9. THE
POSITION OF THE ṢAḤĀBAH (2)
The exact number of the ṣaḥābah
is unknown due to their scattering in countries, cities, and villages. Mu‘ādh
ibn Jabal said that he went to Tabūk expedition with over thirty-thousand
people. Abū Zur‘ah said that there were people who accompanied the Prophet (ﷺ) in his Tabūk campaign, and the total number
of Muslim was 120,000. Al-Shāfi‘ī said that the number of ṣaḥābah is
sixty-thousands, half of them lived in cities, others were among tribes. Ibn Ḥajar
in his al-Iṣābah (الإصَابَةُ
فِي مَعْرِفَةِ الصَّحابَة) recorded
12,297 names men and women. They did not belong to the same level of piety,
virtue and eminence, as mentioned in the Qur’ān as follows:
... لَا يَسْتَوِي مِنْكُمْ مَنْ أَنْفَقَ مِنْ قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ وَقَاتَلَ
أُولَئِكَ
أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةً مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ
بَعْدُ وَقَاتَلُوا وَكُلًّا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ
الْحُسْنَى وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِير (الحديد ٥٧ : ١٠(
… Those
who spend and fought before the victory
are not upon a level (with the rest of you). Such
are
greater in rank than those who spent and
fought
afterwards.
Unto each hath Allah promised good.
And Allah is Informed of what you do. (Q., 57:10).
وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ
وَالْأَنْصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ
رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ
لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا الْأَنْهَارُ
خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ
(التوبة: (100
And the
foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhājirūn
(those
who migrated from Makkah to al-Madinah) and
the Anṣar
(the citizens of al-Madinah who helped and
gave
aid to the Muhajirūn) and also those who followed
them exactly (in Faith). Allah is well-pleased
with them as
they are well-pleased with Him. He has
prepared for
them Gardens under which rivers flow
(Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success. (Q. 9:100)
Although all of the ṣaḥābah have their own virtues and
honour which are above those of any pious, ascetic, humble and devout non-ṣaḥābī,
they do not have the same level in their status. Muslim traditionist Ibn Ḥibbān
and al-Ḥākim divided them into twelve levels, as follows:
1.
Earlier converts in Makkah. Among them were: The Prophet (ﷺ)’s wife Khadījah who was the first convert, his freed slave
Zayd ibn Ḥārithah, his cousin ‘Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib who had lived with him since
his early childhood, his intimate friend Abū Bakr who was wealthy, obliging,
mild, and upright. They were converts on the first day of the call. Through Abu
Bakr’s effort a number of people converted to Islam, such as: ‘Uthmān ibn
‘Āffān, al-Zabayr ibn ‘Awwām, ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn ‘Awf, Sa‘d ibn Abī Waqqāṣ, and
Ṭalḥah ibn ‘Ubayd Allāh. Among the early converts were: Bilāl ibn Rabāh the
Abyssinian, Abū ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrāḥ, Abū Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Asad, al-Arqam
ibn Abī ’l-Arqam, ‘Uthmān ibn Maz‘ūn and his two brothers Qudāmah and ‘Abd
Allāh, Sa‘īd ibn Zayd al- ‘Adawī and his wife Fāṭimah
(sister of ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb), Khabbāb ibn
al-Aratt, ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘ūd and others, more than forty of them all.
2.
Those who had embraced Islam
at Dār al-Nadwah (al-Nadwah
Council, Assembly House, the Parliament of the Quraysh). When ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb converted to Islam he took the Prophet
(ﷺ) to this place, where some people
converted by him. But taking the Prophet (ﷺ) to this place claimed by al-Ḥākim was doubted, as at that time
he was hiding at Dār al-Arqam between al-Ṣafā and al-Marwah.
3.
