Friday Sermon

8 March 2019

The reality of “magic” on the Prophet^sa

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

Hazrat Qais^ra bin Mihsan was a companion from among the Ansar. In several narrations, his name has also been recorded as Qais bin Hisan. He belonged to the Banu Zuraiq tribe of the Ansar. His mother’s name was Aneesah bint Qais and his father’s name was Mihsan bin Khalid. He participated in the Battles of Badr and Uhud. One of his daughters was Umm Saad bint Qais. At the time of his demise, his children were in Medina. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 4, p. 422, Qais bin Mihsan^ra, Dar-ul-Kutb Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)(Al-Tabqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 443, Qais bin Mihsan^ra, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilimiyya, Beirut, 1990)

The next companion is Hazrat Jubair^ra bin Iyaas. His father’s name was Iyaas bin Khalid. He participated in the Battle of Badr. He belonged to the Banu Zuraiq branch of the Khazraj tribe. Hazrat Abdullah^ra bin Muhammad states that his name was Jubair bin Ilyas. His name has also been recorded as Jabar bin Iyaas in another narration. (Al-Tabqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 444, Jubair^ra bin Iyaas, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilimiyya, Beirut, 1990).

It is mentioned in the Ahadith that a Jewish man cast a magic spell on the Holy Prophet^sa and that the Holy Prophet^sa was influenced by it – God forbid. It is mentioned in narrations that the spell was cast on a comb and some strands of hair and thrown into a well named Zhi Arwan. The Holy Prophet^sa later had it removed. 

It is written in Fath-ul-Bari, a commentary of Sahih al-Bukhari, that it was Hazrat Jubair^ra bin Iyaas who took out the comb and the strands of hair from the well of Zhi Arwan. According to another narration, it was Hazrat Qais^ra bin Mihsan who pulled them out. (Fath-ul-Bari, Imam ibn Hijar, Kitab-ul-Tibb, Baab Al-Sehr, Hadith no. 5763, Vol. 10, p. 282, Qadeemi Kutb Khana Karachi)

Hence, I have mentioned both of the companions together. However, what is more important to know is that whether or not the Holy Prophet^sa was influenced by any kind of magic and what the true reality of this incident is as opposed to determining which of the two companions took those items out of the well. Moreover, it is important for us to know what our viewpoint is regarding this. We have to reply to anything which can or does give rise to an allegation against the Holy Prophet^sa. Thus, I shall present some of the details found in our Jamaat literature regarding this incident. I will expound upon this incident today in relation to both of these companions. 

While mentioning this incident in the introduction to the commentary of Surah Al-Falaq, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra states: 

“According to some, Surah al-Falaq and al-Nas – i.e. the last two chapters of the Holy Quran – were revealed in Mecca. Some, however, call them Medinitechapters i.e. chapters that were revealed in Medina.” 

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra further writes: 

“Those who are of the view that it is a Medinite chapter present the argument that this and the subsequent chapter were related to the illness of the Holy Prophet^sa during which it had been considered that a magic spell had been cast on him by the Jews. It is thought that these two chapters had been revealed on that occasion and the Holy Prophet^sa would blow over his body after reciting them.” 

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra is mentioning what is said by others in relation to these chapters. He further writes:

“Commentators say that because this incident occurred in Medina, hence, Surah al-Falaq and Surah al-Nas are Medinite chapters. Nonetheless, it has been the preferred view that both of these chapters were Medinite (i.e. they were revealed in Medina).” 

Hazrat Musleh-e-Muad^ra writes, 

“This is what commentators [of the Holy Quran] have inferred but not proven from a historical account. We also do not possess any conclusive evidence based on which we could say that these chapters were Meccan, but the argument which they have given is also weak and trivial because even if this Surah had been revealed in Mecca, the Holy Prophet^sa could have recited and blown it on himself during an illness. Thus, this argument is incorrect to think that this was revealed in Medina only on the basis of him blowing it on himself.” 

“When the Holy Prophet^sa fell ill, people thought that it was as a result of a spell cast by the Jews. I shall present the account of this incident exactly as it is found in the narrations.” 

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra has mentioned this account in the introductory notes of the aforementioned chapters. He writes: 

“Since the commentators have given precedence to the narration of Hazrat Aisha^ra, hence I will only present the translation of this narration. Hazrat Aisha^ra narrates, ‘The Jews had cast a spell on the Holy Prophet^sa with such an effect that on occasions, he felt that he had completed a particular task, whereas in fact, he had not done so. One day, or during one night, the Holy Prophet^sa supplicated before God Almighty and then again supplicated and he once again supplicated and said, “O Aisha^ra, God Almighty granted me everything for which I had supplicated.’ 

“Hazrat Aisha^ra further narrates: ‘I asked, “O Messenger^sa of Allah what did you ask for? (What has Allah bestowed you with?)” He replied, “Two men came to me and one of them sat near my head and the other near my feet. The one seated near my head said to the one near my feet…”’ Hazrat Aisha^ra states, ‘Or perhaps he said, “The one who was seated near my feet said to one seated near my head: ‘What does this individual (i.e. the Holy Prophet^sa) suffer from?’ The other one replied, ‘A spell has been cast on him.’ He then enquired, ‘Who has cast the spell?’ He replied, ‘It was a Jew named Labeed bin al-A‘sam.’ He then asked, ‘What is the thing by which he transmitted its effect?’ The other one replied, ‘Using a comb and by the hair wrapped around the spathe of a date-palm.’ He then asked, ‘Where is it located?’ He replied, ‘In the well of Zhi Arwan.’”’ 

“Hazrat Aisha^ra states: ‘The Holy Prophet^sa went to the well along with some of his companions. When he returned, he said, “O Aisha^ra, by God! The water of the well had a reddish complexion resembling extracts of henna.”’” 

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra has further expounded on this: 

“It seems that it was the practice of the Jews that when they would cast a spell on someone, they would add henna or something similar into water. This was done to portray that as if through the power of the magic the water had turned red.” 

This was a technique they used to deceive the people who were naive and simple. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra further states: 

“The Holy Prophet^sa then stated, ‘The dates were like that of Satan i.e. like the head of a snake.’ (Here the dates have been compared with the head of a snake, illustrating that the branches of the date palm were almost ripe). Hazrat Aisha^ra states, ‘I then said, “O Messenger^sa of Allah! Why did you not burn it?” The Holy Prophet^sa replied, “Since Allah has cured me, I did not wish to carry out an action which can become a means of contention among people. Therefore, I commanded that they should be buried.”’”

Thus, those items were then buried. Regarding the narration of Hazrat Aisha^ra, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra states: 

“It seems that the two men who came to the Holy Prophet^sa were in fact angels. Had they been humans, surely Hazrat Aisha^ra would have seen them.” 

In relation to the narration of Hazrat Aisha^ra, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra further states: 

“The narration of Hazrat Aisha^ra simply states that the Holy Prophet^sa was informed by God Almighty through the angels that the Jews had cast a spell on him. It certainly does not mean that the Holy Prophet^sa was affected by the spell in the way people believe spells to work.” 

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra further states: 

“Nevertheless, when the Holy Prophet^sa had buried their instruments of magic in the ground, the Jews considered that their spell had been broken. At the same time, God Almighty had granted the Holy Prophet^sa health as well. In short, the Jews were convinced that they had cast a spell on the Holy Prophet^sa and due to this, their attention was naturally drawn to the fact that the Holy Prophet^sa would fall ill.” 

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra further writes, 

“While this narration reveals the hostility that the Jews harboured against the Holy Prophet^sa, it also proves that the Holy Prophet^sa was a true prophet of God Almighty. The reason for this is that the Holy Prophet^sa had been informed by God Almighty of all the ploys being hatched against him by the Jews. Hence, for the Holy Prophet^sa to have received knowledge of the unseen and for the Jews to have failed in their objectives are clear and evident signs of the truthfulness of the Holy Prophet^sa.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 10, pp. 539-542)

In any case, the conclusion drawn by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra is in fact the truth; the Jews thought they had cast a spell on the Holy Prophet^sa. However, it did not have any impact on the Holy Prophet^sa. Furthermore, the ailment and the illness of forgetfulness, or whatever illness it was, had some other causes. Nevertheless, having informed the Holy Prophet^sa of this scheme of the Jews, God Almighty completely negated their assumption that they had cast a spell. Furthermore, by informing the Holy Prophet^sa, those Jews who saw the illness of the Holy Prophet^sa and rejoiced and propagated this news believing that this illness was due to the impact of their spell, the truth of this matter became manifest.

Moreover, there is an article in the literature of our Jamaat written by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra, which details this incident from a historical and intellectual perspective and further elaborates upon this incident. He writes: 

“In the annals of history, in fact, even in the Ahadith, it has been mentioned that following the treaty of Hudaybiyyah, a hypocrite of Jewish descent, whose name was Labeed bin al-A‘sam, once cast a spell on the Holy Prophet^sa – God forbid. This spell was cast by tying strands of hair to a comb, and then uttering some incantations over it and it was then thrown down a well.” 

