Friday Sermon

8 June 2018

Allah’s Mercy Transcends all other Attributes

After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah Al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^aa recited verse 157 of Surah al-A‘raf and then stated: 

The translation of this verse is as follows: 

“And ordain for us good in this world, as well as in the next; we have turned to Thee with repentance.’ God replied, ‘I will inflict My punishment on whom I will; but My mercy encompasses all things; so I will ordain it for those who act righteously, and pay the Zakat and those who believe in Our Signs.” 

It is evident from this verse that God Almighty manifests His favours upon His servants in extraordinary ways. God Almighty states, “My mercy encompasses all things.” Rehmat [mercy] means “to be lenient”, “to be gracious” and “to shower mercy”. It means that God Almighty treats people with leniency and overlooks their shortcomings to an unlimited extent. God Almighty treats His servants with such kindness that has no bounds. The kindness of God Almighty and such treatment is so prevalent that it encompasses everything. His Rehmat includes grace and mercy. His Grace is that He has created countless things in the world, without man asking for them. He then manifests His mercy to those, who fulfil His rights, follow His commandments and implore Him with humility.  

God Almighty here states that His objective is not to punish people. Some people have the gross misconception, “Why did He create Man, if He was to punish him?” God Almighty says that, “This is not My objective. However, those people become recipients of my punishment, who exceed all bounds of evil deeds. Moreover, My punishment is temporary and it serves to reform and to develop a sense of realisation. Eventually, a time will come that even the dwellers of hell will partake of My boundless mercy. Their punishment will cease. The punishment of hell will be a result of their evil deeds and this punishment in fact will become a means for their reformation.” 

Thus, if we ponder over this, we realise that, in fact, this punishment is also a kind of reformation. This period of punishment is, in a way, a kind of mercy. However, God Almighty is also the Master of the Day of Judgement. Thus, He can cover those people, who seem sinful to us, with the mantle of His mercy and forgiveness and let them pass by without any punishment. Nonetheless, drawing our attention to the paths of righteous deeds, God Almighty states, “My Mercy encompasses everything, and I will certainly bestow My Mercy upon those, who are righteous, pay Zakat and believe in My signs”, that is those, who believe in the signs of God Almighty. Thus, God Almighty has said, “I will, considering it My right, certainly cover those with the mantle of My mercy, who follow the path of righteousness, pay Zakat and follow My commandments with due diligence and conviction and have complete faith in [My] Signs.”

Then, at another place God Almighty states:

اِنَّ رَحْمَتَ اللّٰهِ قَرِيۡبٌ مِّنَ الْمُحْسِنِيۡنَ

That is, “Surely, the mercy of Allah is nigh unto those who do good.” Mohsin – those who do good – are those who fulfil their duties in accordance with all of its requirements. Hence, one who fulfils the requirements of righteousness, acts in accordance with the commandments of God Almighty, has absolute conviction in the signs of God Almighty and submits himself before Him will partake of the mercy of God Almighty. Thus, a believer should try his utmost to act in accordance with the commandments of God Almighty, tread on the path of righteousness and be absolutely firm in his faith. Only then can an individual be deemed a believer. 

Furthermore, he should try to acquire the blessings of this declaration of God Almighty that the mercy of God Almighty is nigh unto those who act in accordance with the commandments of God Almighty by fulfilling its due rights. Furthermore, God Almighty has made it incumbent upon Himself and it has been decreed that if one adheres to this, then the breadth of His Mercy will encompass such people. How Gracious and Benevolent is our God! How can this be possible? We are the servants of God Almighty; how then can a servant demand his rights from his Master? However, the Master of the heavens and the earth says that if we tread on the path of righteousness and if we continue to act in accordance with His commandments whilst believing in His signs, we will most certainly become deserving of His mercy. 

The very first aspect that has been mentioned by God Almighty here is righteousness. In fact, if a person truly comprehends righteousness, then all other virtues and acquiring strength in one’s belief are encapsulated within it. 

With regards to this, the Promised Messiah^as states at one place, “The entire spiritual beauty of a person lies in him treading on all the subtle paths of righteousness. The subtle paths of righteousness are the minute details and pleasant features of spiritual beauty. It is evident [that this is achieved through] upholding the trusts of God Almighty and to act in accordance with one’s spiritual pledges to the best of one’s abilities”, i.e. to uphold them in their proper manner. “Furthermore, it is achieved through utilising every faculty and limb from head to toe, which are outwardly visible in the form of eyes, ears, hands, feet and other limbs, as well as those that are internal such as the heart and other faculties and moral qualities, on their appropriate occasion and to the best of one’s ability.” 

In other words, one must utilise all these faculties properly, and in accordance with the commandments of God Almighty and to fulfil their due right. “Furthermore, this is achieved through restraining one’s faculties from unlawful use and to remain mindful of their subtle attacks.” 

That is, to restrain them from improper use and to remain mindful of them as Satan utilises these limbs and faculties in order to secretly attack. To be mindful of this is the responsibility of man. Only then will one truly be able to tread on the path of righteousness and only then will one truly be able to fulfil the commandments of God Almighty. 

The Promised Messiah^as states, “On the other hand, he should also be mindful of the rights of mankind. The entire spiritual beauty of a person is attached to this aspect. Furthermore, God Almighty has defined righteousness as a garment in the Holy Quran. Hence, Libas-ul-Taqwa [garment of righteousness] is an expression from the Holy Quran. This indicates towards the fact that spiritual beauty and elegance can only be attained through righteousness. Furthermore, righteousness is that a person upholds and fulfils every trust of God and spiritual covenant made with Him, as well as the trusts and covenants made with His creation to the best of one’s abilities. In other words, he should uphold and fulfil even the minutest aspects of it to the best of his abilities.” (Zameema Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part 5, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 21, pp. 209-210)

A person should uphold and act in accordance with even the subtlest aspects of this to the best of his abilities.

Thus, when a person acquires this standard, they reach the stage where the mercy of God Almighty becomes incumbent upon His servant. In other words, God Almighty makes this incumbent upon Himself. And as I mentioned earlier, what status does a servant have that they may seek something from God Almighty as if it was their right?

We are currently passing through the days of Ramadan and only a week remains. In relation to this, the Holy Prophet^sa has said that when the month of Ramadan approaches, the doors of heaven are opened, the doors of hell are shut and Satan is shackled. (Sahih Mulsim, Kitab-ul-Siyam, Baab Fazlu Shar-e-Ramadhan, Hadith no.2495) 

However, it is only the believers who truly benefit from this. Only a person who truly believes and acts in accordance with the commandments of God Almighty is able to derive benefit from this. The followers of Satan do not refrain from their activities even during these days. Acts of indecencies and shamelessness in the world are carried out on a daily basis. These have not come to a halt during Ramadan. Hence, this is a glad tiding for the believers, who tread on the path of righteousness and those who partake of the mercy of God Almighty. God Almighty has extended His mercy for them in even greater abundance than before. Thus, derive benefit from this and try to fulfil the rights of God Almighty and try to act in accordance with His commandments. 

Drawing our attention towards the fulfilment of these due rights, the Holy Prophet^sa said on one occasion that the person who fulfils the requirements of faith and wakes up during the nights of Ramadan in order to pray with the intention of acquiring its reward, their previous sins would be forgiven. All of their previous sins would be forgiven. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Iman, Baab Saum-e-Ramadhan, Hadith 38)

This is another manner in which the vastness of the mercy of God Almighty has been manifested, in that a person makes a small effort and God rewards him manifold. His graciousness and mercy are manifested in various ways. Thus, fortunate are those who derive benefit from these days. Furthermore, this is also one of His blessings in that He has drawn our attention towards seeking the Laylat-ul-Qadr [The Night of Decree] in these last days, so that we may witness the signs of the acceptance of prayers even greater than before. This is also not our right. This, too, is His blessing so that He may encourage His servants to draw closer to Him and it is an expression of His great mercy.

