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Summary of Friday Sermon Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V(aba)

After reciting the Tashahhud, Ta’wwuz, and Surah Al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) stated: Hazrat ‘Umair Bin Abi Waqqas was a companion of the Holy Prophet (sa) who participated in the Battle of Badr. His father was Abu Waqqas Malik Bin Wuhaib. Hazrat Umair (ra) was the younger brother of Hazrat Sa’ad Bin Abi Waqqas and was amongst the early Muslims. His mother’s name was Hamnah Bint Sufyan. He belonged to the Banu Zuhrah clan of the Quraish tribeThe Holy Prophet (sa) established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Umair and Hazrat ‘Amr Bin Mua’az or according to some with Hazrat Khubaib Bin Adi. He was a minor at the time of battle of Badr; when he was told to go back to Medinah, Umair (ra) started to cry , and upon witnessing his extraordinary eagerness, the Holy Prophet (sa) allowed him to remain with the fighters.” His sword was of considerable size and the Holy Prophet (sa) secured the sheath to his sword with his own blessed hands. Hazrat Umair Bin Abi Waqqas was sixteen years old when he was martyred in the Battle of Badr.

The second Companion, whose account will be given, is Hazrat Qutbah Bin Amir. He was from among the Ansar [inhabitants of Medina]. He was the son of Amir Bin Hadeedah. His mother’s name is Zainab Bint ‘Amr. His wife’s name is Hazrat Umm Amr. He had one daughter with her, whose name is Umm Jameel. He participated in both, the First Bai’at [Initiation] at Aqabah as well as the second one. He is among those six companions from among the Ansar, who believed in the Holy Prophet (sa) while he was still in Mecca. People taking this oath of initiation requested to the Holy Prophet (sa): “We have been greatly weakened by civil war, and there are many disagreements between us. How remarkable would it be that Allah the Exalted may gather us again through you.” Hence, the notion that Islam caused divisions is incorrect. Rather, it was Islam that removed their divisions and feuds. Hazrat Qutba is counted among the best archers from among the companions of the Holy Prophet (sa). He participated alongside the Holy Prophet (sa) in the battles of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq as well as all other battles. He fought courageously in the battle of Uhud. He received nine wounds on that day.  Hazrat Qutba passed away during the Khilafat of Hazrat Umar.

The third companion to be mentioned is Hazrat Shuja’ bin Wahab, who was the son of Wahab bin Rabi’ah. He was also called Shuja’ bin Abi Wahab. He was tall, slim and had very thick hair. Hazrat Shuja’ is counted among those noble companions, who accepted the Holy Prophet (sa) in the very early stages. In the sixth year after the Holy Prophet (sa) claimed prophethood, upon the indication of the Holy Prophet (sa), he migrated to Habsha [Abyssinia] with the second group of migrants who migrated there. A short while later, hearing the rumor that the people of Mecca have accepted Islam, Hazrat Shuja’ returned to Mecca. Later on, the Holy Prophet (sa) permitted the companions to migrate to Medina, upon which Hazrat Shuja’, along with his brother, ‘Uqba bin Wahab, said farewell to Mecca and migrated to Medina. The Holy Prophet (sa) declared Hazrat Aus bin Khauli to be the religious brother of Hazrat Shuja’ in accordance with the bonds of brotherhood he established. Including [the battles of] Badr, Uhud and Khandaq, Hazrat Shuja’ participated in all battles alongside the Holy Prophet (sa). He lived for just over forty years and was martyred during the battle of Yamama.