He further states: 

“It is said that, God forbid, the Holy Prophet^sa remained under this spell for quite some time.” (This was the rumour they had spread.) “During this period, the Holy Prophet^sa would often feel low and disheartened and in this state of anxiousness, he would repeatedly supplicate. One prominent aspect in relation to this state during that period was that it had affected the Holy Prophet^sa’s memory. He used to forget certain matters, so much so that at times, he would think that he had already completed a certain task, whereas, he had not in fact done so. Or at times, the Holy Prophet^sa would believe that he had already visited the home of one of his wives, whereas he had not in fact done so.” 

Expounding on this particular matter regarding the wives, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra says:

“It should be remembered that it was the practice of the Holy Prophet^sa that he had appointed set days for his wives in accordance with the commandments of Islam and he would go to the house of each wife in the evening and enquire about their wellbeing. In the end, the Holy Prophet^sa would arrive at the house of the wife, whom he had assigned the day to. The aforementioned narration is referring to this practise.” 

The narration further continues, “Eventually, God Almighty disclosed the reality of this evil plot.” 

This was the summary of the account related in Sahih al-Bukhari, which Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra has also mentioned in his commentary. However, he further writes: 

“This is the summary of the narration which has been mentioned in certain books of history and Ahadith. Many tales have been invented about this incident that it is difficult to decipher the truth.” 

So many stories have been fabricated based on this narration that it has become very difficult to determine the truth of the matter. He further writes: 

“If all of these narrations were to be accepted then, God forbid, the blessed and holy character of the Holy Prophet^sa would appear to be of a very weak disposition who, at least in worldly affairs, could be led by his opponents into any direction they wanted as a result of their incantations. Furthermore, it would also seem as if they could make him a target of their impure attention and influence his heart and mind and that, God forbid, the Holy Prophet^sa was helpless in confronting their magic. 

If the incident is accepted exactly as it has been narrated in historical accounts and the Ahadith, consequently, only a wrongful conclusion could be drawn from all this. However, this is certainly not possible.  

If one carries out an in-depth analysis, both rationally and from a historical perspective, they would arrive at the conclusion that this was nothing more than an illness of temporary lapse in memory, which can occur at times due to anxiety or physical weakness. At the same time, some evil-minded enemies took advantage of this and spread rumours that the Holy Prophet^sa was under the influence of an incantation, God forbid. However, God Almighty swiftly restored the Holy Prophet^sa back to health and destroyed the false propaganda of the enemies and the hypocrites. 

The great conqueror of satanic forces, the most eminent amongst the prophets, who defeated and crushed Satan and his armies, neither has such a person ever existed nor will anyone like him ever be born. To think that he was a target of evil sorcery by a Jewish man is severe misjudgement. (Such a thought cannot even be entertained). 

This is not only our claim, in fact, the Holy Prophet^sa himself has refuted this. This matter has been elaborated upon in a Hadith. Hazrat Aisha^ra asked the Holy Prophet^sa: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Is there a Satan with me?’ (Hazrat Aisha^ra asked in relation to herself). The Holy Prophet^sa responded: ‘Yes.’ She then asked if Satan is attached to every human. The Holy Prophet^sa answered in the affirmative. Astonished, Hazrat Aisha^ra then enquired: ‘O Messenger^sa of Allah! Is there a Satan attached with you?’ The Holy Prophet^sa responded: ‘Yes. However, God has granted me victory over Satan to the extent that my Satan has even become a Muslim.’ (Sahih Muslim, Kitab Sifatul Qiyamah Wa Al-Jannah Wa Al-Naar, Baab Tehrik Al-Shaitan)

Despite this clear saying, how can someone imagine that a Jew, who in light of the Holy Quran belongs to those people who have incurred the displeasure of God and was a hypocrite, would be able to influence someone as exalted and lofty as the Holy Prophet^sa through his incantations with the help of his Satan? And moreover, the Holy Prophet^sa, as a result of this, remained troubled, sorrowful and sick for a long time? 

Liars and deceivers in all ages have used such false tricks against the truth. However, God the Powerful and the Magnificent has continuously exposed all such liars. He states: 

كَتَبَ اللّٰهُ لَاَغْلِبَنَّ اَنَا وَرُسُلِيْ

“Allah has decreed: ‘Most surely I will prevail, I and My Messenger.’’’ (Surah al-Mujadalah, Ch.58: V.22) 

This means, God has decreed that He, along with His messengers will be victorious in all ages and no satanic deceit will prevail over them.” 

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra further writes, 

“The question then arises as to the truth of this incident, which has been narrated by Hazrat Aisha^ra and recorded even in Sahih al-Bukhari. If one were to consider the context of this incident and take into account the ways and habits of the Jews and the hypocrites, one can easily determine the truth regarding this incident.

“First of all, it is important to note that this incident of sorcery took place after the Treaty of Hudaibiya.  It is recorded in Tabqaat ibn Saad that the Holy Prophet^sa decided to travel to Mecca in order to perform Umrah, based on a dream he had seen. While he was travelling for this purpose, the Quraish prevented him from entering Mecca, as a result of which he had to return in what appeared to be a state of loss. This apparent failure caused immense grief, and the disbelievers and the hypocrites began to mock and ridicule this, which indeed was expected. However, this incident had such an immense impact to the extent that it affected even sincere Muslims, as it is recorded in a Hadith that even an eminent companion such as Hazrat Umar^ra was greatly perturbed for a brief period owing to the apparent defeat.” This incident relating to Hazrat Umar^ra is found in a Hadith of Bukhari. 

“During this time, the Holy Prophet^sa became anxious and worried for those individuals that were weak of faith, lest they be put into a trial. Inevitably, this had a severe impact on the Holy Prophet’s^sa health and he was concerned regarding this for quite some time. This anxiety naturally affected the health of the Holy Prophet^sa. He would pray fervently to God in this state of apprehensiveness, as is indicated in the words of the Hadith:

دَعَا وَ دَعَا

 [Meaning, he prayed and prayed…]

“He prayed so there would not be any kind of temporary hindrance in the progress of Islam owing to the incident of Hudaibiya. This prayer was similar to the prayer he recited during the Battle of Badr, whereby despite the fact that God Almighty had promised him victory, but on seeing the apparent strength of the opposing army, the Holy Prophet^sa prayed: 

اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنْ تَهْلِكَ هٰذِهِ الْعِصَابَةَ لَا تُعْبَدُ فِي الْاَرْضِ

“Due to these reasons, it impacted him psychologically and he suffered from temporary amnesia [memory loss].”

According to some narrations, it lasted a few days whereas in other narrations it is stated that this illness lasted two days or one day and a night. Regardless of however many days this persisted, the illness naturally affected his health. The conclusion of Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra is that the illness lasted a few days which came about due to the deep worry and concern the Holy Prophet^sa had for those Muslims who were still weak in their faith. 

“Hence, this is an intrinsic component of human nature, which even the prophets of God are not exempted from. When the Jews and hypocrites witnessed that the Holy Prophet^sa was unwell during those days and under a lot of strain both mentally and physically and that he was suffering with a spell of memory lapse, therefore, as was their habit, they began creating mischief by announcing that they had cast a spell on the Holy Prophet^sa and that his forgetfulness etc. was a result of this sorcery. Furthermore, as was their longstanding custom, they tied knots of hair around a comb and buried it in a well, as a physical demonstration. When the Holy Prophet^sa came to know of this supposed sorcery, he prayed further to God Almighty in order to put this mischief to an end. (As stated by Hazrat Aisha^ra that once the Holy Prophet^sa was made aware of this, he prayed fervently for a day and night). The Holy Prophet^sa supplicated to the Lord of the heavens for the name of the one who instigated this and the way in which this fabricated sorcery was carried out, so that he could completely eradicate this mischief. Thus, God Almighty heard his ardent pleas and manifested the truth to him in a vision. 

“The Quran declares unequivocally: 

لَا يُفْلِحُ السَّاحِرُ حَيْثُ اَتٰي

“In other words, no sorcerer can ever be successful against the prophets, in any case whatsoever, regardless of how they try to attack.” (Surah Ta Ha, Ch.20: V.70)

“Furthermore, we read in the Holy Quran:

يَقُوْلُ الظَّالِمُوْنَ اِنْ تَتَّبِعُوْنَ اِلَّا رَجُلًا مَّسْحُوْرًا

“I.e., the wrongdoers say, ‘You follow none but a man who is a victim of deception’ (Surah Bani Israil, Ch.17: V.48). This claim of the disbelievers is mentioned in the Holy Quran. Furthermore, after pondering over the wording of this Hadith, the phraseology and the Arabic idiom, this narration of Bukhari can only be understood to be the viewpoint of others stating what seemed to have taken place. This means that the narrator although seems to write on his own account, but in reality, it is merely relating what others have been saying. 

“Therefore, the translation of this narration would be as follows, ‘Hazrat Aisha^ra narrates that once, a spell was cast on the Holy Prophet^sa, i.e. the enemies had spread the rumour that he was a victim to this sorcery.’ Hazrat Aisha^ra did not hold this view herself. Hence the translation would be that ‘the opponents themselves spread the rumour that the Holy Prophet^sa was influenced by a spell. Similarly, in those days, the Holy Prophet^sa would think he had carried out a task, which he had not done so.’ And according to one narration it states that he would think that he had just visited the house of one of his wives, but in actual fact he had not. 

