Companions of paradise

Question:

What do the infallible (a.) say about the believers and righteous among the Prophet’s companions (s.)?

Answer:

Muhammad Ibn Musa reported that Musa Ibn Nasr Ar-Razi said: “Imam Ali Ar-Rida (a.) was asked about the word of the Prophet Muhammad (s.): “My companions are like the stars. You will be rightly guided, whichever one of them you follow.” And he was asked about his word: “Leave my companions alone!” He said: “This is authentic (Sahih). He meant the companions who did not innovate any change or distortion after him.” They said: “How do you know that the companions innovate changes and distortion after him?” He said: “They say that the Prophet Muhammad (s.) said: “On the Day of Resurrection, some people will be driven out from among my Companions from my pool of Paradise, just as the camels of strangers are driven out from the water. So i will say: “O lord, my companions, my companions!” Then they say to me: “Do you not know what innovations they have introduced after you?” Then they are taken to the left side as a punishment and i will say: “Woe to them, woe to them!” The praise was for the companions who did not introduce any change or distortion.” [Uyun-ul-Akhbar of As-Saduq, Volume 1 page 93 Hadith 33]

حدثنا الحاكم أبو علي الحسين بن أحمد البيهقي قال حدثني محمد بن يحيى الصولي، قال حدثني محمد بن موسى بن نصر الرازي، قال: حدثني أبي، قال: سئل الرضا عليه السلام عن قول النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: أصحابي كالنجوم بأيهم اقتديتم اهتديتم، وعن قوله عليه السلام: دعوا لي أصحابي فقال عليه السلام: هذا صحيح يريد من لم يغير بعده ولم يبدل قيل: وكيف يعلم أنهم قد غيروا أو بدلوا؟ قال: لما يروونه: من أنه صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم قال: ليذادن برجال من أصحابي يوم القيامة عن حوضي كما تذاد غرائب الإبل عن الماء فأقول: يا رب أصحابي أصحابي فيقال لي: إنك لا تدري ما أحدثوا بعدك؟ فيؤخذ بهم ذات الشمال فأقول: بعدا وسحقا لهم افترى هذا لمن لم يغير ولم يبدل

Abu Muhammad reported from his fathers that Imam Ali Ar-Rida (a.) said: “When Moses, the son of Imran (a.), was awakened by God and chosen as Savior, He parted the sea for him, freed the Children of Israel and gave him the Torah and the tablets, he recognized his position with his Lord and therefore said: “O Lord, You have given me an honor that You have given no one before me.” God said: “O Moses, do you not know that Muhammad is better with Me than all My angels and creatures?” Moses said: “O Lord, if Muhammad is the most honorable among You, considering all Your creatures, is there any family of the prophets who have been given more honor than my family?” God said: “O Moses, do you not know that the preference of the family of Muhammad over all the families of the Prophets is equal to the preference that Muhammad has over all the Messengers?” Moses said: “If the family of Muhammad has such a rank with You, are there any among the companions of the Prophets who have been given more honor with You than my own companions?” Allah said: “O Moses, do you not know that the privilege of the companions of Muhammad over all the companions of the messengers is equal to the privilege that the family of Muhammad has over all the families of the Prophets and that Muhammad has over all the messengers?” Moses said: “O Lord, if Muhammad and his companions are as You have described, are there among the communities of the Prophets any who are better with You than my community? You made the clouds pass over them, and sent down to them what resembled bread and sweet food, and You divided the sea for them.” God said: “O Moses, do you not know that the privilege of the community of Muhammad before all communities is like the privilege that Muhammad has before all My creation?” Moses said: “O Lord, i wish i could see them.” So Allah revealed to him: “O Moses, you will not see them, for this is not the time of their appearance, but you will see them in the Gardens of Paradise, the Gardens of Eden and Firdaus, in the presence of Muhammad. They advance in his grace and lead a happy existence in his salvation. Would you like to hear their words?” He said: “Yes, my God.” God said: “Come forward and strengthen your garment as the humble servant stands before his exalted king.” Moses (a.) did as he was commanded and our Lord cried: “O community of Muhammad!” Thereupon all answered him, while they were in the loins of their fathers and the womb of their mothers: “God, we are at Your service, You have no associate. You are in possession of praise and grace and dominion, You have no associate, we are at Your service.” So God made this answer of theirs part of the ritual pilgrimage. After that, our Lord called: “O community of Muhammad, My judgment for you is that My mercy precedes My wrath and My forgiveness precedes My punishment. I answer you even before you call Me and I give you even before you ask Me. That one of you who meets Me with the creed that no one is worthy of worship except the one God, who has no associate, that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, whose words are true and whose deeds are true, that Ali Ibn Abi Talib is his brother and the one he authorizes and the guardian after him, to whom obedience is just as much a obligation as obedience to Muhammad, and that his guardians, chosen by him and who are pure, relying on miracles and signs of God and proofs, are proofs of God after them both and their guardians, I will let him enter the Garden of My Paradise even if his sins are the extent of the sea” When God awakened our Prophet Muhammad (s.), He said: “O Muhammad, you were not standing on the side of the mountain when We called this honor to your community.” Then the Exalted One said to Muhammad (s.): “Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds, for He distinguished me by this privilege. And He said to His community: “Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds, for He has distinguished us by these benefits.” [Bihar-ul-Anwar of Al-Majlisi, Volume 13 Page 340 – 342 Hadith 18]

