Merit of the Companions

‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb, Commander of the Believers, (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Black Stone in the corner of the Ka‘bah and kissed it. He, then, said: Verily, I know that you are a stone that can neither harm nor benefit. Had I not seen the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) kissing you, I would not have kissed you.

1. The permissibility of kissing the Black Stone for those performing Tawāf (circumambulation) when they pass by it, if it can be done easily.
2. The purpose of kissing the Black Stone is to follow the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
3. An-Nawawi said: It means that it has no power to bring benefit or harm; it is a created stone like other creations that neither harm nor benefit. ‘Umar proclaimed this during the season so that people from various lands would hear it and preserve it from him.
4. Acts of worship are Tawqīfi (determined by divine texts), therefore, nothing thereof is legitimate except what has been prescribed by Allah and His Messenger.
5. If an act of worship is authentically established, it should be practiced even if its wisdom is not known, for one of the intended purposes is people's compliance and obedience in performing it.
6. The prohibition of kissing stones or other objects as an act of worship unless prescribed in the Shariah.

صحيح البخاري (2/ 149) (1597). صحيح مسلم (2/ 925) (1270). تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، لعبد الله البسام (ص394). تنبيه الأفهام شرح عمدة الأحكام، لابن عثيمين (3/ 527).

The noble Companion ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) informs us what happened to the Commander of the Believers ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) when ‘Uyaynah ibn Hisn, of high status among his people, came to see him in Madīnah. ‘Uyaynah began his speech in a disrespectful manner and then criticized and rebuked ‘Umar, saying: “You neither bestow much on us nor deal with us justly.” As a result, ‘Umar became so furious that he was about to beat him; however, some of the Qur’anic reciters, including ‘Uyaynah’s nephew, Al-Hurr ibn Qays, stood up and addressed the rightly guided caliph ‘Umar, saying: “O Commander of the Believers! Allah said to His Prophet: {Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the ignorants} [Al-A‘rāf: 199]. This one is from the ignorants.” ‘Umar stood committed to that verse and suppressed his anger, as he always adhered strictly to the Book of Allah. So, he refrained from beating this man in compliance with the verse that was recited to him. This is how the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to show politeness and respect towards the Book of Allah. They would not violate its commands and teachings. Whenever it was said to them, “this is the word of Allah,” they would submit to it, no matter what.

بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي، ط1، دار ابن الجوزي، الدمام، 1415هـ. تطريز رياض الصالحين، للشيخ فيصل المبارك، ط1، تحقيق: عبد العزيز بن عبد الله آل حمد، دار العاصمة، الرياض، 1423هـ. رياض الصالحين للنووي، ط1، تحقيق: ماهر ياسين الفحل، دار ابن كثير، دمشق، بيروت، 1428هـ. رياض الصالحين، ط4، تحقيق: عصام هادي، وزارة الأوقاف والشؤون الإسلامية القطرية، دار الريان، بيروت، 1428هـ. كنوز رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين برئاسة حمد بن ناصر العمار، ط1، كنوز إشبيليا، الرياض، 1430هـ. شرح رياض الصالحين، للشيخ ابن عثيمين، دار الوطن للنشر، الرياض، 1426هـ. صحيح البخاري، تحقيق: محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، ط1، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، 1422هـ. نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين لمجموعة من الباحثين، ط14، مؤسسة الرسالة، 1407هـ. تاج العروس من جواهر القاموس، لمحمّد بن محمّد بن عبد الرزّاق الحسيني، الملقّب بمرتضى، الزَّبيدي، تحقيق مجموعة من المحققين، دار الهداية. الدلائل في غريب الحديث، لقاسم بن ثابت بن حزم العوفي السرقسطي، تحقيق: د. محمد بن عبد الله القناص، الناشر: مكتبة العبيكان، الرياض، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422هـ - 2001م.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) talked about his status in the sight of Allah Almighty and that it reached the highest level of love as reached by Abraham (peace be upon him). That is why he denied that he should have an intimate friend other than Allah, for his heart was full of love and exaltation for Allah and knowledge about Him; so, it does not have room for anyone else. Had he taken an intimate friend from among the people, he would have been Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). Then, he warned against exceeding the permissible bounds regarding love, as done by the Jews and the Christians regarding the graves of their prophets and righteous people, so much that they turned them into polytheistic gods to be worshiped apart from Allah and built places of worship over those graves. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade his Ummah from doing what they did.