After returning from the treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the Holy Prophet (sa) sent Hazrat Shuja’ to the chief of Ghouta near Damascus, as his ambassador. Hazrat Shuja’ introduced himself to the security chief, who asked him about the message of the Holy Prophet (sa). Upon hearing this, the security chief said, “I have read the Bible and these exact descriptions of that prophet are present in him. My understanding was that he will appear in Syria but it seems that he has appeared in the lands of Qarz i.e. Yemen. Nevertheless, I believe in him….. I fear that the governor may kill me.” He also said, “Harith bin Abi Shimr (the governor) in actuality fears the Caesar as he was living under his rule.” When the letter was finally delivered to the governor, he became furious and ordered his administration to prepare the army to retaliate for this message. The letter written to him was perceived by him as a threat that if he would not listen to the message of Islam, then his rule would gradually weaken. Thereafter, Harith bin Abi Shimr (the governor) sent the Caesar of Rome all the details of the Holy Prophet’s (sa) letter in writing. Caesar read the letter of Harith and ordered him to abandon any thought of advancing to him to attack and to not clash with him. Thus, when this response of Caesar was received by Harith he summoned Hazrat Shuja’ and instructed for him to be given approximately 500 grams of gold and then that security guard, the security in-charge came and handed him a sum of money also. He said to convey his greetings to the Holy Prophet (sa) and to inform him that he had become a follower of his faith. Hazrat Shuja’ states, “When I reached the Holy Prophet (sa) I reported everything to him regarding the governor Harith. When he had heard all the proceedings he said, ‘he will be destroyed’, i.e. his rule will come to an end. Following this, Muslims were really concerned that the army of this tribe will attack Madinah. To defend Muslims, the Holy Prophet (sa) appointed twenty four Mujahideen to Hazrat Shuja’ to gain intelligence about those preparing to attack Medina. Hazrat Shuja’ would travel by night along with the Mujahideen and keep in hiding during the day, until all of a sudden they fell upon the people of Banu Amir preparing for war. When the people of Banu Amir unexpectedly saw the Muslims before them they were confounded and confused, and they fled leaving everything behind. Hazrat Shuja’ ordered the Mujahideen not to chase them, but instead, as was tradition at the time, they brought back the camels, goats and spoils to Medina which they had left behind.

The next Companion is Hazrat Shammas bin Usman. His father was Usman bin Sharid and he passed away in 3 A.H. during the Battle of Uhud. His name is Usman and his title is Shammas, which is what he was known by. He was from the Banu Makhzum tribe and accepted Islam in the very early stages. Shammas (ra) name was Usaman and the reason why he was called Shammas is and because of his white and reddish complexion of his face, as if to say that his face looked the like the sun. Therefore, he became more commonly known as Shammas instead of his original name.  Hazrat Shammas bin Usman and his mother, Hazrat Saffia bint Rabia bin Abd Shams were part of the second delegation that migrated to Abyssinia. Hazrat Shammas bin Usman migrated to Medina upon returning from Abyssinia and stayed with Hazrat Mubasher bin Abdul Munzir. The Holy Prophet (sa) established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Shammas bin Usman and Hazrat Hanzla bin Abi Amir. Hazrat Shammas had a son whose name was Hazrat Abdullah. Hazrat Shammas bin Usman took part in the Battle of Badr and Uhad. He fought very courageously during the Battle of Uhad. The Holy Prophet (sa) stated that he found Hazrat Shammas bin Usman to be like a shield. Wherever the Holy Prophet (sa) would turn, whether to his right or left, he would find Shammas defending with his sword until the point where the Holy Prophet (sa) fell unconscious due to a rock that was thrown at him. Hazrat Shammas stood in front of the Holy Prophet (sa) and shielded him with his body and as a result sustained a serious injury. He still had some life left in him and he was carried back to Medina, where he eventually breathed his last after one day and passed away. Later, upon the instruction of the Holy Prophet (sa), Hazrat Shammas was taken to Uhad and buried there in the same clothes. Hazrat Shammas (ra) passed away at the age of 34.

Another Companion is Hazrat Abu Abas bin Jabr. His father’s name was Jabr bin Amar. He passed away in 34 AH at the age of 70. His original name was Abdul Rahman and his title was Abu Abas. He belonged to the Ansar tribe of Banu Haritha. In the era of ignorance [pre-Islam] his name was Abdul Uzza, however the Holy Prophet (sa) changed his name to Abdul Rahman because Uzza was the name of their idol, therefore the Holy Prophet (sa) changed it to Abdul Rehman. He took part in the Battle of Badr and all the other battles along with the Holy Prophet (sa). He was also one of the Companions (ra) who killed Ka’ab bin Ashraf, who belonged to the Jews. The Holy Prophet (sa) established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Abu Abas and Hazrat Anees. He passed away in 34 AH at the age of 70. Hazrat Usman led his funeral prayers and he was buried in Janatul Baqee.

