Merits of Sahaba from Reliable Shia Reports

Merits of Sahaba from Reliable Shia Reports.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Definition of Sahabi as per Shiism:

A Sahabi (pl. Sahabah) or “Companion”, is someone who met the Prophet(S), believed in him and died a Muslim. [Introduction to Hadith including Dirayat Al-Hadith, Shahid Al Thani, page 25].

Comment: This definition of “Sahabi” which is same as that of Ahlus-Sunnah, excludes all the “hypocrites(Munafiqeen)” from it, as it puts the condition of “believing in Prophet(S)” which implies he/she must be a believer(Momin), and it even expels the “Apostates(Murtaddin)” from it, who might have believed during lifetime of Prophet(saw) but apostated after his death, they didn’t die as Muslims, for example the people who denied to pay Zakat after the death of Prophet(SAWS). Therefore, the title of “Sahabi” itself is a Merit and honor.

How many Sahaba were, from Medinah, Makkah and al-tulaqa’a ?

Ahmad ibn Ziyad ibn Ja’far al-Hamedany narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim quoted his father, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Abi Umayr, on the authority of Hisham ibn Salim that Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq(AS) said, “There were twelve-thousand(12,000) companions for God’s Prophet(SAWS). Eight-thousand(8,000) of them were from Medinah, two-thousand(2,000) of them were from Makkah and another two-thousand(2,000) of them were (al-tulaqa’a) those who had embraced Islam on the day of the Conquest of Makkah. There were no Qadaria, Murjia, Hururia(who talk ill of Ali), Mutazali, nor any Ashaab al-Ra’y(who act according to their own opinions). They cried day and night and said, ‘O God! Please take away our souls before we eat barley bread”. [al-Khisal, vol 2 , page 640 : Majlisi Graded the chain as Hasan(good) in Hayat al-Quloob, vol 2, page 913].

Comment: This hadith only refers to the companions in Medinah, Makkah, and al-tulaqa’a. If any ignorant argues by assuming that this means that the Prophet(saw) didn’t have other companions from other areas, then that would be incorrect, because the Imam is referring to the companions from these three categories. Furthermore, this fits in with the Sunni narrative pretty well, since Sunnis also believe that the tulaqa’a were two thousand. From this report, we find that Imam Abu Abdullah(RAH) testifies that , none of the Sahaba were innovators, nor they belonged to any sect with deviant beliefs. Moreover, this number is important and must be kept in mind by the Reader, because Shias claim that the merits mentioned in following reports apply to a handful of Sahaba, this myth is refuted by the above hadith.

Prohibition of Abusing Sahaba:

Shaykh Tusi has narrated through Reliable chain of narrators from Amirul Momineen(AS) that he said: “I advise you about companions of the Prophet(S) that you must not abuse them. And the companions of your Prophet are those who have not created innovations in religion after the Prophet and neither have they given shelter to anyone who has created innovations. Indeed the Messenger of Allah(S) requested me about them.” [Hayat al-Quloob, vol 2, page 913].

Comment: This is the reason Ali(ra) disliked his supporters abusing the Syrians[Muawiya(ra) & his supporters] during battle of Siffin, as there were some Sahaba among them. [Nahjul Balagha, Sermon #205].

Ibn Babawayh has narrated through Reliable chain of narrators from Abi Umamah that the Messenger of Allah(S) said, “Cheers be for one who sees me and brings faith.” And he repeated this statement seven times. [Hayat al-Quloob, vol 2, page 913].

It has been narrated through Authentic chain of narrators from Imam Muhammad Baqir(AS) that Amirul Momineen(AS) performed the Morning Prayer in Iraq with the people and after that addressed the gathering, himself wept and made other people also weep of the fear of Allah. Then he said: “I swear by Allah, that I saw a group of people during the period of my friend-the Prophet- who spend their days in night in such a condition that their hair were in disarray, smeared with dust, empty stomachs, their foreheads like knees of goats due to excessive prostrations. They spent the nights in remembrance of God. Sometimes they were in Qiyam, sometimes in Ruku and sometimes in Sujood. And they used to tire their foreheads and legs. They always beseeched their Lord in whispered prayers, and weeping, plead to Him to free them from the punishment of Hellfire. And by Allah, I always found them terrified of divine chastisement. [Hayat al-Quloob, vol 2, page 913-914].

