Question:
Who is the most virtuous among the Companions رضي الله عنهم?
Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
Answer:
Among the Companions رضي الله عنهم, the most virtuous is Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq رضي الله عنه, followed by ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه, then ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān رضي الله عنه, and then ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib رضي الله عنه. Upon this order of virtue, there is consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamāʿah.
Scholarly Statement:
❀ Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar رحمه الله (852 AH):
إن الإجماع انعقد بآخره بين أهل السنة أن ترتيبهم فى الفضل كترتيبهم فى الخلافة، رضي الله عنهم أجمعين
“Consensus was eventually established among Ahl al-Sunnah that their order in virtue is the same as their order in the caliphate. May Allah be pleased with them all.”
(Fatḥ al-Bārī, 7/34)
Conclusion:The order of virtue among the Companions is exactly the same as the order of their caliphate:
① Abū Bakr رضي الله عنه
② ʿUmar رضي الله عنه
③ ʿUthmān رضي الله عنه
④ ʿAlī رضي الله عنه
