This excerpt is taken from the book Difa-e-Sahaba رضي الله عنهم by Sheikh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri حفظه الله.
Insulting the Companions
Respect for the Companions is obligatory upon the entire Ummah; if you cannot love the Companions, then you have no connection with the religion of Islam. The Companions are the transmitters of the Shariah; it is not possible that a person loves the Shariah but hates its transmitters. It is absolutely impossible to love the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ but hate his Ansar and supportive Companions. From the Quran, Hadith, and the statements of the Imams of the religion, it is clear that loving the Companions is extremely necessary.
Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:
أكرموا أصحابي .
“Honor my Companions.”
Reference: (Al-Sunan al-Kubra by Al-Nasa’i: 9178, and its chain is Hasan)
Sayyiduna Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
النجوم أمنة للسماء، فإذا ذهبت النجوم أتى السماء ما توعد، وأنا أمنة لأصحابي، فإذا ذهبت أتى أصحابي ما يوعدون، وأصحابي أمنة لأمتي، فإذا ذهب أصحابي أتى أمتي ما يوعدون .
“The stars are the safety of the sky; when they fall, the sky will be destroyed. I am your safety; after me, you will face trials, and my Companions are the safety of my Ummah. When they pass away, trials will engulf my Ummah.”
Reference: (Sahih Muslim: 2531)
Hafiz Khateeb Baghdadi رحمه الله (463 AH) says:
إن الله تعالى اختار لنبيه أعوانا جعلهم أفضل الخلق وأقواهم إيمانا وشد بهم أزر الدين وأظهر بهم كلمة المؤمنين وأوجب لهم الثواب الجزيل وألزم أهل الملة ذكرهم بالجميل، فخالفت الرافضة أمر الله فيهم وعمدت لمحو مآثرهم ومساعيهم وأظهرت البراء ة منهم وتدينت بالسب لهم : يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ كما رام ذلك المتقدمون من أشباههم وَاللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ (الصف: 8) وَسَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَيَّ مُنقَلَبٍ يَنقَلِبُونَ
Reference: (Ash-Shu’ara: 227)
It is incumbent upon those who transmit reports and specialize in carrying traditions to spread the virtues of the noble Companions, to show their status and position in Islam at the emergence of this great matter and serious tribulation, and the rise of those who deviate from the straight path, so that “whoever perishes may perish upon clear evidence, and whoever lives may live upon clear evidence. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing.”
Reference: (Al-Anfal: 42)
“Allah Almighty chose His Prophet’s helpers and supporters, who were the best among creation and the strongest in faith. Through them, He strengthened the garden of religion and elevated the believers. Allah made a great reward obligatory for them and made it necessary for the people of the Ummah to speak well of them. The Rawafid opposed the divine command regarding the Companions; they intended to erase the traces and efforts of the Companions, expressed disassociation from them, and considered insulting them as part of religion. يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ They want to erase Allah’s light (Islam) with their own mouths. The first followers of the Rawafid also tried to do the same. وَاللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ Allah Almighty will complete His light (Islam), even if the disbelievers dislike it. وَسَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَيَّ مُنقَلَبٍ يَنقَلِبُونَ Soon the wrongdoers will know to which return they will turn. Therefore, it is necessary for those who transmit and specialize in narrations to spread the virtues of the noble Companions during these great tribulations, difficult circumstances, and the dominance of the misguided, and to explain the status and rank Islam has given them. لِيَهْلِكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ عَن بَيِّنَةٍ وَيَحْيَىٰ مَنْ حَيَّ عَن بَيِّنَةٍ ۗ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَسَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ So that whoever perishes, perishes by clear evidence, and whoever lives, lives by clear evidence. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing.”
