014 - Torture and Persecution of the Weak

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(Cont.) Opposition From the Quraysh

8. Quizzing the Prophet PBUH

The eighth tactic was to try to 'expose' the Prophet PBUH by quizzing him with questions that only a true prophet would know the answer to.

Now, the Arabs didn't really know of the notion of a prophet (as Allah says about the Quraysh in the Quran [32:3], "A people to whom no warner [prophet] has come before"), but they knew the Jews did, since they would get prophet after prophet. (Side note: Of course Prophet Ibrahim AS was there, but his legacy was almost forgotten.) So to attempt to 'expose' the Prophet PBUH that 'he is a false prophet,' they sent emissaries to Madinah (which at the time was called Yathrib) to the Jews/the People of the Book, and said, "This phenomenon (of prophethood) that is from your religion is now happening in our culture [i.e., a man named Muhammad from our tribe is now claiming to be a prophet]. And we know he is lying. So why don't you tell us something that we can quiz Muhammad with, so that his lies will be exposed." The People of the Book said, "Ask him about Ishaq (Isaac), Ya'qub (Jacob), and Yusuf (Joseph) — ask him about what happened to the family of Ya'qub." So the Quraysh went to the Prophet PBUH and asked him about the family of Ya'qub. And then Allah revealed the whole of Surah Yusuf (سورة يوسف) as a response. And in one of the verses, He SWT said, "That is from the stories of the unseen which We reveal to you [O Muhammad]. You were not present when they [all] made up their minds, and when they plotted [against Joseph]" [Quran, 12:102]. Meaning the Arabs had no clue about the family of Ya'qub, what happened to them, and the inner struggle between Ya'qub's children. Yet the Prophet PBUH answered miraculously in one of the most beautiful surahs in the Quran. So the Quraysh's plot did not succeed.

Another famous incident also occurred during this time frame, in which the Arabs, again, sent a delegation to Madinah and asked the Jews, "What questions can we quiz Muhammad with?" And the Jews said to ask him about 3 things that no one would know the details about except a true prophet:

1. Story of the young men who entered a cave and slept a long time.
2. Ask him about a man who traveled the world from the east to the west, and had experiences that are legends.
3. Ask him about the ruh (روح - spirit/soul), what is it, and what is it made of. (Note: This is a trick question.)

[This is reported in Tirmidhi, slightly weak.]


The Prophet PBUH was asked these 3 questions, and he told the people confidently, "Come back to me tomorrow, and I will tell you the answers to these 3 questions." And because he PBUH was overconfident and didn't say "insha'Allah," therefore, instead of 1 day, it was dragged on to 2 weeks for the revelation to come down, all the while the Quraysh were mocking him PBUH, "Has your 'false spirit' abandoned you?" This incident shows us who is the Rabb (رب - Lord/Master/God) and who is the servant — wahy doesn't come down at the Prophet's PBUH will, rather, it is revealed at Allah's will.

And eventually, Allah SWT revealed Surah al-Kahf (سورة الكهف) as the response to these questions:

1. Details are given about the Boys in the Cave that even the Jews didn't know.
2. Dhu al-Qarnayn (ذو القرنين) was the reference here. (Side note 1: Some people in our times say Dhu al-Qarnayn is Alexander the Great. — But there's no evidence for this. In fact, it is contrary to many things that we know. E.g., Alexander the Great was a pagan whose teacher was Aristotle who believed in the gods of Greek mythology, whereas Dhu al-Qarnayn was a righteous monotheist.) (Side note 2: Scholars differed about whether or not Dhu al-Qarnayn was a prophet.)
3. About the ruh, Allah revealed in the Quran [17:85]: "They ask you about the spirit. Say, 'The spirit is from the affairs/mysteries of Allah; and none of you have been given knowledge (about it) except for a little bit.'" In other words, Allah SWT did not answer about the spirit; He SWT simply told the Prophet PBUH that it is a mystery of Allah that you are never going to know. And this is the correct answer to the trick question that was asked. The Jews knew that no one had knowledge of the ruh; so if the Prophet PBUH gave a detailed answer, then according to the Jewish people, it would have been exposed that the Prophet PBUH was a liar (not a true prophet). But of course the Prophet PBUH didn't, and he gave a correct answer as revealed by Allah SWT, "There is no answer."

