Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2018
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 be upon you all.
I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. He is alone 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 first of the Companions [of the Holy Prophet (saw)] whom I shall mention today is Hazrat ‘Ubaid Bin Zaid Ansari. He belonged to the Banu ‘Ajlaan tribe. He participated in the Battles of Badr and Uhad.
Hazrat Muaz bin Rifa’ah related from his father, “I accompanied the Holy Prophet (saw), “while riding on a very frail and weak camel along with my brother, as we headed towards Badr. “‘Ubaid bin Zaid was also with us. “We reached a place called Bareed,
“which comes after Rauhah and there our camel gave up and sat down.” This incident has previously been mentioned while giving the account of another Companion. He further states, “When our camel sat down, we prayed, “‘O Allah! We make this vow to You that if You return us to Medina,
“we will sacrifice this camel.’ At the time, the Holy Prophet (saw) was passing by us “and enquired what the matter was with both of us. We narrated the entire incident to him. “The Holy Prophet (saw) remained with us. “He performed ablution and mixed his saliva with the leftover water.
“Then, upon his instruction, we opened the camel’s mouth “and he poured some of that water into the camel’s mouth and then some upon its neck, “its shoulders, its hump, its back and its tail. “Then the Holy Prophet (saw) supplicated, ‘O Allah!
‘Make it possible for Rafe‘and Khallad to ride on it and to reach their destination.’ “The Holy Prophet (saw) then left and we also got up to depart. “We caught up with the Holy Prophet (saw) at Mansaf, “while our camel was at the forefront of the caravan.
“When the Holy Prophet (saw) saw us, he smiled. We continued travelling until we reached Badr. “While returning from Badr, when we reached Musalla, the camel sat down again, “upon which my brother slaughtered it and distributed its meat, “which we gave out as Sadaqah [charity].”
Hazrat ‘Ubaid bin Zaid was also present with them during this incident. Hazrat Zahir bin Hiraam al-Ashja’ee was a Companion, who also participated in the Battle of Badr. He belonged to the Ashja’a tribe. He accompanied the Holy Prophet (saw) in the Battle of Badr. Hazrat Anas bin Malik narrates,
“Among those who lived in the villages was a man by the name of Zahir. “He used to bring presents from his village for the Holy Prophet (saw). “Whenever he intended to return, the Holy Prophet (saw) also used to present him “with abundant provisions before seeing him off.
“The Holy Prophet (saw) used to say (Arabic) “that is, ‘Zahir is our friend from the wilderness and we are his friends from the city.’” The Holy Prophet (saw) had great love for him. Hazrat Zahir was a man of average looks. Once, while Hazrat Zahir was selling some of his merchandise in the market,
The Holy Prophet (saw) approached from the back and embraced him. It is also mentioned in a narration that, the Holy Prophet (saw) came from the back and covered his eyes with his hands so that Hazrat Zahir could not see the Holy Prophet (saw).
Upon this, he enquired who it was and asked to be left alone. However, when he turned and saw, he recognised it was the Holy Prophet (saw). By recognising the Holy Prophet (saw) it means when he turned around
And caught a glimpse of the Holy Prophet (saw), he realised it was the Holy Prophet (saw). And so, upon realising that it was in fact the Holy Prophet (saw), he started to rub his back against the blessed chest of the Holy Prophet (saw).
The Holy Prophet (saw) in a light heated manner said, “Who will purchase this slave?” Hazrat Zahir said, “O Prophet of Allah (saw)! You will make an unprofitable bargain. “Who is going to buy me?” Upon this, the Holy Prophet (saw) said, “In the sight of God, you are not
An unprofitable bargain”, or he said that he was very precious in the sight of Allah. Hazrat Musleh-e-Mau’ud (ra) has also mentioned this incident on one occasion in relation to the compassion of the Holy Prophet (saw). Hazrat Musleh-e-Mau’ud (ra) states that, “The Holy Prophet (saw) similarly
“was once going to the market, when he saw a poor companion, “who was not very attractive, carrying merchandise in the severe heat. “He was carrying merchandise and his entire body was covered with sweat and dust. “The Holy Prophet (saw) quietly went behind him and similar to how children playfully
“and secretly place their hands on the eyes of another person and then ask “and desire for that person to guess who placed their hands on their eyes, “the Holy Prophet (saw) also quietly placed his hands over his eyes.
