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. Some of the preparations of the disbelievers of Makkah for battle had been mentioned. Further details in relation to this are as follows. There was one individual by the name Umayyah bin Khalaf, and another by the name Abu Lahab.
When these preparations were underway, they hesitated in setting off for battle. In relation to this, it is written that for this battle, the chiefs of the Quraish required everyone to participate. However, Umayyah bin Khalaf was avoiding to take part in it.
One of the chiefs of Makkah, Uqbah bin Abi Mu’ait went to Umayyah, placed some fragrances and incenses beside him and said: “Take this feminine fragrance, since you are from among the women as well. “What business do you have in battle?” According to another narration, Abu Jahl came to Umayyah and said to him:
“You are one of the chiefs and revered individuals of Makkah. “If people see you backing away from battle, they will refrain (from participating) as well. “Therefore, you should most certainly set off with us, “even if it is just for a day or two and then return.”
In actual fact, Umayyah was afraid of participating in the battle, because the Holy Prophet (sa) had made a prophecy about him being killed and he was aware of it. As such, Hazrat ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud (ra) relates in Bukhari that Hazrat Sa’d bin Mu’adh set off with the intention of performing Umrah And he stayed with Umayyah bin Khalaf. He was acquainted with Umayyah previously. Whenever Umayyah travelled towards Syria and passed through Madinah, he would stay with Hazrat Sa’d. Umayyah said to Hazrat Sa’d, who intended to perform Umrah: “Wait for a bit and perform the tawaf (circling, or walking around the Ka’bah) at noon,
“when people will be unaware (of you doing so).” This was done as a precautionary measure due to the opposition against Muslims. When it was noon, he started doing the tawaf, and while he was doing so, he saw Abu Jahl, who said: “Who is this, circling the Ka’bah?”
Hazrat Sa’d replied: “It is I, Sa’d.” Abu Jahl said: “Will you circle the Ka’bah peacefully, “even though you have given Muhammad (sa) and his followers protection?” Hazrat Sa’d replied: “Yes.” Upon this, both of them started reproaching each other. In other words, Abu Jahl challenged him that how can you perform the tawaf,
Even though you are among those who have granted protection to the Holy Prophet (sa)? In any case, Hazrat Sa’d replied that this is correct. I have granted him protection and I will also perform the tawaf. Upon this, they started reproaching one another. (Following this,) Umayyah said to Hazrat Sa’d:
“O Sa’d! Do not raise your voice to Abul-Hakam (this was Abu Jahl’s appellation), “because he is the chief of the people of the valley.” Hazrat Sa’d replied: “By God! If you prevent me from circling the House of God, “I will create an even harsher hindrance.
“That is, I will close the route for your trade that passes through Madinah “(i.e., towards Syria).” Hazrat ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud (ra) relates that Umayyah kept repeating this to Hazrat Sa’d that he should not raise his voice and stopped him from doing so.
Hazrat Sa’d became angry and said to Umayyah: “Let me be and do not support him (i.e., Abu Jahl)! “I have heard the Holy Prophet (sa) say that he is going to kill you “(that is, he has prophesied your death).” In another narration, it is recorded (that he said),
“Those people (i.e., the companions of Muhammad (sa)) are going to kill you.” Umayyah replied, “Who, me?” Hazrat Sa’d (ra) replied, “Yes, you.” Umayyah then asked, “In Makkah?” to which Hazrat Sa’d (ra) replied “That I do not know.” Upon hearing this Umayyah said, “By God, when Muhammad (sa) speaks, he does not lie.”
He then returned to his wife and said, “Do you know what my Yahtribi brother has said to me?” She asked, “What did he say?” Umayyah answered, “He says that he heard Muhammad (sa) saying that he is going to kill me.” His wife said, “By Allah, Muhammad (sa) does not utter lies.”
This was the prophecy that Umayyah was afraid of and the reason why he did not wish to go to battle against the Muslims. Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas’ud (ra) states that when he went forth towards Badr and someone came to seek assistance,
Umayyah’s wife said to him, “Do you not remember what your Yathribi brother said to you?” and so he desired not to go forth. However, Abu Jahl said, “You are among the chieftains of this valley, “so accompany us for a day or two.”
Hence, he went with them for two days, and Allah had him killed. Some biographers have also raised the point that the Holy Prophet (sa) stated that he would kill him, but he was not the one who did so. Others who have clarified this matter have said that it meant
That he would be the means for him to be killed, otherwise, the Holy Prophet (sa) did not kill anyone aside from Umayyah bin Khalaf’s brother, Ubayy bin Khalaf. The Holy Prophet (sa) killed him during the Battle of Uhud.
These people who have clarified this also state that Hazrat Sa’d (ra) may have said to Umayyah that the companions of Muhammad (sa) would kill him because, as it has been mentioned in the previous narration that either Muhammad (sa) or his companions would kill him.
