began to weep profusely, just like an innocent child that needs to be consoled and after a while it became content and the noise coming from it stopped. Subsequently when [part of the] mosque was demolished for reconstruction, Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab took the trunk home, only because the Holy Prophetsa would lean against it. He took the trunk home but later it became withered and was reduced to [wood] dust as termites consumed it. However, he kept the trunk with him owing to his love for the Holy Prophetsa. This is a narration of Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal and some parts of it are from Sahih al-Bukhari. (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Musnad al-Mukathirin min al-Sahabah, Musnad Jabir Abd-Allah Hadith 14075) (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Buyu‘, Bab al-Najjar, Hadith 2095) (Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab Iqamat al-Salah wa al-Sunnah fiha, Bab ma ja‘a fi Bad’ Sha‘n al-Minbar, Hadith 1414) (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 158)
From among the companions of the Holy Prophetsa, there were six arbitrators [qazis]: Hazrat Umarra, Hazrat Alira, Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas‘udra, Hazrat Zaid bin Thabitra, Hazrat Abu Musa Asharira and Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab. (Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 1 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2016] 170)
Samurah bin Jundubra was an eminent companion of the Holy Prophetsa. After reciting the takbir [“Allahu Akbar” at the start of prayer] he would pause for a while before reciting a portion [of the Quran]. After reciting “Allahu Akbar”, he would remain silent for a period of time before reciting Surah al-Fatihah. Some people complained about this.
He wrote to Hazrat Ubayyra bin Kaab for him to shed light on this matter. Hazrat Ubayyra wrote a concise reply saying, “Your conduct is in line with the Shariah, therefore there is no harm if you pause. Those who raise allegations against this are in the wrong.” (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 154.)
Hazrat Suwaid bin Ghafalah, Zaid bin Saujan and Sulaiman bin Rabia once travelled for an expedition. When they reached Uzaib, they came across a whip on the ground. Uzaib was the Valley of Banu Tamim where water was found. It was situated between Qadsiyya and Mughithah at a distance of four miles from Qadisiyya.
Nonetheless, Suwaid picked up the whip. The others said to him to leave it as it could belong to another Muslim. Suwaid said he would certainly not leave it as if it remained there it would be eaten by wolves or consumed [by something else], therefore it was better he made use of it.
A few days later, Suwaid left with the intention of performing Hajj. As Medina was en route, he went to see Hazrat Ubayyra and narrated the incident of the whip. Hazrat Ubayyra said, “I was also faced with a similar incident during the life of the Holy Prophetsa. During the time of the Holy Prophetsa, I found 100 dinars.”
Whether it is 100 dinars or a whip, everything found in this manner has its own value as it is a trust [belonging to someone else]. Let us see what the Holy Prophetsa stated in this regard. Hazrat Ubayyra then continued, “The Holy Prophetsa instructed, ‘You ought to continuously make announcements to the people regarding it for one entire year.’ When that year had passed he said, ‘You ought to remember any markings and the amount of money and wait for one more year. If someone comes to collect it and gives the correct identification for it, you ought to hand it over to them, otherwise it will become yours.’” (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 156) (Sayyid Fadl al-Rahman, Farhang-i-Sirat [Karachi, Pakistan: Zawwar Academy Publications, 2003] 197)
This means that when one finds something, they ought to wait two years; they ought to continuously make announcements about it for one year and remember its markings or identifications for one more year. If someone comes to collect it giving the correct identification, it should be given to them.
A person was causing a commotion in the mosque stating that he had lost such and such thing. When Hazrat Ubayyra saw this he was displeased. The person said, “I have not uttered anything vile in the mosque.” Hazrat Ubayyra replied, “Indeed that is true; however, it is against the etiquette of a mosque to announce any worldly possession.” (Sheikh Shah Moinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Siyar al-Sahabah, Vol. 3 [Karachi, Pakistan: Dar al-Ishaah Urdu Bazar, 2004] 157)
There are various narrations with regard to Hazrat Ubayy’sra demise.
According to one narration Hazrat Ubayyra passed away in 22 AH during the Khilafat of Hazrat Umarra, whereas according to another narration, he passed away in 30 AH during the Khilafat of Hazrat Uthmanra – this [latter] narration seems more accurate because Hazrat Uthmanra appointed Hazrat Ubayyra for the standardisation of the readings of the Quran. (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2017] 381) (Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, Vol. 1 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Fikr, 2001] 35-36)
The names of Hazrat Ubayy’sra children were Tufail and Muhammad and their mother’s name was Umm Tufail bint Tufail, who belonged to the Daus tribe. It is stated that one of Hazrat Ubayy’sra daughters’ name was Umm Amr. (Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2017] 378)
This concludes the accounts relating to Hazrat Ubayyra.
