The Ṣaḥābah (Companions) were the men and women who saw the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, believed in him, and remained upon Islam. Allah honoured them for their faith and sacrifice, and their example shines for every Muslim who came after.
Who were the Companions?
A Companion is anyone who met the Prophet ﷺ as a believer and died as a Muslim. They came from every background: rich merchants and freed slaves, the young and the old, women and men. What united them was their love for Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
Their love and sacrifice
The early Muslims of Makkah faced great hardship, yet they held firm. They gave their wealth, left their homes in the Hijrah to Madīnah, and stood by the Prophet ﷺ in every difficulty. The Qur'an praises them: those who believed and migrated and strove are truly the believers (see Sūrah al-Anfāl 8:74).
Some shining examples
- Abū Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) — the closest friend of the Prophet ﷺ, first among men to believe, and generous with all he owned.
- Khadījah (may Allah be pleased with her) — the Prophet's ﷺ beloved wife and the first person to accept Islam; she supported and comforted him.
- Bilāl (may Allah be pleased with him) — a freed slave who endured torture rather than deny Allah, and became the first mu'adhdhin (caller to prayer).
- Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) — a wife of the Prophet ﷺ and a great scholar who taught much of what we know today.
What they teach us
The Companions show us loyalty, patience under trial, generosity and truthfulness. They remind us that Islam is not only words but a life lived for Allah. Muslims speak of every Companion with love and honour, saying "may Allah be pleased with them" whenever their names are mentioned.
Put the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs in the order in which they led the Muslim community:
- Abū Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddīq (ra)
- ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (ra)
- ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān (ra)
- ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (ra)