Compiled by: Abu Ubaidah Muhammad Saqib
According to Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, the Noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, are the most excellent, purest, and most trustworthy group of the Ummah. They believed in the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, supported him ﷺ, migrated and fought for the religion, sacrificed their lives and wealth, and conveyed the Quran and Sunnah to the Ummah. Therefore, loving the Noble Companions, respecting them, acknowledging their virtues, and guarding the tongue regarding them are among the fundamental principles of Ahl al-Sunnah.
The Pleasure of Allah Almighty with the Noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them
Allah Almighty said: [وَ السّٰبِقُوۡنَ الۡاَوَّلُوۡنَ مِنَ الۡمُہٰجِرِیۡنَ وَ الۡاَنۡصَارِ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اتَّبَعُوۡہُمۡ بِاِحۡسَانٍ ۙ رَّضِیَ اللّٰہُ عَنۡہُمۡ وَ رَضُوۡا عَنۡہُ وَ اَعَدَّ لَہُمۡ جَنّٰتٍ تَجۡرِیۡ تَحۡتَہَا الۡاَنۡہٰرُ خٰلِدِیۡنَ فِیۡہَاۤ اَبَدًا ؕ ذٰلِکَ الۡفَوۡزُ الۡعَظِیۡمُ]
And the first forerunners among the Muhajireen and the Ansar and those who followed them with good conduct - Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment.
Reference: At-Tawbah: 100
This verse is a clear proof of the great status of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, especially the early emigrants and the Ansar.
Allah's Pleasure with the Companions of the Pledge of Ridwan
Allah Almighty said: [لَقَدۡ رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ عَنِ الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ اِذۡ یُبَایِعُوۡنَکَ تَحۡتَ الشَّجَرَۃِ فَعَلِمَ مَا فِیۡ قُلُوۡبِہِمۡ فَاَنۡزَلَ السَّکِیۡنَۃَ عَلَیۡہِمۡ وَ اَثَابَہُمۡ فَتۡحًا قَرِیۡبًا]
Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you under the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquility upon them and rewarded them with a near victory.
Reference: Al-Fath: 18
This verse is an explicit text regarding Allah Almighty's pleasure with the Companions of the Pledge of Ridwan, may Allah be pleased with them.
The Truthfulness of the Emigrants and the Ansar
Allah Almighty said about the emigrants: [لِلۡفُقَرَآءِ الۡمُہٰجِرِیۡنَ الَّذِیۡنَ اُخۡرِجُوۡا مِنۡ دِیَارِہِمۡ وَ اَمۡوَالِہِمۡ یَبۡتَغُوۡنَ فَضۡلًا مِّنَ اللّٰہِ وَ رِضۡوَانًا وَّ یَنۡصُرُوۡنَ اللّٰہَ وَ رَسُوۡلَہٗ ؕ اُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الصّٰدِقُوۡنَ]
(It is) for the poor emigrants who were expelled from their homes and their wealth, seeking bounty and pleasure from Allah, and supporting Allah and His Messenger. Those are the truthful.
Reference: Al-Hashr: 8
And about the Ansar He said: [وَ الَّذِیۡنَ تَبَوَّؤُ الدَّارَ وَ الۡاِیۡمَانَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِہِمۡ یُحِبُّوۡنَ مَنۡ ہَاجَرَ اِلَیۡہِمۡ وَ لَا یَجِدُوۡنَ فِیۡ صُدُوۡرِہِمۡ حَاجَۃً مِّمَّاۤ اُوۡتُوۡا وَ یُؤۡثِرُوۡنَ عَلٰۤی اَنۡفُسِہِمۡ وَ لَوۡ کَانَ بِہِمۡ خَصَاصَۃٌ]
And (for) those who before them had a home and faith, they love those who emigrated to them, and they do not find in their breasts any need for what is given to the emigrants, and they prefer themselves, even though they are in great need.
Reference: Al-Hashr: 9
These verses describe the truthfulness of the emigrants and the selflessness and love of the Ansar.
The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, are the best people of the Ummah
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: [خير الناس قرني، ثم الذين يلونهم، ثم الذين يلونهم]
The best people are the people of my time, then those who come after them, then those who come after them.
Reference: Sahih Bukhari: 3651, Sahih Muslim: 2533
This hadith explicitly states that the best class of the Ummah is the class of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them.
