Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2018
Peace be upon you all. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the 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 Prayer 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. There was a Companion of the Holy Prophet Prophet (saw), whose name was Hazrat Khallad Bin Rafe Zurqi. He was from among the Ansar [inhabitants of Medina] and those fortunate people,
Who participated in the Battles of Uhud and Badr. God Almighty granted him many children. It is mentioned in a narration that Muaz bin Rafa’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
“until we reached a place called Bareed, which comes after Rauhah. “At that place, our camel gave up and sat down. “Upon this, I prayed, ‘O Allah we make this vow to you ‘that if you return us to Medina, we will sacrifice this camel.’
“At that time, the Holy Prophet (saw) was passing by us “and asked as to what the matter was with both of us. We narrated the entire incident to him. “Then, the Holy Prophet (saw) remained with us. “He performed ablution and mixed his saliva with the leftover water.
“Then, upon his order, we opened the camel’s mouth. “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.’ “Then the Holy Prophet (saw) 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 Messenger of Allah (saw) saw us, he smiled.” Due to the prayer of the Holy Prophet (saw), the camel’s weakness had completely vanished. “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].” They had made a vow that once they reach a certain place, they will slaughter it. Thus, they acted accordingly. A Companion is mentioned [in literature], whose name was Harithah Bin Suraqah.
He passed away in 2 Hijri at the occasion of the Battle of Badr. His mother, Rubai’ah Bint Nazr was the paternal aunt of Hazrat Anas Bin Malik. He accepted Islam before the Migration along with his mother, while his father had already passed away.
The Holy Prophet (saw) formed a pact of brotherhood between him and Hazrat Saib Bin Usman Bin Maz’oon. It was a pact, a covenant between the two brothers, which he made. Abu Na’eem related that Hazrat Harithah Bin Suraqah used to treat his mother
With great kindness, so much so that the Noble Messenger (saw) said that, “As I entered Paradise, I saw Harithah.” Habban Bin Ariqah martyred him on the day of the Battle of Badr. He shot an arrow at him while he was drinking water from a pond.
The arrow hit his neck due to which he was martyred. Hazrat Anas (ra) related that, “The Holy Prophet (saw) was walking “when Ansari young man came before him. “The Prophet (saw) asked him, ‘O Harithah, in what state did you enter the morning?’
“He replied, ‘I entered the morning while having complete faith in God Almighty.’ “The Holy Prophet (saw) said that, ‘Ponder carefully over what you say, ‘as there is a reality to every word that is uttered. “That young man replied, ‘O Prophet of Allah(saw)! My heart has become averse from the world.
‘I stay up the entire night and stay thirsty throughout the day,’” In other words, I worship and observe fasts. ‘and it seems as if I can observe the throne of my Glorious and Majestic Lord with my physical eyes. ‘I can see the inhabitants of paradise, meeting one another
‘and I can see the inmates of hell, causing havoc therein.’ “The Holy Prophet (saw) said, ‘You should remain steadfast on this [belief]. ‘You are a person, whose heart Allah has enlightened with faith.’” “Upon this, he said, ‘O Prophet of Allah (saw)! Pray for me to embrace martyrdom.’”
Hence, the Holy Prophet (saw) prayed for him and on the day of the Battle of Badr, when the horsemen were called, he [Haritha] (rh) was the first to emerge and he was also the first to be martyred.
It is narrated that he was the first Ansari to be martyred in the battle of Badr. When Hazrat Haritha’s mother, Hazrat Rubai’ah, received the news of his martyrdom, she went to the Holy Prophet (saw) and said, “You are aware of how much I loved Haritha. “He used to serve me greatly.
“If he is among the inhabitants of paradise, I will bear this with patience. “However, if this is not the case, only God knows better what will happen to me.” The Holy Prophet (saw) said, “O mother of Haritha! There is not just one paradise.
“Rather, there are several paradises and Haritha is in the highest paradise.” Upon this, she said, “I will most certainly be patient.” According to another narration, when the Holy Prophet (saw) said that: “Haritha is in the highest paradise”, his mother returned smiling and uttering the words, “O Haritha, what a great and wonderful achievement!”
