Belief in the unseen: The journey from reasoned assessment to Divine certainty
The Holy Quran, the ultimate source of guidance for Muslims, highlights belief in the unseen (iman bi l-ghayb) as a fundamental characteristic of the righteous and God-conscious people. Allah the Almighty states:
“Who believe in the unseen and observe Prayer and spend out of what
We have provided for them.” (Surah alBaqarah, Ch.2: V.4)
This raises a fundamental question: What is meant by belief in the unseen, and why is it of such great importance? This article, drawing heavily on the insights of the Promised Messiahas, explores this vital question. Belief in the unseen is not a static acceptance of dogma, but rather the initiation of a dynamic spiritual journey. This journey is characterised
by continuous striving (mujahada), complete hope in Divine guidance, and a progressive deepening of certainty (yaqin).
This exploration is not merely academic. It directly challenges the misconception that the Islamic faith is solely based on blind acceptance. The writings of the Promised Messiahas, and the broader Islamic tradition, reveal a
The reward of building a mosque for Allah’s Sake
Hazrat ‘Ubaidullah al-Khawlani narrated: He heard Hazrat ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affanra say, when people were criticising him about rebuilding the Mosque of Allah’s Messengersa: “You have spoken at length, whereas I myself heard the Prophetsa say, ‘Whoever builds a mosque – [Bukair (one of the narrators) said he believed the words were] intending Allah’s pleasure – Allah will build a similar [building] for him in Paradise.’”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab as-salah,
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, In His Own Words
Converse with the Inner Self
The state of human beings is such that they can never remain idle or static, and the inner self cannot remain without engaging in some form of speech. If there is no one else with whom to converse, man will begin to speak with his own
Continued on page 3
Bab mun bana masjidan, Hadith 450)
14 March
14 March 1986: On this day, while delivering his Friday sermon at the Fazl Mosque in London, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh announced the establishment of the Syedna Bilal Fund for the families of Ahmadi martyrs and those imprisoned in Jamaat-related legal cases. In this sermon, Huzoorrh also mentioned the high spirits of the innocent Ahmadis imprisoned in Sukkur Jail and Sahiwal Jail at that time in Pakistan. (Khutbat-e-Nasir, Vol. 5, pp. 213-223)
To read the heartbreaking yet faith-inspiring story of an Ahmadi
imprisoned in Sukkur, see: www.
This Week in History
the Promised Messiahas issued an announcement for Muslim clerics and invited them to read his book, Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, with deep consideration. (Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 22, p. 611)
15 March 1968: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh initiated a yearlong campaign, starting from the new Hijri year – 1st Muharram 1388 AH (31st March) – encouraging the recitation of tasbih, tahmid, and durood sharif. Huzoorrh explained that the purpose of this zikr was to suppress satanic voices and enable us to spread the true light – the message of Islam Ahmadiyyat – throughout the world.
14 March 1993: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV Ahmadi youth to form research teams and provided special guidance on advancing in the field of research. ( , Vol. 4, p. 873)
: On this day,
(Khutbat-e-Nasir, Vol. 2, p. 75)
: On this day, the Peace Committee held its meeting in Qadian under the presidency of Hazrat . This group of different religions was formed against the backdrop of violence and disturbance following the political and communal tensions in the Indian Tarikh-
subcontinent in those times. ( e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 9, p. 637)
16 March 1990
increase their tabligh
(Khutbat-e-Tahir
: During his tour of Spain, on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul delivered his Friday sermon in the eastern town of Xativa. In his asked Ahmadis to efforts, so we can see the revival of Islam in Spain. , Vol. 9, pp. 133-144)
final of the Jamaat. Huzoor
: On this day, Hazrat delivered his Friday sermon, which happened to be the final sermon of the first century , while giving the glad-tiding of the ultimate victory of the Jamaat, also advised members to collect the accounts of the elders
who made significant sacrifices in the first century of the Jamaat’s history. (Khutbat-e-Tahir, Vol. 8, pp. 167-178)
17 March 2018: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa delivered the keynote address at the 15th National Peace Symposium hosted by Jamaate-Ahmadiyya UK at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in London with an audience of more than 900 people from 31 countries, including 570 nonAhmadi guests comprising ministers, ambassadors, members of parliament, and various other dignitaries.
During the event, Huzooraa also granted the Ahmadiyya Muslim Prize for the Advancement of Peace to Ms Angelina Alekseeva, the representative of Dr Leonid Roshal, a noted paediatrician from Moscow, Russia, and chairman of the International Charity Fund to Help Children in Disasters and Wars, in recognition of his outstanding medical and humanitarian services.
To read more about this, see: ‘‘The
pathway to peace: Turn to the One God, Creator of this Universe’’ at alhakam.org (3 March 2023, pp. 1012).
18 March
18 March 1966: On this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh announced the blessed scheme of Waqf-eArzi – temporary life-devotion. This initiative was designed to support the spiritual education and moral training within the Jamaat. Huzoorrh emphasised the divine opportunity bestowed upon members to dedicate two to six weeks annually to religious service. (Tarikh-eAhmadiyyat-, Vol. 23, p. 49)
18 March 2004: On this day, during his tour of Ghana, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa graced the opening session of 75th Jalsa Salana Ghana. It was the first time an address by any Khalifatul Masih was broadcast live on MTA
from Ghana. The president of Ghana was also present on the stage. This Jalsa concluded the next day after the Friday sermon of Huzoorrh. (Al Fazl, 2 April 2004, p. 1)
19 March
19 March 1937: In his sermon, on this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, while explaining the meaning of:
advised that Ahmadis should be a manifestation of the attribute of God Almighty, Rabb-ul-Aalamin (Lord of the all worlds). And since there was no pause or hindrance in this attribute of Allah, Huzoorra said, there should not be any hindrance in the acts of worship and good deeds of the members of the Jamaat. (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 18, p. 61)
20 March
20 March 1914: On this day, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra delivered his firstever Friday sermon after being elected as Khalifatul Masih. In this sermon, he advised Ahmadi Muslims to seek Allah’s help and support through giving sadaqah (charity) and praying. (Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 4, p. 49)
20 March 2015: At the occurrence of the solar eclipse on this day, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa led the salat al-kusuf (eclipse prayer) at the Fazl Mosque in London, during the period of the solar eclipse, on this day. Following the prayers, Huzooraa delivered a short sermon in which he narrated the sayings of the Holy Prophetsa in relation to the significance of eclipses.
Later in the day, during his Friday Sermon, Huzooraa said that according to the sayings of the Holy Prophetsa, the occurrence of a solar and lunar eclipse was prophesied as a sign of the coming of the Promised Messiahas It was fulfilled during the lifetime of the Promised Messiahas. (‘‘Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community leads Special Prayers during Solar Eclipse’’ www.pressahmadiyya.com)
Continued from page 1 self or with Satan. On certain occasions, people will observe an individual to be com- pletely silent, but actually they are not quiet—such people will be engaged in a string of conversation with their inner self, and at times this exchange will go on for an extended period of time. This exchange is lengthened due to its satanic and shameless nature. This continuous ‘speech’ as it were, is either in the form of transgression conceptualised in the mind, or in the form of indecent and inappropriate desires. It is impossible for one to free themselves of this until one abandons this base life. Also bear in mind that if an individual does not entertain this stream of desires and fancies for long, and if they arise in the heart as minor thoughts which quickly dissipate, then these will be forgiven. Sin is when an in- dividual allows this chain of ideas to continue for an extended period of time and becomes firm upon them, and it is for this that they will be held accountable. When man repels these fancies which arise in the heart and does not allow them to continue for long, there is no doubt that they are worthy of being forgiven. However, when a person feels pleasure in their extended continuation and goes on increasing them, a person becomes accountable for these thoughts, because he begins to cling to them firmly. As I have mentioned earlier, bear well in mind that ‘converse with the inner self ’ is of two kinds. At times it is
satanic and spills over into the realm of im- agined transgression and impiety, and spirals into an extended string of desires. So long as an individual is entangled in these two trains of thought, he cannot be free from satanic influence; he may suffer harm and it is possible that Satan may wound him. Let us take the example of a person who contrives a plan to kill someone because he feels that they are an obstruction in the way of his goal and purpose. Perhaps one may think that since a certain person has disrespected me, I will seek revenge by dishonouring him in return. A person who plots in this manner and remains drowned in such serpentine thoughts is diseased and suffers from a dangerous state. Such a one does not realise how they are harming their own soul, and damaging their own morals and spiritual powers. One should al- ways refrain from such thoughts. Whenever a chain of immoral thoughts begin to arise, endeavour to repel them immediately. Seek forgiveness from God; seek God’s help and support by reciting la hawl;1 engage yourself in reciting the Book of God Almighty and realise that there is no benefit to be had in entertaining immoral thoughts; there is only harm and ruin. Even if an enemy of yours meets their death, so what? And if he remains alive, then what? To cause benefit or harm lies within the power and control of God Almighty. No human being can cause harm to another. Sa’di has written an anecdote in his Gulistan that someone brought the good news to
“The Holy Prophetsa used to perform i‘tikaf every year in the month of Ramadan for 10 days, and when it was the year of his demise, he stayed in i‘tikaf for 20 days.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-i‘tikaf, Hadith 2044)
Nusherwan that a certain enemy of his had been killed, and that his country and fortress had been taken over by Nusherwan’s forces.
Nusherwan gave a marvellous response:
The death of my enemy brings me no joy; for even our own life is not forever.
A person ought to reflect, what benefit and happiness can be reaped from such schemes and conspiracies? This train of thought is extremely dangerous and its cure is repentance, seeking forgiveness from God, reciting la hawl, and studying the Book of God. When a person is idle and inactive, this immoral mindset prevails for a very long period of time.
The second form of converse with the inner self is to prolong the string of one’s yearnings. This train of thought encourages inappropriate desires, and this gives rise to the ailments known as greed, jealousy and selfishness. Therefore, as soon as this way of thinking begins, put an end to it immediately. These two categories of converse with the inner self which I have mentioned ultimately destroy a person. However, a Prophet is pure from this form of discourse.
(Malfuzat [English], Vol. 2, pp. 74-75)
Continued from page 1
nuanced understanding of faith that embraces both intellectual assent and transformative spiritual practice. This article will illuminate the path from reasoned assessment to the ultimate realisation of Divine truth, highlighting the roles of human effort (kasb) and Divine grace (mawhiba). It will also differentiate between the states of the one striving, the muttaqi, and the one who has attained inherent virtue, the salih
The foundation of iman: Reasoned assessment
A common misconception about religious faith, particularly iman bi l-ghayb, is that it requires a complete abandonment of reason. This is a false dichotomy. Islamic faith, and particularly the Promised Messiah’sas understanding of it, embraces both reason and revelation. It acknowledges the essential role of reason in understanding the world and recognising the signs of God, while also recognising that ultimate knowledge of the Divine transcends the limits of human intellect.
The Promised Messiahas, in his profound work Surma-e-Chashm-eArya, directly confronts the challenges posed by those who approach faith solely through a rationalistic lens. He addresses what he terms “arid philosophers,” those who, lacking an appreciation for Divine love, have allowed their spiritual lives to weaken. He laments that their “inappropriate freedom and weakness of faith has had a very bad impact on their inward will and their religious determination.” (Surmae-Chashm-e-Arya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 2, pp. 70-71)
This critique highlights an important distinction between true faith and mere intellectual assent. The Promised Messiahas emphasises that the “real root of the blessings” of religion lies in “faith and sound belief and favourable judgement and obedience and compliance of a truthful informer and the word of God.” (Ibid., pp. 71-72)
He is not dismissing reason but rather pointing out its limitations in grasping the full reality of the Divine. These “arid philosophers,” the Promised Messiahas argues, misunderstand the very nature of religion due to their “false philosophy.” He calls upon them to set aside “prejudice and egotism” and to reflect, with “a straight view and a straight mind,” on the true essence of faith and the reasons for its reward.
(Surma-e-Chashm-e-Arya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 2, pp. 72-73)
What, then, is this true essence? The Promised Messiahas clarifies that faith involves “verbal acknowledgment and heartfelt affirmation,” an acceptance of a prophet’s message based on “piety
and foresight,” arising from a sense of a favourable assumption. This acceptance is not contingent upon “complete, absolute and explicitly clear proof,” but rather on a reasoned assessment of credibility and a tendency towards the truth. (Surma-e-Chashm-e-Arya, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 2, pp. 73-74)
This initial favourable assumption is the foundation on which deeper spiritual understanding is built.
The Promised Messiahas further clarifies this crucial point, stating, “It is true that, since man is accountable due to his reason, he cannot accept irrational things, nor is he blameworthy for rejecting them.” (Ibid., p. 80)
This highlights a vital point: Islam does not demand the abandonment of reason. Rather, it calls for its proper use in recognising the signs of God and accepting the truth of His revelation.
The Promised Messiahas explains that if knowledge of God were as selfevident as a mathematical equation, the very purpose of human existence – the test of faith – would be rendered meaningless. (Ibid., pp. 81-85)
True faith is built on conviction, not blind dogma.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh beautifully summarised this: “Today as I stand, I can say honestly that I believe everything, which I claim I believe in. Through conviction, not through dogmatism.” (“A Man of God”, youtube. com, 30 September 2011)
The dynamic nature of faith: Effort (kasb) and striving (mujahada) While iman begins with reasoned assessment, it is not a static state. It must be nurtured, strengthened, and deepened through continuous effort (kasb) and striving (mujahada) in the path of God. The Holy Quran emphasises this aspect of faith in the following manner:
“And (as for) those who strive (to meet) Us – We will, surely, guide them in Our ways.” (Surah al-‘Ankabut, Ch. 29: V. 70)
This verse beautifully illustrates the link between human endeavour and Divine guidance. Our striving is not aimless; it is a conscious effort to align our lives with the Divine Will, as revealed in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophetsa.
