The Companions of the Prophet

THE COMPANIONS OF THE PROPHET T he Companions of the Prophet—the Sahabah—stand alongside him in history just as they stood alongside him during his lifetime, for they were the ones selected by God to assist His messenger. They joined him in seeing his divine mission through to its proper conclusion. As ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud said: “God chose them to accompany His Prophet and to establish his religion.” Let us take a look at a few of the outstanding qualities of the Companions, which gave them their place in history. Islam was Something They Loved One of the qualities of the Companions described in the Quran was their attachment to the Faith.188 Of this, love is the ultimate expression; it is the highest feeling we can have for something; it replaces all else in our thoughts. Our attitude towards the beloved is something instinctive. We know what to do and what not to do because the natural feeling has developed for the object of our love. Its joys and sorrows become our own. This was the intensity of feeling that the Companions had for Islam. They rejoiced in the success of their faith as a father rejoices when his son is