1. This points out the merit of Abu Bakr as-Siddīq (may Allah be pleased with him). He was the best among the Companions and the most entitled to succeed the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) after his death.
2. Building places of worship over graves is one of the evil acts done by previous nations.
3. It is prohibited to take graves as places of worship, with prayer being offered therein or towards them, or to construct places of worship or domes over them, lest this should lead to polytheism.
4. It warns against going to extremes in revering the righteous people for this is conducive to polytheism.
5. It demonstrates the seriousness of what the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) warned of, as he stressed it five days before his death.

صحيح مسلم (1/ 377) (532). شرح النووي على مسلم (5/ 13). الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لمحمد القرعاوي (ص188). الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لصالح الفوزان (ص172).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that having love for the Ansār from among the people of Madīnah is a sign of perfect faith given their precedence in supporting Islam and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), their keenness on sheltering Muslims, and their sacrifice of their properties and lives in the cause of Allah; and hating them is a sign of hypocrisy. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) then clarified that Allah loves whoever loves the Ansār and hates whoever hates them.

1. The Hadīth reveals the remarkable excellence of the Ansār since loving them is taken as a sign of faith and freedom from hypocrisy.
2. Loving the allies of Allah and supporting them is a cause for attaining the love of Allah.
3. The merit of the first forerunners in Islam.

صحيح البخاري (5/ 32) (3783). صحيح مسلم (1/ 85) (75). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 447). تطريز رياض الصالحين، لفيصل آل مبارك (ص257). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (6/ 258). شرح النووي على مسلم (2/ 63). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 350).

Meaning of the Hadīth: Hārithah ibn Surāqah (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred during the battle of Badr by an arrow that no one knew where it came from. So, his mother went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and asked him about her son's fate. She was worried that he would not be considered a martyr, because he was killed by a random shot and did not participate in the battle. Another Hadīth reads: "He was killed during the battle of Badr and was hit by an unknown arrow." No one knows the shooter or where it comes from. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported in another Hadīth narrated by Ahmad and An-Nasā'i that when Hārithah went to a high place to patrol and be on the lookout for enemies to inform others about their position, he was shot dead by an arrow. For this reason, his mother (may Allah be pleased with her) said that if her son is in Paradise, she will be forbearing and patient about missing him and seek reward from Allah. Moreover, she will be happy that he was killed in the cause of Allah and has won martyrdom. If he has met another fate, she will bitterly weep for losing him and the loss of his life in vain. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told her that there are many gardens of Paradise. In Al-Bukhāri's narration, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do you think that it is only one garden? Verily, there are so many gardens, and he is in the highest Firdaus." This is a unique place, which is the best and highest rank, in Paradise. This is why the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If you ask Allah for something, ask for the Firdaus; it is the best and highest place in Paradise, and above it is the Throne of the Beneficent, and from it originate the rivers of Paradise." Being the best place implies that it is the most spacious as well.

بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، سليم بن عيد الهلالي، دار ابن الجوزي، الدمام، الطبعة: الأولى 1415هـ. دليل الفالحين لطرق رياض الصالحين، محمد علي بن البكري بن علان، اعتنى بها: خليل مأمون شيحا، دار المعرفة، بيروت، الطبعة: الرابعة 1425هـ. رياض الصالحين من كلام سيد المرسلين، أبو زكريا محيي الدين النووي، تحقيق ماهر الفحل، دار ابن كثير، دمشق، بيروت، الطبعة: الأولى 1428هـ، 2007م. رياض الصالحين من كلام سيد المرسلين، أبو زكريا محيي الدين النووي، تحقيق: عصام هادي، وزارة الأوقاف والشؤون الإسلامية القطرية، دار الريان، بيروت، الطبعة: الرابعة 1428هـ. شرح رياض الصالحين للشيخ ابن عثيمين، دار الوطن للنشر، الرياض، 1426هـ. صحيح البخاري، محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري الجعفي، تحقيق: محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، الطبعة: الأولى 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم، مسلم بن الحجاج القشيري النيسابوري، تحقيق محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت، الطبعة: 1423هـ. كنوز رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين برئاسة حمد بن ناصر العمار، كنوز إشبيليا، الرياض، الطبعة: الأولى 1430هـ، 2009م. منار القاري شرح مختصر صحيح البخاري، حمزة محمد قاسم، راجعه: عبد القادر الأرناؤوط، عني بتصحيحه ونشره: بشير محمد عيون، الناشر: مكتبة دار البيان، دمشق، مكتبة المؤيد، الطائف، الطبعة: 1410هـ، 1990م. نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين، مؤسسة الرسالة، بيروت، الطبعة: الرابعة عشر 1407هـ، 1987م.