Reference: (Al-Jami’ li Akhlaq al-Rawi wa Adab al-Sami’: 117/2)
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (728 AH) says:
إذا كان الكفار يغاظون بهم فمن غيظ بهم فقد شارك الكفار فيما أذلهم الله به وأخزاهم وكبتهم على كفرهم ولا يشارك الكفار فى غيظهم الذين كبتوا به جزاء لكفرهم إلا كافر لأن المؤمن لا يكبت جزاء للكفر، يوضح ذلك أن قوله تعالى : لِيَغِيظَ بِهِمُ الْكُفَّارَ تعليق للحكم بوصف مشتق مناسب لان الكفر مناسب لإن يغاظ صاحبه فإذا كان هو الموجب لأن يغيظ الله صاحبه بأصحاب محمد فمن غاظه الله بأصحاب محمد فقد وجد فى حقه موجب ذاك وهو الكفر.
“Disbelievers become angry because of the Companions, and similarly, whoever becomes angry and feels bad about the Companions, his case is like that of the disbelievers. Like the disbelievers, humiliation, disgrace, and sorrow are his destiny. The disbelievers’ enmity towards the Companions is due to their disbelief, and certainly, whoever shares the disbelievers’ enmity towards the Companions can only be a disbeliever, because a believer cannot be disgraced due to disbelief. This summary can be understood from the Quranic verse: لِيَغِيظَ بِهِمُ الْكُفَّارَ “So that He might cause anger to the disbelievers through them.” That is, being hostile to the Companions is a common cause of disbelief. Just as it is necessary for a disbeliever to harbor enmity towards the Companions, meaning whoever disbelieves also begins to hate the Companions, similarly, when anyone begins to hate the Companions, he necessarily becomes a disbeliever.”
Reference: (As-Saarim al-Maslul: 579)
He also says:
ذكر العلماء أن الرفض أساس الزندقة وأن أول من ابتدع الرفض إنما كان منافقا زنديقا وهو عبد الله بن سبأ فإنه إذا قدح فى السابقين الأولين فقد قدح فى نقل الرسالة أو فى فهمها أو فى اتباعها، فالرافضة تقدح تارة فى علمهم بها وتارة فى اتباعهم لها .
“Scholars mention that Rafidah is the foundation and basis of heresy, and the originator of Rafidah was also a hypocritical heretic, namely Abdullah ibn Saba’. Since he slandered the early Companions, he also slandered their transmission of the message, their understanding, and their following. The Rawafid sometimes slander the knowledge of the Companions and sometimes their religious adherence.”
Reference: (Majmoo’ al-Fatawa: 102/4)
He also says:
السنة محبة عثمان وعلي جميعا وتقديم أبى بكر وعمر عليهما رضي الله عنهم لما خصهما الله به من الفضائل التى سبقا بها عثمان وعليا جميعا، وقد نهى الله فى كتابه عن التفرق والتشتت، وأمر بالاعتصام بحبله، فهذا موضع يجب على المؤمن أن يتثبت فيه ويعتصم بحبل الله فإن السنة مبناها على العلم والعدل، والاتباع لكتاب الله وسنة رسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم.
“The belief of Ahl al-Sunnah is to love Sayyiduna Uthman رضي الله عنه and Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه and to give precedence to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه and Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه over them, because Allah Almighty has mentioned special virtues for them that are not shared by Sayyiduna Uthman and Sayyiduna Ali. Allah Almighty forbids division and discord in the Quran and commands holding firmly to His rope. At this time, it is necessary for the believer to remain steadfast and hold firmly to Allah’s rope, because the foundation of Ahl al-Sunnah’s beliefs is knowledge, justice, and adherence to the Book and Sunnah.”
Reference: (Majmoo’ al-Fatawa: 409/3)
Imam Malik ibn Anas رحمه الله (179 AH) says:
من تنقص أحدا من أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أو كان فى قلبه عليهم غل فليس له حق فى فيء المسلمين .
“Whoever belittles any Companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ or harbors hatred towards them in his heart has no right to the wealth of Muslims.”
Reference: (Hilyat al-Awliya by Abu Nu’aym: 327/6, and its chain is authentic)
Hafiz Ibn Kathir رحمه الله (774 AH) says:
ما أحسن ما استنبط الإمام مالك من هذه الآية الكريمة : أن الرافضي الذى يسب الصحابة ليس له فى مال الفيء نصيب لعدم اتصافه بما مدح الله به هؤلاء.
