Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2018
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 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. Hazrat Ukasha bin Mihsan was a Companion of the Holy Prophet (saw). Hazrat Ukasha bin Mihsan is counted among the most senior Companions.
On the occasion of the Battle of Badr, he joined as a cavalier and also broke his sword. Upon this, the Messenger of Allah (saw) handed him a piece of wood, which, in his hand, became as if it was a very sharp sword, made of high-quality iron.
Thus, he fought with that until Allah the Exalted granted victory. Later, he joined the Holy Prophet (saw) in all the other military campaigns using the same sword. That wooden sword remained with him till he passed away. The sword was called ‘Aun. The Holy Prophet (saw) gave him the glad tiding,
“You will enter Paradise without any reckoning.” At the occasion of the Battle of Badr, the Holy Prophet (saw) said to the Companions that “The best cavalier of Arabia has joined us.” The Companions asked, “O Messenger of Allah, who is that individual?” He replied, “Ukasha bin Mihsan.”
It is narrated by Hazrat Abu Hurairah (ra) that, “I heard Allah’s Messenger (saw) saying, ‘From among my followers, a party of seventy thousand will enter Paradise, ‘whose faces will glisten like the full moon’.” Hazrat Abu Hurairah (ra) narrates that,
“On hearing that, Ukasha bin Mihsan stood up, and lifting his covering sheet he said, ‘O Allah’s Messenger (saw)! Pray that may Allah make me one of them.’ “The Holy Prophet (saw) prayed, ‘O Allah! Make him from among them.’ “Another man from the Ansar [Muslims native to Medina] stood up and said,
‘O Messenger of Allah (saw)! Pray so that Allah makes me one of them also.’ “The Holy Prophet (saw) replied “[Arabic] “meaning ‘Ukasha has succeeded ahead of you in this regard’.” While narrating this incident in his book on the life of the Holy Prophet (saw), Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) writes,
“During one sitting, the Holy Prophet (saw) said ‘From my Ummah, 70,000 people will enter Paradise without any reckoning’, “meaning that they will have such a high spiritual rank “and the Grace and Mercy of God will be such that there will be no need for their reckoning.
“The Holy Prophet (saw) also said, that ‘Their faces will be glowing on the Day of Resurrection, ‘just as the full moon glistens on the horizon.’ “Narrating all of this, Hazrat Ukasha then said, ‘Pray for me as well.’ “The Holy Prophet (saw) prayed that may he also be among those people.”
After this, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) has written a very beautiful commentary on this and has analysed the incident. He writes that, “This may seem a very insignificant incident from the life of the Holy Prophet (saw). “However, it contains a treasure chest full of spiritual insights.
“Firstly, we learn from it that Allah the Exalted has blessed the Ummah “with the spiritual blessings of the Holy Prophet (saw), which have reached such perfection, “that on the Day of Resurrection there will be 70,000 such people from his Ummah,
“who due to their extraordinary spiritual status and special Grace and Mercy of Allah, “will be exempt from the trial of any reckoning.” ’70,000’ could also denote a large number of people. “Secondly from this we come to know that the Holy Prophet (saw) was granted
“such nearness to Allah the Exalted that He immediately turned towards him “and showed him a vision or revealed to him upon his supplications, “informing the Holy Prophet (saw) that ‘Ukasha is also among this group of 70,000. “It is possible that Ukasha was previously not included in this group
“and that God granted him this honour as a result of the prayers of the Holy Prophet (saw). “Thirdly, from this incident “we also learn of the immense respect the Holy Prophet (saw) had for Allah the Exalted. “The Holy Prophet (saw) desired to invigorate the sense of striving [for the cause of Allah]
“among his Ummah to such an extent that when another person, “following ‘Ukasha, requested him similar prayers, “the Holy Prophet (saw) refused to pray individually “due to the lofty spiritual status this pure group was blessed with. “He turned the attention of Muslims towards righteousness, faith and virtuous deeds
“and informed them that if they established and turned their attention towards this, “they would attain this status. “Fourthly, this also shed light on the high morals of the Holy Prophet in an extraordinary manner. “The reason for this is that the Holy Prophet (saw) did not decline in a manner
“which would upset and hurt the feelings of the Ansari making this request. “Rather, he declined in a most subtle manner.” The Holy Prophet sent Hazrat ‘Ukasha to battles in various expeditions and appointed him as leader. In Rabi’-ul-Awwal [month of the Islamic calendar] in the sixth year of Hijra [migration to Medina],
The Holy Prophet (saw) appointed Hazrat ‘Ukasha as the leader of forty Muslims and sent them to face the tribe of Bani Asad. This tribe had set up their camp near a fountain called Ghamar and was located at a distance of a few days from Medina.