علل الشرائع، عيون أخبار الرضا عليه الصلاة والسلام المفسر بإسناده إلى أبي محمد، عن آبائه، عن الرضا عليهم السلام قال: لما بعث الله عز وجل موسى بن عمران عليه السلام واصطفاه نجيا وفلق له البحر ونجى بني إسرائيل وأعطاه التوراة والألواح رأى مكانه من ربه عز وجل فقال: يا رب لقد أكرمتني بكرامة لم تكرم بها أحدا قبلي، فقال الله جل جلاله: يا موسى أما علمت أن محمدا أفضل عندي من جميع ملائكتي وجميع خلقي؟ قال موسى: يا رب فإن كان محمد أكرم عندك من جميع خلقك فهل في آل الأنبياء أكرم من آلي؟ قال الله جل جلاله: يا موسى أما علمت أن فضل آل محمد على جميع آل النبيين كفضل محمد على جميع المرسلين؟ فقال موسى: يا رب فإن كان آل محمد كذلك فهل في أصحاب الأنبياء أكرم عندك من صحابتي؟ قال الله: يا موسى أما علمت أن فضل صحابة محمد على جميع صحابة المرسلين كفضل آل محمد على جميع آل النبيين وفضل محمد على جميع المرسلين؟ فقال موسى: يا رب فإن كان محمد وأصحابه كما وصفت فهل في أمم الأنبياء أفضل عندك من أمتي؟ ظللت عليهم الغمام وأنزلت عليهم المن والسلوى وفلقت لهم البحر. فقال الله جل جلاله: يا موسى أما علمت أن فضل أمة محمد على جميع الأمم كفضله على جميع خلقي، فقال موسى: يا رب ليتني كنت أراهم، فأوحى الله عز وجل إليه: يا موسى إنك لن تراهم، فليس هذا أو ان ظهورهم، ولكن سوف تراهم في الجنات: جنات عدن والفردوس بحضرة محمد في نعيمها يتقلبون، وفي خيراتها يتبحبحون، أفتحب أن أسمعك كلامهم؟ قال: نعم إلهي، قال الله جل جلاله: قم بين يدي واشدد مئزرك قيام العبد الذليل بين يدي الملك الجليل، ففعل ذلك موسى عليه السلام فنادى ربنا عز وجل: يا أمة محمد، فأجابوه كلهم وهم في أصلاب آبائهم وأرحام أمهاتهم: لبيك اللهم لبيك، لبيك لا شريك لك لبيك، إن الحمد والنعمة لك والملك لا شريك لك لبيك قال: فجعل الله عز وجل تلك الإجابة منهم شعار الحج، ثم نادى ربنا عز وجل: يا أمة محمد إن قضائي عليكم أن رحمتي سبقت غضبي، وعفوي قبل عقابي، فقد استجبت لكم من قبل أن تدعوني، وأعطيتكم من قبل أن تسألوني، من لقيني منكم بشهادة أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأن محمدا عبده ورسوله صادق في أقواله محق في أفعاله وأن علي بن أبي طالب أخوه ووصيه من بعده ووليه، ويلتزم طاعته كما يلتزم طاعة محمد، وأن أولياءه المصطفين المطهرين المبانين بعجائب آيات الله ودلائل حجج الله من بعدهما أولياؤه أدخلته جنتي وإن كانت ذنوبه مثل زبد البحر، قال: فلما بعث الله عز وجل نبينا محمدا صلى الله عليه وآله قال: يا محمد وما كنت بجانب الطور إذ نادينا أمتك بهذه الكرامة، ثم قال عز وجل لمحمد صلى الله عليه وآله: قل: الحمد لله رب العالمين على ما اختصني به من هذه الفضيلة، وقال لامته: قولوا أنتم: الحمد لله رب العالمين على ما اختصنا به من هذه الفضائل

Husain Ibn Muhammad Taqi reported that Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (a.) said: “Know that God chose for His Prophet (s.) a group from among His companions whom He gave honour because of their estimation.” [Khatimat-ul-Mustadrak of Al-Mirza An-Nuri, Volume 1 Page 212]

عن حسين بن محمد تقي عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: واعلم أن الله تعالى اختار لنبيه من أصحابه طائفة أكرمهم بأجل الكرامة