He was a literate person and could read and write. Hazrat Umar and Hazrat Usman would send those two to collect Sadqa [charity] from the people, meaning that they managed the department of finance. Hazrat Abu Abs lost his sight during the time of the Holy Prophet (sa). The Holy Prophet (sa) gave him a stick and stated: “Find light through this.” And so that stick would spread light in front of him. One meaning of this could be that this stick will be in your hand and it will assist you in the same manner that other blind people use their stick. However, it could also mean that the stick would spread light and project light for those who cannot see properly at night. In fact, it is also mentioned that once three companions of the Promised Messiah (as) were traveling during a dark night when God Almighty showed them some light which was leading them along the way in the same manner [as mentioned]. Hazrat Abu Abs’s son narrates: “Hazrat Abu Abs would offer his prayers behind the Holy Prophet (sa) and would then return to his tribe, Banu Haritha. On one occasion when he was returning home during a dark and rainy night, light started emanating from his stick and lit up his way.” He was a fast walker, very honest in his dealings when serving his finance duties and was very trustworthy.

Hazrat Abdullah bin Abs narrates: “The Holy Prophet (sa) said, ‘God Almighty has saved one from fire whose feet become unclean in the way of God Almighty.’” That is, those who strive in the way of God Almighty, those who tread the path [to attain] His pleasure, those who work hard [for His sake] are included in this. Similarly, those who travel to invite others towards Allah and those who travel from afar to offer prayers at the Mosque are also included in this group of people. God Almighty states that they have been saved from the fire.

Then there was a companion named Hazrat Abu Aqeel bin Abdullah who was an Ansari. His father’s name was Abdullah bin Thalilbah. [Hazrat Abu ‘Aqeel] passed away in 12 Hijri during the battle of Yamama. His name was ‘Abdur Rahman bin Arasi bin Abdullah. His original name was Abdul Uzza. After accepting Islam the Holy Prophet (sa) named him Abdul Rahman. He was from Banu Unaib, a branch of the Balee tribe and he was an ally of Banu Jahjabah bin Qulfah, a family from the Ansar. His filial appellation was Abu Aqeel and was commonly known by this. He fought alongside the Holy Prophet (sa) in the battle of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq. He was martyred during the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (ra) during the battle of Yumama. He was one of the companions who would work all night when the Holy Prophet (sa) would instruct [everyone] to offer sadqa [charity] and he would offer whatever he could collect. Once, Hazrat Abu ‘Aqeel brought forth 1.5kg to 1.75kg of dates purchased from the earnings of his labour work. When another person brought more than him, the hypocrites said: ‘God Almighty does not need charity from this person and the other one who offered charity was for mere show’. Hence, the following verse of the Holy Qur’an was revealed at that moment: “Those who find fault with such of the believers as give alms of their own free will and with such as find nothing to give save the earnings of their toil. They thus deride them. Allah shall requite them for their derision, and for them is a grievous punishment.”

These Companions had astonishing ways of attaining the pleasure of God Almighty and the manner in which they made such endeavours to achieve this. Accepting their endeavours, God Almighty has instructed those who came after them to follow their example.

On the day of the battle of Yamama, Hazrat Abu Aqeel Anifi was the first to be wounded. An arrow struck him between his shoulder and heart but since it had become bent upon piercing his body, it therefore did not kill him. When Ansar were called to regroup for a strong counter-attack, Abu Aqeel (ra) got up, intending to meet up with his Ansaari brothers. He was injured and weak, yet he got up. He asserted that ‘I am from the Ansaar, and I shall respond to the call, even if I have to crawl.’ The Ansar regrouped, may Allah have mercy on them, and spearheaded an extremely fierce attack on the enemy, forcing them to retreat to an orchard. Hazrat Abu Aqeel sustained fourteen wounds, each of which was fatal. Fallen in the battlefield, Hazrat Abu Aqeel praised God, then raised his finger towards the sky and passed away. May Allah have mercy on him.”

May God Almighty continue to exalt the status of the Companions.

