| PROPHET MUHAMMAD - THE INFINITE LIGHT II |
The Blessed Companions of God’s Messenger The Companions of God’s Messenger constitute the first pure and blessed channel through which the Qur’an and the Sunna were transmitted to later generations. God is the All-Trustworthy and Inspirer of Trust; the Archangel Gabriel is also trustworthy. The Qur’an describes the Archangel as trustworthy and as one, obeyed and having power (al-Takwir, 20.21). As everybody knows, the Prophet Muhammad was renowned, first of all, for his trustworthiness. Having been revealed by God to the Prophet Muhammad through the Archangel Gabriel, the Qur’an was entrusted to the Companions, who memorized it, recorded it and transmitted it to the following generations. This blessed community, which was praised in the Torah and Gospel, were the living embodiment of almost all laudable virtues and sought nothing but the good pleasure of God; they absorbed, besides the Qur’an, the Sunna of the Prophet and lived disciplined lives strictly in accordance with the example of the Prophet, and represented and transmitted it without any disloyalty to it. Who is a Companion and the ranks of the Companions Scholars are agreed upon the definition of Companionship by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani: ‘A Companion is the believer who saw and heard God’s Messenger at least once and died as a believer’. Even though some scholars have stipulated that, in order to be ranked as a Companion, a believer should have lived in the company of God’s Messenger for one or even two years, the majority of the scholars regarded it as enough to have been present in the radiant atmosphere of the Messenger long enough to have derived some benefit from it. It goes without saying that the Companions are not equal to each other in rank or greatness. Some of them believed in God’s Messenger at the very outset of his mission, and conversions continued until his saying farewell to the world. The Qur’an grades them according to precedence in belief and according to conversion before the conquest of Makka and after it (al-Tawba, 9.100; al-Hadid, 57.10). The same gradation was also made by God’s Messenger himself. For example, he reproached Khalid for offending ‘Ammar, saying: Do not trouble my Companions! In the same way, he frowned at ‘Umar, when he annoyed Abu Bakr, and said: Why do you not leave my Companions to me! Abu Bakr believed in me at a time when all of you denied me. Abu Bakr knelt down and explained: ‘O Messenger of God! It was my fault!’ The Companions were divided into twelve ranks by Hakim al-Nisaburi133 and this division was accepted by the majority of scholars: 1. The four Rightly-Guided Caliphs, namely Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman and ‘Ali, and the rest of the ten to whom Paradise was promised while alive. They are Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, Abu ‘Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf, Talha ibn ‘Ubayd Allah, Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas and Sa‘id ibn Zayd, may God be pleased with them all. 2. Those who believed prior to ‘Umar’s conversion and frequently gathered together secretly in the house of Arqam to listen to God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings. 3. Those who migrated to Abyssinia. 4. The Helpers (Ansar) who were present at the first ceremony of taking the oath of allegiance to God’s Messsenger at al-‘Aqaba. 5. The Helpers who took the oath of allegiance to the Messenger at al-‘Aqaba, the following year. 6. The first Emigrants who joined God’s Messenger before his arrival in Madina during the Emigration. 7. The Companions who participated in the Battle of Badr. 8. Those who emigrated to Madina during the period between the Battle of Badr and the Treaty of Hudaybiya. 9. The Companions who took the oath of allegiance to God’s Messenger under a tree during the expedition of Hudaybiya. 10. Those who converted and emigrated to Madina after the Treaty of Hudaybiya. 11. Those who became Muslims after the conquest of Makka. 12. The children who saw God’s Messenger either during the conquest of Makka or during the Farewell Pilgrimage, or in any other place and on different occasions.
The greatness of the Companions The Muslim scholars of the highest rank, whose minds are enlightened by scientific knowledge and whose souls are illumined by religious knowledge and practice, are agreed that the Prophets are the greatest among humankind. The second rank in greatness belongs to the Companions of the Last Prophet, who is the greatest of the Prophets. Although there may be some among the Companions who are of the same rank as previous Prophets in some one or other particular virtue, no one can be equal to a Prophet in general terms. Likewise, some of the greatest saints or scholars can compete with the Companions, or even there may be some among them who excel the Companions in some particular virtues, a Companion of even the lowest rank like Wahshi, is still greater, in general terms, than all those who came after the Companions. This is what all Muslim scholars, whether traditionists or theologians or saints, are unanimously agreed upon. The factors in the greatness of Companionship Prophethood is greater than sainthood and Messengership is greater than Prophethod. Every Prophet is a saint but no saint is a Prophet. Although every Messenger is a Prophet, every Prophet is not a Messenger at the same time. God’s Messenger, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is the last and the greatest of both the Prophets and Messengers. The Companions are related directly to the Messengership of God’s Messenger; they are connected with him on account of his mission of Messengership. All those who came after the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, however great they may be, are connected with him on account of sainthood, not Messengership and Prophethood. Therefore, a Companion is greater than a saint to the degree that Messengership is greater than sainthood; the distance between them is impossible to cover.