“From this verse, Imam Malik رحمه الله made a beautiful deduction that whoever is a Rafidi and insults the Companions has no share in the wealth of the Muslims, because he does not possess the qualities that Allah Almighty has described for those deserving the wealth.”
Reference: (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 73/8)
Imam Abdullah ibn Idris al-Udi رحمه الله (192 AH) says:
لو أن الروم سبوا من المسلمين من الروم إلى الحيرة ثم ردهم رجل فى قلبه شيء على أصحاب محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم ما قبل الله منه ذلك .
“If the Romans capture all Muslims from Rome to Hira as prisoners, and then a person who harbors even a little hatred in his heart towards the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ frees all Muslims, Allah will not accept his deed.”
Reference: (As-Sunnah by Al-Khallal: 759, and its chain is authentic)
Imam Humaydi رحمه الله (219 AH) says:
لم نؤمر إلا بالاستغفار لهم، فمن سبهم أو تنقصهم أو أحدا منهم فليس على السنة، وليس له فى الفيء حق .
“We are only commanded to seek forgiveness for the Companions. Therefore, whoever insults all the Companions or belittles their status or does so regarding any one Companion is not following the Sunnah and has no right to the wealth of the Muslims.”
Reference: (Risalat Usul al-Sunnah, appendix to the end of his Musnad: 546)
Imam Yahya ibn Ma’in رحمه الله (233 AH) says:
كل من يشتم عثمان أو طلحة أو أحدا من أصحاب النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم دجال لا يكتب عنه وعليه لعنة الله والملائكة والناس أجمعين .
“Whoever insults Sayyiduna Uthman رضي الله عنه or Sayyiduna Talhah رضي الله عنه or any Companion of the Messenger ﷺ is a Dajjal (a great liar). Narrations will not be taken from him, and may Allah’s curse be upon him from the angels and all humanity.”
Reference: (Tarikh al-Duri: 2670)
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal رحمه الله (241 AH) says:
من شتم أخاف عليه الكفر مثل الروافض، ومن شتم أصحاب النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم لا نأمن أن يكون قد مرق عن الدين .
“Whoever insults the Companions, I fear disbelief for him, like the Rawafid. Whoever insults the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ, I fear that he will leave the religion.”
Reference: (As-Sunnah by Al-Khallal: 780, and its chain is authentic)
He also says:
إذا رأيت رجلا يذكر أحدا من أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بسوء فاتهمه على الإسلام .
“If you hear someone speaking ill of any Companion, then accuse him of disbelief.”
Reference: (Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad by Ibn al-Jawzi: 209, and its chain is Hasan)
Imam Ajuri رحمه الله (360 AH) says:
لقد خاب وخسر من أصبح وأمسى وفي قلبه بغض لعائشة رضي الله عنها أو لاحد من أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أو لأحد من أهل بيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فرضي الله عنهم أجمعين ونفعنا بحبهم.
“Certainly, the person is ruined who harbors hatred in his heart towards Sayyidah Aisha رضي الله عنها, any Companion, or any member of the Ahl al-Bayt, whether in the morning or evening. May Allah be pleased with them all. May Allah make our love for them beneficial.”
Reference: (Ash-Shari’ah: 2427/5)
Allama Khattabi رحمه الله (388 AH) says:
هؤلاء قوم لا خلاق لهم فى الدين وإنما رأس مالهم البهت والتكذيب والوقيعة فى السلف.
“The Rawafid have no share in the religion. Their method is slander, lying, and belittling the status of the predecessors of the Ummah (the Companions, etc.).”
Reference: (Ma’alim as-Sunan: 6/2, Sharh an-Nawawi: 203/1)
Abu Mansur Abdul Qahir ibn Tahir Baghdadi رحمه الله (429 AH) says:
قالوا بتكفير كل من أكفر واحدا من العشرة الذين شهد لهم النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم بالجنة وقالوا بموالاة جميع أزواج رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وأكفروا من أكفرهن أو أكفر بعضهن .
