Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2020
Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah I bear witness that Muhammad (saw) is the Messenger of Allah
I bear witness that Muhammad (saw) is the Messenger of Allah Come to Prayer Come to Prayer Come to success Come to success Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest There is none worthy of worship except Allah Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you.
I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. He is One and has no partner. and I bear witness that Muhammad (saw) is His Servant and Messenger. After this I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the accursed. In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds. The Gracious, the Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgment. Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help. Guide us in the right path – The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings,
Those who have not incurred displeasure, and those who have not gone astray. The Badri companion whose accounts I shall narrate today is Hazrat Bilal (ra) bin Rabah. Hazrat Bilal’s father (ra) name was Rabah and his mother’s name was Hamamah. Hazrat Bilal (ra) was a slave of Umaiyyah bin Khalaf.
Hazrat Bilal’s (ra) title was Abu ‘Abdullah. However, according to other narrations, it is also mentioned as Abu ‘Abdur Rahman, Abu ‘Abdul Karim and Abu ‘Amr. Hazrat Bilal’s (ra) mother was from Abyssinia while his father was from Arabia. Researchers have written that he was of Abyssinian Semite descent.
In ancient times, certain Semitic or some Arab tribes migrated to Africa and settled there. Due to this, the complexion of their offspring resembled the natives of that region, but the specific characteristics and habits that are found in the people of that region were not adopted by them.
Later on, some of them returned to Arabia as slaves. Since they were of a dark complexion, the Arabs used to think of them as Abyssinians, i.e. people of Abyssinia. According to one narration, Hazrat Bilal (ra) was born in Mecca and was among the muwallideen.
People who were not of a purely Arab descent used to be referred to as muwallideen. According to another narration, he was born in Suraa, a place between Yemen and Abyssinia where many mixed-race people lived. Hazrat Bilal (ra) was of a dark-brown complexion.
He was thin, had thick hair and had a very slim face. Hazrat Bilal (ra) married several times. Some of his wives belonged to very noble families of Arabia. One of his wives’ name was Halah bint ‘Auf, who was the sister of Hazrat ‘Abdur Rahman (ra) bin ‘Auf. Another wife’s name was Hind al-Khaulaniyah.
The Holy Prophet (saw) also married Hazrat Bilal (ra) into the tribe of Banu Bukair. Hazrat Bilal (ra) was also related to the family of Hazrat Abu Dardaa (ra) through marriage. However, there were no children from any of them.
Hazrat Bilal had a brother whose name was Khalid and a sister whose name was Ghafairah. The Holy Prophet (saw) stated, “Bilal is sabiqul habshah i.e. the foremost believer from among the Abyssinians.” Hazrat Anas (ra) narrates that the Messenger (saw) of Allah said,
“There are four people who have taken the lead in accepting Islam. “Ana saabiqul ‘arab i.e. I am the foremost believer from among the Arabs. “Salman saabiqul faaris i.e. Salman is the foremost believer from among the Persians. “Bilal saabiqul habshah i.e. Bilal is the foremost believer from among the Abyssinians.
“Suhaib saabiqur room i.e. Suhaib is the foremost believer from among the Romans.” ‘Urwah Bin Zubair narrates that Hazrat Bilal (ra) bin Rabah was amongst those individuals, who were considered as very weak. When he accepted Islam, he was persecuted so that he may turn back from his faith.
However, he not once uttered such words which they desired to hear from him that is to deny belief in Allah the Almighty. Umaiyyah bin Khalaf would punish him. When Hazrat Bilal (ra) accepted the Holy Prophet (saw), he was persecuted through different means. When people would intensify their punishment against Hazrat Bilal (ra),
He would say, “Ahad, Ahad” [i.e. God is one]. His tormentors would tell him to repeat as they did but in reply, Hazrat Bilal (ra) would say, “My tongue cannot properly pronounce what you are saying.” According to another narration,
When the Mushrikeen [idolaters] would punish him so that they could deter him away from his belief, Hazrat Bilal (ra) would respond by saying, “Allah, Allah.” In one narration it is mentioned that when Hazrat Bilal (ra) became a Muslim, his owners took hold of him and laid him on the ground
And placed stones and cow skin on him and said, “your gods are Lat and ‘Uzza [names of idols]”. However, Hazrat Bilal (ra) would only repeat, “Ahad, Ahad [God is One, God is One]”. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) approached his owners and said, “For how long will you continue to torment this man?”
Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) paid seven auqiyah for Hazrat Bilal (ra) and freed him. One auqiyah is equivalent to forty dirham; that is, he paid two hundred and eighty dirhams for him. Following this, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) narrated this incident before the Holy Prophet (saw),
Upon which the Holy Prophet (saw) said, “O Abu Bakr! Include me in this deed as well.” Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) replied, “O Prophet of Allah (saw)! I have freed him.” Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) bought Hazrat Bilal (ra) and freed him for the sake of Allah.
With regards to the purchase, as has previously been mentioned, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) paid two hundred and eighty dirham. According to some narrations, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) bought him for five auqiyah i.e. for two hundred dirham. According to some other narrations, he bought him for seven auqiyah i.e. two hundred and eighty dirham
And according to other narrations, for nine auqiyah i.e. three hundred and sixty dirham. In one narration it is mentioned that when Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) bought Hazrat Bilal (ra), was placed under a pile of rocks and Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) purchased him in exchange for five auqiyah of gold.
