Part 1 - Some Narrations of the Imaams of Sunnah Concerning the Excellence of the Companions

[Abbas.Abu.Yahya]

Part 3 - Some Narrations of the Imaams of Sunnah Concerning the Excellence of the Companions
Some Narrations of the Imaams of Sunnah Concerning the Excellence of the Companions
RadhiAllaahu anhum

Taken from the Book

‘The Narrations Mentioned by Imaams of the Sunnah in the Chapters of ‘Aqeedah from the Book
‘Siyaar ‘Alaam an-Nubala’

Researched By
Jamaal bin Ahmad bin BasheeraBaadee

Translated by
Abbas Abu Yahya



ChapterAcceptance of Their Excellence & Noble Status, Not Belittling Them and Remaining Silent About the Disputes Between Them

The Narrations:

1- Dhahabi said: ‘Sho’bah, on the authority of Mansoor bin Abdur Rahmaan, I heard Sha’bee say: I met 500 or more of the Companions who would say that ‘Alee, ‘Uthmaan, and az-Zubair are in Paradise.’

Dhahabi commented:

‘I say: because they are the ten who are promised Paradise. They are from those who participated in the battle of Badr and from the people who took the Allegiance of ar-Ridwaan from the first to embrace Islaam, about whom Allaah informs that He is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. Also, because four of them were killed and they were granted martyrdom, we love them and hate the four who killed these four.’

2- Dhahabi said: ‘Sa’eed bin AbdulAzeez, on the authority of Makhool: that the Companions used to say: The most merciful from amongst us is Abu Bakr, the most vocal from amongst us with the truth is Umar, the most trustworthy from amongst us is Abu Ubaydah and the most knowledgeable from amongst us about Haraam and Halaal is Mu’aadh. The best recitor from amongst us is Ubayy, the man who has knowledge is lbn Masood and Awaymir Abu Darda follows them with intellect.’

Dhahabi said: ‘Ibn Ishaq said: the Companions used to say: The one from us who used to follow knowledge and action the most is Abu Darda.’

3- Dhahabi said: ‘Qatada said: on the authority of Anas who said: Two tribes from the Ansaar became proud.

So al-Awaas said:
From amongst us was one who was washed by the Angels: Hanzalah bin Rahib.
And from amongst us was the one for whom the ‘Arsh shook: Saad.
And from amongst us was he who was protected by the bees and hornets: Aasim bin Abee al-Aqlah.
And from amongst us was he who was given martyrdom twice: Khuzaimah bin Thaabit.’

4- Dhahabi said: ‘Umar bin AbdulAzeez used to continuously visit UbaydAllaah bin AbdAllaah and he would take knowledge from him.
It reached UbaydAllaah that Umar would belittle ‘Alee, so he went to see him and said to him: ‘When did it reach you that Allaah -Ta’ala- is angry with the Ahl-ul-Badr after He had been pleased with them.’
Then he said: ‘He knew what I intended.’
Then he said: ‘I apologise to Allaah and to you and I will not do it again.
After that Umar was not heard mentioning ‘Alee –RadhiAllaahu anhu- except with good.’

5- 535- Dhahabi said: ‘Hamad bin Zaid: ‘Alee bin Zaid narrated to us that Sa’eed bin al Mussayib said to me: Tell your leader to stand up, then look at the face of this man and his body.’
Then he stood up, came and he said: I saw that his face was black and his body was white.’
Sa’eed said: ‘Verily this person cursed these people Talha, az-Zubair and ‘Alee –RadhiAllaahu anhum- so I prohibited him from doing so but he disobeyed, so I supplicated against him, I said if you are a liar then may Allaah make your face black. So when I left him his face had boils on it, then his face became black.’

6- (536) - Dhahabi said: ‘Baqeeyah bin al-Waleed said: al-Awza’ee said to me: O Baqeeyah! Do not mention anyone from the Companions of your Prophet except with good. O Baqeeyah! Knowledge is that which came from the Companions of Muhammad -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- and that which did not come from them, then that is not knowledge.’

7- (537) - Dhahabi said Jafar bin Muhammad ar-Ras’anee said that ‘Uthmaan bin Salih narrated to us that he said: The people of Misr would belittle ‘Uthmaan until al-Layth came among them and narrated to them his virtues, so they stopped belittling him.

The people of Hyms would belittle ‘Alee until Ismaeel ‘Ayaash came among them and narrated to them his virtues so they stopped belittling him.’

8- 538 - Dhahabi said: ‘Ahmad al-Ijaali said: Imaam Abu al-Ahwaas Salaam bin Sulaym al-Hanafi was a trustworthy companion of the Sunnah and would follow it. If his house would fill up with the companions of hadeeth, he would say to his son Ahwaas: ‘O my son stand up, whoever you see in my house who curses anyone of the Companions then kick him out. What would bring them to visit us?!’

9- 539 - Dhahabi said: ‘Bahlool bin Ishaaq said that Sa’eed bin Mansoor narrated to us that Shihaab bin Khurrash narrated to us that he said: ‘I met those of whom I met from the first people of this Ummah and they would say: ‘Make mention in your gatherings of the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- that which would cause the hearts to have affection for them. Do not mention the disputes which took place between them so as to gather the people against them.’

10- 540 - Dhahabi said: ‘Na’eem bin Hamad said I heard Ibn al-Mubarak say: The sword which fell between the Companions was fitnah, but I do not say about anyone of them that he was a fitnah maker.’

11- 541 - Dhahabi said: ‘Ahmad bin Abee Khaythaamah said: I heard Ibn Ma’een say: when ‘Alee bin al-Madeeni used to come to us he would make the Sunnah apparent to us and if he went to Basrah he would make apparent the excellence of ‘Alee bin Abee Taalib.’

Dhahabi comments on this narration saying: ‘I say: He used to make apparent the virtues of Imam ‘Alee in Basrah, because the people of Basrah used to favour ‘Uthman and had deviated away from ‘Alee.’

12- 542 - Dhahabi said: ‘On the authority Ibn Abee Maleekah, on the authority Ibn Abbas who said that Umar said: ‘Alee was the best in judging amongst us and Ubayy was best recitor of us.’

13- 543 - Dhahabi mentions the following in the biography of the Abbasid Khalifah Abul Abbas al-Qadir Billaah (died 422 A.H.): ‘al-Khateeb said: He was from the Deen, would be continuous in praying Tahhjud (night prayer) and give a lot in charity so much that he became famous for it. He also compiled a book in ‘al-Usool’ (Principles) and in it he mentioned the excellence of the Companions. He made Takfeer in this book, of those who say that the Quran is created.

That book used to be read every Friday in the gathering of the companions of al-hadeeth (Ashaab -ul-hadeeth) which the people used to attend in the duration of his Khilafah, which was forty years and three months.’

14- 545- Dhahabi said: ‘Abu Abdullaah al-Hakim said: our Shaykh as-Sabqee said: Imaam Malik took the virtues/characteristics of the Companions and Tabieen, Yahya bin Yahya at-Tameemi took it on the authority of Maalik, Muhammad bin Nasr al-Marwazi took it on the authority of Yahya and Abu ‘Alee ath-Thaqafi took it on the authority of Ibn Nasr.’