“Scholars have declared takfir on anyone who declares takfir on any one of the Ashara Mubashshara (the ten promised Paradise) among the noble Companions. They have commanded love and respect for all the pure wives of the Prophet ﷺ and have declared takfir on anyone who declares takfir on all or any one of the Mothers of the Believers.”
Reference: (Al-Firaq bayn al-Firaq: 353)
He also says:
ألإمامية الذين أكفروا أخيار الصحابة ... فإنا نكفرهم كما يكفرون أهل السنة ولا تجوز الصلاة عليهم عندنا ولا الصلاة خلفهم .
“The Imamiyyah Shi’ah declare takfir on the great Companions. They declare takfir on Ahl al-Sunnah, and we also declare takfir on them. According to us, it is neither permissible to perform their funeral prayer nor to pray behind them.”
Reference: (Al-Firaq bayn al-Firaq: 350)
Imam Abu Nu’aym Asbahani رحمه الله (430 AH) says:
من سبهم وأبغضهم وحمل ما كان من تأويلهم وحروبهم على غير الجميل الحسن، فهو العادل عن أمر الله تعالى وتأديبه ووصيته فيهم، لا يبسط لسانه فيهم إلا من سوء طويته فى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم وصحابته والإسلام والمسلمين .
“Whoever insults the noble Companions, harbors hatred towards them, and presents their interpretations and battles as condemnation, is deviating from Allah’s command and the etiquette and advice He has prescribed. Whoever abuses the Companions does so because his heart has become displeased with the Prophet ﷺ, the Companions, Islam, and the Muslims.”
Reference: (Al-Imamah wa ar-Radd ‘ala ar-Rawafid: 376)
Allama Sajzi رحمه الله (444 AH) says:
كل من يبغض أبا بكر وعمر وعثمان رضي الله عنهم أو واحدا منهم، وأنكر إمامته وتقدمه وفضله فهو رافضي ، وكل من تنقص عثمان أو عليا وعائشة ومعاوية وأبا موسى وعمرو بن العاص رضي الله عنهم فهو خارجي، ومن تنقص بعضهم ولم يتنقص عثمان وعليا فهو ضال على أى مذهب كان .
“Whoever harbors hatred towards Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, Sayyiduna Umar, Sayyiduna Uthman رضي الله عنهم or any one of them, or denies the Imamate, precedence, and superiority of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه, is a Rafidi. Whoever belittles the status of Sayyiduna Uthman, Sayyiduna Ali, Sayyidah Aisha, Sayyiduna Mu’awiyah, Sayyiduna Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari, or Sayyiduna Amr ibn al-As رضي الله عنهم is an extremist. Whoever does not belittle Sayyiduna Uthman and Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنهما but insults any other Companion is misguided, regardless of his sect.”
Reference: (Ar-Radd ‘ala man Ankara al-Harf wa as-Sawt: 335)
Allama Ibn Hazm Andalusi رحمه الله (456 AH) says:
إن الروافض ليسوا من المسلمين .
“The Rawafid are not Muslims.”
Reference: (Al-Fasl fi al-Milal wa al-Ahwa’ wa an-Nihal: 65/2)
Allama Abu Muzafar Tahir ibn Muhammad Asfarayini رحمه الله (471 AH) says:
اعلم أن جميع من ذكرناهم من فرق الإمامية متفقون على تكفير الصحابة ويدعون أن القرآن قد غير عما كان ووقع فيه الريادة والنقصان من قبل الصحابة ويزعمون أنه قد كان فيه النص على إمامة على فأسقطه الصحابة عنه ويزعمون أنه لا اعتماد على القرآن الآن ولا على شيء من الأخبار المروية عن المصطفى صلى الله عليه وسلم ويزعمون أنه لا اعتماد على الشريعة التى فى أيدي المسلمين وينتظرون إماما يسمونه المهدي يخرج ويعلمهم الشريعة وليسوا فى الحال على شيء من الدين وليس مقصودهم من هذا الكلام تحقيق الكلام فى الإمامة ولكن مقصودهم إسقاط كلفة تكليف الشريعة عن أنفسهم حتى يتوسعوا فى استحلال المحرمات الشرعية ويعتذروا عند العوام بما يعدونه من تحريف الشريعة وتغيير القرآن من عند الصحابة ولا مزيد على هذا النوع من الكفر إذ لا بقاء فيه على شيء من الدين .
