After reciting the Tashahhud, Ta‘awwuz, and Surah Al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) stated:
It has come to light that Aldershot Jama‘at has attained the first position in Waqfe Jadid in UK.
Then, Huzoor (aba) continued the account of Badri companion Hazrat Sa’d (ra) bin Ubadah. Huzoor (aba) presented an addendum to a reference from Friday Sermon of 27th December 2019.
When the Battle of the Ditch had taken place, the Holy Prophet (sa) took counsel from only Hazrat Sa’d (ra) bin Mu’adh and Hazrat Sa’d (ra) bin Ubadah about sending Uyainah bin Hisn a third of the dates of Medina, on the condition that the people of the Ghatafan tribe would go back. Both of them replied, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah, if you have been commanded by God Almighty to do so then by all means proceed in doing so. However, if this is not the case, then the rules which were in place before should still apply to them now.” The Holy Prophet (sa) was pleased with their answer.
During the Battle of Banu Quraizah, Hazrat Sa’d (ra) bin Ubadah loaded dates upon several camels to send as food for the Holy Prophet (sa) and the Muslims. On that occasion, the Holy Prophet (sa) stated, “What an excellent form of nourishment the date is!”
During the battle of Mauta, which took place in Jumadi al-Oula 8.A.H., Hazrat Zaid (ra) was martyred, and the Holy Prophet (sa) went to his home to pay his condolences. His daughter came to the Holy Prophet (sa) whilst weeping. The Holy Prophet (sa) also began to cry. Hazrat Sa’d (ra) bin Ubadah then asked, “What is the reason for this?”, to which the Holy Prophet (sa) replied, “this is one’s affection to his beloved”.
When the Holy Prophet (sa) departed for the conquest of Mecca, the Quraish had received news of this. Consequently they went out to seek information. The Holy Prophet (sa) ordered Hazrat Abbas (ra) to keep Abu Sufyan at the mountain-pass, so that he may see the Muslims army, and its loyalty and devotion. The Arab tribes marched that day as soldiers of belief. They raised the slogans of Islam. Their devotion to Islam could be seen in their faces, and heard in their songs and slogans. Last of all came the Holy Prophet (sa), surrounded by the armies of Ansar and Muhajirin. The sight proved the most impressive of all. The devotion of these Muslims, their determination and their zeal seemed overflowing. Abu Sufyan was completely overpowered. He said, “Abbas, your nephew has become the most powerful king in the world.” “You are still far from the truth, Abu Sufyan. He is no king; he is a Prophet, a Messenger of God" replied Hazrat Abbas (ra). “Yes, yes, let it be as you say, a Prophet” added Abu Sufyan.
As the Muslim army marched past Abu Sufyan, the commander of the Ansar, Sa‘d (ra) bin Ubadah happened to eye Abu Sufyan and could not resist saying that God that day had made it lawful for them to enter Mecca by force and that the Quraish would be humiliated. As the Prophet (sa) was passing, Abu Sufyan asked the Holy Prophet (sa) said, ‘Have you allowed the massacre of your own kith and kin? Will you not forgive and forget whatever was done by your own people?’ The Holy Prophet (sa) turning to Abu Sufyan, said, " It is not the day of slaughter. It is the day of forgiveness. The Quraish and the Ka‘bah will be honoured by God." Then he sent for Sa‘d, and ordered him to hand over the Ansar flag to his son, Qays, for he will now be the commander of the Ansar’s army.
The Battle of Hunayn (also known as The Battle of Hawaazin) took place after the Conquest of Mecca in Shawal 8 AH. The Holy Prophet (sa) distributed the spoils gained from this war among the Muhajireen. The Ansar felt aggrieved. Hazrat Sa’d (ra) bin Ubadah presented this to the Holy Prophet (sa) who asked him to gather his tribe. The Holy Prophet (sa), after praising God Almighty, said, ‘O ye Ansar, whatever is the matter? I am receiving reports that you are aggrieved at not receiving anything from the spoils of war. Before I came to you, were you not in a state of misguidance? God Almighty bestowed guidance upon you. Were you not destitute before God Almighty granted you affluence? Were you not enemies of each other until the time God Almighty instilled love for one another in your hearts?’ They replied, ‘Indeed, for God and His Messenger (sa) are greater and more benevolent.’ The Holy Prophet (sa) then stated, ‘O ye Ansar! Did you feel dismay over an insignificant piece of worldly wealth that I granted to others but not to you? I granted to them in order to comfort their hearts, so that they may accept Islam and so they can become firm in their faith, but I entrusted you with your faith in Islam. O ye Ansar! Does it not please you that other people will return to their homes having acquired sheep, goats and camels, yet you will return home alongside the Messenger (sa) of Allah?’ The Holy Prophet (sa) prayed, “O Allah! Have mercy on the Ansar, and upon the sons of the Ansar and also the grandsons of the Ansar.”
On the occasion of Hajjatul Wida’, the Holy Prophet (sa) travelled from Medina to perform the Hajj. When he arrived at the place of Hajj, his mount went missing. Hazrat Sa’d (ra) bin Ubadah came to the Holy Prophet (sa) along with his son, Qays (ra), and brought a camel loaded with provisions to take along on a journey. By the time Sa’d (ra) came to the Holy Prophet (sa), the lost camel had been recovered. Hazrat Sa’d (ra) said, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah! We have heard that your camel along with all your provisions has been misplaced. Please take our mount instead.” The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, “God Almighty has brought our mount back to us. Both of you can take back the mount you have brought; God Almighty will bless both of you.”