Refugees to Ethiopia. When the condition of Muslims in Makkah was
getting worse and worse Allah revealed to the Prophet
(ﷺ) that the world was spacious enough to
take refuge. Allah revealed:
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا
رَبَّكُمْ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ
وَأَرْضُ اللَّهِ وَاسِعَةٌ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى
الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ (الزمر:10)
Say
O Muhammad): “O My slaves who believe (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic
Monotheism), be afraid of
your Lord (Allah) and keep your duty to Him. Good is
(the reward) for those who dogood in his world,
and Allah’s earth is spacious (so if you cannot
worship Allah a a lace, then go to another)! Only
those who are patient shall receive their reward
in full, without reckoning. (Q. 39:10
your Lord (Allah) and keep your duty to Him. Good is
(the reward) for those who dogood in his world,
and Allah’s earth is spacious (so if you cannot
worship Allah a a lace, then go to another)! Only
those who are patient shall receive their reward
in full, without reckoning. (Q. 39:10
The Prophet (ﷺ) learned that Ashamah whose title was Negus, king of Abyssinia
(Ethiopia) was a fair ruler. In Rajab of the fifth year of prophethood he sent 12 man and 4 women to take
refuge there, including ‘Uthmān and his wife Ruqayyah (the’s daughter), and Abū ‘Ubaydah.
In Shawwāl the same year they returned to Makkah for
having misinformation that the situation there had been improved, and
therefore, some of them returned to Ethiopia. The Prophet (ﷺ) sent again his followers to Ethiopia for
the second time, consisting of 83 men and 13 (some said 18) women.
4.
Those who participated at the first ‘Aqabah Pledge in the 12th
year of the prophethood. They were twelve people: As‘ad ibn Zurārah, ‘Awf ibn Ḥārith,
Rāfi‘ ibn Mālik, Quṭbah ibn ‘Āmir, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir, Mu‘ādh ibn al-Ḥārith,
Dhakwān ibn ‘Abd al-Qays, ‘Ubādah ibn al-Ṣāmit, Yazīd ibn Tha‘labah, al-‘Abbās
ibn ‘Ubādah, Abū ‘l-Haytham ibn al-Tayhān, and ‘Uwaym ibn Sā‘idah. The last two
were from Aws tribe, and the remaining ten were from Khazraj tribe. The wording of the pledge as narrated by ‘Ubādah
ibn al-Ṣāmit, and recorded by al-Bukhārī, the Prophet (ﷺ) said as follows:
Come here and pledge that
you will not associate any with Allah, that you will not steal, nor commit
unlawful sexual intercourse, nor kill your children, not utter slander inten-tionally
forging falsehood, nor disobey me in any good. He who fulfils this, Allah will reward him; and who neglects anything
and is afflicted in this world, it may prove redemp- tion for him in the Hereafter; and if the
sin remains hidden from the eyes of the men and no grief comes to him, then his
affair is with Allah. He may forgive him or He may not.
5.
Those who participated in the second ‘Aqabah Pledge. In the thirteenth
year of Prophet (ﷺ) hood (June, 622 CE) during the pilgrimage
season over 70 converts came from Madinah and made a secret meeting with the Prophet
(ﷺ) at the night in a small hill at
al-‘Aqabah during the night of tashrīq days (11th, 12th
and 13th of Dhū’l-Ḥijjah). They consisted of 73 men, including Ubayy
ibn Ka‘b, and two women (Nuṣaybah bint Ka‘b from Banī Māzin, and Asmā’ bint
‘Amr from Banī Salamah), led by Ka‘b ibn Mālik. When they asked what should they
pledge, the Prophet (ﷺ) answered, as narrated by Jābir and recorded by al-Imām Aḥmad,
as follows:
-
to listen and obey in all difficulty and ease.
-
to spend in plenty as well as in scarcity
-
to enjoin good and forbid evil
-
in Allah’s service, you will fear the censure of none
-
to aid me when I come to you, and protect me from anything you protect
yourself, your spouses and children from. Then Paradise is in store for you.
When they
asked assurance from the Prophet (ﷺ) that he would not leave them when Allah granted him victory
and power, he said:
Nay, it
would never be; your blood will be my
blood.
In life and death I will be with you and you
with
me. I will fight whom you fight and I will make
peace with
those with whom you make peace.
Then they
extended their hands, shook hand with the Prophet
(ﷺ). The two women just took the pledge
orally without shaking hands with the Prophet (ﷺ).
6.
