Friday Sermon – Khalifatul Masih V – Mirza Masroor Ahmad – Year 2021
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. In the previous sermon, I mentioned the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah with reference to Hazrat Umar (ra). In relation to this we also find that when Banu Bakr, who were allies of the Quraish,
Violated the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah and attacked Banu Khuzaah, who were allies of the Muslims; the Quraish also provided Banu Bakr with weapons and mounts and disregarded the conditions of the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah; at that time, Abu Sufyan entered Madinah in order to renegotiate the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah. He approached the Holy Prophet (sa),
But the Holy Prophet (sa) did not reply to anything he said. He then approached Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and asked him to speak to the Holy Prophet (sa). However, he too said that he would not do so. Abu Sufyan then approached Hazrat Umar (ra) and spoke to him.
In reply, Hazrat Umar (ra) said, Do you want me to present your case to the Holy Prophet (sa)? By God! Even if I merely had a straw, I would use it to fight against you! Whilst mentioning the conquest of Makkah,
Dr. Ali bin Sallabi has written that when the Holy Prophet (sa) reached Marr-uz-Zahran, Abu Sufyan began to worry about himself. Hazrat Abbas (ra), the paternal uncle of the Holy Prophet (sa), suggested to him to seek the protection of the Holy Prophet (sa).
Hazrat Abbas (ra) relates that I said to Abu Sufyan, you are extremely unfortunate because look the Holy Prophet (sa) is now present amongst the people. Abu Sufyan replied, may my parents be sacrificed for your sake! What can I do now to be protected from this?
I said, by Allah! If they take hold of you, they will most certainly execute you. Ride behind me on the mule. I will take you to the Holy Prophet (sa) and then I will seek his protection for you. Hazrat Abbas (ra) says, he rode behind me.
Whenever I passed by a campfire of the Muslims, they would ask who this individual was. (It was night and fires were lit). When they saw me riding upon the mule of the Holy Prophet (sa), they would say that the paternal uncle of the Holy Prophet (sa) is riding his mule.
This continued until I passed by the campfire of Umar bin Khattab (ra). He asked, who is this? and stood by my side. When he saw Aby Sufyan, he said, Aby Sufyan, the enemy of Allah. All praise belongs to Allah, Who granted us an unconditional victory over you.
Hazrat Abbas (ra) then dragged him (i.e. Abu Sufyan) along with him and presented himself before the Holy Prophet (sa). Hazrat Umar (ra) also came and said, O Messenger (sa) of Allah! Permit me to sever his head. Hazrat Abbas (ra) relates, I said, O Messenger (sa) of Allah! I have granted him protection.
When Hazrat Umar (ra) insisted on his stance, I said, O Umar, wait! By Allah, if he had belonged to (the tribe of) Banu Adi, you would not have said such things. However, you are aware of the fact that he belongs to the Banu Abd Manaf.
Upon this, Hazrat Umar (ra) said, O Abbas, hold on! By Allah I was so overjoyed when you accepted Islam that I wouldnt have felt this much happiness even if my father Khattab accepted Islam, and I knew that your acceptance of Islam was dearer to the Holy Prophet (sa)
Than that of Khattab if he had done so. Thereafter, the Holy Prophet (sa) stated, O Abbas, take Abu Sufyan away and bring him in the morning. In any case, this conversation between Hazrat Umar (ra) and Hazrat Abbas (ra) continued,
And in the end the Holy Prophet (sa) told Hazrat Abbas (ra) to take him away, for he had granted him refuge and so he should take him away and say nothing to him. Abu Bakr bin Abdir Rahman relates that in the month of Shaban 7 AH,
The Holy Prophet (sa) sent Hazrat Umar (ra) on an expedition alongside 30 men to a branch of the Hawazin tribe in Turabah. Turabah is a valley situated at a two-day journey from Makkah, which was inhabited by the Banu Hawazin. When there is mention of two-day journeys, etc.,
It is stated so in relation to the modes of transport in the past such as horses and camels. Buraidah al-Aslami narrates that when the Holy Prophet (sa) reached the battlefield of Khaibar, he handed the flag to Hazrat Umar bin al-Khattab (ra). In the books of history it is written that the very first mention of a large flag being used was during the Battle of Khaibar. Prior to that there was only use of flags. It was being mentioned that Buraidah al-Aslami narrates that when the Holy Prophet (sa) reached the battlefield of Khaibar,
He handed the flag to Hazrat Umar bin al-Khattab (ra). Then there are further details of this in the books of history. It is mentioned that the very first mention of a large flag being used was during the Battle of Khaibar. Prior to that there was only use of small flags.
The flag of the Holy Prophet (sa) which was made from a cloth of Hazrat Aishah (ra) was black and it was named Uqab. The Holy Prophet (sa) also had a white flag, which he handed to Hazrat Ali (ra).
