Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2022
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 (sa) is the Messenger of Allah
I bear witness that Muhammad (sa) is the Messenger of Allah Come to Prayer Come to Prayer Come to success Come to success Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest There is none worthy of worship except Allah Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you.
I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. He is One and has no partner. and I bear witness that Muhammad (sa) 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. Accounts from the life of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) were being related and I will continue to narrate them today as well. With regards to the Battle of Hamra-ul-Asad,
It is written that the Holy Prophet (sa) returned from the (Battle of) Uhud on a Saturday. On Sunday, at the time of Fajr, Hazrat Bilal gave the call for prayer and sat down, waiting for the Holy Prophet (sa) to come out.
In the meantime, Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr bin Auf Muzanai came looking for the Holy Prophet (sa). When the Holy Prophet (sa) came out, he stood up and informed the Holy Prophet (sa) that he was coming from his house and when he was in Malal, the Quraish had set up a camp there.
Malal is the name of a place on the way to Makkah, located at a distance of 28 miles from Madinah. Furthermore, he said that he heard Abu Sufyan and his companions saying, “You all did not achieve anything! You caused them harm (i.e. you harmed the Muslims)
“and you caused them pain, but then you left them and did not annihilate them.” The disbelievers responded, “There are still numerous prominent individuals among them “(i.e. from among the Muslims), who will gather against you. “Hence, let us return and annihilate those individuals who are left behind.”
Safwan bin Umayyah was sitting among the disbelievers and he stopped them from doing so and said, “Oh my people! You should refrain from doing so as they have already fought you “and I fear that those who were previously unable to join the battle “will now join them in order to fight you.
“You should return as victory is yours “and I fear that if you return (to fight them), you will suffer defeat.” Upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) called for Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hazrat Umar (ra) and informed them of what this companion, Muzani had told him.
In reply, both of them submitted, “O Prophet (sa) of Allah! “Let us advance towards the enemy so that they will not be able to attack our children!” When the Holy Prophet (sa) had completed the morning prayer, he gathered the people and said to Hazrat Bilal to announce,
“The Messenger (sa) of Allah is commanding you to advance towards the enemy “and only those individuals should set out with us, “who had joined us in battle the previous day (that is, who was present in the Battle of Uhud).” The Holy Prophet (sa) asked for his flag,
Which had been tied up since the previous day and had not been opened again. The Holy Prophet (sa) handed this flag to Hazrat Ali (ra). It is also mentioned that it was given to Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra). Nevertheless, when this caravan of Muslims reached Hamra-ul-Asad,
Which is located at a distance of eight miles from Madinah, the idolaters became fearful and abandoning the idea of going to Madinah, they instead returned towards Makkah. The battle of Banu Nadhir took place in 4 AH. The Holy Prophet (sa), accompanied with a small party of companions,
Went to the people of Banu Nadhir. There are different narrations explaining why the Holy Prophet (sa) went to them. According to one narration, the Holy Prophet (sa) went to them to collect the blood money of two people who had been killed from the tribe of Banu Amir.
Accompanying the Holy Prophet (sa) were ten companions, including Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), Hazrat Umar (ra) and Hazrat Ali (ra). When the Holy Prophet (sa) arrived there and asked for the amount to be paid, the Jews said, “Yes, O Abu al-Qasim,
“first you should eat and then we will address the matter you have brought.” At the time, the Holy Prophet (sa) was sitting against a wall. The Jews began to plot and conspire with one another, saying, “We will never get a better opportunity for killing this man (i.e. the Holy Prophet (sa)).
“Who among us will climb atop this house and drop a heavy stone on him, “so that we may get rid of him.” Upon this, Amr bin Jahash, a chieftain of the Jews, agreed to the plan and said, “I am ready for this task.” Immediately after, Salam bin Mishkam, another Jewish Chieftain,
In disagreement to this plot, said, “Under no circumstances should you carry out this act. “By God, he (the Holy Prophet) will surely be informed of what you are plotting. “This is an act of treason because we have made a treaty with them.”
When the man who was to drop the stone on the Holy Prophet (sa) reached the top of the structure, the Holy Prophet (sa) was informed of this plot from the heavens. Allah the Almighty informed him of what the Jews were planning to do. Right away, leaving his companions where they were seated,
The Holy Prophet (sa) stood from his seat and proceeded to depart as though he had another engagement. He returned to Madinah swiftly. After arriving in Madinah, the Holy Prophet (sa) sent Hazrat Muhammad bin Maslamah to Banu Nadhir with a message stating,
“Leave my city (In other words, Madinah). You will not be permitted to live in my city. “The plan you made was an act of treason.” The Holy Prophet (sa) gave the Jews a period of 10 days for this, but they refused and said that they would never leave their homeland.