“Having felt his soft hands, he realised it was the Holy Prophet (saw) and out of extreme love, “he started to rub his body full of sweat against the clothes of the Holy Prophet (saw). “The Holy Prophet (saw) continued to smile and then said, ‘I have a slave.
‘Is there anyone who would like to purchase him?’ “Upon this, the Companion said, ‘O Prophet of Allah (saw)! Who in the world would buy me?’ “The Holy Prophet (saw) replied, ‘You should not say this. ‘You are extremely precious in the sight of God.’”
Those people were blessed to partake of such astonishing expressions of love. The Holy Prophet (saw) stated on one occasion: “(Arabic) “That is, every person living in the city has a relationship with someone from the village “and the person from the village,
“with whom the family of the Holy Prophet (saw) has a relationship with is Zahir bin Haram.” He later migrated to Kufa. The next Companion whom I shall mention is Hazrat Zaid bin Khattab. He was the elder brother of Hazrat Umar and he had accepted Islam before Hazrat Umar.
He was also among the first people to migrate. He participated alongside the Holy Prophet (saw) in the battles of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq [trench], and was also present at Hudaybiyyah and the Bai’at-e-Ridhwan. The Holy Prophet (saw) formed a bond of brotherhood between him and Hazrat Ma’an bin ‘Adi.
Both of these companions were martyred during the battle of Yamama. On the day of Uhud, Hazrat ‘Umar swore by Allah and said to Hazrat Zaid, Hazrat Zaid was the elder brother of Hazrat ‘Umar, that he should put on his armour.
Hazrat Zaid put on the armour for a few moments and took it off at the time of war. When Hazrat ‘Umar enquired of him the reason for taking off the armour, Hazrat Zaid replied, “I too am desirous of the very same martyrdom that you desire.” Hence, both of them left the armour.
Hazrat Zaid bin Khattab narrates that on the occasion of Hajjat-ul-Wada’ [last pilgrimage of the Holy Prophet (saw)], the Holy Prophet (saw) said, “You should take care of your slaves, “feed them of what you eat yourself and dress them with the clothes you dress yourself with.
“Furthermore, if they commit an error which you are unable to forgive them, “then O servants of God, then you should sell them and not punish them.” When the Muslims were somewhat scattered and weakened during the battle of Yamama, Hazrat Zaid recited this prayer out aloud that,
“O Allah! I apologise for my companions to have fled “and I hold myself free and independent from what “Musaylimah Kazzab and Muhakam bin Tufail have done.” He then firmly took hold of the flag, entered the rows of the enemy and marched forward, demonstrating his excellent swordsmanship until he was martyred.
When Hazrat Zaid was martyred, Hazrat ‘Umar said, “May Allah have mercy on Zaid. “He surpassed me in two virtues, “that is he accepted Islam before me and was also martyred before me.” In a narration it is mentioned that Hazrat ‘Umar heard Mutammim bin Nuwayra
Read some poetic verses in remembrance of his brother, Malik bin Nuwayra, upon which Hazrat ‘Umar said, “If I could also compose good verses like you, “I would also have recited similar verses in remembrance of my brother Zaid, “as you have recited for your brother.” Upon this, Mutammim bin Nuwayra said,
“If my brother would have left the world in the same manner as your brother did, “I would not be grieved either.” Hazrat ‘Umar replied, “Until today, no one has consoled me in the same manner as you have.” Another detailed narration of this incident can be found as well.
Hazrat ‘Umar said to Mutammim bin Nuwayra, “How grieved are you at the death of your brother?” He pointed towards one of his eyes and said, “This eye of mine lost its sight due to this very grief. I wept so profusely “with my functioning eye that even the defective eye assisted in shedding tears.”
Hazrat ‘Umar said that this is such an extreme state of grief, which perhaps no one has expressed for the sake of their lost one. Hazrat ‘Umar further said, “May Allah have mercy on Zaid bin Khattab. “If I was capable or composing verses,
“I would certainly also have wept for Zaid as you weep for your brother.” Hazrat Mutammim said, “O Amir-ul-Mu’mineen [commander of the Faithful!] “If my brother would have been martyred during the Battle of Yamama in the same manner “as your brother was, I would never have wept for him.”