The Promised Messiahas distinguishes between the muttaqi, i.e., the one who strives in righteousness, and the salih, i.e., the one who has attained inherent virtue. The muttaqi is engaged in a constant, conscious effort to overcome the base desires of his self (nafs) and adhere to God’s commands. This struggle is inherent in the Arabic term ittiqa’, which, as the Promised Messiahas explains,
derives from the Arabic verb form ifti‘al, implying “forced effort.” He states:
“In other words, Allah the Exalted indicates here that the degree of righteousness He requires of a person at this stage is not empty of strain.”
(Malfuzat [English], Vol. 1, p. 20)
And:
“A muttaqi remains in a state where they must have faith in the unseen, and blindly follows a course of action without knowing much, and believes in all spiritual matters by virtue of faith in the unseen. This is the very sincerity of a muttaqi and as a result of this sincerity, God Almighty promises that such a one shall prosper.
It is they who shall prosper.” (Ibid., p. 28)
This striving, though essential, does not guarantee the attainment of the state of the salih. The salih, in contrast to the muttaqi, embodies a state of spiritual perfection bestowed by God as a gift (mawhiba), not achieved solely through personal effort. The Promised Messiahas explains that the salih “begins to naturally and inherently perform virtue. They enter an abode of security, which is safe from all danger and all their battles against their selfish desires come to an end.” (Ibid., p. 20)
This distinction is crucial. The muttaqi is expected to strive continuously, but not to reach the salih’s level of effortless virtue through kasb alone. The salih’s state serves as a reminder of the ultimate goal and the transformative power of Divine grace, but it is not the measure of the muttaqi’s success. The muttaqi’s focus remains on consistent effort, reliance on God’s guidance, and acceptance that ultimate perfection is a gift, not an entitlement.
The Islamic tradition also emphasises that faith fluctuates. The principle of al-imanu yazidu wa-yanqusu, i.e., faith increases and decreases, is a wellestablished concept. This is vividly illustrated in a hadith narrated by Imam Muslim, concerning Abu Bakrra and Hanzalara, who expressed their concern to the Holy Prophetsa about the fluctuation of their spiritual states:
“When we are in the company of Allah’s Messengersa we ponder over hellfire and paradise as if we are seeing them with our very eyes and when we are away from Allah’s Messengersa we attend to our wives, our children, our business; most of these things (pertaining to afterlife) slip out of our minds.” Thereupon Allah’s Messengersa said: “By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if your state of mind remains the same as it is in my presence and you are always busy in remembrance of (Allah), the Angels will shake hands with you in your beds and in your paths but, Hanzala, at times [it is
like this] and at times [it is like that].” He said this thrice. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2750)
The Prophet’ssa threefold repetition, “at times [it is like this] and at times [it is like that],” underscores that these variations in spiritual intensity are a normal part of the human experience, even for the most devout companions. This hadith serves as a powerful reminder that the path of faith is a journey, not a destination, and that fluctuations are to be expected.
Furthermore, it is essential to recognise that, whilst we must continually strive, God alone is aware of the value of even our most insignificant deeds. This, again, necessitates that we place our trust in the unseen. It is precisely because we cannot fully grasp the Divine calculus of reward and punishment that iman bi l-ghayb becomes essential in our striving. We act, not knowing the ultimate outcome, but trusting in God’s justice and mercy. To underscore this profound truth, the Holy Prophetsa shared some accounts that reveal the hidden dimensions of Divine judgment: Abu Hurairahra narrated that Allah’s Messengersa said, “A prostitute was forgiven by Allah, because, passing by a panting dog near a well and seeing that the dog was about to die of thirst, she took off her shoe, and tying it with her head-cover she drew out some water for it. So, Allah forgave her because of that.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3321) Ibn ‘Umarra said that the Messengersa of Allah said, “A woman was punished in Hell because of a cat which she had confined until it died. She did not give it to eat or to drink when it was confined, nor did she free it so that it might eat the vermin of the earth.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2365)
These Prophetic narrations illustrate that seemingly small acts can have big consequences in the eyes of God. They remind us that our limited understanding cannot fully encompass the Divine scale of justice and mercy. Allah, in His infinite wisdom, does not reveal to us the full balance of our deeds. This is purposeful, preventing us from becoming complacent or presumptuous about our spiritual state. While some ahadith mention specific numerical rewards, it is important to understand that these are relative values, not absolute measures. God’s judgment is based on factors beyond our comprehension.
Divine grace (mawhiba) and the attainment of certainty (yaqin) While human effort (kasb) is essential, ultimate certainty (yaqin) regarding God’s existence and attributes is a Divine gift (mawhiba). The Promised Messiahas emphasises that human reason can lead us to knowledge by inference (‘ilm al-yaqin), the realisation
that a Creator must exist. However, progressing to knowledge by direct observation (‘ayn al-yaqin) and knowledge by direct experience (haqq al-yaqin) requires Divine grace. These higher states of certainty are not attainable through mere intellectual exertion.
This aligns with the Quranic emphasis on God’s sovereignty and His prerogative to guide whom He wills. Allah is al-Ghaniyy, the Self-Sufficient, and His bestowal of knowledge is an act of grace, not an obligation. This understanding of yaqin as a Divine gift helps to explain the difference between the muttaqi and the salih While the muttaqi struggles against sin, relying on reasoned judgment and effort, the salih, having been granted a higher degree of yaqin, experiences a freedom from sin that is more natural and effortless. The attainment of yaqin is not merely an intellectual achievement; it is a transformative experience that profoundly impacts the individual, leading to a state of freedom from sin. The Promised Messiahas illustrates this with the analogy of a person avoiding a snake-infested hole: true certainty about the harmful consequences of sin naturally leads to its avoidance.
(Malfuzat [English], Vol. 2, p. 33)
This advanced stage of yaqin is not a minimum requirement for a believer, but a potential outcome of sincere striving and Divine grace. The state of prayer (salah) exemplifies this beautifully. The Promised Messiahas, in his address at the Jalsa Salana of 1897, explained:
“There are some who in the Prayer desire to rid themselves of evil distractions immediately, although yuqimuna s-salata (He establishes the Prayer), indicates something quite the opposite. Is Allah unaware? Hazrat Sheikh AbdulQadir Jilani[rh] states that spiritual reward is earned only until strenuous efforts remain. When these efforts cease to exist, spiritual reward no longer remains either. In other words, fasting and Prayer are considered deeds only as long as one is required to struggle against evil temptation to perform them. However, when these deeds attain a higher status, and the one who fasts and observes the Prayer escapes the clutches of forced effort and develops an inherent inclination to virtue, fasting and observing Prayer no longer remain to be deeds. Then, Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani[rh] goes on to raise the question himself: ‘Does this mean that such a person is exempt from observing Prayer? For spiritual reward was only attainable until a person was required to make a forced effort.’ The fact of the matter is that Prayer no longer remains to be a deed, rather, it becomes a reward in itself. This Prayer becomes the nourishment of such a person and the delight of their eyes; it is paradise on
earth.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 1, p. 29)
This passage highlights that even at advanced spiritual stages, the quality of the act transforms, rather than the act itself disappearing. The striving, the ittiqa’, becomes internalised and joyful rather than forced. This transformation, however, is ultimately dependent on God’s grace.
The Promised Messiahas offers a powerful parable to illustrate this point:
“A person who starts digging a well in his search for water has to continue digging till he reaches water. Those who give up digging before water is reached deprive themselves altogether, but those who persist and do not become weary reach water in the end.” (The Essence of Islam, Vol. 2, p. 312)
This parable underscores that while persistent effort (kasb) is crucial in our pursuit of spiritual knowledge and certainty, the ultimate attainment of that certainty (yaqin) is a gift from God, like the water discovered at the end of diligent digging. We must strive, but we must also remain humble and reliant on Divine grace.
The perils of unguided knowledge
The Promised Messiahas cautions against the dangers of pursuing knowledge without a firm foundation of faith and adherence to Islamic law (sharia). He identifies two groups who find success on the path to God, “Firstly, those who adhere firmly to the fundamental principles of religion without any real insight (din al-‘aja’iz), or in other words, those who follow the shariah and thus attain salvation.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 1, p. 22)
Din al-‘aja’iz refers to the simple, sincere faith of ordinary believers who may not possess extensive theological knowledge, where a complex philosophical understanding of ghayb is not a prerequisite for achieving closeness to God. What truly matters is acting in
accordance with fundamental beliefs, namely the sharia.
The second group consists of “those who advance even further still. Whatever the odds, they do not tire and continue to march forward until they reach their ultimate objective.” (Ibid., pp. 22-23)
These are the seekers (salikun) who, after fulfilling the requirements of the sharia, strive for a deeper understanding of God, always remaining rooted in the fundamentals of faith.
However, the Promised Messiahas issues a stern warning, “However, truly unsuccessful are those who advanced forward from the rank of din al-‘aja’iz but did not complete their spiritual quest; such people always fall prey to atheism.” (Ibid., p. 23)
This important point shows the danger of pursuing intellectual knowledge of the Divine without the grounding of spiritual practice and adherence to the fundamental principles of religion. Unguided intellectual exploration, divorced from the ethical and spiritual framework of iman and taqwa, can lead to doubt and, ultimately, rejection of faith.
The Holy Prophetsa reinforced this warning. He said, “Whoever increases in [worldly] knowledge, but does not increase in [divine] guidance, only increases in distance from Allah.” (AlGhazali, Ihya’ ‘ulum ad-din, Beirut: Dar al-Ma ‘rifa, 1982, Vol. 1, p. 59)
True faith requires a harmonious integration of knowledge, practice and spiritual experience.
Conclusion: A continuous journey of faith
The exploration of iman bi l-ghayb, as illuminated by the Holy Quran, the Sunnah, and the writings of the Promised Messiahas, reveals a dynamic and multifaceted understanding of faith. It is not a passive acceptance of dogma,
but an active, lifelong engagement with the Divine. It begins with reasoned assessment, is nurtured by continuous striving (mujahada) and effort (kasb), and culminates in the Divine gift of certainty (yaqin).
The distinction between the muttaqi and the salih provides a framework for understanding the stages of spiritual development. The muttaqi is engaged in a constant battle against their lower self, striving to align their actions with the Divine Will. The salih, on the other hand, represents a state of spiritual perfection bestowed by God.
The emphasis on both human effort (kasb) and Divine grace (mawhiba) highlights the delicate balance between human agency and Divine sovereignty. We are responsible for striving, but ultimate success and certainty are gifts from God. This understanding fosters both humility and hope.
Finally, the warnings against unguided intellectual pursuit underscore the importance of integrating knowledge with spiritual practice and adherence to the sharia. True faith is a holistic endeavour, encompassing the mind, the heart, and the soul.
The journey of iman bi l-ghayb is a continuous one. We are constantly called to deepen our assessment, intensify our striving, and seek Divine guidance. This is why, in every rak‘a of our prayers, we recite:
“Guide us in the right path.” (Surah al-Fatihah, Ch. 1: V. 6)
We do not ask to reach the end of the path, for there is no end. The journey of faith is a continuous striving, a perpetual seeking of God’s guidance. May Allah enable us all to embark on this journey with sincerity, perseverance, and unwavering reliance on His grace. Amin
(Iftekhar Ahmed Ahmadiyya Archive & Research Centre)
Backbiting: What is it and how can we avoid it?
Ibrahim Nkrumah Student, Jamia Ahmadiyya International Ghana
Without a doubt, falsehood is a great evil. Hence, at its core, religion instructs us to always speak the truth. However, Islam also teaches that true moral qualities mean doing good at an appropriate time and place. This is what is known as an ‘amal-e-salih [righteous deed].
This ensures orderliness in the usage of man’s faculties. So, the natural traits of man are not bad or good, rather, their use makes them good or bad. For instance, man has the capacity to hate; however, if one sees something evil against his faith and doesn’t hate it, he too may end up taking part in the evil because he entertained it. (Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra, Ahmadiyyat or The True Islam, 2007, pp. 186–187)
Difference between truth and backbiting
Even though truth is meant to be said at an appropriate time and place, Islam also emphasises the good treatment of other people and asks us to be considerate of them. So, even if someone has faults, it is not necessary to say it in the person’s absence just because the matter is true. Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra states in this regard:
“Thus, even if something is true in the eyes of a person, when it is spoken in the absence of the other person, and it is something that diminishes the honour, knowledge, or status of that person, then according to the Quran and Hadith, they are committing a sin. This is because, in doing so, they have deprived their brother of the right to defend himself.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, 2004, Vol. 9, pp. 579)
Some people think they are too frank and they say “we are outspoken and always speak the truth” not caring about the effect
whatsoever. Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IVrh, strongly admonishes such people:
“Backbiting does not refer to falsehood. It refers to true statements, but those true statements that can cause pain to others. In this regard, sometimes during arguments between two people, you may hear the phrase, ‘Am I to lie? I have told the truth directly to their face. It is my habit to be extremely straightforward and speak the truth directly to [their] face.’
“The Messenger of Godsa has cursed such ‘straightforward’ people, and he has stated that God Almighty’s punishment will seize them. He has warned [such people] severely and has made a frightening prophecy regarding them. He has given a detailed description about the treatment such individuals will face on the Day of Judgement.