“Then, Hazrat Aisha^ra further gives clarification in which she states that in those same days, the Holy Prophet^sa was once at her house and would supplicate to God Almighty again and again regarding this concern of his. After making this supplication, he addressed her saying, ‘O Aisha^ra, are you aware that God Almighty has disclosed to me [the truth] in regard to that which I enquired.’ She replied, ‘O Messenger^sa of Allah, what is it that you enquired about?’ He answered, ‘Two people came to me (in a dream or in a vision). One of them sat near my head whilst the other sat towards my feet. One of them asked the other what had happened to him?’”

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra writes, 

“This method of conversation likewise seems to be describing a narrative from the perspective of the opposing party. Thereafter, it is the same lengthy account which has already been mentioned, that is the ailment of the Holy Prophet^sa was allegedly due to the effect of a certain Jew’s sorcery. 

“Hazrat Aisha^ra states that after this dream or vision, the Holy Prophet^sa – along with some of his companions – went to that well and inspected it. Several date palm trees had grown around it (and the well was completely dark and very deep). The Holy Prophet^sa returned to Hazrat Aisha^ra and told her ‘O Aisha^ra, I have seen the well. The water of the well is like the colour of henna extract and red in colour. It was a practice amongst the Jews there – (as has previously been mentioned that to trick the people, they would contaminate the water with artificial colour) and the palm trees appeared like cacti.’ Hazrat Aisha^ra states, ‘I asked the Holy Prophet^sa why he did not take the comb and its related objects out and dispose of them?’ Some narrations say she asked why he did not burn them? The Holy Prophet^sa stated ‘God has kept me safe and cured me. Why then should I throw it out in front of the people and needlessly spread an ill (which risks causing the weak-minded to believe that sorcery was the root of it all).’ Therefore, the well was buried and closed off.”

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra writes, 

“Speaking from the perspective of other people, or narrating the words of other people is a method of conversation that was prevalent amongst the Arabs. In fact, at certain occasions, the Holy Quran itself has made use of this method of speech. Accordingly, in one instance while addressing the inmates of hell, God Almighty states:

ذُقْ اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ الْعَزِيْزُ الْكَرِيْمُ

‘Taste it! Thou didst consider thyself the mighty, the honourable.’ (Surah al-Dukhan, Ch.44: V.50) 

“In other words, ‘O one who is entering Hell, taste this punishment of God. Indeed, you are a man most mighty and honourable.’ In this verse, it is never meant that – God forbid – God considers the inmates of hell respectable and honourable. Rather, it is in the context of describing another person’s perspective meaning that the associates of these inmates and the inmates themselves considered their own selves honourable and respectable. (I.e. those who – after committing wicked deeds in the world – still believed themselves to be highly honourable and respectable) They are explicitly told to taste the fire of God’s punishment. 

“It is exactly this style of conversation that was adopted by the two men or angels whom the Holy Prophet^sa saw in his vision. Therefore, when both concluded in saying that this individual has been stricken by sorcery, their purport was not, ‘We think he has been stricken by sorcery’ but what they actually were expressing was, ‘The people are claiming that he has been stricken by sorcery and magic.’ 

“The real and ultimate purpose of the dream thus was none other than for God to reveal to His Prophet^sa, the object which those wretched mischief mongers had concealed in the well and by means of which they would spread deception amongst likeminded people. (They were using this excuse and spreading these lies amongst hypocrites and others like them). God’s intent was thus to reveal this to His messenger^sa in order to utterly annihilate this fabricated sorcery of theirs. Subsequently, it so happened that their alleged object of sorcery was buried and the well was likewise destroyed. Also, the Holy Prophet’s^sa worry and anxiety that such deceptions might cause the simple-minded people to go astray was also alleviated. God’s promise of:

لَا يُفْلِحُ السَّاحِرُ حَيْثُ اَتٰي

‘And a magician shall not thrive, come where he may’ (Surah Ta Ha, Ch.20: V.70) was indeed fulfilled in full glory and grandeur. That is, whatever trickery a magician or a conjuror may try; if he comes against a prophet of God, he can never be victorious. In all cases, the aforementioned Hadith strongly establishes the following points: 

“After the incident of the Treaty of Hudaibiya, because of the strain of his constant concern lest people stumbled in their faith due to the incident of the Treaty of Hudaibiya, the Holy Prophet^sa would sometimes suffer lapses in memory in relation to his domestic affairs. 

“Secondly, the Jews and the hypocrites, who would leave no stone unturned to make such issues a basis for defaming Islam and its Holy Founder^sa, saw this state of the Holy Prophet^sa and began a secret rumour that they had – God forbid – cast a spell over the Prophet of the Muslims. This rumour of theirs was just like the one that they started at the expedition of Bani Mustaliq in order to make a horrible attempt to defame Hazrat Aisha^ra because she got left behind, thereby trying to create hardship and agony for the Holy Prophet^sa. 

“Thirdly, as a physical symbol of their so-called magic, these evil-natured people used Labeed bin al-A‘sam, a hypocrite of Jewish decent, to tie knots of hair around the teeth of a comb. He pressed it into a well so that simple-minded people would be easily deceived and started secret rumours which only raised more concern for the Holy Prophet^sa. 

“The fourth point is that the Holy Prophet^sa began to offer fervent supplications, praying, ‘O Allah! You Yourself exterminate and put an end to this evil ploy and reveal its reality to me so that I may expose this trickery and thereby save simple-minded people from misgivings.’ Hence, God accepted this prayer and revealed the truth of the matter. 

“The fifth point is that God Almighty heard the prayers of the Holy Prophet^sa and exposed the mischief-making of Labeed bin al-A‘sam, upon which the Holy Prophet^sa, accompanied by some witnesses, proceeded to the well, buried the comb and totally covered up the well, so that the matter could come to an end once and for all. 

“In the end, the only question that remains, is how could it be that the Holy Prophet^sa, a prophet of such lofty stature who is in fact the greatest of all prophets could fall victim to a brief spell of memory lapse, which could apparently become an impediment in the way of fulfilling the duties of prophethood? So, in response to this, one should bear it well in mind that every prophet comes in two capacities. One is that of a prophet and messenger from God Almighty, by virtue of which he is honoured with divine revelation, and stands as an educator in all matters of faith for his followers, becoming an example to be followed by them. The second capacity of a prophet is that he is also a man from among mankind, and so is subject to all those human requirements and natural vulnerabilities attached to other human beings.

“This is why God Almighty, while addressing the Holy Prophet^sa in the Holy Quran, states:

قُلْ اِنَّمَا اَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوْحٰي اِلَيَّ

‘O Messenger, tell them, “I am but a human being like yourselves, (and subject to all those laws to which other human beings are subject to). Yet, I am also a Prophet of God and have been granted divine revelation from God for the guidance of mankind.”’ – This is an explanatory translation of this verse. (Surah al-Kahf, Ch.18: V.111)

“In this beautiful verse, God has expounded the two different states of prophets in an extraordinary fashion, i.e. that in one regard they have been given a distinction from other human beings, whereas on another front, they have not been placed outside the category of other men. Therefore, whoever contends that prophets stand outside the perimeter of human requirements and natural weaknesses is a liar.” 

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra writes:  

“Indeed, prophets also fall ill like other people, and can fall victim to malaria, fevers and typhoid – (One should bear in mind that according to the apparent symptoms recorded by the Ahadith and books of history, the Holy Prophet^sa passed away due to typhoid – tuberculosis, asthma, flu, cough, gout, migraine, psychological ailments such as anxiety, stress, lapses in memory, and injuries due to accidents or as a result of war etc. Thus, a prophet can suffer from any of these, and have always been subject to them, except in special cases where a particular prophet has been given a divine promise of protection from a specific illness. 

“However, if the thought arises in someone’s mind that regarding the Holy Prophet^sa, the Holy Quran states: 

سَنُقْرِئُكَ فَلَا تَنْسٰ

‘We shall teach thee the Quran, and thou shalt forget it not’, [Surah al-A‘la, Ch.87: V.7] in response to this one should remember that this promise is only regarding the Quranic revelation and is not to be applied as a general rule for everything. The meaning of this verse is that ‘O Prophet! The teaching We shall reveal to you for the benefit of mankind, We shall cause you to not forget it and We shall safeguard it till the Day of Judgment.’ However, this promise was not for general day to day dealings, or worldly matters, or even the physical rituals related to the religious injunctions. 

“Thus, we find in the Ahadith that owing to the natural human tendencies, the Holy Prophet^sa would, on several occasions, fail to remember or recall something. In fact, in a Hadith, recorded in both Bukhari and Muslim, the Holy Prophet^sa at times would forget the number of rak‘aat [units of prayer] he had offered whilst leading the prayer and his Companions^ra would remind him. Similarly, on many other occasions, the Holy Prophet^sa would have a lapse in memory. 