These words touched Hazrat ‘Umar’s heart and he was reassured about his brother. Hazrat ‘Umar was immensely grieved at the loss of his brother. He used to say that when the morning breeze blows, he can smell the fragrance of Zaid. One of the associates of Musaylimah Kazzab, Rajjal bin ‘Unfuwah,
Was killed by Hazrat Zaid bin Khattab. In one narration, Rajjal bin ‘Unfuwah has been mentioned as Nahar. This was the person, who initially accepted Islam, and took part in the migration and was also a Qari [who recites the Qur’an according to the proper rules of recitation] but in the end joined Musaylimah –
Therefore, we should always pray for our end to be good. He said to him that I have heard the Holy Prophet (saw) say that he has included you in his prophethood. This was the greatest trial for Banu Hunaifa. Hazrat Abu Huraira narrates,
“I was once sitting in the company of the Holy Prophet (saw) with a delegation. “Rajjal bin ‘Unfuwah was also with us. “The Holy Prophet (saw) said that there is an individual among you, “whose molar tooth will be in a fire as tall as the mountain of Uhud.”
In other words, he will be in the pit of fire. “And he will mislead a group of people. “later, only Rajjal bin ‘Unfuwah and I remained alive “and I would always remain apprehensive about this, “until Rajjal bin ‘Unfuwah joined Musaylimah Kazzab and testified to his prophethood.”
Rajjal bin Unfuwah was killed in the battle of Yamama by Hazrat Zaid bin Khattab. Hazrat Zaid bin Khattab was martyred by Abu Maryam Al Hanfi. After Hazrat Abu Maryam had accepted Islam, Hazrat Umar asked him if he had martyred Zaid. He replied to Hazrat Umar, “O Commander of the Faithful!
“Allah the Almighty granted a special rank to Hazrat Zaid through me, “and Allah did not destroy and humiliate me through him.” Hazrat Umar said to Hazrat Abu Maryam, “In your estimation how many of your people were “killed at the hands of the Muslims on the day of Yamama?”
Abu Maryam replied, “1400 or more.” Hazrat Umar said “How pitiful was the end of those who were killed!” Abu Maryam said, “All praise belongs to Allah “who enabled me to survive to the extent that I was drawn towards the religion “that Allah had chosen for His Prophet and Muslims.”
Hazrat Umar was very pleased by this statement of Abu Maryam. Later, Abu Maryam became the Qazi (judge) of Basra [Iraq]. Details of the next companion relate to Hazrat Ubada bin Khashkhaash. Waqdi has related the name of Ubada bin KhashKhaash as Abda bin Hasaas
Whereas Ibn Mundah has related his name as Ubada bin Khashkhaash Anbari. Anyways, he was from the Balee Tribe. He was the paternal and maternal cousin of Hazrat Mujazir bin Ziyaad. He was allied to Banu Saalim. Hazrat Ubada bin Khashkhaash took part in the Battle of Badr where he captured Qais bin Saaib.
Hazrat Ubada bin Khashkhaash was martyred on the day of the battle of Uhud. He was buried alongside Hazrat Nauman bin Maalik and Hazrat Mujzir bin Ziyaad in the same grave. The next Companion is Hazrat Abdullah bin Jad. His father’s name was Jad bin Qais whose title was Abu Wahab
And he was from the Banu Salama, a tribe of the Ansaar. His maternal cousin was Hazrat Muaz bin Jabal. Hazrat Abdullah bin Jad participated in both the Battles of Badr and Uhud. At the Battle of Tabouk, the Holy Prophet (saw) said to Abu Wahab, the father of Hazrat Abdullah bin Jad,
“Abu Wahab, will you not join us for the battle this year?” Abu Wahab replied, “Please excuse me, and do not involve me in any type of disorder. “I am unable to go because,” He cited a very strange excuse to the Holy Prophet (saw). “My people know how much I adore women.
“If the women of Banu Asfar,” In other words the Roman/Byzantine women. “Befall my eyes I will not be able to control myself.” The Holy Prophet (saw) turned away and excused him. In others words as he was making excuses, it was best to simply let him be and accept his refusal.
Hazrat Abdullah bin Jad approached his father after coming to know of this and said, “Why did you reject the request of the Holy Prophet (saw)? “I swear by God that you are the wealthiest person among the Banu Salama “and today was the opportunity to take part in the battle.
“Neither do you go forth for battle yourself and nor do you help to equip others to go.” His father replied, citing another excuse to his son, “O my son! “How can I set forth towards the Banu Asfar in such a hot and difficult climate?
“I swear by God even in Khurba,” The home of the Banu Salama. “I do not feel safe in my home and am afraid of them.” He was very afraid of the Romans/Byzantines and was a cowardly man. “So how can I proceed to challenge them and enter into battle?