After Friday prayer I will also lead a funeral prayer in absentia. The first funeral is of respected Maulana Abdul Aziz Sadiq sahib who was a Missionary in Bangaldesh; he passed away on 26 July 2018. To Allah we belong and to Him do we return. Whilst he was still in class 4, he left to study in Qadian where he had the opportunity to grow up amongst the Companions of the Promised Messiahas. After the partition of India, foreign students were required to return to their countries and so Abdul Aziz sahib returned to Bangladesh however he longed to return to the Markaz [central headquarters]. In dangerous conditions he travelled from Kolkata to Dehli – during his travel, Hindus and Sikh were astonished as to how a young Muslim is travelling fearlessly on trains around India. Anyhow, when he reached Dehli the jamaat organised a flight for him to Lahore, at the time western and eastern Pakistan were not divided and Maulana Abdul Aziz sahib arrived in Rabwah safely. He studied in Jamia Ahmadiyya for 6 years and thereafter completed another 3 years in Jamia-tul-Mubashireen. He obtained the Shahid Degree and then studied at Punjab University and Peshawar University; obtaining a Maulwi Fazil degree. He was then posted in Samundari, Faisalabad. In 1963-64 he was then posted in eastern Bangladesh where he served in various Jamaats.

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III (rh) formed a board to oversee the translation of the Holy Quran into Bangla and on the recommendation of respected Qazi Muhammad Nazir sahib, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III (rh) includes Maulana Abdul Aziz sahib amongst the board members. For this task, Muzafar Udin Bengali and Maulwi Muhammad Ameer Bengali sahib would also work with him – for this translation, they both stayed in Rabwah. However, Muhammad Amir sahib was then transferred to Dhaka and after the demise of Chaudary Muazafar Udin sahib, Abdul Aziz sahib was sent to Dhaka in 1979 to complete this task. After the demise of Maulwi Muhammad sahib, Abdul Aziz sahib worked alone on the translation and on the occasion of the centenary Jubilee the translation of the Holy Quran into Bangladesh was printed.

He served across the whole of Bangladesh in various places for the purpose of Taleem, Tarbiyyat and Tabligh. On many occasions he had to bear physical torment from opponents of Jamaat Ahmadiyya. He was also blessed with the opportunity of being an Aseer Rahe Maula (Prisoner in the path of Allah).

In 1992 when the enemy launched an attack on Bakshi Bazar Dhaka, which was a Jamaat Centre, he fought them off alone with great bravery. During the attack he suffered injuries from head to toe. Apart from his wife, he is survived by three daughters and two sons, as well as a number of grandchildren. All three daughters live in Bangladesh. From among his sons, one lives in USA and his younger son, Habibullah Sadiq Sahib, lives in the UK and works in the MTA News Department. May God Almighty elevate the status of the deceased and enable his progeny to continue his virtuous deeds.

The second funeral is of Muhammad Zafrullah Sahib Shaheed, son of Mr Basharat Ahmad Sahib of Syedwala Nankana. On 29th August he was martyred in the district of Nankana at the time of Maghrib [sunset] prayer when two armed robbers opened fire at his shop. To Allah we belong and to Him shall we return. Six men, armed with the latest weaponry, arrived on motorcycle to his Jewellery shop. Having looted the entire shop they opened fire. As a result of this a passer-by was shot and killed. Although there were other people present in the shop at the time, they only targeted Zafrullah Sahib, with the mind-set that ‘since he is an Ahmadi, it does not matter [if we kill him], in this way we will receive double the reward.’ The deceased was a civilised and hospitable gentleman. A large number of mourners gathered to pay their respects, many of whom did not belong to the Jamaat. The deceased had a special love for Khilafat and would respond to every initiative launched by the Community. He was regular in observing his five daily prayers. By the Grace of Allah, he was a Moosi [part of the Institution of Al-Wasiyyat] and an individual who was brave and courageous. At present he was serving as Secretary of Taleem [Education] in Syedwala. Zafruallah Sahib was 30 years old [at the time of his demise]. He was married and has one son, Muhammad Talha, who is one and a half years old. He is survived by his wife, son as well as his parents, one brother and five sisters. May Allah the Almighty elevate the status of the deceased and grant steadfastness to all his family member that he leaves behind and also enable them to continue the virtuous deeds of the deceased.


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