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. As was mentioned in the previous Friday Sermon, the informants of the Holy Prophet (sa) returned and informed him of an approaching caravan, or army. When the Holy Prophet (sa) learnt of the news
That the army of the Quraish was approaching in order to protect their trade caravan, he sought counsel from his companions and informed them of the situation regarding the Quraish. Upon this, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) stood up and delivered an excellent speech, following which Hazrat Umar (ra) also stood and delivered an excellent speech.
Thereupon, Hazrat Miqdad bin Amr (ra) stood and humbly submitted, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah! March towards that which you have been commanded by Allah. “We are with you. By Allah, we will not say to you what the Israelites said to Moses (as): “(Arabic, Holy Qur’an 5:25)
“That is, ‘Go thou and thy Lord and fight, and here we sit.’ “In fact, we will say, ‘You and Your Lord go ahead for battle ‘and we too shall join with you in the battle. ‘By Allah, Who has raised you as a prophet with the truth,
‘even if you lead us to Bark al-Ghimad, we will march with you.’” In relation to Bark al-Ghimad, it is written that it is located in Yemen, at a distance of a five day journey from Makkah. This was a metaphor used by the Arabs, signifying a long distance. Following this, he said:
“We will continue fighting the enemy along your side until your reach your destination.” The Holy Prophet (sa) wished them well and prayed for them. A historian has written that Bark al-Ghimad was located to the south of Makkah, at a distance of approximately 430 kilometres;
Away from the main route of travel in a far off place. Due to the long distance and difficulty travelling there, it was used as an idiom, just like Koh-e-Qaf (Mount Qaf) in Urdu signifies and connotes a long distance. This meant that regardless of how far the Holy Prophet (sa) would go,
They would remain by his side. We also find some elaboration in relation to this because some historians have raised a question in relation to this that the verse Hazrat Miqdad (ra) recited was of Surah al-Ma’idah, whereas this Surah was revealed much later.
As such, it seems doubtful that this verse was recited on this occasion. Nevertheless, the scholars also suggest some possibilities for this such as them having heard this statement of Israelites from the Jews, or that one of the later narrators might have added this verse.
In any case, this objection does not carry much importance, since this narration has been quoted frequently in the books of history. As such, in a commentary of Bukhari, Fath-ul-Bari by Ibn Rajab, it is written that to say that the entire Surah al-Ma’idah was revealed
On the occasion of Hajjat-ul-Wida (farewell pilgrimage of the Holy Prophet (sa)) is incorrect. Some of its verses had been revealed much earlier. Hazrat Miqdad (ra) recited one of these verses on the occasion of the Battle of Badr. Nevertheless, for them to have heard this from the Jews could also be true.
It is further narrated that these three, i.e., Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), Hazrat Umar (ra) and Hazrat Miqdad (ra) were among the Muhajirin, which is why the Holy Prophet (sa) desired to seek the opinion of the Ansar. The Holy Prophet (sa) thus said, “O people, give me your counsel,”
And in actuality sought the suggestion from the Ansar. Perhaps another reason for this is that during the Pledge of Aqabah they said, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah, whilst you do not come to our city “we are not responsible for you, but when you do come to Madinah,
“we will most certainly be responsible for you. “We will protect you from everything just as we protect our children and our women.” Therefore, the Holy Prophet (sa) was expressing his concern that the Ansar would only defend against the enemy who launch an attack on Madinah
Thinking that it was not incumbent upon them to face the enemy outside of their city. However, when the Holy Prophet (sa) stated this, Hazrat Sa’d bin Muaz (ra) said, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah! Perhaps it is our counsel that you seek.” The Holy Prophet (sa) replied in the affirmative.
Hazrat Sa’d (ra) then said, “Indeed we have believed in you, testified to your truthfulness, “and borne witness that the religion you have brought is the truth. “Moreover, we have made a promise to you and made a firm oath to follow your instructions.