(Anthropological tangent: Every single nation that has been documented has 2~4 things in common:

1. Religiosity — we have never discovered an atheistic nation, as it is against the fitrah to not believe in a god
2. Belief in the human soul
3. Belief in evil spirits
4. Belief in the great flood 'myth,' i.e., the story of Manu in Vedas, i.e., the story of Nuh AS in Abrahamic religions.)

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9. Outright Torture

The ninth tactic was outright torture.

The Arabs of old were a tribal society — everything was based upon tribalism. Your tribe was your protection. Those who had tribal bonds, they were somewhat protected. The Prophet PBUH, being a Qureshi, had his protection in his lineage. However, the slaves and the mawali (موالي - freed slaves) (singular: mawla [مولى]) didn't have this protection. (Note: The concept of mawla is somewhat similar to that of indentured servitude; the man is free, but not fully, in that, he owes his allegiance to the person who freed him.)

Sa'id ibn Jubayr (سعيد بن جبير), the main student of Ibn Abbas, asks Ibn Abbas, "How was the torture of the sahaba in the early days? Was it really that bad?" Ibn Abbas says the believers were so severely tortured, starved, and deprived of water, that they couldn't even sit up because of the pain. It was so bad that when they were asked by the pagans, "Is al-Lat and al-Uzza your god?" they would respond, "Yes, al-Lat and al-Uzza are my gods," just to get rid of the torture. It even came to the point that if an insect passed by them and they were told to say it was their god, they would do so. (Islam allows one to say these things if you are being tortured to death, as long as your heart remains firm in Islam.) Abu Jahal, whom our Prophet PBUH called the fir'awn (pharaoh) of this ummah, was the main propagator of this torture. He had a series of tactics:

i. If the person who converted was from the noblemen of Quraysh, they would begin verbal abuse.
ii. If the person was a businessman who was doing business with the Quraysh, they would boycott him.
iii. If they were slaves and mawlas, they would physically torture and try to kill them.

A famous story in Sunan Ibn Majah^[1], narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud RA:

The first people to declare their Islam publicly were seven: The Prophet PBUH, Abu Bakr, Ammar ibn Yasir, Sumayyah, Suhayb al-Rumi, Bilal al-Habashi, and al-Miqdad (المقداد). As for the Prophet PBUH, he was protected by Allah SWT through his uncle Abu Talib. As for Abu Bakr, Allah SWT protected him through his people. As for the rest, the Quraysh rounded them up and began torturing them in various ways, e.g., putting irons on their bodies, and taking them to the sand and leaving them there. All of them eventually gave up and said what the Quraysh wanted them to say, EXCEPT for Bilal ibn Rabah al-Habashi:

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Outright Torture: Bilal ibn Rabah al-Habashi

Bilal ibn Rabah al-Habashi (بلال بن رباح الحبشي) refused to budge one bit. Ibn Mas'ud said, "Bilal considered his soul insignificant in front of Allah"—Bilal was willing to give up his soul for Allah SWT. So he remained completely unyielding and steadfast. Thus the Quraysh concentrated their efforts on him. "Bilal was handed over to the gangs/ruffians/teenagers, and they would run around with a rope around his neck and drag him through the streets of Makkah, all the while Bilal would say, 'Ahadun Ahad (أحد أحد - One, One)! Ahadun Ahad!'"—crying the Oneness of Allah AWJ. Umayyah ibn Khalaf (أمية بن خلف), the owner of Bilal, also participated in his torture. Realize it's a delicate line that you are drawing, because slaves are very expensive 'property' — more expensive than camels. To punish your own slave means you are harming your own income. *Yet* they tortured him and risked his life. This is how much hatred they had for Islam. Bilal would be trapped and pinned under a rock under the hot sun. Many of the sahaba were amazed that Bilal survived his torture, as Amr ibn al-As said the rocks were so hot you could literally cook raw meat on them. Amr also said he heard Bilal saying while he was tortured:

أكفر باللات والعزى وأؤمن بالله

"I reject al-Lat and al-Uzza, and I believe in Allah SWT."

