The Prophet and His Companions

The Prophet and His Companions

1985 2 February 23-24 The Prophet and His Companions (752)

When one is honoured with True faith dishonour disappears

While emigrating from Mecca to Medina, the Prophet of Islam came across two men in the mountain pass of Rakooba. He invited them to Islam, and they accepted the invitation. He asked them their names, and they said they belonged to the tribe of Aslam. They were bandits, they told him, and for this reason people called them “Muhanan”, or “The Two Despicable Ones”. “No,” the Prophet said, “you are two honourable ones.” (Masnad Imam Ahmad)

Living as a community under all conditions

Abu Darda reported the Prophet as saying: “If there are just three people, living in a village or out in the desert, and they do not pray in congregation, then the Devil will take possession of them. Prayer in congregation is of prime importance to you, for a wolf devours the sheep that strays on its own. Satan is like a wolf, waiting to devour any person he finds alone.” (Targheeb wa tarheeb)

Everyone has something to give

The Prophet said. “For every limb of man’s body, for every new day, there is an act of charity to be performed. To judge fairly between two people is an act of charity. To give someone a hand climbing on his mount, or taking luggage off it, is an act of charity. A good word is an act of charity. To remove any obstacle from a path is an act of charity.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Dearest to god is one with the best character

A few of the Companions were sitting with the Prophet. So silent were they that it was as if there were birds perched upon their heads. No one was saying a word, but some people came up and asked: “Who does God love most among His servants?” “The one with the best character,” the Prophet replied. (Tabrani, Ibn Habban)

Paying back what one owes others

A few days before he died, the Prophet delivered an unusually long speech. Finally he said: “I want to be able to present a clean sheet of my life to God. If I owe anybody anything, which I forgot to repay, or have physically or mentally harmed anyone without my knowledge, then I request him to accept compensation or forgive me.” The Prophet finished speaking and waited a while, but no one spoke up. He then prayed the early afternoon prayer, after which he repeated his request. A man rose and said: “Prophet of God, you owe me five dirhams.” The Prophet gave instructions for him to be repaid, there and then.

Forsaking this world for the next

Aisha says that one of the Companions came to the prophet and said to him: I have two slaves who persistently deceive, betray and disobey me. I beat them and scold them in return. How do I stand in relation to them?” The Prophet replied: “Their disobedience, perfidy and deception will be weighed up, and so will the reprisals you take against them. If your reprisals are equal to their crimes then the two will balance one another out: nothing will be left owing to you, and you will not owe anything. And if your reprisals are less than their crimes then you will be paid the balance. But if the reprisals you took against them are more weighty than the crimes they committed, then they will be repaid from the grace that was previously yours.” The man started crying in front of the Prophet. “Why, have you not read the Book of God,” the Prophet said to him: “And We shall set up just scales on the Day of Resurrection, so that no man shall in the least be wronged. Actions as small as a grain of mustard seed We will bring (to be weighed out). And sufficient are We as reckoners (21:47).” Prophet of God, “the man said,” I think it would be best for me to be rid of them. You are witness to the fact that I have freed them all. (Masnad Imam Ahmad)

Being just to all, whether weak or strong

Muawiya Ibn Abu Sufyan asked Dhirar to tell him about Ali. Part of Dhirar’s description of Ali’s qualities went like this: “He lived among us like one of us. No one who was in the wrong would have any hope that Ali would side with him, no matter how powerful he was, and no one who was weak would have cause for despair of being treated justly by him.”