Upon receiving this reply, the Muslims readied for battle. When all the Muslims had gathered, the Holy Prophet (sa) departed to face Banu Nadhir. The flag for the battle was held by Hazrat Ali (ra). The Holy Prophet (sa) besieged their forts, and no one came for their aid.
Then, the Holy Prophet (sa) mobilized his forces against Banu Nadhir, and at the time of ‘Isha (evening), returned to his home with 10 companions. According to one narration, during that time, the Holy Prophet (sa) assigned the command of the Muslim army to Hazrat Ali (ra),
While according to another narration, this honour was given to Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra). On one end, the Holy Prophet (sa) carried out a strict siege, and on the other, Allah the Almighty caused the awe of the Muslims to settle in the hearts of the Jews.
Finally, they requested the Holy Prophet (sa) to spare their lives and exile them with permission to take as much of their belongings as they could load onto their camels except for their weapons. The Holy Prophet (sa) accepted their request. According to one narration, the Holy Prophet (sa) lay siege for 15 days,
While some narrations differ in the number of days mentioned. With the permission of the Ansar, the Holy Prophet (sa) distributed all the spoils of war acquired in the battle of Banu Nadhir amongst the Muhajirin. Upon this, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) addressed the Ansar and said,
“O company of Ansar, may Allah grant you the best reward.” An incident which took place in 4 AH is the Battle of Badr al-Mau‘id. The cause of this expedition is that when Abu Sufyan bin Harb was returning from the Battle of Uhud he said out loud,
“Next year we shall face one another again at Badr al-Safra and we shall fight there.” The Holy Prophet (sa) instructed Hazrat Umar (ra) to reply, “InshAllah (if Allah so wills).” They all then parted thereafter. When the Quraish returned they informed their people of this agreement.
Badr is a well-known well between Makkah and Madinah and situated between the valley of Safra and Jar. Badr is situated 150km south-west of Madinah. In the era of ignorance a large festival used to take place here from the 1st Dhu al-Qa‘dah which lasted eight days. As the appointed time drew nearer,
Abu Sufyan became less and less content to set out against the Holy Prophet (sa) and was fearful. He desired not to come up against the Holy Prophet (sa) at this appointed time. Abu Sufyan was making it out as though he was preparing a great army to attack,
So that news would reach the people of Madinah that he was assembling a large army, and so that this news may spread among the Arabs in order to strike fear into the Muslims. According to one narration, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hazrat Umar (ra) went to the Holy Prophet (sa) saying,
“O Messenger (sa) of Allah, Allah will make His religion prevail “and grant honour to His Prophet (sa). “We have made a promise to the people and we desire not to break it “otherwise they (i.e. the disbelievers) shall see it as a sign of cowardice.
“You must go ahead according to the agreement, for by God, there is good in this.” Hearing these sentiments, the Holy Prophet (sa) became overjoyed. When the Holy Prophet (sa) received this news regarding the army being assembled by Abu Sufyan, he appointed Hazrat Abdullah bin Rawahah as the Ameer of Madinah in his absence.
According to another narration, he appointed Abdullah bin Abdillah bin Ubayy bin Sulool as the Ameer and gave his flag to Hazrat Ali (ra) as he set off with his companions to Badr. Alongside him were 1,500 Muslims. Along the way, the Muslims took part in some trade at the festival that was taking place,
And made quite some profit from their business. After remaining there for eight days they returned to Madinah. The Muslims engaged in trade in that festival with the thought in mind that if the battle was to take place then so be it,
But if it did not, then they could at least do some business there and the Muslims benefited from this a great deal. It is then written that during the Battle of Uhud, Abu Sufyan challenged the Muslims to meet the following year.
Further details of this have been recorded by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra). He writes, “After the battle of Uhud, whilst returning from the battlefield, “Abu Sufyan challenged the Muslims to both parties meeting again the following year at Badr, “and the Holy Prophet (sa) announced his acceptance of this challenge.
