LIFE OF THE COMPANIONS

The Companions’ Love for the Noble Prophet

When the Qur’an mentions the virtuous Companions, it states that they were pleased with God and God was pleased with them. The noble Prophet said, “The best people are those living in my generation, and then those who will follow them.”

The honorable Companions epitomized virtue. It is almost impossible to overshadow the Companions who lived during the Period of the noble Prophet, those who were so close to him in terms of virtue. This is why they loved him more than anyone else and showed him the respect and esteem he deserved.

The Companions’ love and affection for the Messenger of God was great. Even the value of particular days and nights was determined according to their relationship with the noble Prophet. For example, because the beloved Prophet passed away on a Monday, Abu Bakr also wanted to die on a Monday. When he became seriously ill, Abu Bakr regained consciousness for a while and immediately asked those around him, “What day is it today?”

When those present informed him that it was Monday, he said in a state of joy, “If I die this night, do not keep me waiting until the morning. The day and night I love the most is the day and night I will be close to the Messenger of God.” Thus, he even wanted the date of his death to be close to the date of the beloved Prophet’s death.

The Companions wanted to be nearby the noble Prophet when they died, die at the same age he died, and die in the city in which he was buried. For example, Umar ibn al-Khattab supplicated, “Grant me death in the city of Your Prophet.”

When Umar ibn al-Khattab realized he was about to die due to battle wounds, he sent his son Abdullah to Aisha, the beloved Prophet’s dear wife, to ask her permission to be buried beside the noble Prophet. She said, “I wanted to be buried there, but I prefer Umar to myself.” Abdullah returned to his father to report having received permission to be buried beside the Messenger of God. Umar displayed his joy: “Praise be to God! There was nothing more important to me.” Then he turned to his son and said, “When I die take my body there, then convey my greetings again and say, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab asks your permission.’ If she gives permission bury me there, if not then take my body to the (Muslim) graveyard of Medina.”

The Companions were practically in competition with one another in their love for the noble Prophet, each of the Companions considering himself or herself closest to the Messenger of God, believing they loved him the most. Thus, occasionally there was pleasant competition between the Companions. When one of them said, “My beloved told me this, and said this and this to me,” another of the Companions said, “What makes the Messenger of God ‘your’ beloved?” obviously not wanting to share the prestige of being the noble Prophet’s “beloved” with anyone else. The female Companions were even more sensitive regarding this subject than the males.

For example, when Asma bint Umays (who emigrated to Abyssinia) came to Medina, implying that those who emigrated from Mecca to Medina were more important, Umar said, “We emigrated before you.” Asma, who was very angry, went to the noble Prophet and told him what Umar had said. When the Messenger of God told her, “He (Umar) has no more right than you people over me, as he and his Companions have only one emigration, and you, the people of the boat, have (the reward of) two emigrations,” she returned home extremely happy. After this incident, the Companions who had emigrated to Abyssinia came to visit Asma in groups and listen to the glad tidings the noble Prophet conveyed regarding them over and over again. Whenever they found the opportunity, the Companions would kiss the beloved Prophet’s hand—this was how they displayed their love for him. Following the death of the noble Prophet, those who were not blessed with having seen the Messenger of God would kiss the hands of those hands touched by the noble Prophet in an attempt to ease their yearning for him. For example, they came to Anas ibn Malik and asked, “Has your hand touched the hand of the beloved Prophet?” When he replied yes, they would kiss the hand that had touched him. Yahya ibn Harith, one of the Successors of the Companions, came to the Companion named Wasila ibn Aska and asked, “Did you give your pledge of allegiance to the Messenger of God with this hand?” When he replied yes, Yahya ibn Harith asked him, “Can you give me your hand so I can kiss it?”

The noble Prophet went to one of the Companions’ homes, knocked on the door and bestowed greetings, but there was no answer. The beloved Prophet delivered his greetings again, and for the second time there was no answer. He repeated the greetings once again, but was unable to hear if there was any response. Suddenly he heard those inside say, “May the peace and blessing of God be upon you, O Messenger of God.” Then the noble

Prophet inquired, “Why did you not return my greetings the first and second time?” The man replied, “O Messenger of God! We responded to your greetings each time in a low voice so our home would be blessed with your greetings and blessings.” May God never deprive our homes of his greetings and blessings. Amen!

The Last Adhan

Bilal al-Habashi, may God be pleased with him, the first muezzin chosen by God’s Messenger, was among the Companions who missed our beloved Prophet the most. He could not call the adhan after God’s Messenger passed away. Since all the streets of the Medina and God’s Messenger’s memories constantly reminded him our Prophet, he couldn’t continue living in Medina. For this reason, Bilal began to live on the border in Syria in order to join the army in the area.

It was the period of Umar’s caliphate that he couldn’t resist the longing of the glorious Prophet anymore, so, Bilal came back to Medina to see and recall the old memories one last time while he was alive. He directly went to God’s Messenger’s tomb upon arriving Medina, and he fainted and lost his consciousness there. Bilal’s visit to Medina took the people to old days for a moment. Everyone was wishing Bilal to call adhan and desiring to remember the blessed time of God’s Messenger at least with a call to Prayer once again. Thus, they requested from Bilal to call adhan by means of Hasan and Husayn, may God be pleased with them.

The next morning, Bilal al-Habashi called his last adhan at the Prophet’s Mosque. As soon as he said “Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!” with his moving and yearning voice, the people of Medina stood up. Upon him saying, “Ashadu an la ilaha illallah!

Ashadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah!” men, women, young, old, children, and even the sick people lying in their beds came out to streets. They directly ran to the Prophet’s Mosque. The people were so excited that they thought God’s Messenger was alive. After this last adhan, Bilal al-Habashi could not stay in Medina either, so he went back to Damascus again. Before his death, “I will reunite with my beloved friends, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, and his Companions” said and submitted his spirit to the All-Merciful.