In any case, he was killed and there is no need to debate who actually killed him, for this prophecy came to fulfilment. Likewise, Abu Lahab was also afraid to go to battle. He sent someone in his stead and did not go himself to fight.
His reason for not going to battle was the dream of Atikah bint Abdul Muttalib. He would say that the dream of Atikah is like something which is taken from one’s hand, i.e., a decided matter. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) has mentioned these details in the following manner:
“There were only two individuals who hesitated in participating, “and they were Abu Lahab and Umayyah bin Khalaf. “However, the reason for this hesitation was not due to any sympathy for the Muslims. “Rather, Abu Lahab feared the dream of his sister Atikah bint Abdul Muttalib,
“which she saw only three days prior to the arrival of Damdam, “indicating the destruction of the Quraish. “Umayyah bin Khalaf feared the prophecy of the Holy Prophet (sa) about his being slain, “which he had learned of from Sa’d bin Mu‘adh (ra), in Makkah.
“However, since there was a concern that if these two renowned chieftains had remained behind “this would have a negative effect on the disbelieving masses, “the other chieftains of the Quraish provoked their passion and sense of honour, “and ultimately compelled them to agree. “In other words, Umayyah became prepared himself
“and Abu Lahab paid a hefty sum to someone else to stand in his place. “In this manner, after a preparation of three days, “an army of over 1,000 fearless warriors was prepared to go forth from Makkah. “This army was still in Makkah when a few chieftains from among the Quraish thought
“that since relations between the people of Makkah and the Banu Bakr, “which was a branch of the Banu Kinanah, were not favourable, “there was a risk that in their absence they might take advantage of the situation and attack Makkah. “Due to this thought, various people from among the Quraish began to waver.
“However, a chieftain of the Banu Kinanah named Suraqah bin Malik bin Ja‘sham, “who was in Makkah at the time, assured them saying, ‘I guarantee that no attack will be waged upon Makkah.’ “As a matter of fact, Suraqah was so vehement in his enmity towards Islam
“that in support of the Quraish, he even accompanied them all the way to Badr himself. “However, when he saw the Muslims there, “he was so awe-stricken that before the war began, he left his companions and fled. “Prior to going forth from Makkah, the Quraish went to the Ka’bah and prayed,
‘O God! Grant succour to that party from among these two parties, ‘which is more noble and more superior in Your estimation; ‘and disgrace and humiliate the other.’ “After this, the army of the disbelievers departed from Makkah with great pomp and pride.” They had prayed for their own defeat from the very outset.
We find a reference which mentions that in the beginning, the Makkan army numbered 1,300. However, the people of the Banu Zuhrah and Banu Adiyy tribes separated from the army during the journey. In this way, the number of the Quraish army was reduced to 950, or 1,000 according to another narration.
Furthermore, they had 100 horses, or 200 horses according to other (narrations), 700 camels, 600 coats of armour, and plenty of other military equipment such as spears, swords, bows and arrows, etc. There is mention of the dream of Juhaim bin Salt in relation to the destruction of the chieftains of the Quraish.
The Quraish departed from Makkah and reached Juhfah. Juhfah is situated approximately 82 miles from Makkah towards Madinah. Juhaim bin Salt said to the people, “I saw in a dream that a man riding a horse came with a camel beside him.
“The person was saying, ‘Utbah bin Rabi’ah has been killed, Shaibah bin Rabi’ah has been killed, ‘Abul Hakam bin Hisham (i.e., Abu Jahl) has been killed, Umayyah bin Khalaf has been killed,’ “and he mentioned all the names of the other chiefs of the Quraish “who were later killed during the Battle of Badr.
“The person then struck a spear into the neck of his camel and left it to come towards our army, “that is to say, there was not a single tent of our army “which had not had blood spilled on it from the camel which belonged to this person who came.”
When Abu Jahl heard of this dream, he said in a mocking and furious manner, “Another prophet has appeared among the Banu Muttalib. “If we fight tomorrow, we shall know for sure who is killed.” Nonetheless, as mentioned earlier, Abu Sufyan changed his route and escaped.
He sent a message to Abu Jahl saying that there is no need to fight, and that he should return. As was mentioned last week, as a precaution, Abu Sufyan went ahead of the caravan and stopped near to a well where he enquired from a man whether he saw anyone pass by from there.
He replied: “I did not see anything out of the ordinary. “However, I saw two people on mounts, who sat their camels by that mound. “After they filled their water skins, they departed.” Abu Sufyan went to the place where the camels rested and picked up the camel droppings,
He broke it open and found date stones inside them. Upon seeing them, he said: “By God! This is the (animal) feed of the people of Yathrib.” He immediately raced towards his comrades and by whipping his camels he diverted the caravan towards the coast.
