Friday Sermon

31 August 2018

Men of Excellence

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

Hazrat Umair bin Abi Waqas was a companion of the Holy Prophet^sa who participated in the Battle of Badr. His father was Abu Waqas Malik bin Uhaib. He was martyred during the Battle of Badr in 2 AH. Hazrat Umair^ra was the younger brother of Hazrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas and was among the early Muslims. His mother’s name was Hamnah bint Sufyan. He belonged to the Banu Zuhrah tribe of the Quraish. As it has been mentioned, he participated in the Battle of Badr and attained martyrdom. The Holy Prophet^sa established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Umair and Hazrat Amr bin Mu‘az. (Al-Tabkaat-ul-Qubra Li-ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 119, Umair bin Abi Waqas, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002) (Al-Tabkaat-ul-Qubra Li-ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 73, Umair bin Abi Waqas, Dar-e-Ihyaa, Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996) 

According to some, the bond of brotherhood, established by the Holy Prophet^sa, was between Hazrat Umair bin Abi Waqas and Hazrat Khubaib bin Adi (Uyun Al-Athar, Vol. 1, p. 232, Bab- Dhikr-ul-Muwakhat, Dar-ul-Qalam, Beirut, 1993). While describing the incident of his martyrdom and his participation in the Battle of Badr, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^ra writes in Sirat Khataman-un-Nabiyyin: 

“After setting out from Medina, the Holy Prophet^sa ordered the setup of camp after a few miles, and inspected his army. Minors who had come along in their eagerness to ride with the Holy Prophet^sa in this campaign, were sent back. Umair^ra, the younger brother of Sa‘d bin Abi Waqas^ra was also a minor. When he heard of the instruction that minors were to be sent back, he hid among the ranks. Eventually, however, his turn came and the Holy Prophet^sa ordered him to return. Upon this, Umair^ra began to weep, and upon witnessing his extraordinary eagerness, the Holy Prophet^sa allowed him to remain.” (Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra, p. 353)

In another book of history, the following account of him is given: 

“Amr bin Sa‘d narrated from his father that prior to the Holy Prophet^sa inspecting us in order to set out for Badr, I saw my brother Umair bin Abi Waqas trying to hide in different places. Upon this, I asked him, ‘O my Brother! What is the matter with you?’ He replied, ‘I fear that the Holy Prophet^sa will see me and, considering me to be a minor, he will send me back. I wish to participate in the Battle so that God Almighty may grant me martyrdom.’ Thus, when he came before the Holy Prophet^sa, considering him to be a minor, he ordered him to return, upon which he began to weep. Upon this, the Holy Prophet^sa allowed him to participate.” (Al-Tabkaat-ul-Qubra Li-ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 79, Umair bin Abi Waqas, Dar-e-Ihyaa, Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996)

His sword was of a considerable size. It is mentioned in a narration that the Holy Prophet^sa secured the sheath to his sword with his own blessed hands. (Al-Isaba fi Tamyiz Al- Sahaba, Vol. 4, p. 603, Umair bin Abi Waqas, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2005)

Hazrat Umair bin Abi Waqas was sixteen years old when he was martyred in the Battle of Badr. (Al-Tabkaat-ul-Qubra Li-ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 79, Umair bin Abi Waqas, Dar-e-Ihyaa, Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996)

Although he was sixteen years of age, he had a short stature. Since the Holy Prophet^sa would not allow minors to participate in battles in those days, therefore he was also not permitted. 

The second companion, whose account will be given, is Hazrat Qutbah bin Aamir, who was from among the Ansar [natives of Medina]. He was the son of Aamir bin Hadidah. He passed away during the Caliphate of Hazrat Usman^ra. His mother’s name is Zainab bint Amr. Hazrat Qutbah’s wife’s name was Hazrat Umme Amr. He had one daughter called Hazrat Umme Jameel. He participated in both, the first and second Bai‘ats at Aqabah. He is among those six companions from among the Ansar, who accepted the message of the Holy Prophet^sa while he was still in Mecca. No one from among the Ansar had converted to Islam before them. (Al-Tabkaat-ul-Qubra Li-ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 294, Qutbah bin Aamir, Dar-e-Ihyaa, Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996)

Narrating the incident of his acceptance of Islam, it is written in Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin:

“In Rajab [seventh month of the Islamic calendar], 11 Nabawi, the Holy Prophet^sa happened to meet the people of Yathrib [Medina] once again. When the Holy Prophet^sa enquired as to their genealogy, he found that they belonged to the Khazraj, and had come from Yathrib [Medina]. In an extremely loving tone, the Holy Prophet^sa said to them, ‘Can you people listen to a few things I have to say?’ They said, ‘Yes, what do you say?’ The Holy Prophet^sa took a seat and invited them to Islam, recited a few verses of the Holy Quran and informed them of his mission. These people looked at each other and said, ‘This is our opportunity, lest the Jews excel us,’ and saying this, they all became Muslim. These were six people, whose names are as follows: 

