Sunnah Daily سُنَّة

The Companions and the family of Nabi ﷺ

Chapter 20 · about 13 min read

In short

  • A Sahabi (Companion) is someone who met Nabi ﷺ as a believer and died as a Muslim. Allah Himself praised them and said He is pleased with them.
  • They are the best generation of this ummah. Through them the Quran and the Sunnah reached us. Nabi ﷺ told us not to insult them.
  • The four rightly guided caliphs are Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali. Ten Companions were named together as people of Jannah.
  • The wives of Nabi ﷺ are the mothers of the believers. His family, the Ahl al-Bayt, have a special right to our love and respect.
  • Loving the Companions and loving the Ahl al-Bayt go together. Where they disagreed with each other, we leave it to Allah and speak of them all with respect.
Take the short lessonsThe key points of this chapter, a few screens at a time, with a quick check at the end.

Who the Companions are

A Sahabi (Companion, plural Sahabah) is someone who met Nabi ﷺ while believing in him, and died as a Muslim. This is how most scholars define it. Some spent years with him. Some saw him only once. All of them share the honor of having been with him.

They were all kinds of people:

  • Men and women, young and old. Khadijah, his wife, was the first to believe in him. Women like her, Aishah and Fatimah taught, gave, and stood with Islam.
  • Rich and poor, free and once enslaved. Bilal, who was once enslaved, became the one who called the adhan.
  • Arabs and non-Arabs, like Salman from Persia and Suhayb from Rome.

Two big groups are named in the Quran:

  • The Muhajirun (the emigrants): believers who left their homes in Makkah for Allah and moved to Madinah.
  • The Ansar (the helpers): the people of Madinah who took them in and shared everything with them1.

Why does this belong in a book about belief? Because everything we know of Islam came through them. They memorized the Quran, wrote it down, and passed on every hadith. If we doubted them all, we would lose the religion itself. Their honor is part of our faith.

Sources for this section
  1. 1(Quran 59:8-9)

Allah's praise for them

Allah speaks of the Companions in the Quran with great love:

  • The first ones of the Muhajirun and the Ansar, and those who followed them in doing good: Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. He has made ready for them gardens with rivers flowing under them2.
  • Allah was pleased with the believers when they gave their pledge to you under the tree. He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent calm down on them3.
  • Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those with him are strong against the enemy and merciful to each other. You see them bowing and in sujud, seeking Allah's favor4.
  • Those who gave and fought before the Conquest of Makkah are higher in rank than those who did so after. But Allah has promised good to all of them5.

About the 1,400 who gave that pledge under the tree at Hudaybiyah, Nabi ﷺ said: you are the best people on earth6. And he said, if Allah wills, none of those who pledged under the tree will enter the Fire7.

Sources for this section
  1. 2(Quran 9:100)
  2. 3(Quran 48:18)
  3. 4(Quran 48:29)
  4. 5(Quran 57:10)
  5. 6(Bukhari 4154)
  6. 7(Muslim 2496)

The best generation

Nabi ﷺ said: the best people are my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them8.

He also said: the stars keep the sky safe. I keep my Companions safe. And my Companions keep my ummah safe9. While they lived, their knowledge and example protected the Muslims from going far off the path.

This does not mean they were perfect. They were human. Some of them made mistakes, and then repented, and Allah forgave them10. Only prophets are protected from sin. But Ahl al-Sunnah agree that the Companions were truthful and trustworthy in passing on the religion, and that no one after them can reach their rank.

Sources for this section
  1. 8(Bukhari 2652)
  2. 9(Muslim 2531)
  3. 10(Quran 9:117)

Do not insult them

Nabi ﷺ said: do not insult my Companions. If one of you gave gold as big as Mount Uhud, it would not equal a handful given by one of them, or even half of it11.

Think about why. They gave when Islam was weak and poor. They gave their homes, their wealth and their lives, when no one knew Islam would win. We came later, and found the house already built.

Nabi ﷺ said: loving the Ansar is a sign of iman12. And Allah taught us a dua for all who came after them:

Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who believed before us, and do not put in our hearts any bad feeling toward those who believe13.

That is the heart of a believer toward the Companions: love, dua, and no bitterness.

Sources for this section
  1. 11(Bukhari 3673)
  2. 12(Bukhari 17)
  3. 13(Quran 59:10)

The four rightly guided caliphs

After Nabi ﷺ died, four Companions led the Muslims one after the other. They are called al-Khulafa al-Rashidun, the rightly guided caliphs. Nabi ﷺ told us to hold on to his Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs after him14.