(Original Urdu transcript published in Al Fazl International, 3 to 9 November 2020, pp. 5-10. Translated by The Review of Religions)
“O Allah, make the knowledge that You have taught me beneficial for me. Teach me such knowledge which brings gain. Increase my knowledge. All praise belongs to Allah in every situation. I seek refuge in Allah from the condition of the people of the Fire.
The fact of the matter is that the True Helper and Supporter is that Being Whose greatness is extolled in the Quranic appellations describing Him to be an excellent Protector (ni‘mal-mawla), an excellent Helper (ni‘man-naseer) and an excellent Guardian (ni‘mal-wakeel). In the eyes of the godly, this world along with its support is like the dead. They do not consider it to be worth even a dead insect.
However, in order to teach the world a fundamental rule of prayer, they adopt this worldly method as well. In reality, they consider God Almighty to be the one who takes care of their ministry; that is the absolute truth. As stated in the Holy Quran:
وَهُوَ يَتَوَلَّى الصّٰلِحِیۡنَ
“And He protects the righteous.”
Allah the Exalted, however, instructs them to make their work known through other people. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, would appeal to the people for assistance because that era was one of divine succour, and the Holy Prophetsa constantly sought it in favour of the people. This is a subtle point which calls for deep reflection. In actuality, a person who is divinely commissioned does not seek the help of the people, but rather by proclaiming مَنۡ اَنۡصَارِىۤۡ اِلَی اللّٰهِ meaning, ‘Who are my helpers in the cause of Allah,’ he only seeks to welcome and receive the assistance of God; with immense desire and a throbbing heart they seek to find God’s succour. The foolish and short-sighted surmise that they seek to solicit the assistance of human beings, but this process of calling upon the people becomes a source of mercy and grace for the heart of a person, who becomes a catalyst for the descent of divine mercy.
Hence, the underlying secret in the divinely commissioned calling upon the people for assistance is what I have just mentioned and so shall remain the case until the Day of Resurrection. In propagating religion, those who are commissioned by Allah seek the help of others. Why is this the case? They do so to absolve themselves of their duty of inculcating the grandeur of God Almighty into the hearts of the people. If not, this is something which can reach a level that is near disbelief. Such holy personages can never deem anyone other than Allah to be a guardian of their affairs. This is absolutely impossible.
I have just stated that the oneness of God is only completely realised when an individual considers the one and only Being of God to be the Bestower of all desires and the cure and remedy for every illness. This is precisely the meaning of لا إلہ إلا الله, (i.e. there is none worthy of worship except Allah). In this instance, the Sufis have taken the word ilah to mean the Beloved, the object of one’s longing, the Being Who is worthy of worship and the desire of one’s heart.
Undoubtedly, the reality and truth is that until a person does not fully adhere to the Oneness of God, they do not develop feelings of love and reverence for Islam; and I return to my initial discussion and state that such people cannot experience pleasure and satisfaction in prayer. The entire foundation rests on the fact that until evil thoughts and impure and unholy schemes are not incinerated, and until ego and pride are not replaced with a state of self-effacement and humility, a person cannot become a true servant of God.
Further, the best teacher and most supreme means by which perfect servitude can be taught is through prayer. I tell you once again that if you desire to develop a sincere relationship and living connection with God Almighty, then adhere to the regular observance of your Prayers. Hold fast to this practice not merely with your body and tongue, but with all the desires and passions of your soul, thus becoming an embodiment of prayer. The secret in the sinlessness of prophets also lies in this fact. Why is a Prophet sinless? The response to this is that they are safeguarded from sin on account of their being wholly engrossed in the love of Allah.
I am astonished when I observe various nations indulged in associating partners with God. The Hindus, for example, worship a plethora of idols; in fact, they even justify the worship of male and female genitalia. Then, there are those who worship a human corpse, i.e. Jesus Christ. Such people believe in the attainment of salvation or deliverance in varying forms. The former group, that is to say the Hindus, seek to be cleansed of sin through bathing in the Ganges, pilgrimage and other similar expiations.
Those who worship Jesus, declare the blood of the Christian Messiah to be an atonement for their sins. However, I proclaim that until the spirit of sin remains, how can such people find peace and comfort through outwardly cleansing and self-contrived doctrines? Until inner cleansing and purification takes place, it is impossible for one to attain the result of salvation, which is to be truly cleansed and purified.
Indeed, a lesson may be learned nonetheless. Without cleaning, the filth and odour of the body cannot be removed, and it cannot be safeguarded against imminent and threatening illnesses. Similarly, the filth and impurity that accumulates on the hearts of people in the spiritual sense due to impiety and countless forms of impertinence, cannot be washed without the pure and holy water of repentance. In the physical realm, just as there is a philosophy which underpins various phenomena, there is a corresponding philosophy that exists in parallel within the spiritual realm. Blessed are those who contemplate these matters and reflect.
(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 166-168)