There was mention previously of a black flag which was made from a cloth of Hazrat Aishah (ra) and then there is mention of this white flag which was given to Hazrat Ali (ra). The Holy Prophet (sa) handed one of the flags to Hazrat Hubbab bin Munzir (ra)
And the other to Hazrat Sad bin Ubadah (ra). Thus, when the Holy Prophet (sa) reached Khaibar, he was suffering from a severe headache and was unable to go out. On this occasion, he initially handed his flag to Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), then he handed the same one to Hazrat Umar (ra).
That day a fierce battle ensued, and the Muslims were unable to penetrate the fortress. The Holy Prophet (sa) said, tomorrow I shall grant my flag to the one through whom Allah the Almighty shall grant us victory. Therefore, the following day the Holy Prophet (sa) gave that flag to Hazrat Ali (ra),
And at his hands, God Almighty did indeed grant them victory. Ibn Ishaq says, I asked Ibn Shihab Zuhri what were the conditions with which the Holy Prophet (sa) gave the dates fields of Khaibar to the Jews. Zuhri replied that after the battle, the Holy Prophet (sa) gained victory over Khaibar
And Khaibar itself was among the spoils of war which God Almighty granted to the Holy Prophet (sa). A fifth of this belonged to the Holy Prophet (sa), which he distributed among his companions. The Jews who were prepared to be expelled from their lands after the battle came down from their fortresses.
The Holy Prophet (sa) called them and said, if you so wish this wealth can be given to you, upon the condition that you work therein and distribute its fruits between us and yourselves. There will be a division of the produce and if you so wish to remain here
Then I shall grant you a place to stay where God Almighty wills for you to stay. So the Jews accepted this offer and continued working in these fields. The Holy Prophet (sa) would send Hazrat Abdullah bin Rawwahah (ra) to distribute the fruits from these fields
And he would equitably act when assessing how much share would be given to the Jews. It was not the case that he would keep the good fruit for the Muslims, rather, the division would be in accordance with justice. Then, when God Almighty decreed for the demise of the Holy Prophet (sa),
Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) continued the same treatment with the Jews that was given by the Holy Prophet (sa). In the beginning of his Khilafat, Hazrat Umar (ra) also continued this treatment, but then he heard what the Holy Prophet (sa) said in his final illness before his demise,
That two religions will not coexist in the Arab lands. Hazrat Umar (ra) investigated this further and when it was proven true, he wrote to the Jews of Khaibar stating, God Almighty has decreed for you to be expelled. I received news that the Holy Prophet (sa) said that
Two religions would not coexist in the Arab lands. Hence, those Jews who had an agreement with the Holy Prophet (sa) should come to me so that I may fulfil it. But those who do not have an agreement shall prepare to be exiled.
In other words, if anyone had an agreement with the Holy Prophet (sa), they could remain and he would fulfil that for them. But if anyone did not have such an oath, they would have to leave their land. Therefore, Hazrat Umar (ra) exiled those who had no agreement with the Holy Prophet (sa).
Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (ra) says, I went with Hazrat Zubair bin al-Awwam (ra) and Hazrat Miqdad bin Aswad (ra) to see our property in Khaibar. When we reached, we spilt up to in order to go and see our respective properties. At night I was attacked whilst I was asleep.
My joints at the elbows were dislocated. In the morning two companions of mine came screaming as they approached me. They asked who did this to me. I replied by telling them I did not know. They both then tried fixing my arms and brought me to Hazrat Umar (ra).
Hazrat Umar (ra) stated that this was the work of the Jews. Hazrat Umar (ra) then stood to address the people, saying, O people, the Holy Prophet (sa) stipulated a condition with the Jews that we would exile them whenever we pleased. Now the Jews have attacked Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (ra)
And dislocated the joints of his elbows, as you will now have come to know. Prior to this they had also attacked an Ansari and I have no doubt that these people are their accomplices. We have no enemy other than them so if anyone has any wealth there should safeguard it,
For I am about to expel the Jews from there. He then expelled the Jews. Abdullah bin Muqnaf relates that when Hazrat Umar (ra) expelled the Jews form Khaibar, he himself rode with the Muhajirin and the Ansar. Hazrat Jabbar bin Sakhr (ra) and Hazrat Yazid bin Thabit (ra)
Also accompanied them as they went forth. Hazrat Jabbar (ra) was the one who assessed the fruits for the people of Madinah and was responsible for keeping their account for them. Both of them divided (the fruits) between the people of Khaibar according to the way it was previously set.
There is then the incident of the Hazrat Hatib (ra) who secretly sent a woman with a letter to the idolaters of Makkah, which contained some plans of the Holy Prophet (sa). The Holy Prophet (sa) received news of this from Allah Almighty and so he sent Hazrat Ali (ra) (to retrieve it).