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq

His closest friend, the first free man to believe, and his companion in the cave during the Hijrah. Allah mentions him in the Quran: he was the second of the two in the cave, and Nabi ﷺ told him: do not be sad, Allah is with us15. Nabi ﷺ was asked who was dearest to him among the men. He said: Abu Bakr16.

Umar ibn al-Khattab

Strong, fair and fearless for the truth. Nabi ﷺ told him: whenever shaytan sees you on a road, he takes a different road17. Under his rule, justice spread over huge lands.

Uthman ibn Affan

Gentle, very shy and very generous. Nabi ﷺ said about him: should I not be shy of a man whom even the angels are shy of?18. He sent out copies of the Quran to the Muslim lands, so all Muslims would read it the same way19.

Ali ibn Abi Talib

The cousin of Nabi ﷺ and the husband of his daughter Fatimah. He grew up in the house of Nabi ﷺ and was among the very first to believe. Nabi ﷺ told him: you are to me like Harun was to Musa20. At Khaybar he said: tomorrow I will give the flag to a man whom Allah and His Messenger love, and he gave it to Ali21.

Ahl al-Sunnah love all four. Most scholars rank them in the order they led. In the time of Nabi ﷺ, the Companions said Abu Bakr, then Umar, then Uthman22. And when Ali's own son asked him who was best after Nabi ﷺ, Ali said: Abu Bakr, then Umar23.
The full story: the day Mount Uhud shook

Once Nabi ﷺ climbed Mount Uhud, near Madinah, with Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman. The mountain began to shake under them.

Nabi ﷺ said: be still, Uhud. On you are only a prophet, a siddiq (a man of truth) and two martyrs24.

Abu Bakr was the siddiq. Years later, Umar and Uthman were both killed as martyrs, just as he said. Ali too was later killed while leading the Muslims.

What this teaches us

  • Nabi ﷺ knew their worth and spoke of them with love.
  • Their lives were given for Islam. Remember that when you hear anyone speak of them carelessly.
Sources for this section
  1. 14(Abu Dawud 4607)
  2. 15(Quran 9:40)
  3. 16(Bukhari 3662)
  4. 17(Bukhari 3683)
  5. 18(Muslim 2401)
  6. 19(Bukhari 4987)
  7. 20(Bukhari 3706)
  8. 21(Bukhari 3702)
  9. 22(Bukhari 3655)
  10. 23(Bukhari 3671)
  11. 24(Bukhari 3675)

The ten promised Jannah

In one hadith, Nabi ﷺ named ten Companions together and said each of them is in Jannah25. They are called al-Asharah al-Mubashsharah, the ten given good news:

  • Abu Bakr
  • Umar
  • Uthman
  • Ali
  • Talhah ibn Ubaydullah
  • Al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam
  • Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf
  • Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas
  • Sa'id ibn Zayd
  • Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah

They are not the only ones. Nabi ﷺ gave the same good news to others too, like Khadijah, who was promised a house in Jannah26, and his grandsons Hasan and Husayn27. These ten are simply named together in one hadith.

Sources for this section
  1. 25(Tirmidhi 3747)
  2. 26(Bukhari 3820)
  3. 27(Tirmidhi 3768)

The mothers of the believers

Allah says: Nabi ﷺ is closer to the believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers28. They are called Ummahat al-Mu'minin, the mothers of the believers. We honor them as we honor our own mothers, and more.

His wives were: Khadijah, Sawdah, Aishah, Hafsah, Zaynab bint Khuzaymah, Umm Salamah, Zaynab bint Jahsh, Juwayriyah, Umm Habibah, Safiyyah and Maymunah. May Allah be pleased with them all.

  • Khadijah believed in him first and stood by him through the hardest years. Years after she died, he still spoke of her often and sent gifts to her friends29. Jibril brought her greetings of peace from Allah30.
  • Aishah was among the greatest scholars of the ummah, and so much of the Sunnah came to us through her. Nabi ﷺ said she was the person dearest to him31. When people spread a lie about her, Allah Himself cleared her name in the Quran32.
  • Umm Salamah was known for her wisdom. Hafsah kept the first full written copy of the Quran safe33.

Every one of them gave her life to Islam, and taught the women and men who came to learn. A believer speaks of all of them with love and respect.

Sources for this section
  1. 28(Quran 33:6)
  2. 29(Bukhari 3818)
  3. 30(Bukhari 3820)
  4. 31(Bukhari 3662)
  5. 32(Quran 24:11)
  6. 33(Bukhari 4986)

Ahl al-Bayt: the family of Nabi ﷺ

Ahl al-Bayt means "the people of the house": the family of Nabi ﷺ. It includes his wives, his daughter Fatimah, Ali, their sons Hasan and Husayn, and the believers among his close relatives.