They passed by Badr to their right side and sped off ahead. I have mentioned this incident in last week’s sermon. Nonetheless, when Abu Sufyan was convinced that his caravan was safe, he sent a message to the Quraish saying: “You only set out to protect your men and your wealth.
“God has saved them. Therefore, return now.” However, upon hearing this message, Abu Jahl said: “By God! We will not return until we reach Badr.” Badr was one area where a festival took place for the Arabs and each year a Bazar would be set up there.
Abu Jahl said: “We will encamp there for three days, slaughter our camels, “prepare a feast, provide alcohol and our servants will sing songs for us. “All of Arabia shall hear about us, about our travel and about our mighty army.
“From then on they will always live in fear of us. Therefore, march on ahead.” He attempted to overawe them and that is why he was adamant that his army will march ahead and reach Badr. Among their army were the Banu Zuhra, regarding whom it is written that they decided to head back.
When Abu Sufyan received this message, Akhnas bin Shuraik, who was confederates with the Banu Zuhra, said: “O Banu Zuhra! “Allah has saved your provisions as well as your comrade, Makhzamah bin Naufal “(he was present in the caravan of Abu Sufyan)
“You left your homes to save Makhzamah and your provisions. Put any blame of cowardice on me” people would say that they were cowards as they were leaving the battlefield. Thus, he said; “place all blame on me and return,
“because in the event that no harm has been done, you have no further business here. “Do not fall for the words of Abu Jahl”. Thus, they all left and not a single person from the Banu Zuhra tribe took part in the battle.
Similarly, nobody from the Banu Adi bin Ka’b went for the battle and instead they all returned. The army of the Quraish marched ahead. Hazrat Abu Talib’s son, Talib, was also present in this army. He spoke with a few people from among the Quraish.
Some of them said to him tauntingly: “O Bani Hashim, by God! “Even though you have come along with us, “we know that deep down your sentiments are with Muhammad.” Upon hearing this, Talib left with many of his friends and headed back towards Makkah. In one narration it is mentioned
That Talib bin Abu Talib was forced to come with the army of the idolaters, however he was not found amongst the prisoners nor was he found amongst those who were killed and neither did he return home. This is a reference of Tabari.
Nonetheless, the remaining army reduced from 1300 to approximately 1000 and continued the journey. They set up camp behind a mound near to Badr. With regards to the Holy Prophet’s (sa) departure from Madinah and the number of the Muslim army,
It is written that the Holy Prophet (sa) left Madinah on Saturday 12th Ramadan, 2 AH. There was a little more than 300 companions with him, among whom 74 were from the Muhajirin and the rest were from the Ansar. This was the first expedition in which the Ansar were also present.
The Holy Prophet (sa) ordered Hazrat Uthman bin Affan (ra) to remain behind in Madinah because his wife, Hazrat Ruqayyah, daughter of the Holy Prophet (sa) was unwell. In one narration it is mentioned that Hazrat Uthman was unwell himself, however, the more authentic narration states that his wife was unwell.
Most of the narrations put the number of the Muslims at 313. Hazrat Bara bin Azib narrates a Hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari that the companions of the Holy Prophet (sa) who took part in the battle of Badr told me
That they numbered the same as the companions of Talut who crossed the river with him, i.e., a little more than 310. Hazrat Bara would say: “By God! Only the believers crossed the river with Talut.” In one narration it is mentioned
That the Holy Prophet (sa) ordered the companions to count how many of them they were. After counting, they informed the Holy Prophet (sa) that they numbered 313. Hearing this, the Holy Prophet (sa) was overjoyed and he said: “this is the same number as the companions of Talut.”
With regards to the numbers of the Muslims in the Battle of Badr, Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) says: “We find that on the occasion of the Battle of Badr, 313 Companions left for battle. “If, instead of 313, 600 or 700 companions had left
“and those companions had also joined them who had remained in Madinah, “then the battle would have become even easier. “However, God Almighty had informed the Holy Prophet (sa) about the battle “but did not permit him to inform the others about it. “This is because Allah the Almighty wanted to fulfil some earlier prophecies.
“For example, there were 313 companions “and there is a prophecy recorded in the bible wherein it states “that the same incident which took place with Gideon “would also take place with Muhammad (sa) and his companions. “When Prophet Gideon fought against his opponents, his army consisted of 313 people.
“Had the companions known that they were leaving from Madinah for battle, “all of them would have left and their numbers would have exceeded 313. “This was the wisdom in Allah the Almighty not revealing this “so that the companions did not exceed 313
“because the prophecy would only have been fulfilled if 313 companions had left for battle. “Hence, it was important to not reveal the news about the battle “and the companions were only informed of the battle against the army of the Quraish “upon reaching the battlefield.” There was a woman, Umm-e-Waraqah bint Naufal (ra).
