On Refraining from Discussing What Transpired among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—and May Allah Most High Have Mercy upon Them All
Muhammad ibn al-Husayn—may Allah have mercy on him—said: Anyone who reflects upon what we have set forth concerning the virtues of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—and the virtues of his entire household—may Allah be pleased with them all—should love them, ask Allah to have mercy upon them and forgive them, seek nearness to Allah the Generous by means of them, and thank Allah the Almighty for granting him success in this. He should not mention what transpired among them, nor pry into or investigate it.
If an ignorant and deluded person who has been led away from the path of right guidance objects to us, saying, “Why did so-and-so fight so-and-so, and why did so-and-so kill so-and-so and so-and-so?” he should be told: “Neither you nor we have any beneficial need to mention this, nor are we obliged to know it.”
If he asks, “Why not?” he should be told: “Because these were tribulations witnessed by the Companions—may Allah be pleased with them—and they acted in them according to what their knowledge of those matters showed them. They understood their proper interpretation better than anyone else and were better guided than those who came after them, for they are the people of Paradise. The Quran was revealed among them; they witnessed the Messenger—peace and blessings be upon him—and strove alongside him. Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—attested that they had attained His pleasure, forgiveness, and a tremendous reward, while the Messenger—peace and blessings be upon him—testified that they were the best generation. They therefore knew Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—His Messenger—peace and blessings be upon him—the Quran, and the Sunnah better than others. Knowledge is taken from them, we live according to their teachings, judge by their rulings, cultivate ourselves according to their manners, and follow them. This is what we have been commanded to do.”
If he asks, “What harm could come to us from learning and investigating what occurred among them?” he should be told: “Harm about which there can be no doubt. Those men possessed far greater understanding than we do, while our understanding falls far short of theirs. We cannot be sure that, by investigating what transpired among them, we will not slip from the path of truth and fail to fulfill what we have been commanded regarding them.”
If he asks, “What have we been commanded regarding them?” he should be told: “We have been commanded to ask forgiveness for them, pray that Allah have mercy upon them, love them, and follow them. The Book, the Sunnah, and the statements of the Muslim imams all establish this. We have no need to mention what occurred among them. They accompanied the Messenger—peace and blessings be upon him—and formed marital ties with him, just as he formed marital ties with them. By virtue of their companionship, Allah the Generous forgives them. Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—has guaranteed in His Book that He will not disgrace a single one of them. Allah Most High has also told us in His Book that their description appears in the Torah and the Gospel, and He described them in the most beautiful and excellent terms. Our Generous Master has informed us that He has turned to them in mercy; and when He has turned to them in mercy, He will never punish a single one of them. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. Those are Allah’s party. Surely Allah’s party alone are the successful.”
If someone says, “I only wish to learn what occurred among them so that nothing about their circumstances escapes me, for I wish to know it and not remain ignorant of it,” he should be told: “You are seeking tribulation, for you are investigating something that will harm you and bring you no benefit. It would be better for you to devote yourself to fulfilling what you owe Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—in the worship He has prescribed for you: performing His obligations and avoiding what He has forbidden.”
It should further be said: “This is especially so in our own time, given the ugliness of the misguided sectarian passions that have appeared in it.”
He should also be told: “It would be better for you to concern yourself with where your food and clothing come from, how you earn your dirham, and on what you spend it.”
He should be told: “You cannot be sure that your prying and investigation into what transpired among those people will not cause your heart to incline toward a position that it is not proper for you to favor. Satan may toy with you until you revile and hate those whom Allah commanded you to love, ask forgiveness for, and follow. You would then slip from the path of truth and take the path of falsehood.”
If he says, “Then cite for us from the Book, the Sunnah, and the Muslim scholars of earlier generations what supports your statement, so that our souls may be restrained from their desire to investigate what transpired among the Companions—may Allah be pleased with them,” he should be told: “We have already cited enough of what you mention to suffice as proof for anyone who understands. We shall nevertheless repeat some of it so that the believing seeker of guidance may take heed and follow the path of truth.”
Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—said:
“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those who are with him are firm against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating, seeking bounty from Allah and His pleasure. Their distinguishing mark is upon their faces from the trace of prostration. That is their description in the Torah. Their description in the Gospel is that of a crop which sends forth its shoots, then strengthens them until they grow firm and stand upon their stalks, delighting the sowers, so that through them He may enrage the disbelievers.” [Al-Fath: 29]
He then promised them forgiveness and a tremendous reward. Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—said:
“Allah has certainly turned in mercy to the Prophet, the Emigrants, and the Helpers who followed him in the hour of hardship.” [Al-Tawbah: 117]
He—Glorified and Exalted is He—also said:
“The foremost—the first of the Emigrants and the Helpers—and those who followed them with excellence”—may Allah be pleased with them—[Al-Tawbah: 100], to the end of the verse.
He—Glorified and Exalted is He—said:
“On the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him, their light will proceed before them and on their right.” [Al-Tahrīm: 8], to the end of the verse.
He—Glorified and Exalted is He—said:
“You are the best nation.” [Āl Imrān: 110], to the end of the verse.
He—Glorified and Exalted is He—also said:
“Allah was certainly pleased with the believers.” [Al-Fath: 18], to the end of the verse.
Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—then praised those who came after the Companions, sought forgiveness for them, and asked their Generous Master not to place any resentment toward them in their hearts. Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—praised them in the finest possible terms, saying: “And those who came after them…” through His words, “…Compassionate and Merciful.”
The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “The best people are my generation, then those who follow them, and then those who follow them.”
He—peace and blessings be upon him—also said: “Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—chose my Companions above all the worlds, except the prophets and messengers. From among my Companions, He chose four for me: Abū Bakr, Umar, Uthmān, and Alī. He made them the best of my Companions, though there is good in all my Companions, and He chose my nation above all other nations.”
He—peace and blessings be upon him—also said: “The likeness of my Companions within my nation is that of salt in food: food cannot be wholesome without salt.” This was narrated from al-Hasan, from Anas, from the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him. Whenever al-Hasan narrated it, he would say: “Our salt has gone; how, then, can we remain sound?”
Ibn Masūd said: “Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—looked into the hearts of His servants and found the heart of Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him—to be the best of His servants’ hearts. He therefore chose him for Himself and sent him with His message. He then looked into His servants’ hearts after the heart of Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him—and found the hearts of his Companions to be the best of His servants’ hearts. He therefore made them the supporters of His Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—fighting for His religion.”
Muhammad ibn al-Husayn—may Allah have mercy on him—said: It should be said to anyone who hears this from Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—and from the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him: “If you are a servant whom Allah has guided to goodness, you will heed the admonition Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—has given you. But if you follow your own desire, I fear that you will be among those of whom Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—said:
‘Who is further astray than one who follows his own desire without guidance from Allah?’ [Al-Qasas: 50]
And that you will be among those of whom Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—said:
‘Had Allah known any good in them, He would have made them hear; yet even had He made them hear, they would have turned away in aversion.’ [Al-Anfāl: 23]”
It should also be said to him: “Anyone who turns to the Companions of the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—only to impugn some, take the side of others, disparage some, and praise others is a man seeking tribulation—and into tribulation he has fallen. He is required to love them all and ask forgiveness for them all—may Allah be pleased with them all and benefit us through our love for them. We shall give you further clarification so that your heart may remain sound toward them all and you may abandon investigating and prying into what transpired among them.”