That lady was intercepted along the way. Afterwards, when the Holy Prophet (sa) asked Hatib (why he had done this), Hatib presented his reason, and said that his faith had not faltered at all, in fact he had firm faith.
Hazrat Hatib (ra) assured the Holy Prophet (sa) of this and the Holy Prophet (sa) accepted it, however, Hazrat Umar (ra) submitted, O Messenger (sa) of Allah, allow me to severe the head of this hypocrite. The Holy Prophet (sa) said, He (Hatib) took part in the Battle of Badr,
And you may not be aware of the fact that Allah has looked upon those who took part in Badr and said, you may do as you please, for I have covered your sins and overlooked them. Then, there is another incident which does not directly relate to Hazrat Umar (ra),
But he is also mentioned in it, and so I will relate it. Hazrat Abu Qatadah (ra) stated, During the Battle of Hunain, I saw a person from among the Muslims who was fighting against an idolater, and in the meantime I saw another idolater
Quietly creeping up from behind him in an attempt to kill him. Upon seeing this, I quickly went towards that person who wished to kill the Muslim in this deceiving manner. He raised his hand to attack me and I struck a blow to his hand thus cutting it off.
He then got hold of me and grabbed me so tightly that I was unable to do anything. He finally let go and stood unsteadily; I then pushed him away and killed him. Then it so happened that the Muslims retreated as they were losing, and I was also among those who retreated.
I then saw Hazrat Umar bin Khattab (ra) with a group of people and I asked them why they had retreated, to which Hazrat Umar (ra) replied that it was as Allah willed. Then people returned to the Holy Prophet (sa), who said that whoever could prove that they had killed a certain individual,
Then they could keep that persons belongings. I got up to look for proof about the person I had killed but could not find anyone who would give testimony, and so I gave up and sat down. Then a thought came to mind, and I mentioned the incident
Regarding the person I had killed to the Holy Prophet (sa). One of the people sitting with him said that he had the weapons of the person I had killed, and that the Holy Prophet (sa) should give me something else instead. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) said that it could not be
That the Holy Prophet (sa) grants spoils to an ordinary person from the Quraish and does not do the same for a lion of Allah who was fighting on behalf of Allah and His Messenger (sa). Hazrat Abu Qatadah (ra) further states,
The Holy Prophet (sa) stood up and granted me those particular spoils of war. I used them to buy a small orchard of date trees, and this was the first time since having accepted Islam that I acquired some wealth and turned it into an asset.
Hazrat Ibn Umar (ra) relates, When we returned from the Battle of Hunain, Hazrat Umar (ra) asked the Holy Prophet (sa) about a promise he had made with himself during the era of Ignorance which was to undertake i`tikaf (period of seclusion). The Holy Prophet (sa) instructed that he should fulfil this promise
Even if it was made during the era of Ignorance. But this was also with the condition that it was necessary to fulfil whatever was permissible to do within the teachings of Islam. With regards to what is mentioned regarding Hazrat Umars (ra) role in the Battle of Tabuk;
Hazrat Umar (ra) narrates an incident of his from the time of this battle, when the Holy Prophet (sa) made a special appeal for financial contributions: One day, the Holy Prophet (sa) instructed us to offer Sadqah (alms). I had some wealth at the time and I thought that
If ever there was an opportunity to surpass Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) it was today. Hence, I presented half of my wealth. The Holy Prophet (sa) asked what I had left behind for my family. I said that I had left an equal amount to what I had presented.
Then, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) presented all (the wealth) that he had. I had only presented half while Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) brought all that he had. The Holy Prophet (sa) also asked him what he had left behind for his family
To which he replied that he had left them Allah and His Messenger (sa). Hazrat Umar (ra) says, (I thought) I would never be able to surpass (Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)) in anything. Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) has also mentioned this incident in the following words:
With regards to the occasion of one battle, Hazrat Umar (ra) says, I thought to myself that Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) always exceeded me, however today I would surpass him. With this in mind, I went home, took half of my wealth and presented it to the Holy Prophet (sa).
That era of Islam was one of great difficulties, yet Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) brought all of his wealth and presented it to the Holy Prophet (sa). The Holy Prophet (sa) asked Abu Bakr (ra) what he had left at home, to which he replied, Allah and His Messenger (sa) Hazrat Umar (ra) states,
Upon hearing this, I became extremely embarrassed and understood that even after trying my utmost to surpass Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), he still exceeded me. The Promised Messiah (as) states: There was a time when people were ready to sacrifice their lives like cattle, let alone their wealth, for the sake of the faith.
On more than once occasion, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) sacrificed his entire wealth. The Promised Messiah (as) says that this did not only happen once, rather it happened more than once, to the extent that he did not let so much as a needle remain in his home,
And the same was done by Hazrat Umar (ra) according to his capacity and means and Hazrat Usman (ra) according to his ability and means. And in the same manner and according to their spiritual ranks, all the Companions (ra) were prepared to sacrifice their lives and wealth for the sake of this divine faith.