“Know that all the sects of the Imamiyyah we have mentioned unanimously agree on the takfir of the Companions. They claim alteration and distortion in the Quran, saying that the Companions added to or subtracted from it, and deleted the verses mentioning the Imamate of Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه. They do not trust the Quran, the Prophetic Hadith, or the current Shariah. They await the Mahdi who will teach them the Shariah after his emergence. Currently, they are not engaged in any part of the religion. Their concern is not the investigation of the Imamate but freedom from Shariah restrictions. They consider many Shariah prohibitions lawful and use the excuse of distortion of the Shariah and Quran before the public. What greater disbelief can there be? Therefore, they have no connection with Islam.”
Reference: (At-Tabsir fi ad-Din: 24-25)
Allama Ibn Abi Ya’la رحمه الله (526 AH) says:
ليست الرافضة من الإسلام فى شيء .
“The Rawafid have no connection with Islam.”
Reference: (Tabaqat al-Hanabila: 33/1)
Qadi Iyad رحمه الله (544 AH) says:
سب أصحاب النبى عليه السلام وتنقصهم أو أحد منهم من الكبائر المحرمة .
“Insulting all the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ or belittling their status, or doing so regarding any one Companion, is a major sin and forbidden.”
Reference: (Ikmal al-Mu’allim bi Fawa’id Muslim: 580/7)
He also says:
لا امتراء فى كفر القائلين بهذا؛ لأن من كفر الأمة كلها والصدر الأول فقد أبطل نقل الشريعة وهدم الإسلام .
“Those who say this have no doubt in their disbelief, because whoever calls the entire Ummah and the foremost of the early generations disbelievers has effectively nullified the transmission of the Shariah and destroyed Islam.”
Reference: (Ikmal al-Mu’allim bi Fawa’id Muslim: 412/7)
He also says:
سب آل بيته وأزواجه وأصحابه صلى الله عليه وسلم وتنقصهم حرام ملعون فاعله .
“Insulting or belittling the status of the Prophet’s ﷺ Ahl al-Bayt, wives, and Companions is forbidden, and whoever does so is cursed.”
Reference: (Ash-Shifa’: 307/2)
Allama Abu Sa’d Sam’ani رحمه الله (562 AH) says:
اجتمعت الأمة على تكفير الإمامية لأنهم يعتقدون تضليل الصحابة وينكرون إجماعهم وينسبونهم إلى ما يليق بهم .
“The Muslim Ummah is unanimous on the takfir of the Imamiyyah who hold misguided beliefs about the noble Companions, deny their consensus, and attribute to them things unworthy of them.”
Reference: (Al-Ansab: 365/6)
He also says:
اجتمعت الإمامية على تضليل الصحابة حيث جعلوا الإمامة لغير على .
“The Imamiyyah agree on considering misguided those who entrust the Imamate to anyone other than Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه.”
Reference: (Al-Ansab: 365/6)
Allama Kasani Hanafi رحمه الله (587 AH) says:
الكف عن تفسيقهم، والإمساك عن الطعن فيهم من شرائط السنة والجماعة .
“Refraining from declaring the Companions as sinners and avoiding slander and defamation against them is among the conditions of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah.”
Reference: (Bada’i’ as-Sana’i’: 117/5)
Allama Fakhr al-Razi رحمه الله (606 AH) says:
يجب إمساك اللسان عن الطعن فيهم لأن عمومات القرآن والأخبار دالة على وجوب تعظيم الصحابة رضي الله عنهم.
“It is necessary to avoid slandering the Companions because the general verses of the Quran and the Prophetic Hadith indicate that honoring the noble Companions رضي الله عنهم is obligatory.”
Reference: (Ma’alim Usul ad-Din: 152)
Allama Ibn Athir رحمه الله (630 AH) says:
إن الطعن فيهم طعن فى الشريعة .
