In a hadith, it is mentioned that on the Day of Judgment, some people will be prevented from approaching the Pond of Kawthar, upon which the Prophet ﷺ will say: "These are my companions," but it will be told to you that you do not know what changes they made after you.
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari: 4740, Sahih Muslim: 2860
Based on this hadith, the Shia Rafidah raise the objection that after the Prophet ﷺ, the companions brought changes in the religion, so it is not correct to say that all the companions are just and will enter Paradise; rather, some (indeed most) went astray, and some will not even enter Paradise! May Allah protect us.
First Point
First of all, it is necessary to know what scholars mean by a companion (Sahabi). The most authentic definition of a companion is given as follows:
هُوَ مَنْ لَقِيَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ مُؤْمِناً بِهِ، وَمَاتَ عَلَى الإِسْلَامِ.
Reference: «Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah 1/7, Nuzhat al-Nazar fi Tawdih Nukhbat al-Fikr» (p.189).
A companion is one who met the Prophet ﷺ in a state of faith and died in a state of Islam.
According to this definition, only that person will be called a Sahabi (Companion) whose death occurred in the state of Islam. However, a person who embraced Islam but later apostatized and then died in that state is not only deprived of the honor of companionship but is even worse than a lowly Muslim. Therefore, the promise of Paradise mentioned in the Holy Quran applies only to those who are Sahabah, and all the Sahabah have been generally given the glad tidings of Paradise. As Allah Almighty says:
(وَكُلّٗا وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ)
Reference: Al-Hadid: 10
That Allah Almighty has promised Paradise to all (the Sahabah).
And whoever is not a Sahabi, there is neither any promise nor any virtue for him.
Second point
The reference of this hadith is those people who apostatized after the death of the Prophet ﷺ or denied the payment of Zakat, against whom Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه fought. They are also called the Jafaat al-A‘rāb. The evidence for this is the words at the end of the hadith that you do not know what changes they made after you, and these changes occurred in the form of apostasy from the religion and denial of the payment of Zakat. In fact, in some narrations, it has come in very explicit and clear words:
إِنَّهُمُ ارْتَدُّوا عَلَى أَدْبَارِهِمُ الْقَهْقَرَى.
Translation: These people had turned back on their heels
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari: 6585
.Elsewhere, these words are found:
إِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَزَالُوا مُرْتَدِّينَ عَلَى أَعْقَابِهِمْ مُنْذُ فَارَقْتَهُمْ.
Translation: Since you left them, they have remained apostates
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari: 3349
.Third Point
According to some scholars, the term "As'hab" here refers to those hypocrites who outwardly professed Islam during the time of the Noble Prophet ﷺ but did not believe in their hearts. As Allah Almighty has said:
﴿إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ قَالُوا نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَكَاذِبُونَ﴾
Reference: Al-Munafiqun: 1
.Translation: When the hypocrites come to you, they say: We bear witness that indeed you are the Messenger of Allah. And Allah knows well that you are certainly His Messenger, but Allah also bears witness that these hypocrites are liars.
These were the hypocrites whom the Prophet ﷺ did not apparently recognize, as Allah Almighty said:
﴿وَمِمَّنْ حَوْلَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ مُنَافِقُونَ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ مَرَدُوا عَلَى النِّفَاقِ لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ﴾
Reference: At-Tawbah: 101
.Translation: And among the Bedouins around you are some hypocrites, and among the people of Medina are some who persist in hypocrisy. You do not know them, We know them.
So these were the hypocrites whom the Prophet ﷺ counted among his companions, but in reality, they were not among the companions.
Fourth Point
On the Day of Judgment, the Prophet ﷺ will call such people his companions on the basis that at the time he left them in this world, they had apparently accepted Islam. But as soon as he is informed about them, he will immediately disassociate himself from them and say that such people should be kept away. In fact, in one narration, the Prophet ﷺ likened his situation to that of Sayyiduna Isa (Jesus) عليه السلام, who will disassociate himself from the matters done after him and say:
وَكُنتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَّا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِي كُنتَ أَنتَ الرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَأَنتَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ ﴿١١٧﴾ إِن تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ ۖ وَإِن تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ﴿١١٨﴾
Reference: Al-Ma'idah: 117-118
Translation: As long as I was among them, I was a witness over them; but when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them, and You are a witness over all things. If You punish them, they are Your servants; and if You forgive them, You are the Mighty, the Wise.
So I will say the same as he said
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari: 3349
.Fifth Point
It can also be said that here the meaning of "companions" is the general linguistic meaning, that is, every person who stayed in the company of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, whether or not he followed him. And they do not fall under the technical meaning of a Sahabi.
The evidence for this is the incident when the leader of the hypocrites, Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, said:
﴿لَئِن رَّجَعْنَا إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ لَيُخْرِجَنَّ الْأَعَزُّ مِنْهَا الْأَذَلَّ﴾
Reference: Al-Munafiqun: 8
Translation: Surely if we return to Medina, the one who is more honored among them will surely expel the one who is more humiliated.
This reached Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: O Messenger of Allah! Allow me to behead this hypocrite. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Leave him, lest people say that Muhammad kills his companions
Reference: (Sahih al-Bukhari: 4905)
.So the Prophet ﷺ counted him among his ‘companions,’ but this mention is only in the literal sense, not in the technical sense, because Abdullah bin Ubay bin Salul was the leader of the hypocrites. Allah Almighty exposed his hypocrisy, and he openly displayed his hypocrisy.
In light of the previous statements, it is clear that Allah Almighty has promised Paradise to all (the companions), and Allah is the Grantor of success.