The Promised Messiah (as) then makes mention of certain people of the Community at that time, then there are those who pledge allegiance and also declare that they give precedence to the faith over the world but when the need for help arises, they seal their pockets.
With such love for the world, is it possible for one to attain any spiritual objective? And can such people prove useful to the prophet? Absolutely not. Allah the Almighty states, Never shall you attain to righteousness until you spend out of that which you love. (3:92). With regards to Hazrat Umars (ra) reaction when the Holy Prophet (sa) passed away, Hazrat Ibn Abbas (ra) narrates that as the demise of the Holy Prophet (sa) was drawing near,
There were some people gathered at his home, including Hazrat Umar bin Khattab (ra). The Holy Prophet (sa) said, Come, let me write something down for you, after which you will never go astray. This took place in the final days of the Holy Prophets (sa) illness.
Upon this, Hazrat Umar (ra) said to the people who were present at the time, the Holy Prophet (sa) is extremely ill, and you have the Quran; the Book of Allah is sufficient for you. The others present in the home did not agree with this and objected. They began to disagree with one another;
Some said that a paper and pen should be brought so that the Holy Prophet (sa) could write something down so that they would not go astray. Then there were others who agreed with what Hazrat Umar (ra) had said, that the Holy Prophet (sa) should not be caused any difficulty.
As this conversation continued and they continued to disagree with one another, the Holy Prophet (sa) instructed them to leave. This narration is from (Sahih) Muslim, and there is also some detail of this in (Sahih) Bukhari as well. Ubaidullah bin Abdullah narrates on account of Hazrat Ibn Abbas (ra) who said,
When the Holy Prophet (sa) was severely ill, he said that he should be given something to write with so that he may write something which would never be forgotten. Hazrat Umar (ra) said to those present that the Holy Prophet (sa) was very ill,
We have the Book of Allah meaning they had the Holy Quran which is sufficient and thus there was no need to trouble the Holy Prophet (sa). Following this a disagreement arose and the noise became loud. The Holy Prophet (sa) instructed them all to leave and that people should not quarrel around him.
Upon this, Hazrat Ibn Abbas (ra) left. He used to say that the greatest loss of it all was that the Holy Prophet (sa) was hindered from writing something. I will briefly mention was has been written in the commentary of this (hadith) by Hazrat Syed Zainul Abideen Walliullah Shah Sahib. These words of the hadith clearly show that even in his final moments, the Holy Prophet (sa) was concerned about (ARABIC) that is, in case they forget, he would write something down for them. Dilal can also mean to forget; to go astray as a result of forgetfulness.
And the words, (ARABIC) meaning he was overcome by illness, lest his discomfort should increase. These were the words of Hazrat Umar (ra). Regarding the demise of the Holy Prophet (sa) Shah Sahib says, Hazrat Umar (ra) did not even fathom the Holy Prophets (sa) demise.
When Hazrat Umar (ra) said (ARABIC – we have the book of Allah, that is sufficient for us), he said it because Allah Almighty states, We have left out nothing in the Book (6:39). This is from Surah al-An`am. Then, (Arabic, Holy Quran 16:90 ) (to explain everything (16:90)), He then writes, (ARABIC) meaning some who were extremely emotional at the time like Hazrat Umar (ra), said that at such a time, (the Holy Prophet (sa)) should not be caused any trouble, while others said that his command should be followed and a pen and ink should be brought.
However, the Holy Prophet (sa) instructed them to leave when they began to disagree amongst each other and he said, do not make noise around me. This shows that even in condition of illness, the Holy Prophet (sa) had such a great deal of respect and honour for the Book of Allah,
That after hearing Hazrat Umar (ra) saying this, he no longer asked for a pen, ink and paper to be brought. As is evident from other narrations in Bukhari, the Holy Prophet (sa) remained alive after this incident for a few days
And on that same day he also gave a few other advices as well. However he did not repeat this. Meaning he did not ask for this again. This shows that whatever he had wished to write down was present in the Book of Allah.
It seems that he wished to urge Muslims to remain attached to the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet (sa) agreed with Hazrat Umar and thus remained quiet. This is the level of respect (shown by the Holy Prophet (sa)) which the so called (Muslim) scholars have no concern for.
Shah Sahib writes, It was the Holy Prophets (sa) respect for the Holy Quran that these so called scholars show no regard for. They express one opinion and deem it to be akin to divine revelation. He further writes: We should never forget the pure and noble example of the Holy Prophet (sa).
In comparison to the book of Allah, everything else is worthless. Urwah bin Zubair has narrated on the authority of Ummul Mumineen, Hazrat Aishah (ra), that when the Holy Prophet (sa) passed away, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) was in Sana. Sana was a place situated two miles from Madinah.
