The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets

260 Pages·2017·7.55 MB·English

The Life & Character of the
Seal of Prophets
(May Peace and Blessings of Allāh be upon him)
VOLUME III
(Sīrat Khātamun-Nabiyyīn)
By
Ḥaḍrat Mirzā Bashīr Aḥmad M.A.
2017
Islam International Publications Ltd.
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The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets
An English rendering of Sīrat Khātamun-Nabiyyīnsa — Volume III
written by Ḥaḍrat Mirzā Bashīr Aḥmad M.A.
First Published in English in UK in 2017
© Islam International Publications Ltd.
Published by:
Islam International Publications Ltd.
Islamabad, Sheephatch Lane
Tilford, Surrey
GU10 2AQ
Printed in UK at:
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopy, recording or any information storage and
retrieval system, without prior written
permission from the Publisher.
For further information you may visit www.alislam.org
ISBN: 978-1-84880-906-2
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About the Author
Ḥaḍrat Mirzā Bashīr Aḥmadra was born to the Promised Messiahas on April 20,
1893, according to the Divine prophecy:
“The Moon of the Prophets will arrive and your affair will become manifest...
Soon a son will be born to you and grace will come close to you.”
He passed his matriculation with distinction in 1910 and did M.A.
(Arabic) in 1916 in compliance with the wish of the Promised Messiahas.
The blessings of Allāh which accompanied him, the prayers of the
Promised Messiahas in his favour, the guidance given to him by his elder
brother, Ḥaḍrat Khalīfatul-Masīḥ IIra, and his God-given abilities enabled
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Seal of the Prophets - Volume II
him to serve the Aḥmadiyya Muslim Jamā‘at throughout his life in various
capacities.
He was a great religious scholar and a prolific writer. His books, articles
and speeches are easily comprehensible even for the average reader. He wrote
on a number of topics; and his magnum opus is Sīrat Khātamun-Nabiyyīn.
Moreover, Sīratul-Mahdī, Silsila-e-Aḥmadiyyah, Tablīgh-e-Hidāyat, Kalimatul-
Faṣl and Hamāra Khudā are some of his significant works.
Apart from his books, he contributed many articles, the number of
which runs into the hundreds, to Jamā‘at dailies and periodicals - especially
the Al-Faḍl.
He was a man of God and the recipient of Divine revelations and
visions, but he would not disclose them, except rarely. One of his revelations
was مكیلع مالسلا i.e., ‘Peace be upon you’, and another one was:
Meaning, “Rise Muḥammadī, the time of your eminence has drawn near.”
He passed away on September 2, 1963 at the age of 71.
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Table of Contents
About the Author ..............................................................................................iii
Publishers’ Note .................................................................................................ix
Foreword ..........................................................................................................xiii
Preface - Volume III ..........................................................................................xv
Map of Arabia ................................................................................................xvii
I - Commencement of the Second Era of Life in Madīnah
Prior to the Era of the Treaty of Ḥudaibiyyah ..............................................................................................3
Sariyyah of Qurṭā - Muḥarram 6 A.H. (May/June 627 A.D.) ......................................................................5
The Acceptance of Thumāmah bin Uthāl the Chief of Yamāmah - Muḥarram 6 A.H. ........................5
Ghazwah of ‘Ukāshah bin Miḥsanra - 6 A.H. ...............................................................................................10
70,000 People from the Ummah of the Holy Prophetsa shall enter Heaven without Account ............10
Sariyyah of Muḥammad bin Maslamahra to Dhul-Qaṣṣah - Rabī‘ul-Ākhir 6 A.H. ..............................12
Sariyyah of Zaid bin Ḥārithah to Banī Sulaim - Rabī‘ul-Ākhir 6 A.H. ..................................................14
Sariyyah of Zaid bin Ḥārithahra to ‘Īṣ - Jamādi’ul-Ūlā 6 A.H. ..................................................................14
Acceptance of Abul-‘Āṣra, the Son-in-Law of the Holy Prophetsa .............................................................15
Islāmic Teachings regarding the Marital Relations of a Muslim and an Infidel .................................16
Praise of the Holy Prophetsa with regards to Abul-‘Āṣra ............................................................................20
Ghazwah of Banū Liḥyān - Jamādi’ul-Ūlā 6 A.H. (September 627) .........................................................20
Prayer upon Returning from a Journey .......................................................................................................22
Allegation of Tauriyyah against the Holy Prophetsa .................................................................................23
Sariyyah of Zaid bin Ḥārithahra to Ṭarif - Jamādi’ul-Ākhir 6 A.H. .........................................................28
Sariyyah of Zaidra to Ḥismā - Jamādi’ul-Ākhir 6 A.H. ...............................................................................28
Sariyyah of Zaid bin Ḥārithahra to Wādi’ul-Qurā - Rajab 6 A.H. ...........................................................31
Objection of the People to the Commandership of Zaid bin Ḥārithahra and its Refutation by the
Holy Prophetsa ...................................................................................................................................................31
II - Brief Note on Islāmic Equality
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................35
Fundamental Perspective on Islāmic Equality ...........................................................................................36
Directions of Granting Due Regard to Ranks in Everyday Relations .....................................................39
Complete Equality in Judicial Affairs............................................................................................................40
Complete Equality in the Division of National Offices ..............................................................................41
Brotherly Interaction in Social Gatherings .................................................................................................43
Relations Between a Master and Servant ...................................................................................................45