Then, we find in a Hadith that the first ten days of Ramadan are a period of mercy, the second ten days are a period of forgiveness and the last ten days are a period of being saved from the fire. (Kanz al-Ummal, Vol. 8, p. 463, Hadith 23668, Muassisatul Risala, 1985, Beirut)

During Ramadan, when a person observes the fast and along with it, acts in accordance with the commandments of God Almighty greater than before, and when they increase their worship and progress in righteousness, they then become the recipient of God Almighty’s mercy even greater than before. The reason for this is that God Almighty says that when a person observes the fast for His sake and refrains from certain lawful aspects in these days purely for His sake, then God Almighty Himself becomes the reward for the one who observes the fasts. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Saum, Hadith 1904)

If God Almighty Himself becomes the reward, then surely such a person has acquired the means for their forgiveness. Furthermore, if they have acquired these means and God has forgiven them and accepted their repentance, then a person shall surely also be saved from the fire; they are saved from the fire of this life as well as from the fire of the hereafter. However, the condition is that they observe the fast sincerely for the sake of God Almighty and also act in accordance with the commandments of God. Following this, these deeds become a perpetual part of one’s life and become the means of permanently remaining immersed in the mercy of God Almighty. The mercy of God Almighty is not limited to the first ten days of Ramadan. Rather, it also carries forward to the middle ten-day period as well as the last ten days. As a matter of fact, it will permanently remain with an induvial as long as one’s deeds are performed with righteousness and firm faith. Similarly, His forgiveness is not limited to the second ten days [of Ramadan]. Rather, it remains with a person until the end of Ramadan and even beyond that. As a matter of fact, it remains with a person for as long as they live. It protects a person from the punishment of God Almighty. Similarly, a person does not remain safeguarded from the fire in only these ten days. Rather, even if a person passes the month of Ramadan, considering the fact that they derive benefit from the mercy of God Almighty and seek forgiveness from Him, they will continue to remain distant from the fire. However, if after the month of Ramadan, we fall prey to worldly affairs, forsake righteousness, do not pay heed to the commandments of God Almighty, become weak in faith and disregard the signs of God Almighty, then it is similar to the case of a person building a safe fortress and then ruining it and destroying it with their own hands.

Therefore, God Almighty has made Ramadan a source for obtaining His mercy more than ever before and to attain His nearness. The mercy of God Almighty and His forgiveness is not limited to a few days. It is not possible to be delivered from fire if His forgiveness is sought only for a few days or a small period of time and it is accepted.

Hence, we should continuously ponder over this. In this day and age, the Promised Messiah^as has guided us at every step in regards to how we can obtain the nearness of God Almighty and what its true essence is and how we can become those who obtain His mercy; how God Almighty provides the means to cover us in His mercy; how He grants us manifold rewards for just one action of ours and becomes a source of forgiveness; how we should strive towards obtaining His forgiveness in order to be under the shade of His mercy forever. In light of this, I will present certain extracts and will elaborate upon them as well. 

Whilst explaining the verses that I recited before you, the Promised Messiah^as states, “God Almighty says, ‘I will inflict My punishment on whom I will, and My Mercy encompasses all things. Those who safeguard themselves from every type of shirk [associating partners with God], disbelief and immoralities and they pay the Zakat, and those who have firm belief in Our signs, I shall decree My mercy for them.’” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part 4, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 1, p. 564)

Here the Promised Messiah^as has elaborated on the word taqwa [righteousness] in three words, that is, safeguarding from shirk, disbelief and immoralities. Nowadays, immodesty and vulgarity can be found everywhere on the television, internet and other media platforms. Hence, protecting oneself from such vulgarities and vain programs can also lead one to attain the Mercy of God Almighty. 

During these days of Ramadan, one has to wake up early to keep the fasts and there are other engagements as well. Perhaps it is for this reason that a lot of people do not pay much attention to such things during the month of Ramadan, or they do not participate in vain endeavors, and they protect themselves from it, however it is necessary to guard oneself from these things at all times. 

Nowadays, complaints are received about the youth, in fact, also regarding the adults too that such vulgarities are polluting their minds and are corrupting morals and they are moving away from faith. Hence, every Ahmadi should pay close attention towards this and make every effort in this regard. Also, they should utilise these various sources in a proper manner and with great caution. 

In one place, the Promised Messiah^as states, “It is evident from this verse that God’s mercy is for everyone and is vast. And His wrath which manifests as a result of His attribute of being ‘Adl [Most Just], only comes into effect in certain particular circumstances. That is, this attribute is manifested when one transgresses the Divine laws.” (Jang-e-Muqadas, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 6, p. 207)

Therefore, the reason God Almighty punishes someone is when one contravenes God’s Divine law. As it has been mentioned already that such a punishment is carried out for the sake of reformation, and ultimately the mercy of God Almighty prevails over all things. The Promised Messiah^as further states, “Nevertheless, it is evident that if God Almighty’s wrath descends upon someone then it must be because that person has exceeded all limits in breaking the law of God. Such a person falls under His wrath despite the fact that God Almighty has expanded the scope of His Mercy.”

Whilst elaborating on this further, the Promised Messiah^as states, “When God admonishes one about His impending punishment, it does not mean that it will most certainly occur. Rather, owing to His Holy and Pure Being, it is necessary that He punish one who commits an offence. However, when the offender seeks to fulfil the due right of imploring for forgiveness and repentance, and supplicates with utmost fervency, then His Mercy overcomes His Wrath and conceals it within it. This is the meaning of the verse,

عَذَابِيۡۤ اُصِيۡبُ بِهٖ مَنْ اَشَآءُ ۚ وَ رَحْمَتِيۡ وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍ

That is, ‘I will inflict My punishment on whom I will; but My mercy encompasses all things’, in other words, 

رَحْمَتِيْ سَبَقَتْ غَضَبِيْ

(Tohfa Ghaznavia, Ruhani Khazain Vol. 15, p. 537)

However, if one repents, seeks forgiveness, supplicates and prays, and if they fulfil the due rights of this, then the Promised Messiah^as states that God Almighty has not made it incumbent upon Himself that He must punish, rather, He has made it incumbent upon Himself to grant His mercy for such people. His mercy encompasses His wrath. His wrath vanishes and is concealed behind a veil. 

The Promised Messiah^as states that one of the ways to attract the mercy of God Almighty is through seeking forgiveness and repentance. What is the true essence of istighfar [seeking forgiveness]? What does it really mean? Regarding this, the Promised Messiah^as says, 

“The true meaning and essence of seeking forgiveness or istighfar is to implore God so that no human weakness becomes manifest and so that God may support human nature with His strength and envelop it within the circle of His protection and succour.”

What is the objective of istighfar? It is to conceal a person’s weaknesses for humans are weak. It is so that God Almighty provides support to the human nature; so that He may safeguard humans from sinning and erring. 

The Promised Messiah^as states, “The word istighfar is derived from ghafara, which means to cover up. Hence, this supplication implores from God that He, with His power, may cover up the natural weakness of the person who seeks forgiveness from God.” That is, the natural mistakes of a person seeking forgiveness, which are countless, are not made apparent to others and such a person does not commit sin due to those weaknesses. “This meaning is then extended to the masses at large in that God may cover up such sins which have already been committed.” That is, He conceals (from others) the sinful act that has been carried out by someone. He safeguards one from its ill effects and the punishment that might result from it. 