Shaykh Tusi has narrated through Reliable chain of narrators from Imam Muhammad Baqir(AS) that he said: “Swords of the Muslims did not come out and their rows were not formed in prayers and jihad and the Azan was not recited in a loud voice, and the verse of: ‘O people who believe,’ was not revealed in Qur’an before the tribes of Aws and Khazraj (Ansar) embraced Islam.” [Hayat al-Quloob, vol 2, page 916].

Imam Ali bin Hussain’S(AS) supplication for Sahaba and those who followed them:

O God , and as for the Companions of Muhammad specifically , those who did well in companionship , who stood the good test in helping him , responded to him when he made them hear his messages’ argument , separated from mates and children in manifesting his word , fought against fathers and sons in strengthening his prophecy , and through him gained victory ; those who were wrapped in affection for him , ‘hoping for a commerce that comes not to naught’ in love for him ; those who were left by their clans when they clung to his handhold and denied by their kinsfolk when they rested in the shadow of his kinship ; forget not , O God , what they abandoned for Thee and in Thee , and make them pleased with Thy good pleasure for the sake of the creatures they drove to Thee while they were with Thy Messenger , summoners to Thee for Thee . Show gratitude to them for leaving the abodes of their people for Thy sake and going out from a plentiful livelihood to a narrow one , and ( show gratitude to ) those of them who became objects of wrongdoing and whom Thou multiplied in exalting Thy religion . O God , and give to those who have done well in following the Companions , who say , ‘Our Lord , forgive us and our brothers who went before us in faith , Thy best reward .[al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyya, page 55-56].

Proof of Adalah(trustworthiness) of Sahaba:

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn Abi Najran from ‘Asim ibn Humayd from Mansur ibn Hazim who has said:”I said to Abu Abdallah(AS), ‘It confuses me that when I ask you a question and you give an answer and then other person comes and you give a different answer for the same question.’” The Imam replied, “We answer people in a larger and reduced forms.” I then asked, “Did the Sahabah, companions of the holy Prophet(S) speak the truth or lies when narrating his Hadith?” The Imam replied, “They spoke the truth.” I then said, “Why then they have differences?” Have you not considered the fact that a man would come to the holy Prophet(S) and ask a question and would give him an answer and then he would answer that would abrogate the previous answer. Thus, Ahadith abrogated other Ahadith.” [al-Kafi, vol 1, page 65 : Majlisi declared it hasan(good) in Miraat al-Uqool, vol 1, page 216].

Comment: The Sunni belief is that the Sahabah would not lie, while narrating ahadith, this is the definition of Adalah and this is what affirmed by shia Imam in this Shia tradition.

Prophet(S) prayed for Sahaba who memorized his ahadith & preached them:

Imam Abu ‘Abdullah(AS) said: “Once the Messenger of Allah(S) addressed people in the mosque of Khif and said, ‘May Allah grant joy and happiness to those of His servants who on hearing my words understand them, memorize them and preach them to those who have not heard them. There can be such bearers of Fiqh (law) who do not have understanding. There can be many carriers of Fiqh to those who have better understanding of Fiqh than the carrier. There are three things in which the heart of a Muslim does not feel greed and treachery: Sincerity in deeds for Allah, wishing well for the leaders of the Muslims and to stay close to the group of the Muslims; their prayer encompasses those behind them also and the Muslims are each other’s brothers. Their lives equally match each other’s lives and the least important among them strive to fulfill their responsibilities.’” [Al-Kafi, vol 1, page 103, #1048 : al-Majlisi graded it as Muwathaq kal Sahih(Reliable like Sahih) in Miraat al-Uqool, vol 4, page 323].

If Sahaba like Salman(RA) & Abu Dhar(RA) were made alive again & they saw the claimants of love of Ahl al-bayt(Rafidah) they will call them LIARS:

Shaykh Mufeed has narrated through Reliable chain of narrators from Imam Muhammad Baqir(AS) that he said: “I heard Jabir Ansari say: If Salman and Abu Dhar are made alive again, and they see the group who claims the love of Ahl al-Bayt(AS) they will say that they are liars. And if the claimants of your love, see people like Salman and Abu Dhar, they would indeed exclaim that they are insane.” [Hayat al-Quloob, vol 2, page 929-930].

Blessings and peace be on the Seal of the Prophets, his Pure Progeny and his Noble Companions.

by Ibn Ahmed al-Hindi.