“O Messenger (sa) of Allah, go forth wherever you please, we are with you. “We swear by that Being, Who has sent you with the truth, “that if you take us to the sea and you go in yourself, we shall also dive into it with you,
“and not a single one of us shall hold back. “We are not displeased if you take us tomorrow to face the enemy. “We are steadfast in battle, we show loyalty when encountering the enemy, “and we are hopeful that Allah the Almighty will show you that we can attain those feats
“which shall be the delight of your eyes. “So with the blessings of Allah take us with you.” There is a narration in Sahih Muslim in which these words have been ascribed to Hazrat Sa’d bin Ubadah (ra), however, according to the majority of the narrations,
Hazrat Sa’d bin Ubadah (ra) did not participate in the Battle of Badr, and therefore, the historians have tried to consolidate between the two narrations and suggested that perhaps the Holy Prophet (sa) took counsel on two occasions. The first took place in Madinah when he received news of the caravan,
And Hazrat (Sa’d bin) Ubadah (ra) made this statement, and the second time the Holy Prophet (sa) took counsel was when he was en route and Hazrat Sa’d bin Mu’adh (ra) spoke these words. In any case, this is what the various commentators have written in their commentary,
But in reality, it was Hazrat Sa’d bin Mu’adh (ra) who said this. Hearing this from Hazrat Sa’d (ra), the Holy Prophet (sa) was filled with joy and stated, “Go forth and rejoice in the glad tidings; “Allah Almighty has promised me victory over one of the two parties.
“I swear by God that at this very time, “I am witnessing the places where the enemy men shall fall after being slain.” Hearing these words, the companions became joyful, but at the same time they said in surprise: “O Messenger (sa) of Allah! If you had known of the army of the Quraish from before, “why then did you not mention to us the prospect of war whilst we were still in Madinah, “so that we may have prepared before setting out?” However, despite this news and counsel,
And despite this glad-tiding conveyed by the Holy Prophet (sa) from Allah, which indicated that the Muslims would definitely attain victory over one of these two parties, until now, the Muslims had as of yet, not found out which party they would encounter. They realised the possibility of confronting one of these two groups,
And naturally desired to encounter the weaker of the two, i.e., they desired to confront the caravan. Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) writes in this regard: “When, at the time of Badr, a battle was about to ensue outside of Madinah, “the Holy Prophet (sa) gathered all the Companions and said,
‘O people, I seek your counsel, for I have come to know that we will not fight against the caravan. ‘Instead, we will face off against the army of Makkah.’ “One after another, the Muhajirin Companions stood up and submitted,
“O Messenger (sa) of Allah, you may certainly go forth for battle. We are with you.” “However, every time a Companion would express their thoughts, “the Holy Prophet (sa) would follow to say, “O people, I seek your counsel.” “The Holy Prophet (sa) thought that although Muhajirin are giving their suggestions,
“it was the Ansar that were truly in question. “The Ansar were silent because the aggressors were the people of Makkah. “The Ansar thought that if they expressed their readiness to fight the Makkans, “perhaps the Muhajirin may feel offended; “they may dislike if they expressed their eagerness to kill their kinsmen.
“However, after the Holy Prophet (sa) repeatedly sought counsel, “an Ansar Companion stood up and said, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, You have been given counsel. ‘One after another, a Muhajir stands and affirms their willingness to fight, ‘yet you continue to ask the people for counsel.
‘From this, it seems as though you are addressing the Ansar.’ “The Holy Prophet (sa) replied in the affirmative. “The Companion then said, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, ‘we were silent for fear of causing anguish to our Muhajirin brothers. ‘If we expressed our willingness to fight,
‘the Muhajirin may think that we are proposing to kill their families and kinsmen.’ “He further said, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, ‘perhaps you are referring to the pledge we made at Aqabah, ‘wherein we pledged to assist you should the enemy attack Madinah
‘and that we would not be liable for a battle taking place outside of Madinah.’ “The Holy Prophet (sa) said, ‘Yes, this is the matter indeed.’ “The Companion replied, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, at the time we made that covenant, ‘we did not fully understand your true status.
‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, your truth has manifested to us and your status is clear to us. ‘That covenant holds no importance. ‘The sea is before us. ‘If you so much as give the command, we are prepared to ride into it on our horses.