“Thus, this concept of ‘truth’ is a completely false, fallacious and ignorant concept that the truth should be spoken directly to the face even if it causes hurt. Such ‘straightforward’ people are not liked by God at all.”
(Friday Sermon 27 January 1984; Khutbat-e-Tahir, Vol. 3, pp. 53–54)
Subtleness of backbiting
Finding the faults of people and slandering them is a widespread act. It is so common that people find it too difficult not to discuss someone’s faults. It seems they don’t want to desist from this as the Promised Messiahas states:
“Some sins are obvious – such as lying, adultery, breach of trust, giving false testimony and usurping rights, shirk [associating partners with Allah], etc. – but some sins are so subtle that a person is afflicted by them without even realising it. He grows from young to old but does not realise that he is committing sins. For example, there is the habit of backbiting. Such people consider it an ordinary and trivial matter, albeit the Holy Quran deems it a most egregious vice.
Accordingly, it states:
[‘Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his brother who is dead?’ (Surah al-Hujurat, Ch.49: V.13)] God is displeased when a person utters a word that belittles his brother and perpetrates an act that inconveniences him. To speak about a brother in such a way that proves him to be foolish or ignorant, or about his conduct in a secretive manner – engendering hostility and rudeness – are all evil deeds.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 8, p. 299)
In a narration, it is stated that Hazrat Amr bin al-Aasra passed by the carcass of a dead mule and he said to his companions, “That one of you eat from this until his belly is full is better than to eat the flesh of his Muslim brother.” (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shayba, 2015, Vol. 14, p. 193, Hadith 27189)
Commenting on this narration, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa elucidates:
“An animal that dies in this way, whose stomach has swollen, emitting a foul odor, and decaying, is something that some people’s nature cannot even tolerate to look at, let alone eat its meat. Yet, those very people, whose sensitive nature cannot bear to see a dead animal or endure its stench, sit in gatherings and engage in backbiting and gossip as if it were nothing. This is a matter of great concern, and everyone should continuously hold themselves accountable.” (Friday Sermon 26 December 2003; Khutbat-e-Masroor, Vol. 1, pp. 566–567)
Moreover, the state of those who commit this act is such that faith has not even entered their hearts. Allah the Almighty states:
“The [true] belief has not yet entered into your hearts.” (Surah al-Hujurat, Ch.49: V.15)
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh states concerning this verse:
“Who are these people about whom God states that faith has not yet entered their hearts? The Holy Prophetsa describes them as those who backbite; they are those who remain in search of the wrongdoings of their brothers and convey it to [other] people. From this, you can understand how dangerous backbiting is!” (Friday Sermon, 27 January 1984; Khutbat-e-Tahir, Vol. 3, p. 55)
Compassionate way of addressing the faults of others
Islam teaches us to safeguard the honour of people. So, if someone commits a wrong which is not dangerous to life, destructive to people or threatening to society, Islam has admonished man to be secretive about the faults of others. The Promised Messiahas states in this regard:
“It is necessary that one should advise someone they find weak secretly. If they do not accept it, then pray for them. And if neither measures works, then one should accept it as a matter of decree.” (Malfuzat, 2022, Vol. 6, p. 239)
He further states:
“The teaching of the Quran is most certainly not to look for faults and spread them or to go about mentioning them to others; rather, it states:
That is, they admonish with patience and compassion. [(Surah al-Balad, Ch.90: V.18)] ﺔﻤﺣ�� (marhamah) means that when [one] sees someone’s faults, that person should be advised and [one] should also pray for [such a person].” (Malfuzat, 2022, Vol. 6, pp. 239-240)
After giving advice, mentioning faults should only be to the appropriate people who can bring about positive outcomes; however, before that, more compassion must be shown through prayers. The Promised Messiahas states concerning this:
“There is great efficacy in prayer, and most pitiful is he who mentions the faults of someone a hundred times but not once does he pray [for him]. Someone’s fault should only be mentioned when one has already prayed for the person for at least forty days while weeping.” (Ibid.)
When speaking the truth is not backbiting
Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra, provides insight into the proper occasion for mentioning a person’s wrongdoings. He states:
“It should be remembered that pointing out someone’s flaw is not always wrong; in fact, at times, it is necessary. At such moments, it would not be referred to as ghibat (backbiting). Ghibat is a specific term used only when someone unnecessarily mentions another person’s flaw. However, if a person is compelled to point out someone’s flaw, or if others benefit from hearing it, then mentioning it becomes an act of goodness and reward.” (Friday Sermon, 29 October 1920; Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 6, p. 530)
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra has also distinguished calumny from backbiting. Calumny is a false statement against someone’s honour, whereas backbiting is a true statement. Both are bad deeds. He states:
“Not everything said behind someone’s back is backbiting. For instance, if someone says that so-and-so man is very righteous, it will not be backbiting. And neither is backbiting a false statement uttered behind one’s back; rather, that is calumny.
He states: “Backbiting simply means mentioning something behind someone’s back that, if they were to hear it, would hurt them. And you believe that [a fault] exists in them, whether it is actually true or not.”
(Friday Sermon, 29 October 1920; Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 6, p. 529)
He also states:
“For example, if someone is conspiring against a community or nation or is spreading harmful things, it is necessary to inform and alert the responsible individuals about their mischief. Similarly, if someone finds out that ‘Zaid’ wants to kill ‘Bakr’, and they do not inform ‘Bakr’ or the government, they are committing a sin. This would not be considered gossip, and it is necessary to report it. Therefore, when deciding whether to disclose or mention something, it should be considered whether it will result in benefit or harm. If the disclosure leads to positive outcomes, prevents harm, or benefits someone, failing to report it would be a sin.”
(Friday Sermon, 29 October 1920; Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 6, p. 530)
Other forms of backbiting
Some people relish hearing about people’s faults. They think they don’t backbite; however, they can’t resist the opportunity of listening to people’s faults and wrongs all day. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh states:
“Some people say, ‘We only listened to the backbiting [yet]; we have not taken part [in it], we haven’t wronged anyone.’ The Holy Prophetsa states concerning such people that they have taken part in the sin. If you hear [backbiting] and don’t stop [the person] and don’t believe it to be bad or don’t defend your brother, then in such a case, you have taken part in the sin of backbiting.” (Friday Sermon, 27 January 1984, Khutbat-e-Tahir, Vol. 3, p. 54)
Then, there is also gossip mongering. A gossipmonger conveys statements of backbiting to the person concerning whom detestable statements have been made. Such
people think they are doing good, but they only ignite the fire of enmity in society.
(Hazrat Syed Zainul-Abideen Waliyyullah Shahra, Sahih Bukhari with Urdu Translation and Commentary, 2023, Vol. 1, p. 457)
Sometimes, people use gestures of abasement instead of words to ridicule and publicise weaknesses. The Holy Quran states:
“Woe to every backbiter, slanderer.” (Surah al-Humazah, Ch.104: V.2)
Commenting on this verse, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh states:
“Backbiting is the first meaning found in these two [words]; humazah refers to a backbiter, and lumazah refers to one who backbites a lot. Humazah also refers to a faultfinder who often finds faults in people and then publicises them, and lumazah also possesses this meaning […].
“Lumazah also possesses this extra meaning of gestures and covert propaganda, i.e., with the gesture of the eye, mocking someone or pointing out someone’s errors or abasing someone.” (Friday Sermon, 3 February 1984, Khutbat-e-Tahir, Vol. 3, pp. 66-67)
When we abandon discussing people’s wrongs and their errors behind their backs, we can fully focus on all aspects of our lives and analyse what we say, do and think to attain God’s pleasure. Truthfulness is a virtue; however, to backbite is an evil which Allah the Almighty compares to the eating of the dead meat of one’s brother. This is most loathsome and inconceivable; hence, the Holy Prophetsa admonishes us:
“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should not harm his neighbour and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should entertain his guest generously and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should say what is good or keep quiet.” (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab al-adab, Bab man kaana yumin billahi walyaumil akhir falaa yu’dhi jaarahu, Hadith 49)
I will end with the illuminating statement of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh:
“Those who don’t cover [faults], they don’t remain deserving of God’s attribute of concealment [of faults], they don’t remain deserving of His mercy and its manifestation.” (Khutbat-e-Tahir, Friday Sermon 27 January 1984, Vol. 3, p. 52)
Mannheim attack: ‘I
am not a hero – I am a Muslim’
Alim Ahmad Bhatti Germany
On 3 March 2025, Mannheim witnessed a tragic event when Alexander S, a 40-yearold man, drove his car through a pedestrian zone, causing chaos and devastation, killing two people and leaving 14 others injured, some critically. The situation could have been far worse if not for the courageous actions of taxi driver Afzal Muhammad.
The bravery of Afzal Muhammad
Afzal Muhammad, a taxi driver of Pakistani origin who has lived in Mannheim for 15 years, intervened heroically to stop the attacker. He was waiting near Mannheim City Hall when he saw the car ploughing through pedestrians. Recognising the gravity of the situation, Muhammad acted swiftly – honking to alert bystanders, following the vehicle, and ultimately blocking the assailant’s path with his taxi.
The attacker, a man from Ludwigshafen, attempted to flee and even fired a blank gun at Muhammad. Initially seeking safety, Muhammad quickly realised his car could be used as a getaway vehicle. He rushed back to retrieve his keys, preventing further harm. His quick thinking and selfless actions earned him praise from officials and the public.
A message of unity and faith
Despite being hailed as a hero, Muhammad humbly dismissed the title. “I am not a hero. I am a Muslim. This is my duty. I am a Mannheimer. Mannheim has given me so much in the last 10 years. What I did was nothing in comparison,” he stated, emphasising that his actions were guided by his faith and a sense of duty toward his fellow human beings. As a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, he believes in peace and protecting others.
Mannheim’s Mayor, Christian Specht, commended Muhammad’s bravery, acknowledging how his intervention likely prevented more casualties. “You are a true Mannheimer,” Specht told him, expressing the city’s gratitude. Muhammad’s lawyer reiterated that stepping in to prevent harm was a natural instinct for him as a Muslim.
After the event, Muhammad experienced some health issues but is now recovering and hopes to resume his normal life as a taxi driver, serving the people of Mannheim. He also hopes his actions send a strong message against division and hate, reinforcing Mannheim’s values of tolerance and solidarity.
Widespread recognition and impact
Muhammad’s act of bravery has garnered nationwide attention. Major German
media outlets, including Tagesschau, Bild, Welt, Spiegel, Stern TV, FAZ, ntv, Berliner Zeitung, RTL, Mannheim24, WDR, SWR, and taz, have reported on his courageous intervention, highlighting the importance of his actions in preventing further tragedy. Muhammad’s bravery and selflessness come at a time when Germany has seen a rise in anti-Islamic sentiment. Recent attacks in Germany have stoked hate crimes against immigrants in the country, and since the Christmas attack in Magdeburg, “migrants in Magdeburg have allegedly been spat on, punched in the face, and in [one] case, sent to the hospital with loose teeth, migrant groups have reported.”
Germany has also seen greater support for its far-right party, the AfD. In its recent election, the country saw this party gain considerable support, pointing to a rise in anti-immigrant sentiments. Although the AfD strongly rejects any association with the Nazi past, it is under observation for suspected right-wing extremism.
In such a climate, Muhammad’s actions also have the potential to positively impact the image of migrants in general and Muslims in particular.
The Islamic principle of humanity Muhammad’s pithy statement, “I am not a hero – I am a Muslim”, goes to show how Ahmadi Muslims embody the true teachings of Islam, which teach us love and care for others, regardless of who they are.
The Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, repeatedly urged his followers to be willing to serve mankind, emphasising it as a fundamental Islamic virtue. In this regard, he said:
“Everyone should study himself daily to see how far he cares for these matters and how far he sympathises with his brothers and shows them kindness. There is a great responsibility placed on man in this respect.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 7, p. 89)
The current Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, similarly states:
“Always remember that serving humanity is a core objective for a true Muslim, as Islam instructs us to serve those in need and to show sympathy and compassion for all mankind. It was to fulfil this great task that Allah the Almighty sent the Promised Messiahas.”
18th World Religions Conference held in Abbotsford, Canada
Syed
Mukarram Nazeer Canada Correspondent
Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Abbotsford, Canada, held the 18th World Religions Conference on 14 January 2025 on the theme “The Relevance of Religions in Modern Life.”
The event started with a recitation from the Holy Quran by a local missionary of Vancouver, Shakoor Ahmad Sahib. Councillor Kelly Chahal of Abbotsford City Council welcomed all attendees and spoke about the importance of faith communities coming together to learn from one another.
Several dignitaries were in attendance and were invited to say a few words, including the Executive Director of the Abbotsford Community Foundation and the President of The Church of Jesus Christ Latterday Saints. Regional President Jamaat British Columbia introduced the event, the faiths and their respective speakers. Eight faiths were represented by their representatives. The total attendance was 275. Some attendees shared their thoughts and experiences about the event. One attendee commented, “Congratulations again to another successful event last night. The energy was good and everyone was supportive and respectful.”
Jalsa Yaum-eMusleh-e-Maud
held in Prishtina, Kosovo
Jinahuddin Saif
Missionary, Kosovo
On 16 February 2025, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Kosovo organised Jalsa Yaum-e-Muslehe-Maud. The total attendance was 45, including various dignitaries, such as the Director of Regional Police Prishtina, a delegation from the Municipality of Decan, officials from the Directorate of Education, and school principals and educators.
