THE COMPANIONS OF OUR BELOVED PROPHET MUHAMMAD
(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)
By: Hamid Syed

The Companions of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) are known as the Sahaba. Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said the Sahaba are like stars, anybody who follows them will get guidance. The main Companions of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) are Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddiq, Sayyidina Umar, Sayyidina Uthman and Sayyidina Ali (Rady Allahu Anhum). They became his Khalifas.

Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddiq (Rady Allahu Anhu) was the Prophet’s closest Companion. He was the very first Khalifa. He received the title “Siddiq”, meaning truthful. He was the first man to accept Islam. He had a daughter called Aisha (Rady Allahu Anha), who married the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). He fought in many battles together with Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) against those who persecuted them.

Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddiq (Rady Allahu Anhu) had done many good deeds. One night when the stars were up in the sky, Sayyidatina Aisha (Rady Allahu Anha) asked Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) who had more thawaab (heavenly rewards) than all the stars? Then Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said that Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddiq (Rady Allahu Anhu) had earned more thawaab than all those stars only on the day of their hijra (migration). When he passed away, he was laid to rest beside the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) in Madina.

Sayyidina Umar (Rady Allahu Anhu) was the second Khalifa after Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddiq (Rady Allahu Anhu) passed away. He was Khalifa for 10 years. During his time as a Khalifa, Islam spread far and wide. Some people say that if he were Khalifa for another 10 years, Islam would have spread all around the world. Sayyidina Umar’s daughter Sayyidatina Hafsa (Rady Allahu Anha) was Prophet Muhammad’s wife. Shaitaan was so scared of Sayyidina Umar (Rady Allahu Anhu) that there is a Hadith where the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “If (Sayyidina) Umar (Rady Allahu Anhu) is walking on a street and Shaitaan approaches him, Shaitaan will run away and take another street”. Sayyidina Umar (Rady Allahu Anhu) was very brave. He received the title “Farooq” which means “the one who distinguishes truth from falsehood”. He took part in all the battles with the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) including the battle of Badr.

At first, he was not a Muslim. When the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was spreading Islam to the people, Sayyidina Umar (Rady Allahu Anhu) was not happy and decided to kill the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). One day Sayyidina Umar (Rady Allahu Anhu) took his sword and went to kill the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). On his way a man told him that his sister and her husband had become Muslims. When Sayyidina Umar (Rady Allahu Anhu) heard this, he got really angry and started going to his sister’s house. When he went to his sister’s house he heard the Surah Taha being recited. He hit his sister who started bleeding and he felt sorry for her and told her to continue reciting. When he heard the recitation of the Qur’an he was convinced it was a revelation from Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta‘ala). Then he went to Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and became a Muslim. He was the fortieth person to become a Muslim. When he passed away, he was laid to rest beside the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) in Madina.

Sayyidina Uthman (Rady Allahu Anhu) was the third Khalifa after Sayyidina Umar (Rady Allahu Anhu). He was Khalifa for 12 years. He was the ambassador of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). He received the title “Ghani” meaning rich. He was given that title because he gave a lot of his wealth for Islam. He brought camels loaded with goods for the war effort. He took part in many battles together with the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). He was also given the title Dhun Nurain meaning “possessor of two lights” because he married two daughters of the beloved Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), one after another, that is, Sayyidatina Ruqayyah (Rady Allahu Anha) and after she passed away, Sayyidatina Umm Kulthum (Rady Allahu Anha). He is one of the Asharatul Mubashshara meaning one of the ten who were promised Paradise by the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). He belonged to the tribe of Quraish. He did Hijrah two times, first to Abyssinia, then to Madina.

The Qur’an was compiled on the instructions of Sayyidina Uthman (Rady Allahu Anhu) by the Companions of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), just as it was recited in the time of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). After the Qur’an was compiled together, Sayyidina Uthman (Rady Allahu Anhu) made many copies of the Qur’an and distributed it to major cities. Therefore he is known as “Jami‘ul Qur’an”.

One day when Sayyidina Uthman (Rady Allahu Anhu) was reciting the Qur’an in his house, traitors came from behind and killed him. His blood is on the page of the Qur’an he was reciting. He is a shaheed (martyr). He passed away at the age of 81. He was laid to rest in Jannat ul Baqi in Madina.

Sayyidina Ali (Rady Allahu Anhu) became the fourth Khalifa. He received the title Asadullah meaning “the Lion of Allah”. Sayyidina Ali (Rady Allahu Anhu) was the cousin of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Sayyidina Ali (Rady Allahu Anhu) was born in the Ka‘ba. His father was Hadrat Abu Talib. He is one of the Ashsharatul Mubashshara. When he first opened his eyes, he saw Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). He was raised up by Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). He slept in the bed of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) when the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) went on Hijra (migration). He is called Bab ul-Ilm, “the Gate of Knowledge”. He was a Hafiz ul Qur’an. He is the first child to accept Islam.