1. Abu Umamah Asad bin Zurarah^ra who was from the Banu Najjar, and was the very first in his affirmation

2. Auf bin Harith^ra who was also from the Banu Najjar, which was the tribe of the maternal kindred of Abdul Muttalib, the grandfather of the Holy Prophet^sa

3. Rafi‘ bin Malik^ra who was from the Banu Zariq. On this occasion, the Holy Prophet^sa bestowed the entirety of the Holy Quran to him, which had been revealed thus far

4. Qutbah bin Aamir^ra who was from the Bani Salamah

5. Uqbah bin Aamir^ra who was from the Bani Haram

6. Jabir bin Abdullah bin Riaab^ra who was from the Bani Ubaid

After this, these people took leave of the Holy Prophet^sa and upon their departure, said: ‘We have been greatly weakened by civil war, and there are many disagreements between us. We shall go to Yathrib and preach Islam to our brothers. How remarkable would it be that Allah the Exalted may gather us again through you. Then we shall be fit to assist you in every way.’ Therefore, these people left, and due to them, Islam began to find popularity in Yathrib.” (Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra, pp. 221-222)

People often assert that Islam causes divisions. However, it was Islam that removed their divisions and feuds and these people expressed the possibilities for this due to the advent of Islam. Furthermore, this was witnessed in reality and the people who were enemies, became brothers. In the previous sermon I had also mentioned that their bonds of brotherhood greatly troubled and disturbed the enemies, as a result of which they tried to create divisions. However, as a result of moral training and spiritual power of the Holy Prophet^sa, an atmosphere of brotherhood was formed once again.

From among the Companions of the Holy Prophet^sa, Hazrat Qutbah was one of best archers. He participated alongside the Holy Prophet^sa in the Battles of Badr, Uhud, the Ditch, as well as all other battles. He fought courageously in the battle of Uhud in which he sustained nine wounds.  He was holding the flag of BanuSalamah on the occasion of the conquest of Mecca. The state of the steadfastness of Hazrat Qutbah at the Battle of Badr was such that he placed a rock between two rows and said, “I will not retreat until this rock retreats.” In other words, he set a condition that even if he lost his life, he would not retreat. His brother was Yazid bin Amir, who participated in Aqabah alongside seventy Ansar. Hazrat Yazid also participated in the Battles of Badr and Uhud and his children lived in Medina and Baghdad (Al-Tabkaat-ul-Qubra Li-ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 294, Qutbah bin Aamir wa Akhuhu Yazid bin Aamir, Dar-e-Ihyaa, Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996). It is narrated by Abu Hatim that Hazrat Qutbah bin Aamir passed away during the Caliphate of Hazrat Umar^ra, whereas, Ibn Habban states that he passed away during the Caliphate of Hazrat Usman^ra. (Al- Isaba fi Tamyiz Al- Sahaba, Vol. 5, p. 338, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2005)

The third companion I shall mention is Hazrat Shuja‘ bin Wahab, who was the son of Wahab bin Rabi’ah. He passed away during the Battle of Yamama. He was also called Shuja‘ bin Abi Wahab. His tribe had a confederate with Banu ‘Abdi Shams. He was tall, slim and had thick hair. Hazrat Shuja‘ is counted among those noble companions, who accepted the message of Holy Prophet^sa early on. In the sixth year after the claim of the Holy Prophet^sa, he migrated to Abyssinia with the second group of migrants. A short while later, hearing the rumour that the people of Mecca had accepted Islam, Hazrat Shuja‘ returned to Mecca. Later on, the Holy Prophet^sa permitted the companions to migrate to Medina, upon which Hazrat Shuja‘, along with his brother, Uqba bin Wahab, left to Mecca to settle in Medina. The Holy Prophet^sa declared Hazrat Aus bin Khauli to be the spiritual brother of Hazrat Shuja‘ in accordance with the bonds of brotherhood. Including the battles of Badr, Uhud and the Ditch, Hazrat Shuja‘ participated in all battles alongside the Holy Prophet^sa. He was just over forty years old when he was martyred in the Battle of Yamama. (Usdul Ghaba Fi Marifati Al-Sahaba, Vol. 2, p. 370, Shuja’ bin Wahab, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut) (Al-Tabkaat-ul-Qubra Li-ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 51, Shuja’ bin Wahab, Dar-e-Ihyaa, Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996)

After returning from the treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the Holy Prophet^sa sent letters to most of the kings and rulers of the world, calling them towards Islam. Hazrat Abdur Rahman^ra narrates that one day, the Holy Prophet^sa stood on the pulpit in order to deliver a sermon. After praising God, the Holy Prophet^sa said, “I wish to send some of you to the non-Arab kings and rulers. Do not be in disagreement with me as the Bani Israil [children of Israel] were with Jesus.” Upon this, the Muhajireen [those who migrated from Mecca] said, “O Messenger^sa of Allah! We will never be in disagreement with you. Please, send us!” (Sirat Ibn Katheer, p. 41, Bab Bi‘thah ila Kisra Malikil Faris Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2005)   Hence, Hazrat Shuja‘ bin Wahab was among those companions, who were blessed with the opportunity of fulfilling this religious duty. The Holy Prophet^sa sent Hazrat Shuja‘ to Harith bin Abi Shimr Ghassani as his ambassador, who was the Chief of Ghouta, an area near Damascus. According to some historians, his name was Munzir bin Harith bin Abi Shimr Ghassani. Nevertheless, the opening lines of the letter he sent to him were as follows.