“In another Hadith, the Holy Prophet^sa is reported to have even stated: 

اِنَّمَا اَنَا بَشَرٌ اَنْسٰي كَمَا تَنْسَوْنَ فَاِذَا نَسِيْتُ فَذَكِّرُوْنِيْ

‘I am also a human like you, and at times, just like you forget something, I also forget. Therefore, if I fail to remember something, then remind me.’ (Abu Daud, Kitab Al-Salat)

“Therefore, just as the Holy Prophet^sa would at times have a lapse in memory, he also suffered from the illness of temporary amnesia after the Treaty of Hudabiyya. Thus, the earlier scholars have offered a similar interpretation to the narration regarding sorcery. For instance, Allama Maazari states: 

‘There exists countless sound and irrefutable arguments which establish the truthfulness of the Holy Prophet^sa, moreover the miracles of the Holy Prophet^sa further testify to his truthfulness. However, all other aspects of attached to one’s life for which the Holy Prophet^sa was not divinely commissioned for as a prophet, and this includes suffering from ailments like other humans do, this [temporary lapse in memory] would also be considered as a form of ailment.’

“Allama ibn Al-Kassar states: 

‘When the Holy Prophet^sa suffered from this lapse in memory, this was also a form of ailment as is clearly evident from the concluding words of the Hadith in which the Holy Prophet^sa stated that God Almighty had granted him cure.’ (These words are clearly written) 

“In short, after the Treaty of Hudaibiya, the Holy Prophet^sa suffered from the aforementioned ailment, but the enemies alleged that this was a result of sorcery. However, this was certainly not the case, in fact owing to the circumstances of the time, the Holy Prophet^sa suffered from temporary amnesia and some mischievous individuals took this as an opportunity to create false propaganda against the noble character of the Holy Prophet^sa. The Holy Quran strongly rebuts such fallacies of sorcery against prophets and neither does human intellect accept this. The words of the Hadith also reject this false interpretation, moreover the Holy Prophet’s lofty and noble status completely dispels this notion of sorcery.” 

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra further states:

“It would not be out of context to mention Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II’s^ra narration, may Allah be his Helper,” (Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra Sahib was mentioning this during the lifetime of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra.) “In part one of Sirat-ul-Mahdi, narration number 75 states that one day a Hindu, who was full of prejudice and lived in Gujrat, came to Qadian. He was an expert in the art of hypnotism and sat in a gathering of the Promised Messiah^as and secretly began to focus his attention on the Promised Messiah^as so that he could influence him to carry out some inappropriate acts and thus make the Promised Messiah^as a target of mockery and ridicule. However, when he began to focus his attention upon the Promised Messiah^as, he suddenly screamed out aloud and ran away. When he was asked about what had happened to him, he said that when he focused his attention on Mirza Sahib, it seemed as if a ferocious lion was standing before him, ready to pounce at any moment. That is why he became terrified and ran away.”

Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra writes:

“The Promised Messiah^as was the servant of the Holy Prophet^sa; if the servant holds such a status that God Almighty did not allow for him to be hypnotised, then how can one believe that the master – i.e. the Holy Prophet^sa – was hypnotised by the Jews, God forbid?” (Mazameen-e-Bashir, Vol. 3, pp. 642-653, Mazameen 1959)

In the end, I will read the sayings of the Just Arbitrator of this era [i.e. the Promised Messiah^as] which prevails over all other commentaries and explanations. In one of his gatherings, a person asked the Promised Messiah^as what he thought about the incident where the disbelievers asserted that they had cast a spell on the Holy Prophet^sa. The Promised Messiah^as stated: 

“Sorcery is also the work of Satan. It does not behove the status of a prophet or messenger to come under the influence of a spell. Rather, all spells are broken when they come in contact with a prophet, just as God Almighty states in the Holy Quran: 

لَا يُفْلِحُ السَّاحِرُ حَيْثُ اَتٰي

[“And a magician shall not thrive, come where he may.” (Surah Ta Ha, Ch.20: V.70)]. 

Observe, Prophet Moses^as was confronted by the magicians, did Moses^as not succeed? To say that the Holy Prophet^sa was influenced by magic is absolutely incorrect and we can never accept there to be any truth in this matter. It is contrary to our beliefs to heedlessly accept everything that is written in Bukhari and Muslim. Even logic does not accept the fact that a spell could have any influence over such a grand and noble prophet. For one to say that the Holy Prophet^sa was put under a spell, God forbid, in which his memory was affected, or caused any other effects, is completely false.” 

The Promised Messiah^as further states, 

“It seems that these statements were fabricated by a wretched individual. Despite the fact that we have high regard for the Ahadith, however, we can never accept a Hadith which is contrary to the Holy Quran and the honour of the Holy Prophet^sa. During the time in which the Ahadith were being collected, those that compiled the narrations worked meticulously and recorded them with due care. However, despite all their efforts and precautions, they were unable to safeguard them from error. That was the period in which the Hadith were to be collated, but now is the time to reflect and ponder.” Read and deliberate over them. “Any Hadith that is averse to the teachings of the Holy Quran or the honour and dignity of the Holy Prophet^sa ought to be rejected or one should ensure that its meanings do not contradict them” just as Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^ra did.

The Promised Messiah^as then writes: 

“To collate the Aathaar of the Holy Prophet^sa is a noble deed (i.e. to collect incidents about the lives of prophets is a virtuous deed). To collate these incidents is a noble deed, however, in principle, the people that collate such incidents can never do so with complete accuracy. Now, it is the responsibility of every individual to deliberate over them and having analysed them they ought to decide which ones should be accepted and which ones ought to be rejected. To accept that the Holy Prophet^sa was influenced by a spell cast on him, (God forbid), is a belief in which one can lose their faith.” 

The Promised Messiah^as continues, 

“God Almighty states: 

اِذْ يَقُوْلُ الظَّالِمُوْنَ اِنْ تَتَّبِعُوْنَ اِلَّا رَجُلًا مَّسْحُوْرًا

‘When the wrongdoers say, “You follow none but a man who is a victim of deception”’ – (who is under the influence of a spell). (Surah Bani Israil, Ch.17: V.48).

People who say such things are wrongdoers and not Muslims. It is the non-believers and transgressors who make such statements that the Holy Prophet^sa was under the influence of a spell (God forbid). People do not think that if the Holy Prophet^sa could have been influenced in such a way, (God forbid), then what would be the state of the Muslim ummah? In such a case, it would certainly perish. I am lost for words that the Prophet regarding whom all the prophets declared that he would be free from the grasp of Satan, and yet regarding that very prophet they believe in such statements which are against his honour.” (Maluzat, Vol. 9, pp. 471-472)

All praise is for Allah that we accepted the Imam of the Age, through which we can recognise the true rank and status of the Holy Prophet^sa. 

اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰي مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَليٰ اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَبَارِكْ وَسَلِّمْ اِنَّكَ حَمِيْدٌ مَّجِيْدٌ

Friday Sermon

1 March 2019

Men of Excellence

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

Today I will continue with the accounts of the Companions^ra who took part in the Battle of Badr. 

The first companion is Hazrat Khauli^ra bin Abi Khauli. Hazrat Khauli^ra participated in all of the battles alongside the Holy Prophet^sa, including the battles of Badr and Uhud. Abu Ma‘shar and Muhammad bin Umar state that Hazrat Khauli^ra participated in the Battle of Badr along with his son. However, the name of the son has not been recorded. Another historian, Muhammad bin Ishaq states that Hazrat Khauli^ra participated in the Battle of Badr along with his brother, Malik^ra bin Abi Khauli. According to another narration, Hazrat Khauli’s^ra two brothers, Hazrat Hilal^ra bin Abi Khauli and Hazrat Abdullah^ra bin Abi Khauli also participated in the Battle of Badr. Hazrat Khauli^ra passed away during the caliphate of Hazrat Umar^ra. (Al-Tabqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 299, Khauli bin Abi Khauli, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilimiyya, Beirut, 1990).

The second companion is Hazrat Rafey^ra bin al-Mu‘alla. Hazrat Rafey^ra bin Mu‘alla belonged to the Banu Habib branch of the Khazraj tribe. His mother’s name was Idaam bint Auf. The Holy Prophet^sa established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Rafey^ra and Hazrat Safwan^ra bin Baidhaa. Both of these companions participated in the Battle of Badr. According to some narrations, both of them were martyred during the Battle of Badr, whereas according to a different narration, Hazrat Safwan^ra bin Baidhaa was not martyred during the Battle of Badr. Musa bin Uqba narrates that both Hazrat Rafey^ra as well as his brother Hazrat Hilal^ra bin Mu’alla participated in the Battle of Badr. Hazrat Rafey^ra was martyred by Ikrama bin Abu Jahl during the Battle of Badr. (Al-Tabqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 450, Rafey bin al-Mu’alla Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilimiyya, Beirut, 1990) (Al-Isti’ab, Vol. 2, p. 484-485, Rafey bin al-Mu’alla, Dar-ul-Jeel, Beirut, 1992.

The next companion is Hazrat Zus-Shimalain Humair^ra bin Abdi Amr. His real name was Umair and his title was Abu Muhammad. Ibn Hisham states that he was commonly referred to as Zus-Shimalain, but this was not his actual name. This was a title given to him because he used to utilise his left hand more. According to another narration, he was able to utilise both of his hands equally. Hence, he was also referred to as Zul-Yadain. He belonged to the tribe of Banu Quza‘ah and he was a confederate of Banu Zuhrah. When Hazrat Umair^ra migrated to Medina from Mecca, he stayed at Hazrat Sa‘d^ra bin Khaisama’s house. 