Islāmic Teaching on Matrimonial Affairs ....................................................................................................47
Equality of Rights Between Man and Woman ............................................................................................48
Islāmic Perspective on the Division of Wealth ............................................................................................51
Government is Responsible for the Disabled ...............................................................................................56
A Noteworthy Point on Economic Equality .................................................................................................57
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Islām Presents a Moderate Perspective ........................................................................................................59
Equal Division of Food in Exceptional Circumstances ..............................................................................62
Equality in Matters of Religion & Spirituality ............................................................................................64
Sariyyah Dūmatul-Jandal - Sha‘bān 6 A.H. (December 627 A.D.) ...........................................................69
Sariyyah of Ḥaḍrat ‘Alīra to Fadak - Sha‘bān 6 A.H. ...................................................................................72
Sariyyah Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakrra Towards Banū Fazārah ...............................................................................73
False Occurrence of the Murder of Ummi Qirfah .......................................................................................74
Mischief of the People of Khaibar & the Killing of Abū Rāfi‘ the Jew - Ramaḍān 6 A.H. (January 628 A.D.) 79
Drought in Madīnah & the Prayer of the Holy Prophetsa for Water .......................................................84
III - Concept of the Acceptance of Prayer in Islām
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................89
Concept of Prayer Relates to Observation ...................................................................................................90
A Common Principle Between Science & Prayer ........................................................................................90
Concept of Prayer is a Constituent of Belief in the Existence of God .....................................................91
Prayer is a Spiritual Means to Success .........................................................................................................92
God Listens to and Accepts Prayers ..............................................................................................................93
The Prayers of the Disbelievers ......................................................................................................................95
God does not Accept a Prayer in Contradiction to His own Promise or Custom .................................95
The Prayer of a Believer can Even Alter Divine Decree .............................................................................96
Three Probable Cases of the Acceptance of Prayer ....................................................................................96
Impatience in Prayer is Destructive .............................................................................................................97
The Prayer of a Negligent Heart is not Accepted .......................................................................................98
There should be a Specified Supplication in Prayer ..................................................................................98
Always Think Well of God ................................................................................................................................99
Summary of the Islāmic Teaching on Prayer ..............................................................................................99
Further Threat from the People of Khaibar & the Killing of Usair bin Rizām - Shawwāl 6 A.H. ........101
Conspiracy to Assassinate the Holy Prophetsa & Sariyyah ‘Amr bin Umaiyyahra - Shawwāl 6 A.H. .....106
Treachery of the Tribes of ‘Ukl and ‘Urainah & its Terrible Outcome - Shawwāl 6 A.H. .................108
IV - The Treaty of Ḥudaibiyyah & its Magnificent Outcomes (Dhū Qa‘dah 6 A.H.)
Significance of the Treaty of Ḥudaibiyyah ................................................................................................117
Dream of the Holy Prophetsa & the Journey to Ḥudaibiyyah .................................................................118
Suffering of the Muslims Lacking Water & the Miracle of the Increase of Water ............................121
A Brief Fundamental Note on Miracles .....................................................................................................123
Commencement of the Discussions on the Treaty with the Quraish ..................................................126
An Inspiring Scene of an Assembly of the Holy Prophetsa .....................................................................127
Mischief by the Infidels of Makkah ............................................................................................................130
Ḥaḍrat ‘Uthmānra as an Ambassador of the Muslims .............................................................................132
Bai‘at-e-Riḍwān ..............................................................................................................................................133
Deliberations of the Treaty ...........................................................................................................................136
The Emotion and Passion of Ḥaḍrat ‘Umarra .............................................................................................140
Conditions of the Treaty ................................................................................................................................141
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Anxiety Amongst the Companions ..............................................................................................................143
Return from Ḥudaibiyyah & Revelation of Sūrah Al-Fatḥ.....................................................................145
Further Apprehension of Ḥaḍrat ‘Umarra ..................................................................................................146
Exceptional Arrangements for Emigrant Muslim Women .....................................................................147
Idolatrous Women were also Released .......................................................................................................149
