Companions of the Prophet (s): Difference between revisions

A companion of the Prophet (Sahaba) is anyone who met the [[Prophet (s)]], believed in him and so died as a Muslim.<ref>Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, ‘’al-Iṣāba’’, vol. 1, p. 158.</ref> This includes those who leave Islam in the time that they met the Prophet and died as Muslims. The condition of 'meeting' as used in this context is inclusive of actual companionship (regular interaction) with the Prophet (s), accompanying the Prophet (s), and crossing paths with the Prophet (s) even if no words were exchanged, or the other party did not physically see the Prophet (s) due to a cause such as blindness.<ref>Shahīd al-Thānī, ‘’al-Riʿaya fī ʿilm al-dirāya’’, p. 339.</ref>

Some people have included further conditions to the definition, such as companionship for a considerable period of time, memorizing narrations from him, fighting in wars and battles alongside the Prophet (s), and being martyred in the army of the Prophet (s). However, that which has been accepted and approved of by the scholars, is the original definition without these additional conditions.<ref>See: Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, ‘’al-Iṣāba’’, vol. 1, p. 159.</ref>

It is reported that the Prophet's companions numbered up to one hundred and fourteen thousand individuals.<ref>Shahīd al-Thānī, ‘’al-Riʿaya fī ʿilm al-dirāya’’, p. 345.</ref> Establishing whether or not someone was a companion can be done through [[tawatur]] (Widely reported narrations), [[Khabar al-wahid#Al-Mustafid|Istifada]] (If such is recorded in three or more reports with different chains), [[shuhra]] (Being well-known to people) and [[al-khabar al-thiqa]] (Being reported by trustworthy narrators).<ref>Shahīd al-Thānī, ‘’al-Riʿaya fī ʿilm al-dirāya’’, p. 342-343.</ref>

Those who had the good fortune of seeing the Prophet (s), but were young in age, are known as the 'minor companions' (Saḥāba al-Ṣighār).<ref>Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, ‘’al-Iṣāba’’, vol. 7, p. 679; vol. 8, p. 113.</ref>

Since some of the companions lived almost up to the year one-hundred [[Hijri]], the era of Sahaba is considered to be between the time after the Prophet's demise to the end of the first Islamic century.<ref>Shahābī, ‘’Adwār-i fiqh’’, vol. 1, p. 392.</ref>

The last companion to pass away in [[Kufa]] was [[Abd Allah b. Abi Awfa]] in the eighty-sixth year of Hijri. In Medina, the last of the companions to leave this world was [[Sahl b. Sa'd al-Sa'idi]] in the year ninety-one Hijri, while he was a hundred years old. [[Anas b. Malik]] was the final companion to die in the city of [[Basra]] in either ninety-one or ninety-three Hijri. The last companion in [[Syria]] was [[Abd Allah b. Yusr]], who passed away in eighty-eight Hijri.<ref>Shahābī, ‘’Adwār-i fiqh’’, vol. 1, p. 393.</ref>

[[Amir b. Wathila]] was the last of those who saw the [[Prophet (s)]].<ref>Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, ‘’al-Iṣāba’’, vol. 3, p. 243.</ref> He was a flagbearer in the government of [[al-Mukhtar b. Abi Ubayd al-Thaqafi]], and died after one-hundred Hijri.<ref>Shahābī, ‘’Adwār-i fiqh’’, vol. 1, p. 393.</ref>

The study regarding the companions began in the [[first Islamic century]] (post-Prophetic migration) in the form of cataloguing the works of companions (Fihrist) or listing their names (Tasmīya or Ismā'). The root of this practice (listing names) originates from the science of genealogy, or is at least an extension of it, as it existed in pre-Islamic Arabia during the era of [[ignorance]] (Jahiliyya). As a result of this continuing tradition, the recording of the companions' names, and their individual or tribal specifications, was seen as an important endeavor. The investigation about the companions began to develop into an encyclopaedia for Sahaba. When the writing of biographies was introduced, lists of those who had participated in wars or tribes which had martyrs, and information of this kind started to be recorded. Events like the first and second allegiance of [[al-Aqaba]], or who was martyred during the [[Battle of Badr]], were documented. We see this type of documentation in the [[Sira of Ibn Ishaq]] and ''al-Maghazi'' of Musa b. 'Uqba.<ref>Hidāyatpanāh, ‘’Dānish-i ṣaḥābanigārī’’, p. 5.</ref>