Sayyidina Ali (Rady Allahu Anhu) married Sayyidatina Fatima (Rady Allahu Anha), the daughter of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). They had two famous sons, Sayyidina Imam Hasan (Rady Allahu Anhu) and Sayyidina Imam Husain (Rady Allahu Anhu). He fought in many battles together with Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) including the battle of Badr. He took part in man to man combats. He killed the best warrior of the enemies in a man to man combat.

Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) loved Sayyidina Ali (Rady Allahu Anhu) because he was a very charitable person. Once when Imam Hasan (Rady Allahu Anhu) and Imam Husain (Rady Allahu Anhu) were ill, Sayyidina Ali (Rady Allahu Anhu) and Sayyidatina Fatima (Rady Allahu Anha) made a vow that after their two sons recover, they will fast for three days. Allah Ta‘ala then blessed their children with good health. So now Sayyidina Ali (Rady Allahu Anhu) and Sayyidatina Fatima (Rady Allahu Anha) had to fast. When their fast was completed and Sayyidina Ali (Rady Allahu Anhu) came back from the masjid after performing Salat al-Maghrib, the family sat down for dinner. As soon as Sayyidina Ali (Rady Allahu Anhu) picked up the bread in his hand, he heard a voice of a beggar saying “Give me some thing to eat and may Allah Ta‘ala feed you with delicious food of Jannah! (Paradise)” When they heard the beggar, they decided that they should give him the bread.

On the second fast, when Sayyidina Ali (Rady Allahu Anhu) came back from the masjid after performing Salat al-Maghrib, the family sat down for dinner, when they heard a voice of an orphan from outside who asked for food and said that he was very poor and alone in the world. So again they gave him the bread and broke their fast with water.

On their last fast, when Sayyidina Ali (Rady Allahu Anhu) came back from the masjid after performing Maghrib Salah the family sat down for dinner, they heard a voice of a prisoner, who asked for help and said that he was in great distress. So they gave him the bread and again they went to bed without any food.

On the fourth day no one was fasting, but they had nothing to eat. So Sayyidina Ali (Rady Allahu Anhu) then took Imam Hasan (Rady Allahu Anhu) and Imam Husain (Rady Allahu Anhu) to Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “It pains me to see you suffering from want and misery. Let us go to Fatima (Rady Allahu Anha)”. When Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) went to Sayyidatina Fatima (Rady Allahu Anha) he saw that she was praying Nafl Salah. Her eyes had sunk in and she had become weak. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) took her to his bosom and invoked Allah’s mercy for her and her family.

Hadrat Jibreel (‘Alayhissalam) came and said that Allah Ta‘ala was very pleased with them. And that’s how much charitable Sayyidina Ali (Rady Allahu Anhu) and Sayyidatina Fatima (Rady Allahu Anha) were.

They are praised in many verses of the Qur’an. The translation of one of these verses is:
And they give food out of love for Him to the poor and the orphan and the prisoner. (76:8)

Sayyidina Bilal (Rady Allahu Anhu) was a Sahabi who loved Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). He was the first muazzin in Islam. He had the most beautiful voice. He always prayed two rakah after he made wudu (ablution). This is called “Sunnah al-Wudu” When he was a slave, he was beaten up, dragged in the burning sand and had heavy stones put on his chest to force him to say that he is not a Muslim but he always said, “Ahad, Ahad,” meaning, ‘One, One’ (Allah is One). Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddiq (Rady Allahu Anhu) paid the slave master to free Sayyidina Bilal (Rady Allahu Anhu) from slavery.

He loved Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) so much that after the Prophet passed away, he was so sad that he didn’t feel like giving the Adhan in Madina. Then after a long time he agreed to give the Adhan. But when he got to the recitation of “Ash-hadu anna Muhammadar-Rasullullah” (I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah), he started to mourn and fell down unconscious. Sayyidina Bilal (Rady Allahu Anhu) set an example for all Muslims never to give up Islam. His last resting place is in Damascus, Syria.
Another famous Companion of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was Hadrat Abu Hurairah (Rady Allahu Anhu) who narrated the most Ahadith (Sayings) of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) had thousands of Companions (Rady Allahu Anhum). When he performed his farewell Pilgrimage, he had 124 000 of his Companions with him. Those who migrated with him from Makkah to Madina are called the Muhajireen and those in Madina who helped him are called the Ansar. May Allah Ta‘ala make us follow in the footsteps of our beloved Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and of his blessed Companions, (Rady Allahu Anhum).

Rajab 1420, November 1999