“However, the true and proper meaning is that God protects from human frailty the person who seeks forgiveness and performs istighfar with His own Divine power and grants him strength from His own strength, and knowledge from His own knowledge and light from His own light. For after having created man, God has not left him alone, but as He is man’s Creator and the Maker of all his external and internal faculties, He is also the Sustainer of man. In other words, He safeguards with His unique support everything that He has created. God is All-Sustaining and maintains creation through His own support. It is, therefore, incumbent on man that since he has come into existence by the creating Hand of God, he should seek to safeguard the features of his creation from corruption through God’s support.” (Ismat-e-Anbiya, Ruhani Khazan, Vol. 18, p. 671) 

After creating mankind, God Almighty did not forsake humanity. He is the All-Sustaining, hence, the creation of man is subservient to the Divine laws. Despite the fact that God Almighty created mankind and has occurred through His Divine will, however the human endeavor is subservient to the Divine laws and it is essential that it must pass through the Divine laws of God Almighty. Therefore, the Promised Messiah^as says that it is integral for mankind after having been created to express God’s attribute of All-Sustaining by following and adhering to His commandments. One should focus their attention towards prayer and istighfar so that God Almighty manifests His attribute of All-Sustaining and once again provides the strength through which man can follow His commandments. 

Elaborating on this further, the Promised Messiah^as says, “Therefore, this is a natural requirement of man for which he has been directed to perform istighfar. It is to this that the Holy Quran refers in the following:

اَللّٰهُ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَۚ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّوۡمُ

[There is no God but He, the Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining.] And so, it is God who is both the Creator and Sustainer. The attribute of creation was manifested when man was brought into existence, but the divine function of providing sustenance was to work ceaselessly.” 

When man was created, the attribute of creation was completed, however the attribute of the All-Sustaining is always with man as long as he lives. 

“Hence arose the need for constant istighfar.” In order to adopt this attribute of All-Sustaining, there is a constant need to do istighfar. “Every attribute of God bestows a form of grace, and istighfar is needed to draw out the grace of God’s support.” 

If one wishes to benefit from the bounty of God Almighty’s attribute of All-Sustaining, then carry out istighfar so that God Almighty may enable one to properly utilise the God-given abilities, strengths and powers in accordance with His desire. The Promised Messiah^as states, “It is to this that the following verse of Surah Al-Fatihah refers:

اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَ اِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِيۡنُ

This means that You alone [O God] do we worship and You alone do we implore so that Your support and providence may uphold us and protect us from stumbling, lest we fall prey to weakness and are unable to worship you.” (Ismat-e-Anbiya, Ruhani Khazan, Vol.18, pg.672) 

Hence, this is the fundamental point which we must always keep in mind. To merely think that just because God Almighty has said that His Mercy encompasses everything, therefore one can do as they will and later they will simply seek God Almighty’s mercy and forgiveness; this is not correct. God Almighty has taken it upon Himself to show mercy to those who come to Him, who adhere to His commandments and who seek His forgiveness. 

Further expounding on the topic of istighfar, the Promised Messiah^as states, “There are some people who are aware of the sins they are committing and there are others who are completely unaware of them.” They do not even know that they are committing a sin, they have become completely insensitive to it and are oblivious to what sin is. “For this reason, God Almighty has made it forever incumbent upon us to do istighfar so that man may continue to seek forgiveness for every sin; be it outward or hidden; whether one is aware of it or not; whether it is the sin committed by one’s hand, foot, tongue, nose, ear or eye, or anything else.” However many body parts there are, there should not be a single sin carried out by any of them. Thus, one should continue to seek istighfar. 

The Promised Messiah^as further states, “In these days we should always recite the prayer of Hazrat Adam^as:

رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَاۤ  اَنۡفُسَنَا وَ اِنۡ لَّمْ تَغْفِرْلَنَا وَ تَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُوۡنَنَّ مِنَ الْخٰسِرِيۡنَ

This prayer has already been accepted.” 

[The translation is] “O Allah I have wronged my soul and if Thou forgive us not and have not mercy on us, we shall surely be of the losers.” The Promised Messiah^as states that this prayer has been accepted from the outset. “Therefore, do not live a life of ignorance. Those who do not live their lives in ignorance, it is impossible for them to be afflicted by a calamity which they cannot bear. No calamity befalls them without the will of God, just as the following supplication was revealed to me:

رَبِّ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ خَادِمُكَ رَبِّ فَاحْفَظْنِيْ وَانْصُرْنِيْ وَارْحَمْنِيْ

[O my Lord, everything is subservient to You, O Lord, protect me and help me and have mercy on me].” (Malfuzat, Vol. 4, pp. 275-276, UK, 1975)

Therefore, to come under the protection of God Almighty, to attain His succour and help, and to gain His mercy, it is necessary to make an effort, recite istighfar and pray. We often use the terms istighfar and taubah [seeking repentance], so in order to clarify the difference between the two, the Promised Messiah^as states, 

“Istighfar [seeking forgiveness] and taubah [seeking repentance] are two different things. One reason for istighfar to be presiding over taubah,” i.e. it has priority over it and comes before it, “is that istighfar is the aid and strength which is sought from God Almighty.” In order to protect oneself from sin, one should recite istighfar to acquire the strength and succour from God Almighty. “Taubah however means to stand on one’s own two feet.” 

After having protected oneself from sin and remaining steadfast on this through carrying out istighfar, one then needs to pray to God Almighty to remain resolute thereon and for that there is taubah, which is a form of a prayer. Taubah is therefore the prayer wherein one states, “O Allah! Enable us to remain firmly established on the prayers which we have made whilst seeking istighfar. Make this salvation from the Fire that You have granted us eternal. Do not allow any of our actions or efforts to become a means of incurring Your displeasure, lest we regress to our former state.” Therefore, taubah is in order to acquire this and hence, 

وَ اَتُوْبُ اِلَيْهِ

“And I turn to Him” has been stated. This is so that He may enable us to remain firmly established upon this and that we may continue to refrain from sin, attain His forgiveness and continue to be saved from the Fire. 

The Promised Messiah^as states, “It is the practise of God that when one seeks help from Him, He grants a strength, and after granting it, man can stand on his own two feet and a strength will be granted to him to carry out noble deeds, which is called,

تُوْبُوْا اِلَيْهِ

‘Turn to Him’.”

The Promised Messiah^as further states, “One is enabled to do taubah once he has carried out istighfar. If one does not do istighfar, then know that the ability to do taubah will certainly die away. So if one does istighfar in such a way and then does taubah, then the result will be:

يُمَتِّعْكُمۡ مَّتَاعًا حَسَنًا اِلٰۤي اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّي

That is, ‘He will provide for you a goodly provision until an appointed term.’”

The Promised Messiah^as further states, “It is the established practise of God Almighty that if you carry out istighfar and taubah, then you will continue to attain higher ranks. Every faculty has its own scope in which one can excel in its various levels. Not every person can become a Nabi (prophet), Rasul (messenger), Siddiq (truthful) or Shaheed (martyr).” (Malfuzat, Vol.2. pp.68-69, UK, 1985)

Whatever bounds have been appointed in one’s ranks, the levels to which one can reach, it is necessary for one to make exerted efforts to attain that, and that can only be done so through istighfar and taubah.”

Further explaining taubah, the Promised Messiah^as states, “In Arabic idiom, taubah (repentance) means ‘returning’, and that is why in the Holy Quran, God’s name is also Tawwab, that is to say, He Who is Oft-Returning with compassion. This means that when a person discarding sin turns to God with a sincere heart, God Almighty turns even more to them. This is altogether in accord with the law of nature. God Almighty has made it part of human nature that when a person turns to another with a sincere heart, the latter’s heart is also softened for him. Then how can reason accept that when a servant turns towards God Almighty with a true heart, God should not turn to them? Indeed God, Who is Benevolent and Merciful, turns even more towards His servant. That is why in the Holy Quran, God’s name, as we have just mentioned, is also Tawwab, meaning Oft-Returning with compassion. 

Man’s turning to God is through remorse and humility and meekness, and God’s turning to man is with mercy and forgiveness. If mercy was not one of the attributes of God Almighty, no one would be able to attain deliverance from their sins.” 

The Promised Messiah^as continues, “It is a pity that people do not ponder over the attributes of God Almighty and depend entirely upon their own actions,” i.e. those who think that that can achieve everything through their own actions.