The majority of books written about the biographies of [[hadith narrators]] under the topics of (narrator) history or tabaqat (listing the narrators in order of a particular criterion), are usually dedicated to the works authored by the companions (Fihrist). Al-Waqidi is a pioneering example of this occurrence. Although Waqidi's book (''al-Tabaqat'') is not available, his student, Ibn Sa'd, has brought a lot of the material from his teachers work in his own book, ''[[Al-Tabaqat al-kubra]]''. In this book, Ibn Sa'd has mentioned most of the companions names. The names and grouping, however, have not been arranged in an alphabetical order, as this method of ordering lists is a latter development. The names have been arranged in what seems to be a geographical order, so, for example first companions who resided in Mecca are mentioned, followed by those who were in Ta'if.<ref>Hidāyatpanāh, ‘’Dānish-i ṣaḥābanigārī’’, p. 6.</ref>

Alongside such books, other independently organized materials under the name of Tasmiya or Asma' (listing names) was also produced. The oldest work written under this title was authored by [['Ubayd Allah b. Abi Rafi']]. His book was titled ''Names of those who were martyred in the ranks of the Commander of the Faithful, [['Ali b. Abi Talib (a)]] in (the battles of)[[ Jamal]], [[Siffin]] and [[Nahrawan]]''. The book itself no longer exists, but [[Qadi Nu'man al-Misri ]] has brought it in his ''[[Sharh al-akhbar]]''.<ref>Hidāyatpanāh, ‘’Dānish-i ṣaḥābanigārī’’, p. 6.</ref>

Larger collections of works regarding the Sahaba have been collected with titles such as ''Ma'rifat al-sahaba'' (Knowing the Companions) and ''Mu'jam al-sahaba''. In the third century, authors such as Ali b. Madyani (d. [[234]]/848-49), Halwani Hasan b. Ali (d.[[242]]/856-57), 'Abbas b. Ya'qub al-Rawajini (d.[[250]]/864-65 or [[271]]/884-85), Abdan, and Abu Muhammad 'Abd Allah b. Muhammad b. 'Isa Marvzi, and following them, Abu Mansur al-Bawardi (in the beginning of the fourth century) all authored books with the title "Ma'rifat al-sahaba". The first book to be titled "Mujam al-sahaba" was written by Abu Ya'li al-Musili (d.[[307]]/919-20).<ref>Hidāyatpanāh, ‘’Dānish-i ṣaḥābanigārī’’, p. 8, 9.</ref>

In writing the books known as "Mu'jam", at times the content was organized alphabetically according to the first letter of the word, and even the following letters of the word, on other occasions. The latter (all letters of the word being listed based on alphabetical order) became more common during the sixth century onwards.<ref>Hidāyatpanāh, ‘’Dānish-i ṣaḥābanigārī’’, p. 9.</ref>

[[Sunni]] Muslims, all except a small group (whom Ibn Hajar refers to as the [[Mubtada'a]]), are known to hold the belief that the companions were just and righteous individuals.<ref>Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, ‘’al-Iṣāba’’, vol. 1, p. 162.</ref> However, apparently, it seems that not all Sunni scholars have accepted this view; hence, it is not correct to say that all Sunnis have this belief.<ref>Amīn, ‘’Aʿyān al-Shīʿa’’, vol. 1, p. 113.</ref>

"According to the view of our companions, the Mu'tazilites believe that, without any dispute (among the scholars) they are in the hell fire. As a general principle, we the Mu'tazilites, consider every unrighteous and sinful person, who dies in the state of sin and infringement of God's commandments, to be hell bound. And there is no doubt that every rebel and traitor against a rightful [[Imam]] (Imam al-Haqq) is unrighteous and sinful."<ref>Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd, ‘’Sharḥ Nahj al-balāgha’’, vol. 1, p. 9.</ref>