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ۔ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ رَّسُوْلِ اللهِ (صلي الله عليه وسلم) اِلَي الْحَارِثِ ابْنِ اَبِيْ شِمْر۔ سَلَامٌ عَلٰي مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدٰي وَ اٰمَنَ بِاللهِ وَصَدَّقَ فَاِنِّيْ اَدْعُوْكَ اِلٰي اَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاللهِ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهٗ يَبْقٰي لَكَ مُلْكُكَ

(Sharh Al-Zurqani, Vol. 5, p. 46, Wa Amma Mukatibatuhu alaihi Al- Salam ilal Muluk wa Ghairihim, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2005) (Al-Isaba fi Tamyiz Al-Sahaba, Vol. 3, p. 256, Shuja‘ bin Wahab, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut)

“In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. From Muhammad^sa to Harith bin Abi Shimr. May peace be on him, who follows the guidance, believes in Allah and testifies to this. I call and invite you to believe in that God, Who is One and has no partner. Only under these conditions will your kingdom remain.”

Hazrat Shuja‘ says, “I departed with the letter until I reached the doors of the palace of Harith bin Abi Shimr. I stayed there for two or three days, however, I was unable to enter inside the palace. Eventually I said to chief security guard that I have been sent as a messenger from the Holy Prophet^sa. Upon this, he said, ‘the king will come out on such and such day. It will be impossible for you to meet him prior to this’”. Following this, Hazrat Shuja‘ says that the very same guard then started to ask me about the message of the Holy Prophet^sa.

He says, “I continued to give him further details which deeply affected him and he began weeping.” This was the security in-charge of the king or the governor of the area. He then said, “I have read the Bible and these exact descriptions of that prophet are present in him. However, according my understanding I thought he would appear in the Levant but it seems that he has appeared in the lands of Qarz i.e. Yemen. Nevertheless, I profess my belief in him”. The security chief said, “I believe in him and bear testimony to his truthfulness. I fear that Harith bin Abi Shimr may kill me.” He expressed his fear that the governor of the area may have him killed. Hazrat Shuja‘ further states that thereafter this security guard paid him great respect and extended him great hospitality. He would also give him updates regrading Harith and express his despair in this regard. He also said, “Harith bin Abi Shimr in actuality fears the Caesar, as he is living under his rule.” Hazrat Shuja‘ then relates, “Eventually, one day Harith went outside and sat in his royal court. He had a crown on his head and I was granted permission to appear before him. Hence, when I arrived there I handed him the letter of the Holy Prophet^sa. He read it then threw it away and in a state of rage, said, ‘Who is it that can take away my kingdom? I myself will advance to him even if he is in Yemen. I will reach there to punish him. The army should be prepared.’” He ordered his administration to prepare the army, i.e. he said with regard to the Holy Prophet^sa that he would go out to fight him and the letter written to him was deemed as a threat that if he did not desist then his rule would gradually weaken. 

He says that Harith bin Abi Shimr remained sat there till the night and people would present themselves before him. He then ordered for the cavalry to be prepared and told me, “Inform your master of the situation here”. Thereafter, he sent the Caesar of Rome all the details of the Holy Prophet’s^sa letter in writing. He sent his messenger having written down all these details that such and such ambassador came to preach to him about Islam. The letter of Harith bin Abi Shimr reached Caesar when the Holy Prophet’s^sa letter had already been sent at the hands of Hazrat Dihyah Kalbi. Caesar read the letter of Harith and ordered him to abandon any thought of advancing towards him and to not clash with him. Thus, when this response of Caesar was received by Harith he summoned Hazrat Shuja‘ who was still staying there. He asked him when he was planning on returning, to which he answered he would leave the following day. The governor then instructed for him to be given 100 misqal [a unit of mass equivalent of 4.5 grams] of gold. The aforementioned chief of security also came to see him and handed him a sum of money and clothes. He then said to convey his greetings to the Holy Prophet^sa and to inform him that he had become a follower of his faith. Hazrat Shuja‘ states, “When I reached the Holy Prophet^sa, I reported everything to him regarding the governor Harith. When he had heard the entire incident he said, ‘He will be destroyed’, i.e. his rule will come to an end. I then conveyed the greetings of peace of the security guard of that palace and conveyed everything else he had said. The Holy Prophet^sa replied ‘He has spoken the truth.’” This entire incident is found in Siratul Halbiyah. (Al-Sira Al-Halbiyyah, Allama Abu Farj Nuruddin Ali bin Ibrahim, Vol. 3, pp. 357-358, Bab Dhikr Kitabihi ilal Harith Abi Shimr, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 2002)

Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^ra has gathered information from several books of history and some of the additional information therein is as follows. He writes:

“The fifth letter of invitation was sent to the Ruler of the kingdom of Ghassan, whose name was Harith bin Abi Shamir. The kingdom of Ghassan was situated adjacent to Arabia in the northern front and its King was subservient to the Caesar. When Hazrat Shujah bin Wahab reached there, Harith was preparing to celebrate the victory of Caesar. (The governor of that area was preparing a celebration for the victory of Caeser). Prior to meeting Harith, Shuja‘ bin Wahab met with his attendant. The attendant was a good man who testified to the message of the Holy Prophet^sa as conveyed by Hazrat Shuja‘. After waiting for a few days, Shuja‘ bin Wahab, gained access to the royal court of the King of Ghassan, and presented the letter of the Holy Prophet^sa before him. Upon reading the letter, he became enraged and threw away the letter…” rather as mentioned earlier he ordered that his army should prepare for an attack. In the meanwhile, he also wrote a letter to the Caesar informing him that he about to attack. The Caesar responded to this letter instructing him not to take military action, and that he should meet him in Ilya, Jerusalem, for royal court.” Nonetheless, the incident of the King of Ghassan comes to an end at this juncture. However, it is ascertained from Hadith and history that apprehension of an attack against the Muslims by the Ghassan tribes prevailed in Medina for some time.” (Sirat Khatam-ul-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra, pp. 828-829)

For a certain period of time after this incident, there was a fear that Medina would be attacked owing to the reply given by Shimr to the companion of the Holy Prophet^sa.

In Rabi‘ul Awal, 8 AH the Holy Prophet^sa was informed that Banu Aamir, a branch of Banu Hawazin, was preparing to launch an attack against the Muslims. The Holy Prophet^sa appointed twenty-four Mujahideen under the leadership of Hazrat Shuja‘ to gain intelligence about those preparing to attack Medina. At the time, the people of Banu Aamir had reached Al-Siyyi, a place between Mecca and Basra, which was a five-day journey away from Medina and had set up camp. Hazrat Shuja‘ would travel by night along with the Mujahideen and would remain out of sight during the day. Unexpectedly they encountered the people of Banu Aamir in the morning. When the people of Banu Aamir saw the Muslims all of a sudden, they were confounded and confused, and even though it was they who advanced in preparation to attack with the entire army, they fled leaving everything behind. Hazrat Shuja‘ ordered the Mujahideen not to chase them as there was no need to, but instead, as was tradition at the time, they brought back the camels, goats and spoils to Medina, which the other army had left behind. One can imagine the extent of the spoils of war left behind that every Mujahid received fifteen camels each. This was aside from the rest of the spoils left behind (Al-Tabkaat-ul-Qubra Li-ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 2, p. 313, Sirya Shuja‘ bin Wahab ila Bani Aamir bi Al-Siyyi, Dar-e-Ihyaa, Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996), In other words, the opposing army had come fully equipped for battle.

The next companion I shall mention is Hazrat Shammas bin Usman. I have mentioned him briefly in a previous Friday Sermon. His father was Usman bin Sharid and he passed away in 3 AH during the Battle of Uhud. His name was Usman and his title was Shammas and this is what he was better known by. He was from the Banu Makhzum tribe and accepted Islam in the early days (Usdul Ghaba Fi Marifati Al-Sahaba, Vol. 2, pp. 393-394, Shammas bin Usman, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 2003). Ibn Hisham explained the reason behind naming Usman as Shammas. He writes that Shammas^ra name was Usman and the reason why he was called Shammas is that a religious leader of the Christians was also called Shammas. In the days of ignorance, he came to Mecca. This Christian leader was a very handsome man. Upon witnessing his beauty, the people of Mecca were extremely impressed. Utbah bin Rabia, who was the maternal uncle of Usman, said that he shall show them a boy who is more beautiful than Shammas. He then brought his nephew, Usman, and showed him to them and since then everyone referred to Usman as Shammas. Another reason why he was given the name Shammas was because of the white and reddish complexion of his face, as if to say that he resembled the sun. Therefore, he became more commonly known as Shammas instead of his original name.  (Sirat ibn Hisham, p. 462, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001) (Al-Muntazim fi Tarikh Al-Muluk wa Al-Umam, Vol, 3, p. 187, With reference to Al-Maktabah Al-Shamilah)

Hazrat Shammas bin Usman and his mother, Hazrat Safiya bint Rabia bin Abdi Shams were part of the second group that migrated to Abyssinia. Hazrat Shammas’ mother was the sister of Sheba and Utbah (who were from among the leaders of Mecca and were both killed during the Battle of Badr). Hazrat Shammas bin Usman migrated to Medina upon returning from Abyssinia and stayed with Hazrat Mubashar bin Abdil Munzir. Saeed bin Musayyab states that Hazrat Shammas bin Usman stayed in Hazrat Mubashar bin Abdil Munzir’s house until his martyrdom in the Battle of Uhud. The Holy Prophet^sa established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Shammas bin Usman and Hazrat Hanzla bin Abi Aamir. Hazrat Shammas had a son whose name was Hazrat Abdullah and his wife was Umme Habib bint Saeed. His wife was amongst the early Muslim women who took part in the migration. (Usdul Ghaba Fi Marifati Al-Sahaba, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 2003) (Sirat al-Sahaba, Vol. 2, p.324, Shammas bin Usman, Dar-ul-Isha’at, Karachi) (Al-Tabkaat-ul-Qubra Li-ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 130, Dar-e-Ihyaa, Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996)