The Holy Prophet^sa established a bond of brotherhood between him and Yazid^ra bin Haris. Both of these companions were martyred during the Battle of Badr. Hazrat Umair^ra was martyred during this battle by Usama Joshami. He was 30 years of age at the time of his martyrdom. In Tabaqat al-Kubra, the name of the assailant who killed him is recorded as Abu Usama Joshami instead of Usama Joshami.  (Al-Tabqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 124-125, Zul Yadain, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilimiyya, Beirut, 1990) (Sirat Ibn Hisham, p. 327, Dar Ibn Hazam, Beirut, 2009) (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 217, Zus-Shimalain, Dar-ul-Kutb Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003.

The next companion to be mentioned is Hazrat Rafey^ra bin Yazid. According to one narration, his name has been recorded as Rafey^ra bin Zaid. Hazrat Rafey^ra bin Yazid belonged to the Banu Zaoora bin Abdil Ash-Hal branch of the Aus tribe of the Ansar. Hazrat Raafi’s^ra mother, Aqrab bint Mu’az, was the sister of the famous companion, Hazrat Sa‘d bin Mu‘az^ra. Hazrat Rafey^ra had two of the sons, Usaid and Abdur Rahman from Aqrab bint Salamah. Hazrat Rafey^ra participated in the battles of Badr and Uhud. According to one narration, he was traveling on the camel of Saeed bin Zaid^ra on the day of the Battle of Badr. He was martyred during the Battle of Uhud. (Al-Tabqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 337, Rafey bin Yazid^ra, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilimiyya, Beirut, 1990), (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 235,Rafey bin Yazid^ra, Dar-ul-Kutb Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003).

The next companion to be mentioned is Hazrat Zakwan^ra bin Abd-i-Qais. His title was Abu Sabuh. Hazrat Zakwan^ra belonged to the branch of Banu Zuraiq of the Khazraj tribe from among the Ansar. His title was Abu Sabuh. He participated in the first as well as the second Bai‘at [pledge of initiation] at Aqabah. One of the aspects that stands out in relation to him and is worth mentioning is that he migrated from Medina and went to the Holy Prophet^sa in Mecca. The Holy Prophet^sa was still in Mecca at that time. He was called an Ansari Muhajir. He migrated to Mecca to be with the Holy Prophet^sa and stayed in Mecca for some time. He participated in the battles of Badr and Uhud and attained the status of martyrdom during the battle of Uhud and he was martyred by Abu Hakam bin Akhnas. Hazrat Zakwan^ra bin Abd-i-Qais is called an Ansari Muhajir. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 210,Zakwan^ra bin ‘Abd-i-Qais, Dar-ul-Kutb Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003).

Allama Ibn Sa‘d writes in Al-Tabqaat-ul-Kubra that when the Muslims migrated towards Medina at the time of migration, the Quraish became enraged. They were extremely angry at the young men who had already migrated and left. A group of Ansar pledged initiation to the Holy Prophet^sa during the second pledge at Aqabah and following this, they returned to Medina. When the first migrants from Mecca reached Quba, these Ansar went to the Holy Prophet^sa in Mecca and migrated to Medina alongside his companions. Therefore, they were known as the Ansari Muhajireen. Hazrat Zakwan bin Abd-i-Qais^ra, Hazrat Uqba^ra bin Wahab, Hazrat Abbas^ra bin Ubada and Hazrat Ziad^ra bin Labid were amongst these companions known as the Ansari Muhajireen. Following this, all of the Muslims migrated to Medina, apart from the Holy Prophet^sa, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra and Hazrat Ali^ra as well as those who were caught up in the in the unrest, those who were kept in captivity and those who were ill or weak [also remained in Mecca]. (Al-Tabqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 1, p. 175, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilimiyya, Beirut, 1990)

Suhail bin Abi Salih narrates that when the Holy Prophet^sa set forth towards Uhud, he pointed into a direction and addressed his companions saying, “Who will go to that particular location?” A companion from Bani Zuraiq, Hazrat Zakwan^ra bin Abd-i-Qais Abu Sabuh stood up and said, “O Prophet^sa of Allah! I will go there.” The Holy Prophet^sa enquired as to who he was and Hazrat Zakwan^ra replied, “I am Zakwan bin ‘Abd-i-Qais.” Following this, the Holy Prophet^sa told him to take a seat and the Holy Prophet^sa repeated this three times. After this, the Holy Prophet^sa said, “You should go to such and such place.” Upon this, Hazrat Zakwan^ra bin Abd-i-Qais said, “O Prophet^sa of Allah! I will most certainly go there!” Thereafter, the Holy Prophet^sa said, “Whoever wishes to see an individual, who will be walking in the verdant gardens of heaven tomorrow should look at this man.” After this, Hazrat Zakwan^ra went to say farewell to his family. His wives and daughters said to him, “Will you be leaving us?” He took his garment out of their hands and walked a little away from them, and then turning towards them said, “We will now meet on the Day of Judgement.” Following this, he attained the status of martyrdom during the Battle of Uhud. (Marifatul Sahaba Li Abi Naeem, Vol. 2, p. 248, Zakwan^ra bin Abdi Qais bin Khalid, Hadith no. 2621, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilimiyya, Beirut, 2002).

On the day of Uhud, the Holy Prophet^sa enquired of his companions if anyone had any knowledge regarding Zakwan^ra bin Abd-i-Qais. Hazrat Ali^ra replied, “O Prophet^sa of Allah! I saw a horseman chasing Zakwan until he reached close to him and was saying, ‘Only one of us shall survive today.’ And so, he attacked Hazrat Zakwan^ra who was on foot and martyred him.” Hazrat Ali^ra further said that whilst launching his attack on Hazrat Zakwan^ra, he was proclaiming, “Look, I am Ibn Ilaaj”. Hazrat Ali^ra says, “I then attacked him and struck my sword on his leg, severing his thigh and dragged him off his horse and killed him.” Hazrat Ali^ra says that he saw that the attacker was Abu al-Hakam bin Akhnas. (Kitab-ul-Maghazi Li Al-Waqadi, Vol. 1, p.245, Baab Ghazwah-e-Uhud, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilimiyya, Beirut, 2013)

The next companion to be mentioned is Hazrat Khawat^ra bin Jubair Ansari. His title was Abu Abdullah as well as Abu Salih. Hazrat Khawat belonged to the tribe of Banu Tha‘labah. Hazrat Khawat^ra bin Jubair was the brother of Hazrat Abdullah^ra bin Jubair. Hazrat Abdullah^ra bin Jubair was the one who was appointed by the Holy Prophet^sa during the battle of Uhud to protect the valley along with fifty archers. Hazrat Khawat^ra was of moderate height. He passed away in Medina in 40 AH at the age of 74. According to one narration, his age at the time of his demise was 94. He used to dye his hair with henna and indigo leaves. Hazrat Khawat^ra left for the Battle of Badr along with the Holy Prophet^sa, however on the way, he sustained an injury from a sharp corner of a stone and so the Holy Prophet^sa sent him back to Medina. Nevertheless, the Holy Prophet^sa included him in the spoils of the Battle of Badr. Thus, it was as if he too was counted among those individuals, who participated in the Battle of Badr. He participated alongside the Holy Prophet^sa in all battles, including the battles of Uhud and the Ditch. 

Hazrat Khawat^ra relates: “We once stopped at a place called Marr-e-Zahran along with the Holy Prophet^sa.” He continues, “I came out of my tent and saw some women talking. Seeing this, I was intrigued to listen in to their conversation. Hence, I went back, put on a cloak and sat beside them.” He disguised himself and sat down there in order to hear what the women were saying. “In the meanwhile, the Holy Prophet^sa came out of his tent. When I saw the Holy Prophet^sa, I became startled and immediately stood up and said to the Holy Prophet^sa that my camel had run away and that I was searching for it. The Holy Prophet^sa carried on walking and I followed him. The Holy Prophet^sa gave me the cloak he was wearing and went into an area of bushes to answer the call of nature. Thereafter, he performed the ablution and returned. Drops of water were falling from his beard onto his chest. Following this, the Holy Prophet^sa in a light hearted manner asked me, ‘O Abdullah! What did the camel do?’” Since the camel was not lost and the Holy Prophet^sa realised that he was merely sitting there in order to listen to the conversation which was not appropriate, “but nevertheless, we set off again. Following this, whenever the Holy Prophet^sa met me, he would say Salam to me and ask ‘O Abu ‘Abdullah! What did the camel do?’ When this began to happen and the Holy Prophet^sa would continuously say this to me in a light-hearted manner, I began to keep myself discreet in Medina and would no longer go to the mosque and the gatherings of the Holy Prophet^sa. After quite some time, I went to the mosque and stood up for prayer. The Holy Prophet^sa also came out of his residence and offered two Rak‘as [units] of prayer. I kept prolonging my prayer with the intention that the Holy Prophet^sa would return and not say anything. However, the Holy Prophet^sa said, ‘Abu Abdullah! You may prolong the prayer as much as you like, but I will remain here’. Thus, in my heart I said, ‘By God! I will apologise to the Holy Prophet^sa and clarify the matter.’ When I completed the prayer, the Holy Prophet^sa said, ‘Abu Abdullah! May peace be upon you. What was the matter concerning the camel that ran away?’ I replied, ‘By Him, Who has sent you with the truth! Since I accepted Islam, that camel has not run away.’ The Holy Prophet^sa repeated three times, ‘May Allah have mercy on you’. Following this, the Holy Prophet^sa never said anything to me in relation to this.” (Al-Tabqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, pp. 362-364, Abdullah bin Jubair, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilimiyya, Beirut, 1990) (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 290, Khawat bin Jubair, Dar-ul-Kutb Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

In other words, the Holy Prophet^sa made him realise that firstly, he should not have concealed the matter from him for he knew what the truth of the matter was. Secondly, it is inappropriate to sit in other people’s gatherings in this manner in order to listen in to their conversations.

