❖ Introduction
This article is adapted from Islam Mustafa ﷺ by Abu Hamzah Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi. It expounds on the deep reverence and unwavering adherence of the noble Companions (RA) and the esteemed Imams of Islam to the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. Their commitment is rooted in the divine command to follow the Prophet ﷺ and his rightly guided companions, as indicated in the Qur’an and Hadith.
فَإِنْ آمَنُوا بِمِثْلِ مَا آمَنتُم بِهِ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوا...
(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:137)
If they believe as you believe, they are rightly guided.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Follow those after me among my companions: Abu Bakr and Umar..."
— Sahih al-Jami‘ al-Saghir, 1134, 1144, 2511; Silsilah al-Sahihah, 1233
◈ Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (RA): Considered the Companions the best of this Ummah, purest in hearts, and strongest in guidance.
— Al-Tamhid 2/96
◈ Al-Barbahari (RH):
"Whoever does not take religion from them has gone astray and innovated."
— Manhaj Salaf al-Salihin
✔ Imam al-Ajurri (RH):
"He who rejects the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ and his companions is opposing Allah and His Messenger."
— Al-Shari‘ah
✔ Ibn Taymiyyah (RH):
"The creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama‘ah predates the four Imams and is the path of the Companions."
— Minhaj al-Sunnah
✔ Ibn al-Qayyim (RH):
"None among the Companions strictly adhered to the opinion of any one among them."
— Fayd al-Bari 2/10
"My nation will divide into 73 sects, all in Hell except one..."
"...What I and my Companions are upon today."
— Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 2641
Also said:
"The best people are of my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them."
— Sahih al-Bukhari, 2652
"Even if beasts devour me, I will not revoke a command of the Messenger ﷺ."
— Al-Kamil by Ibn al-Athir 2/226
He also said:
"Obey me so long as I obey Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. If I disobey them, correct me."
— Tarikh al-Khulafa, Suyuti
— Sahih al-Bukhari
He stoned a woman on a Friday and justified it as the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
Rebuked anyone who preferred opinions over Hadith.
✔ Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA):
When people opposed him with Abu Bakr and Umar’s views on Hajj Tamattu‘, he warned:
"Stones may fall upon you from the sky. I say the Prophet ﷺ said, and you say Abu Bakr and Umar said!"
— Sunan al-Darimi; Musnad Ahmad
✔ Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (RA):
Deferred to Ibn Mas‘ud’s knowledge of inheritance, who gave a ruling in accordance with the Prophet ﷺ.
— Sahih al-Bukhari
✔ Abdullah ibn Umar (RA):
Rejected his father's view in favor of the Prophet ﷺ’s action in matters of Hajj.
— Sunan al-Tirmidhi
Objected to someone citing wisdom texts against the Prophet’s saying on modesty.
— Sahih al-Bukhari; Muslim
✔ Ibn al-Qayyim (RH):
"If Ibn Abbas saw today’s people opposing Hadith with non-Sahabah’s views, what would he say?"
— I‘lam al-Muwaqqi‘in 3/539
✔ Ibn Umar (RA):
Rebuked someone who opposed the Hadith on women’s mosque attendance.
— Sahih Muslim
✔ Abdullah ibn Mughaffal (RA):
Refused to speak again to one who disobeyed the Prophet’s prohibition of stone-throwing.
— Sahih al-Bukhari; Muslim
Derived rulings from the Qur’an, Sunnah, then sought the Companions' consensus.
— Sunan al-Darimi
✔ Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA):
Advised Qadi Shurayh to use Qur’an and Sunnah first, then ijtihad cautiously.
— Sunan al-Darimi
✔ Ibn Mas‘ud (RA):
This article is adapted from Islam Mustafa ﷺ by Abu Hamzah Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi. It expounds on the deep reverence and unwavering adherence of the noble Companions (RA) and the esteemed Imams of Islam to the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. Their commitment is rooted in the divine command to follow the Prophet ﷺ and his rightly guided companions, as indicated in the Qur’an and Hadith.
❖ Adherence to the Faith of the Companions
Allah ﷻ commands in the Qur’an:فَإِنْ آمَنُوا بِمِثْلِ مَا آمَنتُم بِهِ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوا...
(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:137)
If they believe as you believe, they are rightly guided.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Follow those after me among my companions: Abu Bakr and Umar..."