Hazrat Shammas bin Usman took part in the Battle of Badr and Uhud. He fought very courageously during the Battle of Uhud. The Holy Prophet^sa stated that he found Hazrat Shammas bin Usman to be like a shield. Wherever the Holy Prophet^sa would turn, whether to his right or left, he would find Shammas defending with his sword until the point where the Holy Prophet^sa fell unconscious due to a rock that was thrown at him. Hazrat Shammas stood in front of the Holy Prophet^sa and shielded him with his body and as a result sustained a serious injury. He still had some life left in him and he was carried back to Medina in the same state and taken to Hazrat Aishah^ra’s house. Upon this Hazrat Umme Salma said how can her cousin be taken to another person’s house while she is still present? The Holy Prophet^sa then instructed that he should be carried and taken to Hazrat Umme Salma’s house. Thus, it was at her house that he took his last breath and passed away. Later, upon the instruction of the Holy Prophet^sa, Hazrat Shammas was taken to Uhud and buried there in the same clothes. After the battle when he was carried back to Medina, he remained alive for one day and one night whilst injured and it is said that he did not eat or drink anything and was in an extremely weak state and unconscious. Hazrat Shammas^ra passed away at the age of 34. (Al-Tabkaat-ul-Qubra Li-ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 131, Dar-e-Ihyaa, Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996)

Another companion is Hazrat Abu Abas bin Jabr. His father’s name was Jabr bin Amr. He passed away in 34 AH at the age of 70. His actual name was Abdul Rahman and his title was Abu Abas. He belonged to the Ansar tribe of Banu Haritha. In the era of ignorance his name was Abdul Uzzah, however the Holy Prophet^sa changed his name to Abdul Rahman because Uzza was the name of their idol. He took part in the Battle of Badr and all the other battles alongside the Holy Prophet^sa. He was also one of the Companions^ra who killed Ka‘b bin Ashraf, who was a Jew. The Holy Prophet^sa established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Abu Abas and Hazrat Khunais. He passed away in 34 AH at the age of 70 and he had many children living in Mecca. Hazrat Usman led his funeral prayer and he was buried in Jannatul Baqee. (Usdul Ghaba Fi Marifati Al-Sahaba, Vol. 5, pp. 204-205 Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 2003) (Al- Isaba fi Tamyiz Al- Sahaba, Vol. 7, p. 222, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2005) (Al-Tabkaat-ul-Qubra Li-ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 238, Dar-e-Ihyaa, Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996)

It is narrated about Hazrat Abu Abas bin Jabr that he could write in Arabic prior to the advent of Islam. Even though it was not customary in Arabia to write at the time. When Hazrat Abu Abas and Hazrat Abu Burdah bin Nayar accepted Islam, they both had destroyed the idols of Banu Haritha. Hazrat Umar^ra and Hazrat Usman^ra would send those two to collect Sadqa [charity] from the people, meaning that they managed the department of finance. (Al-Tabkaat-ul-Qubra Li-ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 238, Dar-e-Ihyaa, Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996)

Hazrat Abu Abas lost his sight during the time of the Holy Prophet^sa. The Holy Prophet^sa gave him a stick and stated, “Find light through this.” And so that stick would spread light in front of him (Al- Isaba fi Tamyiz Al- Sahaba, Vol. 7, p. 222, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2005). One meaning of this could be that this stick will be in your hand and it will assist you in the same manner that other blind people use their stick. However, it could also mean that the stick would spread light and project light for those who cannot see properly at night as there are narrations about certain Companions that their stick would sometimes emanate light when they would travel in the dark (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 4, p.693, Hadith 13906, Musnad Anas bin Malik, Alam Al- Kutub, Beirut, 1998). In fact, it is also mentioned that once three companions of the Promised Messiah^as were traveling during a dark night when God Almighty showed them some light which was leading them along the way in the same manner [as mentioned]. [Missing reference in original transcript]

Hazrat Abu Abas’ son narrates: “Hazrat Abu Abas would offer his prayers behind the Holy Prophet^sa and would then return to his tribe, Banu Haritha. On one occasion when he was returning home during a dark and rainy night, light started emanating from his stick and lit up his way.” (Al-Mustadrak ala Al-Sahihain, Vol. 6, p. 2028, Hadith 5495, Maktabah Nazar Al-Mustafa Al-Baaz)

Hazrat Usman^ra visited him during his time of illness and was in a state of unconsciousness. When he felt better, Hazrat Usman said, “What condition do you find yourself in?” He responded, “I consider my condition to be good apart from that one rope which was used to tie the knee of a camel. Some of the workers and I have lost it. We have not yet found deliverance from this matter.” (Al-Tabkaat-ul-Qubra Li-ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 238, Dar-e-Ihyaa, Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996)

As I have stated that he would receive money and other items from the people in order to make a collection for Sadqa [charity]. His standard of responsibility and trustworthiness was to the extent that he felt restless on his deathbed with the concern of that one rope which was used to tie a camel and was mistakenly lost. He expressed his worry that this rope might become a source of a trial for them in the hereafter. Thus, these were the people who had such high standards of fear of God Almighty and of honesty. 