The benefits of company with the Messenger Nothing can compare with the enlightenment and spiritual exhilaration to be gained from the actual presence or company of a Prophet. However much you read the writings of an intellectual, especially a spiritual, master, you cannot derive from them as much benefit or enlightenment as he gives to his direct audience. It is for this reason that the Companions, particularly those who were in his company most often and from the very beginning, benefited from him so much that they were elevated from the rank of being crude, ignorant and savage desert men to the rank of being the religious, intellectual, spiritual and moral guides of humanity until the Last Day. In order to be a Companion, one should be able to go back to the Makka or Madina of the seventh century, listen to God’s Messenger attentively and observe him speaking, walking, eating, fighting, praying, prostrating before God, and so on. Since this is impossible for anybody after the Prophet, no one can attain to the rank of the Companions, who were endowed with Divine colouring in the presence of God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings. Islam is based on truthfulness and nothing is as incompatible with Islam as lying. The Companions were first to embrace Islam in its original, pristine purity and being a Muslim meant for them abandoning all their previous vices, and being purified in the radiant atmosphere of Divine Revelation and becoming the embodiment of Islam. They would rather die than tell a single lie. God’s Messenger once declared that if apostasy is as repugnant to a man as entering fire, then that man must have tasted the pleasure of belief. The Companions tasted the pleasure of believing and being sincere Muslims, so it was impossible for them to turn to lying, which for them was an offence of almost the same gravity as apostasy. However, it is difficult for us to understand this point fully, seeing that we live in a time when lying and deceit have come to be regarded as skills and almost all virtues have come to be replaced by vices.
The atmosphere created by Revelation The Companions were honoured with being the first to receive the Divine Messages through the Prophet. Every day came to them with original messages and every day they were invited to a new ‘Divine table’, full of ever-fresh ‘fruits’ of Paradise. Every passing day they experienced radical changes in their lives and were elevated higher to the Presence of God, and every day increased them in belief and conviction. They found themselves in the verses of the Qur’an revealed one after the other and enjoyed the possibility of learning directly whether God approved their actions at any time or place. For example, when the verse, Those who are with him are hard against the unbelievers, merciful one to another. You see them bowing, prostrating, seeking blessing from God and good pleasure. Their mark is on their faces, the trace of prostration. (al-Fath, 48.29) was revealed, and whenever and wherever it was recited, eyes were turned to, primarily, Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman and ‘Ali, who were famous for always being with God’s Messenger from the very beginning, for hardness against the unbelievers, for being merciful to their Muslim brothers, and for frequent and long bowing and prostration before God, seeking His good pleasure. Likewise, when the verse, Among the believers are men who were true to their covenant with God; some of them have fulfilled their vow by death, and some are still awaiting, and they have not changed in the least. (al-Ahzab, 33.23) was recited, everyone remembered the martyrs of Uhud, Hamza, Anas ibn Nadr and ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh primarily, and the others who had promised God to give their lives willingly in His Way. While God explicitly mentioned the name of Zayd ibn Haritha in the verse, So when Zayd had accomplished what he would of her ... (al-Ahzab, 33.37) He declared in another verse (al-Fath, 48,18) that He was well pleased with the believers when they swore fealty to God’s Messenger under a tree during the expedition of Hudaybiya. In such a blessed, pure and radiant atmosphere, the Companions practised Islam in its original fullness, its pristine purity, based on deep perception, profound insight and knowledge of God. So, even an ordinary believer who is aware of the meaning of belief and connection with God, and who is trying to practise Islam sincerely, can grasp some glimpse of the purity of the first channel through which the Sunna of the Prophet was transmitted to the next generation.
