Love them - for Allah is well-pleased with them companions of [Prophet] (PBUH)

[taha taha]

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Love them … for Allah is well-pleased with them


By: Shaykh Sa'ad ibn 'Abdullah Al-Sa'daan

The All Mighty sent Prophet Muhammad to the 'Alamin as a guide, a bearer of glad tidings, and as a warner. He supported him with righteous pious supporters. These supporters were his Noble companions.

The companions gave their souls and wealth for the sake of this religion and for supporting the Messenger of the Lord of the 'Alamin. Allah the Most High is well-pleased with them as he mentioned in his Holy Book: (And the first to embrace Islam of the Muhajiroon and the Ansar and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success) (Al-Tawba 9:100).

Ibn Mas'oud [May Allah be pleased with him] said: "Indeed Allah looked into the hearts of the servants, and found the heart of Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) to be the best of hearts, so He chose him for Himself and sent him with His message. Then He looked into the hearts of His servants after Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), and found the hearts of the Companions to be the best of hearts …" [1].

And he also said when describing the companions: "They were the most pure in heart of this ummah and the deepest in knowledge, the least sophisticated and complicated, the most steadfast on guidance, and the best in manners. People whom Allah chose to establish His religion and accompany His Prophet. So acknowledge their rights and adhere to their guidance, for they are following true guidance" [2].

That is why "loving them is a Sunnah, and supplicating for them is a righteous deed that would get you closer to Allah, and following them is a Mean, and adhering to their reports is a virtue" [3], why not when they are the foremost and the first to embrace Islam, and he (Peace be Upon him) said: "The stars are means of security for the sky - when the stars have gone, that which has been forewarned will come to the sky. And I am means of security for my Companions - when I have gone, that which has been forewarned will come to my Companions. And My Companions are means of security for this Ummah - when they have gone, that which has been forewarned will come to this Ummah" [4].

And from the Sunnah as the great scholar Al-Humaidi said is: "… praying for Mercy (Tarahum) for all the companions of [Prophet] Muhammad (Peace be Upon him), since Allah the Exalted said: (And those who came after them say: "Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith) (Al-Hashr 59:10), so we were ordered to Pray for their forgiveness, so whoever insults them or degrades all of them or one of them, then he is not upon the Sunnah, and has no right in the fay'. That was narrated to us through more than one route to Malik ibn Anas" [5].

Al-Tahawi said: "We love the Companions of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). Nonetheless we do not go to extremes in the love of anyone of them, nor do we forsake anyone of them. But we hate him who hates them, and talks of them in an unseemly manner. As for us, we do not mention them but in good terms. Their love is religion, faith, and excellence. And their hatred is disbelief, hypocrisy and rebellion" [6].

And a severe warning was given to he who harms the companions. Abdullah ibn Mughaffal [May Allah be pleased with him] narrates that the Messenger of Allah said: "Allah, Allah! Fear Him with regard to my Companions! Allah, Allah! Fear Him with regard to my Companions! Do not make them targets after me. Whoever loves them loves them with his love for me; and whoever hates them hates them with his hatred for me. Whoever bears enmity for them bears enmity for me; and whoever bears enmity for me, bears enmity for Allah. Whoever bears enmity for Allah is about to be seized" [7].

And Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri [May Allah be pleased with him] said: the Messenger of Allah said: "Do not revile my companions, for by the One in Whose hand is my soul, if one of you were to spend in charity gold equal to the size of Mount Uhud, he would not achieve the status of one of them, or even come halfway" [8].

Abu Zar’ah Al-Raazi [may Allah have mercy on him] said: “If you see a man criticizing any one of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him), then know that he is a heretic (Zindeeq). That is because the Quran is true, and the Messenger is true, and what he brought is true, and no one conveyed all of that to us but the Companions. So whoever criticizes them means in effect to say that the Quran and Sunnah are false, so it is more appropriate that he should be defamed and criticized and ruled as heretics (Zanadiqah)" [9].

Imam Ahmad said: "It is not permissible for anyone to mention any of their bad qualities or to criticize any of them for a fault or shortcoming. Whoever does that should be disciplined by the ruler, who does not have the option of pardoning him; rather he should discipline him and ask him to repent. If he repents it would be accepted from him. However, if he remains persistent, the punishment should be repeated, and he should remain in prison until he dies or recants" [10].

Thus from what has already been established from the Creed of Ahl Al-Sunnah in these Righteous Companions, it becomes obligatory for every believing man and believing woman, to love the Companions of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), to spread their virtues, and to defend their honors, out of the defense for the Religion of Allah. This should be done especially during this time, in which slandering the companions had increased because of the widespread of media means, be it journalism, TV, or the internet. Whoever criticizes them is actually criticizing this religion, and this is a clear misguidance.

Let the Muslim know that from the signs of the people of innovation and misguidance is slandering and insulting the companions, so O Allah be a witness that we have loved the Companions of your Messenger (Peace be Upon him), May Allah be pleased with them all.

[1] Majmou' Al-Fatwaw 11/573
[2] Zam Al-Kalam wa Ahlah by Al-Harawi 4/288, and Jami' Bayan Al-'Ilm wa Fadlih 2/97
[3] Tabaqat Al-Hanabilah 1/30
[4] Muslim 6418
[5] Usul Al-Sunnah p. 43
[6] Al-Tahawiyah p. 689
[7] Ahmad (20152), Al-Tirmidhi (4029), Al-Rawyaani (882), and Al-Tirmidhi said: a Hasan Gharib tradition
[8] Al-Bukhari (3591), Muslim (6439)
[9] Al-Kifayah by Al-Khatib p. 49
[10] Majmou' Al-Fatawa 3/1057

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