Upon this, people said to Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) that they would have sold him even if he were willing to give only one auqiyah i.e. forty dirham. In response to this, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) said that, “even if you would have been willing to sell him for a hundred auqiyah
“i.e. four thousand dirham, I would have bought him for that price.” Hazrat A’isha (ra) relates that Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) freed seven such slaves, who were being oppressed. Hazrat Bilal (ra) and Hazrat ‘Amir (ra) bin Fuhaira were among them. Hazrat Jabir bin ‘Abdullah relates that Hazrat ‘Umar (ra) used to say,
“Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) is our leader and he has freed our chief i.e. Bilal.” Mentioning the punishment inflicted upon Hazrat Bilal (ra) and the incident of Hazrat Abu Bakr freeing him, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) states, “The slaves who accepted the Holy Prophet (saw) belonged to various nations.
“There were Abyssinians such as Bilal (ra) and Romans such as Sohaib (ra). “There were Christians such as Jubair (ra) and Sohaib (ra) “and idolaters such as Bilal (ra) and ‘Ammar (ra). “Bilal’s (ra) master would make him lie on burning sand and either place rocks on him, “or have boys jump on his chest.
“Bilal (ra), who was of Abyssinian descent, was the slave of Umayyah bin Khalaf, a Meccan chief. “Umayyah would take him outside of Mecca at noon, under the hot sun, “make him lie down naked on the burning sand, “place heavy rocks on his chest and say that accept the divinity of Lat and ‘Uzza
“and renounce Muhammad (saw)! “In reply, Bilal would say, ‘Ahad, Ahad’. That is, God is One, God is One. “Repeatedly hearing this response enraged Umayyah even further. “He would tie a rope around Bilal’s (ra) neck, hand him over to deviant individuals
“and tell them to drag him across the stones in the streets of Mecca. “As a result of this, his body would be covered in blood, “but he carried on saying, ‘Ahad, Ahad’. That is,God is One, God is One. “After a while, when God the Exalted granted the Muslims peace in Medina
“and they were able to worship freely, “the Holy Prophet (saw) appointed Bilal (ra) to call the Adhan [call for prayer]. “When this Abyssinian slave would say, “as-hadu an la ilaha illallahu instead of ash-hadu an la ilaha illallahu “[I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah] during the Adhan,
“the people of Medina, who were not aware of his circumstances, would start laughing. “Once, when the Holy Prophet (saw) saw the people of Medina laughing at Hazrat Bilal’s (ra) Adhan, “he turned to them and said, ‘you laugh while Bilal (ra) calls the Adhan
“‘but God hears his Adhan in the heavens and is pleased.’ “The Holy Prophet (saw) was indicating towards the fact that all they saw was “that Bilal (ra) was unable to pronounce the [Arabic letter] sheen, “but what value is there in a mere sheen or [Arabic letter] seen.
“God Almighty knows that when he was made to lay on burning sand with his bare back, “and those treacherous people would stomp on his chest with their shoes “and would ask whether or not he had learned his lesson, “he would respond In his broken [Arabic] and announce his continued belief
“in the Unity of God Almighty by saying Ahad! Ahad! [God is One], “thus proving his dedication, his belief in the Unity of God and his resoluteness of heart. “Thus, his as-hadu was of much greater value than the ash-hadu of many people.
“When Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) saw how cruelly Hazrat Bilal (ra) was being treated, “he paid his master and freed him. “Similarly, there were many slaves whom Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) freed through his wealth. “Hazrat Bilal (ra) is among the foremost believers;
“he accepted Islam at a time when only seven people had announced their acceptance.” Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Mas`ud narrates there were seven people who initially announced their acceptance of Islam; the Holy Prophet (saw), Abu Bakr (ra), Ammar (ra) and his mother Sumayyah (ra), Suhaib (ra), Bilal (ra), and Miqdad (ra).
It is narrated that Allah the Almighty kept the Holy Prophet (saw) safe by way of his uncle Abu Talib and kept Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) by way of his people – as I mentioned in a previous sermon, the Holy Prophet (saw) was not exempt from the hardships afflicted by the opponents,
Nor could Hazrat Abu Bakr’s (ra) people keep him safe from their cruelties. Both were also made to endure extreme cruelties. There was some leniency in the beginning, but there were great hardships later on. In any case, this is the account of the narrator;
He says that they both had someone to support them – someone who would speak up for them. However the others who were weak or slaves fell victim to the disbelievers. They would be chained in iron shackles and burned in the sun.
There was none among them who did not eventually give in to what the disbelievers sought to hear, except for Bilal (ra). In the cause of Allah, his own being held no significance to him. It was Hazrat Bilal (ra) who always remained steadfast. He was also considered insignificant by his nation,
So they would grab him and hand him over to the youngsters, who would drag him around the valleys of Mecca, and all the while, Bilal (ra) would continue saying Ahad! Ahad! This narration is from Ibn Majah. At one instance, while mentioning Hazrat Bilal’s (ra) acceptance at the outset of Islam,
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) states that, Hazrat Khubab (ra) was also among the foremost believers and there is a difference of opinion as to whether he or Hazrat Bilal (ra) accepted Islam first. The Holy Prophet (saw) once said that a slave and a free man were the very first to accept him.
Some believe this refers to Hazrat Bilal (ra) and Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), while others believe it refers to Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hazrat Khubab (ra). In his book Seerat Khatamun Nabiyyeen [The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (saw)] Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) writes about the difficulties
Endured by Hazrat Bilal (ra) in the following manner: “Bilal (ra) bin Rabah was the Abyssinian slave of Umaiyyah bin Khalaf. “In the scorching heat of the afternoon, “when the rocky ground of Mecca burned like a furnace, “Umaiyyah would take him out and strip him of his clothes.
“He would lie him down then place very large burning rocks on his breast and say, “‘Worship Lat and ‘Uzza, and abandon Muhammad, or I shall punish you to death.’ “Bilal (ra) knew little Arabic. He would only respond saying: ‘Ahad, Ahad’, “meaning, ‘Allah is one, Allah is one.’ “This response would further infuriate Umaiyyah
“and he would tie a rope around his neck and hand him over to the miscreants of Mecca “who would drag him throughout the stony streets of Mecca “until his body would become drenched in blood. “But no word except ‘Ahad, Ahad’ would come to his tongue.