‘If a battle takes place, by God, we will fight on your right and your left, ‘and we will fight from in front of you and behind you. ‘The enemy will not be able to reach you unless they walk over our corpses.’” Following this counsel, the Holy Prophet (sa) departed from that place
And, by taking various routes, arrived close to Badr. Details about Badr have already been mentioned previously, but I will present them once more. Badr is located 150 kilometres southwest of Madinah. Its landscape is an oval-shaped and desert-like plain, measuring five and a half miles long and four miles wide.
It is surrounded by tall mountains and had many wells and orchards where caravans would often set up camp. A short while after arriving close to Badr, the Holy Prophet (sa) and Hazrat Abu Bakr set out on their mounts until they encountered an old Arab man. Without revealing their identities,
They asked the old man about the Quraish and about Muhammad (sa) and his followers. The old man replied, “I will only tell you when you tell me what tribe you belong to.” The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, “After you tell us about what we asked, “we too, shall tell you about ourselves.”
“One thing in exchange for another,” the old man remarked. The Holy Prophet (sa) replied in the affirmative. The old man said, “I have come to know that Muhammad (sa) “and his followers departed (from Madinah) on such and such day.
“If my informant is true, then they must be at such and such place at this time.” The old man mentioned the name of the place where the Holy Prophet (sa) had arrived. He further stated, “I have also come to know that the Quraish departed on such and such day.
“If my informant is true, then they must have reached such and such place.” He mentioned the name of the place where the Quraish were positioned. Both of his statements were correct. After giving this information, the old man inquired, “What tribe do you belong to?”
The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, “We are from the water.” Following this, the Holy Prophet (sa) turned away from him. The old man asked, “You are from the water? What does that mean? “Are you referring to the water of Iraq?” The Holy Prophet’s (sa) answer here seems to have more than one meaning.
Historians have also discussed this at length. Our team tasked with extracting references has also extracted statements of historians regarding this. I will present a summary of this. Historians have raised the point that the Holy Prophet (sa) did not give the correct response that he promised. Other historians have refuted this by saying that
The Holy Prophet (sa) did not give him a false answer. Indeed, the Holy Prophet (sa) responded ambiguously so as to not lie, nor reveal his exact origins, especially during circumstances of danger and war. The Holy Prophet’s (sa) statement about being from the water refers to the Quranic statement,
“We made from water every living thing.” This has been mentioned by one of the historians by the name of Abu Bakr Jabar al-Jaza‘iri. Another historian says that it was an Arab custom to refer to the names of water source or water springs of the area to indicate the area in which one resides.
This is what ‘Allama Burhan Halabi has stated in this regard. Another possible explanation could be that the Holy Prophet (sa) was referring to the same water spring that they had settled around in Badr, which was also mentioned by the old man,
But indicated to it in a manner that caused the old man to mistake it for the direction of Iraq. In this case, the direction of the water spring and Iraq would be the same. Nonetheless, Allah knows better. Thereafter, the Holy Prophet (sa) returned to the Companions.
In the evening, the Holy Prophet (sa) sent Hazrat Ali (ra), Hazrat Zubair bin al-Awwam (ra) and Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (ra) along with a few other companions towards the water spring in Badr in order to gather further information. There, they encountered two slaves from the Quraish who were tasked with fetching water.
The companions apprehended them and began to question them, at the time the Holy Prophet (sa) was standing and offering prayers. Both of them admitted that they were sent to fetch water for the Quraish. The Companions did not accept what they said and suspected that they were hired by Abu Sufyan.
Thus, the Companions treated them in a rather strong manner. Upon continuing with their strong approach, they said that they were hired by Abu Sufyan, upon which the Companions released them. Upon concluding his prayer, the Holy Prophet (sa) said,
“When they told you the truth, you hit them, and when they lied to you, you released them. “By God, they have spoken the truth. They are undoubtedly the slaves of the Quraish.” Then, addressing the two slaves, the Holy Prophet (sa) said, “Tell me about the Quraish.”
They responded, “By God, their encampment is behind that hill on the other end of the valley.” The Holy Prophet (sa) then asked, “How many are they?” They responded, “They are many.” When they were asked as to their exact number, they said that they did not know.
The Holy Prophet (sa) then asked, “How many camels do they slaughter each day for consumption?” They replied, “Some days, they slaughter 10 camels, while other days they slaughter nine.” Upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) said, “They number between 900 and 1000.”