Hazrat Anas^ra narrates, “There was no one who would offer Asr prayer quicker than the Holy Prophet^sa.” (That is, in terms of offering the prayer on time; the Holy Prophet^sa would offer Asr prayer at its first prescribed time). “There were two men amongst the Ansar whose residence were the furthest away from Masjid Nabwi [the Prophet’s mosque]. One was Abu Lubaba bin Abdul Munzir who was from Bani Amr bin Auf and the other one was Hazrat Abu Abas bin Jabr who was from Banu Haritha. Abu Lubaba’s house was located in Quba and Hazrat Abu Abas’s house was located in Banu Haritha. It was quite far, about two to two and half miles. Both of them would offer prayers with the Companions of the Holy Prophet^sa and when they would return to their tribes they still had not offered the Asr prayer yet (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 4, p.607, Hadith 12516, Alam Al- Kutub, Beirut, 1998). Such was their walking speed and also the fact that they would travel large distances in order to offer prayers behind the Holy Prophet^sa.”

Hazrat Abdullah bin Abas narrates: “The Holy Prophet^sa said, ‘God Almighty has saved one from the fire whose feet become unclean in the way of God Almighty.’” (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 5, p.469, Hadith 16031, Alam Al- Kutub, Beirut, 1998) That is, those who strive in the way of God Almighty, those who tread the path [to attain] His pleasure, those who work hard [for His sake] are included in this. Similarly, those who travel to invite others towards Allah and those who travel from afar to offer prayers at the mosque are also included in this group of people. God Almighty states that they have been saved from the fire. 

Then there was a companion named Hazrat Abu Aqeel bin Abdillah who was an Ansari. His father’s name was Abdullah bin Tha‘libah. [Hazrat Abu Aqeel] passed away in 12 AH, during the battle of Yamama. His name was Abdur Rahman bin Irashi bin Abdillah. His original name was Abdul Uzza. After accepting Islam, the Holy Prophet^sa named him Abdul Rahman. He was from Banu Unaib, a branch of the Baliyy tribe and he was an ally of Banu Jahjaba bin Kulfah, a family from the Ansar. His filial appellation was Abu Aqeel and was commonly known by this. He fought alongside the Holy Prophet^sa in the battle of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq. He was martyred during the caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq^ra during the battle of Yamamah which occurred in 12 AH. (Al-Tabkaat-ul-Qubra Li-ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, pp. 248-249, Dar-e-Ihyaa, Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996)

The incident of his acceptance of Islam is narrated in the following manner: 

“The Holy Prophet^sa migrated from Mecca to Medina and one day a young man visited him. He accepted Islam and had the honour of taking the oath of allegiance. Afterwards he expressed immense dislike towards the idols. The Holy Prophet^sa enquired: ‘What is your name?’ He responded, ‘Abdul Uzza’. The Holy Prophet^sa said, ‘No! From today your name is Abdur Rahman.’ So he accepted this instruction of the Holy Prophet^sa and informed everyone that ‘I am no longer Abdul Uzza rather, I am Abdur Rahman.’” 

One of his forefathers was Irasha bin Amir, and so, he was known as Irashi in that regard (Asman Hidaayat ke sattar sitare az Talib Hashmi, pp. 491-492, Al-Badr Publications Urdu Bazar, Lahore). He was one of the companions who would work all night when the Holy Prophet^sa would instruct [everyone] to offer sadqa [charity] and he would offer whatever he could collect. Hence, it is mentioned in Bukhari: 

“Abu Masud narrates that we were instructed to offer sadqa [charity] at a time when we were doing laborious work. Hazrat Abu Aqeel brought forth 1.5 kg to 1.75 kg of dates purchased from the earnings of his labour work. When another person brought more than him, the hypocrites said: ‘God Almighty does not need charity from this person and the other one who offered charity was for mere show.’ Hence, the following verse of the Holy Quran was revealed at that moment: 

اَلَّذِيْنَ يَلْمِزُوْنَ الْمُطَّوِّعِيْنَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ فِيْ الصَّدَقٰتِ وَالَّذِيْنَ لَا يَجِدُوْنَ اِلَّا جُهْدَهُمْ فَيَسْخَرُوْنَ مِنْهُمْ۔ سَخِرَ اللّٰهُ مِنْهُمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ اَلِيْمٌ ۔

‘Those who find fault with such of the believers as give alms of their own free will and with such as find nothing to give save the earnings of their toil. They thus deride them. Allah shall requite them for their derision, and for them is a grievous punishment.’” (Surah al-Taubah: V.79) (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Al-Tafsir, Bab Alladhina Yalmizunal Muttawwi’in…, Vol. 10, p. 371, Hadith 4668, Published in Nizarat Isha’at, Rabwah)

These Companions had astonishing ways of attaining the pleasure of God Almighty and the manner in which they made such endeavours to achieve this. Accepting their endeavours, God Almighty has instructed those who came after them to follow their example.