The difficulty of the circumstances The reward of a deed changes according to the circumstances in which it is done and the purity of intention in the heart of its doer. Endeavouring in the way of God, for example, in severe circumstances such as fear, threats and shortage of necessary equipment, and purely for the sake of God without aiming at any worldly profit, is much more rewarding than the same action performed in a free and promising atmosphere. The Companions accepted and defended the religion of God in the severest circumstances of all times. The opposition was extremely inflexible and unpitying. As Abu Bakr is reported in Musamarat al-Abrar by Muhyi al-Din ibn al-‘Arabi, to have told ‘Ali after the death of the Prophet, the early Companions did not dare to go out except at the risk of their lives. They always feared that a dagger would be thrust at them from the front or from behind. Only God knows how many times they were insulted, beaten and tortured. Especially the weak and slaves such as Bilal, ‘Ammar, and Suhayb were tortued almost to death and the young, like Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas and Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr, were beaten, boycotted and imprisoned by their families. None of them ever thought of renouncing their religion, nor did they oppose God’s Messenger in any of his commands. They forsook for the sake of God everything they had; they left their homes, their native lands and belongings and emigrated to another land. The believers of Madina welcomed them enthusiastically and protected them; they shared with them everything they had. They fulfilled their covenant with God willingly; sold their goods and souls to God in exchange for belief and Paradise, and never broke their word. This gained them so high a rank in the view of God that no one can attain it until the Last Day. The severity of circumstances, along with other factors mentioned and unmentioned, made the Companions’ belief strong and firm beyond compare. To cite an example, God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, once entered the mosque and saw Harith ibn Malik sleeping there. He woke him up. Harith asked: ‘May my father and mother be sacrificed for your sake, O Messenger of God! I am ready to carry out your orders!’ God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, asked him how he had spent the night. Harith answered: ‘I have spent the night as a true believer.’ The Messenger asked again: Everything which is true must have a truth (proving it). What is the truth of your belief? Harith replied: ‘I fasted during the day, and prayed to my Lord in utmost sincerity all night long. Now I am in a state as if I were seeing the Throne of my God and the recreation of the people of Paradise in Paradise’. The Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, concluded: You have become an embodiment of belief. The Companions became so near to God that ‘God was their eyes with which they saw, their ears with which they heard, their tongues with which they spoke and their hands with which they held.’
Ibn Hazm voices the opinion of many leading scholars: ‘All of the Companions will enter Paradise’. It is possible to find proofs in the Qur’an testifying to the truth of this opinion. The Qur’an describes the Companions in the last verse of the sura al-Fath, as follows: Muhammad is the Messenger of God. Those who are with him are hard against the unbelievers [they are implacable before them], merciful one to another. [They kept so long vigils that] you see them bowing, prostrating, seeking blessing, bounty (of forgiveness and Paradise) and good pleasure (of God). Their mark is on their faces, the trace of prostration. That is their likeness in the Torah, and their likeness in the Gospel: as a seed that puts forth its shoot, and strengthens it, and it grows strong and rises straight upon its stalk, pleasing the sowers, that through them it may enrage the unbelievers. God has promised those of them who believe and do deeds of righteousness forgiveness and a mighty wage [He will reward them in Paradise with the things that neither eyes will ever have seen nor ears heard]. The Qur’an again, describes them: The Outstrippers, the first of the Emigrants and the Helpers, and those who followed them in good-doing – God is well- pleased with them and they are well-pleased with Him; and He has prepared for them gardens underneath which rivers flow, therein to dwell forever; that is the mighty triumph. (al-Tawba, 9.100) Abu Hurayra never missed the discourse of God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings. He was always with him and stayed in the antechamber of the Prophet’s Mosque. He suffered hunger almost all the time. Once he went to God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, and told him that he had eaten nothing for days. Abu Talha took him as a guest but unfortunately there was little in his house to eat. However, he said to his wife, Umm Sulaym, ‘Get the children to sleep early at night, and put on the table whatever is in the house to eat. When we sit at the table, put out the candle pretending to make its light brighter. No one sees in the dark whether one is really eating or not. I will act as if I am eating, and thus our guest can satisfy his hunger.’ After the dawn prayer, God’s Messenger turned to them and smiled, saying: What did you do at that night? This verse was revealed concerning you: Those who made their dwelling in the abode [Madina], and in belief, before them [the Emigrants] love whoever has emigrated to them, not finding in their breasts any need for what they have been given, and preferring others above themselves, even though poverty be their portion. Whoever is guarded against the avarice of his own soul, those – they are the prosperous. (al-Hashr, 59.9) Again, we read in the Qur’an concerning the Companions: God was well-pleased with the believers when they were swearing fealty to you under the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down peace, calm and tranquillity upon them, and rewarded them with a nigh victory. (al-Fath, 48.18) The Companions swore many oaths of allegiance to God’s Messenger that they would do their utmost to protect him and carry, by God’s Will, Islam to ultimate victory. They kept their promise at the cost of all their belongings and lives. Most of them were martyred in the battles either during the life of the Prophet himself or in conveying Islam as far as possible during the reigns of succeeding Caliphs. It is still possible to find in almost every part of Muslim lands tombs where several Companions are buried. Also, they brought up numerous scholars in the fields of religious knowledge – jurisprudence, Tradition, Qur’-anic interpretation, and also in social sciences like history and the biography of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings. In the words of the Qur’an, Among the believers are men who were true to their covenant with God; some of them have fulfilled their vow by death, and some are still awaiting, and they have not changed in the least. (al-Ahzab, 33.23)