A delegation from some Bedouin tribes came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pretending that they had accepted Islam. They asked the Prophet to send them some people to teach them the Qur'an, so the Prophet sent seventy men who were known as the reciters, because they were diligent in learning the Qur'an and studying it. Their preoccupation with reciting the Qur'an did not prevent them from earning a living and working. Anas says that during the day, they would fetch water and fill the water containers in the mosque to be used for making ablution or drinking or any other purpose. They would collect firewood and sell it and buy food for the people of Suffah and the poor with the proceeds. The people of Suffah were poor people who had no family in Madīnah and slept at the back of the Prophet's mosque in a canopied area called Suffah. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent the reciters with those people but when they dismounted at the well of Ma‘ūnah, before reaching their destination - the house of Abu Barā’ ibn Mulā‘ib al-Asinnah - a group of men led by ‘Āmir ibn At-Tufayl attacked the reciters and killed them all. As they were dying they said: "O Allah, convey to our Prophet on our behalf that we have met You in a way that we are pleased with You and You are pleased with us." In another narration they said: "Convey to our people on our behalf that we have truly met our Lord and He was pleased with us and made us pleased." Archangel Jibrīl informed the Prophet that they have met their Lord and that He was pleased with them and He made them pleased, as mentioned in Al-Bukhāri's narration. The Messenger of Allah conveyed this news to his Companions in Madīnah, saying: "Your brothers have been killed and they said: 'O Allah, convey to our Prophet on our behalf that we have met You in a way that we are pleased with You and You are pleased with us.'" This statement of theirs means that Allah, the Almighty, was pleased with them due to their obedience to Him, and that they were pleased with Him due to what He had blessed them with and bestowed upon them of generous favors. The pleasure of Allah with a person entails showering him with His mercy, kindness and all good things.

بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين لسليم الهلالي، ط1، دار ابن الجوزي، الدمام، 1415هـ. دليل الفالحين لطرق رياض الصالحين لمحمد علي بن محمد بن علان، ط4، اعتنى بها: خليل مأمون شيحا، دار المعرفة، بيروت، 1425 هـ. رياض الصالحين للنووي، ط1، تحقيق: ماهر ياسين الفحل، دار ابن كثير، دمشق، بيروت، 1428 هـ. رياض الصالحين، ط4، تحقيق: عصام هادي، وزارة الأوقاف والشؤون الإسلامية القطرية، دار الريان، بيروت، 1428هـ. صحيح البخاري، ط1، تحقيق: محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت. الكاشف عن حقائق السنن (شرح المشكاة) للطيبي، تحقيق: عبد الحميد هنداوي، مكتبة الباز، مكة، 1417هـ. كنوز رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين برئاسة حمد بن ناصر العمار، ط1، كنوز إشبيليا، الرياض، 1430هـ. المنهاج شرح صحيح مسلم بن الحجاج للنووي ، ط2، دار إحياء التراث العربي - بيروت، 1392هـ. نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين لمجموعة من الباحثين، ط14، مؤسسة الرسالة، 1407هـ.

