Mount Uhud in gold, it would not equal a mudd given by one of them, nor even half of it.” Cursing is more grievous than reviling.

It is established in the Sahīh that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“Cursing a believer is like killing him.”

Thus, the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—likened cursing a believer to killing him. The Companions of Allah’s Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—are the best of the believers, as is established in his saying:

“The best generation is the generation among whom I was sent, then those who follow them, then those who follow them.”

Everyone who saw Allah’s Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—while believing in him has a share of companionship commensurate with that. It is established in the Sahīh that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“An army will go on campaign, and it will be asked, ‘Is there anyone among you who accompanied Allah’s Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace?’ They will say, ‘Yes,’ and victory will be granted to them. Then an army will go on campaign, and it will be asked, ‘Is there anyone among you who saw Allah’s Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace?’ They will say, ‘Yes,’ and victory will be granted to them.” He also mentioned the third generation.

Thus, he linked this outcome to seeing Allah’s Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—just as he linked it to accompanying him. Since the term “companionship” has both a general and a particular sense, a Companion distinguished from others by a particular kind of companionship may be described as possessing that companionship, to the exclusion of those who did not share it.

In the previously mentioned hadith of Abū Sa‘īd, the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said to Khālid ibn al-Walīd, when he and ‘Abd al-Rahmān had a dispute:

“O Khālid, do not revile my Companions. By Him in whose hand is my soul, if one of you were to spend the equivalent of Mount Uhud in gold, it would not equal a mudd given by one of them, nor even half of it.”

For ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn ‘Awf and others like him were among the earliest pioneers who spent before the victory—the victory of al-Hudaybiyah. Khālid ibn al-Walīd and others who embraced Islam after al-Hudaybiyah, and who spent and fought, were lower in rank than those earlier Companions. Allah Most High says:

“Not equal are those among you who spent before the victory