Ismael said that he was in the outskirts. When Hazrat Umar (ra) heard this news he stood up. At the time of the Holy Prophets (sa) demise, he (Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)) had gone to the environs of Madinah. When he heard the news of the demise of the Holy Prophet (sa),
Hazrat Umar stood up and said: By Allah! The Messenger (sa) of Allah has not passed away. Hazrat Aishah (ra) says, Hazrat Umar (ra) would often say: By God! Deep down I thought (i.e. Hazrat Umar (ra) thought) that Allah the Almighty would certainly raise the Holy Prophet (sa),
So that some peoples hands and feet would be cut. In the meantime, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) came; Hazrat Umar (ra) was not ready to accept that the Holy Prophet (sa) had passed away. He had said that the Holy Prophet (sa) would be given life again. During this time, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) arrived.
He removed the cloth from the face of the Holy Prophet (sa) and kissed it. He then said, May my mother and father be sacrificed for you; you were pure in this life and when death has overtaken you.
I swear by Him in Whose hands is my life! Allah will never allow two deaths to overcome you, and upon saying this he went outside to where the people were and said, Wait a moment, o ye who is making vows in Gods name! i.e. he addressed Hazrat Umar (ra) and said,
Wait a moment, o ye who is making vows in Gods name. When Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) began speaking, Hazrat Umar (ra) sat down. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) praised and glorified God Almighty and then said: Whosoever worshiped Muhammad, should know that Muhammad (sa) has indeed passed away and whosoever worshipped Allah should remember that He is living and can never die. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) then recited the verse: Surely thou wilt die, and surely they too will die. He then recited the following verse: And Muhammad is only a Messenger. Verily, all Messengers have passed away before him. If then he die or be slain, will you turn back on your heels? And he who turns back on his heels shall not harm Allah at all. And Allah will certainly reward the grateful. Sulaiman states: upon hearing this,
People began to weep so profusely that they began to have hiccups. Hazrat Ibn Abbas (ra) states, By Allah! When Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) recited the (aforementioned) verse, it seemed as if the people were not even aware that such a verse had been revealed by Allah
And it was as if everyone had learnt this verse from him. Thereafter, wherever I would go, I would hear this verse being recited. Zuhri states, Sayyid bin Musayyib told me that Hazrat Umar (ra) said, By Allah! When I heard Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) recite this verse, I became so nervous out of fear
That my legs would not support my weight and I fell to the ground. When I heard Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) recite this verse, I knew that the Holy Prophet (sa) has passed away. On one occasion, the Promised Messiah (as) stated this
And quoted the Arabic wording of the Hadith; at present I will read the translation, when the sermon is published, the words of the Ahadith can be published then as well; the Promised Messiah (as) states, Ibn Abbas (ra) narrates that
(on the day of the Holy Prophets (sa) demise) Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) went outside, Hazrat Umar (ra) was speaking to some people (i.e. saying that the Holy Prophet (sa) had not passed away and was in fact alive).
Upon this, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) said: O Umar! Sit down, but Umar (ra) refused to sit down. Thus, people turned their attention to Abu Bakr (ra) and moved away from Umar (ra). Abu Bakr (ra) praised and glorified Allah and then said: Whosoever worshiped Muhammad (sa), should know that Muhammad (sa) has indeed passed
Away and whosoever worshipped Allah should know that He is living and can never die. And proof of the Holy Prophets (sa) demise is that God has stated: Muhammad was but a messenger, all messengers before him have passed away (i.e. have died) And then he recited the verse up to (ARABIC).
The Promised Messiah (as) writes, The narrator states that before that time, it was as if the people were unaware that God had even revealed such a verse and it seemed to them as if they heard it for the first time when Abu Bakr (ra) recited it to them.
Thus, all the companions learnt (the meaning of) this verse from Abu Bakr and there was no companion or other person who did not recite this verse. Umar (ra) said: By God! I heard this verse for the first time from Abu Bakr (ra). When I heard him recite this verse,
I was moved and pained to such an extent that my legs were unable to carry my own weight, and I fell to the ground as soon as I heard this verse recited and heard the words that the Holy Prophet (sa) had passed away. The Promised Messiah (as) further states:
In Qastallanis commentary of Sahih Bukhari, it is written: I.e. Hazrat Umar (ra) would tell the people that the Holy Prophet (sa) had not passed away, and that he could not pass away until he had killed the hypocrites. The Promised Messiah (as) further states: In Milal wa al-Nihal by Shahrastani, the following extract is mentioned regarding this incident (I will read the translation):
Umar Khattab used to say, Whoever says that the Holy Prophet (sa) has passed away, I will kill him with this sword of mine. In fact, the Holy Prophet (sa) has been raised to the heavens, just like Jesus son of Mary (as). Abu Bakr (ra) said: Whosoever worshiped Muhammad (sa),
Should know that Muhammad (sa) has indeed passed away and whosoever worshipped the God of Muhammad (sa) should know that He is living and can never die. i.e. to live forever and remain is an attribute of God alone. No human or animal before this ever lived forever
That one would assume that the Holy Prophet (sa) will survive for eternity. (It could not be assumed that they would be eternal because they all pass away). Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) then recited the following verse (the translation of which is): And Muhammad (sa) is only a Messenger.
