The Companions

The word “sahaba” is the plural form of “sahabi” (companion) in Arabic. In Hadith studies, this term refers to the persons who believed in the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, met him, and died with this faith.

Ibn Hajar describes the Companion as “the one who met the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, while believing in him, and died as a Muslim.”¹⁾

Accordingly, to be the presence of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, with faith is enough to be the Companions, whether they came together with him for a long time or a short time, whether they narrate hadiths from him or not, or whether they see him or not. Therefore, those who have seen him, peace and blessings be upon him, even once in their life, or who are in the same environment even though they cannot see him due to a situation such as blindness, are considered the Companions.

“After the Prophets, his Family and Companions are the most renowned, respected, celebrated, pious, and keen-sighted members of humanity. Such a distinction is due to their insight, wisdom, and spiritual accomplishments.”²⁾

“Those who saw the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, without faith, but who were Muslims after the passing of the Prophet, are not considered the Companions. In addition, those who saw him with faith during his life, then committed apostasy, but returned to faith before they passed away, are not considered the Companions, although there are different opinions on this matter. In the definition of “the Companions,” it is an important point to see the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, with faith, to live with this faith, and to die with this faith.”³⁾

“On the other hand, people like Abu Zuayb Khuwaylid b. Khalid al-Huzali, who saw the body of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, before he was buried after his death are not considered the Companions.”⁴⁾

“In order to become a Companion, it is enough for the children to be at the age of discernment, they do not have to finish their puberty. There are many Companions, like the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, Hasan and Husayn (may God be pleased with both of them), who were just at the age of discernment then. However, there is a dispute over the Companionship of children who have not yet reached the age of discernment. For example, the children whom the Prophet Muhammad prayed to when they were in infancy, whom he made tahnik (he used to put a date in his mouth and soften it, and then put it in a child’s mouth, and the child used to lick it), and whom he has given names are not considered as the Companions. In order to be a Companion, it is imperative to see the Prophet Muhammad in the Manifest Realm. Therefore, a person who sees him through spiritual discovery or in his dream does not become a Companion.”⁵⁾

“Leave my Companions alone. By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if one amongst you would have spent as much gold as Uhud it would not amount to as much as one much on behalf of one of them or half of it.”⁶⁾

“As regards general superiority, however, no one can equal or better the Companions, whom God describes (in 48:29) as having praiseworthy qualities, and whom the Torah and Gospel predicted and praise highly.”⁷⁾

“The Companions were illumined by the light of Muhammad’s Prophethood, peace and blessings be upon him. Saints who see him after his death are honored only with his sainthood’s light, for now there is no Prophethood.”⁸⁾

“The Companions, all of whose senses were awakened and faculties alert, pronounced the blessed words and phrases containing all the lights of belief and glorification in all their meanings, and derived their shares with all their faculties. This is why people cannot attain in 40 days or even 40 years what a Companion reached in 40 minutes. Even if saints reach the rank of absolute truthfulness, loyalty, and succession to the Prophet (the highest rank of sainthood belonging to the Companions), they cannot reach the Companions’ degree.”⁹⁾

“The absolute majority of Companions were lovers of truth, devoted to truthfulness, and desired justice. In that age, the ugliness of lying and deception was demonstrated in all its ugliness, and the beauty of truth and truthfulness in all its beauty. The distance between them was as great as that between the ground and God’s Supreme Throne, or between the degree of the truthfulness of Prophet Muhammad (the highest rank) and the deceptiveness of Musaylima the Liar (the lowest rank). Indeed, just it was lying that brought Musaylima to the lowest of the low, so it was truthfulness and right which elevated Muhammad the Trustworthy to the highest of the high.”¹⁰⁾

Other Languages

¹⁾

Ibn Hajar, Al-Isaba, 1/4–5.

²⁾

Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, The Letters, New Jersey: The Light, 2014, p. 232.

³⁾

Ibn Hajar, ibid., 1/7–8.

⁴⁾

Suyuti, Tadribu’r-Rawi, II/209; Ibn Hajar, ibid., I/8.

⁵⁾

Suyuti, ibid., II/209; Ibn Hajar, ibid, I/7–9.

⁶⁾

Buhari, Fadailü’l-Ashab, 5; Muslim, Fadailü’s-Sahaba, 221; Tirmidhi, Manaqıb, 58.

⁷⁾

Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, The Words, New Jersey: The Light, 2013, p. 507.

⁸⁾

Ibid., p. 505.

⁹⁾

Ibid., p. 509.

¹⁰⁾

Ibid., p. 503.