“When Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) saw the persecution of this slave, “he purchased him for a hefty price and set him free.” When Hazrat Bilal (ra) migrated to Medina, he stayed at the home of Hazrat Sa`d (ra) bin Khaithamah. The Holy Prophet (saw) established a bond of brotherhood
Between Hazrat Bilal (ra) and Hazrat Ubaidah (ra) bin Harith; according to another narration the Holy Prophet (saw) established the bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Bilal (ra) and Hazrat Ruwayha (ra) Khathami (ra). When the Holy Prophet (saw) arrived in Medina, some Companions were beginning to fall ill.
Among them were Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), Hazrat Bilal (ra) and Hazrat Amir (ra) bin Fuhayrah. Hazrat Aisha (ra) narrates that when the Holy Prophet (saw) arrived in Medina, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hazrat Bilal (ra) were stricken by fever. When Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) had a fever, he would recite an Arabic couplet,
The translation of which is, “Whenever a person wakes up in their home, he is given the greeting of ‘good morning’, “though he is in a state where death is nearer to him than the laces of his shoes.” When Hazrat Bilal’s (ra) fever would subside,
He would cry loudly and read the following couplet; the translation of which is, “If only I could know, if I will ever spend a night in Mecca, “where I will be surrounded by Idhkir and Jalil herbs, “or if I will ever go to Majannah and drink its water.”
Majannah is located a few miles away from Mecca, near Marruz Zahran. During the time of Jahiliyyah [time of ignorance before the advent of Islam] there was a famous festival held by the Arabs in Marruz Zuhran after [the festival of] Ukaz.
After the festival of Ukaz, the Arabs would move to Majinnah and stay there for 20 days. In any case, Hazrat Bilal (ra) wondered whether he would ever drink the water there and said, “will the mountains Shaamah and Tafil ever be before me?” (He was saying this in the form of a poetic couplet).
Tafil is a mountain located approximately ten miles away from Mecca, and there is another mountain near it which was known as Shaamah. Then Hazrat Bilal (ra) would say, “O Allah! Cursed be Shi`bah bin Rabi`ah, Utbah bin Rabi`ah, and Umaiyyah bin Khalaf,
“for they have driven us away from our land towards a land inflicted by disease.” Upon hearing these words of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hazrat Bilal (ra), the Holy Prophet (saw) prayed, “O Allah! Make Medina just as beloved to us as Mecca,
“or even more than that. O Allah! Bestow your blessings in our Sa` and our Mudd.” “and make Medina a place which affords us health and send its illness towards Juhfa.” Juhfa is another city in the direction of Mecca. Hazrat Aisha (ra) relates, “we arrived in Medina, and it was the most diseased place in Allah’s earth.”
She said. “Some water flowed in the Buthan stream, but even that water had a foul smell.” Buthan is the name of a valley in Medina. This narration is from Bukhari. During the migration from Qadian, Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) particularly gave the Ahmadis advice with reference to the migration to Medina, saying,
“We should not be made to worry due to this migration”. At the time, whilst referring to the incident of Hazrat Bilal (ra) and mentioning the instruction of the Holy Prophet (saw), Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) said to his Community, “I do not know about others and I cannot say anything to them
(i.e. the non-Ahmadi Muslims who have migrated), “but to the Ahmadis I say that you should abandon the thought that you have suffered loss. “The Holy Prophet (saw) would pity those muhajirin [companions migrating] “who lamented the loss of their home and possessions. “When the Holy Prophet (saw) migrated to Medina, “it was known as Yathrib, and malaria was widespread there. “Malaria began to spread and the muhajirin caught a fever.
“On one hand, the Muslims were hurting due to the separation from their homeland “and some of them began wailing and weeping whilst remembering Mecca. “One day, Hazrat Bilal (ra) also caught the fever, “so he started to cry out some couplets he had formed.
“When the Holy Prophet (saw) looked at him, he expressed his disappointment and said, “‘Is this all you have come here to do?’ “in other words, he had migrated and there was no reason to cry about it.” At the time, Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) advised the Ahmadis who had migrated from India to Pakistan,
“I also say to you, remain happy. Do not focus upon what you have lost. “Focus on Who you have lost it for. “If whatever you have lost is solely for the sake of God Almighty and for the success of Islam, “then be happy and do not tire.
“Your faces should not show signs of sorrow, “rather the signs of joy should be visible upon them.” So, we Ahmadis had this mind-set [upon migrating] and this was the advice of the Khalifa of the time – that our migration was for the sake of Allah and for the service to Islam.
Today, the very people who were against the establishment of Pakistan claim to be those who have laid the foundation for Pakistan. And through lies and deception, they are depriving Ahmadis of their basic rights – in that same country, for which Ahmadis rendered the greatest sacrifices.
Pakistan’s parliament – for its own political motives – has prohibited us from even using the name of the religion, for the triumph and service of which we migrated. Anyhow, we do not require their approval, but we certainly feel sorrow that by persecuting Ahmadis, the injustice of these so-called custodians of the country
Has not remained limited to just the Ahmadis, rather they have also committed an injustice to Pakistan and continue to do so. In fact, they are a means of dishonouring the country globally and have become a hurdle in its advancement. If it weren’t for them, the country could have advanced from success to success.
They have devoured the country like termites. Despite this, it is the duty of Pakistani Ahmadis, especially those who live in Pakistan, to employ all their abilities in serving the country and pray that Allah the Almighty purify the country from these oppressors.