Umayyah continued to punish him, but he refused to budge and kept on saying, "Ahadun Ahad! Ahadun Ahad!"

Many years later, Urwah ibn Zubayr (nephew of Aisha) narrated: "Bilal was tortured by the people of Makkah and by Umayyah ibn Khalaf in particular, but he never even gave them one word to please them."

And look at how Allah SWT rewarded him. We as Muslims firmly believe that:

 الجزاء من جنس العمل

"Al-jaza-u min jins-il-amal (the reward or the punishment will be the exact same as what you did to get that reward or punishment)"—an Arabic saying (not a hadith). This is a maxim that we apply in our religion. (Also, in the Quran, Allah SWT says, "Is there any reward for goodness except goodness?" [Quran, 55:60].) So Bilal was eventually rewarded by becoming the first, the most important, and the only *official* muezzin of the Prophet PBUH. The voice that was calling out, "One, One, One, One (Ahadun Ahad, Ahadun Ahad)," later becomes the voice that calls out adhan, reciting the kalimah loudly. The Prophet PBUH himself chose Bilal to be the muezzin because he had the best voice amongst them.

Bilal was the one who gave the adhan in the Haram when the Prophet PBUH reconquered Makkah [see episode 80]. That is his reward — becoming the one who calls out the name of Allah at the pinnacle of honor, the height of dignity, re-establishing tawhid at the Ka'bah.

And from ahadith, we learn so many blessings of the muezzin, which all apply to Bilal as well:

i. The Prophet PBUH said, "If people knew how much reward would be in the giving of the adhan and in standing in the first row (in salah), and they had no other way out other than by drawing lots, they would have drawn lots in order to give adhan and to stand in the first row"—emphasizing how much blessing there is in giving the adhan.

ii. He PBUH also said, "Any muezzin who gives adhan, whatever hears his adhan from animate or inanimate object will testify for him (on the Day of Judgment)" [Ibn Majah].

iii. In Bukhari, the Prophet PBUH said to a shepherd, "Whenever you are in your lands, give the adhan (even when you are alone), because no jinn or human will hear your voice except they will testify to what you have said (Iman) on the Day of Judgment." So one plus one: The Prophet PBUH said whoever hears the adhan will testify on behalf of the muezzin. — And who was the muezzin of the Prophet PBUH by designation? Bilal ibn Rabah. And whose adhan did the Prophet PBUH hear 5 times a day, morning and evening, for over 10 years? Bilal ibn Rabah. So subhan'Allah, look at the maqam (مقام - status) of Bilal ibn Rabah RA.

iv. In Bukhari, he PBUH said, "Muezzins will have the longest necks on the Day of Judgment." (It doesn't mean they are going to be like giraffes; it's an Arabic expression that could mean they will have the greatest honor — people will look up to them.)

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Outright Torture: Khabbab ibn al-Aratt

Khabbab ibn al-Aratt (خباب بن الأرت) — One of the first ten converts to Islam. He was an Arab slave — and Arab slaves were treated a little better than slaves of other ethnicities. His master was a female, Ummi Anmar (أم أنمار). She purchased him because he was a forger/swordmaker. When she found out that he converted, she got a gang together to beat him up. Khabbab narrated, "And when I came back, I saw a whole group of Quraysh around me at my place of work, and they began to taunt and ridicule me about 'where were you,' 'what have you done,' until I confessed I'm a Muslim. And when I confessed I'm a Muslim, they began hitting me so much that the next thing I knew, I woke up and I was bloodied and bruised."

And Khabbab's master Ummi Anmar would many times use the iron that he would use to forge swords, to burn his back. Many years later, during the reign of Umar al-Khattab, Khabbab paid a visit to Umar, who inquired about the mistreatment he endured under Ummi Anmar's ownership. And instead of responding verbally, Khabbab simply revealed his scarred back by lifting his shirt. Umar said, "Wallahi, I have never seen anything as I have seen today." And Umar made him sit with him on the majlis (مجلس), and he gave him a lot of honor.

