Understanding the Definition of the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ

When we hear the word 'companionship', the first thing that comes to listeners' minds

is the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ.

This generation includes men, women, the young, and the old,

who accompanied the Prophet ﷺ and believed.

“Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written [i.e., described] in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and prohibits them from what is wrong and makes lawful for them what is good and forbids them from what is evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them. So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him - it is those who will be the successful.” (Quran 7:157)

and carried this message to those who came after him.

O seeker of excellence, seeking his Lord to attain from Him the ultimate aspiration.

O seeker of excellence, seeking his Lord to attain from Him the ultimate aspiration.

So look at the era of the Companions (RA) and what they were upon in times past.

Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah ﷻ be upon you.

“In the name of Allāh, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.”

“[All] praise is [due] to Allāh, Lord of the worlds -” (Quran 1:1-2)

May Allah ﷻ send peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah.

Welcome, my brothers and sisters, to a new episode

of this program, 'With the First Generation'.

You may remember in the previous episode we spoke

about how, among the universal, predestined laws of Allah, is the law of preference,

and that the choosing of the Companions (RA) was not a historical accident or a random coincidence,

but rather a precise divine choice that is binding upon all of us.

Indeed, in front of this great scene, we must take a calm, scholarly pause.

In this pause, we will clarify the meaning of companionship and define the concept of a Sahabi,

because, as I mentioned to you, in this program

I do not want to just narrate historical events or stories, for example,

as much as I want to mention rules, guidelines, and broad outlines

for this great golden generation,

the generation of the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ, so that when we come to the term 'Sahabi',

and define it precisely, so that terms do not get mixed up or words are not made to bear what they cannot.

The proof of this is that scholars, past and present, paid great attention to defining the term Sahabi.

They paid great attention to it for this purpose, so that matters are regulated and it is known who is a Sahabi and who is not.

Because this generation is an exceptional generation, chosen and selected by Allah عز وجل.

The word Sahabi, in the Arabic language, is derived from 'suhbah' (companionship).

What is 'suhbah'? It is close association and companionship,

meaning, whether long or short, they are called a Sahabi.

In fact, when we refer to the lexicons, companionship in Arabic usage was not...

restricted only to physical association, but it is also applied to following someone,

even in opinion or adopting their way, for example.

adherence to a specific methodology.

For this reason, the Arabs and then the scholars after them used

the term 'companions of so-and-so,' meaning his followers in his madhhab,

for example.

even if they did not accompany him personally.

From this, one says: the people of hadith, the people of opinion (ra'y),

the companions of the four legal schools — the companions of Abu Hanifa, of Malik, of al-Shafi'i, of Ahmad —

even if they were jurists who came centuries later.

Also, 'companionship' (suhba) may mean close, constant association — as when one says: so-and-so is the companion of so-and-so, meaning his intimate.

It is not merely a passing acquaintance, like a work colleague or someone sharing the same place.

No — it is close, constant association. But in actual Sharia and scholarly usage,

However, in actual Sharia and scholarly usage,

when we hear the word 'companionship' (suhba),

when we hear the word 'companionship' (suhba), the first thing that comes to listeners' minds is the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ, yes?

Therefore, it became established that the Companion,

or the Companions when mentioned, refer to this golden generation,

the companions of Muhammad ﷺ,

this unique generation that witnessed the prophethood and the revelation,

and believed in the Messenger and transmitted the religion to those who came after.

Therefore, these Companions (RA),

this name became so attached to them that

whenever anyone hears this term and this word,

their mind, soul, and intellect immediately go to that unique golden generation,

may Allah be pleased with them and make them pleased.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, the Companions, as I mentioned,

when they are mentioned, it includes this generation of men and women.

young and old, who accompanied the Prophet ﷺ.

and believed,

“Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written [i.e., described] in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and prohibits them from what is wrong and makes lawful for them what is good and forbids them from what is evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them. So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him - it is those who will be the successful.” (Quran 7:157)

and carried this message to those who came after him.

However, when moving, for example, from the linguistic to the technical definition,

we find that the scholars, as I mentioned,

strived to define the meaning of suhba and who a Sahabi is.

Therefore, the schools of thought differed on this matter.

That is, they did not differ in the core essence,

but rather they differed in some conditions and criteria.

In this regard, two scholarly schools of thought have emerged.

The first school is the school of Ahl al-Hadith,

and the second school is the school of the jurists.

Now, the school of Ahl al-Hadith,

when they define a Sahabi, we find that they are the broadest school in their definition,

and the most precise in reality in terms of transmission.