‘Ukasha’s group travelled very quickly and reached close [to the tribe] so that they may prevent them from causing any mischief. Following this, they came to know that the people of the tribe had dispersed as they gained awareness of the Muslims. Upon this, ‘Ukasha and his group returned to Medina without fighting.
In other words, they did not try to fight with them without any reason. Contrary to allegations people raise is that these people, or Muslims, were keen on waging wars. Hazrat Ibn ‘Abbas narrates that when Surah Al-Nasr was revealed to the Holy Prophet (saw),
He instructed Hazrat Bilal to call the Adhan [Muslim call for prayer]. Following the prayer, the Holy Prophet (saw) delivered a sermon and people began to weep profusely as they heard it. The Holy Prophet (saw) inquired, “O people! How am I as a prophet?” In response, the people replied “May Allah reward you.
“You are the best of all prophets. “You are like a gracious father and a kind guiding brother to us. “You have conveyed to us the messages and revelation of Allah the Exalted “and you have called us towards the path of our Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation.
“Hence, may Allah reward you with the best reward, which he blesses His Prophets.” The Holy Prophet (saw) then said, “O ye Muslims! I swear by Allah and by the responsibility placed upon me that “if I have committed cruelty or injustice towards anyone, he should stand up and avenge himself.”
However, no one stood up. The Holy Prophet (saw) took another oath and repeated this. However, no one stood up. The Holy Prophet (saw) repeated this a third time saying: “O ye Muslims! I swear by Allah and by the responsibility placed upon me that “if I have committed any cruelty or injustice towards anyone,
“he should stand up and avenge himself prior to the Day of Judgement.” Upon this, an elderly person stood up from among the people, whose name was ‘Ukasha. He passed through the [crowd] of Muslims until he stood face to face with the Holy Prophet (saw)
And said that “O Prophet of Allah (saw), may my parents be sacrificed for your sake. “If you had not repeatedly taken an oath, I would certainly not have stood up.” Hazrat ‘Ukasha then said “I was with you during a battle. “On the way back, my camel came close to your camel.
“I dismounted from my camel and approached you in order to kiss your feet. “However, you struck your stick, which hit me on the side. “I am not aware whether you struck me with the stick or the camel.” The Holy Prophet (saw) said
“By the Glory of Allah! A prophet of God cannot hit you intentionally.” The Holy Prophet (saw) further addressed Hazrat Bilal and said “O Bilal! Go to the house of Fatima and bring that stick.” Hazrat Bilal went and said to Hazrat Fatima,
“O daughter of the Holy Prophet (saw)! Give me such and such stick.” Hazrat Fatima replied by saying: “O Bilal! What is my father going to do with this stick? “Is this not the day of Hajj [Islamic pilgrimage] and not of war?” Upon this, Hazrat Bilal said that
“O Fatima! How unaware are you in relation to your father, the Messenger of Allah (saw)? “The Holy Prophet (saw) is saying farewell to the people, leaving this world “and allowing people to avenge themselves.” Hearing this, Hazrat Fatima was astonished and asked
“O Bilal! Who will desire to seek revenge from the Holy Prophet (saw)?” She further said “O Bilal! Tell Hassan and Hussain to stand before that person “so that he may avenge himself on them “and so that they may prevent him from seeking revenge from the Holy Prophet (saw).”
Hence, Hazrat Bilal returned to the mosque and handed the stick to the Holy Prophet (saw), who then handed it to ‘Ukasha. When Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat ‘Umar observed this scene, both of them stood up and said that “O ‘Ukasha! We are standing before you.