On the occasion of the Battle of Badr, God Almighty humiliated the disbelievers by destroying their chiefs. Furthermore, He granted great honour to the Muslims, who participated in the battle of Badr. Moreover, with regards to the people of Badr,
God Almighty said that they may do as they please, as paradise has been made incumbent upon them. God Almighty said to the people of Badr that they may do as they please,as paradise has been made incumbent upon them. However, this did not mean that they may do whatever they like
And that despite committing sins, paradise will be incumbent upon them. Rather, it signified that they would no longer be able to act in a manner, which was contrary to the teachings of God Almighty and that God Almighty would Himself guide them.
With regards to Hazrat Haritha bin Suraqa (ra), who was martyred on the day of the Battle of Badr, the Holy Prophet (saw) said that, “He is in the highest paradise.” Then, there is a companion by the name of Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr,
Who passed away during the battle of Yamama in the eleventh year after Hijra [migration to Medina]. Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr’s title was Abu Bishr and Abu Rabi. He belonged to the tribe of Banu Abd-ul-Ash’al. He only had one daughter, who also passed away.
In Medina, he accepted Islam at the hands of Hazrat Mus’ab bin ‘Umair, prior to Hazrat Sa’d bin Mu’adh and Hazrat Usaid bin ‘Uzair. At the time of forming bonds of brotherhood in Medina, the Holy Prophet (saw) formed a bond of brotherhood between him and Hazrat Abu Hudhaifa bin Uqba.
Hazrat ‘Abbad bin Bishr participated in the battles of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq and all other battles alongside the Holy Prophet (saw). He was among those companions, who were sent by the Holy Prophet (saw) in order to execute Ka’b bin Ashraf.
The incident of the execution of Ka’b bin Ashraf has been written by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad in, “The Life and Character of the Seal of Prophets”, having taken it from various historical sources. The incident is as follows. The Battle of Badr had manifested the heart-felt enmity of the Jews of Medina.
It is unfortunate that the Jews of Medina believed that the disbelievers would destroy the Muslims during the Battle of Badr. However, the battle went in the way of the Muslims and they became victorious. Due to this, the heart-felt enmity of the Jews became evident. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib writes:
“It is unfortunate that even the exile of the Banu Qainuqa was unable to sway the other Jews “towards reconciliation, and they continued to grow in their mischief and disturbances. “As such, the incident of the execution of Ka‘b bin Ashraf is also a link in this very chain.
“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 tribe , “who came to Medina and developed relations with the Banu Nadir and became their confederate.
“Ultimately, he managed to gain such power and influence that Abū Rāfi‘ 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 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 Medina, along with the other Jews, Ka‘b bin Ashraf also “participated in the treaty 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 “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 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 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, 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.”
This incident is in regards to the execution of Ka’b, and although one can oppose due to one’s religion or faith, however Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib states that mere opposition was not the reason for his execution. “In fact, 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 Medina. “Upon hearing this news, at the outset, Ka‘b said that this news seemed to be false,
“because it was impossible for Muhammad to triumph over such a large army of the Quraish, “and for such renowned chieftains of Mecca to be mixed to dust; “if this news was true, then death was better than such a life.
“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. “He immediately prepared for journey and took to Mecca, 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 took this oath from the disbelievers of Mecca. “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 (evocative poetry), “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. “In light of the treaty which had been settled between the inhabitants of Medina upon his arrival, the Holy Prophet (saw) was the chief executive and commander in chief of the democratic State of Medina.
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.
“The Holy Prophet (saw), therefore, instructed some of his Companions to execute him. “However, due to the sedition of Ka‘b, since the atmosphere of Medina 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 Medina,
“and there was no telling how much massacre and carnage would have ensued a s 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 “and emphasized that whatever strategy was devised,
“should be executed with the counsel of Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh (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. “Taking into account the grave consequences which could have arisen “if a covert operation had been ruled out, the Holy Prophet thus allowed for this.
“As such, with the counsel of Sa‘d bin Mu‘ādhra, 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 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?’ “‘Of course!’ said Ka‘b, ‘But you will be required to deposit some collateral.’