“Hence, the following year, in 4 AH at the end of the month of Shawwal, “the Holy Prophet (sa) set out from Madinah with a force of 1,500 Companions “and appointed Abdullah bin Abdullah bin Ubayy as the Amir in his absence. “On the other hand, Abu Sufyan bin Harb also set out from Makkah
“with an army of the Quraish, consisting of 2,000 men. “However, despite the victory at Uhud, and a force this large, “his heart was fearful and even though he was bent upon the destruction of Islam, “he wished not to confront the Muslims until he could gather a larger force.
“As such, he was still in Makkah, “when he dispatched a man by the name of Nuaim, who belonged to a neutral tribe, towards Madinah “and emphatically instructed him that in any way possible, “he should intimidate and threaten the Muslims, “and craft fabricated stories to hold them back from setting out for war.
“Hence, this individual came to Madinah “and crafting false stories of the preparation, strength, zeal and fury of the Quraish, “created a state of unrest in Madinah. “This was carried out to such an extent “that various people of weaker dispositions began to harbour fear in taking part in the battle.
“However, the Holy Prophet (sa) encouraged the Muslims to go forth “and in his address he stated, ‘We have already accepted the challenge of the Quraish ‘and we have promised to set out on this occasion, therefore, we cannot turn back.
‘Even if I am required to go alone, I shall go and stand firm in the face of the enemy.’ “As a result, the fear of the people was dispelled “and they became prepared to set out in the company of the Holy Prophet (sa) “with great zeal and sincerity.
“In any case, the Holy Prophet (sa) set out from Madinah with 1,500 Companions “and on the opposing end Abu Sufyan set out from Makkah with his 2,000 men. “However, the power of God was such “that the Muslims reached Badr according to their promise,
“but the army of the Quraish came out to some distance and then retreated to Makkah. “The account is that when Abu Sufyan learnt of the failure of Nuaim, “he became fearful in his heart and after having travelled some distance, “he retreated with his army admonishing them,
‘This year the famine is very severe, and people are facing financial difficulty. ‘Therefore it is not wise to fight at this time. ‘We shall attack Madinah with greater preparation when a time of affluence is at hand.’ “The Muslim army stayed at Badr for eight days,
“and since a festival would take place there every year in the beginning of Dhū Qa‘dah “(which has been mentioned previously), during the festival, “many Companions engaged in trade and were able to generate significant profits. “As a matter of fact, in this eight day business venture,
“they were able to multiply their initial capital two-fold. “When the festival came to an end, and the army of the Quraish did not arrive, “the Holy Prophet (sa) departed from Badr and returned to Madinah. “The Quraish returned to Makkah and began to prepare for an attack upon Madinah.
“This Ghazwah is known as the Ghazwah of Badrul-Mau‘id.” Ghazwah Banu Mustaliq was a battle which took place in Shaban 5 AH. Regarding this battle it is stated that another name for Ghazwah Banu Mustaliq is Ghazwah Muraysi’. The Banu Mustaliq were a sub branch of the Khuza’ah tribe.
This tribe lived near a well named Muraysi’. They lived at a distance of one day’s travel from Furu’ and Furu’ is approximately 96 miles from Madinah. According to Allamah Ibn Ishaaq, Ghazwah Banu Mustaliq took place in 6 AH, whereas according to Musa bin Uqbah it took place in 4 AH.
Waqidi states that this Ghazwah took place in Shaban 5 AH. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) has written that the battle took place in 5 AH. Nonetheless, when the Holy Prophet (sa) learnt that the Banu Mustaliq were planning to launch an attack on the Muslims,
The Holy Prophet (sa) marched towards them in Shaban in 5 AH with 700 companions. The Holy Prophet (sa) gave the flag of the Muhajirin to Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra). According to another narration, the Holy Prophet (sa) gave the flag of the Muhajirin to the Hazrat Ammar bin Yasser
And the flag of the Ansar to Hazrat Sa’d bin Ubadah. The details regarding the incident of Ifk (the great calumny) are as follows: on the return from Ghazwah Banu Mustaliq, the hypocrites levelled a false allegation against Hazrat Aishah (ra), daughter of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra).
This incident is known in history as the incident of Ifk (calumny). There is a narration of Hazrat Aishah (ra) in Sahih Al-Bukhari; although I have mentioned this in relation to another companion, however, it is necessary to mention it in connection with Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) as well,
And so I will mention it again. The narration from Hazrat Aishah (ra) is as follows: “It was a custom of the Holy Prophet (sa) that when he intended to embark on a journey, “he used to draw lots amongst his wives (this is mentioned in the narration of Hazrat Aishah (ra)),
“then he would take along with him the one on whom the lot fell. “On one occasion, before a Ghazwah, he drew lots in the same manner, “(Hazrat Aishah says) and the lot fell on me. Thus, the Holy Prophet (sa) took me along.
