Part 3 Some Narrations of the Imaams of Sunnah Concerning the Excellence of the Companions

Part 3

Some Narrations of the Imaams of Sunnah Concerning the Excellence of the Companions

 RadhiAllaahu anhum

Taken from the Book

‘The Narrations Mentioned by Imaams of the Sunnah in the Chapters of ‘Aqeedah from the Book

‘Siyaar ‘Alaam an-Nubala’

Researched By

Jamaal bin Ahmad bin BasheeraBaadee

Translated by

Abbas Abu Yahya

 

Comment by the Researcher:

From the ‘Aqeedah of Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal-Jamaah is that the Companions –RadhiAllaahu anhum- are all trustworthy.  So do not ask about the trustworthiness of any one of them, since Allaah -Azza wa Jal- and His Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- have declared them to be righteous.  It is sufficient for regarding anyone of them as righteous, that he is called a Companion.

Ibn Salah -Rahimullaah- says:

‘The Companions due to their completeness have a distinction, which is that you do not ask about the trustworthiness of anyone of them.  Rather that is an issue which is settled, due to them (Companions) being completely trustworthy because of the texts of the Book and the Sunnah and the consensus of those from the Ummah whose consensus is held in regard.’[1]

Ibn Katheer says:

‘According to the Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal-Jamaah all the Companions are trustworthy due to Allaah praising them in His noble Book and due to what the Prophetic Sunnah has decreed of praise for them in all of their manners and actions and what they sacrificed of their wealth and souls in front of the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- desiring what is with Allaah from reward and a beautiful recompense.’[2]     

Perhaps the acceptance of a person’s testimony and his narrations depends upon his stance towards the Companions.[3]

Therefore, the one who belittles them or criticises them, then he criticises the Deen of Islaam and in reality he is more deserving of being criticised and belittled.

On the authority of AbdulMaalik bin AbdulHameed al-Maymoonee who said:  Ahmad bin Hanbal said:

إذا رأيت رجلا يذكر أصحاب رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- بسوء فاتهمه على الإسلام

‘O Abul Hasan if you see a man mentioning anyone of the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- with evil then suspect his Islaam.’[4]

Abu Zurah ar-Raazee -Rahimullaah- said:

‘If you see a man belittling anyone from the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- then know that he is a Zindeeq (heretic).  That is because we believe that the Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- is true, the Qur’aan is true and those who conveyed this Qur’aan and the Sunnan to us were the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam.  Rather what the heretics want to do is criticise our trustworthy narrators so they can nullify the Book and the Sunnah, they are more deserving of being criticised since they are the Zanadiqa (heretics).’[5]

At this instance a great distinction becomes clear to us: what distinguishes Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal-Jamaah from other than them of the people of desires and Bida’ is that their hearts have honour and high regard for the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam-, knowing their rights, their value and their status, keeping their tongues secure from attacking or belittling them and remaining silent about the disputes between them.

So, they do not mention the Companions except with goodness.  Ahl-ul-Sunnah make much Dua’ for them, seek forgiveness for them and say, ‘May Allaah be pleased with them,’ every time they are mentioned.

Imaam Isma’eel as-Saabooni -Rahimullaah- said when he mentioned the ‘Aqeedah of Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal-Jamaah:

‘Ahl-ul -Sunnah believe in abstaining from the unrest which took place between the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam-and in purifying their tongues from mentioning anything which could include any deficiency or belittlement of them.

Ahl-ul-Sunnah believe in supplicating for mercy for all of them and loyalty to all of them.  They also believe in honouring the virtue of the Prophet’s wives -RadhiAllaahu anhunna - making Dua’ for them, acknowledging their excellence and affirming that they are the Mothers of the believers.’[6]

From the vilest of actions, the filthiest of them and the greatest of crimes is cursing the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- or cursing anyone of them.

On the authority of Ibn Abbas –RadhiAllaahu anhu- who said:

‘Do not curse the Companions of Muhammad, since Allaah -Azza wa Jal- commanded that you seek forgiveness for them, while He knew that they would fight each other.’[7]  

On the authority of Maymoon bin Mahraan who said:

‘There are three things that I reject: cursing the Companions of Muhammad -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- philosophizing in stars and philosophizing about Qadr (pre-destiny).’[8]

On the authority of Ibn Umar –RadhiAllaahu anhu- who said:

‘Do not curse the Companions of Muhammad, indeed the status of one of them for an hour is better than the worship of one of you for forty years.’[9]

Imam ash-Shawkaani mentioned the consensus (Ijmaa’) of Ahl-ul-Bayt –RadhiAllaahu anhum- (the family of the Prophet) on the prohibition of cursing the Companions –RadhiAllaahu anhum- with 12 different narrations.[10]

Ibn Hajr al-Haythaamee -Rahimullaah- mentioned that many of the Scholars made Takfeer of those who curse the Companions –RadhiAllaahu anhum.[11]

What it is necessary to bring to attention is that the scholars strove greatly in writing down what came from the prophetic hadeeth and Athaar as- Salafeeyah regarding the excellence of the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam.

All Praise belongs to Allaah, may His peace

and blessings be upon our final

Prophet Muhammad, his

family, his companions

and all those who

follow his

guidance.

---

[1] Muqqadamat Ibn Salah, p.146.

[2] Al-Baith al-Hatheeth p.181-182.

[3] See ‘Sharh an-Nawawee ala Saheeh Muslim’15/149.

[4] Narrated by Ibn al-Jawzi in ‘Manakib al-Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal’ p.160.

[5] Narrated by al-Khateeb al-Bagdadi in ‘al-Kafayah Fee Ilm ar-Rawayah’p.67.

[6] Aqeedatus Salaf Ashaab al-Hadeeth p.93.

[7] Narrated by Imam Ahmad in ‘Excellence of the Companions’H.18.

[8] Narrated by Imam Ahmad in ‘Excellence of the Companions’H.19.

[9]Narrated by Imam Ahmad in ‘Excellence of the Companions’H.20.

[10] In his book ‘Irshaad al-Ghabi ila Madhab Ahl-ul-Bayt fee Sahb an-Nabi -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam ‘ p.50-64.

[11] In his book ‘as-Sawaiq al-Muharaka’p.210, 253.  He has some priceless sayings clarifying the ‘Aqeedah of Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal-Jamaah regarding the Companions –RadhiAllaahu anhum-.