“O son! I swear by God that I am fully cognisant of the times of changing fortunes. “I know that circumstances can transform from day to day.” Hearing this from his father, Hazrat Abdullah became stern towards him and said, “I swear by God, there is hypocrisy in you.
“Certainly Allah the Almighty will reveal His words to the Holy Prophet (saw) in the Holy Quran “with reference to you so everyone can read it.” In other words Allah the Almighty would manifest his hypocrisy. Hearing this, Hazrat Abdullah’s father took off his shoe and threw it upon Hazrat Abdullah’s face
Hazrat Abdullah left from there and refrained from speaking to his father. It is written in Usdul Ghaaba about the father of Hazrat Abdullah, Jad bin Qais, and his hypocrisy that at Hudabiya people joined in a pledge of allegiance with the Holy Prophet (saw) however he refrained from taking part.
It is said that later he repented and he died in the era of the Caliphate of Hazrat Usman (ra). The next Companion is Hazrat Haris bin Aus bin Muaz. He was the nephew of Hazrat Saad bin Muaz who was the leader of the Banu Aus Tribe.
He took part in the Battles of Badr and Uhud. It is said that at the age of 28, he was martyred in the Battle of Uhud. However other narrations tell us that he was not martyred in the Battle of Uhud.
Hazrat Aisha (ra) relates, “At the Battle of Uhud, I followed behind people and left. “I heard the sound of footsteps behind me and when I turned to look I saw Hazrat Saad bin Muaz “along with his nephew Haris bin Aus, holding his shield.”
This narration establishes the fact that he was still alive after Uhud. It is said regarding Hazrat Haris that he was among those who killed Ka’ab bin Ashraf. During the attack his foot was wounded and started to bleed. The Companions lifted him up and took him to the Holy Prophet (saw).
Ka’b bin Ashraf was one of the people who was from among the leaders of Medina and joined in the treaty with the Holy Prophet (saw). However later he tried to spread disorder and strife and therefore the Holy Prophet (saw) ordered for his death. Anyways, further details are found in Sharh Umdah Alqaari
Regarding the Companion who set to kill him and had his foot injured. It is reported that when Muhammad bin Muslamah, along with his companions, attacked Ka’b bin Ashraf and killed him, the tip of their sword struck Hazrat Haris bin Aus and wounded him.
His companions lifted him and rushed him to Madinah and came before the Holy Prophet (saw). The Holy Prophet (saw) placed his saliva on Hazrat Haris bin Aus’ wound after which he no longer felt any pain. Previously, I briefly mentioned the details to the incident of why Ka’b bin Ashraf was killed.
Now I shall present further details which Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) has written, even though some of it may be repeated: “Although Ka‘b was a Jew by religion, he was not actually Jewish by descent; “rather, he was an Arab.
“His father, Ashraf, was a very clever and cunning man of the Banu Nibhan, “who came to Madinah and developed relations with the Banu Nadir “and become their confederate. “Ultimately, he managed to gain such power and influence that Abu Rafi‘ bin Abil-Huqaiq, “head-chief of the Banu Nadir, gave him his daughter in marriage.
“It was this very daughter who gave birth to Ka‘b, “who grew to attain an even greater status than that of his father. “This was to such extent that ultimately he took on such a capacity that “all the Jews of Arabia began to accept him as their chief.
“In addition to being a well-built and attractive man, “Ka‘b was also (well-spoken) an eloquent poet and a very wealthy man. “Through generous spending, he would always keep the scholars “and other influential personalities of his nation under his own control. “However, from a moral perspective, he was a man of extremely ill morals,
“and was a master in the art of secret schemes and conspiracies. “When the Holy Prophet(saw) migrated to Madinah, along with the other Jews, “Ka‘b bin Ashraf also participated in the treaty.” He has given a lengthy description, so I shall only briefly mention some portions of it.
“Which the Holy Prophet (saw) drafted between the Jews with regards to mutual friendship, “peace and security, and collective defence. “However, deep within, the fire of malice and enmity began to burn in the heart of Ka‘b,” he participated in the treaty but in his heart remained the hypocrisy, enmity and malice,
So this is why the fire was burning in his heart. “and he began to oppose Islam and the Founder of Islam through secret schemes and conspiracies. “As such, it is recorded that every year Ka‘b would give a large sum of charity “to Jewish scholars and religious leaders.
