TRUE COMPANIONSHIP

Historical accounts show, on the contrary, that companionship with the Prophet was a living and active experience. He would speak about the blessings of his Lord (Quran 93:11). He would inform those present about the divine provisions granted to him (Quran 20:131). He would explain the verses of the Quran. He would answer people’s questions. He would say things that transformed doubt into certainty. He would teach words of remembrance, prayer, and gratitude. He would recite newly revealed parts of the Quran. He would narrate the deeply moving stories of previous prophets and past believers, and so on. Those who sat in the company of the Prophet would hear deeply inspiring words. His presence nurtured intellectual awakening, and his companionship, in the truest sense, was a living companionship. This life-giving nature of his companionship was the true reason why the believing contemporaries of the Prophet were given such high status and came to be known in history as the Companions of the Prophet. This was an event of intellectual transformation, not merely passive sitting in a gathering. The same is true for scholars and elders in later times. There is no mysterious power in anyone’s company. The benefit of companionship depends entirely on how receptive those who listen are. Those who are receptive will gain benefit, and those who aren’t will remain deprived.