In Bukhari, the Prophet PBUH said no one is allowed to punish by fire except the Creator of the fire. Because fire is the worst type of torture imaginable. When the Prophet PBUH saw Khabbab being tortured one day by the fire, he lifted his hands up and said, "O Allah, help Khabbab." And a few days later, Ummi Anmar woke up sick and started acting like a rabid dog. Panting around and crawling around the house, completely lost her senses. The doctors of Makkah said the only treatment for her would be cauterization (burning of the skin). So she had to be cauterized on her back and her head. And eventually, she died as a result of this.

كما تدين تدان

"As you do it shall be done unto you."

الجزاء من جنس العمل

"The reward or the punishment will be the exact same as what you did to get that reward or punishment."

Narrated in Sahih Bukhari: The torture of Khabbab was in fact so severe that it was Khabbab who went to the Prophet PBUH when the Prophet PBUH was sitting in the shade of the Ka'bah with his back against it, and said, "Ya Rasulullah, for how long? How long can we bear this? How long are we going to be tortured like this? Can you ask Allah to bring about honor and glory and get rid of this state of humiliation?" The Prophet PBUH sat up and said, "Verily, the people before you were tortured worse than you, with hot iron combs that would strip his flesh, and with a saw or knife that would cut him in half; and still that would not turn them away from the worship of Allah. Verily, I swear to you by the One who has sent me, Allah will perfect this matter (religion) to such an extent that [you will see a day when] a Muslim shepherdess takes her flock from Sana'a to Hadhramaut (حضرموت) and she will fear none but Allah, or a wolf attacking her sheep. (Meaning there will be so much peace and security that she won't have to worry about anybody attacking her flock.) But you are being hasty."

Another famous story of Khabbab is when Umar came to his (Umar's) sister's house, Khabbab was the one who was in the house teaching Islam to other Muslims [see episode 18] — he was one of the more knowledgeable of the sahaba.

And in Madinan seerah, Khabbab participated in all of the expeditions of the Prophet PBUH.

During the khilafa of Abu Bakr RA, Abu Bakr had a policy that all of the sahaba should get the same salary from the government. When he was asked about this, he said, "Who am I to prefer one over another? [Only] Allah knows who has more taqwa." But when Umar RA became the khalifa 2 years later, Umar basically said, "Those who accepted Islam earliest will get grade A pay; the next batch will get grade B;" and so on. (And ironically, this puts himself at grade C, which shows he was not doing this to prefer himself.) As for Khabbab, he was one of the earliest, so he was getting one of the highest salaries from the Bayt al-Mal (بيت المال). And with this salary, he built himself a modest house in Kufa, and he would have a treasure box that was open. And it was known in the city that if anyone had any monetary problems, they could simply take from the treasury of Khabbab with no questions asked.

When he was about to die [37 AH], he was crying on his deathbed. Upon witnessing this, his family asked, "Why are you crying? You have suffered so much [in this dunya]; you have reached the highest level; you will meet the Prophet PBUH and be rewarded by Allah SWT!" In response, he said, "I am not crying out of pain or fear of meeting Allah SWT. I am crying because of what you see around you: this house! What will I answer Allah for my luxurious living? Verily, I was with a group of people who were tortured as I was, but they all have gone before me without tasting the sweetness of this world; and Allah has left me to enjoy the fruits of this world. So I am scared that because of this, my share of the akhira will not be as much as the share of my companions." [See also: episode 48.]

This is Khabbab ibn al-Aratt. What a story of Iman.

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Outright Torture: Yasir, Sumayyah, Abdullah & Ammar

Yasir (ياسر), Sumayyah (سمية), and their 2 children, Abdullah (عبد الله) and Ammar (عمار), were a family being tortured in front of each other. All of them were slaves. And Yasir and Sumayyah became the first martyrs of Islam one after the other. Hadith of the Prophet PBUH:

صبراً يا آل ياسر فإن موعدكم الجنة

"Be patient, O family of Yasir! Indeed, the place appointed to you [by Allah] is Jannah." It was painful for the Prophet PBUH to see them being tortured as he was walking by, but nothing could be done at this stage.