Anyhow, this incident came up so I mentioned this in relation to it. I shall now return to the accounts about Hazrat Bilal (ra). In al-Tabaqat al-Kubra it is mentioned that Hazrat Bilal (ra) participated in the battles of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq and in all other battles alongside the Holy Prophet (saw).
During the Battle of Badr, Hazrat Bilal (ra) killed Umaiyyah bin Khalaf, who was a staunch enemy of Islam and who used to persecute Hazrat Bilal (ra) for accepting Islam. The incident around the killing of Umaiyyah is mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari, which I have previously cited in relation to Khubaib bin Ausaf.
Nevertheless, I shall also narrate some of these details as they relate directly to Hazrat Bilal (ra) as well. Hazrat ‘Abdur Rahman (ra) bin ‘Auf relates, “I wrote a letter to Umaiyyah bin Khalaf “stating that he should look after my property and family in Mecca –
“which at the time had become a place at war – “and I would in turn look after his wealth and property in Medina.” Hazrat ‘Abdur Rahman (ra) bin ‘Auf had known Umaiyyah bin Khalaf for a long time. Umaiyyah bin Khalaf also participated in the Battle of Badr alongside the army of the disbelievers
And Hazrat ‘Abdur Rahman (ra) bin ‘Auf learnt of this. Owing to this old relation of theirs, he wished to do him a favour, so the night after the battle he wanted to save him. Hence, while he was in the battle he relates,
“When everyone had fallen asleep I made my way towards a hilltop in order to give him refuge. “I knew in which direction he would have gone, “so I too went there to protect him and offer him refuge, “but somehow, in that moment, Hazrat Bilal (ra) saw him.
“Hence, Hazrat Bilal (ra) went and stood in a gathering of the Ansar, saying, “‘Umaiyyah bin Khalaf is nearby; if he escapes, then my life will be in danger.’ “So, a group of people who were with Hazrat Bilal (ra) went forth in pursuit of us. “Being afraid that they would catch us,
“I left Umaiyyah’s son behind “so that they would first engage in fighting with him and we would be able to advance further ahead. “Subsequently, they killed him in battle. “And so, this plan of mine proved unsuccessful as they killed him, and continued to pursue us.
“Umaiyyah, being of a heavy build, was unable to escape quickly. “Eventually, when they reached us, I told him to sit down. “So, he sat down and I laid myself on him to protect him but they i.e. those pursuing us, “killed him by piercing him with their swords underneath me,
“and one of them also injured my foot with his sword.” I shall narrate a part of another narration in which this incident is mentioned. Hazrat ‘Abdur Rahman (ra) bin ‘Auf relates, “I was walking along with both of them (i.e. Umaiyyah bin Khalaf and his son)
“when all of a sudden, Hazrat Bilal (ra) spotted Umaiyyah with me. “Umaiyyah was the one who used to greatly torture Hazrat Bilal (ra) in Mecca “so that he would leave Islam. “Therefore, when Hazrat Bilal (ra) saw Umaiyyah, he started saying, “‘Umaiyyah bin Khalaf, the chief of the disbelievers is here
“‘and I will not survive if he is spared.'” Hazrat ‘Abdur Rahman (ra) bin ‘Auf further narrates, “After hearing this I said to him ‘O Bilal! Are you saying this about my prisoners?’ “Thereupon, Hazrat Bilal (ra) once again repeated what he was saying
“and each time I would reply in the same manner that they were my prisoners. “Following this, Hazrat Bilal (ra) said the following words in an extremely loud voice: “‘O Ansar of Allah! This is Umaiyyah bin Khalaf, the chief of the disbelievers.
“‘I shall be destroyed if he is spared’ and he continued to say this over and over.'” Hazrat ‘Abdur Rahman (ra) bin ‘Auf then says, “Following this call of his, the Ansar charged forward and surrounded us from all sides.
“Hazrat Bilal (ra) drew his sword and attacked Umaiyyah’s son, and as a result he fell down. “Out of fear for his son, Umaiyyah let out such a shocking cry that I had never heard before. “Thereafter, the Ansar struck them with their swords.” According to another account,
Hazrat Bilal (ra) was the secretary or treasurer of the Holy Prophet (saw). A person once asked Hazrat Ibn ‘Abbas (ra), “Did you also accompany the Holy Prophet (saw) in any journey?” He replied, “Were it not for my relationship with the Holy Prophet (saw),
“I would not have been able to participate in any [journey with him].” What he meant by this is that he had the opportunity to travel because he was young and due to the fact that he was related to the Holy Prophet (saw).
He then says, “The Holy Prophet (saw) then arrived near the sign “which was close by the house of Hazrat Kathir bin Salat, “and gave an address to the companions. “He then went to the women and granted them some advice and instructed them to give alms.
“The women then lowered their hands to remove their rings “and one by one they placed them in the cloth of Hazrat Bilal (ra) “(Hazrat Bilal (ra) was with him at the time).” This is the account of Hazrat Ibn ‘Abbas (ra). Thereafter, he and the Holy Prophet (saw) returned home.
Hazrat Anas (ra) bin Malik states, “The Holy Prophet (saw) told me, “‘I have suffered so much affliction for the sake of Allah which no other person can be given. “‘I have been threatened so much for the sake of Allah “‘that no other person can be threatened to that extent. “‘Three nights would pass
“‘whereby no food would be brought to me and Bilal (ra) which a living being could eat, “‘except that which could be hidden under the arm of Bilal (ra) “(i.e. they only had very little food).” Hazrat Bilal (ra) had the honour of being the first Muazzin [the one who calls the Adhan].