“Avenge yourself on us and do not do anything to the Holy Prophet (saw).” The Holy Prophet (saw) said to both of them that “O Abu Bakr and ‘Umar! Stop! Allah the Exalted is aware of your status.”
Then Hazrat Ali stood up and said “O ‘Ukasha! I spent my entire life with the Holy Prophet (saw) “and I cannot bear that you hit the Holy Prophet (saw). “Hence, I present my body, avenge yourself on me.
“You may hit me a hundred times but do not seek revenge from the Holy Prophet (saw).” The Holy Prophet (saw) said “O Ali! Remain seated. Allah is aware of your intention and status.” After this Hazrat Hassan and Hussain both stood up and said
“O ‘Ukasha! We are the grandchildren of the Holy Prophet (saw) “and seeking revenge from us is akin to seeking revenge from the Holy Prophet (saw).” The Holy Prophet (saw) said to both of them “O my dear ones, sit down!” The Holy Prophet (saw) then turned to Ukasha and said, “O ‘Ukasha, strike me!”
Hazrat ‘Ukasha said “O Prophet of Allah (saw)! My stomach was uncovered at the time you hit me.” Upon this, the Holy Prophet (saw) lifted the covering from his stomach. Witnessing this scene unfold the Muslims started to weep profusely and utter “Is ‘Ukasha really going to hit the Holy Prophet (saw)?”
However, when Hazrat ‘Ukasha saw the shine on the body of the Holy Prophet (saw), he raced towards the Holy Prophet (saw) and started to kiss his body and said “O Messenger of Allah (saw)! Who can ever imagine taking revenge from you?”
Upon this, the Holy Prophet (saw) said, “Are you going to take revenge or will you forgive?” Hazrat ‘Ukasha (ra) responded, “O Messenger of Allah (saw)! “I forgive you and in its place I am hopeful that Allah will pardon me on the day of Judgment.” The Holy Prophet (saw) addressed everyone and said,
“Whoever desires to see my companion in paradise should look at this old gentleman.” Hence all the Muslims stood up and began kissing the forehead of Hazrat ‘Ukasha (ra) and congratulated him for he had attained a high status and friendship of the Holy Prophet (saw). It was Hazrat ‘Ukasha who realised that
The opportunity to kiss the body of the Holy Prophet (saw) during his lifetime may not come again as he was informing everyone about his departure from this world. During the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), Hazrat ‘Ukasha (ra) was sent with
Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed to crush an uprising of certain tribe that had left Islam. Isa bin Umailah relates a narration from his father in which he says: “When Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed (ra) would approach the enemy,
“if he heard the Azan [Islamic call to prayer] he would not attack but if he did not hear the Azan, “then he would launch an attack. “When they reached a tribe situated at a place called Bazahaa, “Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed (ra) sent Hazrat ‘Ukasha bin Mihsan and Hazrat Thabit bin Akram
“to obtain information about the enemy. “Both of them were on horseback “and the name of Hazrat ‘Ukasha’s horse was Al-Razam and Hazrat Thabit’s was Al-Mahbar. “They came across Tulayhah and his brother Salmah who had travelled ahead of the enemy “in order to gather information about the Muslim army.
“Tulayhah confronted Hazrat ‘Ukasha and Salmah confronted Hazrat Thabit “and the brothers martyred these two companions.” Abu Waqid Laysi narrates: “200 of us were leading the Muslim enemy. “Upon finding the bodies of Hazrat ‘Ukasha and Hazrat Thabit, “we stood by until Hazrat Khalid (ra) came and
“ordered us to bury these two companions in the same blood stained clothes they were martyred in.” This incident took place on 12 Hijri. This is how they were martyred. Hazrat Kharjah bin Zaid (ra) was one of the Companions of the Holy Prophet (saw) who belonged to Aghaz family from among the Khazraj tribe.
His daughter, Hazrat Habibah bint Kharjah was married to Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and was the mother of Hazrat Umme Kulthum. The Holy Prophet (saw) established brotherhood between Hazrat Kharjah bin Zaid (ra) and Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra). He was a chief from among his tribe and was considered amongst the noble companions.