“This was the time when injunctions on Purdah had already been revealed. “Hence, I would sit in a litter, and it would be placed on the back of a camel “and it would be placed on the ground. “When the Holy Prophet (sa) set back after having finished from his Ghazwah,
“and we approached near the city of Madinah, “one night, the Holy Prophet (sa) ordered a departure. “When I heard this announcement, I left to one side, away from the army. “When I had attended the call of nature, and returned to my camel,
“I touched my neck and found that my Azfar (Yemenite beaded) necklace had been lost.” Nonetheless, Hazrat Aishah (ra) says, “I went back in search of my necklace and was delayed a short while. “In the meantime, those who had been appointed to lift my litter
“and place it on the back of the camel arrived, “and assuming that I was in the litter, lifted it and placed it on the camel.” Hazrat Aishah (ra) relates further: “The attendants thought that I was in the litter
“because in that era, women were light in weight and they did not put on weight, “as they used to eat only a little food. “The attendants, therefore, did not suspect “that the litter was unusually lighter when they lifted it.
“Then, at the time, I was still a young girl. They went ahead with the camel. “I found my necklace, but the army had left. “When I returned to the camp, I did not find anybody there. “I then went to the place where I used to stay,
“but I thought to myself that I should remain at my place, “because when people realize that I had been left behind, they would surely return. “I sat on my spot and was soon overcome by sleep. “Safwan bin Mu‘attal Sulami Dhakwani was behind the army. “When he reached my place in the morning,
“he saw the figure of a sleeping person and came towards me. “He had seen me before the order of veiling was prescribed, I woke up when he recited: “(ARABIC) (To Allah we belong) “He brought forward his camel and made it kneel close to me.
“He turned foot of the camel and I mounted upon the camel, “and Safwan began leading the camel until we finally reached the Muslim army at noon, “when the army were resting. “After this, those who were destined to be ruined, ruined themselves. “The key proponent who was responsible for spreading this slander
“was Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Sulul. “We reached Madinah, and (as soon as we arrived,) I fell ill, and this illness lasted for one month, “wherein people continued their slander. “During my illness, the only thing that worried me was that “I was not receiving the same kindness from Allah’s Messenger (sa)
“as I used to receive when I got sick. “(But now) Allah’s Messenger (sa) would only come, greet me and ask, ‘How are you?’ “However, until then, I had absolutely no notion of this calumny; “my illness rendered me very weak and frail.
“One day, Umm Mistah and I went to Manasi, where we used to answer the call of nature “and we did not go out except at night, and that was before we had lavatories near our homes. “(In those days, people did not have bathrooms in the home).
“Our state was like that of the old Arabs, “who would go out to the jungle, etc., to attend the call of nature. “So I and Umm Mistah, daughter of Abu Ruhm, went out. “We were walking when she stumbled over her shawl and on that she said, ‘Let Mistah be ruined!’
“I said, ‘What an evil thing you have said! Do you vilify a man who took part in the battle of Badr?’ “On that she said, ‘O innocent and naïve girl! Have you not heard what people have been saying?’ “Then she told me the slander of the people of Ifk.
“This aggravated my ailment, and when I reached my home, Allah’s Messenger (sa) came to me, “and after greeting me, asked, ‘How are you?’ I said, ‘Will you allow me to go to my parents?’ “(Hazrat Aishah (ra) asked if she could go home to her parents).
“As I wanted to be sure about the news through them, (i.e. through her parents). “Allah’s Messenger (sa) gave me permission (i.e. to go to her parents) “and I asked my mother, ‘O mother! What are the people talking about?’ “She said, ‘O my daughter! Do not worry,
“for scarcely is there a charming woman who is loved by her husband “and whose husband has other wives besides herself “that they (i.e. women) would find faults with her.’ “I said, (ARABIC) (Holy is Allah) ‘Are the people really talking in this way?’” Hazrat Aishah (ra) further states:
“I kept on weeping that night till dawn, I could neither stop weeping nor sleep. “When there had been some delay in Divine revelation, the Holy Prophet (sa) “called Hazrat Ali bin Abi Talib (ra) and Hazrat Usamah bin Zaid “the next morning to seek their counsel about separating from me.
