Cherished Memories of Africa — Page 222
204 ِ ۙ فََن یَأۡتِیَنَّكُمۡ رُسُل ٌ۬ مِّنكُمۡ یَقُصُّون َ عَلَیۡكُمۡ ءَایَـٰتِى َیَـٰبَنِى ٓ ءَادَمَ إِمَّا تَّقَىٰ وَأَصۡلََ فَلَ خَوۡفٌ عَلَیۡہِۡ وَلَ ہُۡ یَۡزَنُون ٱ [Al-A’raf 7:36] O children of Adam! if Messengers come to you from among yourselves, rehearsing My Signs unto you, then whoso shall fear God and do good deeds, on them shall come no fear nor shall they grieve. I started reciting the verse and asked him to start translating word by word at the same time. After I had recited the verse, I said that I would recite it again and he should translate again. I started reciting again slowly while he translated word by word at the same time. I noticed that his facial expression was changing. After that I said that I would recite the verse once again for him to translate it. I saw that he was in a peculiar state. After we had recited the verse, he said: ‘Today my condition is similar to that of Hadrat Umar Farooq (ra), when he drew his sword at the time of demise of the Holy Prophet (saw) and said that he would sever the head of one who said that the Holy Prophet (saw) had died. At that Hadrat Abubakar Siddique recited the vesre: َ مَّات َ أَو ْ قُتِل َّ رَسُول ٌ قَد ْ خَلَت ْ مِن قَبْل ِِ ارلُّسُل ُ أَفَإ ِن ل ِ وَمَا مَُمَّد ٌ إ یَض َُّ اہلل َ شَیْئًا أَعْقَابِكُم ْ وَمَن یَنقَلِب ْ عَلَى َ عَقِبَیْہ ِ فَلَن َانقَلَبْت ُْ عَلَى اہللُ الشَّاكِرِین وَسَیَْزِی [3:145] And Muhammad is only a Messenger. Verily, all Messengers have passed away before him. If then he die or be slain, will you turn back on your heels? And he who turns back on his heels shall not harm Allah at all. And Allah will certainly reward the grateful.