He had taken the oath of allegiance in ‘Uqbah. After migrating to Medina, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) had stayed at his house. He took part in the Battle of Badr and during the battle of Uhud he attained the status of martyrdom whilst fighting with immense bravery and valour.
He was attacked by spears and received more than thirteen wounds. Safwan bin Umayyah walked pass him as he lay down due to the exhaustion from the wounds. Safwan recognized him and attacked which resulted in his martyrdom. He also mutilated his body and said:
“He was amongst those who killed Abu Ali i.e.my father Umayyah bin Khalf. “I now have the opportunity to kill the most elite Companions of the Holy Prophet “and satisfy my heart.” He killed Hazrat ibn Kaukal (ra), Hazrat Kharjah bin Zaid and Hazrat Aus bin Arqam (ra).
Hazrat Kharjah (ra) and Hazrat Sa’ad bin Rabee’ – who was the cousin of the Holy Prophet (saw) – were buried in the same grave. It is narrated on the day of Uhud, Hazrat Abbas bin Abadah called upon the Muslims in a loud voice
And said, “O Muslims! Remain attached with Allah and His Prophet (saw). “The calamity you have experienced just now was because of being disobedient to the Prophet. “He promised you support but you did not show patience.” Then Hazrat ‘Abbas (ra) took off his helmet and armour and asked Hazrat Kharjah (ra),
“Do you need this?” Hazrat Kharijah (ra) responded: “No. I also long for what you desire.” They were surrounded by the enemy afterwards. ‘Abbas bin Abadah stated, “If the Holy Prophet (saw) is injured in front of us, what will be our excuse in front of our God?”
Hazrat Kharjah (ra) stated, “We will have no excuse or no evidence to present before our Lord.” Sufyan bin ‘Abdus Shams Salmi martyred Hazrat ‘Abbas bin Abadah (ra) and Hazrat Kharjah bin Zaid received more than ten wounds caused by arrows.
Hazrat Malik bin Dukhsham walked by Hazrat Kharijah bin Zaid (ra) on the day of Uhud. Hazrat Kharjah was fatally injured and had received nearly thirteen wounds. Hazrat Malik said to him: “Are you aware that the Holy Prophet (saw) has been martyred?” Hazrat Kharjah responded: “If the Holy Prophet (saw) has been martyred
“then certainly Allah is living and He will not die. “Muhamamd (saw) has conveyed the message. “You should also fight for the sake of your faith.” Hazrat Kharjah (ra) had two children out of which one was Zaid bin Kharjah who passed away during the Khilafat of Hazrat Uthman (ra).
Hazrat Kharjah’s second child was Hazrat Habibah bint Kharjah who married Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra). At the time of the demise of Hazrat Abu Bakr, she was expecting. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) had mentioned: “I am expecting a daughter from her” and thus she gave birth to a baby girl.
Another companion of the Holy Prophet (saw) was Hazrat Ziyad bin Labeed. His mother’s name was Amrah bint Abeed ‘Atroof. Hazrat Ziyad had a son called Abdullah. He accepted Islam during second pledge of Aqabah along with 70 Companions. On his return to Medina after accepting Islam,
He broke the idols of his tribe Banu Bayada which they used to worship. He then travelled to the Holy Prophet (saw) in Mecca and remained there until the Holy Prophet (saw) migrated to Medina. So he too migrated after the Holy Prophet (saw) had reached.
This is why Hazrat Ziyad is renowned as a Muhajir Ansari. He was a Muhajir [one who migrated from Mecca] and an Ansari too. Hazrat Ziyad fought alongside the Holy Prophet in the Battles of Badr, Uhud, the Ditch and in all other battles of the Holy Prophet (saw).
After migrating to Medina the Holy Prophet (saw) was passing by the quarters of Banu Bayada, so Hazrat Ziyad greeted him saying “ahlan wa sahlan” and offered his home for him to stay. The Holy Prophet (saw) said to let his camel loose, it will find its home by itself.
