Companions in the Quran

 

  1. How many companions did our Prophet (pbuh) have?

Most Muslim scholars define the companions (sahaba) of Prophet Muhammad to be the people who lived during his time period, and saw or heard him speak, even for a brief moment (Note that they should have converted to Islam).

Various references have counted the number of his companions up to 100 thousands!

 

  1. What’s the opinion of Sunni scholars regarding companions?

Sunni scholars believe in two things:

  1. All the companions are just (i.e. they commit no major sin and they have no insistence on the minor sins).
  2. Even if they made mistakes, they would be minor (i.e. Miss Ijtihad).

 

  1. What’s the opinion of Shia scholars regarding companions?

In their views, the Companions were divided into three categories along with a special category:

  1. The first category included the good Companions who knew Allah and His Messenger truly well, and they acclaimed him (the Messenger) to the last moments of their lives. They were truly his friends by words and deeds, and they never abandoned him, but rather stood their ground with him. Allah - the most High - praised them in many places in His Holy Book, and the Messenger of Allah (saw) also praised them in many places. This group of Companions are mentioned by the Shi’a with reverence and respect, they are also mentioned by the Sunnis with the same reverence and respect.
  2. The second category were the Companions who embraced Islam and followed the Messenger of Allah (saw) either through choice or through fear, and they always showed their gratitude to the Messenger of Allah (saw) for their Islam. However, they hurt the Messenger of Allah (saw) on a few occasions, and did not always follow his orders, in fact they often challenged him and challenged the clear text with their points of view, until Allah, through the Holy Qur'an, had to intervene by rebuking them or threatening them. Allah exposed them in many Qur'anic verses, also the Messenger of Allah (saw) warned them in many of his sayings. The Shi’a mention this group of Companions only because of their deeds, and without respect or reverence.
  3. The third type of Companions were the hypocrites who accompanied the Messenger of Allah (saw) to deceive him. They pretended to be Muslims but inside themselves they were bent on blasphemy and on deceiving Islam and the Muslims as a whole. Allah has revealed a complete Surah in the Qur'an about them, and mentioned them in many other places, and promised them the lowest level in Hell. Also the Messenger of Allah (saw) mentioned them and issued warnings about them, and even informed some of his close friends about their names and characteristics. The Shi’a and the Sunnis agree in cursing this group of Companions and have nothing to do with them.
  4. There was a special group of Companions who distinguished themselves from the others by being relatives of the Prophet (saw), in addition to having possessed ethical and spiritual virtues and personal distinctions from Allah and His Messenger that no one else was honored with. These were Ahl al-Bayt (the Prophet's Family) whom Allah cleansed and purified, and ordered us to pray for them in the same way as he ordered us to pray for His Messenger.

 

  1. On what basis have Shia scholars criticized the Sunni’s idea about the companions?

The main reasons of this could be briefed as follows:

  1. In many cases, companions have met the Prophet (pbuh) only once throughout their whole life; hence, it is impossible for all the 100 thousands companions to always be just and follow the guidelines of the Prophet (pbuh).
  2. Some of the companions such as Ash’as bin Qeis turned back on their pagan believes and become apostates.
  3. Some of those “just” companions, as Sunnis believe, are the main players in beginning the battle of “Jamal”!  

 

  1. Which speech of the Prophet (pbuh) has been continuously repeated in Sahihein (Bukhari and Muslim)?

This tradition is known as the hadith of Competition of the world, the story is as follows:

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “I lead you and am your witness, and by Allah I now look at my pool and have been given the keys to the treasures of the earth (for the earth's keys), and by Allah I am not worried that you become polytheist after me, but I am worried that you will compete for it."[1]

The Messenger of Allah (saw) was right. They competed for this world to the extent that they fought against each other, and each party accused the other of blasphemy. Some of the famous Companions were eager to collect gold and silver, and historians such as al-Masudi in Muruj al-Dhahab and al-Tabari and others stated that the wealth of al-Zubayr on its own came to fifty thousand Dinars and a thousand horses with one thousand slaves and many holdings in Basra al-Kufa Egypt and many other places.

The agricultural products from Iraq alone brought Talhah one thousand Dinars every day, and perhaps more than that. Abdul Rahman ibn Awf had one hundred horses, one thousand camels and ten thousand sheep. After his death, quarter of his wealth which was divided among his wives came to eighty-four thousand Dinars.

Uthman ibn Affan left on the day of his death one hundred and fifty thousand Dinars apart from an enormous wealth of land, cattle and villages. Zayd ibn Thabit left an amount of gold and silver that had to be broken by hammers! Apart from money and agricultural holdings which came to one hundred thousand Dinars.5

These were just a few historical examples. Since we do not want to go into detailed analysis of their importance at the moment, we only mention them as a proof and support of the sayings, that they (these companions) were more interested in the present life.

