raises him a rank, while the other erases a sin. Thus Satan could not deprive them of that reward by carrying them through the air or driving them forcefully across the earth so that they would cover great distances quickly. They knew that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, had taken the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque only to show him some of His greatest signs. This was one of his unique distinctions. No one after him can have an ascension like this. Satan, however, makes a person imagine satanic ascensions, just as he has done with a number of people of later generations.
As for crossing a great river by walking on water, believers may sometimes need this—for example, when they cannot otherwise cross over to the enemy and complete their jihad. For this reason, Allah would honour those Companions and Successors who needed it with such a gift, as He honoured al-ʿAlāʾ ibn al-Hadramī and his companions, and Abū Muslim al-Khawlānī and his companions. A detailed discussion of this belongs elsewhere, outside this book.
The point, however, is to recognize that the Companions are the best generation and the best of creation after the prophets. Whatever has appeared among those after them, is thought to be a virtue of later generations, and was not found among the Companions, is from Satan: it is a deficiency, not a virtue, whether it concerns knowledge, acts of worship, extraordinary feats and signs, or governance and kingship. Rather, the best people after them are those who follow them most closely. ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “Whoever among you wishes to follow an example