Hisham Ibn Salim reported that Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (a.) said: “The Prophet Muhammad (s.) had 12,000 companions, of whom 8,000 were from Medina and 2,000 from Mecca and 2,000 from liberated slave families and among them there was no one who professed the faith without deeds and was an outcast (khariji) or a Mu’tazilite and they were not companions who followed their own opinion. They used to cry day and night and say: “Take our souls before we eat of the fermented bread.” Al-Mirza An-Nuri writes: “The tradition is authentic according to its chain (Sahih).” [Al-Khisal of As-Saduq, page 639 – 640 hadith 15; Khatimat-ul-Mustadrak of Al-Mirza An-Nuri, volume 1 page 212]

حدثنا أحمد بن زياد بن جعفر الهمداني رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا علي ابن إبراهيم بن هاشم، عن أبيه، عن محمد بن أبي عمير، عن هشام بن سالم، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: كان أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله اثني عشر ألفا ثمانية آلاف من المدينة، و ألفان من مكة، وألفان من الطلقاء، ولم ير فيهم قدري ولا مرجي ولا حروري ولا معتزلي، ولا صحاب رأي، كانوا يبكون الليل والنهار ويقولون: اقبض أرواحنا من قبل أن نأكل خبز الخمير. وقال الميرزا النوري رضي الله عنه: بالسند الصحيح

Mansur Ibn Hazim reported that he said to Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (a.): “I am confused. I ask you about a matter and you give me an answer about it. Then someone besides me asks you and you give him a different answer?” He said: “We answer man to something that is more or less.” I said: “Tell me about the(faithful) companions of the prophet (s). Did they tell the truth or lie about Muhammad?” He said: “Rather, they spoke the truth.” I said: “What was it that caused them trouble so that they were in disagreement?” He said: “Do you not know that a man used to come to the Messenger and ask him about a matter, and he would give him an answer, and then he would give him an answer which would abrogate the answer before? Therefore some traditions abrogated the others.” Muhammad Baqir Al-Majlisi writes: “Good (Hasan).” [Al-Kafi of Al-Kulaini, volume 1 page 65 Hadith 3; Mir’at-ul-Uqul of Al-Majlisi, volume 1 page 216]

علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي نجران، عن عاصم بن حميد، عن منصور بن حازم قال: قلت لأبي عبد الله عليه السلام: ما بالي أسألك عن المسألة فتجيبني فيها بالجواب، ثم يجيئك غيري فتجيبه فيها بجواب آخر؟ فقال: إنا نجيب الناس على الزيادة والنقصان، قال: قلت: فأخبرني عن أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله صدقوا على محمد صلى الله عليه وآله أم كذبوا؟ قال: بل صدقوا، قال: قلت: فما بالهم اختلفوا؟ فقال: أما تعلم أن الرجل كان يأتي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله فيسأله عن المسألة فيجيبه فيها بالجواب ثم يجيبه بعد ذلك ما ينسخ ذلك الجواب، فنسخت الأحاديث بعضها بعضا. وقال شيخ الإسلام محمد باقر المجلسي رضي الله عنه: حسن

Muhammad Salih Al-Mazandarani writes: “Mansur used to ask about the state of the believing companions who preserved the sermons of the Prophet (s.), because, as it was made known before, the hypocrites lied about him and also those who pretended to be believers with regard to his sermon.” [Sharh Usul Al-Kafi, Volume 2 Page 326 – 327]

قال شيخ الإسلام محمد صالح المازندراني: كان منصور سأل عن حال الأصحاب المؤمنين الحافظين لخطابه لأنك قد عرفت سابقا أن المنافقين ومن وهم في خطابه من المؤمنين قد كذبوا عليه

Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.) reported that the Prophet Muhammad (s.) said: “The one who among you is most steadfast on the (straight) path is the one who among you is most fierce in his love for the people of my house and my (faithful) companions.” [Bihar-ul-Anwar of Al-Majlisi, Volume 27 page 133 Hadith 128]

نوادر الراوندي باسناده عن جعفر بن محمد عن آبائه عليهم السلام قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: أثبتكم على الصراط أشدكم حبا لأهل بيتي ولأصحابي