The event commenced with a recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by various speeches and a documentary highlighting the glorious prophecy of the Promised Messiahas about the Promised Son and the great achievements of Hazrat Muslehe-Maudra. Towards the conclusion, the Director of Regional Police, Prishtina, delivered a speech and acknowledged the efforts of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya in promoting peace, interfaith harmony and humanitarian service. The Jalsa concluded with a silent prayer.
Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Ecuador holds Ramadan workshop
Abdul Basit Khawaja Missionary, Ecuador
On 22 February 2025, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Ecuador held a special Ramadan workshop, inviting Jamaat members and guests wanting to learn about Ramadan. Members from Quito gathered in the mission house, while guests from various other cities joined online. The workshop served to remind us of our obligations during Ramadan and to motivate all members to set goals and prepare for the month of Ramadan. The presentation, delivered by my humble self, elaborated on the Islamic teachings regarding Ramadan, the rules and regulations and the purpose of this blessed month for Muslims. During the event, all members wrote letters to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa discussing their goals and desires for this year’s Ramadan.
First trip of Masroor Peace Cycling Club Liberia
Farrukh Shabbir Lodhi
Missionary, Liberia
A cycling club was established in February 2025 under the Sehat-e-Jismani Department of Majlis Ansarullah Liberia, with the motto “Pedal for Peace.”
On 16 February 2025, the first-ever cycling trip was conducted under this club. Prior to the journey, members prepared their bicycles with great enthusiasm, practicing daily and sharpening their skills. As per the programme, members gathered from various areas of the capital, Monrovia, and arrived at the Bait-ul-Mujib Mosque.
At 10 am, Amir Jamaat Liberia, Naveed Ahmad Adil Sahib, led the silent prayer and members embarked on their inaugural trip, led by Dr Abdul Haleem Sahib, Sadr Majlis Ansarullah Liberia.
The cyclists covered the city’s prominent roads, including Lynch Street, Sinkor, Duport Road, New Georgia, Jamaica Road and Tweh Farm. They completed the trip, returning to the mission house at 4 pm.
Along the way, arrangements were made for the members to offer Zuhr and Asr prayers at the LPRC centre. Throughout this inspiring trip, a total of 20 members successfully covered nearly 65 kilometres and distributed 950 pamphlets.
Peace Symposium and Khuddam Ijtema held in South Africa
Mohsin Jowaheer
Missionary-in-charge, South Africa
Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Cape Town, South Africa, held a Peace Symposium on 1 February 2025, bringing together religious and Community leaders, and the theme was “Peace for Mankind”. The event was attended by 175 people.
The event started with a recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by talks and speeches from all invited leaders, who spoke about the importance of tolerance, understanding and mutual respect. Leaders from various faiths and backgrounds shared their perspectives on achieving peace and how we can work together to achieve the mutual goal of peace. The Jamaat held a book exhibition as well, showcasing publications on peace, justice and interfaith dialogue. A large number of books were distributed in the local languages of Afrikaans and Xhosa as well. As a token of appreciation, books were presented to the participating leaders.
MKA Ijtema
On 15-16 February 2025, Majlis Khuddamul-Ahmadiyya South Africa held its National Ijtema at the Baitul-Awwal Mosque, Cape Town.
The ijtema started with Tahajjud prayer, followed by Dars-ul-Quran after the Fajr prayer. The opening ceremony began at 9 am, with a recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by the Khuddam pledge and a welcome address by a missionary. This was followed by sports competitions. After Zuhr and Asr prayers, academic competitions began. The day concluded with dinner and Maghrib and Isha prayers. Day two also began with Tahajjud prayer. After breakfast, sports and academic competitions continued, followed by a question-andanswer session. Afterwards, Sadr Jamaat South Africa, Zaid Ebrahim Sahib, spoke a few words of advice to khuddam and atfal, followed by a prize-giving ceremony. The ijtema came to an end with the closing address of a missionary.
Quran exhibition organised by Majlis Ansarullah New Zealand
Saqib Ahmad Qaid Tabligh, Majlis Ansarullah New Zealand
Majlis Ansarullah New Zealand held a Quran exhibition in Te Awamutu on 5 February 2025.
Two delegations from Majlis Ansarullah, along with a Lajna delegation from Auckland and Hamilton, arrived in Te Awamutu at 9 am at the venue.
The exhibition had on display translations of the Holy Quran in 40 languages. The true centerpiece was the Te Reo Māori translation, the language of the indigenous Māori people. Large pull-up banners adorned the venue, highlighting some of the fundamental Quranic verses on social peace, science and unity.
Soon after the opening, we welcomed our first group of visitors, including a representative from the local media. The Te Awamutu News covered our exhibition the following week, highlighting the Māori translation of the Holy Quran by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat. The article also mentioned past exhibitions and our next plan later this year.
During our first seminar on terrorism, a guest asked questions about the association of terrorism with Islam and the status of women in Islamic society, which our missionary answered. While at the bookstall, she spent time discussing books such as World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace and Hazrat Mariyah Qibtiyyah. Another guest spent about two hours at the exhibition, asking numerous questions about Khilafat, adopting a religion, decisions in choosing a faith, etc. She showed a keen interest in Islam and took note of the alislam.org website for her further study about Islam. Similarly, another guest collected some books on Islam Ahmadiyyat and the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
100 years ago...
Christianity’s decline in Muslim lands: Persecution or Islam’s profound appeal?
Dr Zwemer on Christianity’s decline in the Muslim world
profession of faith been accepted as church members or enquirers, the number has been very small, and of those who have got the faith only about one remains in Church fellowship at the time of my writing.’
“In Persia there are beginnings of a Movement toward Christ among Mohammedans, and yet, after fifty years and more of missionary effort, there are fewer than 300 converts from Islam.
“In Arabia, where men and women have toiled for thirty-four years, the total number of Mohammedan converts who are professing openly that they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and are His followers, is less than the number of years of toil and tears and patience and prayer poured out on those desert acres.
“Turn to Turkey, and Dr McCallum testifies: ‘All our work is practically destroyed; not a single church of Moslem converts in existence in all the Turkish area after a hundred years of foreign missions.’
“In North Africa, including Egypt, Tripoli, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco, the total number of Mohammedans who profess and call themselves Christians must still be put at less than five hundred.
Some argue that the time is not yet, the hour has not struck, and the harvest is not ripe. One missionary writes: “I venture the opinion that Islam is perhaps reprobate. Since the apostasy was subsequent to God’s offer of grace in Christ, He has withdrawn them from his sphere of activity. Perhaps corporately, Islam has sinned against the Holy Spirit. I have toiled here two years, living in this Moslem home, thinking and talking like a Moslem, knowing their inner life as perhaps few do. Why is it, I wonder? To be quite candid, I expected that coming here in absolute simplicity and poverty, living amongst them, as near as possible as I believe Paul did, without committees or funds, I asked and expected God to give the increase, and yet, comparatively speaking, we have caught nothing.”
The real cause of Christianity’s failure in Muslim lands
The signal failure that has attended the gigantic proselytising efforts of the evangelist has greatly perturbed Dr Zwemer. Islam has, by its inherent vitality and inborn strength, successfully withstood the onslaughts of Christianity. It has proved to be “an insurmountable obstacle in its way and its greatest enemy.” There is no denying the fact that if the success of a religion had depended solely on the evangelistic endeavours of its followers, Islam would have long been extinct in the world and the Cross would have supplanted the Crescent in every land. But the Almighty God who has sent Islam is its protector and guardian. The mendacious propaganda that has callously been carried on against Islam in the past and still continues unabated, the millions of pounds that are spent every year on missions in Muslim countries and the thousands of preachers that are working there and the profuse dissemination of Christian literature and the free distribution and vast diffusion of the Bible in Islamic lands have produced results in no proportion to the labour and money expended.
Dr Zwemer, a tried veteran of the Faith of Christ, has, to his chagrin, admit it. He ruefully remarks:
“In considering the task of evangelizing the Moslem world, we must record at the same time great sacrificial effort and apparently small visible result. Looking back to the early pioneers such as Raymond Lull and Francis of Assisi, or down the past century to Henry Martyn’s day, what is there to show for all the tears and blood save the patience of unanswered prayer? Like Simon Peter, the lonely worker at Tangier or Tanta, at Adana or Aden, at Khartoum or Kairwan, might well say, ‘Master, we have toiled all night and taken nothing; nevertheless, at Thy word we will let down the net.’ A confession of faithfulness: ‘We have toiled.’ A confession of failure: ‘We have taken nothing.’ A confession of dauntless faith: ‘Nevertheless, we will let down the net.’
“Mr Findlay Andrew writes from Western China: ‘Islam has been referred to as a challenge to Christian Missions; once a Moslem always a Moslem in Western China. During the past years but few Moslems have been reached with the Gospel, and after a
“Although there are 438 Missionaries in Egypt, and although some of the mission bodies are working almost exclusively for the Moslems, and although there are about 19,000 Evangelical Christians in Egypt with good church organisations and a well-educated ministry, and although there are in the various mission schools approximately 2,500 Moslem students continuously receiving instruction in Bible study, the visible result of the Missionary work for Moslems is not very great. At the present time, we probably could not point to more than 150 living converts from Islam in Egypt. If the Moslem converts were distributed among the missionary workers, there would be about one convert for every three missionaries. If the comparison is made with the Evangelical Church, there would be about one for every congregation in Egypt. Every missionary method known to man has been tried and is being tried, but until the present neither the missions nor the Evangelical Church have whereof to boast in the face of this great and baffling problem.” (Missionary Survey, 1924)
Many reasons are given for the paucity of converts and various causes are suggested for this discouraging failure. Some blame the church for lack of faith; others blame the missionaries for lack of love. The reason, others say, is that the missionaries have tried to win by controversy rather than by kindness and the difficulty is one of method.
Some of the reasons given above have a measure of truth and the rest are absolutely ridiculous and childish. The real cause of the failure of Christianity in Muslim lands lies somewhere else. It is the irresistible charm and the captivating beauty of the doctrines, dogmas, tenets and teachings of Islam that are the real hindrance in the way of the spread of the faith of Christ in Islamic countries. Islam in its true and original sense is more adaptable to the natural aptitudes and inborn faculties of man. It fits in entirely with human reason and common sense. It offers no abstruse proposition and abstract statement from which the human mind is apt to recoil. It presents no riddling enigma of Christian tritheism and the puzzling dogma of atonement. It is a practical religion, very simple and easy of comprehension. “Believe and you are saved,” is not the watchword of Islam. “Believe and act rightly,” is the motto and guiding star of Islam. To quote S Lane Poole: “It is a form of pure theism, simpler and more austere than the theism of most forms of modern Christianity, lofty in its conception of the relation of man to God, and noble in its doctrine of the duty of man to man, and man to the lower creation. There is little in it of superstition, less of complexity of dogmas; it is an exacting religion without the repulsiveness of asceticism; severe but not merciless.”
This is an impartial testimony of a Christian writer to the beautiful character of the teachings and tenets of Islam and to this may be ascribed the rapid spread of Islam in the remotest corners of the globe without men and money and the comparative failure of Christianity in those parts that has bewildered the evangelist and he, shutting his eyes to the actual facts, attributes it to the law of apostasy in Islam according to which (he says) death awaits a man who renounces Islam for any other faith. Dr Zwemer, among many others, like Dr Margoliouth, Rev. WT Fairman, and Rev. HU Weitbrecht, says that “the Moslem law concerning apostates is one of the factors to explain the paucity of converts from Islam to Christianity. Death, forced separation from wife and family, loss of property and legal rights, naturally cause many who are convinced of the truth of Christianity to hesitate to profess faith in Christ.”
I do not know to what should I attribute this flagrant misstatement of Dr Margoliouth
Hazrat Malik Ghulam Faridra MA (1896-1977)
and Dr Zwemer about Islam. Is it due to a deplorable ignorance of the teachings of Islam on their part or the outcome of fanatical bigotry, I cannot make out? Both the gentlemen claim a consummate scholarship of Islamic principles. Hence, the natural consequence is this: they have purposely indulged in studied and deliberate misrepresentation and thus have sought to stigmatise Islam as a wholly intolerant religion, “whose doors swing only inward and not outward.” This totally wrong interpretation of the law of apostasy in Islam has been irrefutably repudiated by my friend Professor Muhammad Din[ra], our missionary in America, in the January and February issues of The Review of Religions and the charge of intolerance of Islam has been rebutted in the article entitled “Toleration in Islam” in the last number of this journal. The reading of these two articles by Dr Zwemer with an unbiased mind, I hope, will do him substantial good. Islam has not only allowed unrestricted exercise of their religious rites to the followers of other faiths, but has enjoined upon the Muslims in clear and unmistakable terms not to lay down their arms till religious freedom is restored and every one may worship God according to his conscience, “And fight with them until there is no persecution and disturbance, and religion should be only for Allah.” (Ch.2: V.193)
It is taking too much liberty with truth to assert that in these days of the supremacy of Christian powers over Islamic countries, converts from Islam to Christianity are everywhere put to death, persecuted, forcibly separated from wife and family and lose their properties and regal rights. Dr Zwemer has taken great pains to collect a very few scattered cases in which the parents or relatives of those who were converted to Christianity abused them and maltreated them because the methods that were adopted in most cases to win them over to Christianity were too degrading. But the truth is quite the other way around.