Narrating this incident in detail, Allama Ibn Hajr Asqalani states, “He was known as Sahib-us-Saa‘ [The one of Saa‘ – Saa‘ is a unit of measurement equivalent to 3-3.5 kg]. The incident is as follows that once Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Auf presented half of his wealth. Amongst the poor Muslims of the Ansar a person stepped forward and said, ‘O Holy Prophet^sa, in exchange for two Saa‘s of dates, I have been pulling out the bucket from the well all night. I have left one Saa‘ for the family and the other Saa‘ is before you.’ In other traditions it is mentioned that he had given half a Saa‘. (That is to say that he had brought half a Saa‘ for the Holy Prophet^sa and kept the other half for his family.) It was then that the hypocrites said: ‘Allah has no need of the charity of the former, and the latter only did it to show off’. Then the following verse was revealed: 

اَلَّذِيْنَ يَلْمِزُوْنَ الْمُطَّوِّعِيْنَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ فِيْ الصَّدَقٰتِ وَالَّذِيْنَ لَا يَجِدُوْنَ اِلَّا جُهْدَهُمْ

(Al-Isaba fi Tamyiz Al-Sahaba, Vol. 7, p. 233, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2005)

“Those who defame such of the believers who give charity voluntarily, and such who could not find to give charity except what is available to them.”

Hazrat Abu Aqeel is the companion who finally slayed Musailima Kazzab [the Liar].

Ibn Sa‘d states:

“On the day of the battle of Yamama, Hazrat Abu Aqeel Unaifi was the first to be wounded. An arrow struck him between his shoulder and heart but since it had become bent upon piercing his body, it therefore did not kill him. When the arrow was removed his left side had become extremely weak. This occurred during the early part of the day and he was taken to his camp. When the battle grew intense and the Muslims were being defeated and were driven back behind their camp, at that time Hazrat Abu Aqeel was wounded. He heard the voice of Hazrat Ma‘n bin Adiyy who was calling out to the Ansar, ‘Have faith in Allah! Have faith in Allah! And attack the enemy once again.’ So as to set an example for others, Ma‘n then raced ahead of everyone else, throwing himself directly into the ranks of the opposing army. At that time, the Ansar were saying, ‘Let us Ansar separate from the others’. Nevertheless, one by one, the Ansar gathered on one side and the purpose behind this was that they would fight with such great zeal and courageously would march forward and attack the enemy and as a result the Muslims would acquire a stronger foothold and their morale would increase.”

Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar states, “At that point, Abu Aqeel^ra got up, intending to meet up with his Ansari brothers. He was injured and weak, yet he got up. I said to him to him, ‘O Abu Aqeel, what are you doing? You are in no condition to fight’ He replied, ‘The one who made the announcement mentioned me by name.’ I said, ‘He only said, “O people of the Ansar.” He was not referring to injured fighters.’ He replied, ‘I am from the Ansar, and I shall respond, even if I have to crawl.’”

Hazrat Ibn Umar further states, “Hazrat Abu Aqeel then fastened his back and took an unsheathed sword in his right hand. He then started calling, ‘O Ansar! Attack the enemy once more like the battle of Hunain,’ The Ansar regrouped, may Allah have mercy on them, and spearheaded an extremely fierce attack on the enemy, forcing them to retreat to an orchard. The Muslims and the enemy met at close quarters and fought each other with their swords.”

Hazrat Ibn Umar further states, “I saw the injured arm of Hazrat Abu Aqeel severed from the shoulder and lying on the ground. Hazrat Abu Aqeel sustained fourteen wounds, each of which was fatal. Musailima, the enemy of God, was killed and laid besides him. Hazrat Abu Aqeel was lying on the ground breathing his last. I knelt down and said ‘Abu Aqeel.’ He replied, ‘Labbaik, I am at your service.’ Then in a faint voice he said, ‘Who has won the battle?’ I informed him, ‘Rejoice, for the Muslims have been victorious.’ Then in a loud voice I said, ‘The enemy of God, Musailima Kazzab, has been killed’. Hazrat Abu Aqeel praised God, then raised his finger towards the sky and passed away. May Allah have mercy on him.”