With regards to her immense passion to partake in Jihad it is mentioned that when the Holy Prophet (sa) was about to leave for Badr, Hazrat Umm-e-Waraqah (ra) requested, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah! “Allow me to partake in the Jihad and I shall tend to the wounded
“and it is possible that Allah may grant me the status of martyrdom.” The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, “you should remain at home “and Allah the Almighty shall grant you martyrdom.” This woman had read the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Prophet (sa) would often visit her.
The Holy Prophet (sa) had given her the name “Shahidah” and thus all the other Muslims also referred to her as “Shahidah”. Later, during the era of Hazrat Umar (ra), a male and female servant of Hazrat Umm-e-Wariqah (ra) wrapped a piece of cloth around her causing her to lose consciousness and eventually die.
Regarding these two servants, she had written as part of her will that upon her demise they would both be set free. The perpetrators of this killing were hanged upon the instruction of Hazrat Umar (ra). Hazrat Umar (ra) stated, “The words of the Messenger (sa) of Allah are indeed true.
“The Holy Prophet (sa) would often say, ‘come with me and let us visit Shahidah.’” Whenever the Holy Prophet (sa) would visit her, he would take Hazrat Umar (ra) and others with him. With regards to the strength of the Muslim army,
According to one narration, it is written that the Muslims had five horses. According to other narrations, there were only two horses; one belonged to Hazrat Miqdad (ra) and the other belonged to Hazrat Zubair (ra). There is a narration of Hazrat Ali (ra) that on the day of Badr,
Apart from Hazrat Miqdad (ra), there was no one else mounted on a horse. In any case, in the various narrations, the maximum number of horses mentioned is 5. The Muslims had 7 armours and 70 or 80 camels and everyone would take turns to mount on them.
The Holy Prophet (sa), Hazrat Ali (ra) and Hazrat Marthad bin Abi Marthad (ra) had one camel between them and would take turns to mount on it. When it was the Holy Prophet’s (sa) turn to walk, both companions of the Holy Prophet (sa) submitted, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah!
“We will continue walking and you can remain mounted upon the camel.” Upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) said, “You are not any stronger than me “and nor am I precluded from seeking the rewards and blessings of this battle. “I also wish to attain the rewards and blessings of this battle.”
There is a prayer of the Holy Prophet (sa) for the noble companions. It is written that on the way, whilst leaving a particular place where they had stopped, the Holy Prophet (sa) offered the following prayer for his companions: “O Allah! They are bare feet, so grant them mounts.
“They do not have any clothes to cover their bodies, so grant them clothes to wear. “They are hungry, so satiate their hunger. “They are poor, so remove their state of dependency out of Your grace.” This prayer was answered and upon their return from Badr,
There was not a single companion who wanted to ride a mount and didn’t have one or two camels available to him to use. Similarly, those who did not have any clothes were granted clothes and they acquired so many provisions that no one remained in need of any food provisions.
Furthermore, they received so much in exchange of releasing those they had captured during the battle that every family became rich. Some of the people remained in Madinah and there were also those who wished to fight but were too young and the Holy Prophet (sa) instructed them to return back.
In relation to this it is mentioned that although a general instruction had been given to leave for Badr, however they did not have much time to prepare. It is mentioned in one of the narrations that some of the people requested that they be permitted to get their animals
Which were kept at some distance outside of Madinah, however they were instructed not to. And so, either these people were left behind in Madinah or they came along on foot. Although it is mentioned that there was a general instruction for all, however there were still some restrictions
And also the Holy Prophet (sa) did not give them much time to prepare lest a lot of people got prepared for battle. It is also mentioned that there were some companions, who though were sincere in their intentions, but due to some reasons were granted permission to remain behind
Just as it was mentioned previously with regards to Hazrat Usman (ra). Similarly, there was Hazrat Abu Umamah bin Tha’labah (ra) whose mother was ill and though he intended to go forth for battle, however the Holy Prophet (sa) instructed him to remain behind with his ill mother.
When the Holy Prophet (sa) returned from Badr, Hazrat Abu Umamah bin Tha’labah (ra) mother had passed away and the Holy Prophet (sa) went and prayed at her grave. Hazrat Sa’d bin Ubadah (ra), who was very passionately encouraging others to go forth and travel
Was bit by a snake and so he remained in Madinah. Also, on the way, the Holy Prophet (sa) stopped at one place and sent back all those who were too young. Among them was Umair bin Abi Waqqas. When he heard the instruction that the children had to return,
He began to cry and so the Holy Prophet (sa) permitted him to go with them for battle and so he took part in the battle and attained martyrdom. Among those children who had to return were Usamah bin Zaid, Rafi bin Khadij,
Bara bin Azib, Husaid bin Zuhair, Zaid bin Arqam and Zaid bin Thabit. Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) states, “A time has come now “whereby people look for excuses from offering sacrifices for Islam and their faith. “Whenever they are called upon
“they claim that they have such and such reason or excuse which prevents them from doing so. “However, owing to the great spiritual influence of the Holy Prophet (sa), “the Muslims had such a spirit of sacrifice instilled in them that not just men and women, “but even the children were filled with this passion.