“Muhammad bin Maslamah inquired, “What do you require?” “This wretched person responded, ‘Leave your women as collateral.’ “Suppressing his anger, Muhammad (ra) said, ‘How is it possible for us to leave our women as collateral to a man like yourself. “He responded, ‘Alright, then your sons shall do.’ Muhammad (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 with them. “When they had led Ka‘b out of his home, they brought him to one side “during the course of discussions.
After some time, while walking along some distance, these Companions, “who were already prepared and armed, wielded their swords at once and killed Ka‘b. “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 and 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. “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.” Having listened to them, the Holy Prophet (saw) did not say that Muslims did not execute him.
Rather, he started to count his crimes and he mentioned the imminent outcome [of these crimes]; that is that he should be executed due to those crimes. Furthermore, even the Jews had to admit that the Holy Prophet (saw) was in the right.
This is the reason that a new treaty was made so that such incidents would not be repeated in the future and so that a peaceful environment and atmosphere would be established for the future. It should not be the case that the Jews start taking revenge and that Muslims punish them.
If the Jews considered his execution to be wrong and that he should not have been executed in this manner, they would not have remained silent. Rather, they would have demanded the blood money. However, they did not make such demands, but remained silent. Hence, all of these aspects indicate
That this execution was justified according to the laws of that time. The disorder he was spreading was even severer than murder and this indeed was the punishment for such a criminal. Furthermore, as I mentioned, according to the traditions and customs of that time
When he was punished, it was permissible to punish him in this manner. As we can observe, if it was permissible to punish him according to the customs of that time, to which even the conduct of the Jews testifies, then there is no room for any criticism.
If this was not permissible, the Jews would most certainly have questioned this as to why a case was not filed against him and why he was not punished publically. Thus, this fact proves that his execution was absolutely justified and he was deserving of this punishment.
However, it should also be made clear that nowadays, extremists and governments misinterpret such incidents and believe that it is justified to execute [people] in this manner. First of all, disorder is not being spread in the manner it was being done then. Those people who are executed, are not among those who spread disorder.
Secondly, on that occasion, it was only the criminal who was punished, not his family or anyone else. When these people execute [others], they kill innocent people, women and children and leaving many others handicapped and disabled. Nevertheless, according to the rules and laws of today, this is not permissible.
However, this form of punishment was applicable and compulsory at that time and it was prescribed by the government. The Holy Prophet (saw) sent Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr to Banu Sulaim and Muzaina in order to collect charity. Hazrat ‘Abbad bin Bishr stayed with them for ten days.
On the way back, he went to Banu Mustaliq in order to collect charity from them. He also stayed there for ten days. Following this, he returned to Medina. Similarly, it is also found in the narrations that the Holy Prophet (saw) appointed
Hazrat ‘Abbad bin Bishr as the collector of the spoils of the battle of Hunain. The Holy Prophet (saw) appointed him as the supervisor of security around the Holy Prophet (saw) during the battle of Tabuk. He was counted among the outstanding companions.
Hazrat ‘Aisha has narrated that, “There were three individuals from among the Ansar], “above whom no other Ansari companion could be given precedence. “All of them belonged to the tribe of Banu ‘Abd-ul-Ash’al; “and they are, Hazrat Sa’d bin Mu’adh, Hazrat Usaid bin Uzair and Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr.”
Hazrat Abbad Bin Bishr narrates that the Holy Prophet (saw) addressing the Ansar stated, “O Ansar, you are my Shiaar, (i.e. the inner garment that is in contact with the body), “whilst the other people are Disaar (i.e.the garment that is draped around the outer part).”
The Holy Prophet (saw) sated, “I am satisfied that I will not incur any hardship from you.” Hazrat Abbad Bin Bishr was martyred during the battle of Yamama at the age of 45. Hazrat Aisha (ra) narrates “The Holy Prophet (saw) performed the Tahajjud prayer in my house,
“and then he heard the voice of Abbad who was praying in the Mosque. “The Holy Prophet (saw) asked, ‘O Aisha! Is this the voice of Abbad?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ “The Holy Prophet (saw) said, ‘O Allah! Show mercy to Abbad!’” Similarly, Hazrat Anas narrates, “Two companion of the Holy Prophet (saw) left the house
“of the Holy Prophet (saw) in the extreme darkness of the night. “One of them was Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr “whilst I believe that the other companion was Ussaid Bin Uzair. “They had something in front of them the likes of a lantern that illuminated the path before them.