In Muharram of 9th Hijri, the Holy Prophet (saw) appointed separate collectors for Sadaqa and Zakat so Hazrat Ziyad was appointed the collector for the area of Hadhramaut. He continued his service there till the time of Hazrat Umar’s (ra) Khilafat.
After being relieved of his duty he moved to Kufa and passed away there at the age of 41. It has been written down in history that when the uprising of apostasy [of certain tribes] had gained momentum during the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and people refused to pay the Zakat,
Ash’ath bin Qais Al-Kindi was also among those to became an apostate. Hazrat Ziyad was appointed to punish him. When he went to attack him he had taken refuge in the Naheer fortress. Hazrat Ziyad had besieged them so severely to the point that he became distressed and sent word that
If he along with 9 others are granted safety, they would open the doors to the fortress. Hazrat Ziyad said to write down the agreement and bring it to him to stamp. Thereafter they opened the doors. Later on when they checked the agreement the names of the nine people were written down but
Ash’ath forgot to write his own name, so he was taken prisoner to Medina with the other captives. Another Companion of the Holy Prophet (saw) was Mu’attib bin Ubaid. He had no offspring so his nephew Usair bin ‘Urwah was his sole inheritor.
Hazrat Mu’attib bin Ubaid participated in the Battle of Badr and the Battle of Uhud and was martyred on the day of Rajee’. The incident of Rajee’ is that in which ten Companions were martyred. Regarding this incident Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib wrote that those days were very perilous for the Muslims
And the Holy Prophet (saw) was receiving highly alarming news from all directions, yet the most alarming news was coming from the Quraish of Mecca who had become bold and daring after the Battle of Uhud. Perceiving this threat the Holy Prophet (saw) prepared a party of ten Companions
In 4th Hijri in the month of Safar and appointed Ahsan bin Thabit as the leader. The Holy Prophet (saw) gave them orders that they must quietly reach near Mecca and gather information about what the Quraish are planning and to inform him of their intentions.
However, the party had not yet set off when a few people from the tribes of ‘Azal and Qarah approached the Holy Prophet (saw) stating that there are many people who are inclining towards Islam their tribes. Therefore the Holy Prophet (saw) should send some people back with them
Who will preach to them about Islam. When the Holy Prophet (saw) came to know of their desire he sent the same party of Companions which were preparing to leave to gather information about the Quraish. However, as it was later discovered that these people were lying
And had come to Medina due to the instigation of Banu Lihyan, who had plotted to take revenge on the killing of their chief Sufyan bin Khalid that with this alibi they may have Muslims leave Medina and then attack them.
Banu Lihyan had promised the tribes of ‘Azal and Qarah many camels in reward for doing this. When these treacherous people of ‘Azal and Qarah reached between Asfan and Mecca they discreetly sent a message to the Banu Lihyan that the Muslims are accompanying them, so they should come forth.
200 young men of Banu Lihyan, among whom were one hundred archers departed in pursuit of the Muslims and seized them in Rajee’. Rajee’ is the name of a place. Ten people could not stand up to two hundred soldiers. Furthermore, the Muslims had not yet been taught to carry weapons if such circumstances arose
And to fight those who besieged them. Immediately the Companions climbed up a peak preparing to defend themselves. The disbelievers, for whom deception was not considered a shameful act, told them that if they come down from the peak they will not kill them. Asim (ra) replied
“We have no trust in your vows and promises, we will not climb down despite your assurances.” Then he looked up to the sky and said “O Allah! You see what situation we are in. “Convey to your Prophet the plight we are facing.” Hence, Asim (ra) and his companions died fighting.
When seven Companions had been killed and there only remained Khubaib bin Adiyy, Zaid bin Dasna and another Companion, the disbelievers, whose initial intentions were to capture them alive, called out to them to come down, promising not to harm them at all. This time the innocent Muslims fell into their trap and came down
But as soon as they had descended the disbelievers tied them up with the strings from their bows. The Companion with Khubaib and Zaid, whose name is recorded as Abdullah bin Tariq, was unable to bear this and yelled “This is the first breach of your promise, who knows what you will do further on?”
