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8. THE POSITION OF THE ṢAḤĀBAH (1) The term ṣaḥābah )ص َحابة َ ( is derived from ṣaḥiba )ِب َ صح َ ( “to associate, to accompany, to escort, to make or become friends, to be closely associated (with someone), to keep (someone’s) company.” Its verbal noun are ṣuḥbah, ṣaḥabah, and ṣiḥabah ) صِ َحا َبة,ص َحا َبة , (صُحْ َبةmeaning “friendship, َ companionship, association.” The term ṣāḥib )صاحِب َ ( means: “companion, associate, comrade, friend, adherent, follower;” its plural are: aṣḥāb )(أَصْ َحاب, ṣaḥb )صحْ ب َ (, and ṣaḥābah (ص َحابة َ ) When we say “the ṣaḥābah” ( )الص َحابةit is meant “the Companions of the Prophet,” and for a singular person he is called “the ṣaḥābī” ()الص َحا ِبي, “the companion of the Prophet.” As the term “the ṣaḥābah” ( )الص َحابةmeans “the Companions of the Prophet (”)ﷺ, then who are they? Muslim scholars have different views, as follows: The ṣaḥābah according to the jumhūr al-‘ulamā’ (Muslim scholars in the mass) including IbnḤazm, Taymiyyah, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, and Mālik ibn Anas are: the Prophet’s contemporaries who saw him once or more than once, also any of those who heard him saying something, and neither opposing him nor rejecting his prophethood. They assert that the ṣaḥābah are those who believe in the Prophet ( )ﷺand met him, and died as believers, even though the meeting may have lasted only for a short time. Whether they report about him or not is not a condition. Here are some views about the ṣaḥābah: a. Anyone who have lived with the Prophet for at least one year or joined him in one of his campaigns he is considered a ṣaḥābī. This is the view of Sa‘īd ibn al-Musayyib, who was one of the the tābi‘īn (the generation following that of the ṣaḥābah) who lived in Madīnah. This view is rejected especially by Ibn Ḥazm who maintains that there would be no limit of time and number in seeing the Prophet ()ﷺ and being in company with him to qualify as a ṣaḥābī.
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b. The view of the historian and the qāḍī of Baghdad al-Wāqidī (d. 206/822) excluded children from being ṣaḥābah, but this opinion was rejected by the jumhūr al-‘ulamā’ (Muslim scholars in the mass). Therefore, the ṣaḥābah include free people as well as slaves, even children, like the Prophet’s grand-son al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn. The hypocrites of Madīnah, and those whose conditions are unfavourable, like Hīt the effeminate, whom the Prophet ordered to be banished, and the expelled al-Ḥakam and excluded from being among the ṣaḥābah. Followers of previous prophets were their ṣaḥābah (companions). The Prophet said there are 124 000 prophets sent by Allah to human beings. Abū Dharr asked the Prophet: ُون ِ َيا َن ِبي َ مِا َئ ُة أَ ْلف َوأَرْ َب َعة َوعِ ْشر: َك ْم َو َفا ُء عِ د ِة األَ ْن ِب َيا ِء؟ َقا َل,َّللا ُ ك َث الث مِا َئة َو َخ ْم َس َة َع َش َر َج ًما َغ ِفيرً ا َ ِ الرُّ ُس ُل مِنْ َذل,أَ ْل ًفا )(مشكاة المصابيح O Prophet of Allah, how many is the total number of prophets?” He said: “One hundred and twenty thousands, numerously among them three hundred and thirteen messengers” (Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ) Out of this great number, only twenty-five of them are mentioned in the Qur’ān, and out of this number, five of them are called ūlū ’l-‘azm )(أ ُ ْول ُوا ْال َع ْزم, lit. “those who have strong will”), as mentioned in the following verse: ك َومِنْ ُنوح َوإِب َْراهِي َم َومُو َسى َ ِّين مِي َثا َق ُه ْم َو ِم ْن َ َوإِ ْذ أَ َخ ْذ َنا م َِن الن ِبي ً يسى ابْن َمرْ َي َم َوأَ َخ ْذ َنا ِم ْن ُه ْم مِي َثا ًقا َغل )7:ِيظا (األحزاب َ َِوع ِ And (remember) when We took from the Prophets their covenant, and from you (O Muhammad), and from Nūḥ (Noah), Ibrāhīm (Abaham), Mūsā (Moses), and ‘Īsā (Jesus) son of Maryam (Mary). We took from them a strong covenant. (Q. 33:7) These five prophets had worked hard in calling their respective people to follow them as mentioned in the Qur’ān, but their response to their call varied. Prophet Noah, despite