Verses of the holy Qur'an have also been used to argue for the righteousness and justice of the Sahaba. One particular verse which is often employed, is:<ref>Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, ‘’al-Iṣāba’’, vol. 1, p. 163.</ref>

centered pull quote|{{center|'''{{ia| وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِ‌ينَ وَالْأَنصَارِ‌ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَانٍ رَّ‌ضِيَ اللَّـهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَ‌ضُوا عَنْهُ }}'''}}

|author=[[Qur'an]]

|source= Ch: 9, V: 100

This verse however, does not indicate that all of the companions were just and righteous individuals, especially since the holy [[Qur'an]] mentions the unfavourable acts and characteristics of some companions. It mentions that some of them had a sickness in their hearts, that a number of them would act as spies for the hypocrites, the fact that there are unrighteous and sinful individuals among them, and that the [[Prophet (s)]] was averse towards some of them. Therefore, it is not agreeable that God was pleased with such individuals, for He says in the holy Qur'an:

|source= Ch: 9, V: 96

Secondly, their excellence over others, and God being pleased with them is conditional to them believing and practicing good deeds, the reason being that the praise of the believers in this verse comes after condemning the hypocrites for their disbelief and evil works. Furthermore, in the other instances where God praises the believers, it is always done so while being conditional to them having faith and doing good deeds. If this were not the case, it would be a direct opposition of the clear message of verse ninety-six in [[Sura al-Tawba]] (repentance), where God states his displeasure with the transgressors. It also goes against verse one-hundred and twenty-three of surah Nisa, in which God states '…whoever commits evil, shall be requited for it…', and many other verses of the Qur'an.

Another verse that has been used to establish that the companions of the Prophet (s) were all righteous and just is:

centered pull quote|{{center|'''{{ia| كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ‌ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِ‌جَتْ لِلنَّاسِ}}'''}}

| align=center

|author=[[Qur'an]]

|source= Ch:3, V: 110

Similarly, this verse also does not support the claim that all the companions of the Prophet were righteous and just, since it is enough that a group would exist in this nation that has not existed in any other nation for it to qualify as the best of nations. In addition, if this verse was to establish the righteousness and justness of the entire Islamic nation, then we should not find any hypocrites and even apostates among their ranks, whereas we know this is clearly not the case .

==What Shias Believe ==

The Shias believe that the companions of the [[Prophet (s)]] are just like all other people, and the justice or veracity of an individual cannot be established purely based on them being one of the Sahaba .

Considering that the number of Sahaba has been recorded as one-hundred and fourteen-thousand, it is ordinarily impossible for such a large number of individuals to reach the acclaimed level of piety, by abstaining from any major sins and not repeating any minor sins, with only a meeting with the Prophet (s) and believing in him. This is also given the fact that different individuals had different reasons for accepting Islam; some chose freely to convert, while others converted out of fear and pressure, a group still out of their own interests or because they received motivations to do so.

 

The apostasy of companions such as [['Abd Allah b. Jahsh]], [['Abd Allah b. Khatal]], [[Rabi'a b. Umayya]], and [[Ash'ath b. Qays]], also disproves the theory that being a companion keeps one away from sin.

As an example, the behavior of [[Marwan b. Hakam]] during the time of [['Uthman b. 'Affan|'Uthman]] is very famous. Also the problematic actions of [[Busr b. Artat]], [[Mughira b. Shu'ba]], and [[Walid b. 'Uqba]], who were all apparently from Sahaba .

In the view of the [[Shi'a]]s, the best of the Prophet's (s) companions were [[Imam 'Ali b. Abi Talib (a)]] and his two sons, [[Imam al-Hasan (a)]] and [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]].

The material for this article is mainly taken from [http://fa.wikishia.net/view/%D8%B5%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%87 {{ia|صحابه}}] in Farsi Wikishia.