About the tactics of the missionaries in Egypt, I quote Dr Zwemer himself: “Whereas the Christians who belong to the Protestant Church have officially recorded a disgraceful act which cannot be wiped out and never shall be wiped out, by depriving me of the sight of my son, the favourite of my heart, even from a single glance of his portrait, and he being of the age of twentytwo years and seventy days ending on the day of his unhappy marriage, therefore, let anyone who has any religion, and everyone. Whatever may be his religious persecution, shrink back from assisting these ravening wolves, especially those who share with them in their joys on the coming Sunday (tomorrow) in the Church of Al Miniya (which is called the Evangelical Church), because they are consciously renewing the age of persecution under Nero. (Signed: M Abdullah)”
The story speaks for itself.
If it be admitted for the sake of argument that the converts to Christianity in Islamic countries are subjected to persecution and therefore Dr Zwemer is justified in finding fault with Islam, is it fair, I ask, to judge a religion by the corruptions of its followers? Islam is responsible only for what the Holy Prophet[sa] or his immediate successors or companions did and not for what those who call themselves Muslims do.
But will Dr Zwemer care to see the beam in his own eyes instead of trying to find out mote in another’s eye? What has he to say about the never-dying tale of aggressive bloodshed and the most offensive warfare of the Crusaders? Is not the Christian conquest of Spain and the subsequent atrocious and outrageous persecution and expulsion of the Muslim Moors the blackest imaginable page in the history of mankind? Are not the days of Inquisition an ineffaceable stigma on the face of Christendom? Is not the tragedy of St. Bartholomew’s Day and many similar others enacted in the heyday of Christianity a sufficient cause for the Christians to hide their faces in shame? Were not these brutal enormities sanctioned and hallowed by those who claimed direct successorship of Jesus Christ and on whose shoulders fell the mantle of St. Peter?
Moreover, there is no cause for complaint for Dr Zwemer if those who are converted to Christianity or who intend to be converted are persecuted. Is it not a fact that in the early days of its inception, Christianity made progress by rapid strides in the teeth of persecution and opposition? Why does not the adage so often reiterated by the evangelists, “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church,” hold good now? We see that in the early ages before the advent of Islam, when Christian churches were destroyed and Christian writings publicly burnt, when Christians were declared incapable of holding any public office, and Christian slaves were deprived of any hope of freedom, when the law was always put in force against them, but never in their favour, when they were wrapped in the skins of wild beasts and torn to pieces by dogs, when they were nailed to crosses and fastened to the wheels of chariots, and when they were burnt alive, they bore all this with delightful hearts and smiling faces. The continued and protracted persecution of the Christians by the Antonines and other Roman Emperors failed to quail the devout followers of Jesus Christ and arrest the progress of the faith. How could persecution that was responsible for the spread of Christianity in the early ages could be the cause of its failure now?
Persecution has never retarded the progress of any true religion. “The blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church,” is a truth not confined to any particular creed.
Amidst bitter opposition and cruel persecution, the Ahmadiyya Movement is gaining converts every day in large numbers. As a matter of fact, the Community gets fresh impetus from these persecutions. Dr Zwemer and with him Rev. WT Fairman, Rev. ΗU Weitbrecht Stanton and others have made a wrong diagnosis of the consumptive disease of Christianity, which is eating up its vitality, sapping its strength and helping it to crumble and totter. Persecution is not the cause of the failure of Christianity in Muslim countries. The real cause of its failure I have given above. Its huge edifice stands on hollow foundations. Someday it must fall and it shall fall.
We see that wherever Christianity and Islam have stood face to face, the former equipped with men and money, with all sorts of resources and material means at its back and the latter weak, deserted and destitute, Islam has defeated its adversary because it appeals more to human reason and common sense and is more practical and practicable than Christianity.
The following few facts from the pen of the Christian writers themselves will bear out my remarks. Mr Bosworth Smit, in his book, “Muhammad and Muhammadanism,” writes as follows:
“Nor can it be said that it is only among those negroes who have never heard anything of a purer faith that Muhammadanism is making such rapid progress. The Government Blue Book of the year 1873 on our West African settlements, and the reports of missionary societies themselves are quite at one on this head. The Governor of our West African Colonies, Mr Pope Hennessy, remarks that the liberated Africans are always handed over to Christian missionaries for instruction, and that their children are baptised and brought up at the public expense in Christian Schools, and are, therefore, in a sense, ready-made converts. Missionary societies are not likely to err on the side of defect in enumerating their converts; yet the total number of professing Christians in all our African settlements put together, as computed by the missionary societies themselves – very few even of these, as the Governor says, and as we can unfortunately well believe from our experience in countries that are not African, being practical Christians – falls far short of the original number of Africans liberated at Sierra Leone alone, and their descendants.
“On the other hand, the Rev. James Johnson, a native clergyman, and a man of
remarkable energy and intelligence as well as of very Catholic spirit, deplores the fact that, of the total number of Mohammadans to be found in Sierra Leone and its neighbourhood, three-fourths were not born Mohammadans, but have become so by conversion, whether from a nominal Christianity or from Paganism.”
[…] This is why, in spite of being a very zealous and devout Christian, Bosworth has to admit that if the question must be put, whether it is Mohammadan or Christian, nations that have as yet done most for Africa, the answer must be that it is not the Christian. And if it be asked, again, not what religion is the purest in itself, and ideally the best, for to this there could be but one answer, but which, under the peculiar circumstances, historical, geographical, and ethnological, is the religion most likely to get hold on a vast scale of the native mind, and so in some measure to elevate the savage character, the same answer must be returned.
These few facts, I hope, are quite enough to open the eyes of Dr Zwemer as to why Christianity does not meet with success in Muslim countries and why Islam is an insurmountable obstacle in its way and is its greatest enemy.
(Transcribed and edited by Al Hakam from the original English, published in the March 1925 issue of The Review of Religions)
The True Revolution – Part 19
Upholding women’s rights and reviving Islamic social justice
English translation of Inqilab-e-Haqiqi
An address by
Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra, Khalifatul Masih II, al-Musleh al-Mau‘ud
Delivered at Jalsa Salana Qadian on 28 December 1937
The Right of Inheritance of Women
In this regard, the first step is the reform of those matters that are apparent and obvious. Today, I wish to highlight one such matter that, if resolved properly, would remove [many] hurdles from our path. The only obstacles in our way are the irreligiousness, ignorance and laziness of people. That is, for some, laziness; for others, ignorance; and for others, irreligion have become obstacles to acting on this issue. Hence, there remains no reason for our entire Community to effectively resolve, from this day forward, to eliminate this vice.
[The issue I am about to speak on] is a sin that is committed on a national level. Ordinarily, [Muslim] farmers and landowners in this country do not bequeath their assets and property in accordance with [Islamic] hereditary laws. The Jama‘at has been established for 50 years, yet women do not receive their share of the inheritance that God and his prophet have entitled them to. It is true that there are exceptions. If I take my own example, my mother and sisters were all given their inheritance. Anyone who claims that my sisters were cheated out of it is a liar. However, on the whole, the majority of people fail to follow (inheritance laws) and do not give their daughters, sisters, wives and mothers the amount they are entitled to. However, I ask, what obstacle prevents action on this issue, aside from the claim that it is not part of our tradition? You cannot give any other answer to this, but did not Muslims before us have followed this injunction and it is a source of great shame for us that every non-Ahmadi in Uttar Pradesh continues to follow it to this day? Similarly, the people of Sarhad petitioned to have a law implemented in their province, which established Islamic hereditary laws. However, no Ahmadi can claim that they will create a new earth and a new heaven until they divide their property amongst their mothers, wives, daughters and sisters as ordained by sharia. It seems that landowners fear that if the female members of their household inherit their property, it will fall into the hands of others. However, if the whole Jama‘at follows this law, there is no need to be anxious about this, for if their property goes to another family, another family’s property will come to them. There is no reason why this law should not be adhered to. And I understand that the time has come for the righteous of our Community to declare that they will follow it in the future and he will give his daughter, his sister, his wife, and his mother the share that the law has granted them. Those who are not willing to do this should leave the Jama‘at. Therefore, in the future, the Community should ensure that this law is implemented, and some action, in the manner of a reasonable punishment [ta‘zir], should be considered against those who do not follow it. If anyone is not willing to
endure our punishment, then such a person should be expelled from the Community so that no one can say in the future that there is disrespect for the sharia among you.
A Demand from the Jama‘at
Now, after explaining the importance of this issue and proving that a new heaven and a new earth can only be created once the sunna and sharia are revived. Therefore, I will say something I have never said before, and I demand from the Community that those among you who are prepared to act on what they have been told, to stand up.
(Upon this, all those present stood up and, saying ‘Labbayk Ya Amir al-Mu’minin, Labbayk,’1 acknowledged it. After this, Huzoorra said:)
You have all declared that you will overcome trouble and adversity in order to help revive the love of God Almighty and the sharia of Muhammad, peace be upon him. Moreover, you will give daughters and other female members of your household the amount of inheritance decreed for them by God and His Prophet voluntarily, without having to be forced to do so. Therefore, at this time, since you all have made this declaration as a Jama‘at, keep in mind that if any member of our Jama‘at fails to follow this, they will have a social boycott imposed on them or face punishment that is within our capability. If they do not accept this, they will be removed from the Jama‘at.
The Rights of Women
The second matter that I wish to address is not as widespread, yet, since it is mandated by sharia, I emphasise that you should always take care of the rights of women and appreciate their feelings instead of suppressing them, especially in a situation where you have more than one wife. This is a command that sharia has given: to treat all your wives equally. However, I have observed that this command is often violated, and the prescriptions of sharia are not adhered to, leading to the belief that a woman’s heart is not one of feelings but rather a piece of stone. In some cases, without any sharia justification, women are compelled not to meet their parents, and the husband assumes that the wife should live under his authority like a dog. Such foolish people do not understand that God Almighty has also made women human beings and placed emotions and feelings within them. Would they themselves like the idea of being prevented from meeting their parents and serving them? If not, then they must also consider the feelings of women. However, I regret that some men who have more than one wife do not treat them equally, and some even go to the extent of oppressing them by preventing their wives from serving their parents or even meeting them. This is a highly shameful act, and I believe that today our Jama‘at should decide that its members will respect the
feelings of women. Indeed, sharia grants certain rights to men because it has made men as guardians (مۡيقَ). However, this does not mean that injustice and unfairness are permissible for them. Therefore, each of us should pledge that either he will not take a second wife in the future, or if he does, he will treat both wives justly. If he cannot be fair, he should divorce his first wife. Otherwise, the Community will be compelled to demand that if he does not treat his wives equally, he must choose one of the aforementioned courses of action, and if he is unwilling to adopt any of those methods, he will be separated from the Community.
Trustworthiness
The third command that people are currently neglecting is trustworthiness. Regarding this, the Jama‘at also ought to pledge that in the future, every Ahmadi will behave in an honest manner and not break the trust of anyone in regard to the belongings entrusted to them. I have seen that a number of people spend a portion of what is entrusted to them for their personal needs to alleviate their hardships. When the owner arrives to reclaim their possessions, instead of returning the money immediately, they ask the owner to be patient, explaining that they are expecting a payment from another source and will return it as soon as they receive it. They may spend the money that has been entrusted to them with honesty and with the firm intention to pay it back; however, in truth, they are betraying that trust. The proper way to safeguard a trust is [to ensure] that it remains exactly as it was entrusted, and the trustee must return it immediately when the owner asks for it back. The family of Hakim Mahmood Khan Sahib in Delhi was well-known for their honesty. During the mutiny [of 1857], people would throw bundles of jewellery and clothing over their wall for safekeeping because he was the royal physician to the Maharaja of Patiala, who had sent a guard specifically for the protection of his home and told the British that, since Hakim Sahib was his royal physician, nothing should befall him. At that time, his home was secure while others were not, and since he was known for his honesty, people rushed in and threw bundles of jewellery and clothes over his wall without any concern for what would become of them. Eventually, a number of those who
had thrown their bundles came back ten years later and reclaimed their possessions as they had left them. Every member of our Jama’at should set such an example, and every Ahmadi should be so acclaimed by their peers and the society around them for trustworthiness that people would not hesitate to leave millions of rupees with them, and upon hearing the name of an Ahmadi, they should understand that this is a person with whom it is safe to leave their belongings.
Service to Humanity
The fourth matter, to which I wish to impress upon you, is the need to serve humanity. You should toil with your own hands and strive to ensure hygiene and cleanliness in your villages. The streets and alleys of Indian towns and villages are often littered and unclean; it is the obligation of our Community to ensure that we keep them clean. The instructions given to the Ummah by the Holy Prophetsa regarding cleanliness can only be implemented when the members of our Community, both young and old, do not shy away from working with their own hands and look after the cleanliness [of their neighbourhoods] themselves. Moreover, villages where Ahmadis form a majority should stand out in cleanliness compared to other villages. This way, any outsider entering an Ahmadi village can instantly recognise it as a place where Ahmadis live due to its cleanliness and hygiene.
The Ahmadiyya Dar-ul-Qadha
The fifth matter that I want to draw the Community’s attention to is that, other than those cases that must be submitted before a government court [due to legal obligation], and for which the law states they must be taken to court, no disputes of ours should go to such courts. Such disputes should be resolved in accordance with sharia [internally by Qadha, that is, our own arbitration council]. If anyone refuses to follow this directive, Jama‘at must punish them so that they may mend their ways. If they are not willing to accept their punishment, they should be expelled [from the Jama‘at]. So far this has only been implemented in Qadian, but I wish for every jama‘at to establish a local arbitration council to handle these matters. Every Ahmadi should resolve that they will not take their disputes to British courts unless they are obligated to do so by the government; instead, they will have their cases decided by the Jama‘at’s Dar-ul-Qadha in accordance with the sharia, and they will accept the council’s decision willingly. Even if this leads to some members leaving the Jama‘at, we should not be deterred.