— Sahih al-Jami‘ al-Saghir, 1134, 1144, 2511; Silsilah al-Sahihah, 1233
❖ Counsel of the Salaf and Scholars
◈ Imam al-Barbahari (RH): Urged caution in accepting statements not rooted in the Sunnah or the consensus of the scholars of truth.◈ Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (RA): Considered the Companions the best of this Ummah, purest in hearts, and strongest in guidance.
— Al-Tamhid 2/96
◈ Al-Barbahari (RH):
"Whoever does not take religion from them has gone astray and innovated."
— Manhaj Salaf al-Salihin
❖ Statements of the Sahabah on Obedience to the Sunnah
✔ Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (RA): Allah examined hearts and chose the Prophet ﷺ and then selected his Companions to support the religion.✔ Imam al-Ajurri (RH):
"He who rejects the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ and his companions is opposing Allah and His Messenger."
— Al-Shari‘ah
✔ Ibn Taymiyyah (RH):
"The creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama‘ah predates the four Imams and is the path of the Companions."
— Minhaj al-Sunnah
✔ Ibn al-Qayyim (RH):
"None among the Companions strictly adhered to the opinion of any one among them."
— Fayd al-Bari 2/10
❖ Evidence for Following the Way of the Companions
The Prophet ﷺ stated:"My nation will divide into 73 sects, all in Hell except one..."
"...What I and my Companions are upon today."
— Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 2641
Also said:
"The best people are of my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them."
— Sahih al-Bukhari, 2652
❖ Actions and Principles of the Rightly Guided Caliphs
◈ Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (RA):
Despite opposition, he insisted on dispatching the army of Usamah (RA) as per the Prophet's command, saying:"Even if beasts devour me, I will not revoke a command of the Messenger ﷺ."
— Al-Kamil by Ibn al-Athir 2/226
He also said:
"Obey me so long as I obey Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. If I disobey them, correct me."
— Tarikh al-Khulafa, Suyuti
◈ Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA):
- Reversed his ijtihad on the widow's share of blood money when presented with the Prophet's ruling.
- Conformed to the prophetic command regarding the equality of finger compensation.
— Sunan Abi Dawud; Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaq
◈ Uthman ibn Affan (RA):
- Emulated the Prophet’s ﷺ method of ablution exactly and explained it to others.
— Musnad Ahmad
◈ Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA):
"I would never abandon the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ for anyone’s opinion."— Sahih al-Bukhari
He stoned a woman on a Friday and justified it as the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
❖ Firmness of Other Sahabah on Sunnah
✔ Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (RA):Rebuked anyone who preferred opinions over Hadith.
✔ Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA):
When people opposed him with Abu Bakr and Umar’s views on Hajj Tamattu‘, he warned:
"Stones may fall upon you from the sky. I say the Prophet ﷺ said, and you say Abu Bakr and Umar said!"
— Sunan al-Darimi; Musnad Ahmad
✔ Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (RA):
Deferred to Ibn Mas‘ud’s knowledge of inheritance, who gave a ruling in accordance with the Prophet ﷺ.
— Sahih al-Bukhari
✔ Abdullah ibn Umar (RA):
Rejected his father's view in favor of the Prophet ﷺ’s action in matters of Hajj.
— Sunan al-Tirmidhi
❖ Refutations of Innovations and Contradictions to Sunnah
✔ Imran ibn Husayn (RA):Objected to someone citing wisdom texts against the Prophet’s saying on modesty.
— Sahih al-Bukhari; Muslim
✔ Ibn al-Qayyim (RH):
"If Ibn Abbas saw today’s people opposing Hadith with non-Sahabah’s views, what would he say?"
— I‘lam al-Muwaqqi‘in 3/539
✔ Ibn Umar (RA):
Rebuked someone who opposed the Hadith on women’s mosque attendance.
— Sahih Muslim
✔ Abdullah ibn Mughaffal (RA):
Refused to speak again to one who disobeyed the Prophet’s prohibition of stone-throwing.
— Sahih al-Bukhari; Muslim
❖ Principles of Jurisprudence among the Companions
✔ Abu Bakr (RA):Derived rulings from the Qur’an, Sunnah, then sought the Companions' consensus.
— Sunan al-Darimi
✔ Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA):
Advised Qadi Shurayh to use Qur’an and Sunnah first, then ijtihad cautiously.
— Sunan al-Darimi
✔ Ibn Mas‘ud (RA):
- Used Qur’an first, then the Prophet’s decisions, then ijtihad if necessary.
- Warned: Don’t say “I fear,” if something is clear—decide with evidence.
— Sunan al-Nasa’i; al-Darimi