Hazrat Khawat^ra narrates: 

“The Holy Prophet^sa visited me once when I was sick. After I had fully recovered, he said, ‘O Khawat, you have been restored to full health. Hence, fulfil your covenant with Allah.’ I submitted, ‘I have not promised Allah anything’. The Holy Prophet^sa said, ‘There is not a single person who, when suffering from an illness, does not take an oath or vows to do something in return for good health.’” (Indeed, one vows to God Almighty that he will do such and such if granted good health.) “‘Therefore, fulfil your covenant with God Almighty and stay true to the pledge you have made.’” (Mustadrik Ala Al-Sahihain, Vol. 3, p.467, Hadith no. 5750, Dar-ul-Kutb Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)

Hence, this is something that we should all greatly ponder over and be mindful of. 

On the occasion of the Battle of the Ditch, the Holy Prophet^sa sent a delegation towards Banu Quraizah when he found out about their rebellion and the fact that they had breached the agreement during the battle. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra has written about this incident in Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin [The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets]. He writes: 

“When the Holy Prophet^sa received news of this dangerous treachery of the Banu Quraizah. Initially, the Holy Prophet^sa dispatched Zubair bin Al-Awam^ra to obtain intelligence in secret two or three times. Then, after this, the Holy Prophet^sa formally sent Sa‘d bin Muaz^ra and Sa‘d bin Ubadah^ra, who were chieftains of the Aus and Khazraj tribes along with a few other influential companions in the form of a delegation towards the Banu Quraizah; and strictly instructed that if there was troubling news, it should not be publicly disclosed when they returned, rather, secrecy should be maintained so that people were not made apprehensive. When these people reached the dwellings of Banu Quraizah and approached Ka‘b bin Asad, this evil man confronted them in a very arrogant manner. When the two Sa‘ds spoke of the treaty, Ka‘b and the people of his tribe turned wicked and said, ‘Be gone! There is no treaty between Muhammad^[sa] and us.’ Upon hearing these words, this delegation of Companions set off. Sa‘d bin Muaz^ra, and Sa‘d bin Ubadah^ra then presented themselves before the Holy Prophet^sa and informed him of the state of affairs in an appropriate manner.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra, pp. 584-585)

Hazrat Khawat^ra bin Jubair’s name is also mentioned amongst the companions who were part of the delegation. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, p. 456, Dar ibn Hazam, 2009) 

According to another narration, the Holy Prophet^sa sent Hazrat Khawat^ra towards the Banu Quraizah on his horse, and the name of this horse was Janah. (Mustadrik Ala Al-Sahihain, Vol. 3, p.466, Hadith no. 5747, Dar-ul-Kutb Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)

Hazrat Khawat^ra narrates:

“Once we set out for pilgrimage with Hazrat Umar^ra. Hazrat Abu Ubaidah^ra bin Jarrah and Hazrat Abdur Rahman^ra bin Aufwere part of this delegation. People requested that someone should present the poetry of Zaraar^ra bin Khitab (the poet from Mecca who had accepted Islam during the victory of Mecca). Hazrat Umar^ra instructed, ‘Let Abu ‘Abdullah^ra (i.e. Khawat) present his poetry.’ When I heard this, I presented my poetry until dawn. It was only then that Hazrat Umar^ra asked me to stop as it was the time of dawn.” (Al-Isabatu Fi Tamyiz Al-Sahaba, Vol. 2, p. 292, Al-Khawat bin Jubair, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1995) (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 6, p. 10, Zaraar^ra bin Khitab, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Another companion who will be mentioned today is Hazrat Rabeea^ra bin Aqsam. His title was Abu Zaid. Hazrat Rabeea^ra was short, of stocky build and belonged to the Asad bin Khuzaimah tribe. He is counted amongst the Muhajireen Companions [those who migrated from Mecca to Medina]. After migration to Medina, he stayed at the residence of Hazrat Mubashir^ra bin Abdul Munzir along with a few other companions. 

He was 30 years of age when he participated in the Battle of Badr. Apart from the Battle of Badr, he also participated in the battles of Uhud and the Ditch. He also took part in the Treaty of Hudaibiya and participated in the Battle of Khayber as well, where he was martyred. A Jew named Harith martyred him at a place called Nataa which is a fort in Khayber. He was 37 years old at the time of his martyrdom. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 257, Rabeea^ra bin Aqsam, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 66, 70, Abdullah bin Jahsh, Rabeea^ra bin Aqsam, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Another companion who will be mentioned today is Hazrat Rifa^ra bin Amr Al-Juhani. He is also known as Wadiya bin Amr. He participated in the battles of Badr and Uhud. He was a confederate of Banu Najjar, a tribe of the Ansar. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 287, Rifa^ra bin ‘Amr Al-Juhani, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

The next companion is Hazrat Zaid^ra bin Wadiya. Hazrat Zaid^ra was from the Ansar tribe of Khazraj. He took part in Bai‘at-e-Aqabah and the battles of Badr and Uhud in which he was martyred (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 377, Zaid^ra bin Wadiya, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003). His mother was Umme-Zaid bint Harith, and his wife’s name was Zainab bint Sahal with whom he had three children; Sa‘d bin Zaid, Umamah and Umme Khulthum. His son Sa‘d moved to Iraq during the Caliphate of Hazrat Umar^ra and settled in a village called Aqar Kuf. Aqar Kuf is located near Baghdad, a city of Iraq. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 410, Zaid^ra bin Wadiya, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (Mujam Al-Buldan, Vol. 4, p. 155, Aqar Kuf, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)  

The next companion is Hazrat Ribee^ra bin Rafey. There are varying opinions regarding the name of his paternal grandfather. According to one narration, his name was Harith, whereas, according to another source, his name was Zaid. Hazrat Ribee^ra bin Rafey was from the Banu Ajlaan tribe and he took part in the Battle of Badr and Uhud. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, pp. 356-357, Ribee bin Wadiyya, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 252 Ribee bin Wadiyya, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

The next companion who shall be mentioned is Hazrat Zaid^ra bin Muzain. His father’s name was Muzain bin Qais. Hazrat Zaid^ra has also been mentioned as Yazid bin Al- Muzain. He belonged to the Khazraj tribe. He participated in the battles of Badr and Uhud. During the time of migration to Medina, the Holy Prophet^sa established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Zaid^ra and Hazrat Mistah bin Uthatha^ra. He had a son named Umar and a daughter named Ramlah. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 375, Zaid^ra bin Muzain, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 407, Yazid bin Al-Muzain, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

The next companion is Hazrat Iyyadh^ra bin Zuhair. His title was Abu Sa‘d and his mother’s name was Salma bint Amir. He belonged to the Feher tribe. He took part in the second migration to Abyssinia [Ethiopia], and upon his return, he migrated to Medina and resided in the home of Hazrat Kulthum^ra bin Al-Hidam. He participated in all the battles including Badr, Uhud and the Ditch. He passed away in Medina in 30 AH during the caliphate of Hazrat Uthman^ra, and according to one account, he passed away in Syria. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, pp. 318-319, Iyyadh^ra bin Zuhair, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 4, p. 311, Iyyadh^ra bin Zuhair, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

The next companion is Hazrat Rifa‘a^ra bin Amr Ansari. His title was Abu Waleed, and he belonged to the tribe of Banu Auf bin Khazraj. His mother’s name was Umme Rifa‘a. He took part in the second pledge of Aqabah along with seventy companions. He participated in the battle of Badr and Uhud in which he was martyred. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, pp. 410-411, Rifa’a^ra bin Amr, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) 

The next companion is Hazrat Ziyaad^ra bin Amr who was also known as Ibn-e-Bishr and was a confederate of the Ansar. He participated in the Battle of Badr along with his brother Hazrat Dhamrah^ra. He belonged to the Banu Saida bin Ka‘b tribe. According to another narration, he was the freed slave of Banu Saida bin Ka‘b bin Al-Khazraj.(Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 338, Ziyaad^ra bin Amr, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) (Al-Asaba, Vol. 2, p. 483, Ziyaad^ra bin Amr, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1995)

The next companion is Hazrat Salim^ra bin Umair bin Thabith. He was a member of an Ansari tribe called Banu Amr bin Auf. He took part in the first Bai‘at at Aqabah. Hazrat Salim also participated in all the battles alongside the Holy Prophet^sa, including the battles of Badr, Uhud and the Ditch. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 337, Salim bin Umair, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)

On the occasion of the Battle of Tabuk, when a group of poor companions who desired to partake in the battle of Tabuk appeared before the Holy Prophet^sa, weeping, because they had no means of conveyance, Hazrat Salim was also one of them. These seven companions came to the Holy Prophet^sa just as he was about to depart for Tabuk and requested that they be given some means of transport [so that they could participate]. The Holy Prophet^sa replied, “At this time, I have nothing with which I can provide for you to mount on.” 