Verily, all Messengers have passed away before him. If then he die or be slain, will you turn back on your heels? Only after hearing this verse did the people abandon this concept. Now ponder that if from this verse of the Quran,
Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) did not believe that all prophets had passed away – furthermore if this proof was not absolutely conclusive – then why is it that 100,000 companions who were present at the time according to you, Accepted something (as an argument) that was doubtful and inconclusive? Why was this argument not put forth (to Hazrat Abu Bakr) that the proof you have given is inconclusive and that you do not possess any absolute or clear verse of the Quran. In fact, the verse (ARABIC) states that Prophet Jesus (as)
Was raised to the heavens with his physical body? Also have you not heard of the verse (ARABIC). Then why is it a far-fetched notion that the Holy Prophet (sa) could be raised physically to the heavens? On the contrary, the companions, who possessed knowledge of the expressions of the Holy Quran,
Upon hearing this verse and the words (ARABIC) and the explanation of the words (ARABIC), immediately abandoned their initial beliefs (of the Holy Prophet (sa) being alive). Indeed, their hearts grieved deeply at the demise of the Holy Prophet (sa) and they were immensely saddened and pained.
Hazrat Umar (ra) said: after hearing this verse my state was such that I could not move a muscle and I fell to the ground. Glory be to Allah! How fortunate were these individuals who obeyed the Quran to the letter!
When they pondered over the verse and understood that all prophets before had passed away, then aside from crying and weeping over their grief, they did nothing else. Then on another occasion, the Promised Messiah (as) said: From the following words of Hazart Umar (ra):
Whosoever says that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) has passed away, I would kill them with this sword of mine it is evident that Hazrat Umar (ra) had mistaken view regarding the life of the Holy Prophet (sa) (in that would not die) and he claimed
That if anyone said that the Holy Prophet (sa) had passed away had exhibited disbelief and become an apostate. May Allah bestow countless blessings on Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) as he was able to swiftly quell this strife and by presenting a clear and unambiguous verse of the Quran
Which declared that all the previous prophets had passed away. In fact, this elucidation and consensus of the companions, he put an end to many false claimants during the Faej Awaj (Era of darkness and misguidance). And just as he (i.e. Hazrat Abu Bakr) had Musailmah Kadhab and Aswad Ansi, etc., killed,
Through this consensus of all the companions, he finished off the false claimants during the Faej Awaj. (i.e. just as he killed a false claimant, he also finished off this false belief). Thus, he did not kill four false claimants, he killed five, as it were.
The Promised Messiah (as) then says: O Allah! Shower countless blessings upon him. If the meaning of Khalat meant that some prophets were raised physically to the heavens, then in such an instance Hazrat Umar (ra) would have been correct, and instead of proving him wrong, this verse would have supported his viewpoint.
However, the next part of the verse explains its meaning, i.e. (ARABIC) which Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) recognised and through this he explained that to believe this verse to mean that all prophets passed before, either through death or whilst alive, is a deceptive notion and a transposition
And a great calumny against that which was intended by God; and only those people can intentionally fabricate this who have no fear of the Day of Reckoning and actively change the meanings intended by God Almighty; they will undoubtedly suffer from the eternal curse of God.
But until this time, Hazrat Umar (ra) was unaware of this verse and some other companions were also under a similar misconception and this error on their part was due to the decreed frailties of man. They believed that some prophets were alive and would return to the world,
Therefore why then would the Holy Prophet (sa) not be included amongst them. But by reading the remainder of the verse (ARABIC), Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) ensured that they understood that the word Khalat is exhibited through two aspects: (ARABIC) i.e. natural death or through being killed.
It was then that those of an opposing view accepted their mistakes and all of the companions unanimously accepted that all previous prophets have passed away, and the words (ARABIC) affected them greatly and everyone abandoned their beliefs contrary to this. All praise is due to Allah for this.
The Promised Messiah (as) mentioned this in Tauhfa Ghaznaviyyah. In another place the Promised Messiah (as) states, On the occasion of the demise of the Holy Prophet (sa), all of the companions testified that all prophets had passed away. In regards to the Holy Prophet (sa), Hazrat Umar (ra) stated
That he has not passed away and stood up with his sword drawn out. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra) then stood up and stated, The situation at the time was akin to the end of times as the Holy Prophet (sa) had departed from this world and all the companions were gathered together, even the army of Usama (ra) did not leave. Upon these words of Hazrat Umar (ra), Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) loudly proclaimed,
Muhammad (sa) has passed away and the argument he presented was that: Now, if even the slightest notion of Jesus (as) being alive in the heaven was entertained by the companions, they would have certainly spoken up. However, they all remained silent and then they went into the marketplaces and announced this verse as if it had just been revealed that very day.