“But can it be the attitude of God, Who, without any action proceeding from man, has created thousands of bounties for him upon the earth, that, when weak man, being warned of his heedlessness should turn to Him, a turning which is like death and should put off his old garment and should be consumed in the fire of His love, God should not turn to him with mercy? Is this the law of nature?” (Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 23, pp. 133-134)

The Promised Messiah^as is responding to those who claim that God Almighty does not show mercy even if one supplicates and seeks forgiveness and turns to Him, a turning which is like death and should put off his old garment and should be consumed in the fire of His love, and purifies himself, but will God still not turn to him with mercy? Such a view can only be of those people who utter falsehood. 

لَعْنَت اللّٰهِ عَلَي الْكٰذِبِيۡنَ

That is, the curse of Allah be upon the liars. 

It can never be the case that a man fulfils his obligations and God Almighty does not reward him at all. This is in conflict with the grand stature of God Almighty and in contrast to God Almighty’s announcement that “My mercy is all-encompassing” and this is against His law. As I have mentioned it is against His pronouncement of His mercy being all-encompassing, however the duty which man must fulfil is that he must strive in such a manner as if he has died and removed from his body the former unclean garment, i.e. the garment of sin, and burns in the fire of His love. The Promised Messiah^as states that when these are acted upon, this is something to greatly ponder over, then God Almighty will also turn to man in a way which he could never imagine. 

Thus, this should be the level of one’s seeking of forgiveness, which makes an individual deserving of God Almighty’s mercy and God Almighty has ordained this mercy for Himself. The Promised Messiah^as also outlined the conditions of how one can strive to seek true repentance. The Promised Messiah^as says that there are three conditions for repentance. The first of these is that one should discard all those thoughts which arouse evil propensities. This cannot be fulfilled until one imagines those evils to be repulsive and abhorrent. If those evils remain in one’s mind and one does not perceive it to be abhorrent, then it will be difficult to abstain from such evils. The first condition is that one has to remove these thoughts from one’s mind and try to create a sense of abhorrence for them. The second condition is that at the thought of any evil or immoral act, one should show remorse and regret. When such thought is aroused in one’s mind, they should immediately show remorse and regret over that thought. They should have the thought in their minds that the evil desires which they are indulging in are transient and are such that can destroy their lives. Soon a time will come wherein this transient passion will finish. 

In essence one should listen to one’s own conscience as it is one’s conscience which always guides one to determine whether something is evil or good. When one’s thoughts become in line with this and one listens to their conscience, then gradually they can safeguard themselves from these evils. The third condition is that one should have a firm resolve that they will never revert to these vices in future. Subsequently, in order to remain firm on this, one should use all their resolve and also pray in this regard, then these vices will disappear and one will perform virtues in their stead. Where the Promised Messiah^as mentions about removing the tainted cloak [of vice], this means that if one strives to their utmost ability, using all their resolve to do so, they will then become deserving of God’s mercy. (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 138-139, UK, 1985)

Further elaborating on how one can protect themselves from the fire through seeking forgiveness and repentance, the Promised Messiah^as says, “For man, repentance is not a futile act or something worthless. Furthermore, its effects are not only confined to the Hereafter, rather, through this one’s worldly life, as well as their faith, is resolved. They become blessed with peace and serenity in this life as well as in the Hereafter. Observe that God Almighty states in the Quran:

رَبَّنَاۤ اٰتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَّ فِي الۡاٰخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَّ قِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

‘Our Lord, grant us comforts in this world as well as peace and serenity in the world to come, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.’ The truth of the matter is that there is a subtle indication towards repentance in the word Rabbana [our Lord]. The word Rabbana requires [and implies] that a person has left other gods which they had previously adopted, and turned towards their Lord. Furthermore, this word can only be uttered from the heart of a person with true anguish and fervour.”

When a person recites Rabbana in its true sense, it is not uttered by the tongue, rather it is from the heart. There are people who say Rabbana and offer this prayer superficially. Only if a person offers this prayer wholeheartedly will the word Rabbana be uttered in its true sense.

The Promised Messiah^as says, “Rab means the One Who enables a person to reach their pinnacle in stages and also the One Who nourishes. The fact of the matter is that a person creates multiple gods for themselves. They have utmost faith in their schemes and deceptions, as those are their gods. If they are proud of their knowledge or power then that is their god. If they are proud of their beauty or wealth then that is their god. In short, there are thousands of such gods which are attached to them. Until they do not forsake them all, bow their head before the One True Lord and fall at His threshold, supplicating the words of Rabbana, with true heart-wrenching emotions, they will not be able to understand the nature of the True Lord. This is only possible when one accepts their sins and supplicates with true pain and fervour, and then addresses their Lord, Rabbana i.e.  ‘O my Lord! You were in fact the True God! Yet out of my error I wandered away from You, but now I have abandoned those false gods and I sincerely proclaim Your Providence and come to Your threshold’. Until one removes from his heart the grandeur and dignity of all other gods, he will not be able to call upon the Providence of the True Lord.

Certain people have adopted falsehood as their lord. They believe that without uttering falsehood, it will be difficult for them to get by. Others have made theft, robbery and fraud as their lord. They believe that besides this there is no other means for their livelihood and sustenance. Thus, these are their lords.”

The Promised Messiah^as further states,

“Such people who solely rely and trust their own sources of earning livelihood, what need do they have to pray and seek help from God Almighty? One only is in need of prayer when all other means are not available except His alone; only such a person supplicates from their heart. Thus, the prayer:

رَبَّنَاۤ اٰتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً

[Our Lord, grant us good in this world] is only recited by those who consider God as their True Lord and they have firm belief that all other false gods are completely worthless before Him,”

The Promised Messiah^as further states, “The hellfire does not only refer to the fire that will burn on the Day of Judgment. However, one who lives a long life is able to witness that there are thousands of fires in this world. Those who have experienced this will know that there are all kinds of different fires that exist in this world. Various forms of calamities, fear, sorrow, poverty, illnesses, failures, fear of humiliation and deprivation, numerous kinds of grief and sorrows, afflictions relating to one’s wife, children, etc. and ties turning sour with near relatives all constitute as fire. Therefore, a Momin [believer] prays to be saved from every kind of fire. If one has attached himself to God Almighty, they should pray to be saved from all kinds of calamities which can cause one to experience difficulty and hardship in their life and are in likeness to the fire.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 5, pp. 187-190, 1985, UK)

The Promised Messiah^as once drew the attention of the Jamaat to frequently recite the following prayer: 

رَبَّنَاۤ اٰتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَّ فِي الۡاٰخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَّ قِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

“Our Lord, grant us good in this world as well as good in the world to come, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.” (Malfuzat, Vol. 1, p. 9, 1985, UK)

Therefore, we also need to pay heed to this, so that God Almighty out of his Mercy may save us from all forms of fire in this world and in the hereafter. The Promised Messiah^as states, 

“The essence of this [prayer] which God Almighty has mentioned in the Holy Quran is, ‘O Servants of Mine! Do not lose hope in Me for I am Merciful, Gracious, One Who Covers Faults, Most-Forgiving and will bestow My Mercy upon you in such abundance that no one else can show as much mercy as I shall. Love Me even more than your own fathers for I am even more loving than them. If you come towards Me, I shall forgive all your sins, and if you repent, I will accept your repentance. Even if you slowly tread towards Me, I will come running. One who searches for Me, shall find Me. One who turns towards Me, shall find My doors to be open. I forgive the sins of one who repents even if they are as high as the mountains. My Mercy for you is greater than My wrath because you are My creation and I have created you, and My Mercy encompasses you all.’” (Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 23, p. 56)

May God Almighty enable us to sincerely devote ourselves to God Almighty. May we attain His taqwa and grow stronger in our faith and belief, so that we always partake from His mercy. May it never happen that we are deprived of His Mercy and receive His punishment on account of our evil deeds. May God Almighty always bestow His mercy upon us. 

