The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ and the Spirit of Following
Allah the Exalted says:
فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا ﴿٦٥﴾
“By your Lord, they will never become believers until they accept you as a judge concerning what they dispute among themselves, and then find no resistance in their hearts against your decision and accept it with full submission.”
In this noble verse, Allah Almighty swears by emphasizing three qualities of a believer:
1. In case of any dispute, no one should be approached for judgment except the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
2. Whatever decision the Prophet ﷺ makes, no resentment or discomfort should be felt in the heart regarding it.
3. This decision should be accepted and acted upon fully.
In this brief article, our purpose is to explain the third quality.
The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ always bowed their heads in complete submission to every decision of the Prophet ﷺ. Whenever they heard anything from the Prophet ﷺ, they immediately accepted it and acted upon it.
Draw the picture in which this clarity is present
On one side is the command of Mustafa, on the other, the neck is bowed
Among the countless examples present in the books of Hadith, here are a few gifts for the readers:
❀Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab رضي الله عنه
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me:
إِنَّ اللهَ يَنْهَاكُمْ أَنْ تَحْلِفُوا بابائكُمْ قَالَ عُمَرُ : فَوَاللَّهِ مَا خَلَفْتُ بِهَا مُنْذُ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ ذَاكِراً وَلا آثِرًا .
“Allah forbids you from swearing by your forefathers.”
Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه says:
By Allah! Since I heard this from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I have never sworn by my forefathers, neither when speaking myself nor when quoting someone else.
Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه bowed his head in submission before the command of the Noble Prophet ﷺ; once he heard the words of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he acted upon them all his life, and whatever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade him from, he never even approached it throughout his life.
❀Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنه
عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ: بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ نُصَلَّى مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذْ قَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ اللهُ أَكْبَرُ كَبِيرًا، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ كَثِيرًا ، وَسُبْحَانَ اللهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلا، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ : (مَنِ الْقَائِلُ كَلِمَةَ كَذَا وَكَذَا؟) قَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ: أَنَا ، يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ ، قَال: (عَجِبْتُ لَهَا، فُتِحَتْ لَهَا أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ) قَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ: فَمَا تَرَكْتُهُنَّ مُنذُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ذَلِكَ.
Narrated by Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (RA) that we were praying with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when a man among the people said: اللهُ أَكْبَرُ كَبِيرًا، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ كَثِيرًا، وَسُبْحَانَ اللهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلا The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Who said these words? The man said: I did. O Messenger of Allah! You ﷺ said: “I am amazed that the gates of the heavens were opened for these (words).” Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (RA) says: Since I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about the virtue of these (words), I have never abandoned them.
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (RA) was a very devoted follower of the Sunnah of the Sahabah. When he heard the Hadith of the Noble Prophet ﷺ, he immediately acted upon it and never deviated from it thereafter.
Narrated by Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
[مَا حَقٌّ امری؟ مُسْلِمٍ، لَهُ شَيْءٌ يُوصِي فِيهِ، يَبِيتُ ثَلَاثَ لَيَالٍ، إِلَّا وَوَصِيَّتُهُ عِنْدَهُ مَكْتُوبَةٌ] ، قَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ: مَا مَرَّتْ عَلَى لَيْلَةٌ مُنذُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ و ذَلِكَ إِلَّا وَعِنْدِى وَصِيَّتي.
“No Muslim should have any will in his possession and spend three nights without having his will written down with him.”
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنه says:
Since the day I heard this Hadith from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, not a single night has passed without my will being with me.
❀Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah رضي الله عنه
طَلْحَةُ بْنُ نَافِعٍ ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، يَقُولُ: أَخَذَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِيَدِى ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ إِلَى مَنْزِلِهِ ، فَأَخْرَجَ إِلَيْهِ فَلَقًا مِنْ خُبْزِ، فَقَالَ: ((مَا مِنْ أدم؟)) فَقَالُوا: لَا إِلَّا شَيْءٌ مِنْ خَلٌّ ، قَالَ: ((فَإِنَّ الْخَلَّ نِعْمَ الْأُدُمُ))، قَالَ جَابِرٌ: فَمَا زِلْتُ أُحِبُّ الْخَلَّ مُنْذُ سَمِعْتُهَا مِنْ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ، وَقَالَ طَلْحَةُ : مَا زِلْتُ أُحِبُّ الْخَلَّ مُنْذُ سَمِعْتُهَا مِنْ جَابِر.