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spending 950 years of calling his people only few people followed him. The Qur’ān said, )04: َو َما آ َم َن َم َع ُه إِّل َقلِيل (هود... …And none believed with him, except a few (Q. 11:40) Prophet Abraham did not have any follower, but he was called in the Qur’ān, an ummah, representing a nation, as he was the father of prophets (Ismā‘īl and Isḥāq), as mentioned in the Qur’ān, )024:ِين (النحل ُ لِل َحنِي ًفا َولَ ْم َي ِ ِ ان أُم ًة َقا ِن ًتا َ ك م َِن ْال ُم ْش ِرك َ إِن إِب َْراهِي َم َك Verily, Ibrāhīm (Abraham) was an Ummah (a leader having all the good righteous qualities, or a nation) obedient to Allah, Ḥanīf (i.e. to worship none but Allah), and he was not one of those who were al-Mushrikūn (polytheists, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah and those who joined partners with Allah (Q. 16:120) Prophet Mūsā (Moses), his people (the children of Israel) had seen with their own eyes miracles bestowed on him by Allah, yet they blamed him for their suffering which they thought caused by him. They did not have strong faith, as they worshiped the calf (Q. 2:54) when he went to Mt. Sinai to receive the tablet containing Allah commandments, and they did not want to join him in fighting and told him, “… So, go you and your Lord and fight you two, we are sitting right here.” (Q. 5:24). Prophet ‘Īsā (Jesus) had followers called in the Qur’ān alْ meaning “helpers in Allah’s cause.” They awāriyyūn )اريُّون ِ (ال َح َو, were his companions and disciples.1 Allah says in the Qur’ān, 1
Muhammad Asad gives his commentary on this term. He said: “Alḥawāriyyūn (sing. ḥawarī) is the designation applied in the Qur’ān to the disciples of Jesus. Many interpretation of this term (derived from ḥawar, “witeness”) are given by the commentators, ranging from “one who whitens clothes by washing them” (because this was allegedly the occupation of some of Jesus’ disciples) to “one who wear white garments”, or one whose heart white”, pure (cf. Ṭabarī, Rāzī, Ibn Kathīr).
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ُّون ِ اري إِلَى َ اري َ َفلَما أَ َحس عِ ي َسى ِم ْن ُه ُم ْال ُك ْف َر َقا َل َمنْ أَ ْن ِ َّللا َقا َل ْال َح َو ِ ص )22 :ُون (آل عمران ِ َّللا آ َمنا ِب ِ صا ُر َ الِل َوا ْش َه ْد ِبأَنا مُسْ لِم َ َنحْ نُ أَ ْن Then when ‘Īsā (Jesus) came to know of their disbelief, he said: “Who will be my helpers in Allah’s Cause?” Ḥawāriyyūn (the disciples) said: “We are the helpers of Allah (i.e., we will strive in His Cause!); we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims (i.e. we submit to Allah).” (Q. 3:52( When the Prophet ( )ﷺassigned al-Zubayr for a task in the Battle of the Trench, also called the battle of the Confederates (or al-Aḥzāb, “the Clans”) which took place in Shawwāl 5 AH he said, as narrated by Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah, ُّ اري )الز َب ْي ُر (رواه البخاري ِ ار ًيا َو َح َو ِ إِن لِ ُك ِّل َن ِبي َح َو Verily, every Prophet has a helper, and my helper is al-Zubayr (Reported by Bukhārī) It is, however most probable – and the evidence provided by the recently discovered Dead Sea Scrolls, strongly supports this view – that the term ḥawarī was popularly used to denote a member of the Essene Brotherhood, a Jewish religious group which existed in Palestine at the time of Jesus, and to which, possibly, he himself belonged. The Essenes were distinguished by their strong insistence on moral purity and unselfish conduct, and always wore white garments as the outward mark of their convictions; and this would satisfactorily explain the name given to them. The fact that the Prophet once said, ‘Every prophet has his ḥawarī ‘ (Bukhārī and Muslim) does not conflict with the above view, since he obviously used this term figuratively, recalling thereby Jesus’ ‘helpers in God cause.’” Muhamad Asad, The Message of the Qur’ān, p. 75, n. 42 (commentary on Q. 3:52). It is said that the women of Paradise are called “( الحُ ْو ُر ْا َلعيْنthose who have eyes with a marked contrast of white and black, the white of cornea and the black of the iris.”)