“As for Usamah, he said of what he knew about me, “(i.e. based on the relationship of the Holy Prophet (sa) with Hazrat Aishah (ra) “(and that he knew she was pious and virtuous) “Hazrat Usamah (ra) submitted, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah!
‘She (ra) is your wife and by God, we know nothing but goodness with respect to Aishah (ra).’ “As for Ali bin Abi Talib (ra), he submitted, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah! ‘Allah the Exalted has not put you in difficulty, ‘and there are plenty of women other than Aishah (ra).
‘Nonetheless, inquire of the household maid, ‘perhaps she knows something and may be able to tell you the actual truth.’ “Upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) called for Barirah and inquired, ‘O Barirah! Have you ever seen anything in Aishah (ra) as may be considered suspicious?’
“Barirah responded, ‘No, I swear by that God Who has sent you with the truth, ‘I have never seen any fault in her, except that on account of her young age, ‘it often happens that she leaves the dough exposed and falls asleep, ‘while the goats come and consume it.’
“On the same day, the Holy Prophet (sa) delivered an address in the mosque “and expressed grief with regards to Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, and said, ‘O you Muslims! Who will relieve me from that man ‘who has hurt me with his evil statement about my family?
‘By Allah, I know nothing except good about my family; ‘and they have blamed a man about whom I know nothing but good ‘and he never entered my home except with me.’ “Upon hearing this address of the Holy Prophet (sa), Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh,
“stood up and submitted, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah! I shall put an end to this. ‘If this person is from the Aus tribe, we shall sever his head at once. ‘If he is from our brethren (i.e., from the Khazraj tribe), ‘even still, we are prepared to do as you command.’
“Upon this, Sa‘d bin ‘Ubadah, chief of the Khazraj tribe stood up, “and though he was a righteous man, “at the time, he was overcome by indignation of his tribe and said, ‘You have spoken a lie. By God! You shall not kill him (i.e. the tribes became incensed)
‘nor do you possess the power to do so.’ “Upon this, Usaid bin Hudair, stood up and said: ‘It is you who has lied, By God, we shall surely kill him. ‘You are a hypocrite for you argue on behalf of the hypocrites.’ “This exchange of remarks incensed some from among the Aus and Khazraj,
“and an altercation almost broke out, “but the Holy Prophet (sa) who was still standing on the pulpit, “descended and diffused the situation until they fell silent and so did he.” Hazrat Aishah (ra) further says: “The entire day I kept on weeping and my tears never ceased.”
Hazrat Aishah (ra) had by now become aware of the situation, but she says despite what was going on, she would continue to cry the whole day. She says: “my tears would not stop, nor could I sleep. “My parents came to me. I remained as such for two whole nights and one day
“and I felt as if my liver would burst into pieces. “During this time, both my parents were with me, “and I was sat crying, when a woman from the Ansar sought permission to enter, “and I granted her permission. “She came and sat down and began to weep with me (in a sympathetic manner.)
“At this, the Messenger (sa) of Allah arrived and sat down. “This was the first day that he had sat down with me since the calumny. “A month had elapsed but no divine revelation had been sent down in my case.” Hazrat Aishah (ra) further states: “The Holy Prophet (sa) recited the Kalimah, then said:
‘O Aishah! I have been informed such and such thing about you. ‘If you are innocent, I trust that God shall affirm your innocence. ‘If, however, you have committed a mistake, ‘you should seek forgiveness from God and bow before him, ‘because when a person bows before God confessing his sin,
‘Allah accepts his repentance, and shows Mercy to him.’ “When the Holy Prophet (sa) had finished his address my tears had dried away completely, “and there was absolutely no sign of them. “At that time, I looked to my father (Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)), “and asked him to respond on my behalf, but he said,
‘By God! I do not know what to say in response to the Messenger (sa) of Allah.’ “I then asked my mother “to respond to the Holy Prophet (sa) on my behalf and she also stated, ‘By God! I do not know what to say in response to the Messenger (sa) of Allah.’”
Hazrat Aishah (ra) states, “At the time, I was a young girl and did not know much of the Qur’an, I said, ‘By God, I am aware that certain things which people have rumoured about me have reached you, ‘and you have been affected by these statements and consider them to be true.
‘Hence, if I advocate my innocence – and Allah knows indeed that I am innocent – ‘you shall doubt me, but if I accept myself as being guilty, ‘despite Allah knowing that I am innocent, you shall believe me. ‘By God, I find myself in the situation of the father of Joseph (as), who said:
‘(ARABIC) ‘That is to say, patience is better for me, ‘and it is Allah alone Whose help I seek against what these people assert. ‘Upon saying this, I turned to the other side of my bed ‘and at the time I had firm conviction that Allah the Exalted would quickly manifest my innocence.