These companions returned with tears in their eyes due to the sheer sorrow of not being able to spend anything in God’s way. 

Ibn-e-Abbas^ra relates that the verse:

وَ لَا عَلَي الَّذِيۡنَ اِذَا مَاۤ اَتَوۡكَ لِتَحۡمِلَهُمۡ قُلۡتَ لَاۤ اَجِدُ مَاۤ اَحۡمِلُكُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ تَوَلَّوۡا وَّ اَعۡيُنُهُمۡ تَفِيۡضُ مِنَ الدَّمۡعِ حَزَنًا اَلَّا يَجِدُوۡا مَا يُنۡفِقُوۡنَ

“And nor is there any blame upon those who came to you when the announcement of war was made so that you might provide them a mount. So you answered them, ‘I cannot find whereon I can mount you;’ they turned back, their eyes overflowing with tears, out of grief that they could not find what they might spend.” (Surah al-Taubah: 92)

Ibn-e-Abbas^ra relates that among the people mentioned in this verse is Salim^ra bin Umair and Tha‘libah^ra bin Zaid. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 366, Salim^ra bin ‘Umair, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 387, Salim^ra bin Umair, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003). 

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II^ra, expounding on this verse, states in his commentary: 

وَ لَا عَلَي الَّذِيۡنَ اِذَا مَاۤ اَتَوۡكَ لِتَحۡمِلَهُمۡ قُلۡتَ لَاۤ اَجِدُ مَاۤ اَحۡمِلُكُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ تَوَلَّوۡا وَّ اَعۡيُنُهُمۡ تَفِيۡضُ مِنَ الدَّمۡعِ حَزَنًا

“In terms of its application, this verse is general, but the particular individuals to which it alludes were seven poor Muslims who came to the Holy Prophet^sa and requested that some means of conveyance be arranged for them. The Holy Prophet^sa informed them, ‘Unfortunately, I do not have the means to arrange any ride for you.’ The companions were greatly pained, and turned back with tears in their eyes. In further narrations it is mentioned that after this event, Hazrat Usman^ra donated three camels, and four other camels were donated by other Muslims. The Holy Prophet^sa then distributed one camel to each of the seven companions.” 

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra further states:

“The Holy Quran has mentioned this event to contrast (the case of) those who were both wealthy and had means of transport, but looked for excuses to not participate.” 

There were some who sought excuses and didn’t join the expedition. However, on the other hand, the passion and zeal of the poor companions was incomparable. Thus, this event illustrated the difference between the two.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra further explains:

“This verse also reveals that not all those who remained behind in Medina (during expeditions) were hypocrites. There were also sincere and faithful believers who could not participate because of a lack of means.” (Duroos Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra_, Tafsir Surah al-Taubah, Verse 92) 

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra goes on to explain under the commentary of this verse: 

“Abu Musa was the chief of this group of Muslims. When he was asked later about what he requested of the Holy Prophet^sa, he explained, ‘By God, we did not ask the Holy Prophet^sa for camels or even horses – we only asked him that we do not have any shoes to cover our feet. We cannot possibly cover this journey barefoot, (we’ll become badly injured even before the battle and won’t be able to fight.) If we are only given a pair of shoes, we can keep up alongside our brothers, and participate in the battle on foot.’” (Deebcaha Tafsir-ul-Quran, Anwar-ul-Aloom, Vol. 20, p. 361) 

This was the state of their passion and their lack of provisions. Hazrat Salim^ra bin Umair lived until the time of Hazrat Muawiyah^ra (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 387, Salim^ra bin Umair, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003). 

The next companion is Hazrat Suraqah^ra bin Ka‘b, he belonged to the Banu Najjaar tribe. His mother’s name was Umairah bint Numan. Hazrat Suraqah^ra took part in all of the battles alongside the Holy Prophet^sa including Badr, Uhud and the Ditch. He passed away in the time of Hazrat Muawiyah^ra, but according to a narration by Kalbi, he was martyred at the battle of Yamamah. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 412, Suaaqah^ra bin Ka’b, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 371, Suraaqah^ra bin Ka’b, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Then next companion is Hazrat Saaib^ra bin Mazoon. He was the brother of Hazrat Usman^ra bin Mazoon. He was amongst the very first companions who migrated to Abyssinia, and had the honour of partaking in the battle of Badr (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 399, Saaib^ra bin Mazoon, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003). When the Holy Prophet^sa left for the expedition to Bawaat, according to some narrations, he appointed Hazrat Saad^ra bin Muaz and according to others, Hazrat Saaib^ra bin Usman as the Amir to look after the affairs in his absence. Thus, one of the narrations mentions the Hazrat Saaib bin Mazoon’s name. (Al-Sirat Al-Halabiyya, Vol. 2, p. 174, Zikr Maghazia Ghazwa-e-Bawaat, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)

Hazrat Saaib also had the honour of being involved in trade with the Holy Prophet^sa. Hence, a narration in Sunan Abi Dawood states that Hazrat Saaib^ra relates, “On one occasion, I presented myself before the Holy Prophet^sa, and the companions started offering compliments about me to the Holy Prophet^sa. The Holy Prophet^sa stated, ‘I know him better than you do.’

I submitted:

صَدَقْتَ بِاَبِيْ اَنْتَ وَاُمِّيْ ۔كُنْتَ شَرِيْكِيْ فَنِعْمَ الشَرِيْكُ۔ كُنْتَ لَا تُدَارِيْ وَلَا تُمَارِيْ

‘May my parents be sacrificed for your sake O Prophet – you have indeed said the truth! You were my partner in business, and what an excellent business partner you were! You never used to oppose nor cause any dispute.’” (Sunan Abi Dawood, Kitab-ul-Adab, Hadith no. 4836)

In the book, Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin [The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets] this incident has been described in the following manner: 

“Numerous trade caravans would leave Mecca for diverse regions. Towards the south in Yemen and to the north in Syria formal trade had been established. In addition to this, commerce also took place with Bahrain. The Holy Prophet^sa travelled to all of these places for the purpose of trade. Every time the Holy Prophet^sa would fulfil his obligations with remarkable honesty, trust, elegance and skill. In Mecca also, everyone who dealt with the Holy Prophet^sa would frequently praise him. Accordingly, Saaib was a companion of the Holy Prophet^sa (whose account is being mentioned). When he accepted Islam, people praised him before the Holy Prophet^sa and the Prophet^sa said, ‘I am more acquainted with him than you,’ at which Saaib responded, ‘Indeed, O Holy Prophet^sa, may my father and mother be an offering! You were once my partner in business, and you were moral and pure in all your dealings.’” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra, p. 106)

The next companion is Hazrat Asim^ra bin Qais. Hazrat Asim^ra bin Qais belonged to the Ansari tribe of Tha‘labah bin Amr. He took part in both the battle of Badr and of Uhud. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, pp. 112-113, Asim^ra bin Qais, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003). 

The next companion is Hazrat Tufail^ra bin Malik bin Khansa. Hazrat Tufail^ra belonged to the Banu Ubaid bin Adi branch of the Khazraj tribe. Hazrat Tufail^ra’s mother’s name was Asmaa bint Al Qain.  Hazrat Tufail^ra took part in the Baiat at Aqabah, the Battle of Badr and the Battle of Uhud. He was married to Idaam bint Kurd from whom he had two sons named Abdullah and Rabee. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, pp. 430-431, Tufail^ra bin Malik, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, p. 79, Tufail^ra bin Malik bin Khansa, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) 

The next companion is Hazrat Tufail^ra bin Numan. Hazrat Tufail^ra belonged to the Ansar tribe of Khazraj. His mother was Khansaa bint Riyaa who was also the paternal aunt of Hazrat Jaabir^ra bin Abdullah. Hazrat Tufail^ra also had a daughter named Raubieye. He was present at the Bai‘at at Aqabah as well as the Battle of Badr. Hazrat Tufail^ra likewise took part in the battle of Uhud and on that day he received a total of thirteen wounds. He was also present in the battle of the Ditch and it was during this battle that he was martyred by Wahshi bin Harb. Later, Wahshi also accepted Islam. Wahshi would say that God had honoured Hazrat Hamza^ra and Hazrat Tufail^ra bin Numan with his hands, but did not humiliate him by their hands; meaning he was not killed by them in a state of disbelief. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 431, Tufail^ra bin Nu’man, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, pp. 79-80, Tufail^ra bin bin Nu’man, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) 

The next companion is Hazrat Dhahaak^ra bin Abd Amr. He belonged to the tribe of Banu Dinar bin Najjar. His father’s name was Abd Amr and his mother’s name was Sumairah bint Qais. He and his brother, Numan^ra bin Abd Amr both took part in the Battle of Badr and the Battle of Uhud. Hazrat Numan^ra passed away in the battle of Uhud. His third brother – Utbah bin Abd Amr – was martyred in the incident of Bi‘r-e-Maunah. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 394, Dhahaak^ra bin Abd Amr, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