(Translated by The Review of Religions)

Friday Sermon

1 June 2018

Men of Excellence

After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah Al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^aa stated:

Hazrat Okasha bin Mihsan^ra was a Companion of the Holy Prophet^sa. Hazrat Okasha bin Mihsan^ra is counted among the foremost Companions. On the occasion of the Battle of Badr, he joined as a cavalier and also broke his sword. Upon this, the Messenger^sa of Allah handed him a piece of wood, which, in his hand, became as if it was a very sharp sword, made of high-quality iron. Thus, he fought with that until God Almighty granted victory. Later, he joined the Holy Prophet^sa in all the other battles using the same sword. That wooden sword remained with him till he passed away. The sword was called ‘Aun. 

The Holy Prophet^sa gave him the glad tiding, “You will enter Paradise without any reckoning.” (Usdul Ghaaba, Vol. 4, pp. 64-65, Okasha bin Mihsan, Darul Kutb-ul-Ilmiyah, 1996, Beirut).

On the occasion of the Battle of Badr, the Holy Prophet^sa said to the Companions that the best cavalier of Arabia had joined them. The Companions asked, “O Messenger of Allah^sa, who is that individual?” He replied, “Okasha bin Mihsan^ra”. (Sirat Ibn-e-Hisham, p. 435, Darul Kutb-ul-Ilmiyah, 2001, Beirut)

It is narrated by Hazrat Abu Hurairah^ra, “I heard Allah’s Messenger^sa saying, ‘From among my followers, a party of seventy thousand will enter Paradise, whose faces will glisten like the full moon.’” Hazrat Abu Hurairah^ra further narrates, “On hearing that, Okasha bin Mihsan^ra stood up, and holding his outer garment said, ‘O Allah’s Messenger^sa! Pray that may Allah make me one of them.’ The Holy Prophet^sa prayed, ‘O Allah! Make him from among them.’ Another man from the Ansar[Muslims native to Medina]stood up and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah^sa! Pray so that Allah makes me one of them also. ‘The Holy Prophet^sa replied,

سَبَقَكَ بِهَا عُكَاشَه

[Meaning] ‘Okasha has succeeded ahead of you in this regard.’” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Iman, Hadith no. 369)

While narrating this account in his book about the life and character of the Holy Prophet^sa, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^ra writes, “During one sitting, the Holy Prophet^sa said, ‘From my ummah[followers], seventy thousand people will enter Paradise without any reckoning’, meaning that they will have such a high spiritual rank and the grace and mercy of God will be such that there will be no need for their reckoning. The Holy Prophet^sa also said that their faces would be glowing on the Day of Resurrection, just as the full moon glistens on the horizon. Upon this, Hazrat Okasha^ra then said, ‘Pray for me as well.’ The Holy Prophet^sa prayed that he may also be among those people.” After this, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^ra has written a very beautiful commentary on this and also given his perspective. 

He writes, “This may appear to be a very minor incident from the life of the Holy Prophet^sa. However, it contains a treasure of spiritual insights. Firstly, we learn from it that God Almighty has blessed the ummah with the spiritual blessings of the Holy Prophet^sa, which have reached such perfection, that on the Day of Resurrection there will be seventy thousand such people from his ummah, who due to their extraordinary spiritual status and the special grace and mercy of God, will be exempt from the trial of any reckoning. (Seventy thousand could also denote a large number of people.)

“Secondly, from this we learn that the Holy Prophet^sa was granted such nearness to God Almighty that upon his supplications, God Almighty immediately revealed to him or showed him a vision informing him that Okasha is among the seventy thousand. It is also possible that Okasha^ra was previously not included in this group and that God granted him this honour as a result of the prayers of the Holy Prophet^sa. 

“Thirdly, from this account we also learn of the immense respect the Holy Prophet^sa had for God Almighty. Moreover, the Holy Prophet^sa desired to invigorate the sense of striving [for the cause of God] among his Ummah to such an extent that when another person, following Okasha^ra, requested him with a similar prayers, the Holy Prophet^sa refused to pray individually due to the lofty spiritual status this pure group was blessed with. Rather, he turned the attention of Muslims towards righteousness, faith and virtuous deeds, and informed them that if they established this and turned their attention towards this, they would attain this status. 

“Fourthly, this also sheds light on the high morals of the Holy Prophet^sa in an extraordinary manner. The reason for this is that the Holy Prophet^sa did not decline in a manner which would upset and hurt the feelings of the Ansari making this request. Rather, he declined in a most excellent manner.” (Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyyeen, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib M.A., pp. 667-668).

“The Holy Prophet^sa sent Hazrat Okasha^ra to battles in various expeditions and appointed him as their leader. In Rabi’-ul-Awwal [month of the Islamic calendar] in the sixth year of Hijra [migration to Medina], the Holy Prophet^sa appointed Hazrat Okasha^ra as the leader of forty Muslims and sent them to face the tribe of Bani Asad. This tribe had set up their camp near a fountain called Ghamar and was located at a distance of a few days from Medina. Okasha’s group travelled very quickly and reached close [to the tribe] so that they may prevent them from causing any mischief. Following this, they came to know that the people of the tribe had dispersed as they had learnt of the Muslims drawing close. Upon this, Okasha^ra and his group returned to Medina without fighting.” (Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyyeen, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib M.A., p. 666).

In other words, they did not try to fight with them without any reason. Thus, is completely contrary to the allegation raised that Muslims were keen on waging wars.

Hazrat Ibn ‘Abbas narrates that when Surah Al-Nasr was revealed to the Holy Prophet^sa, he instructed Hazrat Bilal^ra to call the Adhan [Muslim call for prayer]. Following the prayer, the Holy Prophet^sa delivered a sermon and people began to weep profusely as they heard it. The Holy Prophet^sa inquired, “O people! How am I as a prophet?” In response, the people replied “May God reward you. You are the best of all prophets. You are like a gracious father and a kind guiding brother to us. You have conveyed to us the messages and revelation of God Almighty and you have called us towards the path of our Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation. Hence, may God reward you with the best reward, which He blesses His prophets.” The Holy Prophet^sa then said, “O ye Muslims! I swear by God and by the responsibility placed upon me that if I have committed any cruelty or injustice towards anyone, he should stand up and avenge himself.” However, no one stood up. The Holy Prophet^sa took another oath and repeated this. However, no one stood up. The Holy Prophet^sa repeated this a third time saying, “O ye Muslims! I swear by God and by the responsibility placed upon me that if I have committed any cruelty or injustice towards anyone, he should stand up and avenge himself prior to the Day of Judgement.” Upon this, an elderly person stood up from among the people, whose name was Okasha^ra. He passed through the [crowd of] Muslims until he stood before the Holy Prophet^sa and said, “O Prophet of God^sa, may my parents be sacrificed for your sake. If you had not repeatedly taken an oath, I would certainly not have stood up.” Hazrat Okasha^ra then said, “I was with you during a battle. On the way back, my camel came close to your camel. I dismounted from my camel and approached you in order to kiss your feet. However, you struck your stick, which hit me on the side. I was not sure whether you struck me with the stick or the camel.” The Holy Prophet^sa said, “By the glory of Allah! The Messenger of God cannot hit you intentionally.” The Holy Prophet^sa then addressed Hazrat Bilal^ra and said, “O Bilal! Go to the house of Fatima and bring that stick.” Hazrat Bilal^ra went and said to Hazrat Fatima^ra, “O daughter of the Holy Prophet^sa! Give me the (such and such) stick.” Hazrat Fatima^ra replied by saying: “O Bilal! What is my father going to do with this stick? Is this not the day of Hajj [Islamic pilgrimage] and not of war? Upon this, Hazrat Bilal^ra said, “O Fatima! How unaware are you in relation to your father, the Messenger of God^sa? The Holy Prophet^sa is saying farewell to the people, leaving this world and allowing people to avenge themselves.” Hearing this, Hazrat Fatima^ra was astonished and asked, “O Bilal! Who will desire to seek revenge from the Holy Prophet^sa?” She further said “O Bilal! Tell Hassan and Hussain to stand before that person so that he may avenge himself on them instead and thus preventing that man from seeking revenge from the Holy Prophet^sa.” 