Therefore, when the majority of Hadith scholars define a Sahabi, how do they define him? They say:

“Anyone who met the Prophet ﷺ while believing in him and died upon Islam,

even if apostasy intervened.”

"...even if apostasy intervened." What does this statement mean?

For example, some of the Bedouins who apostatized—they were a few individuals

during the time of the Prophet ﷺ, then returned to Islam.

For these, the status of companionship remains for them,

as long as they died upon Islam,

since they had seen the Prophet ﷺ and believed in him, even if an apostasy intervened.

Therefore, this definition includes men, women, freemen, and freed slaves,

and those whose companionship was long or short,

and those who sat with the Prophet ﷺ

or only saw him, even if they saw him in the market, for example, once.

Even the blind person who could not see and did not see him with his eyes,

as long as he met him and believed in him, he is also from the Companions (RA),

like Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum and a group of Companions (RA) such as Itban and others.

We notice from the definition of companionship by the majority of Hadith scholars

that the criterion is meeting [him] with faith and remaining steadfast in Islam,

not the length of time nor frequent companionship.

But when we move to the school of the jurists and scholars of usul,

indeed, when we contemplate their definition, we find that in its origin,

the original definition is very close to that of the Hadith scholars.

However, many of the jurists required,

for companionship to be established, a long duration of companionship,

or frequent meetings with the Prophet ﷺ.

And they, the jurists, differed among themselves.

So, what is the duration that can be considered

as a long time with the Prophet ﷺ?

What is the meeting that is repeated, for example?

Therefore, you find some of them saying its limit is one day,

Some said a month, and others went further, saying up to a year,

and some said without any limit.

Meaning, they want to emphasize the length

of companionship and frequent visits to the Prophet ﷺ.

However, upon scrutiny, this disagreement

can be said to be more theoretical than practical.

Therefore, what seems correct, and Allah knows best,

and what is acted upon, is the definition of the majority of Hadith scholars.

Because, in reality, we find it more precise for transmission and safer from arbitrariness,

unlike what we saw of those who specify a day, a month, and so on.

No, the definition of the Hadith scholars is indeed closer to correctness.

Therefore, even in linguistic and legal usage, it is close.

This definition—the definition of the Hadith scholars—is supported by

a number of texts, as well as the practice of the righteous predecessors.

Therefore, there are...

texts we have, for example, indicating that a long companionship is not a condition,

nor a long association. It is sufficient that he saw the Prophet ﷺ or met him, like

meaning those who are blind and cannot see.

For this reason, in the authentic hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said:

"Glad tidings to whoever has seen me."

And in another narration: "The Fire shall not touch a Muslim who has seen me."

This is proof that by merely meeting or seeing the Prophet ﷺ,

companionship is established, as long as he believed in him and died upon that,

believing in him and dying upon that.

Therefore, this definition clearly shows—and this Hadith also

which supports the opinion of the majority of the scholars of Hadith,

clearly indicating that merely seeing him with faith has a great impact on virtue.

Imam Ahmad (RH) has a beautiful saying, where he says:

"Whoever accompanied him for a year, a month, a day, or an hour,

or saw him, is one of the companions, having companionship in proportion to the time he accompanied him."

Therefore, the scholars say:

"Companionship is a generic term whose members vary in status and are not equal, just as faith and deeds vary."

For one who saw the Prophet ﷺ once is not like one who accompanied him for ten years,

or one who was among the first to believe in him, like Abu Bakr (RA), for example. Is that clear?

Therefore, one who accompanied him for a long period can never be like

one who accompanied him for a day, a month, or the like.

Thus, one who accepted Islam on the Day of Conquest is not like one who migrated and fought before that, per the noble verse.

However, they all share the basic status of companionship, but vary in its degrees.

Let me give you an example. Consider this:

If the Prophet ﷺ were in a gathering

and the Companions (RA) were around him, surrounding the gathering,

some would be right next to him, close on his right or left, and so on,

while others would be far.

Everyone shares in this gathering,

but they vary in their proximity to the Prophet ﷺ and in their degrees.

Now, how is the actual status of companionship determined?

This is indeed one of the most important issues

that scholars have strived greatly

to understand and to establish correct guidelines for,

in order to safeguard the Seerah, preserve history, and prevent false claims.

Therefore, they strived to define how a Companion (RA) is identified,

and concluded that identifying the Companions (RA)

or establishing companionship is known

through two ways.