“However, after the migration of the Holy Prophet (saw), “when these people came to collect their yearly allowances, “within the course of discussion, he began to mention the Holy Prophet (saw) “and inquired of them as to their opinion of the Holy Prophet (saw) in light of religious
“scriptures. They responded that apparently it seemed as if he was the very same Prophet “who had been promised to them. “Ka‘b, who harboured enmity and malice, was greatly displeased at this response “and sent them away referring to them as immensely dull, and did not give them their usual charity.
“When the Jewish scholars lost their bread and butter, after some time, they came back to Ka‘b “and said that they had misinterpreted the signs and that they had contemplated again “to discover that in actuality, Muhammad (saw) was not the Prophet who had been promised to them.
“This response served the purpose of Ka‘b, and satisfied with their answer, “he reinstated their yearly stipend.” In any case, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad has quite rightly written, this was merely religious opposition, which although was expressed in an unpleasant manner,
Could not at all be objectionable, and nor could Ka‘b be brought to task merely on this account. However, after this, the opposition of Ka‘b took on a more dangerous form, and ultimately, after the Battle of Badr, he began to employ such conduct, as was extremely mischievous and seditious,
And created very dangerous circumstances for the Muslims. In actuality, prior to the Battle of Badr Ka‘b thought that this religious zeal was a temporary one, and gradually, all of these people would disperse on their own and revert to their ancestral religion.
However, on the occasion of Badr, when the Muslims were granted an extraordinary victory, and most of the chieftains of the Quraish were slain, he understood that this new religion would not die out by itself. Hence, after Badr, he resolved to exert his best efforts to abolish and utterly destroy Islam.
The first expression of his heart-felt rancour and jealousy was at the occasion when news of the victory of Badr reached Madinah. Upon hearing this news, at the outset, Ka‘b said that this news seemed to be false,
When this news had been confirmed and Ka‘b was assured that the victory at Badr had granted Islam such strength as was beyond his wildest dreams, he was overcome with anger and rage. When the Muslims returned after the victory at Badr, he immediately prepared for journey and took to Makkah,
And upon reaching there, by the power of his persuasive speech and poetic tongue, inflamed the fire that was kindling in the hearts of the Quraish. He created an unquenchable thirst in their hearts for Muslim blood, and filled their hearts with sentiments of revenge and enmity.
Then, when their emotions had become immensely sparked as a result of his incitement, Ka‘b took them to the courtyard of the Ka‘bah, and handing them the drapes of the Ka‘bah, had them swear that they would not rest until Islam and the Founder of Islam
Had been wiped out from the face of the earth. He further writes, “After creating this fiery atmosphere in Makkah, “this evil person turned to the other tribes of Arabia, and travelling from tribe to tribe, “he incited people against the Muslims. “Then, he returned to Madinah and whilst composing Tashbib –
“i.e. he alluded to the Muslim women in a very filthy “and obscene manner in his provocative couplets. “In doing so, he did not even spare the women from the household of the Holy Prophet (saw) “in his amorous couplets, “and had these couplets widely publicized throughout the country.
“Finally, he hatched a conspiracy to assassinate the Holy Prophet (saw). “Under the ploy of a feast, he invited the Holy Prophet (saw) to his residence, “and with a few Jewish young men he schemed to have the Holy Prophet (saw) assassinated. “However, by the Grace of God, information was received in advance
“and this plan of his was unsuccessful. “Thus, when the state of affairs escalated to such an extent, and charges of infraction of treaty, “rebellion, inciting war, sedition, use of foul language “and conspiracy to assassinate the Holy Prophet (saw) had been established,
“he issued the verdict that Ka‘b bin Ashraf was liable to be put to death due to his actions. “In light of the treaty which had been settled between the inhabitants of Madinah “upon his arrival, the Holy Prophet (saw) was the chief executive “and commander in chief of the democratic State of Madinah.
“The Holy Prophet (saw), therefore, “instructed some of his Companions to execute him due to his actions. “However, due to the sedition of Ka‘b, since the atmosphere of Madinah at the time “was such that if a formal announcement had been made before his execution,
“there was a possibility that civil war may have erupted in Madinah “and there was no telling how much massacre and carnage would have ensued as a result. “The Holy Prophet (saw) was willing to offer any possible and reasonable sacrifice “in order to prevent international violence and bloodshed.
