Juma Notes for Bambi.
We are trying to explore ways for Bambi to learn from the weekly Friday sermons in a way that can be maintained consistently for our family, I am trying something new. I am giving her summaries that are in a language that is easy for her to understand and getting her to copy the notes, practising her handwriting and hopefully retaining some of the information.
I thought I would share these notes in case they are beneficial to other parents looking for an easy resource for their kids. Please note that generative AI has been used for these, so if there are any mistakes, please let us know.
‘Incidents From the Life of the Holy Prophet (sa) – Answering Allegations in Relation to the Punishment of the Banu Quraizah’
- Friday Sermon November 1, 2024
After saying his special prayers, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba) continued telling us stories from the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SA), especially about what happened with a group called the Banu Quraizah.
In this story, two Muslim friends lost their lives. Different people say different numbers about how many from the Banu Quraizah died. Some say 600, some say 700 or more, but Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) tells us it was about 400 men.
He said:
"About 400 men were punished that day because of the decision made by Sa‘d (ra). The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) told his companions to make sure these people were properly buried."
Some people who don't like Islam say that the Prophet Muhammad (sa) was unkind because of this. But that's not true, and here's why:
The Decision Wasn't Made by the Prophet Muhammad (sa): The punishment was decided by a man named Sa'd (ra), not by the Prophet himself. So we can't blame the Prophet for it.
The Punishment Was Fair: The decision was just and fair. We'll explain more about this soon.
A Promise Was Made: The Prophet Muhammad (sa) had promised to accept whatever Sa'd (ra) decided, so he had to keep his word.
They Accepted the Decision: The people who were punished agreed with the decision and didn't argue. They thought it was the right thing.
While the men were waiting, the Prophet Muhammad (sa) was kind to them. He made sure they had good places to stay and enough food to eat.
When it was time for the punishment, he made sure it was done in the kindest way possible. He didn't want them to feel more scared or sad than they already were. He also listened when anyone asked for mercy for someone. He forgave those people and even let them keep their families and belongings.
This shows that the Prophet Muhammad (sa) was very kind and caring, even to those who had done wrong.
Why Was the Punishment Fair?
When the Prophet Muhammad (sa) first moved to the city of Madinah, he made a peace agreement with three Jewish tribes: Banu Qainuqa‘, Banu Nadir, and Banu Quraizah. They all agreed to live together peacefully, help each other, and not help any enemies.
But things didn't go as planned:
First, the Banu Qainuqa‘ Broke the Agreement: They were unkind to Muslim women and started fights. When they lost the fight, the Prophet Muhammad (sa) forgave them. He let them leave peacefully with their families and belongings.
Then, the Banu Nadir Broke the Agreement: Their leader, Ka‘b bin Ashraf, tried to harm the Muslims and even planned to hurt the Prophet Muhammad (sa). When he was stopped, his tribe got angry and wanted to fight. The Banu Quraizah helped them.
The Prophet Forgave Again: Even after all this, when the Banu Nadir were defeated, the Prophet Muhammad (sa) forgave the Banu Quraizah once more.
Remember, the Banu Quraizah were a group of people who had made a peace agreement with Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Muslims. The Prophet had been very kind to them. He treated them fairly and gave them the same rights as everyone else, even though others used to treat them unfairly.
But during a very dangerous time, when the Muslims were facing a big army of enemies and were very worried, the Banu Quraizah did something very wrong. They forgot all the kindness the Prophet had shown them and broke their promise. Instead of helping the Muslims or staying neutral, they attacked the Muslim women and children from behind. This was a big betrayal.
They were not only ungrateful but also tried to harm the Muslims when they were most vulnerable. They broke their agreement, were disloyal, and tried to hurt innocent people. Because of these serious actions, they had to face consequences.
Now, some people might think the punishment they received was too harsh. But let's think about what options were available:
Keeping Them as Prisoners: The Muslims didn't have enough food or places to keep them safely. Plus, if they stayed nearby, they might cause more trouble.
Letting Them Go Free: If they were allowed to leave, they might join other enemies and come back to hurt the Muslims again.
So, a man named Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) was chosen to decide what should happen to them. He decided that the men who fought against the Muslims would be punished, and the women and children would be spared and kept safe.
Even though this was a tough decision, it was necessary to protect everyone. Also, this decision was in line with their own laws. In their holy book, it says that if a group breaks a peace agreement and attacks, then the fighting men should be punished, and the women and children should be spared.
In the end, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was fair and just. He had been very kind to the Banu Quraizah before, but they broke their promises and did very bad things. He had to protect the Muslims and make sure everyone was safe.
This story shows us the importance of keeping our promises and being loyal. It also teaches us that sometimes leaders have to make difficult decisions to protect their people.
Some people today try to compare what happened with the Banu Quraizah to things happening now, like the situation with the Palestinians. But it's important to understand that these situations are not the same.
Back then, the punishment given to the Banu Quraizah was based on fairness and the laws of that time—even their own laws agreed with it. They had done very serious wrong things, and the decision was made carefully.
Even in the Bible, which is a holy book for Christians and Jews, there are rules about how to handle people who break big promises and cause trouble. In those days, such punishments were common and seen as fair.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) always tried to be just and kind. Even when people did wrong, he looked for ways to be merciful. But sometimes, tough decisions had to be made to keep everyone safe.
Today, when we see bad things happening, like innocent people getting hurt—including women and children—that's not the same as what happened back then. Hurting innocent people is never okay.
His Holiness (aba) said that some people wrongly use the story of the Banu Quraizah to say that bad actions today are acceptable. But that's not right. We should understand the true teachings of Islam, which are about peace, justice, and kindness.
He also said that Muslims need to think about their own actions and make sure they're following Islam properly, not just thinking about themselves. He prayed that Allah helps everyone understand the right path.