 

 

 

**** Categories of Quranic verses regarding Companions

  1. Praising the Companions

وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِینَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ وَالَّذِینَ اتَّبَعُوهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ رَضِیَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِی تَحْتَهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِینَ فِیهَا أَبَدًا ذَلِکَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِیمُ ﴿۱۰۰﴾

And (as for) the foremost, the first of the Muhajirs and the Ansars, and those who followed them in goodness, Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them forever; that is the mighty achievement (Surah Tawbah, 9:100)

 

مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِینَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْکُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَیْنَهُمْ تَرَاهُمْ رُکَّعًا سُجَّدًا یَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانًا سِیمَاهُمْ فِی وُجُوهِهِمْ مِنْ أَثَرِ السُّجُودِ ذَلِکَ مَثَلُهُمْ فِی التَّوْرَاةِ وَمَثَلُهُمْ فِی الْإِنْجِیلِ کَزَرْعٍ أَخْرَجَ شَطْأَهُ فَآزَرَهُ فَاسْتَغْلَظَ فَاسْتَوَى عَلَى سُوقِهِ یُعْجِبُ الزُّرَّاعَ لِیَغِیظَ بِهِمُ الْکُفَّارَ وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ مِنْهُمْ مَغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِیمًا ﴿۲۹﴾

Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those with him are firm of heart against the unbelievers, compassionate among themselves; you will see them bowing down, prostrating themselves, seeking grace from Allah and pleasure; their marks are in their faces because of the effect of prostration; that is their description in the Taurat and their description in the Injeel; like as seed-produce that puts forth its sprout, then strengthens it, so it becomes stout and stands firmly on its stem, delighting the sowers that He may enrage the unbelievers on account of them; Allah has promised those among them who believe and do good, forgiveness and a great reward (Surah Fath, 48:29)

 

  1. Criticizing the companions

وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ أَفَإِنْ مَاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انْقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَى أَعْقَابِکُمْ وَمَنْ یَنْقَلِبْ عَلَى عَقِبَیْهِ فَلَنْ یَضُرَّ اللَّهَ شَیْئًا وَسَیَجْزِی اللَّهُ الشَّاکِرِینَ ﴿۱۴۴﴾

And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; the messengers have already passed away before him; if then he dies or is killed will you turn back upon your heels? And whoever turns back upon his heels? he will by no means do harm to Allah in the least and Allah will reward the grateful (Surah Al-Imran, 3:144)

 

أَلَمْ یَأْنِ لِلَّذِینَ آمَنُوا أَنْ تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِکْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَلَا یَکُونُوا کَالَّذِینَ أُوتُوا الْکِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَیْهِمُ الْأَمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَکَثِیرٌ مِنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ ﴿۱۶﴾

Has not the time yet come for those who believe that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth? And that they should not be like those who were given the Book before, but the time became prolonged to them, so their hearts hardened, and most of them are transgressors (Surah Hadid, 57:16)

 

وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ یَلْمِزُکَ فِی الصَّدَقَاتِ فَإِنْ أُعْطُوا مِنْهَا رَضُوا وَإِنْ لَمْ یُعْطَوْا مِنْهَا إِذَا هُمْ یَسْخَطُونَ ﴿۵۸﴾

And of them there are those who blame you with respect to the alms; so if they are given from it they are pleased, and if they are not given from it, lo! they are full of rage (Surah Tawbah, 9:58)

 

فَرِحَ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ بِمَقْعَدِهِمْ خِلَافَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَکَرِهُوا أَنْ یُجَاهِدُوا بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ فِی سَبِیلِ اللَّهِ وَقَالُوا لَا تَنْفِرُوا فِی الْحَرِّ قُلْ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ أَشَدُّ حَرًّا لَوْ کَانُوا یَفْقَهُونَ ﴿۸۱﴾

Those who were left behind were glad on account of their sitting behind Allah's Messenger and they were averse from striving m Allah's way with their property and their persons, and said: Do not go forth in the heat. Say: The fire of hell is much severe in heat. Would that they understood (it) (Surah Tawbah, 9:81)

 

إِذْ تُصْعِدُونَ وَلَا تَلْوُونَ عَلَى أَحَدٍ وَالرَّسُولُ یَدْعُوکُمْ فِی أُخْرَاکُمْ فَأَثَابَکُمْ غَمًّا بِغَمٍّ لِکَیْلَا تَحْزَنُوا عَلَى مَا فَاتَکُمْ وَلَا مَا أَصَابَکُمْ وَاللَّهُ خَبِیرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿۱۵۳﴾

When you ran off precipitately and did not wait for any one, and the Messenger was calling you from your rear, so He gave you another sorrow instead of (your) sorrow, so that you might not grieve at what had escaped you, nor (at) what befell you; and Allah is aware of what you do (Surah Al-Imran, 3:153)

 

  1. Praising a single good deed of the companions

إِنَّ الَّذِینَ یُبَایِعُونَکَ إِنَّمَا یُبَایِعُونَ اللَّهَ یَدُ اللَّهِ فَوْقَ أَیْدِیهِمْ فَمَنْ نَکَثَ فَإِنَّمَا یَنْکُثُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أَوْفَى بِمَا عَاهَدَ عَلَیْهُ اللَّهَ فَسَیُؤْتِیهِ أَجْرًا عَظِیمًا ﴿۱۰﴾

Surely those who swear allegiance to you do but swear allegiance to Allah; the hand of Allah is above their hands. Therefore, whoever breaks (his faith), he breaks it only to the injury of his own soul, and whoever fulfills what he has covenanted with Allah, He will grant him a mighty reward (Surah Fath, 48:10)

 

لَقَدْ رَضِیَ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ إِذْ یُبَایِعُونَکَ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ فَعَلِمَ مَا فِی قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأَنْزَلَ السَّکِینَةَ عَلَیْهِمْ وَأَثَابَهُمْ فَتْحًا قَرِیبًا ﴿۱۸﴾

Certainly Allah was well pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance to you under the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquillity on them and rewarded them with a near victory, (Surah Fath, 48:18)

 

[1] Sahih, Bukhari, Vol 4 p 94-99, 156, vol 3 p 32; Sahih Muslim, Vol 7 p 66