The Holy Prophet (sa) made this estimation based on the number of camels they consumed. The Holy Prophet (sa) then asked them which chieftains of the Quraish were among them. They named a number of Quraish chieftains, including Abu Jahl, ‘Utbah, Shaybah, Hakim bin Hizam, Umayyah bin Khalaf and so on.
The Holy Prophet (sa) then turned towards the people and said, “Observe, Makkah has thrown before you its heroes.” Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) has also written about this in the following words: “The Holy Prophet (sa) addressed the Companions saying: “(ARABIC) ‘Here you are! Makkah has thrown before you its greatest heroes.’ “These were immensely intelligent and wise words,
“which the Holy Prophet (sa) uttered spontaneously. “The reason being, that instead of the weaker Muslims becoming disheartened “upon hearing the names of so many renowned chieftains of the Quraish, “these words, led their faculty of perception to believe
“as if God had sent these leaders of the Quraish, to serve as prey for the Muslims.” Following this, the Holy Prophet (sa) ordered his army to march ahead so that they could reach the well of Badr before the arrival of the idolaters and so that the idolaters would not get the upper hand.
Hence, the Holy Prophet (sa) reached the closest well to Badr at Isha time. On this occasion Hazrat Habbab bin al-Mundhir (ra) made a suggestion. When the Holy Prophet (sa) reached the closest well to Badr, Habbab bin al-Mundhir (ra) said: “O Messenger (sa) of Allah! Have you encamped here under divine command,
“and that we should not move from this place or is this merely your opinion and a war strategy?” The Holy Prophet (sa) replied: “This is based on conjecture and merely a war strategy.” Hearing this, Habbab bin al-Mundhir (ra) said: “This place is not ideal.
“It would be better to advance and take possession of the spring located closest to the Quraish. “Furthermore, seal up all the other wells and prepare a reservoir for us. “As a result when we combat the enemy, we will have water and the enemy will not have any water.”
The Holy Prophet (sa) said: “You are right,” and took the army to the closest well to the Quraish and set up camp. Under his orders, the remaining wells were sealed up and where the Muslims camped, a reservoir was made. This reference is from Sirat Ibn Hisham.
Having selected the place for setting up camp, the next stage was for preparing a place for rest for the Holy Prophet (sa). Owing to the suggestion of Sa’d bin Mu’adh (ra), leader of the Aus tribe, the companions prepared a canopy for the Holy Prophet (sa) to one side of the plain.
Hazrat Sa’d bin Mu’adh (ra) said: “O Messenger (sa) of Allah! “Should we not prepare a canopy for you wherein you can rest?” Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) has written a detailed account of this incident which I have mentioned previously. However it is necessary to mention here as well.
“After a place to setup camp had been selected, “upon the proposal of Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh (ra), chieftain of the Aus, “a sort of canopy was prepared for the Holy Prophet (sa) to one side of the field. “Sa‘d (ra) tied the mount of the Holy Prophet (sa) close to the tent and said:
‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah! Take a seat in this tent, ‘and we shall fight the enemy in the name of Allah. ‘If Allah grants us victory, then this is our very desire. ‘But if God-forbid, the matter takes a turn for the worse, ‘then take your mount and reach Madinah in any way possible.
‘There you shall find our brethren and kindred, who are no less than us in love and sincerity. ‘However, since they were unaware that they would be confronted by war in this campaign, ‘they have not come along. ‘Otherwise, they would never have remained behind. ‘When they become aware of the state of affairs,
‘they shall not desist in laying down their lives to protect you.’ “This was the passionate sincerity of Sa‘d (ra), which is worthy of praise in any case; “but can it be fathomed that “the Messenger of Allah would ever flee from the field of battle?
“As such, in the field of Hunain, an army of 12,000 turned their backs, “but this centre of Divine Unity (i.e., the Holy Prophet (sa)) did not shake an inch. “In any case, the tent was prepared, and Sa‘d (ra) along with a few other Ansar, “surrounded it and stood guard.
“The Holy Prophet (sa) retired to this tent along with Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) “and the spent night there. “According to another narration it is mentioned that “Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) stood guard next to the Holy Prophet (sa) “all night with an unsheathed sword.