“Slandering the Companions is actually slandering the Shariah.”
Reference: (Al-Kamil fi at-Tarikh: 582/6)
Allama Qurtubi رحمه الله (671 AH) says:
من نقص واحدا منهم أو طعن عليه فى روايته فقد رد على الله رب العالمين، وأبطل شرائع المسلمين.
“Whoever belittles any Companion or slanders his narration has rejected Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and nullified the legal rulings of the Muslims.”
Reference: (Tafsir al-Qurtubi: 297/16)
He also says:
من نسبه أو واحدا من الصحابة إلى كذب فهو خارج عن الشريعة، مبطل للقرآن طاعن على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم .
“Whoever attributes falsehood to ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir رضي الله عنه or any Companion is outside the Islamic Shariah, denies the Quran, and slanders the Prophet ﷺ.”
Reference: (Tafsir al-Qurtubi: 298/16)
Hafiz Nawawi رحمه الله (676 AH) says:
اعلم أن سب الصحابة رضي الله عنهم حرام من فواحش المحرمات سواء من لابس الفتن منهم وغيره لأنهم مجتهدون فى تلك الحروب متأولون .
“Know that insulting the noble Companions رضي الله عنهم is forbidden and is among the forbidden obscenities. In this matter, all the Companions are equal, whether they were involved in these tribulations or not, because they participated in these battles based on ijtihad and interpretation.”
Reference: (Sharh an-Nawawi: 93/16)
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (728 AH) says:
“Whoever says that after the death of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, except for a few, all the Companions became apostates or sinners, there is no doubt about his disbelief, because this denies numerous Quranic texts based on their praise and approval. Indeed, whoever doubts such disbelief deliberately is also a disbeliever. This statement implies (seeking refuge in Allah!) that this Ummah is the worst, created for the guidance and welfare of people, and its predecessors were the worst, and the majority of the best generations were disbelievers, sinners, and the worst generations. Such a person’s disbelief is established from the essentials of religion.”
Reference: (As-Saarim al-Maslul: 586-587)
He also says:
الطعن فيهم طعن فى الدين موجب للإعراض عما بعث الله به النبيين .
“Insulting the predecessors is actually insulting the religion and causes turning away from the path with which Allah sent the Prophets.”
Reference: (Minhaj as-Sunnah: 18/1)
Hafiz Dhahabi رحمه الله (748 AH) says:
من طعن فيهم أو سبهم فقد خرج من الدين ومرق من ملة المسلمين لأن الطعن لا يكون إلا عن اعتقاد مساويهم وإضمار الحقد فيهم وإنكار ما ذكره الله تعالى فى كتابه من ثنائه عليهم وما لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من ثنائه عليهم وفضائلهم ومناقبهم وحبهم .
“Whoever insults the noble Companions or speaks ill of them has left the religion and is outside the Muslim Ummah, because slander is only done when one believes the Companions to be bad and harbors hatred and enmity towards them in the heart. This also entails denying all the commands of Allah mentioned in the Quran praising the Companions, as well as denying the praise, virtues, and love for the Companions expressed by the Messenger ﷺ.”
Reference: (Al-Kabair: 237-238)
He also says:
من ذم أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بشيء وتتبع عشراتهم وذكر عيبا وأضافه إليهم كان منافقا .
“Whoever insults the Companions of the Messenger ﷺ, examines their faults, and criticizes them is a hypocrite.”
Reference: (Al-Kabair: 239)
Allama Ibn Abi al-Izz Hanafi رحمه الله (792 AH) says:
من أضل ممن يكون فى قلبه غل على خيار المؤمنين، وسادات أولياء الله تعالى بعد النبيين؟ بل قد فضلهم اليهود والنصارى بخصلة، قيل لليهود : من خير أهل ملتكم؟ قالوا : أصحاب موسى، وقيل للنصارى : من خير أهل ملتكم؟ قالوا : أصحاب عيسى، وقيل للرافضة : من شر أهل ملتكم؟ قالوا : أصحاب محمد! لم يستثنوا منهم إلا القليل، وفيمن سبوهم من هو خير ممن استتنوهم بأضعاف مضاعفة .