God-forbid, the companions were not such that they would become overawed by Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and would not refute what he said. That was certainly not the case, rather what Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) stated was indeed the truth, hence everyone lowered their heads. This was the Ijmaa (unanimous consensus) of the companions.
Hazrat Umar (ra) also claimed (at the time) that the Holy Prophet (sa) was going to return. Thus, if this argument (put forward by Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)) was not a perfect one – and this could only be perfect if there was no exception
Because had Jesus (as) ascended into the heavens alive then he would have had to return – in such a case this would not have been an argument rather a mockery and Hazrat Umar (ra) himself would have refuted this. The Promised Messiah (as) has repeatedly mentioned this incident in various instances.
The reason why I have narrated these various accounts is so that those who entertain the belief that Jesus (as) to be alive in the heavens, can remove such a thought from their minds because no mortal being has ever ascended into the heavens alive and nor can they ever go.
By virtue of this argument, Jesus (as) has also passed away. Hazrat Ibn Abbas (ra) narrates, once during the era of Hazrat Umars (ra) Khilafat, I was walking along with him whilst he was going to tend to some work of his.
There was no else with him at the time besides me and he was holding a whip in his hand. Hazrat Umar (ra) would be saying something to himself and would repeatedly strike the back of his feet with the whip. Hazrat Umar (ra) then turned towards me and stated,
O Ibn Abbas! Upon the demise of the Holy Prophet (sa), do you know why I said that the Holy Prophet (sa) had not passed away and that whoever stated that he had passed away, I would kill him with my sword? Hazrat Ibn Abbas (ra) narrates, I said, O Leader of the Faithful!
I do not know only you are aware as to why you said that. Hazrat Umar (ra) stated, By Allah! The reason why I said that was because I would read the verse: And thus have We made you an exalted nation, that you may be guardians over men and the Messenger of God may be a guardian over you. By Allah, I believed that the Holy Prophet (sa) would remain alive among his Ummah as a guardian over their deeds.
Thus, it was for this reason that I said this on that day. In relation to Hazrat Abu Bakr’s (ra) Khilafat there is a narration mentioned in Bukhari, which has previously been narrated as well but I shall mention it again.
The Ansar came to the house of the Bani Saidah and gathered around Hazrat Sad bin Ubadah (ra). They claimed that one leader should be appointed form among (the Ansar) and one from among (the Muhajirin). Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), Hazrat Umar bin Al-Khattab (ra),
And Hazrat Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah (ra) went to see them. Just as Hazrat Umar (ra) was about to say something, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) told him to remain silent. Hazrat Umar (ra) used to say that, By Allah, I had prepared such a speech to read out that day
Which I was greatly pleased with and I feared that perhaps Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) would not be able to express it as effectively, i.e. would not be able to say it in the same manner. Thereafter, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) delivered his speech and spoke in such a manner
That no one could have expressed themselves in a more eloquent manner than him. During his speech, he stated that We are the Amirs (leaders) and you are the viziers. i.e. he said that the Ansar were viziers. Upon hearing this, Hubab bin Munzir stated,
Certainly not! By God, we will never allow for this to happen. There shall be one leader from among you and one from among us. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) replied, No, we are the Amirs and you are the viziers, for the Quraish, according to their lineage and tribe,
Have always occupied a higher status amongst the Arabs and it has been this way since ancient times, therefore you must take the Baiat of either Umar or Abu Ubaidah. Hazrat Umar (ra) responded, No, we will only take your Baiat (i.e. referring to Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)) because you are our leader.
You are the best among us and the most beloved of the Holy Prophet (sa) out of us all. After saying this, Hazrat Umar (ra) held the hand of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and performed the Baiat. Thereafter, everyone else also followed and performed the Baiat at the hands of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra).
When Hazrat Umar (ra) held the hand of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and asked to him take their Baiat, Hazrat Umar (ra) also performed the Baiat at his hands and stated, O Abu Bakr! The Holy Prophet (sa) had instructed you to lead the prayers, therefore you are the Khalifah of Allah.
We perform the Baiat at your hands and amongst all of us, you were the most beloved to the Holy Prophet (sa). In regards to the disorder created the by the apostates, it is written in Sirat ibn Hisham that when the Holy Prophet (sa) passed away, the troubles greatly increased.
He states that he came across a narration in which Hazrat Aisha (ra) stated, When the Holy Prophet (sa) passed away, some of the Arabs became apostates and the Jews and Christians began to rise up and their hypocrisy became evident. This was stated by Ibn Ishaq.
