The Prophet's (peace be upon him) greatest gift to his ummah is the Companions. These persons saw the Prophet with their own eyes, heard his words directly, witnessed his miracles — and spent their lives on his path. This sermon explores the place of the Companions in the Quran, the lives of the four Caliphs as examples, and the lines of character the believer inherits from them.
The Companions in the Quran
In Surah at-Tawbah Allah names the Companions as the most virtuous of communities:
— At-Tawbah 9:100And the foremost ones — the first of the Muhajirun and the Ansar — and those who followed them in good conduct: Allah is well-pleased with them, and they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, in which they will abide forever. That is the supreme attainment.
"Allah is well-pleased with them, and they are well-pleased with Him" — this single sentence is the ground for the respect every ummah owes the Companions. Anyone trying to disturb this relationship of pleasure between Allah and them is standing against Allah's pleasure.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) warned his ummah sharply about preserving the value of the Companions:
— Sahih al-Bukhari, Fada'il as-Sahabah, no. 3673Do not curse my Companions. If one of you were to spend gold the size of Mount Uhud in charity, it would not reach (in reward) a handful — or even half — of one of them.
A tiny good deed done by the Companions is more precious than the great deeds of later ummahs. The reason: they carried iman in the hardest of circumstances; they were the ones who made the first investment.
Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) — The Peak of Sidq
The first Caliph Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was the closest friend of the Prophet, his father-in-law, and the Companion bearing the title "as-Siddiq" (the most truthful).
Line of character: sidq (truthful affirmation). After the night of Mi'raj, the Quraysh asked Abu Bakr: "The son of Abi Quhafah says he went from Mecca to Jerusalem and from there ascended to the heavens; do you believe him?" His answer was short and firm: "If he says it, it is true." This answer earned him the title "as-Siddiq."
This state of iman — trusting the Prophet even when we do not understand — is Abu Bakr's legacy to the modern believer.
When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) passed away, the Muslims went into shock; 'Umar insisted "he has not died, he has gone." Abu Bakr came, kissed the face of the Messenger of Allah, then went out to the mosque and gave this famous speech:
— Sahih al-Bukhari, Jana'iz, no. 1241Whoever worshipped Muhammad — let them know that Muhammad has died. Whoever worshipped Allah — let them know that Allah does not die.
He then recited verse 144 of Surah Ali 'Imran — the Companions were stunned, as if the verse had been revealed that very day. This calm and leadership of Abu Bakr's is the model of a believer managing a crisis.
'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) — The Symbol of Justice
The second Caliph 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was among the strongest Qurayshi fighters before Islam; once he believed, he became Islam's fiercest defender.
Line of character: justice. When he became Caliph the Muslims' reach had widened; there was a state stretching from Egypt to Khorasan. Yet despite all this power he wore a patched garment on his back and walked the streets at night looking for the needy.
One night, walking the streets of Madinah, he heard a woman say to her child: "Don't cry, 'Umar sees everything." He grieved, and in the morning at the Caliphate he reformed the stipend system; he guaranteed every citizen's sustenance. This is 'Umar's administrative intelligence: combining power with justice.
One of his final words at death: "If all the gold of the world were mine, I would spend it for fear of the reckoning on the Day of Judgment." This sentence is a tremor that should be in the heart of every person in authority.
'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) — The Peak of Generosity
The third Caliph 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of the wealthiest merchants of the Quraysh. But when he entered Islam, this wealth did not distance him from Allah; on the contrary, he continually spent his wealth in Allah's way.
Line of character: generosity and modesty. To the Prophet's (peace be upon him) call "Whoever spends for the expedition of Tabuk, I guarantee Paradise," 'Uthman's response was 300 fully equipped camels — food, water, weapons, enough to cover the army's needs. The Messenger of Allah said about him: "Nothing 'Uthman does from this day on will harm him."
His modesty is also famous. One day when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was sitting comfortably at home, Abu Bakr and 'Umar came and he received them without adjusting his clothing. But when 'Uthman came, he immediately straightened his clothes. When asked why: "Should I not be modest before a man before whom even the angels are modest?"
'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) — Knowledge and Courage
The fourth Caliph 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was the Prophet's (peace be upon him) cousin, son-in-law, and among those he loved most. "I am the city of knowledge and 'Ali is its gate" is said about him — al-Tirmidhi, Manaqib, no. 3723.
Line of character: knowledge and courage. In courage, he tore off the gate of the fortress of Khaybar single-handedly; in knowledge, he was the Companion who solved the deepest issues of the ummah. These two attributes meet in his character.
'Ali's saying that "Justice is of three kinds" is famous: justice toward oneself (disciplining the self), justice toward people (preserving their rights), and justice toward Allah (paying the due of servanthood).
Lessons From the Companions for the Modern Believer
The lives of the Companions show different characters but all meet in three common lines:
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Holding firmly to faith. Whatever station they reached, the wealth of the world did not damage their faith. For the modern believer: money, career, fame — these must not replace faith.
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Living for the community. The Companions never lived only for themselves. Generosity, justice, brotherhood — all are expressions of social responsibility.
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Being able to acknowledge mistakes. The Companions were not angels; they erred. But, as 'Umar said, "If Allah is going to punish me, let Him see how weak 'Umar is," they would sincerely acknowledge their mistakes.
Knowing the Companions With VAAZ
The VAAZ app's hadith archive presents tens of thousands of narrations transmitted from the Companions with topical filters. The 99 Names collection features Names like Al-Wali (the Friend), Ash-Shahid (Witness over all) — reminding of Allah's friendship with the Companions.
For the meaning of the Hijrah for the Companions, see A Sermon on Hijrah; for love of the Prophet, see A Sermon on Mawlid an-Nabi.
The Companions are a living Quran commentary inherited from the Prophet (peace be upon him). Their lives cannot be exhausted by reading; but reading a single day leaves a lifelong line on one's character. Even if we do not fully manage to live as they did, taking a single line of character from them is a great gain.
References
- The Qur'an, At-Tawbah 9:100, Diyanet translation.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Fada'il as-Sahabah, Hadith No. 3673.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Jana'iz, Hadith No. 1241.
- al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Manaqib, Hadith No. 3723.