Emigrants who arrived at Qubā’
before the
Prophet (ﷺ) entered Madinah and before the building of the mosque of Madinah. Abū Salamah was
the first one to migrate, a year before the second Aqabah Pledge. Then he was
followed by his wife and son. Suhayb ib Sinān al-Rūmī was release only and
allowed to leave for Madinah after he offered them to give away all his wealth.
The Prophet (ﷺ) after
hearing this story said: “Suhayb has profited, Suhayb has profited.” Then ‘Umar
migrated and arrived with 20 of the ṣaḥābah.
7.
Those who joined the battle of
Badr, called Ahl Badr (lit. “people of Badr”). For this battle
the Makkan army prepared 1300 soldiers, 600 of them in mail armour, and 100
horsemen and many camels. Every day they slaughtered between 9 and 10 camels
for food, and they planned to stay 3 days. As the caravans led by Abū Sufyān
escaped the ambush of the Muslim army, Banū Zahrah broke away and returned to
Makkah. Banū Hāshim could not break away because of Abū Jahl’s threats. So,
there remained 1000 soldiers proceeding to Badr to fight the Muslim army
consisting of between 300 and 317 soldiers, with 12 horses and 70 camels. There
were between 82 and 86 of them were Muhājirīn (emigrants), and the
remaining were Anṣār (the Helpers, the Madinians) 61 from Aws tribe, and
170 from Khazraj tribe. Facing the army threefold the size of that of his army
the Prophet’s prayer was answered. Allah said:
إِذْ تَسْتَغِيثُونَ رَبَّكُمْ فَاسْتَجَابَ
لَكُمْ أَنِّي مُمِدُّكُمْ بِأَلْفٍ
مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مُرْدِفِينَ (الأنفال:9)
(Remember) when you sought help of your Lord
and He answered you (saying): “I will help
you
with a thousand of angels each behind the other
(following one another) in succession” (Q. 8:9)
Ibn ‘Abbās narrated reported by Muslim: “While on
that day a Muslim was chasing a disbeliever and he heard over him the swashing
of a whip and the voice of the rider saying: ‘Go ahead Hayzun’. He glanced and
the polytheist who had (now) fallen down on his back. When he asked the Prophet about the event, the Prophet replied:
‘You have told the truth. This was the help from the third heaven.’”
The Prophet (ﷺ)’s uncle ‘Abbās ibn ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib who was forced to join the Makkan army was captured by one of the Anṣār.
He said to the Prophet (ﷺ): “O
Messenger of Allah, by Allah, this man did not capture me. I was captured by a
man who was bald and had the most handsome face, and who was riding a piebald
horse. I cannot see him here among the people.” The man interrupted: “O Messenger
of Allah, I captured him.” The Prophet (ﷺ) replied: “Be quiet, Allah the Almighty strengthened you with
the help of a noble angel.”
There were 14 martyrs in this battle, 6 among them were Muhājirīn,
and 8 were the Anṣār, whereas the Makkan casualties: the loss of 70 men
including Abū Jahl, and several were taken prisoners.
Ahl Badr had special status. Ḥāṭib ibn Abī Balta‘ah
in order to save his disbelieving relative in Makkah informed them of the
Prophet’s plan to conquer Makkah. When it was discovered through revelation,
‘Umar wanted to kill him as a hypocrite. But the Prophet said: “He is one of
those who fought in the battle of Badr. What do you know, ‘Umar? Perhaps Allah
has looked at the people of Badr, and said: ‘Do as you please, for I
have forgiven you’” ‘Umar released him, and said: “Allah and His Messenger know
better. Then it was revealed:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ
آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّي وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ تُلْقُونَ إِلَيْهِمْ
بِالْمَوَدَّةِ (الممتحنة:1)
O you who believe! Take not my enemies and your
enemies
(i.e. disbelievers and polytheists) as friends,
showing
affection towards them… (Q. 60:1)
المراجع: (CIVIC, 4
November. 2016
تفسير الطبري (ت. 310 هـ)
تفسير القرطبى(ت. 671 هـ)
تفسير ابن كثير(ت. 774
هـ)
Safi-ur-Rahman
Al-Mubakafrakpuri. The Sealed Nectar.
https://islamqa.info/ar/181943
tmp/1326694209fix3su
http://www.iasj.net/iasj?func=fulltext&aId=76555
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