Whether the Holy Prophet (saw) was on a journey or at home, Hazrat Bilal was the Muazzin for the Holy Prophet (saw) throughout his life. He was the first person in Islam to call the Adhan. Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Zaid narrates from his father who stated
That the Holy Prophet (saw) thought about ways to call people to the prayer using a trumpet or a bell. Thus the Holy Prophet (saw) ordered for this to be used and it was made accordingly (this is a narration of Bukhari). The companions gave suggestions for a bell or horn to be used.
It was then that Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Zaid was shown a dream. He related, “I saw a man wearing two green cloths with a bell in his hand. “I said to that man, ‘O servant of Allah! Will you sell me this bell?’ “He asked, ‘What will you do with it?’
“I replied, ‘I would call people to prayer with it.’ “He then said, ‘Shall I teach you something better than this?’ “I enquired what that was? He then called out the words of the Adhan in full: [Allah is Greatest, Allah is Greatest, I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship Except Allah,
I bear witness that Muhammad (saw) is the Messenger of Allah, Come to Salat, Come to Salat Come to Success, Come to Success Allah is the greatest, Allah is Greatest There is none worthy of worship except Allah.] “The narrator states that Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Zaid
“went to the Holy Prophet (saw) and related his dream to him. “Hazrat Abdullah said: “‘O Messenger (saw) of Allah! I saw a person wearing two green cloths with a bell in his hand.’ “He then related the entire dream. “The Holy Prophet (saw) said to the Companions, “‘Your brother has seen a dream.’
“He then instructed Abdullah (ra) bin Zaid to go to the mosque with Bilal (ra) “and to teach him these words and for Bilal (ra) to recite them in a loud voice, “because he had a louder voice as compared to him.
“Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Zaid narrates that he went with Bilal (ra) to the mosque “and he would recite these words and he would repeat them in a loud voice. “When Hazrat Umar (ra) bin Khattab heard these words, “he came out [of his home] and said,
‘O Messenger (saw) of Allah! By God, I have seen the exact same dream as he has seen.’” Explaining this, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) writes: “Until now there was no arrangement for a call to Salat, or Adhan, etc. “The Companions would generally congregate in the mosque at the approximate time themselves.
“These state of affairs, however, were not satisfactory. “Upon the construction of Masjid-e-Nabawi, “the question as to how Muslims would be congregated at the appropriate time “was felt even more. “One Companion proposed the use of a bell, like the Christians.
“Someone proposed the use of a trumpet, like the Jews; and others made other suggestions. “However, Hazrat Umar (ra) proposed that an individual be appointed “to announce that it is time for Salat at the appointed time. “The Holy Prophet (saw) approved this proposal, “and appointed Hazrat Bilal (ra) to perform this duty.
“As such, after this, when the time for Salat would arrive, “Hazrat Bilal (ra) would announce in a loud voice, [Gather for Salat] “and people would congregate for the Salat. “As a matter of fact, the very same call would be made if it was necessary
“to congregate the Muslims in the mosque for a purpose other than the Salat as well. “Sometime afterwards, the words of the current Adhan were taught to a Companion “named ‘Abdullah (ra) bin Zaid Ansari, in a dream. “He presented himself before the Holy Prophet (saw) and mentioned this dream saying,
“‘I saw an individual in my dream call out such and such words as if calling the Adhan.’ “The Holy Prophet (saw) said, ‘This dream is from Allah,’ “and instructed ‘Abdullah (ra) to teach these words to Bilal (ra). “A strange coincidence was that
“when Bilal (ra) called out the Adhan in these words for the very first time, upon hearing them, “Hazrat Umar (ra) made haste to the Holy Prophet (saw) and said, ‘O Messenger (saw) of Allah! “‘Today, the words in which Bilal (ra) called out the Adhan
“‘were exactly those which I also saw in my dream.’ “In one narration it has also been related that “when the Holy Prophet (saw) heard these words of the Adhan, “he said, ‘Revelation has already been sent down as such.’ “Therefore, in this manner, the current method of Adhan commenced.
“The method which commenced in this manner is so blessed and attractive “that no other method can compare to it. “In other words, the Unity of God, “and the Prophethood of Muhammad (saw), the Messenger of Allah, “is proclaimed five times daily from every mosque, in every village, “of every city in the Islamic world.
“A summary of Islamic teachings is conveyed to the people “in extremely beautiful and comprehensive words.” Musa bin Muhammad narrates on the authority of his father that after Hazrat Bilal (ra) used to call the Adhan, he would go to inform the Holy Prophet (saw). Standing beside his door, Hazrat Bilal (ra) would recite: Meaning, “Come to Prayer, Come to Success. Come for Salat O Messenger (saw) of Allah.” Upon seeing the Holy Prophet (saw) approaching for prayer, Hazrat Bilal (ra) would call the Iqamah. This aspect of this narration is not clear.
The Iqamah is usually recited when the Imam has taken his position [for prayer] at the Mihrab. Either this narration has not been recorded correctly or perhaps it has not been translated accurately, as the correct practice is that the Iqamah should be called when the Imam stands in the Mihrab for prayer.
In Sunan Ibn Majah, Hazrat Bilal (ra) has narrated an account in which it is stated that he once went to call the Holy Prophet (saw) for prayer. He was informed that he was asleep. Hazrat Bilal (ra) then said: [Salat is better than sleep]
These words were then incorporated in the Adhan for the Fajr prayer and this became the established practice. In another narration it is stated that the Holy Prophet (saw) said, “O Bilal! How majestic are these words! Include them in the Adhan for the Fajr prayer.”
In the time of the Holy Prophet (saw), there were three Muadhin’s: Hazrat Bilal (ra), Abu Mahzoora, Amr bin Umme Maktoom. There are further accounts to be narrated, which I shall do so in the future, God willing. At present I will speak about some deceased members and lead their funeral prayers in absentia,
Therefore I will complete the accounts of Hazrat Bilal (ra) in the future sermon, God willing. The first funeral is of respected Rauf bin Maqsood Junior, who was from Belgium. He was a student of Jamia Ahmadiyya UK.