“All night long, weeping and wailing, the Holy Prophet (sa) supplicated before Allah. “It is written that in the entire army, “it was only the Holy Prophet (sa) who remained awake all night. “The rest were able to take some rest in turns.” Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) writes: “When they reached the plains of Badr,
“the companions made an elevated area and asked the Holy Prophet (sa) to sit there. “They then conferred amongst each other to find out who had the fastest camel. “Thus, they brought the fastest camel and tied it near the Holy Prophet (sa).
“When the Holy Prophet (sa) saw this he asked: ‘What is all this?’ “They said: ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah! We are few in number and the enemy outnumber us. ‘We fear lest we are all martyred here. ‘We do not worry for our own lives,
‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, we are worried lest you suffer any pain. ‘If all of us die, it will not affect Islam one bit, ‘however, the future of Islam is dependent upon you. ‘Therefore, it is vital for us to ensure the means for your protection.
‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah! We have appointed Abu Bakr (ra) for your protection ‘and tied a fast camel near to you. ‘If, God forbid, a time comes where we are killed, one by one, ‘then O Messenger (sa) of Allah this camel is here, use this to reach Madinah.
‘Some of our brethren are present there, they did not know that a battle would take place. ‘Had they known they would have set out with us. ‘You should go to them, they will protect you and you will be safeguarded from the enemy. ‘Nonetheless, the Holy Prophet (sa) would not have accepted this,
‘nor would he be prepared to do it. ‘But this was the love and passion of the companions.’” Regarding this, Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) has written: “Hazrat Ali (ra) once said: ‘The most brave and courageous amongst the companions was Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra).’ “He then said that during the Battle of Badr,
“when a separate canopy was made for the Holy Prophet (sa), “a question arose as to who would be assigned to guard the Holy Prophet (sa). “Upon this, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) immediately stood up with his sword unsheathed. “During this extremely delicate time,
“Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) stepped forward with the utmost bravery and courage “to guard the Holy Prophet (sa).” Nonetheless, the following morning, the Quraish advanced from their camps. When the Holy Prophet (sa) saw them, he prayed: “O Allah! The Quraish are here in all their pride and arrogance
“in order to fight against You and have declared Your Messenger (sa) to be a liar! “Fulfil the promise of Your succour that you have vouchsafed to me and destroy them this day.” Amongst the idolaters, the Holy Prophet (sa) saw that Utbah bin Rabi’ah was mounted on a red camel.
The Holy Prophet (sa) said: “If any good can be expected from any of them, “then it is the one riding the red camel. “If they accept what he says, they will be guided to the right path.” There is an incident of the disbelievers drinking from the reservoir made by the Muslims.
Despite the fact that the Muslims had control over the water, however, when the Quraish descended upon the plains of Badr, the disbelievers began drinking from the reservoir of the Muslims. Among the disbelievers was Hakim bin Hizam as well. The Holy Prophet (sa) permitted them to drink water from it.
On that day, every single person who drank from the reservoir was killed except for Hakim bin Hizam, who later accepted Islam. and whenever he would swear an oath, he would say: “I swear by the One Who saved me on the Day of Badr.” With regards to arranging the rows for battle,
It is mentioned that the Holy Prophet (sa) arranged the companions in rows for battle in the morning before the Quraish arrived. The Holy Prophet (sa) was arranging the rows using an arrow and with it he would gesture to move forward or to step backwards so they become straight.
The Holy Prophet (sa) handed the banner to Hazrat Mus’ab bin Umair (ra), who placed it where he was ordered to. In the time the Holy Prophet (sa) was arranging rows he was facing towards the West, and during this time while he was arranging the rows
An extraordinary incident took place related to Hazrat Suwad bin Ghaziyyah, which demonstrated his love and affection for the Holy Prophet (sa). It is written that during the Battle of Badr, when the Holy Prophet (sa) was arranging rows, he passed by Suwad bin Ghaziyyah, who was outside of his row.
The Holy Prophet (sa) pressed the arrow against his stomach and said: “O Suwad! Step in line.” Hazrat Suwad (ra) said: “O Messenger (sa) of Allah! You have caused me pain. “Allah the Almighty has appointed you for the sake of upholding justice and equity.
