The Prophet’s Companions

Definition of a Sahaabi

Description of the Companions in the Qur’aan and Sunnah.

A Companion of the Prophet ﷺ is any such person who physically saw or heard the Messenger of Allah at least once in his lifetime, in such a condition that he belived in the Prophet, and he also died as a believer. A person who fits this definition is known as a Sahaabi in the Arabic language and the plural for Sahaabi is ‘Sahaabah’.

The following would not cause a person to be considered to be a Sahaabi:

Seeing the Prophet in a dream would not qualify a person as a Sahaabi.
A person who lived during the time of the Prophet but was never blessed with the opportunity of meeting, seeing or listening to the Prophet ﷺ will not be a Sahaabi.
A person who met the Prophet but was not in the condition of Iman when he met the Prophet ﷺ , will not be termed a Sahaabi.
A person who met the Prophet ﷺ while in the state of Iman, but did not die in the same condition will not be classified as a Sahaabi.

The Sahaabah have been accorded a great and noble position in the eyes of Allah. Nobody who came after the Sahaabah can claim to be better than any of them. They were selected by Allah to be around the Prophet. Some Companions however a higher position than others. Al-Haakim Al-Naysaboori divided the Companions into twelve ranks. The best of the Companions were those mentioned to be the ‘asharah mubashsharah (ten companions who were given glad tidings of Jannah on one particular occasion) The following hadeeth lists their names:

عن عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَن بن عوف قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى الله عليهِ وَسَلَّمَ : أبو بكر فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَعُمَرُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَعَلِي فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَعُثْمَانُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَطَلْحَةُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَالزبَيْرُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَن بن عَوْفِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَسَعْدُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَسَعِيدٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَأَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَاحَ فِي الْجَنَّةِ (رواه الترمذي)

The Prophet said, “Aboo Bakr will go to Paradise, Umar will go to Paradise, ‘Uthmaan will go to Paradise, ‘Ali will go to Paradise. Talhah will go to Paradise, Az-Zubayr will go to Paradise, ‘Abdur-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf will go to Paradise, Sa’d ibn Abee Waqqaas will go to Paradise, Sa’eed ibn Zayd will go to Paradise, and Aboo ‘Ubaydah ibn Al-Jarrah will go to Paradise.” (Jaami’ al-Tirmidhee and Sunan Ibn Maajah)

The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ are mentioned in various places in the Qur’aan. They are praised by Allah. In the following aayah Allah describes the Companions and mentions the reward that due to them:

مُّحَمَّدٌۭ رَّسُولُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ مَعَهُۥٓ أَشِدَّآءُ عَلَى ٱلْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَآءُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ تَرَىٰهُمْ رُكَّعًۭا سُجَّدًۭا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًۭا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنًۭا ۖ سِيمَاهُمْ فِى وُجُوهِهِم مِّنْ أَثَرِ ٱلسُّجُودِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مَثَلُهُمْ فِى ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ ۚ وَمَثَلُهُمْ فِى ٱلْإِنجِيلِ كَزَرْعٍ أَخْرَجَ شَطْـَٔهُۥ فَـَٔازَرَهُۥ فَٱسْتَغْلَظَ فَٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَىٰ سُوقِهِۦ يُعْجِبُ ٱلزُّرَّاعَ لِيَغِيظَ بِهِمُ ٱلْكُفَّارَ ۗ وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ مِنْهُم مَّغْفِرَةًۭ وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًۢا (سورة الفتح : ٢٩)

“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those who are with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating (in prayer), seeking bounty from Allah and (His) pleasure. Their mark (i.e., sign) is on their faces (i.e., foreheads) from the trace of prostration. That is their description in the Torah. And their description in the Gospel is as a plant which produces its offshoots and strengthens them so they grow firm and stand upon their stalks, delighting the sowers so that He (i.e., Allah) may enrage by them the disbelievers. Allah has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds among them forgiveness and a great reward”. (Soorat al-Fath:29)

There are also many ahaadeeth that describe the merit and greatness of the Companions Among them are the following ahaadeeth:

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى الله عليهِ وَسَلَّمَ: لا تسبوا أصحابي فوالذي نفسي بيده لو أنفق أحدكم مثل أحد ذهبا ما بلغ مد أحدهم ولا نصيفه (البخاري)

“Do not insult my Companions for if any one of you spent gold equal to Uhud (in Allah’s Cause) it would not be equal to a mudd (two full hands) or half mudd spent by one of them”. (al-Bukhaari)

خير الناس قرني ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهم (البخاري)

“The best people are those living in my generation, and then those who will follow them, and then those who will follow the latter”. (al-Bukhaan)

The Sahaabah accepted Islam and promised the Prophet ﷺ that they would protect him and help him in his mission to spread Islam. They kept their promise at the expense of their wealth, family and lives. Many of them were martyred in battles either during the lifetime of the Prophet or after his death. The Companions truly believed in the message that Muhammad ﷺ brought and for this reason they are highly praised in both the Qur’aan and the Sunnah.

Learning from the lesson

A Sahaabi is someone who heard or saw the Prophet and died whilst believing in Allah and the Prophet ﷺ .
Allah ﷻ is pleased with the Companions.
The Companions were the best of people.

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