He passed away on 4th September 2020: “Verily to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.” He belonged to the Hassalt Jama’at in Belgium. Upon completing his secondary school, he joined Jamia Ahmadiyya UK in 2018. Owing to his sincerity, enthusiasm, willingness to help others and habit of working hard,
He was very popular among his fellow students and teachers alike. A short while ago, he developed a brain tumour and was unwell for six or seven months. He endured this illness with great patience and courage, but eventually he returned to Allah the Almighty.
Ahmadiyyat was introduced to his family through his paternal grandfather close to 1950, who was an influential personality. At the time, his relatives and opponents [of Ahmadiyyat] did not say anything, however when he passed away, his grandfather’s family faced a lot of opposition. From the deceased’s mother’s side, his maternal great grandfather,
Abdul Ali Sahib and his wife performed the Bai’at at the hands of Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra). Aside from his parents, Rauf bin Maqsood is survived by three sisters and two brothers. His fathers name is Humayun Maqsood sahib and his mothers name is Muhsina Begum Sahiba,
One daughter Nishaat is 18 years old, one son Saleh is 14 years old, Tasnia Unaizah is 9 years old, Fateh Maqsood is 7 years old and Jannatus Saamia is 4 years old. Ameer Sahib [National President] of Belgium writes: “I have seen him from childhood and noticed that he was an extraordinary child.
“Whenever I had the chance to visit his Jama’at “I saw that he was always at the mosque and was well-mannered. “Two days after he passed away, “we arranged for people to pay their condolences at the Bait-ur-Raheem mosque, Alken.”
Large numbers from the Jama’at attended and he says that he saw a lot of them crying. Everyone related fond memories of the dearly departed. From the outset of the illness the doctors informed him that he had cancer of the brain which was potentially life threatening.
Despite this he never let any signs of despair show on his face, nor did he give up hope. During his consultation, one of the doctors said that when he was able to speak, they had a conversation and he found the deceased to be an extraordinary and intelligent youth.
The doctors also said that despite being in extreme amounts of pain, he never complained. They said that usually when a patient is experiencing this much pain, they often become extremely aggressive. However Rauf endured all of this with great perseverance and patience. Ameer Sahib further writes,
“The deceased had an incredible amount of love for Khilafat and would show the utmost obedience. “He would always have a smile on his face. “He would greet everyone lovingly regardless of whether they were younger or older than him.” The missionary in Hassalt says: “Before he was diagnosed,
“I asked Rauf to organise classes online for Atfal, which he held regularly. “To the extent that when he was hospitalised with his illness, “he would continue the classes from Hospital. “Sometimes during the class he would faint. “When his health would improve he would begin the classes again.
“He never said that he was unwell and would not be able to take the class. “The Atfal also expressed their concern and stated that he should not take classes as he is unwell, “but he would reply that when Jamia would reopen,
“what would he say to Khalifatul Masih regarding how he served the Jama’at during the holidays.” He had a passion and determination to serve. Another missionary writes: “In 2010 his father left him with me for Waqf-e-Arzi [temporary devotion]
“and he said that since Rauf will go to Jamia, I ought to prepare him for it.” He further writes: “I saw that even then he was not only regular in his five daily prayers, “but he would wake up for the Tahajjud [pre-dawn voluntary] prayers.”
When the mosque in Alken was being constructed or when the refurbishments were taking place, he actively took part in the Waqar-e-Amal. Secretary Jaidad says that he would carry out strenuous work carrying stones and gravel etc and would happily serve in this manner.
One of his qualities was that he would be the first to offer the greeting of peace [Salam]. His mother says: “He would always give preference to others over himself. “In school he would usually take his lunch from home and would eat it there.
“One day he came home and said that he was hungry. I said to him that he had taken lunch already. “He said that one of the students forgot their lunch, “so he gave him his own lunch saying that he would eat when he returned home.
“Similarly he would always show concern for his friends “and would say to them that he worried about their future, “and those that were close to him he would tell them to always choose friends “with good morals and strive to make your future prosperous.”
He would work with great diligence during Ijtemas and Jalsas, etc. In fact his in charge writes that on one occasion he was assigned to do security duty. In the evening he was presented with food, he said to first give the food to his colleague who was on duty with him.
Despite his young age, he would often enquire about Waqf-e-Nau children from their parents and he would advise them to send their children to Jamia. His mother showed great patience during his illness, in fact both parents did so. His mother would say to him that they had devoted him in the way of God.
When the doctors had given up hope and said there was little chance [of survival], the parents told him with great resolve that the place where he was now going is an excellent abode. They would advise him to be content with the Will of God and also demonstrated this themselves.
He placed a picture that he had taken with me next to him in his hospital bed and this proved to be a good source of tabligh [propagating the message]. The doctors would ask which community he belonged to and he would inform them that he belonged to the Ahmadiyya [Muslim] Community,
Who believed that the advent of the Promised Messiah had taken place and the conversation would begin from there. Ameer Sahib writes: “I told him that despite his illness, “he was a source of Tabligh and this would please him greatly.” Sadr Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya of Belgium writes, “He had an immense love for Khilafat.
“In a class with the Atfal and Waqf-e-Nau, “I told them one day to write letters to the Khalifah of the time. “The deceased came to me and said, “‘Murrabi Sahib, I do not know how to write in Urdu, “‘could you write it out for me and I will copy it by hand.’