“On the occasion of the Battle of Badr, the Holy Prophet (sa) called his companions “in order to select those companions who were able to take part in battle. “ At that moment, it is narrated regarding the case of a boy –
“ it is narrated by the boy himself and by other Companions – “it is reported that when the people stood up with the passion to sacrifice their lives for Islam, “the boy also stood up. “However, due to his short height, he appeared smaller than the others
“and there was a risk that he may not be chosen for the task. “For this reason, he stood on his toes and raised his heels higher so that he appears taller. “He also broadened his chest so that he does not appear weak.
“The Holy Prophet (sa) instructed that no male under the age of 15 should be chosen. “Whilst walking and choosing people, the Holy Prophet (sa) approached the boy and said, ‘He is a child. Who has brought him here, take him away?’ “If this incident were to take place today,
“such a child would rejoice at the fact that he has been saved. “However, when this child was separated from the crowd, he cried so profusely “that the Holy Prophet (sa) felt compassion for him and agreed to take him along.
“During this journey, the Holy Prophet (sa) appointed someone in his stead to oversee Madinah. “In this regard, it is recorded that upon leaving Madinah, “the Holy Prophet (sa) appointed Abdullah bin Umm Maktum as his deputy in Madinah. “However, when the Holy Prophet (sa) was approaching Ruha “which was approximately 36 miles from Madinah,
“he appointed Abu Lababah bin Munzar as his deputy instead and sent him back to fortify Madinah “because Abdullah was a blind man and there was a real chance the army of the Quraish could attack. “The Holy Prophet (sa) instructed “that Abdullah bin Umm Maktum would remain the Imam for prayers,
“while Abu Lababah would oversee administrative work. “For the residents of upper Madinah, or in other words for Quba, “the Holy Prophet (sa) appointed ‘Asim bin ‘Adi as a separate deputy. “Concerning the flag of the Muslim army, it is recorded that “the Holy Prophet (sa) appointed Hazrat Mas‘ab bin ‘Umair as the flagbearer.
“This flag was white in colour, and there were two additional black flags besides it, “one of which was called Uqab and in the possession of Hazrat Ali. “This flag was made from the covering of Hazrat Aishah, “and the other flag was given to a Companion among the Ansar.
“According to one narration, the Muslim army had three flags. “The flag of the Migrants was held by Hazrat Mas‘ab bin ‘Umair, “the flag of the Khazraj tribe was held by Hazrat Hubbab bin Munzar “and the flag of the Aus tribe was held by Hazrat Sa’d bin Mu’az.
“Hazrat Khuwat bin Jubair was also among the company for war, “however, along the way a stone hit his leg causing it to bleed, rendering him unable to walk. “As a result, he was forced to return to Madinah. “The Holy Prophet (sa) reserved a portion of the spoils of war for him.
“According to some scholars, he did participate in the Battle of Badr, “however, the aforementioned narration is correct which states that he returned (to Madinah). “There was an idolater whose assistance was denied. “In this regard, it is recorded that there was an exceedingly strong and brave man in Madinah
“by the name of Habib bin Yusaf. “He belonged to the Khazraj tribe and had not accepted Islam “at the time the Battle of Badr was taking place. “Nonetheless, he set out with the people of Khazraj for battle
“and also expected to partake in the spoils of war in the case that they were victorious. “The Muslims were delighted that he was accompanying them in battle, “but the Holy Prophet (sa) proclaimed, ‘Only those will go into war alongside us who practice our faith.’ “In another narration, the Holy Prophet (sa) stated,
‘You should turn back. We do not wish to seek help from an idolater.’ “Habib bin Yusaf approached the Holy Prophet (sa) once more, “however, the Holy Prophet (sa) turned him away a second time. “When he returned for the third time, the Holy Prophet (sa) said,
‘Do you believe in Allah and His Messenger?’ “He replied in the affirmative, after which he became a Muslim and fought bravely in war. “In the course of this journey, it has also been recorded that Hazrat Sa’d hunted a deer. “Upon reaching a certain place during the journey,
“the Holy Prophet (sa) addressed Hazrat Sa’d bin Abi Waqas and said, ‘O Sa’d, look at that deer and shoot it with an arrow.’ “Enroute, they spotted a deer upon which the Holy Prophet (sa) stopped. “The Holy Prophet (sa) placed his blessed chin between Hazrat Sa’d’s shoulders and ears and said,
‘Shoot the arrow. O Allah, make his aim accurate.’ “He shot the arrow, and his aim did not deviate from the deer. “Upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) smiled and Hazrat Sa’d ran to the deer. “He took hold of it and noticed that it was still alive.