“Thus, he instructed that Ka‘b should not be executed publicly; “rather, a few people should quietly find an opportunity and put an end to him. “The Holy Prophet (saw) assigned this duty to a faithful Companion “named Muhammad bin Maslamah (ra), and emphasized that whatever strategy was devised,
“should be executed with the counsel of Saad bin Muaz (ra), who was the chief of the Aus tribe. “Muhammad bin Maslamah (ra) submitted, ‘O Messenger of Allah! “‘In order to kill him silently, we shall be required to say something,’ which meant that some
“excuse, etc. would be required, by which Ka‘b could be lured out of his residence “and executed in a secure location.” The Holy Prophet (saw) remained silent. “Then he said, ‘Alright then. Take whatever action you believe is required.’
“As such, with the counsel of Saad bin Muaz(ra), Muhammad bin Maslamah (ra) took Abu Na’ilah (ra) “and two or three other Companions along and reached the residence of Ka‘b. “They called Ka‘b out from his living quarters and said, “‘Our Chief [i.e. Muhammad (saw)] demands charity of us,
‘while we are of straitened circumstances. Would you be so kind as to give us a loan?’ “Upon hearing this, Ka‘b jumped with joy and said, ‘By God! This is nothing – ‘the day is not far when you shall become averse to him and abandon him.’
“Muhammad bin Maslamah (ra) responded, ‘In any case, we have already accepted Muhammad (saw) ‘and are now waiting to see the final outcome of this dispensation, ‘but you tell us whether or not you will give us a loan?’ “Ka‘b said, ‘Of course! But you will be required to deposit some collateral.’
“Muhammad bin Maslamah (ra) inquired, ‘What do you require?’ “This wretched person responded, ‘Leave your women as collateral.’ “On hearing this he became enraged that they should leave their women with a man like him. “He [i.e. Ka‘b] responded, ‘Alright, then your sons shall do.’ “Muhammad bin Maslamah (ra) responded, ‘This is not possible either,
‘we cannot bear the reproach of the whole of Arabia. ‘Albeit, if you are generous enough, we are willing to leave our arms with you as collateral.’ “Ka‘b agreed, and Muhammad bin Maslamah (ra) and his companions left “with the promise to return at night.
“At nightfall, this party arrived at the residence of Ka‘b with their weapons “as now they were able to openly take their arms along. “When they had led Ka‘b out of his home, they restrained him and killed him.” During the struggle, Zaid who has been mentioned above was injured by a sword
From his fellow companions. “After Kab had been killed, Muhammad bin Maslamah (ra) and his companions departed from there and “quickly presented themselves to the Holy Prophet (saw), “and conveyed to him the news of his execution. “When news of the execution of Ka‘b became known, a tremor rippled through the city,
“and the Jewish people were deeply enraged. “The following day, in the morning, a delegation of the Jews presented themselves “before the Holy Prophet (saw) and complained that their leader Ka‘b bin Ashraf “had been murdered in such and such way. “The Holy Prophet (saw) listened to their comments.
“He did not deny it, nor did he say that he has no knowledge of the incident, but said, ‘Are you also aware of the crimes which Ka‘b is guilty of?’ “Then, the Holy Prophet (saw) briefly reminded them of all the evil schemes which Ka‘b was guilty
“of, i.e. infraction of treaty, inciting war, sedition, use of foul language “and conspiracy of assassination, etc. “Upon this, the people became fearful and did not say a word.” It was only after this that their anger subsided and understood the reality of the matter that this was the appropriate punishment.
After this, the Holy Prophet (saw) said, “At least from here onwards, “you would do well to live in peace and harmony, and do not sow the seed of enmity, violence and “disorder. As such, with the agreement of the Jews, a new treaty was drafted,
“and the Jews promised once again to live with the Muslims in peace and harmony, “and to abstain from a course of violence and disorder. “This treaty was entrusted to Hazrat ‘Ali (ra). “Furthermore, nowhere in history is it recorded that after this, the Jews ever mentioned
“the execution of Ka‘b bin Ashraf and accused the Muslims, “for in their hearts they knew that Ka‘b received the rightful punishment due to him.” Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib writes that “Western historians raise the allegation that “the Holy Prophet (saw) wrongfully ordered the execution of Ka‘b bin Ashraf.”