The first way is establishing companionship through reports,

and this comes in various forms, including the Quranic text, for example.

Meaning, Allah ﷻ says: "So when Zayd had no longer any need of her."

For example, there is an allusion—meaning, this is an explicit mention.

So, "when Zayd..." Who is Zayd?

Zayd ibn Harithah (RA), the great companion who used to be called Zayd ibn Muhammad,

when the Prophet ﷺ adopted him.

Then, when the prohibition of adoption came: "Call them by [the names of] their fathers,"

he was called Zayd ibn Harithah.

Likewise, an allusion, such as the word of Allah ﷻ:

“If you do not aid him [i.e., the Prophet (ﷺ)] - Allāh has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Makkah] as one of two, when they were in the cave and he [i.e., Muḥammad (ﷺ)] said to his companion, "Do not grieve; indeed Allāh is with us." And Allāh sent down His tranquility upon him and supported him with soldiers [i.e., angels] you did not see and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the word of Allāh - that is the highest. And Allāh is Exalted in Might and Wise.” (Quran 9:40)

..."to his companion." Who is his companion? By consensus, it is Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (RA).

Likewise, by mutawatir—e.g., Abu Bakr, Umar, and the rest of the ten.

The reports are mutawatir that they are companions of the Prophet ﷺ.

There is a vast number of companions for whom consensus has been reached that they are companions of the Prophet ﷺ, such as the Mothers of the Believers,

the household of the Prophet ﷺ who believed in him, the daughters of the Prophet ﷺ,

a group of the Ansar, and a group of the Muhajirun.

Likewise, by renown that falls short of mutawatir status.

Sometimes a companion is mentioned not through mutawatir narration, but through renown.

For example, Ukashah ibn Mihsan: "Ukashah has preceded you to it,"

Dimam ibn Tha'labah, for example, and many others besides them.

Likewise, a person's own report about himself,

reporting about himself, on the condition of

the possibility of meeting during the era of prophethood.

Like, for example, Jarir ibn Abdullah, the leader, al-Bajali.

This is Jarir ibn Abdullah al-Bajali.

Of course, Jarir embraced Islam late, and the Prophet ﷺ honored him.

He used to narrate: "Whenever the Prophet ﷺ saw me, he smiled."

So he reports about himself that he used to meet the Prophet ﷺ.

Likewise, the Companions (RA) reporting about one another.

For example, a Companion saying: "I and so-and-so witnessed..."

For example, Humam al-Dawsi, who died in Isfahan of an abdominal illness,

so Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (RA) testified that he heard the Prophet ﷺ rule that he was a martyr.

When we refer to the biographies of the Companions (RA), we find something remarkable

in their reports about themselves or about one another.

Likewise, the reports of the Tabi'un about the Companions (RA) indicate meeting and seeing.

For example, you find senior Tabi'un mentioning that they met or narrated from a certain Companion (RA).

Is that clear? This is the first way. The second way is establishing it by description and context.

Establishing companionship by description and context; for example, being among the Muhajirun who migrated from Mecca to Medina,

or from the Ansar during the era of prophethood, or among those who made the two migrations to Abyssinia,

or, for example, being from the people of Mecca or Ta'if in the tenth year of the Hijrah.

We must specify the tenth year of the Hijrah. Why?

Because by the tenth year of the Hijrah, everyone in Mecca and Ta'if had accepted Islam.

By the tenth year of the Hijrah, everyone in Mecca and Ta'if had accepted Islam.

people entered the religion of Allah ﷻ in multitudes,

or, for example, being a commander in one of the Ridda wars or conquests,

because Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (RA) did not appoint...

...anyone to lead the Ridda battles except the Companions (RA).

Or that a child was born to him during the Prophet's ﷺ lifetime.

All of this indicates the precision of the scholars and their great care

in preserving this blessed generation,

the generation of the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ.

Generally, my brothers and sisters, companionship

is not a claimed title, nor a rank attained by whim,

but rather a Sharia merit with precise guidelines and a divine honor

given only to one who combined meeting the Prophet ﷺ

with believing in him and remaining steadfast until death.

Therefore, defining a Sahabi is, in my view, one of the most impactful chapters of knowledge,

because whoever is proven to be a Sahabi is proven to have integrity,

and whoever is proven to have integrity, his narration is accepted, and through it, the religion is preserved.

Allah ﷻ is the Ally of the believers.

Through the gates of excellence, he seeks his Lord to attain from Him the ultimate of hopes.

Look at the guidance of the Sahabah and what they were upon in times past.