When this revelation was vouchsafed to the Messenger of Allahsa, that is:
He proclaimed this revelation while mounted on a camel on the occasion of the final pilgrimage. He said that this was the final commandment God had given to him. Thereafter, he asked those gathered there whether he had communicated to them the teaching he had received. His Companions replied that he had. He then went on to say that he had discharged himself of his responsibility.3
Similarly, I, too, discharge myself of
Photo by Hasan Almasi on Unsplash
this responsibility that God Almighty has placed on me. Because I have made it clear to you that the sharia that God has given you is not limited to the mere recitation of the words ‘There is no God but Allah.’ Rather, it encompasses religion, economy, politics, society, morals, civilisation, culture, and all other various matters. Now, it is the responsibility of the scholars to extract these issues from the Qur’an and Hadith and explain them to the world. Therefore, books should be written on every subject promptly so that people may benefit from them. Moreover, some books should be written in the form of questions and answers, just as some scholars in Punjab in the earlier days wrote books on ‘pakki roti’ and ‘mithi roti,’4 so that every member of the Community can memorise them. After that, it is their duty to act upon them.
As of now, we cannot implement those parts [of the sharia] that relate to government and statehood. But from today, we should, at the very least, put into practice that which is in our control. In the near future, as parts of the sharia are explained, [members of] the Community should act on and preserve them. The Community should never make the mistake of thinking that by giving alms, they have fulfilled their obligations. Rather, the implementation of all Islamic laws should be their sustenance, and the revival of sunna and sharia should be their pursuit.
This work should continue until the world admits – excluding all those parts that God Almighty has taken away and given to the British – in all other matters, the Ahmadiyya Jama’at has indeed created a new heaven and a new earth. When the rest of the world looks at any one of us in the world, they should not see servants of the 20th-century British rule or followers of Western ideas, but as individuals like the one who roamed the streets of Medina during the time of Prophet Muhammadsa thirteen hundred years ago.
Friends! I have conveyed to you the commandments of God Almighty. The preservation of the honour of the Holy Prophetsa is no small thing. You have taken an oath that you will endure every hardship and difficulty in order to live your lives according to the teachings of Islam and establish an Islamic civilisation. I am hopeful that each of you will firmly uphold your oaths and adhere to the commandments of the Holy Prophetsa that are within your ability to follow. So much so that your actions should confound those who accuse the Jama‘at of insulting the Holy Prophetsa, allowing you to declare, ‘If anyone doubts our sincerity, let them see in whose actions Muhammadsa lives,’ so that everyone may acknowledge that he lives on through the example set forth by the Ahmadis.
Endnotes:
1. Labbayk is an Arabic term that means “Here I am.” It expresses readiness to respond to a call and signifies a deep sense of devotion and submission.
2. This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favour upon you and have chosen for you Islam as religion. (Surah al-Ma’idah, 5:4) [Publishers]
3. Sahih Muslim, p. 513-516, 2000, Riyadh, Hadith 2950 [Publishers]
4. Pakki roti refers to a type of fully cooked flatbread, whereas mithi roti means a type of sweet flatbread. [Publishers]
To be continued... (Translation by Fazl-e-Umar Foundation, English Section)
Prophet Moses and the fire: The real meaning of ‘Blessed is he who is in the fire and also those around it’
Jalees Ahmad Al Hakam
In this brief article, we shall look at the verse of Surah an-Naml, specifically the story of Prophet Mosesas describing the moment when he encountered the burning bush on Mount Sinai. According to Islamic tradition, this is the moment when Allah spoke to Mosesas for the first time.
The story is also mentioned in other parts of the Quran, particularly in Surah Taha and Surah al-Qasas. Mosesas was travelling with his family when he saw a fire in the distance. When he approached the fire, he heard a voice coming from the direction of the fire, and this was Allah speaking to him:
“So when he came to it, he was called [by a voice]: ‘Blessed is he who is in the fire and [also] those around it; and glorified be Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” (An-Naml, Ch.27: V.9)
The meaning of this verse will be explored in light of Hazrat Musleh-eMaud’sra tafsir, and a frequently asked question will be addressed: Was God in the bush?
Understanding the presence in the fire in light of the Quran and Torah
When Prophet Mosesas reached the place where he witnessed the vision, he was inspired with the words: “‘Blessed is he who is in the fire and [also] those around it’” (An-Naml, Ch.27: V.9) This means that the one who is in the fire is blessed, and those who are around it are also blessed.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud has stated that some commentators have interpreted this to mean that the presence of God was within that fire (Tafsir-e-Kabir [2023], Volume 10, pp.45-47). This idea is also presented in the Torah. In the book of Exodus, Chapter 3, it is written:
“And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” (Exodus, 3:2-5)
However, the Holy Quran does not accept this idea. It states that the revelation given to Mosesas was: “‘Blessed is he who is in the fire and [also] those around it’” (AnNaml, Ch.27: V.9) This means that the one in the fire is blessed, and the surroundings are also blessed. However, God Himself blesses others; no one else bestows blessings upon Him. Thus, it can be said that He is the source of blessings, but not “blessed” in the same way as others.
Clarifying the proper use of ‘Blessed’ in reference to God in the Quran
“blessed” does not and cannot refer to God, because He is not corporeal, nor does anyone bless Him. Nor does “whoever is in the fire” refer to Mosesas. Rather, this verse presents a general divine law that anyone who burns in the fire of divine love is blessed. This interpretation resolves any disputes about the meanings of “in” (��), “whoever” (ﻦﻣ), or the phrase “blessed” (كرﻮﺑ), and the verse becomes fully clear in meaning.
It is incorrect, as some Quranic commentators have done, to apply the expression
كرﻮﺑ to God. The term
(blessed), is not appropriate to use in reference to God. The correct term to describe the Almighty is كرﺎﺒﺗ, which means “He is the source of all blessings.” And thus, the Quran even states:
“Blessed is Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” (Surah al-A`raf, Ch.7: V.55)
“So blessed be Allah, the Best of creators.” (Surah Al-Mu’minun, Ch.23: V.15)
The spiritual interpretation of ‘fire’
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra has also explained that it is not appropriate to use the word “burika” (كرﻮﺑ) for Allah Almighty because blessings are not bestowed upon Him; rather, He Himself grants blessings. Interpreting “fi” (��) to mean “behind” – as some have suggested – and understanding the verse as referring to the person who is coming from behind the fire or searching for it as the one who is blessed goes against linguistics.
There is no doubt that “fi” can sometimes mean “behind,” but this meaning is only used when referring to something spiritual or abstract. It is not used when referring to physical objects or persons.
To also interpret “in” to mean “near” and suggest that “in the fire” means “near the fire” and use the phrase “whoever is around it” as evidence, cannot be accepted as the words “whoever is around it” themselves contradict this interpretation, because “around it” also means “near,” and there would be no need to express the same concept with two different words. Therefore, this interpretation is also incorrect.
These interpretations are incorrect and stem from a misunderstanding of the word “fire” (رﺎﻧ). Since most interpret “fire” as physical fire, they become entangled in these difficulties (Tafsir-e-Kabir [2023], Volume 10, pp.45-47). However, the word “fire” in this context does not refer to material fire but to spiritual fire. When the fire is understood to be a spiritual fire, meaning the fire of divine love, the verse becomes clear in meaning. In visions or dreams, seeing fire always symbolises the passion of divine love. Therefore, the word
This means that not only is the person who is immersed in the fire of divine love blessed, but those who are in his company also receive blessings. In all the languages of the world, love is often compared to fire, and in dreams and visions, if someone sees themselves burning in fire, it is interpreted to mean that they will attain the station of divine love.
Thus, the phrase “‘Blessed is he who is in the fire and [also] those around it’” means that the person who is within this fire will be blessed, and even the one who does not enter it but stands near it, taking a lesser share of it, will also be blessed. If “who is in the fire” referred to Mosesas, then the question would arise as to who “and [also] those around it” refers to. At that time, besides Mosesas, who else was near the fire to whom this phrase could apply? Therefore, this verse does not point to any specific person but rather establishes a general principle: whoever enters this fire will be blessed, and whoever comes close to it and feels its warmth will also be blessed. The past tense in this context is used with a future meaning, indicating that blessings will be given.
The Promised Messiahas has also explained this very matter. He states:
“Please notice that God clearly states in this verse that blessed is he who is in the fire, and those who are around it, and God Almighty called out to bestow this blessing upon them. From this, we learn that the thing that was in the fire was what received the blessings, not the one who gave the blessings. God uses the word يدﻮﻧ [nudiya— called out] to indicate that He Himself blessed the inside of the fire and its surroundings. From this, it is proven that God was not in the fire and this is not the belief of Muslims either.” (The Holy War [English], pp. 38-39)
The verse continues with “and glorified be Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” (An-Naml, Ch.27: V.9) This indicates that the Lord of all the worlds is free from all defects.
Those who say that God was in the fire, as the people of the Bible claim, are mistaken. God is free and exalted above any physical embodiment. By saying “and glorified be Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” (An-Naml, Ch.27: V.9) it is also implied that when God bestows blessings upon someone, His purity and freedom from defects are manifested through that person. All the flaws that people attribute to God are removed, and the beautiful face of God is once again revealed to the world in all its glory.
(This article draws extensively from Tafsir-e-Kabir [2023], Volume 10, pp. 45-47)
Friday Sermon
Mubarak Mosque, Islamabad, Tilford, UK
14 February 2025
Muhammadsa: The Great Exemplar
After reciting the tashahhud, ta‘awwuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
Accounts pertaining to the Battle of Khaibar were being discussed. I will now mention the conquest of the second fortress of Khaibar. This second fortress is known as the Fortress of Sa’b bin Mu’adh. Compared to the other fortresses, most of the food, animals and provisions of Khaibar were stored in this fortress. Additionally, it housed 500 fighters. Hazrat Ka’b bin ‘Umarra narrates that he surrounded the fortress of Sa’b bin Mu’adh for three days. This was a strong fortress. Hazrat Mu’attib Aslamira narrates that Banu Aslam had to face severe hunger during [the Battle of] Khaibar. Banu Aslam agreed to send Hazrat Asma’ bin Harithara to the Holy Prophetsa. Banu Aslam told Hazrat Asma’ bin Harithara to extend their greetings of peace to the Holy Prophetsa and to inform him that they are facing hunger and weakness and are in a dire state. Hazrat Asma’ra conveyed the greetings of the Banu Aslam to the Holy Prophetsa and said: “We are facing hunger and weakness. Pray to Allah for us.” The Holy Prophetsa prayed and said:
“By that Being in Whose hands is my life! I have nothing that can give strength to you, nor do I have anything to eat. I understand the current state of those who are weak due to hunger.” He then supplicated: “O Allah! Let them conquer the fortress, which is filled with food and tallow.” Following this, he gave the flag for the battle to Hubab bin alMundhirra. (Subul Al-Huda Wa Al-Rishad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 121-122)
The details of this are recorded as follows: an individual from among the Jews whose name was Joshua stepped forward for a duel; i.e., for an individual combat. He called out for a duel and Hazrat Hubab bin al-Mundhirra immediately stepped forward to challenge him. They fought until Hazrat Hubabra killed him. Following this, a Jewish man named Ziyal called out for a duel. Hazrat ‘Ammara bin ‘Uqbah Ghifarira stepped out to challenge him. He stepped forward and struck the head of his opponent, which split his head open. Hazrat ‘Ammara bin ‘Uqbah Ghiffarira said: “Take that! I am the youth of the Ghifar tribe!” Upon this, the Companions said: “His Jihad has
become invalidated.” In other words, when he raised this slogan mentioning his tribe and expressed his pride, the Companions said it was not an act of decency to praise oneself. When this was mentioned to the Holy Prophetsa, he said: “It is fine. He will receive his reward and will also receive his due praise. If someone does this under such circumstances, there is no harm.”
Hazrat Muhammad bin Maslamahra narrates: “I saw the Holy Prophetsa shooting arrows and none of his arrows missed the target. He looked towards me and smiled. Hazrat Hubab bin Mundhirra entered the fortress with his contingent and conquered the fortress after a fierce battle. They took possession of all the weapons and the provisions. The Jews who were assigned to protect the fortress were killed and several were imprisoned.” Hazrat Mu’attib Aslamira, who went to the Holy Prophetsa and requested prayers due to hunger, narrates: “We had not yet returned that Allah granted us victory over the fortress of Sa’b bin Mu’adh.”
That is to say that he had just returned, having informed the Holy Prophetsa that we were in a dire state from hunger. In that duration, the battle had commenced and they gained victory. Hazrat Jabirra relates: “The amount of food provisions obtained from Fort Sa’b was so much that we did not obtain as much from any other fort. It contained barley, dates, clarified butter, honey, oil and tallow. The Holy Prophet’ssa caller announced, “Eat and feed your animals also. But do not take anything away to eat, only eat it here.” (Fatah Khaibar, Allamah Muhammad Ahmad Bashmeel, Nafees Academy, Karachi, p. 140; Subul AlHuda Wa Al-Rishad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 122)
There is then mention of the third fort, the Fort of Zubair bin al-Awwamra. Mention of its conquest is as follows: This fort was [previously] named Fort Qulla, and it was later given in Hazrat Zubair bin alAwwam’sra share. For this reason, it became known as the Fort of Zubair.
