Companions of the Prophet

The most unique trait of the Companions of the Prophet was their ability to acknowledge the Prophet based on pure merit before the establishment of his greatness in history, and then after accepting his prophethood, dedicating themselves entirely to his mission, unlike the contemporaries of previous prophets who failed to recognize the prophets sent to them by God based on their merit. This unique ability of the Prophet’s Companions resulted from their upbringing in the desert. This desert training had made them realistic in the ultimate sense. This enabled them to recognize reality in its abstract form. Generally, people recognize a person of exceptional merit only after he has acquired historical grandeur. But the Companions of the Prophet were such believers who could recognize the Prophet in “the hour of hardship” (9:117) before his greatness had been established and could dedicate themselves fully to his mission. Being “firm and unyielding” (48:29) does not mean that the Companions were harsh to the unbelievers. Here it means that the Companions were mature enough to retain their Islamic character and resisted being conditioned by the environment. They were de-conditioned personalities in the complete sense. The Arabic saying: “huwa shadidun alayya” (he does not accept my influence) indicates their calibre.