“Thus, he slaughtered it and took it with him. “According to the Holy Prophet’s (sa) instructions, “(the meat) was distributed amongst the companions. “The Holy Prophet (sa) resumed the journey until they reached Safra’, “a lush green valley laden with dates which was just a day’s journey away from Badr.
“The Holy Prophet (sa) sent two men for reconnaissance “towards Badr to gain insight about Abu Sufyan. “The Holy Prophet (sa) also continued to advance forward alongside the army “until they reached the Valley of Zafran – located near the Valley of Safra’ – “at which place they set up their encampment.
“Both men whom the Holy Prophet (sa) had sent for reconnaissance towards Abu Sufyan “walked until they reached Badr. “They seated their camels by a hill adjacent to the body of water and filled their waterskins. “They heard the voices of two girls who were holding onto each other “as they approached the water.
“One girl said to the other, ‘The caravan will arrive either tomorrow or the day after. ‘I will earn wages by working for them and repay your dept.’ “Apart from the girls, “there was also a man present there who said, ‘You are telling the truth.’
“The men sent by the Holy Prophet (sa) overheard this conversation. “They mounted their camels, returned to the Holy Prophet (sa) “and informed him of what they had learned. “ They reported that an army will soon be approaching. “Upon learning this, the Holy Prophet (sa) also became more cautionary.”
I will speak on the remaining details at a later time. At this time, I wish to mention a few deceased members. The first funeral prayer is of respected Sheikh Ghulam Rahmani Sahib of the UK. He passed away a few days ago at the age of 92. He was the son of Hazrat Sheikh Ghulam Jilani Sahib of Amritsar, a companion of the Promised Messiah (as). He was also the son-in-law of respected Sheikh Rahmatullah Sahib, who served as the Amir Jama’at in Karachi for a long time. Respected Sheikh Ghulam Rahmani Sahib’s father travelled to Qadian in 1902
And was privileged to meet the Promised Messiah (as). He accepted the Promised Messiah (as) immediately, saying that a countenance such as the Promised Messiah’s (as) could not belong to a liar. Ghulam Rahmani Sahib migrated to England in 1958, where he acquired a degree in electrical engineering.
Thereafter, he worked for an extended period of time in a medical research council at a hospital here. For many years, he served as the National General Secretary, and for 10 years, he had the opportunity to serve as the local president of the South Hall Jama’at.
For the South Hall mission, he tried a great deal to acquire the approval from the local council, and Allah the Almighty caused his efforts to come to fruition. When the mission house was established in a house, a neighbour filed a complaint to the local council.
The local council assessed the situation and decided to close the mission house, however, with great effort and exertion, Rahmani Sahib presented his stance to the council. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, he was granted success and a decision was made in favour of the Community.
Year after year, Rahmani Sahib held Sunday classes at the South Hall mission house through which he imparted teachings of Islam Ahmadiyyat to new generations. In 1996, he was appointed as the National Secretary Wasayyah, and in 2005 when I laid emphasis on the scheme of Wasiyyat
And said that 50 percent of chanda payers should be Musi, he rendered immense efforts to fulfil this and continued to encourage members in this regard. He also computerized and organized the department of Wasiyyat. He was regular in offering prayers, fasting and reciting the Qur’an.
He spoke kindly, had a mellow demeanour , was a man of few words and greeted others with love. He was a pious, compassionate and sincere man who was passionately devoted to Khilafat. He also had the opportunity to perform the pilgrimage of Hajj.
He was a Musi and is survived by his wife Jamilah Rahmani Sahiba, his son Khalid Rahmani and his daughter Aishah. He is the brother-in-law of Dr Nasim Rahmatullah Sahib, the chairman of the Alislam website. Laiq Tahir Sahib, a missionary of the Community writes,
‘He would come to the Fazl Mosque every month, offer a large sum as alms and take his receipt. “During that time, I was only able to learn this much about him, “however, his virtues had an impact on his nature.
“I became better acquainted with him when I was posted in South Hall in 1990 as a missionary.” He further states, “In those days, he was the local president of the South Hall Jama’at. “He looked after the mission house as if it were his own home.
“He spent most of his time at the mission house and would clean it up and keep it organized. “The mission house was also expanded during his time. “He was a man of etiquettes; “he treated both the young and old with love and had an elderly demeanour.