‘However, I did not imagine that a (Qur’anic) revelation ‘would be sent down to clear me of the charges. ‘I did not consider myself to be worthy enough to be mentioned in the Qur’an. ‘I thought that perhaps the Messenger (sa) of Allah
‘would be shown a vision in his sleep by Allah the Exalted in this regard. ‘However, by God, the Holy Prophet (sa) had not yet left this sitting, ‘nor had any other person of the household left, ‘when he was overtaken by the intense state ‘which he would experience upon the receipt of divine revelation.
‘Though it was a cold day, drops of perspiration began to fall from his countenance, ‘and after sometime this state left him. ‘The Holy Prophet (sa) smiled and the first thing he said to me was, “O Aishah! Praise Allah for He has affirmed your innocence.”
‘At this, my mother spontaneously said, “O Aishah! Get up and go to the Messenger (sa) of Allah!” ‘At the time, I said, “By God, I will not go to the Holy Prophet (sa) “and will express my gratitude to Allah alone. “It was then that the following verse was revealed: “(Arabic, Holy Qur’an 24:12)
‘Verily, those who brought forth the lie are a party from among you’ “When my innocence had been affirmed, “Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra) (the father of Hazrat Aishah (ra)), “who would grant regular support to Mistah bin Uthathah due to his poverty and kinship, “vowed that as Mistah had taken part in slandering me,
“he would no longer render him this support. “However, shortly thereafter, Allah the Almighty revealed: ‘(ARABIC) ‘And let not those who possess wealth and plenty among you swear not to give aught to the kindred ‘and to the needy and to those who have left their homes in the cause of Allah.
‘Let them forgive and pass over the offence. ‘Do you not desire that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.’ “Upon this, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra) stated, ‘Indeed! By God, I certainly would like to be granted the forgiveness of Allah.’ “And so, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) reinstated Mistah’s allowance.”
Hazrat Aishah (ra) relates, “The Holy Prophet (sa) would inquire of Hazrat Zainab bint Jahash (ra) as to her opinion of me.” The Holy Prophet (sa) stated, “O Zainab! What is your opinion of Aishah?” Upon this, Hazrat Zainab (ra) responded, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah!
“I wish to safeguard my ears and eyes, I consider Aishah to be a pious lady.” Hazrat Aishah (ra) states, “This was the same Zainab “who competed with me and acted as my rival. “However, due to her virtue, Allah the Exalted saved her from taking part in this calumny.”
This is a detailed narration of Bukhari. The Promised Messiah (as) states, “Just as God Almighty has made it an integral part of His own noble attributes “to avert prophecies of warning on the basis of repentance, “seeking forgiveness, prayer, and charity,
“so did He teach the same morals to man as is evidenced by the Holy Qur’an and the Hadith. “When-out of sheer maliciousness- “the hypocrites had perpetrated a calumny against Hazrat Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, “some unwary Companions also had joined in this narrative.
“One of those Companions used to get his meal, twice a day, “from the home of Hazrat Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him. “Due to this lapse, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) pledged “that he would never again feed him as a punishment for this misdeed, “whereupon the verse was revealed:
“(ARABIC) (Let them forgive and forbear. Do you not desire that Allah should forgive you? “At that Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) broke his pledge and restored his meals as usual. “It is for this reason that it is part of Islamic morality “that should one pledge something by way of punishment, “the breaking of that pledge is a component of good morals.
“For instance, if someone swears that with regard to his servant, “he shall strike him fifty times with a shoe, “to forgive him on account of his repentance and earnest supplication is the Islamic custom, “so that (ARABIC) (morality mirror the attributes of Allah) “Nevertheless, it is not permissible to break a promise;
“one will be held accountable for the breach of promise, “but not for breaking a pledge of chastisement.” This is a separate subject matter regarding the difference between a promise and a pledge of chastisement and this has been explained previously as well.
Next is mention of the Battle of Ahzab which took place on 5 AH. This was the third major battle between the Quraish of Makkah and the Muslims and is also known as the Battle of Khandaq. This took place in the month of Shahwwal in 5 AH.