When the Jews fled from the forts of Na’im and Sa’b bin Mu’adh to the Fort of Zubair bin al-Awwam, the Holy Prophetsa besieged them. This fort was at the peak of
Photo by Vincent Marcini on Unsplash
the mountain. He besieged it for three days. A Jewish man named Ghazal came out and said, “O Abu al-Qasim! (i.e., addressing the Holy Prophetsa. This is the title nonMuslims would use to address him.) Grant me security, on the condition that I tell you something that will grant you ease against the people of Natat (i.e., you will be able to conquer that fort) and then make your way towards the people of Shaqq. Certainly, the people of Shaqq have been overwhelmed due to your awe. After this you can continue to the next fort.” The Holy Prophetsa granted him security for his family and his wealth. The Jewish man then said, “If you remain here for even a month, it would not trouble them in the least. There are tunnels beneath their lands through which they leave in the night to bring water and then return to their fortresses. They will be able to defend against you. If you block their path to the water, they will lay down their arms for you.” The Holy Prophetsa followed him, and they blocked the tunnels. When their path to the water source was cut off, they emerged [from their fort], and a fierce battle ensued (i.e., the battle commenced).
On this day, there were some Companions who were martyred, and ten Jews were killed. The Holy Prophetsa attained victory and this was the final fort among the fortresses of Natat. When the Holy Prophetsa finished from Natat, he made his way towards the fortresses of Shaqq and as mentioned earlier, this was the third group of fortresses. (Sharah Zurqani, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 265; Subul Al-Huda Wa Al-Rishad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 122)
There is mention here of the death of Salam bin Mishkam, a Jewish chieftain. During the battle at the fortresses of Natat, Salam bin Mishkam was killed at the hands of the Muslims. Salam was a renowned chief of the Banu Nadir and a leader amongst the Jews. However, he was sick, which is why he did not participate actively in the fighting as the other chieftains did, i.e., he did not fight with the sword or arrows. His companions suggested that he should go to Katibah, for it was safer there. However, despite his long-term illness, Salam did not accept this proposal and was eventually killed at the hands of the Muslims at Natat. (Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 8, Dar-ul-Islam, Riyadh, p. 385)
If the mention of his illness is correct, and he did not actively take part in the fighting, even then, his killing is not objectionable as he is the one who prepared his army to send it in battle. He would also be the one to oversee all the matters in general. Therefore, a Companion killed him on the battlefield, for he was present there with them. An army general holds great value, and the death of such a leader causes the army to lose heart. Hence, in this regard, his killing was not at all objectionable.
Then there are narrations regarding the siege of both fortresses of Shaqq, and the victory over them. Shaqq was a group of two or three fortresses. The first fortress of Shaqq – in fact, there were two fortresses –which the Holy Prophetsa lay siege to was the fortress of Ubayy. The Holy Prophetsa stood on a mountaintop called Samwan, and atop this mountain, he fought against those within the fortress. At the outset of the battle, a Jewish man asked for a duel and Hazrat Hubab bin Mundhirra came out to face him.
They both attacked one another. With one strike, Hazrat Hubabra severed half of his opponent’s right arm, and the opponent’s sword fell from his hand. Subsequently, he began retreating to his fortress in defeat. Hazrat Hubabra followed him and pierced his spinal cord. He fell down, upon which Hazrat Hubabra killed him.
Then another man came forth and announced, “Who will come out to face me?” One of the Muslims who was from the Jahsh family stepped forth, but he was martyred while fighting. The Jewish man stood in the same place and once again asked someone to duel with him, upon which Hazrat Abu Dujanahra faced him. Hazrat Abu Dajanahra had tied a red piece of cloth to his helmet. The Jewish man arrogantly walked towards him. Hazrat Abu Dujanahra very quickly advanced and struck him with a blow, severing his leg, and then killed him. Hazrat Abu Dujanahra retrieved the man’s battle provisions, armour, and sword, and presented himself to the Holy Prophetsa, who gifted these items back to Hazrat Abu Dujanah. The Jews then stopped advancing in one-on-one combat. No one came to duel after that. The Muslims then raised slogans of Allah’s Greatness and launched a full attack, gaining entrance into the fortress. Hazrat Abu Dujanahra was ahead of all the Muslims. The Muslims found provisions, goats and food in the fortress. The Jews ran away by climbing over the walls, leaping like gazelles and all of them had reached the other fortress of Shaqq. They quickly ran away.
The Holy Prophetsa set out towards them alongside his Companions, and a battle ensued against the Jews. The Jews vehemently fired arrows and threw rocks upon the Muslims. In response to the Jews, the Muslims too began firing arrows as they [the Jews] were, but the arrows of the Jews were causing significant damage to the Muslims, because the Jews were firing arrows from the fortress towers (i.e., they were shooting from above) whilst the Muslims had encamped at the base of the fortress. The Holy Prophetsa was also firing arrows at the Jews alongside the Muslims. It is mentioned that the Jews looked to be specifically targeting the place where the Holy Prophetsa had encamped, because a large number of arrows were falling in that area. The Holy Prophetsa was sitting among his Companions when an arrow came and pierced his clothing. Another narration states that the Holy Prophetsa was injured by that arrow, and his clothes were ripped due to it. He then took the arrow out, grabbed a handful of stones, and threw them in the direction of the fortress. Due to this, their fortress began quaking, and the Muslims then attacked the Jews and seized them, and then captured the fort. (Fatah Khaibar, Allamah Muhammad Ahmad Bashmeel, Nafees Academy, Karachi, pp. 156-157; Subul Al-Huda Wa Al-Rishad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 123)
Then there were three fortresses of Katibah. The Muslims besieged all three fortresses. Regarding this, it is written that when the Holy Prophetsa conquered the fortresses of Shaqq and Natat, the Jews moved to the three fortresses of Katibah, namely Watih, Sulalim, and Qamus. The biggest of the Katibah fortresses was the Qamus Fortress, which was also the most fortified.
The Jews barricaded themselves in these three forts. They would neither look out from their forts nor would any of them emerge for a duel. The Holy Prophetsa continued to surround these forts for 14 days, until finally he decided to use a catapult. When the Jews realised that their end was nigh, (a catapult is a device used for slinging rocks), they sought reconciliation with the Holy Prophetsa. Kinanah bin Abu Huqaiq sent a man named Shamakh to the Holy Prophetsa, requesting an opportunity to speak with him. The Messengersa of Allah granted him permission, and Kinanah bin Abu Huqaiq descended from the fort and sought a treaty of peace with the Messengersa of Allah. The Holy Prophetsa sent his Companions to them, who confiscated their belongings, i.e., the Companions captured their belongings. From these forts, the Muslims confiscated 100 suits of armour, 400 swords, 1,000 spears, and 500 bows with quivers. (Subul Al-Huda Wa Al-Rishad, Vol. 5, Dar AlKotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p.131; Al-Sirah Al-Nabawaiyyah, Ibn Kathir, Vol. 3, Dar AlKotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 376)
Regarding the conquest of the Qamus fort, there are some other varying accounts. For instance, some historical records indicate that this fort was surrounded for 20 days, and only after an intense battle between the Jews was the fort subdued and conquered by Hazrat Alira. Regarding the conquest of this fort, biographers have written the same details that other historians have attributed to the Na’im fort. (Sharah Zurqani, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 265; Sirat Encyclopaedia, Vol. 8, Dar-ul-Islam, Riyadh, pp. 392-293; Subul Al-Huda Wa AlRishad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, pp. 124-126)
In any case, this fort was conquered by the Muslims, and the Jews sought a peace treaty on the following conditions:
1. The Jews were to vacate all the forts, leaving all equipment and artillery of warfare so that the Muslim army could take ownership of them, thereby becoming property of the Muslims. They would have to hand over all their weapons, which, in modern terms, is referred to as “surrendering”.
2. The Holy Prophetsa would protect the lives of the Jews, their women, and children – none would be made slaves. The Holy Prophetsa would ensure the safety of the Jews; they would not be killed and their women and children would also be protected.
3. The Jews would leave in exile and head towards Syria.
4. The Muslims would permit the Jews, when leaving for Syria, to take only what goods could be carried by their transport animals.
5. Before leaving, the Jews would inform the Muslims of any hidden treasures in the area and surrender them to them.
6. The Jews acknowledged that should they breach any conditions of this pact or conceal anything they were supposed to have disclosed, the conditions of this treaty would become null and void. Thus, the Muslims would be permitted to deal with their wealth and captives as they saw fit. (Fatah Khaibar, Allamah Muhammad Ahmad Bashmeel, Nafees Academy, Karachi, pp. 185-186)
Historical records mention that some Jews remained at Khaibar after the Muslims
gained victory, and they were required to give half the yield of their crops to the Muslims. While according to the conditions of the pact, the Jews were to be exiled to Syria, they requested the Messengersa of Allah to allow them to remain in Khaibar so that they could continue to farm and tend to their crops as they were experts in local agriculture. The Holy Prophetsa accepted their request and permitted them to stay in Khaibar for this purpose, saying they could have half of the yield in exchange for their farming. The Holy Prophetsa extended great sympathy to them. Sahih al-Bukhari mentions this on account of Hazrat Abdullahra, who relates, “The Holy Prophetsa gave the fields of Khaibar over to the Jews for them to cultivate it, promising them half of the harvest.” (Fatah Khaibar, Allamah Muhammad Ahmad Bashmeel, Nafees Academy, Karachi, p. 57; Sahih alBukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Hadith 4248)
The number of Companions who were martyred at Khaibar was 17. Their names are as follows:
1. Hazrat Rabi‘ah bin Akthamra
2. Hazrat Thaqf bin ‘Amrra
3. Hazrat Rifaa’ bin Masruhra
4. Hazrat ‘Abdullah bin Umayyahra
5. Hazrat Mahmood bin Maslamahra
6. Hazrat Abu Dayaah bin Nu‘maanra
7. Hazrat Harith bin Hatibra
8. Hazrat Adiy bin Murrahra
9. Hazrat Aus bin Hubaibra
10. Hazrat Unaif bin Wa’ilra
11. Hazrat Mas‘ood bin Sa ‘dra
12. Hazrat Bishr bin Baraa’ra
13. Hazrat Fudail bin Nu‘maanra
14. Hazrat Amir bin Al-Akwa’ra
15. Hazrat ‘Ammarah bin ‘Uqbara Hazrat Yassarra, an Abyssinian slave and one person from the tribe of Ashja‘ whose name is not recorded.
93 people from the Jews were killed in the conquest of Khaibar. The names of some prominent chiefs are: Harith, Abu Zainab, Marhab, Usair, Yasir, Amir and Kinanah bin Abi Al-Huqaiq. (Tabqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 2, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 82; Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Vol. 2, Dar Al-Kotob AlIlmiyah, Beirut, p. 160; Imta-ul-Isma’, Vol. 1, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 323; Sharah Zurqani, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob AlIlmiyah, Beirut, p. 264)
After the victory at Khaibar, there were some distinct incidents that have been mentioned, one of which is the killing of Kinanah bin Rabi’. In the books of history and biographies, it is written that after the victory at Khaibar, when the treaty was being drawn up with the Jews, the people brought Kinanah and his brother Rabi’ to the Holy Prophetsa. Kinanah was the overall chief of Khaibar and the husband of Hazrat Safiyyahra. Rabi’ was his paternal cousin. Kinanah had the treasure belonging to Huyayy bin Akhtab, the leader of the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir. This included gold and silver jewellery. This jewellery would be rented out to the Arabs for their wedding ceremonies. The Holy Prophetsa addressed both of them [Kinanah and Rabi’] and said: “Where is that treasure of yours?” They replied: “When we left Medina, it was spent gradually.” In one narration, it is mentioned that they said: “O Abu al-Qasim
(addressing the Holy Prophetsa) we have spent it in preparation for this war. Now, there is nothing left. We had gathered that wealth for this very day.” The Holy Prophetsa said to them: “You did not leave Medina that long ago for it all to be spent.” Both of them took an oath that they did not have any of the wealth. Upon this, the Holy Prophetsa said: “If the treasure is discovered with you, then there will be no protection of Allah and His Messenger for you.” They replied in the affirmative. The Holy Prophetsa made Hazrat Abu Bakrra, Hazrat Umarra, Hazrat Alira and Hazrat Zubairra witnesses over this. Upon this, a man from the Jews got up and went to Kinanah and said: “If you have what Muhammad [sa] is asking for, then give it to him. If you know about it, then give it or if you know, you should tell him as it can save your life. Otherwise, by God, he will certainly get a hold of it.” Ibn Abul AlHuqaiq scolded him and the Jewish man sat back down. This has been mentioned in a history book. (Tabqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 2, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 86; Tarikhul-Khamis, Vol. 2, Dar Sadir, Beirut, p. 415; Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Vol. 2, Dar Al-Kotob AlIlmiyah, Beirut, p. 140)
Hazrat Ibn Abbasra states that the Holy Prophetsa said to both of them: “If you hide anything from me and I find out about it, then I will consider your blood and your children lawful because of this.” Both of them agreed.
In a book of history, there is a brief account of finding this treasure as follows: Hazrat Ibn Abbas narrates that the Holy Prophetsa called a Companion from the Ansar and said: “Go to such and such plain and go to the date palms. Go towards the dates from the right or the left, whichever is higher. See whatever is there and bring everything to me (i.e., whatever is beneath them). The value of the treasure was estimated and equalled 10,000 dinars. Because of their treachery, both of them were executed and their families were taken as prisoners. This is one narration. To what extent this is correct will be analysed later.
