Shaykh al-Islām, exemplar of mankind, mufti to the various groups, and champion of the Sunnah, Taqī al-Dīn Abū al-Abbās Ahmad ibn Abd al-Halīm ibn Abd al-Salām ibn Taymiyya—may Allah be pleased with him—was asked:
Concerning “Ahl al-Suffa” (the people of the shaded platform): How many were they? Were they in Mecca or Medina? Where was the place in which they stayed? Did all of them remain there, leaving only when necessary? Or did some remain at the platform while others sought their livelihood? How did they obtain their livelihood: did they perform manual labour, or did they beg with a basket?
What of someone who believes that “Ahl al-Suffa” fought alongside the polytheists against the believers? And what of someone who believes that “Ahl al-Suffa” were superior to Abū Bakr, Umar, Uthmān, and Alī—may Allah be pleased with them—and to the remaining six of the Ten, and to all the Companions? Were any of the Ten among them?
Did anyone at that time make vows for Ahl al-Suffa? Did they seek ecstatic states to the sound of a frame drum or flute? Or did they have a chanter who recited poetry, to which they moved, clapping their hands and seeking ecstatic states?
He was also asked about this verse, the words of Allah Most High:
“And keep yourself patient with those who call upon their Lord morning and evening.”
Does it apply specifically to Ahl al-Suffa, or is it