Yasir was the first to die. Early authorities have differed about exactly how —some say he was dragged in the streets with a rope, others say horses pulled him apart— we don't know what brutal pleasure they took; but this made his wife even more full of Iman, and she rebuked Abu Jahal. And this resulted in her own brutal execution — Abu Jahal took a spear and thrust it up her private area all the way up. And this was in front of Abdullah and Ammar. Then they threw Abdullah into a ditch, and finally turned on Ammar who was likely no older than 15 years old at the time. And overwhelmed by the immense suffering he had witnessed, Ammar succumbed to the unbearable torment and reluctantly expressed statements of kufr, hoping to bring an end to his torment. And given his status as the youngest among them, the Quraysh eventually let him go.

Ammar ran to the Prophet PBUH in Dar al-Arqam and expressed remorse for having uttered the kufr statements, "Ya Rasulullah, I uttered words of kufr. What am I going to do now?" Subhan'Allah, despite having witnessed the tragic murder of his entire family, Ammar's unwavering concern was directed towards the preservation of his faith, prioritizing his Iman above the profound loss he had endured. The Prophet PBUH asked, "How is the faith in your heart?" Ammar said, "As it always is." The Prophet PBUH said, "If they return, then you return (i.e., if they do the same thing to you back, then you do back what you just did right now.)" And Allah SWT revealed in Surah al-Nahl (سورة النحل):

مَن كَفَرَ بِاللَّهِ مِن بَعْدِ إِيمَانِهِ إِلَّا مَنْ أُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَٰكِن مَّن شَرَحَ بِالْكُفْرِ صَدْرًا فَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

"Whoever disbelieves in Allah after their belief —NOT those who are forced while their hearts are firm in faith, but those who embrace disbelief wholeheartedly— they will be condemned by Allah and suffer a tremendous punishment" [Quran, 16:106]. Meaning whoever says words of kufr in a state of torture will be forgiven.

And as we know, Ammar ibn Yasir became one of the most famous sahaba, and the Prophet PBUH had so many praises for him. The Prophet PBUH said in a hadith, "Iman has been filled in his heart all the way up until here [neck] (i.e., his Iman is overflowing)." In another hadith, "Ibn al-Sumayyah (ابن السمية) is upon the fitrah (فطرة - pure nature). Whenever he is faced with two choices, he always chooses the more correct of the two." (Note: Notice how the Prophet PBUH called him "Ibn al-Sumayyah" to honor his mother.) And in the most famous hadith about Ammar ibn Yasir, the Prophet PBUH said, "May Allah have mercy on you, O Ammar! You shall be killed by the rebel party." And subhan'Allah, ~35 years after this hadith was said, in the civil war between Ali and Muawiyah [i.e., in the Battle of Siffin, 37 AH], Ammar chose the side of Ali ibn Abi Talib, and was killed by an arrow from the side of Muawiyah. So this hadith was then used by the people as a huge victory point that the more correct side between Ali and Muawiyah was the side of Ali. (Side note: As Sunnis, it is part of our theology that we don't say anything bad about any of the sahaba. So we assume both Ali and Muawiyah intended good for the ummah. No doubt, one side was closer to the Truth than the other; but we don't say evil about the other. And we say Allah will forgive both sides.) [See also: episodes 31 & 58.]

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Suhayb al-Rumi

Suhayb al-Rumi (صهيب الرومي) — Ammar, Suhayb, and Bilal were always mentioned together in the seerah because they were very close friends.

Once, the leaders of the Quraysh (Abu Jahal, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, et al.) began talking with the Prophet PBUH; and the Prophet PBUH became hopeful that some of them were coming closer to Islam. And then Ammar, Suhayb, and Bilal passed by. Abu Jahal, who was worried that other leaders were getting sympathetic to Islam, took advantage of this and remarked, "O Muhammad, how is it possible that if you are upon the Truth, *these* people are following it before us?! If you want us to accept your religion, you have to get rid of these people." He basically meant, "Your religion has meager slaves following it. How can *we* the good and noble men, be in the same boat as them?" Once again, Jahiliyyah mentality. At this, Allah SWT revealed some verses in Surah al-An'am (سورة الأنعام), and in one of them, He SWT told the Prophet PBUH:

فَتَطْرُدَهُمْ فَتَكُونَ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

"If you were to reject them (i.e., the weak and meager), you would be from the wrongdoers" [see Quran, 6:52]. This verse is of the highest praise for Ammar, Suhayb, and Bilal. Allah SWT told the Prophet PBUH that if you turn away from Ammar, Suhayb, and Bilal, and choose the elites of the Quraysh over them, you would be of the zalimin (ظالمين - wrongdoers).