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) set forth from Madīnah with his Companions to meet the caravan of Abu Sufyān that had come from Syria heading toward Makkah. The Muslims did not set out to fight; however, Allah made them encounter their enemies without prior planning on their part. Hence, some Companions did not take part in this battle and the Prophet did not reprimand any of them. Then the Prophet camped in Badr before the disbelievers of Quraysh reached the place. He took his position there and when the disbelievers of Quraysh arrived, he said to the Companions: ''Let no one of you advance to anything unless I am ahead of him'", meaning that he forbade them from advancing toward anything until he was closer than them to that thing so that every possible advantage unknown to them could be utilized. Then the Prophet urged the Companions to hasten to a Paradise that was as wide as the heavens and earth, meaning that they should not delay in sacrificing their lives for the sake of Allah, for their promised reward was a Paradise as wide as the heavens and earth. With this he encouraged and motivated them to fight the disbelievers. ‘Umayr ibn al-Humām al-Ansāri was amazed to hear that and asked the Prophet about it again, saying: "O Messenger of Allah, a Paradise as wide as the heavens and earth?!" The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Yes.' Thereupon, ‘Umayr said: "Bakhin! Bakhin!" which is an Arabic expression reflecting astonishment. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him why he said that; i.e. what motivated him to say it, was it fear? He replied: "No, by Allah, O Messenger of Allah, but I only hoped to be one of its people." Thereupon, the Prophet assured him that he was one of them. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave his Companions glad tidings to motivate them to exert themselves in doing the deeds that would make them deserve Paradise. On hearing such glad tidings from the most truthful and most trusted who does not speak from his own inclination, ‘Umayr took out some dates from his quiver and started to eat them. But then he felt that life was too long and said: "If I lived until I finished eating these dates of mine, it would be a long life indeed." So he threw away the dates and proceeded to fight until he was killed.

- رياض الصالحين من كلام سيد المرسلين، للإمام أبي زكريا النووي، تحقيق د. ماهر الفحل، دار ابن كثير-دمشق، الطبعة الأولى، 1428هـ. - بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، تأليف سليم الهلالي، دار ابن الجوزي- الطبعة الأولى1418هـ. - نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، تأليف د. مصطفى الخِن وغيره، مؤسسة الرسالة-بيروت، الطبعة الرابعة عشرة، 1407هـ. - صحيح مسلم، للإمام مسلم بن الحجاج، تحقيق محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي. - كنوز رياض الصالحين، لحمد بن ناصر العمار، دار كنوز إشبيليا- الطبعة الأولى1430هـ. - شرح رياض الصالحين، للشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين، مدار الوطن، الرياض، 1426هـ.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed the Companions that Muslims would win victory over the Jews of Khaybar, a city near Madīnah, the following day at the hands of a man whom he would give the banner, i.e., the flag that the army takes as its slogan. Among the traits of this man is that he loves Allah and His Messenger, and Allah and His Messenger love him. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that he never liked the idea of leadership or being one meant except that day in the hope that he might be the one to win the love of Allah and His Messenger that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stretched his body to be seen by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), hoping that he would be called for that mission and out of keenness to take this banner. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) called ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) and gave him the banner and ordered him to proceed with the army and not to quit the fight after encountering his enemy, for rest, a pause, or a truce until Allah grants him victory and dominance over these fortresses. ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) proceeded, then he stopped but without looking back so as not to disobey the Prophet's command. He raised his voice and said: O Messenger of Allah, on what should I fight the people? He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Fight them until they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. If they respond and embrace Islam, then their blood and properties become inviolable and unlawful for you except what is rightly justified, i.e., unless they commit a crime or felony for which they deserve to be killed in compliance with the rulings of Islam, and their reckoning is with Allah.

1. The Companions used to dislike leadership because of the great responsibility it entails.
2. It is permissible to aspire and look forward to a matter that is confirmed to be good.
3. The ruler guides the army leader on how to act in the battlefield.
4. The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) adhered to his commandments and hastened to implement them.
5. When one is confused about what is assigned to him, he should inquire about it.
6. One of the signs of his prophethood (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is informing about the victory over the Jews, as he informed about the conquest of Khaybar, and it occurred just as he said.
7. We are encouraged to hasten and take the initiative to carry out the commands of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
8. It is impermissible to kill whoever pronounced the Two Testimonies of Faith unless something appears from him that requires killing him.
9. The rulings of Islam apply to what appears from people, whereas their hidden aspects are entrusted to Allah.
10. The greatest purpose behind Jihad is to make people embrace Islam.

صحيح مسلم (4/ 1871) (2405). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 127). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (2/ 45). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 174).