“When they separated, each of them had one lantern with them “that was illuminating their vision in the darkness. At last they arrived to their families.” He was also amongst the companions who travelled at the time of the Sulah Hudaibiya. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib has written the details of this account.
“The Holy Prophet (saw) departed from Madinah on a Monday morning in the beginning “of Dhu Qa‘dah 6 A.H. with a group of just over 1400 companions. “During this journey, Hazrat Ummi Salmahra, the honourable wife of the Holy Prophet (saw), “rode alongside the Holy Prophet (saw).
“Numailah bin ‘Abdullāh was appointed the Amīr of Madīnah and ‘Abdullāh bin Ummi Maktūm “who was a blind man, was appointed Imamus- Salat. “When the Holy Prophet (saw) reached Dhul-Halifah, which is situated approximately 6 miles “from Medina en-route to Mecca, he ordered everyone to stop.
“After offering the Zuhr prayer, he instructed that the sacrificial camels which equalled 70 in “number, be marked and that the companions assume the special attire of the pilgrims known as Ihram. “The Holy Prophet (saw) also assumed the Ihram himself as well.
“Then, in order to ensure that the Quraish were not up to mischief, “the Holy Prophet (saw) sent ahead “a messenger named Busr bin Sufyan from the Khuza‘ah tribe, “who lived near Mecca and slowly proceeded towards Mecca. “Moreover, as further caution the Holy Prophet (saw)
“appointed a cavalry of 20 riders under the command of “Abbād bin Bishr, to travel ahead of the larger body of Muslims. “After a journey of a few days, when the Holy Prophet (saw) neared a place called Usfan, “which is situated at approximately two day’s journey on the road to Makkah,
“the messenger of the Holy Prophet (saw) informed him that that Quraish were furious “and firmly determined to stop him to the extent that in the expression of their rage “and barbarity, they had put on cheetah skins and were fully bent on war, “in order to stop the Muslims in all instances.
“It was also ascertained that the Quraish had sent forth a cavalry unit of a few daring riders “under the command of Khalid bin Walid who had not yet become Muslim, “and that this cavalry had reached near the Muslims “and that Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl was also a part of it.
“When the Holy Prophet (saw) heard this news, he instructed the companions to divert “from the known route to Makkah and proceed from the right in order to prevent conflict. “So, the Muslims began to move forward from a very difficult and burdensome route near the coast.”
“ T hey began to move forward and it was here wher incident of the treaty of Hudaibiya took place. “And so, Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr was amongst the cavalry which was sent to gather information. “He was a very trustworthy and reliable companion. “The Holy Prophet (saw) trusted him a lot.
“He is among the companions who took part in the oath of allegiance taken at Hudaibiya “which is known as Bait-e-Ridhwan. “There is an incident from the battle of Zaatul Riqaa “that the Holy Prophet (saw) had decided to reside at a location for the night.
“He (saw) was staying at a narrow valley and the winds were strong. “He (saw) asked the companions: “Who will stand guard for us tonight?” “Upon hearing this, Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr (ra) and Hazrat Ammar bin Yassir stood up and stated: ‘We shall stand in guard for you tonight.’”
Both of them sat at the top most part of the narrow valley and Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr said to Hazrat Ammar bin Yassir: “I can stand at guard for the first half of the night “so you get some rest and sleep.
“Just can come back for the second half of the night and I will then go to sleep.” Therefore, Hazrat Ammar bin Yassir went to sleep and Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr got up and began to pray. The Holy Prophet (saw) had captured some women from the town called Najd, because of their injustice.
A husband of one of these women was not present when they were taken. She would have been with him had he been there. When he returned to Najd and found out that his wife was taken as a prisoner by Muslims,
He took an oath to not rest until he harms the Holy Prophet (saw) in any way possible or till he spills the blood of his (saw) companions. So he followed the Muslims and arrived at a location near the same valley where the Holy Prophet (saw) was staying.
When he saw shadow of Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr, he stated: “This man is the enemy’s guard.” He then placed an arrow in his bow and fired it which pierced into the body of Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr. Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr was engaged in prayers at the time.