Hence, Hazrat Bilal^ra returned to the mosque and handed the stick to the Holy Prophet^sa, who then handed it to Okasha^ra. When Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra and Hazrat Umar^ra observed this scene, both of them stood up and said, “O Okasha! We are standing before you. Avenge yourself on us and do not do anything to the Holy Prophet^sa. The Holy Prophet^sa said to both of them that “O Abu Bakr and Umar! Stop! God Almighty is aware of your status.” Then Hazrat Ali^ra stood up and said “O Okasha! I have spent my entire life with the Holy Prophet^sa and I cannot bear that you hit the Holy Prophet^sa. Hence, I present my body, avenge yourself on me. You may hit me a hundred times but do not seek revenge from the Holy Prophet^sa.” The Holy Prophet^sa said, “O Ali! Remain seated. God is aware of your intention and status.” After this, Hazrat Hassan^ra and Hussain^ra both stood up and said, “O Okasha! We are the grandchildren of the Holy Prophet^sa and seeking revenge from us is akin to seeking revenge from the Holy Prophet^sa.” The Holy Prophet^sa said to both of them, “O my dear ones, sit down!” The Holy Prophet^sa then turned to Okasha^ra and said, “O Okasha, strike me!” Hazrat Okasha^ra said, “O Prophet^sa of God! My stomach was bare without any cloth at the time you hit me.” Upon this, the Holy Prophet^sa lifted the covering from his stomach. Witnessing this scene unfold, the Muslims started to weep profusely and asked, “Is Okasha really going to hit the Holy Prophet^sa?” 

However, when Hazrat Okasha^ra saw the glow on the body of the Holy Prophet^sa, he raced towards the Holy Prophet^sa and started to kiss his body and said, “O Messenger of God^sa! Who can ever imagine taking revenge from you?” Upon this, the Holy Prophet^sa said, “Are you going to take revenge or are you going to forgive?” Hazrat Okasha^ra responded, “O Messenger^sa of God! I forgive you with the hope that God will pardon me on the Day of Judgment.” The Holy Prophet^sa addressed everyone and said, “Whoever desires to see my companion in paradise should look at this old gentleman.” Hence all the Muslims stood up and began kissing the forehead of Hazrat Okasha^ra and congratulated him for he had attained a high status and a close companionship of the Holy Prophet^sa. (Majma-ul-Zawid, Vol. 8, pp.429-431, Kitab Ilaamat-ul-Nabuwa, Hadith no. 14253, Darul Kutb-ul-Ilmiyah, 2001, Beirut) 

This was Hazrat Okasha^ra, who realised that the opportunity to kiss the body of the Holy Prophet^sa during his lifetime may not come again as he was informing everyone about his departure from this world.

During the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra, Hazrat Okasha^ra was sent with Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed^ra to crush a rebellion of a certain tribe that had left Islam. Isa bin Umailah relates a narration from his father in which he says, “When Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed^ra would approach the enemy, if he heard the Adhan being called, he would not attack but if he did not hear the Adhan, then he would launch an attack. When they reached a tribe situated at a place called Buzaakha, Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed^ra sent Hazrat Okasha^ra bin Mihsan and Hazrat Thabit^ra bin Akram to obtain information about the enemy. 

Both of them were on horseback and the name of Hazrat Okasha’s horse was Al-Razaam and that of Hazrat Thabit’s was Al-Muhabbar. They came across Tulayhah and his brother Salmah who had travelled ahead of the enemy in order to gather information about the Muslim army. Tulayhah confronted Hazrat Okasha^ra, while Salmah confronted Hazrat Thabit^ra and the brothers martyred these two companions.” 

Abu Waqid Laysi narrates, “Two hundred of us were leading the Muslim enemy. Upon finding the bodies of Hazrat Okasha^ra and Hazrat Thabit^ra, we stood by until Hazrat Khalid^ra came and ordered us to bury these two companions in the same blood-stained clothes they were martyred in. This incident took place on 12 Hijri.” Thus, this is the account of their martyrdom. (At-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 3, p.245, Saabit bin Akram, Dar Ihya At-turath Al-Arabi, 1996, Beirut).

Hazrat Kharijah bin Zaid^ra was one of the Companions of the Holy Prophet^sa who belonged to Aghar family from among the Khazraj tribe. His daughter, Hazrat Habibah bint Kharojah^ra was married to Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra and was the mother of Hazrat Umme Kulthum^ra. The Holy Prophet^sa established brotherhood between Hazrat Kharijah^ra bin Zaid and Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra. He was a chief from among his tribe and was considered amongst the noble companions. He had taken the oath of allegiance in Aqabah. (At-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 3, p.271, Dar Ihya At-turath Al-Arabi, 1996, Beirut). 

After migrating to Medina, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra had stayed at his house. (Usdul Ghaaba, Vol. 1, p.640, Kharija bin Zaid, Darul Fikr, 2003, Beirut).

He took part in the Battle of Badr and during the battle of Uhud he attained the status of martyrdom whilst fighting with immense bravery and valour. He was attacked by spears and sustained more than thirteen wounds. Safwan bin Umayyah walked passed him as he lay on the floor due to the wounds. Safwan recognised him and attacked, which resulted in his martyrdom. He also mutilated his body and said, “He was amongst those who killed Abu Ali i.e. my father Umayyah bin Khalf. I have the opportunity now to kill the noble Companions of the Holy Prophet and grant satisfaction to my heart.” He killed Hazrat ibn Kaukal^ra, Hazrat Kharijah^ra bin Zaid and Hazrat Aus^ra bin Arqam. 

Hazrat Kharijah^ra and Hazrat Sa‘d bin Rabi’^ra – who was the cousin of the Holy Prophet^sa – were buried in the same grave. (Al-Isti‘ab, Vol. 3, p.324, Darul Kutub-ul-Ilmiya, 2002, Beirut).  

It is narrated that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Abbas^ra bin Abadah called upon the Muslims in a loud voice and said, “O Muslims! Remain attached with God and His Prophet^sa. The calamity you have experienced just now was because of being disobedient to the Prophet^sa. He promised you support but you did not show patience.” 

Then Hazrat Abbas^ra took off his helmet and armour and asked Hazrat Kharijah^ra, “Do you need this?” Hazrat Kharijah^ra responded, “No. I also long for what you desire.” Thereafter, they were surrounded by the enemy. Abbas bin Abadah stated, “If the Holy Prophet^sa is injured in front of our eyes, what excuse will we have in front of our God?” Hazrat Kharijah^ra stated, “We will have no excuse and neither any argument to present before our Lord.” Sufyan bin ‘Abdus Shams Salmi martyred Hazrat ‘Abbas^ra bin Abadah and Hazrat Kharijah^ra bin Zaid sustained more than ten wounds caused by arrows. (Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Vol.1, pp.227-228, Baab Ghazwa Uhad, Daar-ul-Kutub-ul-Illmiyah, 2004, Beirut)  

Hazrat Malik^ra bin Dukhsham walked by Hazrat Kharijah^ra bin Zaid on the day of Uhud. Hazrat Kharijah^ra was fatally injured and had received nearly thirteen wounds. Hazrat Malik^ra said to him, “Are you aware that the Holy Prophet^sa has been martyred?” Hazrat Kharijah^ra responded, “If the Holy Prophet^sa has been martyred then certainly God is living and He will not die. Muhammad^sa has conveyed the message. You should also fight for the sake of your faith.” (Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Vol.1, p.243, Baab Ghazwa Uhad, Daar-ul-Kutub-ul-Illmiyah, 2004, Beirut)  

Hazrat Kharijah^ra had two children out of which one was Zaid bin Kharijah who passed away during the Khilafat of Hazrat Uthman^ra. Hazrat Kharijah’s second child was Hazrat Habibah bint Kharijah^ra who was married to Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra. At the time of the demise of Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra, she was expecting a child. Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra had mentioned, “I am expecting a daughter from her” and thus she gave birth to a baby girl. (Usdul Ghaaba, Vol. 1, pp.640-641, Kharija bin Zaid, Darul Fikr, 2003, Beirut).