The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, are a source of security for the Ummah
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him, 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]
Stars are a security for the sky; when the stars disappear, that which has been promised will come upon the sky. I am a security for my companions; when I depart, that which has been promised will come upon my companions. And my companions are a security for my Ummah; when my companions depart, that which has been promised will come upon my Ummah.
Reference: Sahih Muslim: 2531
This hadith clarifies the great status of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, that their existence was a source of security and goodness for the Ummah.
Prohibition of Speaking Ill of the Companions, May Allah Be Pleased With Them
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Saeed Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: [لا تسبوا أصحابي، فلو أن أحدكم أنفق مثل أحد ذهبا، ما بلغ مد أحدهم ولا نصيفه]
Do not speak ill of my Companions; for if any one of you were to spend gold equal to the size of Mount Uhud, it would not equal even half a mudd of one of them.
Reference: Sahih Bukhari: 3673, Sahih Muslim: 2541
This hadith makes the status of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, very clear that the great deeds of later people cannot be equal to the minor deeds of the Companions.
Love for the Ansar is a sign of faith
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: [آية الإيمان حب الأنصار، وآية النفاق بغض الأنصار]
Love for the Ansar is a sign of faith, and hatred for the Ansar is a sign of hypocrisy.
Reference: Sahih Bukhari: 17, Sahih Muslim: 74
This hadith clarifies the status of the Ansar, may Allah be pleased with them, and the religious importance of loving them.
One who harbors hatred for the Ansar is disliked by Allah
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Bara' bin Azib, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said about the Ansar: [لا يحبهم إلا مؤمن، ولا يبغضهم إلا منافق، من أحبهم أحبه الله، ومن أبغضهم أبغضه الله]
Only a believer loves the Ansar, and only a hypocrite harbors hatred for them. Whoever loves them, Allah will love him, and whoever hates them, Allah will hate him.
Reference: Sahih Bukhari: 3783, Sahih Muslim: 75
This hadith sets a very strict standard regarding love for the Ansar, may Allah be pleased with them, and hatred for them.
The Virtue of the People of Badr
It is narrated from Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said about the people of Badr: [لعل الله اطلع على أهل بدر، فقال: اعملوا ما شئتم، فقد غفرت لكم]
Indeed, Allah looked towards the people of Badr and said: Do whatever you wish, I have forgiven you.
Reference: Sahih Bukhari: 3007, Sahih Muslim: 2494
This hadith is clear evidence of the great status of the companions of Badr (may Allah be pleased with them) and their special virtue in the sight of Allah Almighty.
The Virtue of Those Who Pledged at Ridwan
It is narrated from Sayyida Umm Mubashshir (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: [لا يدخل النار، إن شاء الله، من أصحاب الشجرة أحد، الذين بايعوا تحتها]
None of those who pledged under the tree, God willing, will enter the fire.
Reference: Sahih Muslim: 2496
This hadith is a clear text regarding the great virtue of the companions who pledged at Ridwan (may Allah be pleased with them).
The Way of Those Who Came After the Companions
Allah Almighty said: [وَ الَّذِیۡنَ جَآءُوۡ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِہِمۡ یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ رَبَّنَا اغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَ لِاِخۡوَانِنَا الَّذِیۡنَ سَبَقُوۡنَا بِالۡاِیۡمَانِ وَ لَا تَجۡعَلۡ فِیۡ قُلُوۡبِنَا غِلًّا لِّلَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا رَبَّنَاۤ اِنَّکَ رَءُوۡفٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ]
And (for) those who before them had a home and faith, they love those who emigrated to them, and they do not desire in their hearts that which is given to the emigrants, and they prefer themselves over themselves, even though they are in great need. And whoever is protected from the greed of his soul, it is those who will be successful.
Reference: Al-Hashr: 10
This verse clarifies the approach for later generations to keep a pure heart regarding the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), to pray for their forgiveness, and not to harbor hatred or enmity against them.
Summary
It is established from the Quran and Hadith that the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them all, are the best group of the Ummah. Allah Almighty declared His pleasure with the Muhajireen and Ansar, praised those who gave the Pledge of Ridwan, called the Muhajireen truthful, described the selflessness of the Ansar, and taught later generations to pray for forgiveness for the Companions and to keep their hearts free from hatred towards them. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ declared the Companions as a security for the Ummah, forbade speaking ill of them, and considered love for the Ansar a sign of faith. Therefore, love for the Companions, respect for them, acknowledgment of their virtues, and disassociation from their killers and disrespecters are essential parts of the creed and methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah.