“Who can be more misguided than the one who harbors hatred in his heart towards the best of the believers and the noble Prophets after them, the saints and the descendants of Allah? The Jews and Christians are better than them in this regard. If you ask the Jews who are the best people in their nation, they will quickly say the Companions of Musa. If you ask the Christians who are the best people in their nation, they will say the Companions of ‘Isa. If you ask the Rawafid who are the worst people in their Ummah, they say the Companions of Muhammad, except for a few Companions whom they exclude. Those excluded Companions are many degrees superior to those they insult.”
Reference: (Sharh at-Tahawiyyah: 470)
Allama Subki رحمه الله (756 AH) says:
حاصله أنا نكفر من يكفر من نحن نقطع بإيمانه إما بنض أو إجماع
“Whoever we consider a believer based on consensus or definitive evidence, we consider whoever declares his takfir a disbeliever.”
Reference: (Fatawa al-Subki: 586/2)
Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله (852 AH) says:
من سب أحدا من الصحابة فهو أهل أن لا يروى عنه .
“Whoever insults any Companion is not worthy of having narrations accepted from him.”
Reference: (Tahdhib at-Tahdhib: 438/11)
Allama Ibn Hajar Haytami رحمه الله (974 AH) says:
اعلم أن الذى أجمع عليه أهل السنة والجماعة أنه يجب على كل أحد تزكية جميع الصحابة بإثبات العدالة لهم والكت عن الطعن فيهم والثناء عليهم فقد أثنى الله سبحانه وتعالى عليهم فى آيات من كتابه .
“Know that the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah is that it is obligatory on everyone to affirm the justice of all the Companions, to purify them, to refrain from slandering them, and to praise and honor them, because Allah Almighty has praised them in many verses of His Book.”
Reference: (As-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah: 603/2)
Allama Mulla Ali Qari رحمه الله (1014 AH) says:
إنهم يعتقدون كفر أكثر الصحابة، فضلا عن سائر أهل السنة والجماعة، فهم كفرة بالإجماع بلا نزاع.
“Contrary to all Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah, the belief of the Rawafid (Imamiyyah) is that most of the Companions are disbelievers. Therefore, the Rawafid are unanimously disbelievers, and there is no difference of opinion on this.”
Reference: (Mirqat al-Mafatih: 3027/7)
Warning :
Sayyiduna Hudhaifah bin Yamaan رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
أصحابي اثنا عشر منافقا، فيهم ثمانية لا يدخلون الجنة حتى يلج الجمل فى سم الخياط، ثمانية منهم تكفيكهم الدبيلة.
"Among the people attributed to me, there will be twelve hypocrites; eight of them will not enter Paradise until a camel passes through the eye of a needle. The death of eight hypocrites will be due to Dubi'lah (a poisonous sore)."
Reference: (Sahih Muslim: 2779)
In this hadith, the word "Ashabi" (companions) has appeared, and we have translated it as "people attributed to me," because in the Arabic language, "Sahib" is used for several meanings, including "my nation" (Ummah), as well as "followers," such as the companions of Abu Hanifa, companions of Malik, companions of Shafi'i, etc. This refers to the sect or group that follows their school of thought. Secondly, in another narration, the word "Umati" (my nation) is explicitly mentioned.
Therefore, the word "Ashabi" in the hadith can have two meanings:
1. Some people of my Ummah.
2. Hypocritical people who stay with me, who appear to be Muslims but whose hypocrisy and disbelief are in their hearts.
This does not mean the pure faithful companions, because the definition of a Sahabi is one who sees the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم in a state of faith and dies upon faith. A Sahabi can never be a hypocrite, and a hypocrite can never be a Sahabi.
The hypocrites called "Ashabi" in the hadith means that they are from the category of companions; they appear to be the companions of the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, but in reality, they are disbelievers.
An example of this is that Allah commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam عليه السلام, but Iblis refused. This does not mean that Iblis was among the angels, but it means he was included in the category of angels.
Similarly, the twelve hypocrites are not from the true companions but are from the category of companions.