“I told him that the rest of the children were writing in Dutch and he could do the same. (This incident is prior to him coming to Jamia). “The deceased replied, ‘I wish for my letter to directly reach the Khalifah of the time “and that he pray for me.'” The Murrabi Sahib further writes,
“The pledge that Rauf bin Maqsood would stand and recite “to always be ready to sacrifice his life, wealth, time and honour, “he indeed fulfilled that pledge right till his last breath. “He had quite a number of non-Ahmadi friends, “whom I personally witnessed profusely crying [upon him demise].
“When I asked one of them about Rauf bin Maqsood, “he emotionally stated, ‘Today, a very loving and caring friend has departed from us. “Very few people have such a compassionate friend.” The deceased had great passion for Tabligh [propagating the true message of Islam]. He further states,
“When we started the ‘The Messiah Has Come’ campaign, “some of the members would feel a little reluctant “but Rauf bin Maqsood would directly approach the people “and call them over and provide them with the literature of the Jama’at “and engage in discussion with them.
“He would bring guests to every Tabligh programme and would then also introduce them to others.” In any case, even before graduating from Jamia, the deceased was an excellent Murrabi and Mubaligh. Only Allah the Almighty knows the wisdom behind His decisions and at times,
He causes some of the best people to return to Him sooner. May Allah the Almighty grant the deceased His forgiveness and mercy. May He elevate his station and grant his parents patience and steadfastness. The second funeral is of respected Zafar Iqbal Qureshi Sahib, who was the Naib Amir of Islamabad.
He passed away on 3rd September at the age of 87: “Verily to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return” He belonged to a very devoted family and his paternal grandfather, Ubaidullah Qureshi Sahib (ra) was a companion of the Promised Messiah (as) and did the Bai’at in 1904.
The deceased’s wife, Amtul Hameed Sahiba’s paternal grandfather, Hazrat Khalifah Noor-ul-Deen Sahib (ra) was also a companion of the Promised Messiah (as). (His name was Khalifah Noor-ul-Deen, however it is not referring to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra) here). In his extraordinary book, Tohfah Golwariyah, the Promised Messiah (as) specially mentioned Khalifah Noor-ul-Deen Sahib
In relation to his services for the research into the grave of Jesus (as) in Mahala Khanyaar, Srinagar in Kashmir. Zafar Iqbal Qureshi Sahib attained his early education in Amritsar and after the partition of India and Pakistan, he came to Pindi and completed his Matriculation exam
And then went on to study in university and graduated with a degree in engineering. He then worked in the civil sector and later attained an MSc from Greece. He then served as a Chief Engineer in civil service in Taxila until his retirement in 1994. Thereafter, he moved to Islamabad
And served the Jama’at in various ways and was appointed as the Naib Amir [of Islamabad] in 1998. And at various times, he was also appointed as the acting Amir as well and he served for more than 21 years as the Naib Amir till 2019. Despite his old age and poor health,
He would regularly go to the mosque and complete his routine work. He spoke very little and possessed a very sound judgment and had great experience in administrative matters. He worked with great diligence and had great regard for Jama’at’s wealth and would take great care of it.
While I was serving as the Naziri-e-A’la, I had the opportunity to closely see his work and MashAllah, he worked with a spirit of selflessness and humility. He would show utmost obedience to those superior to him in office, even though they were much younger in age than him.
He is survived by his wife, Amtul Hameed Zafar Sahib and four daughters; Amtul Rashid Sahiba, Dr Sadaf Zafar Sahiba, Shazia Chaudhry Sahiba and Aishah Tariq Sahiba. One of the daughters is in Canada and the rest are in Lahore. One of his daughters, Aishah Zafar writes, “When I started going to school,
“he would always write a letter to the Khalifah of the time for prayers before my annual exams. “And when I had attained a position, he would again write a letter “and then he would read out the reply when it came. “When I grew older, he then advised me to write the letter myself
“and would help prepare a template for the letter. “In this way, right from my childhood, “he firmly established the love and obedience for Khilafat in my heart in a very loving manner.” May Allah the Almighty grant the deceased His mercy and forgiveness and elevate his station.
May He also grant patience and peace to his loved ones. The next funeral is of Honourable Kabeenai Kavaja kata Sahib from Senegal. He passed away on 24th August at the age of 85: “Verily to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.”
Among his special qualities was that he was very courageous and sincere individual, he had great love for Khilafat and also great honour for the Jama’at. He also had great passion to serve, he always offered sacrifices and treated guests with great hospitality. If any delegation of the Jama’at would come,
He would do everything he could for their hospitality. It was his desire and he would insist that until the delegation of the Jama’at remained in his region, he would personally arrange for their hospitality. If the guests ever ate from outside,
He would get very upset for depriving him of the opportunity to serve them. He would offer his own room to the guests and provide them with any need they had. He served as a member of the parliament for 18 years after taking part in the election with the Socialist Party.
He was a very sincere and loyal Ahmadi and until the Jama’at was not officially registered, all its properties were under his name. The Missionary In-Charge writes: “When I arrived in Senegal in 2012 and the Jama’at was officially registered after that, “the deceased said that one does not know about the future,
“therefore they should quickly register all the properties “which were kept with him as a trust under the Jama’at’s official name.” He further writes, “Whenever the Jama’at was faced with any difficulty, “he would always be stood at the forefront for its defence. “He worked even more than a missionary.
“For a long period, he served as the president of the Tambacounda region. “He also served as the Secretary Amoor-e-Aama in the central Amila. “Prior to his demise, he donated 3 acres of land to the Jama’at to build a school
“and similarly he offered a 3 acre land to build the regional mission house of the Jama’at. “Prior to his demise, he handed the documentation for the 6 acres of land to our missionary, “Dikomir Sahib and said that this belonged to the Jam’at and he should look after it.
“He then said that he was leaving for Guinea Conakry and had little hope that he would return.” He also come here [to the UK] many times to attend the Jalsa and had been coming since the time of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh).