“I wish to exact retribution, you hit me on my stomach with an arrow.” The Holy Prophet (sa) lifted the cloth from his stomach and said, “take your revenge.” Hazrat Suwad embraced the Holy Prophet (sa) and began kissing his body. The Holy Prophet (sa) said: “O Suwad! Why have you done this?”
Hazrat Suwad submitted: “O Messenger (sa) of Allah! “You can see what hour this is (i.e., it is time for war). “I do not know if it will survive or not. “I wished for my last moments to be spent wherein my body touches your blessed body.” The Holy Prophet (sa) subsequently prayed for him.
These were the incidents of absolute love and devotion. The remaining incidents will be narrated in the future, God-Willing. Now I wish to mention some deceased members, the first of whom is respected Qari Muhammad Ashiq Sahib, who was a lecturer at Jamia Ahmadiyya and also oversaw Madrassatul Hifz as its Principal.
He recently passed away at the age of 85. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, he was a Musi. After committing the Holy Qur’an to memory and learning its correct recitation, he taught at different madrassas of the Ahl-e-Hadith at various places in Pakistan before he accepted Ahmadiyyat. He accepted Ahmadiyyat of his own accord.
Before pledging allegiance, Qari Ashiq Sahib belonged to the Ahl-e-Hadith sect. Qari Sahib had a book written about his own life in which he states: “In 1957 when I used to live in Karachi “I had some scholarly friends with whom I used to interact and would often go to them.
“There, I would read the newspaper and would sit with some of the scholars as well. “One day, as I was sitting there and reading the newspaper, “someone who was studying a book of the Promised Messiah (as) said, ‘This is amazing.’ “I asked what was so great about it?
“He said, ‘Our scholars believe that certain Qur’anic verses can be abrogated, ‘whereas Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani Sahib says ‘that not even a single iota of the Holy Qur’an has been abrogated.’” Qari Sahib says, “This made me curious, “so I decided to do some research to find out whether he was truthful or false.”
Then, in the autobiography he had written he says, “One day, in order to learn more about Ahmadiyyat, “I went to the Ahmadiyya Hall in Karachi after prayers where I met an Ahmadi. “I told him that I wished to seek more information about certain matters
“which we had a difference of belief in and requested him to help guide me. “There was someone sitting there who took me from the Ahmadiyya Hall to his home. “He gave me some books to read, and so I studied them “and even showed a book to one of my scholarly friends saying
“that this was exactly in accordance with Islam. “The cleric said, ‘You are a very nice person; you are not aware ‘so I will inform you that the things ‘which Mirza Sahib has written in his smaller books accord with Islam ‘and these are the books which he wrote earlier on.
‘However, in the lengthier books which Mirza Sahib wrote later on, ‘he has written false thoughts and beliefs.’” However, Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya was written right at the outset and exactly according to Islam as were the other books. In any case, Qari Sahib returned to his contact and asked for a lengthier book,
However he presented some excuse and did not give a lengthier book, despite the fact that there is no discrepancy among the books of the Promised Messiah (as) whether they are books from the beginning or those that were written later on.
Allah the Almighty knows best what that Ahmadi’s reason was for not providing the books. In any case Qari Sahib lost contact with him. Then, according to Qari Sahib’s autobiography, God’s special decree created a certain passion within his heart
And Qari Sahib visited Rabwah on various occasions and kept in touch with the local Ahmadis. He also continued to pray and it was in this prayerful state that he saw many dreams. One of these dreams was (ARABIC). “Hearken to the call of the heavens; the Messiah has come! The Messiah has come!”