Story of Suhayb al-Rumi — Even though he was called al-Rumi (الرومي - the Roman), he was not of Roman lineage. He was an Iraqi, captured as a boy, sent to Rome, and grew up in Rome. He forgot Arabic, spoke fluent Latin. But he knew he was an Arab, so he eventually fled, and was sold to Abdullah ibn Jud'an in Makkah. Ibn Jud'an was known to be more merciful than others to his slaves. Therefore, the torture of Suhayb was not as bad. Suhayb was actually a business manager for Ibn Jud'an because of his knowledge and ability to read and write. He became wealthy. And upon Ibn Jud'an's death, Suhayb attained his freedom as outlined in Ibn Jud'an's will. So Suhayb became a mawla.

[Later in the seerah when the Muslims were emigrating to Madinah] Suhayb as well wanted to emigrate [see episode 26]. However, word reached the Quraysh and they approached him on the outskirts of Makkah. Undeterred, Suhayb faced them, brandishing his bow and arrow, and declared, "I am the sharpest shooter amongst you, and you know it. I promise that none of you will touch me until every arrow in my quiver has touched human flesh. And I promise that none of you will touch me until my sword is bent and broken upon your bones and blood." With that challenge, the 10 or so Quraysh that came to stop him said, "O Suhayb, when you came here, you were penniless, and now you are leaving as a rich man with *our* wealth? At least give us back our wealth, and we will let you go." Despite knowing full well that Suhayb had earned his wealth through his own diligent efforts, they resorted to this feeble argument. Their mindset mirrors that of today's people who lament the presence of immigrants while being unwilling to do the same jobs that immigrants do to sustain their livelihood. The Quraysh attempted to attribute Suhayb's wealth to themselves, despite having played no role in its acquisition. Nevertheless, Suhayb gave consideration to this argument and said, "Is that what you want from me? You want all of my wealth?" They said, "Yes. And even the camel you're riding!" So Suhayb said, "Okay," and he gave them his wealth, his camel, and even told them where his extra wealth was buried — he didn't care about the money. And so the Quraysh let him go. And Suhayb al-Rumi became the only sahabi we know of who performed the Hijrah (هجرة - Migration) on foot. After being the richest mawla, he arrived in Madinah with just the clothes on his back. The books of seerah say by the time he got to Quba (قباء), he was literally crawling on all fours, completely emaciated. And this is when he met the Prophet PBUH; and he PBUH wiped the dust off of him, gave him food and water, smiled, and said, "O Abu Yahya (أبو يحيى) (Suhayb's teknonym), your business transaction has been the most successful." Suhayb said, "Ya Rasulullah, nobody could have told you about this [transaction] except Jibril." And indeed, it was Jibril AS who told him. Allah SWT revealed in Surah al-Baqarah (سورة البقرة):

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَشْرِي نَفْسَهُ ابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاتِ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ رَءُوفٌ بِالْعِبَادِ

"And of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking the pleasure of Allah. And Allah is full of Kindness to [His] slaves" [Quran, 2:207].

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10. Boycott

The last tactic they did was that of the boycott — this is a topic in and of itself [will be discussed in episode 18].

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Next week we will continue with the sacrifices and the tortures that the Prophet PBUH underwent, insha'Allah.

The question is: Why did Allah allow such hardship? What was the wisdom? This is a question Khabbab asked as well. We will discuss this, insha'Allah.

[Transcribed by Br. Safwan Khan & Faizan]

safwan-khan@hotmail.com

[Re-revised by Br. Syed Haq & MAR, May 2023]