Abdullah refused to go with them. The disbelievers forcefully dragged him a little further, and then killed him and left his body. Seeing as their revenge was extracted, to please the Quraish and out of greed, they left for Mecca. When they reached Mecca they sold them to their relatives.
The children of Harith bin Amir bin Nawfal bought Khubaib because Khubaib had killed Harith during the Battle of Badr. Zaid was bought by Safwan bin Umayyah and eventually they were both martyred. Another companion was Hazrat Khalid bin Bukair (ra), who was a Badri companion [those who took part in the Battle of Badr].
Hazrat Khalid bin Bukair, Aaqil, Hazrat Amir and Hazrat Ayaas all accepted Islam in Dar-e-Arqam. All four brothers were the first to accept Islam in Dar-e-Arqam. The Holy Prophet (saw) established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Khalid bin Bukair (ra) and Hazrat Zaid bin Dasna.
He took part in the Battle of Badr and the Battle of Uhad. Hazrat Khalid bin Bukair (ra) was among those who were martyred in the incident in Raji which has been mentioned earlier in which ten Muslims were deceived and killed.
Prior to the Battle of Badr, the Holy Prophet (saw) once sent a delegation under the command of Abdullah bin Jahsh (ra) to enquire after a caravan of the Quraish and Hazrat Khalid bin Bukair (ra) was also a part of this delegation.
He was martyred in Safar [second month in the Islamic calendar] in 4 Hijri at the age of 34 alongside with Asim bin Saabit (ra) and Marsad bin Abi Marsad Ghanvi (ra), whilst fighting against the Azal and Qara tribe in the battle of Raji.
In regards to this, Ibn Ishaq states when members of the Azal and Qara tribe took the Companions (ra) to Raji – which is the name of a spring that belonged to the Auzail tribe, located on the outskirt of Hijaz – it was there that they betrayed these Companions.
These Companions were deceived and betrayed by those who were taking them to Raji as they incited the people of the Auzail tribe against them. The Companions at the time were in their camps when they noticed that people were gathering from all sides with their swords drawn.
And so, they too bravely stood to engage in battle. The disbelievers then stated, “We swear by God that we will not kill you, but we simply wish to hold you as captives “and take you to the people of Makkah and seek recompense from them for your return.”
Hazrat Marsad bin Abi Marsad (ra), Hazrat Asim bin Saabit (ra) and Hazrat Khalid bin Bukair (ra) said “We swear by God, we shall not enter into a treaty with the idolaters.” In the end, all three fought until they were martyred.
In one of his couplets regarding these three individuals, Hazrat Hassan bin Thabit stated: [Arabic] “Even though one’s longing can be of no avail “but I wish that I could be alongside Ibn Tariq, Zaid and Marsad at the incident of Raji,
“I would save my dear friends Khubaib and Asim. If I came across Khalid, he too I would have saved.” These were the individuals who rendered such great sacrifices to safeguard their religion and faith, thus attaining the pleasure of God Almighty. The Promised Messiah (as) writes in one of his books,
“We are ever grateful to the God Almighty “who bestowed great favours upon us and removed our sorrows. “We send salutations of peace upon His Prophet (saw), who is the leader of the Jinn and men, “and leads the pure hearted towards the heavenly gardens.
“Peace be upon his Companions, who rushed as if intensely thirsty towards the fountain of faith; “and in the abyss of darkness they were enlightened “with the excellence of knowledge and morals.” In another place, the Promised Messiah (as) states regarding the Companions (ra):
“They were like lions on the earth in the day and hermits in the night “and serve as shinning stars of the faith. (By being like hermits in the night means that they spent their nights in worship). “They all are the recipients of God’s pleasure.”
May God Almighty enable us to improve our intellectual and moral conditions and also the standards of worship at night. After the Friday prayer, I shall lead a funeral prayer in absentia of respected Ismael Mala Ghala Sahib, who was serving as a missionary in Uganda.
He passed away and returned to His Creator shortly before the Friday prayer on 25th May after suffering from a heart attack at the age of 64. Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return. Ismael Mala Ghala Sahib was born in 1954 in the Mukono district of Uganda.
