Tangible Faith Lessons from the Companions,Inspiring Our Own

The faith of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was not only a spiritual concept; it also had a tangible reality. This was demonstrated in the way they lived their lives, as seen in the accounts of Anas bin An-Nadr, Abu Bakr, and Hanzalah Al-Usayyidi. Their faith was so strong that it influenced their senses, allowing them to feel the presence of Jannah and Hellfire as if they were physically in front of them. In this article, we will explore the distinctions between worship, faith, and the status of the Companions, as described in hadiths, and how these compare to our own worship, faith, and status.

Anas bin An-Nadr's determination to fight in the battle with the Prophet (PBUH) showed his unwavering faith in Allah. He was martyred in the battle of Uhud, but his commitment to the faith was so strong that even in his final moments, he was able to recognize the scent of Paradise.

The Fall Of Anas Ibn Nadr (RA) | The Silent Repenter

Narrated Anas: His uncle (Anas bin An-Nadr) was absent from the battle of Badr and he said, "I was absent from the first battle of the Prophet (i.e. Badr), and if Allah should let me participate in a battle with the Prophet, Allah will see how strongly I will fight." So he encountered the day of the Uhud battle. The Muslims fled, and he said, "O Allah! I appeal to You to excuse me for what these people (i.e., the Muslims) have done, and I am clear about what the pagans have done." Then he went forward with his sword and met Sad bin Mu'adh (who was fleeing) and asked him, "Where are you going, O Sad? I detect a smell of paradise before Uhud." Then he proceeded on and was martyred. No one was able to recognise him until his sister recognised him by a mole on his body or by the tips of his fingers. He had over 80 wounds caused by stabbing, striking, or shooting with arrows.

Abu Bakr and Hanzalah Al-Usayyidi also experienced the same phenomenon of their senses being influenced by their faith in the presence of Jannah and Hellfire. They expressed their concerns to the Prophet (PBUH) about how they struggled to maintain their spiritual awareness when they were not in his presence. The Prophet (PBUH) reassured them that dedicating time to both worldly affairs and prayer was necessary.

Hanzalah Al-Usayyidi (may Allah be pleased with him), who was one of the scribes of the Messenger of Allah ( ), reported:

I met Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and he said, "How are you, O Hanzalah?" I said, "Hanzalah has become a hypocrite". He said, "Far removed is Allah from every imperfection; what are you saying?" I said, "When we are in the company of the Messenger of Allah ( ) and he reminds us of Hell-fire and Jannah, we feel as if we are seeing them with our very eyes, and when we are away from the Messenger of Allah ( ), we attend to our wives, our children, our business, and most of these things (pertaining to life hereafter) slip out of our minds." Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "By Allah, I also experience the same thing". So Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and I went to the Messenger of Allah ( ) and I said to him, "O Messenger of Allah ( ), Hanzalah has turned hypocritical." Thereupon the Messenger of Allah ( ) said, "What has happened to you?" I said, "O Messenger of Allah, when we are in your company and are reminded of Hell-fire and Jannah, we feel as if we are seeing them with our own eyes, but when we go away from you and attend to our wives, children, and business, much of this goes out of our minds." Thereupon the Messenger of Allah ( ) said, "By Him in Whose Hand is My Life, if your state of mind remains the same as it is in my presence and you are always busy in remembrance of Allah, the angels will shake hands with you in your beds and in your roads; but Hanzalah, time should be devoted (to the worldly affairs) and time should be devoted (to prayer)". He (the Prophet ( )) said it three times.[Muslim].

These examples demonstrate that the companions' faith was not simply an abstract belief, but it had a tangible impact on their lives. They understood that every good deed they did brought them closer to Allah, raised their levels, and brought them nearer to Jannah. The lessons from their experiences can inspire us to cultivate a stronger faith that is not only spiritual but also tangible in our daily lives.

However, the question that arises first here is: who was better, the Companions or the Muslims living in our time? Do not rush to judge this question as naive. We know that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said in this authentic Hadith: Abdullah reported:

It was asked of Allah's Apostle ( ) who amongst the people was the best. He said: (People) of my generation, then those next to them, then those next to them, then there would come a people whose evidence would precede their oath and whose oath would precede their evidence. Ibrahim said: They forbade us to make vows and bear witness when we were too young. But does this close the door for every Muslim in our time and hinder them from equalising the status of the Companions? To answer this question, we must distinguish between two things: the generation of the companions and the companions as individuals. As for the group of companions, there is no doubt that no one surpasses their generation in virtue; as for the individuals of the companions, this is what we will discuss here.

Allah says in Surah At-Tawbah (9:100):

"And the first forerunners [in the faith] among the Muhjireen [500] and the Anr, and those who followed them with good conduct, Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great achievement."