Hazrat Ibn Umar states, “After returning to Medina I informed Hazrat Umar^ra about the events that transpired, to which Hazrat Umar^ra stated, ‘May Allah shower His mercy on him. His wish was always to attain martyrdom. As far as I know he was amongst the best of the Holy Prophet’s companions and was one of the early Muslims.’ These were the words of Hazrat Umar^ra.” (Al-Tabkaat-ul-Qubra Li-ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, pp. 249, Dar-e-Ihyaa, Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, 1996) (Hayat Al-Sahaba az Yusuf Kandhalwi, Vol. 1, pp. 801-803, Maktabatul ‘Ilm, Lahore)

May God Almighty continue to exalt the status of the Companions^ra.

After the Friday prayer I will also lead a funeral prayer in absentia. The first funeral is of respected Maulana Abdul Aziz Sadiq Sahib who was a missionary in Bangladesh; he passed away on 26 July 2018. “To Allah we belong and to Him do we return.” Whilst he was still in the fourth year of primary education, he left to study in Qadian where he had the opportunity to grow up amongst the Companions of the Promised Messiah^as. After the partition of India, foreign students were required to return to their countries and so Abdul Aziz sahib returned to Bangladesh however he longed to return to the Markaz [central headquarters]. In dangerous conditions he travelled from Kolkata to Dehli – during his travel, Hindus and Sikh were astonished as to how a young Muslim is travelling fearlessly on trains around India. Anyhow, when he reached Dehli, the Jamaat organised a flight for him to Lahore; at the time western and eastern Pakistan were not divided and Maulana Abdul Aziz Sahib arrived in Rabwah safely. He studied in Jamia Ahmadiyya for 6 years and thereafter completed another 3 years in Jamia-tul-Mubashireen. He obtained the Shahid Degree and then studied at Punjab University and Peshawar University obtaining a Maulvi Fazil degree. He was then posted in Samundari, Faisalabad. In 1963-64 he was then posted in eastern Bangladesh where he served in various Jamaats.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III^rh formed a board to oversee the translation of the Holy Quran into Bangla and on the recommendation of respected Qazi Muhammad Nazir Sahib, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III^rh included Maulana Abdul Aziz Sahib amongst the board members. For this task, Muzafar Udin Bengali and Maulwi Muhammad Ameer Bengali Sahib would also work with him; for this translation, they both stayed in Rabwah. However, Muhammad Amir Sahib was then transferred to Dhaka and after the demise of Chaudhary Muzaffaruddin Sahib, Abdul Aziz sahib was sent to Dhaka in 1979 to complete this task. After the demise of Maulvi Muhammad Sahib, Abdul Aziz sahib worked alone on the translation and on the occasion of the centenary Jubilee the translation of the Holy Quran into Bangladesh was printed.

He served across the whole of Bangladesh in various places for the purpose of talim [education], tarbiyat [moral training] and tabligh [preaching]. On many occasions he had to bear physical torment from opponents of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya. He was also blessed with the opportunity of being an Aseer Rah-e-Maula (prisoner in the path of Allah). 

In 1992 when the enemy launched an attack on Bakhshi Bazar Dhaka, which was a Jamaat Centre, he fought them off alone with great bravery. During the attack he suffered injuries from head to toe. Apart from his wife, he is survived by three daughters and two sons, as well as a number of grandchildren. All three daughters live in Bangladesh. From among his sons, one lives in USA and his younger son, Habibullah Sadiq Sahib, lives in the UK and works in the MTA News Department. May God Almighty elevate the status of the deceased and enable his progeny to continue his virtuous deeds.

The second funeral is of Muhammad Zafrullah Sahib Shaheed, son of Mr Basharat Ahmad Sahib of Syedwala Nankana. On 29 August he was martyred in the district of Nankana at the time of Maghrib [sunset] prayer when two armed robbers opened fire at his shop. “To Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”

According to the details [of the report], six men, armed with the latest weaponry, arrived on motorcycle to his shop. He owned a jewellery shop, which they came to attack. Having looted the entire shop they opened fire. As a result of this a passer-by was shot and killed. When they had ransacked the shop and were about to leave, they opened fire on Zafrullah Sahib. He suffered three bullet-wounds which killed him instantly. Although there were other people present in the shop at the time, they only targeted Zafrullah Sahib, with the mind-set that ‘since he is an Ahmadi, it does not matter [if we kill him], in this way we will receive double the reward.’

The deceased was a civilised gentleman, who would readily meet everyone and was very hospitable. It is for this reason that a large number of mourners gathered to pay their respects, many of whom did not belong to the Jamaat. The deceased had a special love for Khilafat and would respond to every initiative launched by the Community. He was regular in observing his five daily prayers. By the Grace of Allah he was a musi [part of the Institution of Al-Wasiyyat] and an individual who was brave and courageous. At present he was serving as Secretary of Talim [Education] in Syedwala. Zafrullah Sahib was 30 years old [at the time of his demise]. He was married approximately two and a half years ago. He has one son, Muhammad Talha, who is one and a half years old. He is survived by his wife, son as well as his parents, one brother and five sisters. 

May Allah the Almighty elevate the status of the deceased and grant steadfastness to all his family members that he leaves behind and also enable them to continue the virtuous deeds of the deceased.

(Translated by the Review of Religions)