“He safeguarded the funds of the Community and he was exceedingly selfless.” I have also witnessed these qualities of his that have been mentioned. He was exceptionally humble and sincerely devoted to Khilafat; he was truly outstanding in this regard. There are very few people like this.
May Allah the Almighty treat him with forgiveness and mercy, elevate his station and enable his children to adopt his virtues and carry them forward. The second funeral is in absentia. Rahmani Sahib’s will be offered here in person after the Friday prayer, InshAllah,
And along with it there are some other funeral prayers in absentia. The first of the funeral prayers in absentia is of Tahir Aag Muhammad Sahib from Mahdi Abad, Dori, Burkina Faso. He recently passed away at the age of 44. The Missionary In-Charge writes that his father pledged allegiance in 1999 however he did not pledge allegiance himself. Then, at the age of 19, he suffered from a foot ailment and so he went to Ouagadougou for treatment.
During his illness, he prayed a great deal for Allah the Almighty to guide him to the right path and to guide him as to whether Ahmadiyyat is true. This was his passion during his youth to learn about faith and he prayed to Allah the Almighty for it.
During his treatment he saw various dreams which gave him contentment and upon returning he pledged allegiance. He then learned sewing from the Community’s sewing centre and made this his profession. This past Eid, on Eid-ul-Fitr, clothes had to be sewn for the families of the martyrs of Burkina Faso,
However there was no seamstress willing to take the job. When the missionary there, Rana Farooq Sahib, approached him about this, he agreed and he along with his wife worked day and night and sewed and sent the clothes before Eid for 70 people. Muhammad Sahib had a passion for Tabligh (propagation of Islam)
And he was very eloquent in his speech. Despite having little to no formal education, he was very fluent in the French language. Due to cancer, his leg was amputated from above the knee. A few days ago, all of a sudden, he experienced some pain again
In the area where the leg had been amputated and it became swollen. Because the country’s conditions are not very good and all the roads are blocked, he was unable to reach the major hospital in Ouagadougou and so he stayed at the local hospital.
He remained there for a few days after which he passed away. Ever since he became an Ahmadi, he had a passion for Tabligh and he would always find a way to do so. He bought a smartphone and told Imam Al-Haj Ibrahim Bardaga Sahib
To record Tabligh messages in it and send them to people. Hence, he did Tabligh in this way and bore the cost for it himself. He is survived by two wives and five children. May Allah the Almighty grant them patience and forbearance and enable them to carry on the legacy of his virtues.
May He elevate the deceased’s station. The next mention is of Khwaja Daud Ahmad Sahib, who passed away on 25 May at the age of 80. One of his sons, Khwaja Fahad Ahmad is a missionary in Kiribati. He says, “Ahmadiyyat was established in our family through my paternal grandfather “Khwaja Abdul Latif Sahib, son of Khwaja Ahmad Deen Sahib. “My grandfather was raised in the home of his maternal grandfather
“Khwaja Ghulam Muhammad Sahib who was an Ahmadi by the grace of Allah.” He says, “It was under his care that in 1917 at the approximate age of 11 years, “my paternal grandfather accepted Ahmadiyyat “and thus became the only Ahmadi among his siblings.”
He had the opportunity of serving the Community for a long time in Canada. Before that in Pakistan, he had the opportunity of serving the Community in Islamabad. In 1974 when he was serving as Qaid Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya Islamabad, he had the honour of serving the Third Caliph (rh)
When he arrived to attend the Pakistani National Assembly. In this regard, the Third Caliph (rh) even expressed his happiness with him. He was an Engineer by profession. He had a profound love and connection with Khilafat. He always strove to serve the Community in the best possible manner. At the time of his demise,
He was at the local centre attending a meeting of the local executive committee. Just a short while before departing for home he started experiencing some pain in his chest and in a matter of minutes he returned to his Lord. The deceased was a Musi. He is survived by his wife, four sons and a daughter. As I mentioned, one of his sons is a life devotee, a missionary serving in Kiribati. Due to the preparations for Jalsa (the Annual Convention) there and other duties in serving the Community
He was unable to travel to Canada and attend his father’s funeral. May Allah the Almighty grant him patience and forbearance. May He elevate the deceased’s station. The next mention is of respected Syed Tanvir Shah Sahib who was from Saskatoon, Canada. He recently passed away while in Paraguay
Where he had gone for a temporary period of devotion. He only has one son, Syed Raza Shah Sahib who is a missionary. Tanvir Shah Sahib’s mother, Farrukh Khanum Sahiba travelled from Turkey to Qadian along with her brother Haji Junoodullah Sahib and with her mother in order to pledge allegiance. His son writes, “My paternal grandfather Bashir Shah Sahib
“was the maternal grandson of Hazrat Syed Abdul Sattar Shah Sahib (ra). “ In this way, he was also related to Hazrat Umm Tahir Sahiba. ” The deceased was a loyal member of the Community. Tanvir Shah Sahib was always ready to serve the Community.