Talha bin Nafi’ (RA) heard Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (RA) say that one day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ took my hand and led me towards his house. Then some pieces of bread were brought to him, and he ﷺ asked: “Is there any sauce?” They (family members) said: No, there is nothing except vinegar. He ﷺ said: “Indeed, vinegar is the best sauce.”
Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (RA) says that since I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ speak about vinegar, from that time I have liked vinegar very much. Talha bin Nafi’ (RA) says: Since I heard about vinegar from Sayyiduna Jabir (RA), from that time I (also) like vinegar very much.
In this hadith, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has declared vinegar as the best condiment. Accordingly, when Sayyiduna Jabir رضي الله عنه heard this from the Prophet ﷺ, he developed a love for vinegar and liked it because of this hadith. Similarly, when Talha bin Nafi’ رضي الله عنه heard this hadith from Sayyiduna Jabir رضي الله عنه, he also liked vinegar due to his love for the hadith.
Such was the passion among the Companions and the Followers that when they heard the sayings of the Prophet ﷺ, they would immediately bow their heads in complete submission to those hadiths.
❀Sayyiduna Jarir bin Abdullah رضي الله عنه
عن جرير بن عبدِ اللهِ ، قَالَ: جَاءَ نَاسٌ مِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالُوا إِنَّ نَاسًا مِنَ الْمُصَدِّقِينَ يَأْتُونَنَا فَيَظْلِمُونَنَا، قَالَ: فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ: (أرضُوا مُصَدِّقِيكُمْ) قَالَ جَرِيرٌ مَا صَدَرَ عَنِّى مُصَدِّقٌ، مُنْذُ سَمِعْتُ هَذَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ، إِلَّا وَهُوَ عَنِّى رَاضِ.
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jarir bin Abdullah رضي الله عنه that some Bedouins (villagers) came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, “Some people who collect Zakat come to us and oppress us.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Please your Zakat collectors.”
Sayyiduna Jarir رضي الله عنه says: Since I heard this Hadith from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, whenever a Zakat collector came to me, he left pleased.
عَنْ زِيَادِ بْنِ عِلاقَةَ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ جَرِيرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، يَقُولُ يَوْمَ مَاتَ المُغِيرَةُ بْنُ شُعْبَةَ، قَامَ فَحَمِدَ اللهَ وَأَثْنى عَلَيْهِ، وَقَالَ: عَلَيْكُم باتقاء الله وَحْدَهُ لا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَالوَقَارِ، وَالسَّكِينَةِ، حَتَّى يَأْتِيَكُمْ أَمِيرٌ، فَإِنَّمَا يَأْتِيكُمُ الآنَ . ثُمَّ قَالَ: اسْتَعْفُوا لِأَمِيرِكُمْ، فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يُحِبُّ العَفْوَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنِّى أَتَيْتُ النَّبِى قُلْتُ: أَبايِعُكَ عَلَى الإِسْلَامِ فَشَرَطَ عَلَيَّ: وَالنَّصْحِ لِكُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ فَبَايَعْتُهُ عَلَى هَذَا ، وَرَبِّ هَذَا المَسْجِدِ! إِنِّي لَنَاصِحُ لَكُمْ ، ثُمَّ اسْتَغْفَرَ وَنَزَلَ .
It is narrated from Ziyad bin Alaqa that I heard Sayyiduna Jarir bin Abdullah رضي الله عنه say: On the day Sayyiduna Mughirah bin Shu’bah رضي الله عنه passed away, he stood up for the sermon and praised Allah Almighty and said: “Hold firmly to the fear of Allah, the One without partner, and remain patient and calm until a ruler comes, for he is coming.” Then he said: “Pray for forgiveness for your deceased ruler because he also liked forgiveness.” Then he said: “After that, you should know that once I came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: I pledge allegiance to you on Islam. You asked me for a condition for the welfare of every Muslim. So I pledged allegiance to you on that condition. By the Lord of this mosque! I am your well-wisher.” Then he sought forgiveness and descended from the pulpit.
In this narration, Sayyiduna Jarir bin Abdullah رضي الله عنه‘s spirit of following is clear that he remained steadfast on the condition demanded by the Prophet ﷺ and always preferred the welfare of the people.