Hazrat Usama bin Zaid (ra) states, “One of the daughters of the Holy Prophet (sa) said to me that her son is on his deathbed and that he should come to see them. When the Holy Prophet (sa) went to see them, the child was breathing his last breaths. Upon seeing the child in such condition, the Holy Prophet (sa) was moved to tears. Hazrat Sa’d said, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah! What is this?’ to which the Holy Prophet (sa) replied, “This is owing to the mercy God Almighty has placed in the hearts of people, and God Almighty only bestows His mercy to those people who show mercy to others.’ This emotional state is not something out of the ordinary, it is simply due to the grace of Allah the Almighty.
When Hazrat Sa’d (ra) bin Ubadah fell ill, the Holy Prophet (sa) went to visit him, and upon seeing his condition, he began to cry. When the people saw the Holy Prophet (sa) in this state, they also began to cry. The Holy Prophet (sa) then said, ‘Hear my words! God Almighty never punishes for any tears that are shed nor if the heart feels anguish. Rather, he will punish or show mercy owing to this,’ and the Holy Prophet (sa) pointed to his tongue. The Holy Prophet (sa) then said, ‘The deceased receives punishment if one’s family members lament and wail over a departed one.’” It is incorrect to lament and wail. Hazrat Sa’d (ra) bin Ubadah did not pass away during this intense period of illness.
Hazrat Jabir bin Abdullah bin Haram relates, “My father once instructed me to prepare some Harira and I did so.” Harira is a famous dish which is prepared from flour, butter and water. “Upon my father’s instruction I took the Harira and presented it before the Holy Prophet (sa). The Holy Prophet (sa) asked, ‘O Jabir, is this meat?’ I submitted, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, no, it is Harira.’ I told my father that the Holy Prophet (sa) asked me whether it was meat that I had brought. Upon hearing this my father thought that perhaps the Holy Prophet (sa) desired to eat meat and so slaughtered a goat and then cooked its meat and told me to take it and present it before the Holy Prophet (sa). I presented the goat meat before the Holy Prophet (sa) and the Holy Prophet (sa) stated, ‘O Allah! Grant reward to the Ansar from me, particularly Abdullah (ra) bin Amr bin Haram and Sa’d (ra) bin Ubadah.’
In another tradition narrated by Abu Hurrairah (ra), it states that Hazrat Sa’d (ra) bin Ubadah asked the Holy Prophet (sa), “If I see someone with my wife, should I not do anything to him until I find four witnesses who actually saw them committing the ill deed?” The Holy Prophet (sa) replied, “Yes”. Hazrat Sa’d (ra) bin Ubadah submitted, “Certainly not, I swear by Him, Who has sent you with the truth that if this happened to me, I would immediately settle the matter with my sword.” Upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) said to the people who were present, “Listen to what your leader is saying? He is filled with honour, but I possess even greater sense of honour than him and Allah the Almighty has even greater honour.” The Holy Prophet (sa) said, ‘There is no one who possesses a greater sense of honour than God Almighty and there is no one who is more pleased than God in accepting repentance. It is for this reason that God Almighty has declared His prophets as bearers of glad-tidings and as a warner. (They give glad-tidings and warn people as well). Moreover, there is no one who appreciates praise more than Allah the Almighty, it is for this reason that Allah the Almighty has promised heaven as a reward. To abstain from sins is in fact to praise God Almighty and it is for this reason that God Almighty has granted the promise of heaven. Thus, even though Allah the Almighty punishes but He does not do so immediately, however man may display haste in his handing out punishment, owing to his sense of honour. Allah the Almighty forgives one who seeks repentance and also rewards them. Thus, God Almighty not only forgives but then also rewards as well. Hence, the Holy Prophet (sa) stated that one should not exceed in their actions beyond the commandments of Allah the Almighty.
Hazrat Sa’d (ra) bin Ubadah relates that the Holy Prophet (sa) appointed him to supervise the funds of Sadaqat [charity] belonging to a particular tribe. The Holy Prophet (sa) advised him [to always fear Allah the Almighty] lest on the Day of Judgment, he appeared in a state laden with a camel which was bleating. Hazrat Sa’d (ra) replied, “O Prophet (sa) of Allah, then entrust this responsibility to someone else.” And so, the Holy Prophet (sa) did not assign this duty to him. Thus, one who is entrusted with the supervision of something has to ensure that they grant the due rights to everyone, establish justice and not display even a hint of dishonesty. Failing to do this is a grave sin and one will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment.
During the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (sa), six companions collated the entire Holy Quran into a single volume and Hazrat Sa’d (ra) bin Ubadah was one of them. Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) in regards to this states that among the Ansar, the following names are of the well-known Hufaaz [those who had committed the Holy Quran] to memory]: Ubadah bin Samit, Muadh, Mujama bin Harith, Fuzala bin Ubaid, Maslama bin Mukkhalad, Abu Durda, Abu Zaid, Zaid bin Thabit, Ubbay bin Kab and Sa’d bin Ubadah Umme Warqa.
It is proven from historical sources that there were many companions who had memorised the Holy Quran. There are a few accounts that remain of Hazrat Sa’d (ra) bin Ubadah which will inshAllah be related in the future sermons.