Since the Quraish and the Jews from Khaibar and various other tribes had all come together in order to attack Madinah, therefore this battle is known as the Battle of Ahzab in the Holy Qur’an. When the Holy Prophet (sa) exiled the Banu Nadhir, a tribe of the Jews and so they went towards Khaibar.
A few men from among their elders and well-respected people went to Makkah. They gathered the Quraish and incited them to fight against the Holy Prophet (sa). They formed a pact with the Quraish and they all agreed upon fighting against the Holy Prophet (sa) and they also fixed a date for this.
These men from the Banu Nadhir left the Quraish and then went to the tribes of Ghatfan and Sulaim and entered into a similar pact with them and then departed from there. The Quraish made preparations and also gathered various other tribes as well as those Arabs who were their confederates, totalling 4,000.
Abu Sufyan bin Harb was their commander. Along the way, various other tribes also joined with them and the total number of people in the army was 10,000. The Holy Prophet (sa) was informed of their departure from Makkah and so he gathered his companions.
The Holy Prophet (sa) informed them of the enemy’s plan and sought counsel from them. Hazrat Salman Farsi presented the suggestion of digging a ditch, which was liked by all the Muslims. In the time of the Holy Prophet (sa), the north of Madinah was an open plain,
Whilst all other sides had houses and orchards through which the enemy could not get through. And so, it was decided to dig a ditch towards the north of Madinah in order to protect the city. The Holy Prophet (sa) along with 3,000 Muslims started to dig the ditch.
The Holy Prophet (sa) was digging the ditch alongside the other Muslims so that his participation would raise their spirits and courage. The entire ditch was dug in six days. This ditch was approximately 6,000 yards or 3.5 miles long. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) remained alongside the Holy Prophet (sa).
Whilst digging the ditch, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) would carry the sand in his clothes and he worked alongside the other companions in digging the ditch so that this task could be quickly completed within period of time designated for this. No Muslim remained behind in helping to dig the ditch.
When Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hazrat Umar (ra) could not find any baskets to carry the sand, they would place it in their clothes. They both remained together at all times. The Holy Prophet (sa) worked extremely hard during the digging of the ditch. Sometimes he would be digging with a pick-axe
Or he would gather the sand with a shovel or then carry the baskets of sand. One day the Holy Prophet (sa) became extremely tired and sat down and rested against a rock on his left side. During this time, the Holy Prophet (sa) fell asleep
And Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hazrat Umar (ra) stood near the Holy Prophet (sa) and would stop people from walking past him, lest they wake him up. When the 10,000 strong army of the Quriash and their allies surrounded Madinah, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) was commanding one faction of the Muslim army.
Later, the area where Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) was commanding the army, a mosque was built and was called Masjid Siddiq. I will continue narrating these incidents in the future (sermons). God-willing. At this time, I wish to mention some deceased members.
The first is of respected Mubaraka Begum Sahiba, who was the wife of Mukhtar Ahmad Gondal Sahib. She passed away on 11th January at the age of 93, (Verily, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return). She was the daughter-in-law of Chaudhary Ghulam Muhammad Gondal Sahib (ra),
A companion of the Promised Messiah (as). She served the Jama’at with great passion; she also served as the Sadr Lajna for her village, Chak 99 South. She was regular in offering prayers and keeping fasts, she was virtuous, tended to the poor and was very sincere.
Throughout her life, she taught the Holy Qur’an to both children and adults. She was a Musia. She is survived by five sons and three daughters. One of her sons is Iftikhar Ahmad Gondal Sahib, serving as a missionary in Sierra Leone, and another missionary Fawad Ahmad was her grandson.
Aside from this, she has various other grandchildren who are missionaries or life-devotees. May Allah the Almighty grant her with His forgiveness and mercy and accept her prayers in favour of her progeny. The next mention is of Mir Abdul Waheed Sahib, who passed away in the night between 12th and 13th January,
(Verily, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return). He was 58 years of age. Ahmadiyyat was established in his family through his great paternal grandfather Mir Ahmad Din Sahib, who accepted Ahmadiyyat during the time of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (ra) in 1911. He was the only Ahmadi in his family.
Similarly, from his maternal side, Ahmadiyyat was introduced through his maternal grandfather, Sheikh Allah Bakhsh Sahib of Bannu. Abdul Waheed Sahib’s paternal grandfather was Abdul Karim Sahib. He had a passion for Tabligh (propagation), which is why his grandfather was commonly known by the name Maulvi Abdul Karim in Peshawar.
