(Friday Sermon - March 16, 2018 )
Background
Hazrat Muhammad(ra) bin Maslamah who was from among the first Ansari Muslims [Muslim residents of Medina] and who was a very courageous and fearless person.
Muhammad(ra) bin Maslamah also took part in the battle of Uhud and remained by the side of the Holy Prophet(sa) with great resolve and steadfastness. One of his distinctions was that a prophecy of the Holy Prophet(sa) was fulfilled in his person. On one occasion, whilst handing him his sword, the Holy Prophet(sa) said:
“As long as you fight the idolaters, you should continue to fight them with this sword. However, when the time comes when Muslims begin to fight with one another, you should break this sword and stay at home until someone attacks you or death overcomes you.”
He acted in accordance with this guidance and he did so following the martyrdom of Hazrat Uthman(ra). He physically destroyed the sword, made another sword from wood and would place it in his sheath. Someone asked him what use that sword was. He replied:
“The wisdom behind this is to maintain a degree of awe. Moreover, I have also complied with the instruction of the Holy Prophet(sa) not to keep a sword made from iron. Furthermore, a wooden sword cannot harm anyone.”
Discord between Muslims
Some Companions used to say that if there was a person who was not affected by the agitation, that is, the agitation that arose within Muslims after the martyrdom of Hazrat Uthman, it was Muhammad(ra) bin Maslamah. In order to protect himself from the seditious agitation, he went to live in the wilderness and used to say, “Until the sedition is over, I intend to spend my life in the wilderness.”
(Al-Tabqat Al-Kubra Li-ibni Sa‘d, Vol. 3, pp. 338-340, Bab Muhammad Bin Maslamah(ra), Darul Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyah, Beirut 1990)
Thus, these are the people who, if they fought, did so because [their] religion was being attacked. They did so because the Holy Prophet(sa) had said to fight those idolaters, who were attacking in order to exterminate religion. As long as Muslims remained firmly established on this, their power remained, through which they continued to be victorious. However, when they started to fight one another, they were swayed by the words of the hypocrites and began to kill one another, although their governances remained intact and continued. As a result, they were no longer united and even their governance weakened slowly and gradually.
Today, we observe that the internal disputes between Muslims have exceeded all bounds. Furthermore, another prophecy of the Holy Prophet(sa) has been fulfilled that following an era of darkness, when the time of light approaches, when the time of the Promised Messiah dawns, you should accept the Promised Messiah and attach yourself to [his] Jamaat, as all blessings lie in this. However, by not accepting this Promised One, we observe that Muslims are thirsty for each other’s blood in their very own countries and consequently today, the non-Muslim world is practically ruling over Muslims.
The quality of justice
We also find many accounts in relation to Hazrat Muhammad(sa) bin Maslamah being extremely judicious and acquiescent. Due to this, the Khulafa [Successors of the Holy Prophet(sa)] trusted him greatly. Hazrat Umar(ra) and Hazrat Uthman(ra) in particular had entrusted him with very important tasks and campaigns. When complaints were received against those who were appointed for various tasks in the administrative affairs, when complaints were received against them from other countries and places, Hazrat Umar(ra) would send Muhammad bin Maslamah to investigate these complaints.
(Al-Tabqat Al-Kubra Li-ibni Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 47, Bab Dhikr Al-Misriyin Wa Hasr Uthman(ra), Darul Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyah, Beirut 1990) (Usdul Ghabah, Vol. 5, p. 107, Muhammad bin Maslamah(ra), Darul Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyah, Beirut 1996)