Besides the Qur’an, the Prophet himself, upon him be peace and blessings, praised the Companions and warned Muslims against attacks and insulting words about them. For example: Bukhari, Muslim and other traditionists relate from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri that God’s Messenger warned: Do not curse my Companions! Do not curse my Companions! I swear by Him in Whose hand my life is that, even if one among you had as much gold as Mount Uhud and spent it in the way of God, this would not be equal in reward to a few handfuls of them or even to half of that. This is certainly so because they accepted Islam and preached and protected it when circumstances were most severe. Besides, according to the rule ‘the cause is like the doer’, the reward gained by all Muslims so far and yet to come until the Last Day has been, and will be, added to the record of the Companions, without, of course, diminishing anything from the reward of the doers themselves. Had it not been for the efforts of the Companions to spread Islam, to convey it to the peoples of the world, no one could have the possibility of knowing of Islam, and, therefore, being Muslim. So, all the Muslims coming after the Companions should feel indebted to the Companions and, rather than thinking of criticizing them, should pray for them as the Qur’an teaches us to: As for those who came after them, they say, Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in belief, and put not into our hearts any rancour towards those who believe. Our Lord, surely You are the All-Gentle, the All-Compassionate. (al-Hashr, 59.10) Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban quote ‘Abdullah ibn Mughaffal that God’s Messenger warned: Oh God, Oh God! Refrain from using bad language about my Companions! Oh God, Oh God! Refrain from using bad language about my Companions! Do not make them the target of your attacks after me! Whoever loves them, loves them on account of his love of me; whoever hates them, hates them on account of his hatred of me. He who hurts them, has hurt me, and he who hurts me, has hurt God, he who hurts God, God will punish him. Imam Muslim relates in his Sahih that God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, declared: The stars are means of security for the heaven, [that is, the heaven is maintained because of the delicate order among the stars]. When the stars are scattered [when that order collapses], what was promised for the heaven befalls it [i.e. the final destruction of the universe]. I am the means of security for my Companions [my Companions will continue to live in peace and security as long as I am alive]. When I leave the world, what was promised for my Companions will befall them. My Companions are means of security for my nation (Ummah). When my Companions leave the world, what was promised for my Umma will befall them [they will be exposed to many misfortunes and calamities]. As recorded in authentic books of Tradition, including Bukhari and Muslim, God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, declared: The best of people are those living in my time. Then come those who follow them, and then come those who follow them. Those will be followed by a generation whose witness is sometimes true, sometimes false. The time of the Companions and the two succeeding generations was the time of truthfulness. People of great righteousness and scholars of utmost exactitude appeared among those first three generations of Islam. Among the later generations were many who told lies and perjured themselves in order to reinforce false beliefs or for worldly aims. It was natural for liars, for members of heterodox sects (as it is for biased Orientalists and their blind followers in the Muslim world), to lie against the Companions and the pure Imams of the two generations succeeding them. For the Companions and those Imams were strongholds of Islam, and strengthened its pillars. In his Hilyat al-Awliya’, Abu Nu‘aym quotes ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar as saying: Whoever desires to follow a straight path, should follow the path of those who passed away. They are the Companions of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. They are the best among his Ummah, the purest in heart, the deepest in knowledge, and the farthest from false display of piety. They are a community whom God chose for the company of His Prophet and the conveyance of His religion. Try to be like them in conduct and follow their way. They are the Companions of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. I swear by God, the Lord of the Ka‘ba, that they were on true guidance. As recorded by Tabarani and Ibn al-Athir, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, who was among the first to embrace Islam in Makka and sent to Kufa as a teacher by ‘Umar, said: God looked at the hearts of His true servants and chose Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, to send to His creatures as a Messenger. Then, He looked at the hearts of people and chose his Companions as the helpers of His religion and the viziers of His Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings. Ibn Mas‘ud also said concerning the Companions. You may excel the Companions of God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, in fasting, praying and in striving to worship God better. Yet they are better than you. For they give no heed to the world and are most desirous of the Hereafter.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