Qari Sahib says, “At the time, these words did not draw my attention towards Ahmadiyyat, “however after becoming an Ahmadi, I realised that those dreams were fulfilled.” This was also one of the many dreams which he saw. Qari Sahib writes, “When I look back at my life,
“I realise that it was nothing but the grace of Allah the Almighty “that my attention was constantly drawn towards Ahmadiyyat and I was bestowed guidance.” He then writes, “I met Sheikh Abdul Qadir Saudagarmal Sahib, “a missionary at an Ijtema (gathering) of Majlis Ansarullah.” He says, “On the first day of the Ijtema
“(he went to the Ansar Ijtema when he had not yet pledged allegiance) “I attended all of the programmes. “Either on the second or third day of the Ijtema, I expressed my desire to pledge allegiance. “Hence, we went to the office of Islah-o-Irshad Markaziyyah where I completed the bai’at form
“and was thus enlightened with the light of Ahmadiyyat.” After accepting Ahmadiyyat, he had to face many trials, further to which was the pressure from his non-Ahmadi students and teachers who were trying to lure him back by even presenting him with various enticements and also inflicting hardships. Qari Sahib says, “After accepting Ahmadiyyat,
“I faced many difficulties along the way, however Allah the Almighty kept me steadfast, “and I continued to tread upon the path which He had taught. “Allah the Almighty’s guidance was there, “which is why no worldly enticement could lure me away from the true path.
“Many attempts were made to distance me from the Ahmadiyya Jama’at “and to lure me back to the Ahl-e-Hadith, “however, by the grace of Allah, despite their great attempts, “they failed in their attempts to lure me back “because of the degree of faith which I had attained.”
He married a widow who already had three children. He also had one daughter with her. With regards to his services to the Jama’at he writes, “I met Sufi Khuda Bakhsh Zirvi Sahib at the mosque one day “and he told me that Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rh),
“who was the Waqf-e-Jadid in-charge at the time, “sent a message for me to be brought to him at Rabwah.” He had pledged allegiance by this time. He says, “When I went to him, he first listened to my recitation of the Holy Qur’an
“and then assigned me the duty of teaching the mu’allimin of Waqf-e-Jadid “the recitation of the Holy Qur’an with the proper rules “and also arranged my accommodation in Waqf-e-Jadid.” This was in 1964. He says that he was officially appointed as a mu’allim under Waqf-e-Jadid in January 1965.
During this time, the final year students of Jamia Ahmadiyya used to come to him at the Waqf-e-Jadid office to study the Holy Qur’an. Later, upon the request of respected Mir Daud Ahmad Sahib who was the Principal of Jamia Ahmadiyya at the time, Qari Sahib started teaching at Jamia Ahmadiyya.
Along with Jamia, he also taught at the Nusrat Girls College, which was a college of the Jama’at, while observing the requirements of purdah (the veil). In 1969, Hafiz Shafiq Sahib, who was the in-charge of the Hafiz Class passed away,
And so the Jamia Principal Mir Daud Ahmad Sahib asked Hafiz Sahib to teach the class. In those days, this class used to be taught in Masjid Mubarak. I also remember that the boys would be sitting in the mosque committing the Holy Qur’an to memory.
Then, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III (rh) also appointed Qari Sahib to the Hafiz Class. He granted approval and also wrote that he would continue teaching in Waqf-e-Jadid while also teaching the Hafiz Class. Hence, on 11 June 1971 he was officially appointed to the Hafiz Class. He retired in 1998,
However he continued teaching in Madrassatul Hifz and Madrassatul Zafar until 2019. On the blessed occasion of Jalsa Salana 1964 he had the opportunity of presenting a recitation of the Holy Qur’an for the first time. Qari Sahib writes that in February 1965, he had the honour of meeting Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra).
In relation to this historic meeting, he would say, “I had the opportunity to shake his hand and this was a life changing moment for me. “The Private Secretary introduced me to Huzoor and said, ‘This is Qari Muhammad Ashiq Sahib, who has recently converted to Ahmadiyyat.’
“Whilst he was intruding me, Huzoor was looking upon me in a very loving manner “and at the same time I was also looking at him whilst holding his blessed hand.” For a duration of 15 years, Qari Sahib was assigned the duty of leading the Taraveeh prayer in the Mubarak Mosque
During the blessed months of Ramadan. Maulana Abdul Malik Khan Sahib, Nazir Islah o Irshad Markaziyyah once said to him that the reason why he was always assigned the duty of leading the Tahajjud and Taraveeh prayer was because Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III (rh) liked his recitation of the Holy Qur’an.