He did a lot of personal study and had made his own library. In 1974 when a delegation went before the Assembly under the leadership of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III (rh), certain rare books that were needed were found in his library. This is according to his brother-in-law.
On 9th September 2020, a false charge of blasphemy was made under 295c against Mir Abdul Waheed’s family, as a result of which clerics and other people lay siege to their home. However, the police was able to remove him and his family from that situation and took them to Rawalpindi.
A few days later, their home in Rawalpindi was raided at night and the police arrested his son Abdul Majeed Sahib. Allah the Almighty bestowed Mir Abdul Waheed Sahib with two sons and a daughter. One of his sons Abdul Majeed Sahib, who I just mentioned, is still a prisoner in the way of Allah
And was in jail when his father passed away and could not attend (the funeral). May Allah the Almighty grant the deceased His forgiveness and mercy and grant his family patience. His son who is imprisoned is around 20 years old; may Allah the Almighty create the means for his quick release.
The third mention is of respected Syed Waqar Ahmad Sahib from USA, who passed away on 17th January at the age of 58 due to a heart attack, (Verily, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return). Waqar Ahmad Khan’s wife is the great granddaughter
Of Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) (i.e. his maternal grandson’s daughter), and is the daughter of Hazrat Mirza Sharif Ahmad Sahib’s (ra) paternal granddaughter. In this way, she is part of the family of the Promised Messiah (as), and Shah Sahib married into this family. His wife Shazia Khan says,
“Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh) encouraged me “to pray with regards to the matrimonial match. “After praying, when I agreed, “Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh) approved of the match.” In other words, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV (rh) settled this matrimonial match.
She writes, “in 33 years of marriage, Waqar Sahib guided me along with him in every step. “He tended to every one of my needs and desires. “He was an exemplary father; he never did anything for himself and was a simple person.
“He had no desires of his own, and even if he did, he sacrificed them for his family’s sake.” She says, “The most beautiful day for me was when he proudly said to someone “that when he goes to the mosque, he repeats his oath,
“and that there was nothing more important to him than fulfilling this oath. “He could sacrifice everything for this oath.” These were not mere claims, in fact I myself have seen and know, that even when faced with an extremely difficult trial, he safeguarded this oath of giving precedence to faith over worldly matters
And continued to fulfil it, irrespective of any ties of relationship. He never ventured outside the obedience of Khilafat. She says, “even if he did not understand something, he would still remain obedient, “and say that it is our duty to be obedient.
“His disposition was filled gratitude, and he would always advise me to do the same. “He never showed negligence in offering financial sacrifices.” His son, Syed Adil Ahmad, who is now a missionary after graduating from Jamia Ahmadiyya Canada and obtaining his Shahid degree, says,
“By the grace of Allah the Almighty, my father was a simple, and sincere person. “He was less concerned about himself, “and would always fulfil the needs of all his children and our mother. “He would never get anything nice for himself,
“in fact we would often have to remind him to spend on his own needs as well. “He had a great deal of respect for missionaries and the Nizam-e-Jama’at.” His father-in-law, Mahmud Ahmad Khan Sahib, who is the maternal grandson of Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra)
And the paternal grandson of Hazrat Nawab Mubaraka Begum Sahib (ra), writes, “Waqar (his son-in-law) possessed high morals and was very hospitable.” He says, “I never saw a frown on his face, “no matter how many guests came to visit him or even in time of difficulty.” He says, “I remember in the beginning,
“he would often scold his son Adil because of his carelessness, “but when Adil devoted his life, Waqar’s demeanor towards him completely changed, “and he developed a very close bond of respect and honour with his son.” Munir Ahmad Sahib, the former Amir of the Jama’at in Abu Dhabi writes,
“Waqar Sahib lived in Abu Dhabi along with his family while he worked there, “during which time he developed close family ties with him. “He was a banker by profession; simplicity and sociability were his salient qualities. “He was strongly attached to the Community and its Nizam. “He possessed profound love and obedience for Khilafat.”
He says, “Until he moved to America, he would happily offer his home for any Jama’at needs, “which would be used for the Friday prayers and other gatherings. “He also served as the internal auditor of the Jama’at.” Similarly, Syed Hashim Akbar writes, “I had the opportunity of working with him,
“and always found him to be sociable and brimming with enthusiasm to help others.” May Allah the Almighty grant him His forgiveness and mercy; may He enable his children to be virtuous, and accept his prayers in their favour. After the prayers, I will offer the funeral prayers, God-willing. 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 (sa) 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.