The Companions of the Prophet

bint ‘Utbah. Suddenly he removed the sword from above her head.” One of the orders the Prophet issued in times of battle was that women, children and older men should not be slain. Abu Dujanah remembered the Prophet’s orders in the heat of the battle, and even as his sword was plunging into its victim, he withdrew it when he saw that it was a woman. From this, one can see how strong the Companions’ control over their emotions was. Even in moments of overwhelming passion, they could take reasoned decisions and judge matters dispassionately, no matter how extreme the provocation they faced. Even when feelings of anger and vengeance had gone beyond all bounds, they could adopt the correct frame of mind. Changing direction when travelling at full speed may appear easy enough, but it is challenging in practice. Only one can accomplish such a task, who goes so in fear of God that it is as if God were standing before him in all His power and glory. Growing Like a Tree The Quran refers to both the Torah and the Injil (The Old and New Testaments) to describe two qualities of the Companions. Quotations from the Torah explain their individual qualities, while the Injil illustrates their qualities as members of their community: Thus they are described in the Torah and the Gospel: like the seed which puts forth its shoot