Hazrat Abu Hurrairah (ra) relates that after the demise of the Holy Prophet (sa), Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) became the Khalifah and amongst the Arabs, some began to reject the religion of Islam. Upon this, Hazrat Umar (ra) stated to Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra),
How will you fight against these people because the Holy Prophet (sa) had stated that I have been commanded to fight against them until they proclaim that There is none worthy of worship except Allah. (in other words, one cannot fight against those who proclaim that And whosoever recites this, his life and wealth shall be protected, unless there is a lawful reason not to protect it. And the matter of such people will rest with Allah. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) replied, By Allah, whoever distinguishes between the Salat and the Zakat (i.e. abandons the Zakat),
I shall fight against him because the paying of Zakat on ones wealth is an obligation. By Allah, if they refuse to give me even the rope that they tie the legs of their animals with which they previously used to give to the Holy Prophet (sa), I shall fight against them if they refuse.
Hazrat Umar (ra) stated, By Allah, I had seen that it was Allah the Almighty who had granted him the courage to fight and I understood that this indeed was the truth. Upon the departure of Hazrat Usama (ra) bin Zaids army,
Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) called for Hazrat Usama (ra) and gave him some intructions. Hazrat Usama (ra) was mounted on his animal while Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) was walking along with him. Hazrat Usama (ra) requested Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) to ride on the animal
Otherwise he would come off, however Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) stated, Do not come off your ride, by Allah, I will not mount the animal. He further stated, What has happened to me that I cannot allow dust to cover my feet in the way of Allah the Almighty
Because every step taken by one who steps out for battle is equal to the reward of 700 deeds and his rank elevated 700 times and 700 sins of his are forgiven. After imparting his instructions to him, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) stated to Hazrat Usama (ra),
If you deem it appropriate, help me through Umar. In other words, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) requested Hazrat Usama (ra) to leave Hazrat Umar (ra) behind with him because the Holy Prophet (sa) had originally included Hazrat Umar (ra) in the army. Subsequently, Hazrat Usama (ra) accepted this request.
During the era of Hazrat Abu Bakrs (ra) Khilafat, 70 Huffaz-e-Quran (those who had commited the entire Quran to memory) were martyred during the Battle of Yamamah. In regards to this, Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit Ansari (ra) relates that upon the martyrdom of the Muslims at Yamamah, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) called for him.
At the time, Hazrat Umar (ra) was with Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra). Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) stated, Umar has come to me and informed that many people have been martyred in the Battle of Yamamah. He has expressed his concern lest more Qaris (reciters of the Holy Quran) pass away
Owing to the battles and in this way a large part of the Holy Quran will be lost, unless we collate all the manuscripts of the Quran in one place. He suggests is that I should gather these various manuscripts in one place. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) then stated,
I told Umar that how can I do something which the Holy Prophet (sa) did not do himself. However Umar (ra) has stated, By Allah, this action of yours is a very noble deed. Umar continuously said this to me until Allah the Almighty has granted my heart contentment to carry out this work
And now I deem what Umar said to be the most appropriate course of action. At the time Hazrat Umar (ra) was sat next to him and was completely silent. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) then said to Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit (ra),
You are a very young and wise man. We do not find any ill in you. You used to write down the revelations that the Holy Prophet (sa) would receive, therefore wherever you find the manuscripts of the Holy Quran, you should gather them in one place. Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit (ra) stated,
By Allah, if he had asked me to move a mountain from one place to another, I would have found that easier than this task which he had commanded me to carry out, in other words to collate the various manuscripts of the Holy Quran.
I then said to them, How can you two carry out such a task which the Holy Prophet (sa) did not do himself? Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) replied, By Allah, this is a noble deed. Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit (ra) stated, I kept asking them this question
Until Allah the Almighty granted my heart contentment to carry out this task as he had granted to Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hazrat Umar (ra). I then stood up to go and search for the various manuscripts of the Holy Quran.
I then began to gather these which were inscribed on parchments made from animal skin, the shoulder bones of the animals and the branches of the date palm trees as well as that which was memorised by the people. There were two verses of Surah al-Taubah
Which I only found with Hazrat Huzaimah Ansari (ra) and no one else had these verses with them. These verses are as follows: Surely, a Messenger has come unto you from among yourselves; grievous to him is that you should fall into trouble; he is ardently desirous of your welfare and to the believers he is compassionate and merciful. In this narration only verse has been written, however the Hadith mentions that there were two verses,
Perhaps the other verse was the one that follows after this verse. It is mentioned that these manuscripts of the entire Quran remained in the possession of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) until his demise, and then they were in the possession of Hazrat Umar (ra) until his demise,
They were then in the possession of Hazrat Hafsah bint Umar (ra) and then given to Hazrat Usman (ra) as mentioned once before. These accounts will, InshAllah, continue to be narrated in the future. 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.