Shiekh Al-Shaarawy comments on this verse: "The forerunner" is the one from whom the action, in what is related to it, occurred before others. All of us are believers, and praise be to Allah, those who believed first and those who believed after them are all believers. However, there are people who preceded faith, so did their precedence precede in time or in followership? If the precedence in time is meant by the forerunners, i.e., those who preceded us in time, someone might say, "What is our fault, and we came after their time?" Therefore, we say: The precedence is considered contemporary, i.e., there were people with them and others who preceded them, and that is why it is said: "Among the Muhajireen," and we know that not all Muslims in Mecca were among the Muhajireen, and it was said: "Among the Muhajireen and the Ansar," and also not all Muslims in Medina were among the Ansar.

 The Prophet, peace be upon him, reassured those who did not witness his time by saying, "I wish I could meet my brothers." The companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, asked, "Are we not your brothers?" He replied, "You are my companions, but my brothers are those who believed in me without seeing me."

This is a true statement from the chosen one; peace be upon him. For some, their greatest wish is to perform Hajj and visit the honourable grave. The Prophet, peace be upon him, also added in his description of his beloved companions, "The action of one of them is equal to that of fifty." They asked, "Of them, O Messenger of Allah, or of us?" He said, "Rather of you, because you have helpers in doing good, while they have no helpers in doing good." And this is indeed what is happening in our time.

But who are the "Saabiqoon" (the forerunners) mentioned in the verse we are discussing?

They are the "Ahl al-Badr" (the people of Badr). We know that the Saabiqoon came from among the emigrants and were the people of Badr, who participated in the first battle in Islam. They left Medina not to witness a war but to intercept a caravan carrying goods and return with its spoils. Nevertheless, they entered the battle not with the caravans that included goods, guards, and shepherds, but with the cry for battle, as they were the ones who came and then left Mecca and were the targets of the Quraysh. Thus, the people of Badr had a high status, as they were the ones who preceded others in jihad in the first battle of Islam.

Therefore, when Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah conspired to inform the people of Mecca about the Prophet's peace be upon him plan to attack Mecca, he brought him the letter and said to him, "What made you do this?" The Prophet, peace be upon him, wanted to conquer Mecca without anyone knowing so that the Muslims coming from outside would not fight some of the believers present in Mecca without anyone knowing who they were. That is why he wanted the element of surprise in the conquest, but Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah wrote a letter to some of the people of Quraysh, and Allah informed His Prophet, peace be upon him. So the Prophet, peace be upon him, said to Ali, may Allah be pleased with him and those with him, "Go to a place called 'Rawdah Khakh' on the road between Mecca and Medina, and you will find a camel with a letter to the people of Mecca. It was hidden by a woman named Khawlah bint Hakim, so take it and bring it to me." Ali did as he was instructed, and the plot was foiled.

Umar had a stance on this verse, for he used to recite it as follows: "And those who preceded them from the Muhajireen and the Ansar." He added the word "Ansar" to complement the meaning of "preceded." This addition was due to the revelation of the following verse: "And the first forerunners [in the faith] were among the Muhajireen and the Ansar." Then, Umar completed the verse by saying, "and those who followed them with excellence," meaning that he added the phrase "those who followed them" as an adjective for the Ansar.

Then, Zaid bin Thabit came to say to Umar, "We recited it differently, O Ibn Al-Khattab." Umar asked: "How so?" Zaid replied: "And those who preceded them, the Muhajireen and the Ansar, and those who followed them." Umar said: "Send to Abu bin Ka'ab." Abu bin Ka'ab was an authority in the Quran. He said: "I heard it as Zaid did, from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and you were selling dates at al-Baqi'." Meaning that Abu bin Ka'ab was always with the Prophet, peace be upon him, while Umar was selling dates. Umar laughed and said, "If you had testified, we would have gone astray." Then Umar recited it as it was revealed:

"And the forerunners, the first of the Muhajireen and the Ansar, and those who followed them with excellence." This is especially noteworthy because our master Abu bin Ka'ab, who had insight into the Quran, brought forth more than one piece of evidence from other verses, not just this one. For example, Allah said: "And [to] others of them who have not yet joined them. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise." (Al-Jumu'ah 3)

And in Surah Al-Hashr, Allah said: "And there is a share for] those who come after them, saying, "Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and put not in our hearts [any] resentment towards those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed, You are kind and merciful." (Al-Hashr 10) And this is also connected to the topic. Here, in the verse we are discussing, Allah says: "Allah was pleased with them, and they were pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great achievement."

We will conclude with the two important notes from a hadith and a verse. The Hadith is Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), who reported: The Prophet ( ) said, "Do not belittle any good deed, even meeting your brother (Muslim) with a cheerful face" [Muslim]. And the verse is: And do not confer favour to have it conferred to be great. [Al-Muddaththir:6]. Mujahid and Ar-Rabi' also said: "Do not think highly of your deeds, as if you are doing Allah a favour by doing good." Rather, know that it is one of the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon you.