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The ṣaḥābah of the Prophet never asked any miracle from him as their belief had been strong; it was non-believers who asked for it. These al-ḥawāriyyūn were not strong believers, as they still requested miracle from Prophet ‘Īsā. Allah said: ْ ْك أَن َ ُّون َيا عِ ي َسى اب َْن َمرْ َي َم َه ْل َيسْ َتطِ ي ُع َر ُّب َ اري ِ إِذ َقا َل ْال َح َو .ِين َ َّللا إِنْ ُك ْن ُت ْم م ُْؤ ِمن َ ُي َن ِّز َل َعلَ ْي َنا َما ِئ َد ًة م َِن الس َما ِء َقا َل اتقُوا ص َد ْق َت َنا َ َقالُوا ُن ِري ُد أَنْ َنأْ ُك َل ِم ْن َها َو َت ْط َمئِن قُلُو ُب َنا َو َنعْ لَ َم أَنْ َق ْد )001-002:ِين (المائدة َ ون َعلَ ْي َها م َِن الشا ِهد َ َو َن ُك (Remember) when al-Ḥawāriyyūn (the disciples) said: “O ‘Īsā (Jesus) son of Mayam (Mary)! Can your Lord send down to us a table spread (with food) from heaven?” ‘Īsā (Jesus) said: “Fear Allah, if you are indeed believers.” They said: “We wish to eat thereof and to satisfy our hearts (to be stronger in Faith), and to know that you have indeed told us the truth, and that we ourselves be its witnesses.” (Q. 5: 112-113) There are many verses of the Qur’ān stating the virtues of the ṣaḥābah, among which are as follows: َ ارر َُح َما ُء َب ْي َن ُه ْم ِ م َُحمد َرسُو ُل َ َّللا َوالذ ِ ِين َم َع ُه أشِ دا ُء َعلَى ْال ُكف َّللا َو ِرضْ َوا ًناسِ ي َما ُه ْم فِي ِ ون َفضْ ًال م َِن َ َت َرا ُه ْم رُك ًعا سُج ًدا َي ْب َت ُغ يل َ ِوُ جُوه ِِه ْم مِنْ أَ َث ِر ال ُّسجُو ِد َذل ِ اْل ْن ِج ِ ْ ك َم َثل ُ ُه ْم فِي الت ْو َرا ِة َو َم َثل ُ ُه ْم فِي ُّ ُآز َرهُ َفاسْ َت ْغلَ َظ َفاسْ َت َوى َعلَى سُو ِق ِه يُعْ ِجب َ َك َزرْ ع أَ ْخ َر َج َش ْطأَهُ َف اع َ الزر ت ِم ْن ُه ْم ِ واو َع ِملُوا الصال َِحا َ ِين آ َم ُن َ ار َو َع َد َّللا ُ الذ َ لِ َيغِي َظ ِب ِه ُم ْال ُكف )٩٢ : َم ْغف َِر ًة َوأَجْ رً ا َعظِ يمًا (الفتح Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him [i.e., the ṣaḥābah] are hard against disbelievers and merciful among themselves. Thou (O Muhammad) seest them bowing and falling prostrate (in worship), seeking bounty from Allah and (His) acceptance. The mark of them is on their foreheads from the traces of prostration. Such is their likeness in the Torah and and their likeness in the Gospel—like as sown corn that riseth firm upon its stalk, delighting the sowers—that He may enrage the disbelievers with (the sight of) them. Allah has promised, those among them who believe and do good works,
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forgiveness and immense reward.”(Q. 48:29) ْ ِين َس َب َق ُون َ َّل َيسْ َمع.ون َ ك َع ْن َها ُم ْب َع ُد َ ت لَ ُه ْم مِنا ْالحُسْ َنى أُولَ ِئ َ إِن الذ ْ َحسِ ي َس َها َو ُه ْم فِي َما ا ْش َت َه َّل َيحْ ُز ُن ُه ُم ْال َف َز ُع ْاألَ ْك َب ُر.ون َ ت أَ ْنفُ ُس ُه ْم َخالِ ُد ون َ َو َت َتلَقا ُه ُم ْال َم َال ِئ َك ُة َه َذا َي ْو ُم ُك ُم الذِي ُك ْن ُت ْم ُتو َع ُد (٢٠١-٢٠٢ : ٩٢ )األنبياء Lo! Those unto whom kindness hath gone forth before from Us, they will be far removed from thence. They will not hear the slightest sound thereof, while they abode in that which their souls desire. The Supreme Horror will not grieve them, and the angels will welcome them, (saying): This is your day which ye were promised. (Q. 21:101-3) The Prophet ( )ﷺhimself praised his ṣaḥābah and said: ان ِألَ َح ِد ُك ْم م ِْث َل أُحُد َذ َهبًا َ َفلَ ْو َك,َدعُوا لِي أَصْ َح ِابي َفأ َ ْن َف َق ُه فِيْ َس ِبي ِْل َّللا َما َب َل َغ مُد أَ َح ِد ِه ْم َو َّل َنصِ ْي َف ُه Leave for me my ṣaḥābah. For if any of you had gold as big as Mt. Uḥud and you spent it in the path of Allah, it would not reach [the reward or the merit of] one mudd (about 1.053 liter) [of barley or dates] or a half of it [spent by them in the path of Allah]. Al Imān al-Nawawī said that the term (“Leave for me my ṣaḥābah”) means “) ّلَ َت ُسب ُّْوهُمdo not insult them”) which is one of major sins. CIVIC, 28 October, 2016) :المراجع المكتبة الشاملة ( هـ104 .تفسير الطبري (ت ( هـ170 .تفسير القرطبى (ت ) هـ770 .تفسير ابن كثير (ت
Muhammad Asad. The Message of the Qur’ān M.A. Samad. Ibn Ḥazm’s Concept of Ijmā‘ https://islamqa.info/ar/181943 http://www.d1g.com/qna/show/3894722