Arguments from Hadith

2. The second Hadith is presented in the following words: “Those are the companions of Muhammad œ. Allah chose them to accompany His Prophet and to establish His religion.” This is part of a longer Hadith. First, I will present the entire Hadith here: Ibn Mas’ud said: “Whoever wants to follow a path should follow those who have passed away, for the living are not immune to trials. Those are the companions of Muhammad œ. They were the best of this Ummah, the most sincere of hearts, the deepest in knowledge, and the least pretentious. Allah chose them to accompany His Prophet and to establish His religion. Therefore, recognize their excellence and follow them closely, adhering to their morals and manners as much as you can, for they were upon the straight guidance.” (Narrated by Razeen, as referenced in Mishkat al-Masabih, Hadith No. 193) This is a piece of advisory discourse or a speech by Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, which he delivered to some Muslims during the time of the Tabi’in (the generation after the Companions). In it, the phrase “establishment of religion” refers to the adherence to the religion.