According to a different narration, t is mentioned in one narration in which Ibn Ishaq states that Kinanah was brought before the Holy Prophetsa and he possessed the treasure of the Banu Nadir. He was questioned about the treasure, of which he denied any knowledge. (Tabqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 2, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 86; Sharah Zurqani, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 266)
Then, a Jewish man by the name of Tha’labah was brought before the Holy Prophetsa. In some narrations, it is mentioned that Sa’yat bin Salam bin Abi Al-Huqaiq was brought and questioned. He told the Holy Prophetsa: “I saw Kinanah circle such and such ruins every morning.”
The Holy Prophetsa sent Tha’labah along with Zubair bin al-Awwamra and a few Muslims to where Tha’labah had mentioned. When that place was dug up, the treasure was discovered.
In one narration, it is mentioned that some of the treasure was found but the rest was never located. Furthermore, Kinanah refused to disclose its whereabouts. Upon this, the Holy Prophetsa ordered Hazrat Zubairra to punish Kinanah. Hazrat Zubairra brought pieces of flint and would strike them on his chest, as a result of which sparks would fly. Then, when he
was close to death, he informed about the remaining treasure. Upon this, the Holy Prophetsa handed Kinanah over to Muhammad bin Maslamah so he could kill him. Thus, Muhammad bin Maslamah killed Kinanah as retribution for killing his brother Mahmood bin Maslamah, who was martyred when a millstone was dropped on top of him.
Nonetheless, he was killed, but the manner in which the entire account has been narrated goes against the example and conduct of the Holy Prophetsa. In some narrations, it is mentioned that the Holy Prophetsa ordered for both brothers to be executed. According to one narration, Kinanah was killed by Muhammad bin Maslamahra, whereas his brother was handed to the family of Bishr bin Bara. And he was killed in retribution for Bishr bin Barara. The Holy Prophetsa declared their wealth to be permissible and imprisoned their children. These narrations are found in the authentic books of history and the biographies of the Holy Prophetsa, for example: Tarikh al-Tabari, Tarikh alKhamis, Al-Tabaqat of Ibn Sa’d, Kitab alMaghazi by Al-Waqidi, Sirat Ibn Hisham, Sirat Ibn Ishaq, Al-Sirat al-Halabiyyah and Al-Zurqani etc. And Kinanah being killed for this reason has been mentioned in books of Hadith such as Sunan Abi Dawud. However, various reasons have been mentioned for Kinanah being killed and there are varying narrations as well and from these narrations, it comes to light that the reason for Kinanah being killed was not because he refused to disclose the treasure. (Sirat Al-Halabiyyah, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 62; Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Vol. 2, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 140; Sharah Zurqani, Vol. 3, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 265; Sirat Ibn Hisham, Dar Al-Kotob AlIlmiyah, Beirut, p. 698; Imta-ul-Isma’, Vol. 1, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 315; Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 3006)
Nonetheless, this incident at Khaibar has been mentioned by the orientalists in their books. Thus, the critics, who have a habit of raising allegations against Islam and the blessed character of the Holy Prophetsa have made claims that the Holy Prophetsa had a greed and thirst for wealth. Or they tried to make it seem that, God forbid, the Holy Prophetsa carried out various oppressive and unjust acts. Those who raised such allegations abandoned all rationale and justice in that the Holy Prophet’ssa life was like an open book and in view of all. Prior to the start of any battle, he would make an open announcement warning not to kill any child, or any woman and to the extent that he even forbade from cutting down any trees unnecessarily. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-jihadi wa s-syar, Hadith 3015; Sunan Al-Kubra, Al-Bayhaqi, Vol. 9, Maktabatul Rushd, Hadith 18665, p. 154)
For an individual who could not bear to see an animal in pain, how could he harm his fellow human beings and deal harshly with them? Similarly, waging war for the sake of obtaining spoils is a completely baseless allegation. And regarding the Battle of Khaibar, prior to departing from Medina, the Holy Prophetsa had made an announcement that anyone who wished to partake in the battle for the sake of obtaining spoils from this war would not go with them. (Subul Al-Huda Wa Al-Rishad, Vol. 5, Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, p. 115)
“
For an individual who could not bear to see an animal in pain, how could he harm his fellow human beings and deal harshly with them? Similarly, waging war for the sake of obtaining spoils is a completely baseless allegation. And regarding the Battle of Khaibar, prior to departing from Medina, the Holy Prophetsa had made an announcement that anyone who wished to partake in the battle for the sake of obtaining spoils from this war would not go with them.
The details of this have been mentioned previously. When narrations of such nature come to light regarding a Prophetsa whose actions are what have just been described, then justice demands that we fully analyse and scrutinise any such narrations. Indeed, the first attempt should be to honour every Hadith and narration as much as possible. And if possible, the subject matter ought to be reconciled; however, the honour and pristine character of the Holy Prophetsa is of utmost importance. The Holy Prophetsa was the embodiment of justice and equity and was a “Mercy for Mankind”. Any narration that contradicts this cannot be accepted. However, historians and authors of the biography of the Holy Prophetsa have stated that there are hundreds of narrations found in ahadith, that have been fabricated by people who came later. Furthermore, it is an established truth that the Jewish [tribes] were involved in doing this and they would make up erroneous narrations.
Our research team has presented an excellent analysis of this incident regarding
the killing of Kinanah and his brother. In light of the narrations and what has been mentioned, they have provided a very good response to the allegation raised by the orientalists. They state, “The testimonies from within these narrations clearly indicate that the narrators have erred in their accounts at each step. They have forgotten some aspects and mixed up others. Even if there was an incident as has been mentioned, then a very trivial matter has been greatly exaggerated and made into something very big and given a negative twist to the entire account. For example, it seems rather strange that after the peace treaty had been signed with the Jewish tribes and all aspects had been stipulated, a demand is then made about their treasure. This is because any right to occupy any property or wealth of the Jews would be negated by the terms of the treaty itself, with the exception of the land around Khaibar. Furthermore, if the treasure was indeed found, as mentioned in these narrations, then where did it go?
Every single item from the spoils of Khaibar has been mentioned in detail in the books of history and biographies; clarified butter, tallow, dates, clothes, provisions, cattle, spears, swords, arrows, shields, etc. But at no place is there any mention of x amount of gold, silver, diamonds or other jewels being found. On the contrary, it is written that from among the spoils of Khaibar, no gold or silver was acquired. This is a narration of Sahih al-Bukhari. The narrations that mention the inquiry regarding the treasure are full of contradictions and issues. In some narrations, only Kinanah was asked; in others, it mentions that both Kinanah and his brother were called. Some narrations, state that a Jewish man with them was questioned. In some narrations, it is mentioned that their uncle, Huyyay, was asked.
Then, after all this investigation, if punishment were to be given, many would have been declared guilty, but according to these narrations, only two were punished, namely Kinanah and his brother. According to some narrations, only Kinanah was punished. It is written in Bukhari that when Hazrat Umarra intended to exile the Jews from Khaibar during his caliphate, a son of Abu al-Huqaiq came to him. The commentator of Bukhari, Allamah Ibn Hajar, writes that this brother of Kinanah remained alive until the era of Hazrat Umarra and stayed in Khaibar until the exile, so this account of the brother’s killing is also incorrect.
Some biographers infer from this narration in Bukhari that only Kinanah was punished. (Fath-ul-Bari Sharah Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 5, Qadeemi Kutub Khana, Hadith 2730, p. 411; Sirat-ul-Nabi, Shibli, Vol. 1, Maktabatul Islamiyyah, p. 333; Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Hadith 4234)
In any case, all these statements that have been made have many contradictions, which causes all such narrations that mention corporal punishment for obtaining treasure to be considered dubious. The truth is, this entire incident is incorrect.
Thus, a well-known biographer, Allamah Shibli Nu’mani, writes:
“In the events of Khaibar, the biographers have narrated a tradition which is absolutely false. It has been transmitted in most books and has become widely accepted, meaning it has been accepted and included in the
traditions. That is, firstly, the Holy Prophetsa had given the Jews safety on the condition that they would not hide anything, but when Kinanah bin Rabi’ refused to reveal his treasure, the Holy Prophetsa ordered Hazrat Zubairra to extract the location of the treasure from him by force. Hazrat Zubairra would burn his chest with flint until he was near death. Finally, the Holy Prophetsa had Kinanah killed and all Jewish women were taken as slaves. Only this much of the tradition is correct, that Kinanah was killed, but not because he refused to reveal the treasure, but rather because Kinanah had killed Mahmud bin Maslamahra. It is explicitly stated in Tabari that the Holy Prophetsa handed Kinanah over to Muhammad bin Maslamahra, who killed him in retaliation for his brother Mahmud bin Maslamahra.
“As for the rest of the tradition, both Tabari and Ibn Hisham have narrated it from Ibn Ishaq, but Ibn Ishaq has not mentioned the name of any narrator for these traditions. Scholars of Hadith have explicitly stated in the books of narrators that Ibn Ishaq used to narrate the events of the Holy Prophet’ssa military expeditions from Jewish sources. (He took many traditions from Jewish sources.) This tradition should also be considered among those (the Jewish sources would never tell the truth about this matter.) This is why Ibn Ishaq does not mention the names of any narrators. To be so harsh on a person to make him reveal a treasure that fire is cast upon his chest with a flint is far beneath the dignity of one who is a ‘Mercy to all the worlds’. The same person who does not at all confront the one who tried to poison him, who does not punish them – could he order someone to be burnt for a few coins? The actual incident was only this much, that Kinanah was given safety on the condition that he would not commit any treachery or give any false statements. In fact, there is a narration that states that he had also agreed that if he did anything against it, his blood would become lawful. Kinanah committed treachery, and the promise of safety that was given to him was annulled. Kinanah had killed Mahmud bin Maslamah, so he was killed in retaliation.
“Perhaps he would have been forgiven earlier, but because he committed treachery elsewhere, he was punished for it.” (Siratul-Nabi, Vol. 1, Maktabatul Islamiyyah, pp. 284-285)
An Ahmadi author of the current times, Syed Barakat Ahmad Sahib, writes in his work The Holy Prophet and the Jews of Hijaz that “Ibn Ishaq has narrated a story without any chain of narration, and these facts are evidently wrong. Firstly, torture, and torture by fire at that, is against the Islamic teachings. Secondly, there is no mention of the distribution of this recovered treasure in all the spoils of Khaibar. Nor is there any narration which mentions this treasure being deposited in the state treasury. Not only Ibn Ishaq, but even in other early sources, there is no mention of cash, gold, silver, or other such valuable goods in the spoils of Khaibar. All traditions are related to produce, clothes, or weapons. Hazrat Abu Hurairah, who was with the Holy Prophetsa
in the battle of Khaibar, used to say that we conquered Khaibar but did not get gold and silver in the spoils.” (Rasool-e-Akramsa Aur Yahood-e-Hejaz, (translation), Maktabat-ulJamia Ltd, Delhi, pp. 162-163)
In short, Kinanah bin Rabi’ was killed, but the reason for his killing was the murder of a Muslim commander, as a result of which he was killed in retaliation.
Thus, this is the actual truth of the matter. These incidents will be mentioned in the future. Among these events, there is also mention of a Jewish woman who attempted to poison the Holy Prophetsa and conspired against him, but Allah the Almighty kept him safe. God willing, I will explain the details of this incident in the future, as it is quite lengthy.
At this time, I wish to mention about a deceased member and then also lead his funeral prayer in absentia. Master Mansoor Ahmad Sahib Kahloon, son of Sharif Ahmad Sahib Kahloon, who was currently residing in Australia, passed away recently.
[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.]
The deceased was the grandson of Chaudhry Sardar Khan Sahibra, of Chahoore, a companion of the Promised Messiahas He received his education in Rabwah and had the honour of serving the faith from childhood. He began his employment at Bashir Abad Taleem-ul-Islam High School in Sindh. He remained affiliated with the teaching profession for approximately 34 years. In Bashir Abad, he was also blessed with the opportunity to serve. He was the Qaid Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, and also served as the local Sadr Jamaat. He was also blessed with the opportunity to serve under the Jubilee Fund. He was also blessed with the opportunity to work as General Secretary in Hyderabad for 18 years, then served for 13 years as District Amir of Hyderabad and Local Amir. His practice was that after finishing his work, his employment, he would immediately come to the mosque and do all the work there, and after the Maghrib prayer, he would go home. Sometimes, he would stay back even later.
He was devotedly attached to Khilafat and would respond to every call. He would look after the poor and was hospitable, sympathetic, and very generous. He kept relatives in his home and provided them education. Many of his students are spread across countries, including missionaries, doctors, and engineers. He was a musi He is survived by his wife, one daughter, and five sons. Mubasher Ahmad Gondal Sahib, who is a member of the office of Amir Sahib UK, was married to his wife’s sister. The deceased’s son, Usama, says that since his childhood, he saw his father’s strong connection with the mosque and the Jamaat. Rarely did he refuse to go to the mosque. He would be regularly present in the office. Apart from any extreme necessity, he never refrained from going to the office, and the members of the Jamaat also knew that they could find him in the office or in the mosque. He would greatly honour and serve central guests. He moved to Australia
after some time. He moved due to certain circumstances. Even after moving there, he continued to serve the Community and participated in every financial scheme, not only in Australia but also in Pakistan. In Australia, too, he expanded his circle of friends very quickly and endeared people to himself. In Australia, he was serving as local Secretary Talim-ul-Quran and Secretary
Tarbiyat. He was a very humble person, and had a passion to serve. May Allah the Almighty bestow him with forgiveness and mercy, and may He enable his children to continue his virtues.
(Official Urdu transcript published in the Daily Al Fazl International, 7 March 2025, pp. 2-6. Translated by The Review of Religions.)