His son writes, “He always took us to programmes of the Community. “Every Friday he would have us take leave from school and take us to the Friday Prayer. “He gave great importance to financial sacrifice “and would always set aside a portion of his income for this purpose,
“and would also enjoin those in his home and others in the Community to do the same. “He had a passion for Tabligh. “He would often analyse how we could propagate the Community’s message in the best way. “He also happily conveyed that message in Paraguay
“ and two people accepted Ahmadiyyat while he was there. “He was very content. He never sought after wealth nor did he have any greed for it. “In fact, whatever Allah gave him he would always remain thankful for it. “In other words, he had complete faith and trust in Allah the Almighty
“that he would provide whatever he needed. “Whenever faced with some difficulty, he would say, ‘Pray, Allah will take care of it.’ “Indeed, Allah the Almighty would take care of the matter.” His son says, “He would constantly tell me that as a missionary, “I must understand my responsibilities and work with sincerity.”
His wife says, “We were together for 39 years and I never saw any shortcoming in him. “He had a great deal of love and loyalty for the Caliph of the time, “and he enjoined the same to his children. “Not only did he tread upon the right path himself,
“but he took his children along the same path as well.” She says, “In our entire lifetime, he never spoke ill of others, and he also cared for his in-laws.” She says, “Whenever my mother needed me he would happily send me to her.” The missionary in Paraguay, Abdul Nur Baten Sahib says,
“In Canada, he had the opportunity of serving in various capacities. “Yet, he had no aspect of pride or expressing superiority in him. “He had a passion for serving the Community. “Wherever he went, he did his work considering it to be a duty and did it with great love.”
He says, “His personality has left a deep impact upon the youth of Paraguay. “He taught them patience, kindness, and hospitality.” The Local President of the Community in Regina, Habibur Rahman Sahib says, “He was a sincere servant of the Community. “He was always smiling; I never saw him become angry.
“He was very tender hearted and would delegate work to volunteers very lovingly. “He never expressed any fatigue due to service. “It seems as if he was always occupied with finding ways to please his Lord. “He had a high degree of love for Khilafat.”
A new convert from Paraguay, Ilyas Oliver says, “I only knew him for a short while, “but in this short span of time he has left a great inheritance for my friends and I; “those who are new to the path of Islam.
“From him we learned patience, and we learned to always be helpful, kind and good.” He says, “He taught us that in order to teach something to someone it is not necessary to speak “rather people learn from practical acts of service “and this also serves as a means for Tabligh.”
May Allah the Almighty grant forgiveness and mercy to the deceased, grant patience and forbearance to his children and enable them to carry on the legacy of his virtues. There is also mention of Rana Muhammad Zafarullah Khan Sahib who was a missionary. He recently passed away.
He was the son of Rana Ataullah Khan Sahib. He passed away at the end of April. Ahmadiyyat was established in his family through his paternal grandfather Rana Ilahuddin Sahib who accepted Ahmadiyyat in 1931 at the hand of Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra). After pledging allegiance, he faced severe opposition, as a result of which some other family members of his became apostate,
However he remained steadfast upon Ahmadiyyat and continued to propagate his faith. Rana Zafarullah Sahib graduated from Jamia in 1987 after which he was able to serve for a consecutive 36 years. Most of his period of service was spent in the field in various areas as a missionary.
Syed Naimatullah Sahib who is an Afghan missionary and is currently serving in Ghana says, “He was living in Achini Payan, Peshwar “which is where we migrated to from Afghanistan in 1999 or 2000. “He was very simple in nature, humble and possessed the qualities of a dervish.
“He worked very hard, was very loving and sincere. “He has done many favours upon the Community in Afghanistan.” He says, “Allah enabled three of us Afghans to become missionaries because of him.” He was very kind to the poor, and he would help them in secret.
His wife says, “Upon hearing the news of his demise, “there were many men and women came to our home to offer their condolences “whom none of us recognised. “They were also worried because they said that the Missionary had established a stipend for them
“for which he would take donations from his relatives and other charitable people “and use it to help the poor. “They were also worried about what would become of them after the missionary’s demise.” His son-in-law, who is a missionary, says,
“I have met very few people who are as selfless as Rana Muhammad Zafarullah Khan Sahib.” He says, “I never saw any sort of haughtiness or arrogance in him. “He was quick to forgive; “even if the other person was in the wrong, he would be the first to seek forgiveness.
“He was very loving and always helpful to others.” He is survived by his mother, wife, and three daughters. May Allah the Almighty elevate the deceased’s station and grant him forgiveness and mercy. May he enable his children to carry on the legacy of his virtues. 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.