Negating this allegation, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib writes that, “It was not an erroneous “decision since Ka‘b bin Ashraf had entered “into a formal agreement of peace and security with the Holy Prophet (saw). “Scheming against the Muslims was out of the question,
“especially when he had agreed to support the Muslims against all foreign enemies “and to maintain friendly relations with the Muslims. “By virtue of this treaty, he had also accepted that the Holy Prophet (saw) would be “the chief executive of the democratic state which had been established in Medina,
“and that the verdict of the Holy Prophet (saw) would be legally binding in all disputes, etc.” Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib further writes: “Therefore, historical evidence proves “that under this very treaty, Jewish people would present their cases before the Holy Prophet (saw) “and he would administer verdicts to them.
“In these circumstances, ignoring all of his treaties and agreements, “Ka‘b committed treason against the Muslims, as a matter of fact, “against the very government of the time. “He planted the seed of violence and disorder in Madinah; “he attempted to inflame a fire of war within the country
“and dangerously incited the tribes of Arabia against the Muslims; “he composed provocative couplets against the Muslim women, whilst composing Tashbib; “and conspired to assassinate the Holy Prophet (saw). “Furthermore, all of this was done in such a time, “when the Muslims were already surrounded by difficulties from all four directions.”
In such circumstances, the crime committed by Kab, or more appropriately, the stack of crimes committed by Ka’b warranted punitive measure and hence, this action was taken against him. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib writes: “Even today, “in countries which are known as ‘civilized’,
“when a criminal is guilty of the crimes of rebellion, infraction of treaty, inciting war, “and attempted assassination, is such a person not administered the death penalty?” So how can one then raise this as an allegation? The second question relates to the method of the execution
As to why he was killed discreetly in the night. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) writes about this: “With regards to this issue, it should be remembered that “there was no formal ruling power in Arabia at the time.” Even though they had elected a leader.
“Rather, every individual and every tribe was free and independent.” They would come to the Holy Prophet (saw) for decisions that were needed to be made as a whole for everyone, but they were also free to make their own decisions amongst their own tribes as well.
“In this state, which court of law existed where a case could be filed against Ka‘b “and a formal judgement for his execution could be sought? “Should a complaint have been lodged with the Jews, of whom he was a leader, “and who had themselves committed treachery against the Muslims already,
“and would create disorder every other day?” Thus, it was impossible to go to the Jews for a decision. “Should justice have been sought from the tribes of Sulaim and Ghatafan, “who had planned to launch a sudden attack on Medina at night three or four times, “in the last few months alone?”
These were also their own tribes, therefore it was not possible to get any justice from them. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) further writes: “Reflect on the state of Arabia at the time, “and then contemplate that when a person was guilty of provocation, inciting war, “mischievous behaviour and attempted assassination, and due to this,
“his remaining alive was felt to be a threat to their own security and the security of the “country, what other alternative was available to the Muslims, “except for executing such a person when the opportunity presented itself, “in the consideration of self-defence.
“It is far more beneficial for an evil and violent man to be executed, “as opposed to the lives of many peace-abiding citizens being put to danger, “and the peace of the country being ruined. “God Almighty also states that spreading evil and disorder is worse than killing.
“Then, in light of the treaty which took place between the Muslims and Jews after the migration, “the Holy Prophet (saw) did not possess the capacity of an ordinary citizen. “On the contrary, he had now become the chief executive of the democratic state “which had been established in Medina.
“The Holy Prophet (saw) had been given the authority to issue whatever verdict “he deemed appropriate with respect to all disputes and political affairs. “Hence, in the interest of domestic peace, if the Holy Prophet (saw) “declared Ka‘b as being worthy of death due to his mischievous behaviour,
“it is therefore completely futile to raise an allegation against this after 1300 years “have elapsed because the Jews themselves found this punishment of Ka‘b “as being reasonable in light of his crimes, “and took to silence without raising a single objection.”
This was the state of Ka’b and it was in reference to this that Hazrat Zaid was mentioned as he was a part of this group who were sent to kill him. Also, all those allegations levelled against the Holy Prophet (saw) or against Islam being a religion of oppression are all baseless.
In fact, Ka’b was liable to for punishment and the Holy Prophet (saw) in the capacity of a leader of the state issued this punishment. I shall finish today’s sermon with these accounts. May God Almighty always protect Islam from such evils ploys. The current state of the Muslims today is that
Instead of drawing lessons from their past history, they instead are immersed in such evils and in fact they have become the very cause of these which evils which exist in Muslim and other governments. May God Almighty protect Islam from these evils
And enable them to accept the one who has been sent by God Almighty as a guide for this age and for the revival of Islam. 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.