Both of his parents were Christian, therefore he too was born as a Christian. Mala Ghala Sahib’s brother-in-law Hajji, Shoaib Nasira Sahib is an Ahmadi and therefore he would often visit Hajji Shoaib Nasira Sahib’s house. He developed an interest in Islam through Haji Shoaib Sahib.
After a long period of correspondence in which he would ask questions and await a response, the truthfulness of Islam dawned upon him. Eventually, in 1978 he performed the Bai’at and entered the fold of Islam, Ahmadiyyat. When he accepted Islam, he mentioned to Haji Shoaib Nasirah Sahib
“From childhood it was my desire to become a Christian Missionary. “Now that I have accepted Islam, is there any way in which I can serve Islam?” At this he informed him that he can devote his life for the service of Islam.
At that time Muhammad Ali Qahiro Sahib, who is at present the Ameer [National President] of Uganda, had completed his studies from Jamia Ahmadiyya [Rabwah], Pakistan, and had returned to Uganda. In 1980, he sent Mala Ghala Sahib along with five other Khuddam to study in Pakistan.
In December 1980, Mala Ghala Sahib enrolled into Fasl-e-Khaas in Jamia Ahmadiyya Rabwah and completed his studies on 1st March 1988. With regards to his studies during his time at Jamia, the principal at that time, Sayyed Mir Mahmood Nasir Sahib writes: “Although he may be weak in his studies,
“however, he cooperates in all matters and is a very obedient student. “He had a simple nature and would remain occupied in worship. “He had a habit of meeting elders and requesting them for prayers.” The deceased gentlemen studied in Jamia with due diligence
And when Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh) had to migrate from Pakistan, he was among those members who performed duties tirelessly and with great courage. The current Principal, Mubashar Ayyaz sahib writes about him saying: “We were in Jamia at the same time. “He had a very pious nature and a quiet disposition.
“He would be counted amongst those Jamia Students who had a passion for worship and exercise. “His level of obedience was exemplary and worthy of mention. “Since I was Naqeeb and Za’eem, I interacted with him on many occasions. “I always found him to be very humble and obedient.
“He had a passion for football and was a key player for whichever team he would play for.” After completing his education in Jamia, he was officially appointed as a Missionary to Uganda in 1988 and served across several Jamaats. In 2007, the deceased went to Pakistan along with two Ugandan missionaries
And had the opportunity to revise the translation of the Quran in Luganda. He completed this task within three months. Perhaps he was weak in his studies during Jamia, however, later on he continued personal study and increased his knowledge. The deceased had a passion for Tabligh [propagating the message of Islam]
And through his Tabligh, a large number of people accepted Ahmadiyyat. He would travel extensively on his bicycle for the purposes of Tabligh. On one occasion when he was on a Tabligh expedition, his wife passed away and there was no way of communicating this to him.
When he returned from his trip he discovered that his wife had passed away and the burial had already taken place. He dedicated his life for the service of his faith and lived a life of simplicity. He was kind hearted, compassionate and caring. He would look after the poor and needy.
He was a true devotee of Khilafat and would deem it essential to abide by every command of the Khalifa. I have seen African missionaries and Waqf-e-Zindagis [Life Devotees] – in fact the general African population – that they have a special bond with Khilafat. Ameer [National President] Sahib Uganda, Muhammad Ali Qahiro Sahib says:
“The deceased was an exemplary missionary with a kind heart. “He was an individual who would invite others to the path of Allah “and render his services for his faith. “Despite suffering many hardships he never complained about anything, rather he always occupied himself in serving the faith. After the demise of his first wife,
He married for a second time and a short while after that married again. One of his wives says: “Throughout his life, I found him to be a loving and kind hearted man “who was content at all times and would always show gratitude to God Almighty.”
His daughter writes: “Our father was very loving and patient. “He would always care for our needs and encourage us to act on the teachings of the faith.” The deceased leaves behind two wives and nine children. May Allah shower His Mercy on him and grant him forgiveness.
May his progeny remain attached to the Jamaat and Khilafat. 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.