The Account of Abū Baṣīr and its Outcomes ............................................................................................150
Two Allegations Levelled by Christian Historians Relevant to the Treaty of Ḥudaibiyyah ..........154
The Islāmic Government can also be Separate from the Religious System of Islām ........................162
V - An Analysis of Islām’s Strength in Peace and War .................................167
VI - All Races Invited to Islām
Caesar and Chosroes Invited to Islām .........................................................................................................175
The Islāmic Perspective on Preaching ........................................................................................................176
No Compulsion in Religion ............................................................................................................................177
Universal Message of Islām ...........................................................................................................................178
Everlasting Sharī‘at of Islām .......................................................................................................................180
A Ring Prepared for Letters of Preaching ..................................................................................................181
Use of Wisdom in Discharging the Obligation of Preaching .................................................................183
Preaching Expeditions in the Four Corners of Arabia ............................................................................183
Friction between the Caesar and Chosroes and a Magnificent Prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa ..184
Letter of the Holy Prophetsa Inviting the Caesar to Islām ......................................................................187
Letter of the Holy Prophetsa Addressed to the Chosroes .........................................................................200
Letter of the Holy Prophetsa Addressed to Maqauqis of Egypt .............................................................206
Letter of the Holy Prophetsa Inviting the Negus to Islām ......................................................................213
Letter of the Holy Prophetsa Addressed to the King of Ghassān ............................................................219
Letter of the Holy Prophetsa to the Chief of Yamāmah ...........................................................................220
Various Miscellaneous Incidents and the Prohibition of Gambling and Chess ................................222
Glossary of Terms ........................................................................................................................................229
Index ................................................................................................................................................................235
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Publishers’ Note
In this text, references to verses of the Holy Qur’ān have been footnoted
and are given in the modern numerical system. In these references, we have
counted Bismillāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm as the first verse, except for Sūrah At-Taubah
(that is Chapter 9 of the Holy Qur’ān). In these footnotes, the name of the Sūrah
(chapter) has been mentioned, and then the numerical reference has been
provided in brackets, whereas the first number refers to the Sūrah (chapter)
and the second number refers to the Āyah (verse). The translation of verses
of the Holy Qur’ān, Aḥādīth and other Arabic or Persian quotations have been
rendered into English from the idiomatic Urdu translation of Ḥaḍrat Mirzā
Bashīr Aḥmad Ṣāḥibra himself, as found in the original Urdu work.
The names of Islāmic months have been used in their original form. In
the field of Islāmic history, there are two famous eras in the life of the Holy
Prophetsa: prior to migration and after migration. Years spent by the Holy
Prophetsa in Makkah, prior to the migration are referred to as Nabawī years,
and those following the migration are referred to as Hijrī years. In this text,
Nabawī years have been clearly specified, for they have been followed by the
term ‘Nabawī’ in italics. Hijrī years have been specified by the abbreviation A.H.
(i.e., after Hijrah).
In certain footnotes more than once reference has been cited. In
all such instances, references appearing in the same footnote have been
separately distinguished with bullet points.
All of the original references provided in this translation have been
checked and verified by the Research Cell, Rabwah. Wherever additional
references are provided, which are not cited in the original Urdu book, they
have been marked with the words [Publishers] in square brackets.
The following abbreviations have been used in this book; Readers are
requested to recite the full salutations when reading the book:
SA: An abbreviation for Ṣallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam, meaning, “May peace
and blessings of Allāh be upon him,” is written after the name of the Holy Prophet
Muḥammadsa.
AS: An abbreviation for ‘Alaihissalām / ‘Alaihassalām / ‘Alaihimussalām,
meaning, “May peace be upon him / her / them,” is written after the name of
Prophets other than the Holy Prophet Muḥammadsa, and pious women prior to
the era of the Holy Prophet Muḥammadsa.
RA: An abbreviation for Raḍiallāhu ‘anhu / ‘anhā / ‘anhum, meaning, “May
Allāh be pleased with him/her/them,” is written after the names of Companions of
the Holy Prophetsa and Companions of the Promised Messiahas.

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RH: An abbreviation for Raḥimahullāh, meaning, “May Allāh have mercy
upon him,” is written after the names of deceased pious Muslims who are not
Companions.
In transliterating Arabic terms we have followed the following system:
ا at the beginning of a word, pronounced as a, i, u, preceded
by a very slight aspiration, like h in the English word
‘honour.’
ث th, pronounced like th in the English word ‘thing.’
ح ḥ, a guttural aspirate, stronger than h.
خ kh, pronounced like the Scotch ch in ‘loch.’
ذ dh, pronounced like the English th in ‘that.’
ص ṣ, strongly articulated s.
ض ḍ, similar to the English th in ‘this.’
ط ṭ, strongly articulated palatal t.
ظ ẓ, strongly articulated z.
ع ‘, a strong gutteral, the pronunciation of which must be
learnt by the ear.
غ gh, a sound approached very nearly in the r ‘grasseye’ in
French, and in the German r. It requires the muscles of the
throat to be in the gargling position whilst pronouncing it.
ق q, a deep guttural k sound.
ء ’, a sort of catch in the voice.
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