He took out the arrow and threw it away and continued praying. He struck Abaad with another arrow but Abbad took it out and continued to pray. However, when he struck Abaad with an arrow for the third time, ‘Ibad lost a lot of blood.
Hazrat ‘Ibad completed his prayers and woke up Hazrat Ammar bin Yassir. When Hazrat Ammar bin Yassir saw Hazrat Abbad’s condition, he enquired, “Why did you not wake me up before?” Hazrat Abbad responded by saying: “I was reciting Surah Kahaf during Salat and I did not feel like cutting it short.”
Such were the standards of worship of these people. Hazrat Abu Sa’eed Khudhri narrates: “I heard Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr stating ‘O Abu Sa’eed! ‘I saw in a dream last night that the heavens were opened for me and were closed shut. ‘God willing, I will achieve martyrdom.’
“I said: ‘By God! You have witnessed something really good.’” Abu Sa’eed Khudhri states: “At the time of the battle of Yamama, I saw Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr “calling upon the Ansar and saying: ‘Break the sheaths of your swords and separate yourself from others.’
“He selected four hundred people from amongst the Ansar who did not have anyone in front of them “and they were lead by Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr, Hazrat Abu Dujana and Hazrat Braa’ bin Malik. “They reached Baabul Hadiqah and fought an intense battle. “Hazrat Abbad bin Bishr was martyred.
“I saw countless marks on his face that were inflicted by the swords “and was only able to recognize him by certain indications on his body.” There was a companion whose name was Hazrat Suwaad bin Ghazyah (ra) who was an Ansari and was from the Banu Adi bin Najar tribe.
He took part in the battle of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq and the battles that took place afterwards. He imprisoned Khalid Bin Hasham Makhzoomi in the battle of Badr. It is narrated that: “The Holy Prophet (saw) sent him as the collector of revenue in Khaibar.
“He returned with excellent dates and the Holy Prophet (saw) purchased 3 kg of dates from him “in return for 3.5 kg of normal dates.” The Holy Prophet (saw) liked the dates so he purchased them for its actual price by exchanging dates in return.
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib writes in his book in relation to the Battle of Badr and Hazrat Suwaad blessed fortune and love for the Holy Prophet (saw). He writes, “It was Friday the 17th of Ramadān 2 A.H. 2 or the 14th of March 623 A.D., “according to the Christian calendar system.
“In the morning, Salat was first offered and then these worshippers of Divine Unity fell in “to prostration before the One God, in an open field. “After this, the Holy Prophet (saw) delivered an address on Jihad. “When light began to appear, the Holy Prophet (saw) began to arrange the Muslim ranks
“with the indication of an arrow. “A Companion by the name of Sawad (ra) was standing somewhat ahead of his row. “The Holy Prophet (saw) used his arrow to indicate that he should move back in line. “It so happened however, that the wooden part of the arrow belonging to the Holy Prophet (saw)
“touched his chest, whereupon he boldly protested, ‘O Messenger of Allah! ‘God has sent you with the truth and justice, but you have unjustly poked me with your arrow. ‘By God, I insist upon retribution.’ “The Companions were shocked, as to what had gotten into Sawada (ra).
“However, the Holy Prophet (saw) stated with extreme affection, ‘Alright Sawad, you may poke me “‘with an arrow as well,’ and the Holy Prophet (saw) lifted the cloth upon his chest. “In his immense love, Sawada (ra) stepped forward and kissed the chest of the Holy Prophet (saw).
“The Holy Prophet (saw) smiled and inquired, ‘Why did you devise this plan?’ “He responded with a trembling voice, ‘O Messenger of Allāh! The enemy is before us. ‘There is no telling whether I shall live to return or not. ‘It was my desire, therefore, to touch your blessed body before my martyrdom’”
The Holy Prophet (saw) then prayed for his welfare. These companions had wonderful ways of expressing their love and affection for the Holy Prophet (saw). A similar incident of Hazrat Okashah (ra) Shas been related but that took place much later, in the latter part of his life, however this took place much earlier.
They would constantly be trying to find an opportunity to not only express their love for the Holy Prophet (saw) but also ways to benefit from his nearness. May God Almighty continue to elevate the station of these shining stars and enable us to understand the true love for the Holy Prophet (saw).
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.