He has many students and are now living in various parts of the world. They have also sent their letters to me about him and how they benefitted from his qualities and knowledge. May Allah the Almighty elevate the rank of the deceased
And enable his progeny to also instil the habit of prayer and sincerity just as he desired. The next mention is of Respected Noor-ul-Din Al-Husni Sahib, who was a long-standing member of the Ahmadiyya Community in Syria and was currently residing in Saudi Arabia.
For many years he was imprisoned in Saudi Arabia owing to him being an Ahmadi. Despite his illnesses and the hardships he had to endure, he remained steadfast upon his faith and he passed away whilst still in prison on 25th May at the age of 82. The deceased’s father, Al-Hajj Abdul Rauf Al-Husni Sahib did the Bai’at in 1938. The late respected Munir Al-Husni Sahib, former Amir of Jama’at in Syria was the elder brother of Noor-ul-Din Al-Husni Sahib’s father. Right from his childhood, the deceased grew up in an environment filled with Islamic morals and traditions
And the love for Khilafat. The deceased was 13 or 14 years of age when his father passed away and spent a lot of time in the company of respected Munir Al-Husni Sahib and learnt a great deal about the Jama’at from him. In 1955 when Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) visited Damascus,
He stayed at the house of the deceased’s uncle, Badr-ul-Din Al-Husni Sahib. During these days, the deceased also had the opportunity to recite the Holy Qur’an before Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra). He would keep a lot of fasts and particularly on Monday and Thursday.
He had a great passion for the recitation of the Holy Qur’an. He never missed a single Tahajjud prayer. Even up until his final moments in prison, he remained steadfast upon his faith and attached to the Jama’at. He had complete faith that the help of Allah the Almighty would soon arrive.
He would mention this to everyone who would meet him in prison. He is survived by his wife, who is not an Ahmadi, however she remained loyal to her husband and offered a lot of sacrifices during the duration of his imprisonment.
He has three sons, Abdul Rauf Al-Husni Sahib, Muhammad Maaz Al-Husni and Fawadh Al-Husni and also a daughter Zainab Al-Husni. He leaves behind many grandchildren and by the grace of Allah the Almighty they are all sincere Ahmadis. The deceased’s son, Maaz Al-Husni Sahib says,
“My father wanted all of us siblings to become fully satisfied and then enter the Jama’at “and all praise is due to Allah we have done the Bai’at with complete faith. “When he was in Saudi Arabia, he searched for the Jama’at “and he eventually met the late Hashim Sahib,
“(who lived in the UK and was working in Saudi Arabia). “He remained in contact with him and until his last breath remained engaged in Jama’at work. “He was very kind and openhearted and he would like to always help others.” He further says, “in 2019, he was summoned and then imprisoned.
“After a great deal of effort and struggle, “we eventually learnt that our father had been imprisoned for being an Ahmadi “and for doing Tabligh on social media. “For two years, we made every effort to try and get him released from prison “and sought the help of many lawyers.
“They also passed a verdict for his release and he came out of prison as well “but just a few hours later, the police called him “and told him to come to the police station and arrested him once again. “This time they made him endure even greater hardships than before.
“He was not allowed to meet anyone and not even allowed to speak to anyone on the phone. “Due to old age, his health was very frail and would often go to hospital “but even then he was not able to meet his family members.” His eldest son, Abdul Rauf Al-Husni, who lives in Canada,
Says that he had a bond of great sincerity and loyalty with the Jama’at. He was very firm on his beliefs and he also made particular mention about his worship and sincerity. He has mentioned some further details and writes that in 2016 when he was imprisoned,
He was fasting at the time and even then he did not break open his fast despite knowing that he would have to endure a lot of hardship in prison. When the prison officer offered him water, he told him that he was fasting.
He then sought permission so he could offer his Asr prayer and the officer granted him permission. He then offered his prayer in front him upon which the prison officer remarked that he prayed just like they did. In any case, this had such an impact on him that he released him at the time.
Later, in December 2019, the police arrested him again and he passed away whilst in prison. May Allah the Almighty grant him His forgiveness and mercy and elevate his rank. May Allah the Almighty also enable his progeny to adopt his good deeds and qualities.
After the Friday prayers, I shall lead their funeral prayers (in absentia). 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.