He last came to the Jalsa in 2019 and also met me and then said to his Amir (of his own country) that it was his desire to sit before the Khalifah and so that he could see him as much as possible. Thus, he remained seated and then afterwards in the Mulaqat,
He stated that he had fulfilled his objective for which he came for. Maulana Munawar Khurshid Sahib writes, “The deceased was a much admired personality in Senegal “for his political and organisational skills. “He belonged to Tambacounda, “which is very well-known city of Senegal “and belonged to a family which was involved in politics.
“Professionally he was a teacher, but then later entered into politics. “In 1995, he received the message of Ahmadiyyat through honourable Jagjen, “who was the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. “Very soon after Allah the Almighty granted inspiration to his heart “whereby with full happiness and contention,
“he performed the Bai’at and entered the fold of Ahmadiyyat. “Many of the early converts in Senegal were labourers or farmers, “who would also offer financial sacrifices according to their means. “After doing the Bai’at, by the grace of Allah the Almighty “the deceased always very generously offered his financial sacrifices.
“He was an extremely courageous and brave Ahmadi. “He had a great passion for Tabligh “and would preach to everyone he met “and even he had the opportunity to give an introduction of the Jama’at “to the president of the country. “The deceased had a very wide social circle
“and would seek to convey the message [of Ahmadiyyat] to every one of his acquaintances. “He would always have the literature of the Jama’at and the Bai’at forms in his car.” May Allah the Almighty grant the deceased His forgiveness and mercy. May He elevate his station
And enable this spirit of sincerity and loyalty to continue amongst his progeny as well; and may He enable those who are not Ahmadi to accept Ahmadiyyat. The next funeral is of respected Mubasher Latif Sahib, who formerly served as an advocate of the Supreme Court
And initially lived in Lahore but was currently residing in Canada. He passed away on 5th May at the age of 85: “Verily to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.” The deceased had great love for Allah Almighty, His messenger (saw), the Promised Messiah (as) and Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyyat.
His maternal grandfather, respected Sheikh Mehr Ali Sahib (ra) was a very close friend of the Promsied Messiah (as). The Promised Messiah (as) performed the Chillah [forty days of seclusion devoted to prayer and supplication] in Hoshiarpur at his home. It was during this period that Allah the Almighty revealed the grand prophecy
Of Musleh Maud [Promised Reformer]. For 17 years, Mubasher Latif Sahib served as the president of Faisal Town, Lahore. He was also a member of the team that was formed of the Jama’at lawyers in Pakistan, and he would consider it a matter of great honour
That he had the opportunity to serve and help countless Aseeran [those imprisoned due to their faith]. He was one of the three lawyers, who had the opportunity to represent the Jama’at in 1974. For 40 years he taught at the Punjab University; he was a teacher in the Law College of the university.
When the mosque in Model Town, Lahore came under attack, the deceased was also inside the mosque at the time. By the grace of allah he survived, but his younger brother, Naeem Sajid Sahib was martyred. Thereafter, he migrated to Canada. The deceased was very regular in his prayers and observing the fasts
And in offering the Tahajjud prayer. He had great love for the Holy Qur’an and by the grace of Allah the Almighty, he was a Moosi [part of the institution of Al-Wasiyyat]. He leaves behind his wife, six daughters and many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Malik Tahir Sahib, Amir Jama’at Lahore writes,
“Respected Barrister Mubasher Latif Sahib was a very able and highly educated lawyer. “He had also attained a law degree from here as well in those days “and held a very respectable position amongst the judiciary. “In regards to the Jama’at cases, after 1984, “when cases were filed against our youth regarding the Kalimah Tayyibah,
“the youth were being presented in an ordinary magistrate’s court. “Even though Mubasher Sahib did not work in courts which were below the High Court, “however for the sake of the Jama’at’s interest, “he would present himself before the magistrate judge. “He would offer great service in the cases of the Jama’at.
“He would always give advice which was correct and in accordance with the law. “Many magistrates and judges were his students once, “however he never felt ashamed or hesitant “to stand before his former students [whilst presenting the Jama’at cases]. “Generally, the lawyers of the Supreme Court and the High Court
“do not appear before [the judge of a] magistrates court.” Mubarak Tahir Sahib, who serves as the legal advisor [of the Jama’at], writes, “Mubasher Latif Sahib’s services for the Jama’at began in 1974. “In the Samdani Commission, he assisted the lawyer Ijaz Hussain Batalvi Sahib.
“Also, the case which was filed against the 1984 ordinance in the Federal Shariat Court, “Mabasher Latif Sahib was also part of its panel. “Although they knew that according to the law nothing was going to happen, “but he and his colleagues worked very diligently on this case nonetheless.”
May Allah the Almighty grant the deceased His forgiveness and mercy. May He also elevate His station and enable his loved ones to continue his good deeds and grant them peace. After the Friday prayer, I will, God Willing, lead their funeral prayers [in absentia]. All praise is due to Allah
We laud Him, we beseech help from Him and ask His protection; we confide in Him, we trust Him alone and we seek protection against the evils and mischief of our souls and from the bad results of our deeds. Whomsoever He guides on the right path, none can misguide him;
And whosoever He declares misled, none can guide him onto the right path. And we bear witness that none deserves to be worshipped except Allah. We bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. O servants of Allah! May Allah be merciful to you.
Verily, Allah commands you to act with justice, to confer benefits upon each other and to do good to others as one does to one’s kindred and forbids evil which pertain to your own selves and evils which affect others and prohibits revolts against a lawful authority. He warns you against being unmindful.
You remember Allah; He too will remember you; call Him and He will make a response to your call. And verily divine remembrance is the highest virtue.