Another Companion of the Holy Prophet^sa was Hazrat Ziyad^ra bin Labeed. His mother’s name was Amrah bint Abeed Matroof. Hazrat Ziyad^ra had a son called Abdullah. He accepted Islam during second pledge of Aqabah along with 70 Companions. On his return to Medina after accepting Islam, he broke the idols of his tribe Banu Bayada which they used to worship. He then travelled to the Holy Prophet^sa in Mecca and remained there until the Holy Prophet^sa migrated to Medina. So he too migrated after the Holy Prophet^sa had reached. This is why Hazrat Ziyad^ra is renowned as a Muhajir Ansari. He was a Muhajir [one who migrated from Mecca] and an Ansari[native of medina] too. Hazrat Ziyad^ra fought alongside the Holy Prophet^sa in the Battle of Badr, the Battle of Uhud, the Battle of the Ditch and in all other battles of the Holy Prophet^sa. (Usdul Ghaaba, Vol. 3, p. 302, Ziyad bin Labeed, Darul Fikr, 1996, Beirut).

After migrating to Medina, the Holy Prophet^sa was passing by the quarters of Banu Bayada, so Hazrat Ziyad^ra greeted him saying, “Ahlan wa sahlan” and offered his home for him to stay. The Holy Prophet^sa said to let his camel loose, it will find its home by itself. 

In Muharram of 9^th Hijri, the Holy Prophet^sa appointed different collectors for Sadaqah and Zakat, and Hazrat Ziyad^ra was appointed as the collector for the area of Ḥaḍhramaut. He continued his service there till the time of Hazrat Umar’s^ra Khilafat. After being relieved of his duty, he moved to Kufa and passed away in 41 Hijri. (Sarwar-e-Kainat Ke Pachass Sahaaba, Talib Al-Haashmi, pp.557-559, Metro Printers, 1985, Lahore)

It has been written down in history that when the uprising of apostasy [of certain tribes] had gained momentum during the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra and people refused to pay the Zakat, Ash‘ath bin Qais Al-Kindi was also among those to become an apostate. Hazrat Ziyad^ra was appointed to confront him. When he went to attack him, he had taken refuge in the Naheer fortress. Hazrat Ziyad^ra had besieged them so severely to the point that he became distressed and sent a message that if he, along with nine other people, is granted safety, they would open the doors to the fortress. Hazrat Ziyad^ra said to write down the agreement and bring it to him to stamp. Thereafter they opened the doors. Later on, when they checked the agreement, the names of the nine people were written down but Ash‘ath forgot to write down his own name, so he was taken prisoner to Medina with the rest of the captives. (Imta-ul-Asmaa, Vol.14, pp.254-255, Darul Kutubil Ilmiyya, 1996, Beirut)

Another Companion of the Holy Prophet^sa was Mu‘attib^ra bin Ubaid. He had no offspring so his nephew Usair bin ‘Urwah was his sole inheritor. Hazrat Mu›attib bin Ubaid participated in the Battle of Badr and the Battle of Uhud and was martyred on the day of Rajee‘. (At-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 3, p.240, Dar Ihya At-turath Al-Arabi, 1996, Beirut)

The incident of Rajee‘ is that in which ten Companions were martyred. Regarding this incident, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib^ra wrote, “Those days were very perilous for the Muslims, and the Holy Prophet^sa was receiving highly alarming news from all directions, however the greatest danger posed to the Holy Prophet^sa was coming from the Quraish of Mecca who had become bold and daring after the Battle of Uhud. Perceiving this threat, the Holy Prophet^sa prepared a party of ten Companions in 4 Hijri during the month of Safar and appointed Ahsan bin Thabit as the leader. The Holy Prophet^sa gave them orders that they must quietly reach near Mecca and gather intelligence about what the Quraish were planning and to inform him of their intentions. However, the party had not yet departed when a few people from the tribes of ‘Adal and Qarah approached the Holy Prophet^sa stating that there were many people from among their tribes who are inclining towards Islam. Therefore, the Holy Prophet^sa should send some people back with them who will preach to them about Islam. When the Holy Prophet^sa came to know of their desire, he sent the same party of Companions which were preparing to leave, to gather information about the Quraish. However, as it was later discovered that these people were lying and had come to Medina due to the instigation of Banu Lihyan, who had plotted to take revenge on the killing of their chief, Sufyan bin Khalid, and had thus contrived the plan that when the Muslims come out of Medina on this pretence, they would attack them. In lieu of this service, the Banu Lihyan had promised the tribes of ‘Azal and Qarah many camels. When these treacherous people of ‘Adal and Qarah reached between Asfan and Mecca, they discreetly sent a message to the Banu Lihyan that the Muslims were accompanying them and so they should come forth. Upon this, two hundred young men of Banu Lihyan, among whom were one hundred archers departed in pursuit of the Muslims and subdued them at a place known as Rajee‘. (Rajee‘ is the name of a place.) How could ten men compete against two hundred soldiers. At the same time, the Muslims were taught not to throw in their arms. The Companions immediately ascended to a nearby hillock and prepared for battle. The disbelievers, who did not consider deception as being reprehensible, called out to them and said, ‘Come down from the mountain, we give you a firm promise that we shall not kill you.’ Asim^ra responded, ‘We have no confidence whatsoever in your treaties and agreements. We cannot descend on your guarantee.’ Then, he raised his head towards the heaven and said, ‘O God! You are witnessing our state. Do convey knowledge of our condition to Your Messenger.’ Hence, Asim^ra and his Companions stood and fought, and were finally martyred in battle. When seven Companions had been martyred, and only Khubaib^ra bin ‘Adiyy, Zaid^ra bin Dathinah, and one other Companion were left, the disbelievers whose actual desire was to capture these people alive, called out again and said, ‘There is still time. Come down and we promise not to cause you any harm.’ This time, these innocent Muslims fell into their trap and descended.”

However, as soon as they stepped down, the disbelievers tied them with the strings of their arrow bows. Upon this, the Companion of Khubaib^ra and Zaid^ra, whose name has been recorded in history as being Abdullah^ra bin Tariq, could not restrain himself and called out, ‘This is your first breach of agreement and who knows what you shall do hereafter,’ and Abdullah^ra refused to continue along with them. For some distance, the disbelievers dragged Abdullah^ra along, beating and assaulting him, after which they then killed him and left him there. Moreover, now that their revenge had been sought, in order to please the Quraish, and also out of greed for money, they took Khubaib^ra and Zaid^ra and made their way to Mecca; upon reaching there, they sold both of them to the Quraish. As such, Khubaib^ra was purchased by the sons of Harith bin Amir bin Naufal, because Khubaib^ra had slain Harith in the battle of Badr and Zaid^ra was purchased by Safwan bin Umayyah. They were also martyred.” (Sirat Khatam-un-Nabiyyeen, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib M.A., pp. 513-514)

Another companion was Hazrat Khalid bin Bukair^ra, who was a Badri companion [those who took part in the Battle of Badr]. Hazrat Khalid bin Bukair, Aaqil, Hazrat Amir and Hazrat Ayaas all accepted Islam in Dar-e-Arqam. All four brothers were the first to accept Islam in Dar-e-Arqam. The Holy Prophet^sa established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Khalid^ra bin Bukair and Hazrat Zaid^ra bin Dathinah. He took part in the Battle of Badr and the Battle of Uhud. Hazrat Khalid^ra bin Bukair was among those who were martyred in the incident that took place in Rajee‘ which has been mentioned earlier in which ten Muslims were deceived and killed. (At-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 3, p.297, Aaqil bin Abi Al-Bukair, Khalid bin Abi Al-Bukair, Darul-kutub-ul-Illmiyah, 1990, Beirut).