The next companion is Hazrat Dhahaak^ra bin Haritha. Hazrat Dhahaak^ra belonged to the Ansar tribe of Khazraj. His father’s name was Haritha and mother’s name was Hind bint Malik. Hazrat Dhahaak^ra took part in the Bai‘at of Aqabah along with seventy other companions. He also took part in the battle of Badr. His son’s name was Yazid who was born to his wife, Umaamah bint Muharith. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 433, Dhahaak^ra bin Haritha, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990) (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, p. 46, Dhahaak^ra bin Haritha, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003)  

The next companion is Hazrat Khallad^ra bin Suweid Ansari. Hazrat Khallad^ra belonged to the Banu Harith branch of the Khazraj tribe. His mother’s name was Amrah bint Sa‘d. One of his sons – Hazrat Saaib^ra– was blessed with the companionship of the Holy Prophet^sa and Hazrat Umar^ra later even appointed him as the governor of Yemen. His second son’s name was Hakam bin Khallad and Lailaa bint Ubaadah was the mother of both sons. Hazrat Khallad^ra took part in the Bai‘at-e-Aqabah. He also took part in the Battle of Badr, Uhud and the Ditch. In the Battle of Banu Quraizah, a Jewish lady named Bunanah dropped a heavy rock on him inflicting afatal injury on his head which resulted in his martyrdom. Upon this, the Holy Prophet^sa stated, “For Khallaad is a reward equal to two martyrs”. Later, as per the law of equal retribution, the Holy Prophet^sa had the woman responsible for the murder executed. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, pp. 401-402, Khallad^ra bin Suweid, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

In Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin [The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets] this incident has been mentioned in the following manner: 

“A few Muslims took a seat up against a wall of the fortress and a Jewish lady by the name of Bunanah threw a stone from above. A man named Khallad^ra was martyred, but the others escaped.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra, p. 598)

It is narrated that when the mother of Hazrat Khallad^ra was informed of his martyrdom, she came wearing her head-covering i.e. she was wearing her niqab. She was told that “Khallad^ra has been martyred, and you have come wearing the niqab.” Thereupon she said, “Khallad^ra has been taken from me, but I shall never give up my modesty” i.e. she said she would not lament or wail as was the custom, and the head-covering was modesty which she would uphold. 

Further details of the account of Hazrat Khallad’s^ra martyrdom have been mentioned. It is said that upon his martyrdom, the Holy Prophet^sa stated, “He shall have the reward of two martyrs” as has been mentioned before. However, further a detail mentioned here is that when it was enquired of the Holy Prophet^sa as to why he shall have the reward of two martyrs, he stated, “He was killed by the Ahl-e-Kitab [the People of the Book].” (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 402, Khallad^ra bin Suweid, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

The next companion is Hazrat Aus^ra bin Khauli Ansari. His title was Abu Layla and he belonged to the Banu Salim bin Ghanam bin Auf branch of the Khazraj tribe of the Ansar. His mother’s name was Jameela bint Ubayy, who was the sister of Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul. He had one daughter named Fushum. He participated in all the battles alongside the Holy Prophet^sa including the battles of Badr, Uhud and the Ditch. The Holy Prophet^sa established a bond of brotherhood between him and Hazrat Shujaa^ra bin Wahab Al-Asadi. Hazrat Aus^ra bin Khauli was counted amongst the Kamileen. In the days of ignorance and in the early days of Islam, one who knew how to write Arabic, was an expert in archery and was a good swimmer would be called a Kamil. All three of these qualities were found in Hazrat Aus^ra bin Khauli. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 1, p. 320, Aus^ra bin Khauli, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, pp. 409-410, Aus^ra bin Khauli, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)

Hazrat Najiah bin A‘jam narrates: 

“At the time of the treaty of Hudaibiyyah, when the complaint was made to the Holy Prophet^sa of a lack of water, he called me, took out an arrow from his quiver and handed it over to me. He then requested a bucket of water be brought to him from the well, so I brought it to him. He performed the ablution and after rinsing his mouth he poured the water back into the bucket. At the time, the people were suffering from the severe heat and there was only one well for the Muslims as the idolaters had quickly reached Baldah and taken control of its water storages. The Holy Prophet^sa then addressed me saying, ‘Pour the water of this bucket in the well which has dried up and embed the arrow in its water.’ Hence, I proceeded to do so and I swear by the One Who sent him with the truth that I only managed to climb out of that well with great difficulty. In other words, the water began to rise and flow over immediately until it surrounded me on all sides. It was rising just as water boils in a cooking pot to the point where it had reached the top and was level to the brim. The people were collecting the water from the top until even the last man was able to quench his thirst. A group of hypocrites were also present at the well that day, among whom was Abdullah bin Ubayy, who was the maternal uncle of Hazrat Aus^ra bin Khauli. Hazrat Aus^ra bin Khauli said to him, ‘O Abul Hubbab, woe unto you, will you not now accept this miracle which you have witnessed for yourself? (Accept the truthfulness of the Holy Prophet^sa). What more do you need?’ He replied, ‘I have witnessed many things like this.’ Thereupon, Hazrat Aus^ra bin Khauli answered, ‘May Allah cause you to ruin and prove your opinion wrong.’ Abdullah bin Ubayy went to the Holy Prophet^sa and the Holy Prophet^sa said to him, ‘O Abul Hubbab, when have you ever seen something previously as you witnessed today?’ The Holy Prophet^sa had heard of this [i.e. Abdullah bin Ubayy’s response] and therefore enquired this from him. He replied, ‘I have never witnessed something like this before.’ The Holy Prophet^sa then asked, ‘Why did you then say such a thing?’ i.e. the reply he gave to his nephew. Abdullah bin Ubayy answered, ‘Astaghfirullah [I seek forgiveness from Allah].’ Abdullah bin Ubayy’s son, Abdullah bin Abdillah then said, ‘O Messenger^sa of Allah, pray for his forgiveness’, upon which the Holy Prophet^sa prayed for his forgiveness.” (Subul Al-Huda, Vol. 5, p. 41, Baab Ghazwah Al-Hudabiyyah, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1993) (Imtau Al-Asma, Vol. 1, p. 284, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1999).  

Hazrat Ali^ra bin Abdullah bin Abbas narrates that when the Holy Prophet^sa decided that he would go to Mecca to perform Umrah [pilgrimage], he sent Hazrat Aus^ra bin Khauli and Abu Rafey^ra to Hazrat Abbas^ra with a marriage proposal for Hazrat Memoona^ra. On the course of the journey, they lost their camels. They remained in the valley of Rabigh, which was situated ten miles from Johfah, until the Holy Prophet^sa arrived, at which point they found their camels again. They then travelled with the Holy Prophet^sa to Mecca and upon arrival, they conveyed the message to Hazrat Abbas^ra. Hazrat Memoona^ra had entrusted her matter to Hazrat Abbas^ra. The Holy Prophet^sa went to visit Hazrat Abbas^ra, who then gave Hazrat Memoona^ra in marriage to the Holy Prophet^sa (Sharah Allama Zarqani, Vol. 4, p. 423, Maimoona Ummul Momineen, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1996) (Mujam Al-Buldan, Vol. 3, p. 12, Rabigh, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut)  

When the Holy Prophet^sa passed away, Hazrat Aus^ra bin Khauli said to Hazrat Ali^ra bin Abi Talib: “By God! Allow me to assist in the burial arrangements of the Holy Prophet^sa.” Upon this, Hazrat Ali^ra granted him permission.

In another narration it states that when the Holy Prophet^sa passed away and they were about to perform ghusl[wash the body], the Ansar came and said, “By God, we are related to the Holy Prophet^sa from his mother’s side, therefore one of us should also be present (i.e. the Ansar were related to the Holy Prophet^sa from his mother’s side). Subsequently, the Ansar were then asked to appoint someone, and they chose Hazrat Aus^ra bin Khauli. He entered the room and was part of the Ghusl and the burial arrangements. Hazrat Aus^ra was a very strong man and would carry the water can himself and thus provide the water. (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 1, p. 320, Aus^ra bin Khauli, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) (Assaba, Vol. 1, p. 299 Aus^ra bin Khauli, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1995)

Hazrat Ibn Abbas^ra relates that Hazrat Ali^ra, Hazrat Fazl bin Abbas^ra, his brother Qusam, Shukran, who was the freed slave of the Holy Prophet^sa and Hazrat Aus^ra bin Khauli stood below in the grave of the Holy Prophet^sa in order to place his blessed body into the grave. (Sunan Ibn Maja, Kitab-ul-Janaiz, Baab Wafaatahu Wa Dafanahu, Hadith 1628) 

Hazrat Aus^ra bin Khauli relates that he once presented himself before the Holy Prophet^sa and the Holy Prophet^sa said to him, “O Aus! One who adopts humility and meekness for the sake of God Almighty, He in turn elevates his status. And one who is arrogant, God Almighty humiliates him.” (Marifatul Sahaba Li Abi Naeem, Vol. 1, p. 279, Aus^ra, Hadith 975, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilimiyya, Beirut, 2002).

This indeed is a very important lesson for us all which we should always be mindful of. Hazrat Aus bin Khauli passed away in Medina during the Khilafat of Hazrat Usman^ra (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 1, p. 321, Aus^ra bin Khauli, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003). 

May God Almighty continue to elevate the station of these noble Companions^ra. 

(Originally published in Al Fazl International, 22-29 March 2019, pp. 5-9. Translated by The Review of Religions)