People of the Right Hand: Difference between revisions

'''Aṣḥāb al-yamīn''' (Arabic: {{ia|أصْحاب الیَمین}}) or '''aṣḥāb al-maymana''' (Arabic: {{ia|أصْحاب المَیْمَنَة}}) or '''companions of the right''' are people who receive the [[Record of Actions|records]] of their actions with their right hand and go to the [[Heaven]]. In the [[Qur'an]], they are contrasted to [[ashab al-shimal]] (companions of the left). According to Quranic verses, companions of the right are characterized by their belief in God, their certainty in the judgment of the [[resurrection]], feeding the orphans and people in need, and emancipating the slaves. According to some Shiite [[hadiths]], “yamin” (the right) refers to [[Imam 'Ali (a)]], and “ashab al-yamin” refers to his followers.

“Ashab al-yamin” is a Quranic term which literally means the companions of the right, as opposed to “ashab al-shimal” which literally means the companions of the left. According to the exegetes of the Qur'an, companions of the right are people who were righteous during their life in this world and so, in the [[afterlife]], they will receive the record of their actions with their right hands. On the contrary, companions of the left receive the record of their actions with their left hands. The term, “ashab al-yamin”, is mentioned 6 times in the Qur'an, and in some Quranic verses, it is mentioned as “ashab al-maymana”. According to exegetes, “maymana” literally means blessing and happiness, and the companions of the blessing (as opposed to “ashab al-mash'ama”) are the companions of the right.

This group of people are called the “companions of the right” because of the following characteristics:

* They are companions of “yumn”, that is, goodness.

* They receive the record of their actions with their “right” (yamin) hands.

According to some hadiths transmitted from the Shiite [[Imams (a)]], “yamin” refers to Imam 'Ali (a), and “ashab al-yamin” refers to his followers.