Prior to the Battle of Badr, the Holy Prophet^sa once sent a delegation under the command of Abdullah bin Jahsh^ra to enquire after a caravan of the Quraish, and Hazrat Khalid bin Bukair^ra was also a part of this delegation. He was martyred in the month of Safar [second month in the Islamic calendar] in 4 Hijri at the age of 34 alongside Asim^ra bin Thaabit and Marsad^ra bin Abi Marsad Ghanavi, whilst fighting against the ‘Adal and Qarah tribe in the battle of ‘Rajee. (Usdul Ghaaba, Vol. 1, p. 647, Khalid bin Bukair, Darul Fikr, 2003, Beirut)

In this regard, Ibn Ishaq states that when the members of the ‘Adal and Qarah tribe took the Companions^ra to Rajee‘ – which is the name of a spring that belonged to the Auzail tribe and located on the outskirts of Hijaz – it was there that they betrayed these Companions. These Companions were deceived and betrayed by those who were taking them to Rajee‘ as they incited the people of the Auzail tribe against them. The Companions at the time were in their camps when they noticed that people were gathering from all sides with their swords drawn. And so, they too bravely stood to engage in battle. The disbelievers then stated, “We swear by God that we will not kill you, but we simply wish to hold you as captives and take you to the people of Mecca and seek recompense from them for your return.” However, Hazrat Marsad^ra bin Abi Marsad, Hazrat Asim^ra bin Thaabitand Hazrat Khalid^ra bin Bukair replied, “We swear by God, we shall not enter into a treaty with the idolaters.” In the end, all three fought until they were martyred. (Sirat ibn-e-Hisham, pp.591-592, Darul-kutub-ul-Illmiyah, 2003, Beirut)

In one of his couplets regarding these three individuals, Hazrat Hassan bin Thabit stated: 

اَلَا لَيْتَنِي فِيْهَا شَهِدْتُ ابْنَ طَارِقٍ

وَ زَيْدًا وَمَا تُغْنِي الْاَمَانِي وَ مَرْثَدَا

فَدَافَعْتُ عَنْ حِبِّي خُبَيْبٍ وَ عَاصِمٍ

وَكَانَ شِفَاءً لَوْ تَدَارَكْتُ خَالِدَا

“Even though one’s longing can be of no avail, but I wish that I could be alongside Ibn Tariq, Zaid and Marsad at the incident of Rajee‘,

I would save my dear friends Khubaib and Asim and if I came across Khalid; he too I would have saved.”

(Usdul Ghaaba, Vol. 1, p.647, Khalid bin Bukair, Darul Fikr, 2003, Beirut)

These were the individuals who rendered such great sacrifices in order to safeguard their religion and faith, thus attaining the pleasure of God Almighty. 

The Promised Messiah^as writes in one of his books, 

“We are ever grateful to God Almighty, Who bestows great favours upon us and removes our sorrows. We send salutations of peace upon His Prophet^sa, who is the leader of the Jinn and men, and leads the pure hearted towards the heavenly gardens. May peace be upon his Companions, who rushed as if intensely thirsty towards the fountain of faith, and in the abyss of darkness they were enlightened with the excellence of knowledge and morals.” (Noor-ul-Haq, Part 2, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 8, p. 188)

In another place, the Promised Messiah^as states regarding the Companions^ra, 

“They were like lions on the earth in the day and hermits in the night and served as shinning stars of the faith.” By being like hermits in the night means that they spent their nights in worship and were like the stars of faith. “They all are the recipients of God’s pleasure.” (Najm-ul-Huda, Ruhani Khazain, Vol.14, p.17) 

May God Almighty enable us to improve our intellectual and moral conditions and also the standards of worship at night. 

After the Friday prayer, I shall lead a funeral prayer in absentia of respected Ismael Mala Ghala Sahib, who was serving as a missionary in Uganda. He passed away and returned to His creator shortly before the Friday prayer on 25 May after suffering from a heart attack at the age of 64. “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.” 

Ismael Mala Ghala Sahib was born in 1954 in the Mukono district of Uganda. Both of his parents were Christian, therefore he too was born as a Christian.  Mala Ghala Sahib’s brother-in-law Haji, Shoaib Nasirah Sahib is an Ahmadi and therefore he would often visit Haji Shoaib Nasirah Sahib’s house. He developed an interest in Islam through Haji Shoaib Sahib. After a long period of correspondence, in which he would ask questions and await a response, the truthfulness of Islam dawned upon him. Eventually, in 1978 he performed the Bai’at and entered the fold of Islam, Ahmadiyyat. 

When he accepted Islam, he mentioned to Haji Shoaib Nasirah Sahib, “From childhood it was my desire to become a Christian Missionary. Now that I have accepted Islam, is there any way in which I can serve Islam?” At this, he informed him that he could devote his life for the service of Islam. At that time, Muhammad Ali Qahiro Sahib, who is at present the Ameer [National President] of Uganda, had completed his studies from Jamia Ahmadiyya [Rabwah], Pakistan, and had returned to Uganda. In 1980, he sent Mala Ghala Sahib along with five other Khuddam to study in Pakistan. In December 1980, Mala Ghala Sahib enrolled into Fasl-e-Khaas in Jamia Ahmadiyya Rabwah and completed his studies on 1 March 1988.

With regards to his studies during his time at Jamia, the principal at that time, Syed Mir Mahmood Ahmad Nasir Sahib, writes, “Although he may have been weak in his studies, however, he cooperated in all matters and was a very obedient student. He had a simple nature and would remain occupied in worship. He had a habit of meeting elders and requesting them for prayers.” The deceased gentlemen studied in Jamia with due diligence and when Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV^rh had to migrate from Pakistan, he was among those members who performed duties tirelessly and with great courage. 

The current Principal, Mubashar Ayyaz sahib writes about him saying, “We were in Jamia at the same time. He had a very pious nature and a quiet disposition. He would be counted amongst those Jamia Students who had a passion for worship and exercise. His level of obedience was exemplary and worthy of mention. Since I was Naqeeb and Za’eem, I interacted with him on many occasions. I always found him to be very humble and obedient. He had a passion for football and was considered a key player for whichever team he would play for.” 

After completing his education in Jamia, he was officially appointed to Uganda as a Missionary in 1988 and served across several Jamaats. In 2007, the deceased went to Pakistan along with two Ugandan missionaries and had the opportunity to revise the translation of the Quran in Luganda. He completed this task within three months. Perhaps he was weak in his studies during Jamia, however, later on, he continued personal studies and increased his knowledge. The deceased had a passion for tabligh [propagating the message of Islam] and through his tabligh, a large number of people accepted Ahmadiyyat. He would travel extensively on his bicycle for the purposes of tabligh. On one occasion when he was on a tabligh expedition, his wife passed away and there was no way of communicating this to him. When he returned from his trip he discovered that his wife had passed away and the burial had already taken place.

He dedicated his life for the service of his faith and lived a life of simplicity. He was kind hearted, compassionate and caring. He would look after the poor and needy. He was a true devotee of Khilafat and would deem it essential to abide by every command of the Khalifa. I have seen African missionaries and Waqf-e-Zindagis [Life Devotees] – in fact the general African population – that they have a special bond with Khilafat.

Ameer [National President] Sahib Uganda, Muhammad Ali Qahiro Sahib says, “The deceased was an exemplary missionary with a kind heart. He was an individual who would invite others to the path of God and render his services for his faith. Despite suffering many hardships, he never complained about anything, rather he always occupied himself in serving the faith. After the demise of his first wife, he married for a second time, and a short while after that, he married again. One of his wives says, “Throughout his life, I found him to be a loving and kind-hearted man who was content at all times and would always show gratitude to God Almighty.” His daughter writes, “Our father was very loving and patient. He would always care for our needs and would encourage us to act on the teachings of the faith.”

The deceased leaves behind two wives and nine children. May God Almighty shower His mercy on him and grant him forgiveness. May his progeny remain attached to the Jamaat and Khilafat.

(Translated by The Review of Religions)