Once Nabi ﷺ gathered Hasan, Husayn, Fatimah and Ali under his cloak and recited: Allah only wants to remove all impurity from you, O people of the house, and to purify you completely34. That ayah is in Quran 33:33.

At a place called Khumm, near the end of his life, he said: I am leaving with you two weighty things. The first is the Book of Allah, so hold on to it. Then he said: and my family. I remind you of Allah regarding my family. He said it three times35.

  • About his daughter he said: Fatimah is a part of me. Whoever makes her angry makes me angry36.
  • He carried Hasan on his shoulder and said: O Allah, I love him, so love him37.
  • He said: Hasan and Husayn are the leaders of the young men of Jannah38.
  • In every salah, in the tashahhud, we ask Allah to send blessings on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad39.

The Companions loved them too. Abu Bakr used to say: honor Muhammad ﷺ by honoring his family40.

When Husayn was killed unjustly at Karbala, it was a deep wound for the whole ummah. Ahl al-Sunnah grieve for him, and pray for him and his family.

Loving the Companions and loving the Ahl al-Bayt go together. They loved each other, married into each other's families, and stood side by side. A Muslim does not have to choose between them.
Sources for this section
  1. 34(Muslim 2424)
  2. 35(Muslim 2408)
  3. 36(Bukhari 3714)
  4. 37(Bukhari 3749)
  5. 38(Tirmidhi 3768)
  6. 39(Bukhari 3370)
  7. 40(Bukhari 3713)

When the Companions disagreed

After Uthman was killed, there were painful disagreements among some Companions, and some even fought. This was a time of fitnah (trial) for the ummah. How should we think about it?

  • We leave it to Allah. Allah says about the earlier nations: that was a people who have passed. They have what they earned, and you have what you earned. You will not be asked about what they did41.
  • They were still believers. Allah calls two groups of believers who fight each other believers, and tells us to make peace between them42.
  • They were trying to do right. A scholar who works hard to find the truth gets two rewards if he is right, and one if he is wrong43. Ahl al-Sunnah see the Companions in this light.
  • We do not dig in it to blame. We do not use those events to attack any of them, or to divide Muslims today.

Nabi ﷺ even gave good news about peace. Pointing to his grandson Hasan, he said: this son of mine is a leader, and perhaps through him Allah will make peace between two great groups of Muslims44. Scholars say this came true when Hasan gave up his claim to lead, for the sake of unity.

Our part is the dua Allah taught us: do not put in our hearts any bad feeling toward those who believe45.

Sources for this section
  1. 41(Quran 2:134)
  2. 42(Quran 49:9)
  3. 43(Bukhari 7352)
  4. 44(Bukhari 3746)
  5. 45(Quran 59:10)

Common questions

Why should I care about people who lived 1,400 years ago?
Because the Quran and Sunnah reached you through them. They are also the best example of how to live Islam after Nabi ﷺ. Reading their stories brings iman to life.
Is it okay to name my child after a Companion?
Yes, it is a lovely thing to do. Names like Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Fatimah, Khadijah, Aishah, Hasan and Husayn have been loved by Muslims for centuries.
Someone in a group chat said bad things about a Companion. What should I do?
Do not answer insult with insult. Calmly share what Allah said about them46 and the hadith: do not insult my Companions47. If it turns into a fight, step away. You are not asked to win every argument.
My friend's family loves the Ahl al-Bayt very much. Is that a problem?
No. Loving the family of Nabi ﷺ is part of Islam, and Nabi ﷺ asked us to48. Ahl al-Sunnah love them too. Love for them and love for the Companions sit together in a Muslim's heart.
I read about the battles between Companions and it confused me.
That is understandable. Remember that they were human, they were trying to do right, and Allah still calls them believers49. History books also contain many weak and made-up reports, so do not believe every story. If it keeps troubling you, study it with a trusted teacher.
Can women learn from the stories of the women Companions?
Yes, and everyone should. Khadijah's support, Aishah's knowledge, Umm Salamah's wisdom and Fatimah's patience are lessons for women and men alike.
Sources for this section
  1. 46(Quran 9:100)
  2. 47(Bukhari 3673)
  3. 48(Muslim 2408)
  4. 49(Quran 49:9)
Take the short lessonsThe key points of this chapter, a few screens at a time, with a quick check at the end.

This guide teaches what all of Ahl al-Sunnah agree on and notes where the schools of creed differ. For your own questions, ask a scholar you trust or your local masjid.

All of Aqidah