Imam Zain-ul-Abidin (a. ) said: “Our Allah, and what concerning the followers of the messengers and their faithful in secret among the people of the earth, during the opposition of the stubborn against them in the form of accusations of falsehood, and they yearned for the messengers with true firm conviction in every age and time, in which You sent a messenger and assigned a guide for those who lived in it (in time), from Adam to Muhammad, May Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him and his family, from the imams of the guidance and leaders for the people of the god-fearing, peace be upon them all, so remember them with forgiveness and contentment. Our Allah, (as well as) the companions of Muhammad (s.), especially those who were good companions and those who did well in supporting him, sheltered him, hastened to receive him honorably, quickly accepted his invitation. They accepted him as soon as he had let them hear the argument of his message. They left their spouses and children for the revelation of his word, and fought (sometimes) against their fathers and sons in the consolidation of his prophethood, thus bringing him to victory. And (likewise) those who have internalized his love and hoped for a deal that is not tainted with loss by being loving to him. And (likewise) those who were abandoned by the tribes after they held fast to his bond, and from whom the relatives distanced themselves when they rested in the shadow of his presence. So turn not away from them, Our Allah, for what they have left for You and for Your sake. Give them satisfaction through Your satisfaction for the fact that they have gathered creatures around You, and have invited them to You with Your Messenger. Show them gratitude for having left the homes of their people for You, and for having gone from a life of prosperity to a life of confinement, and for having suppressed (many of them) for the strengthening of Your religion. Our Allah, grant your best Reward to those who obey, those who say: “O our Lord! forgive us and our brethren, those who preceded us in conviction!” – 59:10 These are those who have sought and followed their path (from the good companions) and followed their way, without doubting their insight and without being uncertain in following their footsteps and following the guidance of their beacon, supporting and strengthening them while following their religion and being guided by their guidance. They agree and do not blame them for what they (Ahl-ul-Bait) have done for them.Our Allah, bless also those who obey them from our time to the Day of Judgment, their spouses, their descendants, and those among them who obeyed You, with a blessing by which You keep them from disobedience to You, (by which) You enlarge for them the Gardens of Your Paradise, with which You keep the plot of the devil from them, with which You help them in what they have asked You to help them in goodness and (with which You) protect them from the affairs of night and day except one incident which comes with good and with which You make them internalize good hope in You and desire what is with You, to refrain from rebuking about what is in the hands of (your) servants, so that you may lead them back to covetousness and fear, to make them abstain from the wealth of this world, and that you may make them love action for the hereafter and preparation for what comes after death, and that You will relieve them of every misfortune that befalls them on the day when the souls separate from the bodies, and that You will protect them from what the temptation of wrongdoing brings with it and from falling into the (hell) fire and from eternal dwelling therein, and bring them to safety in the place of peace of the godly.” [As-Sahifat-us-Sajjadiyyah, supplication no. 4]

قال الإمام زين العابدين عليه السلام : اللهم وأتباع الرسل ومصدقوهم من أهل الارض بالغيب عند معارضة المعاندين لهم بالتكذيب والاشتياق إلى المرسلين بحقائق الايمان . في كل دهر وزمان أرسلت فيه رسولا , وأقمت لاهله دليلا , من لدن آدم إلى محمد صلى الله عليه وآله من أئمة الهدى , وقادة أهل التقى على جميعهم السلام , فاذكرهم منك بمغفرة ورضوان . اللهم وأصحاب محمد خاصة الذين أحسنوا الصحابة , والذين أبلوا البلاء الحسن في نصره , وكانفوه وأسرعوا إلى وفادته وسابقوا إلى دعوته واستجابوا له حيث أسمعهم حجة رسالاته , وفارقوا الازواج والاولاد في إظهار كلمته , وقاتلوا الاباء و الابناء في تثبيت نبوته , وانتصروا به ومن كانوا منطوين على محبته يرجون تجارة لن تبور في مودته , والذين هجرتهم العشائر إذ تعلقوا بعروته , وانتفت منهم القرابات إذ سكنوا في ظل قرابته فلا تنس لهم الهم ما تركوا لك وفيك , وأرضهم من رضوانك وبما حاشوا الخلق عليك , وكانوا مع رسولك دعاة لك إليك , واشكرهم على هجرهم فيك ديار قومهم وخروجهم من سعة المعاش إلى ضيقه , ومن كثرت في إعزاز دينك من مظلومهم . ألهم وأوصل إلى التابعين لهم بإحسان الذين يقولون : ربنا اغفر لنا ولاخواننا الذين سبقونا بالايمان خير جزائك , الذين قصدوا سمتهم , وتحروا وجهتهم , ومضوا على شاكلتهم , لم يثنهم ريب في بصيرتهم , ولم يختلجهم شك في قفو آثارهم والائتمام بهداية منارهم , مكانفين وموازرين لهم , يدينون بدينهم , ويهتدون بهديهم , يتفقون عليهم , ولا يتهمونهم فيما أدوا إليهم . أللهم وصل على التابعين من يومنا هذا إلى يوم الدين , وعلى أزواجهم , وعلى ذرياتهم , وعلى من أطاعك منهم صلاة تعصمهم بهامن معصيتك , وتفسح لهم في رياض جنتك , وتمنعهم بها من كيد الشيطان , وتعينهم بها على ما استعانوك عليه من بر , وتقيهم طوارق الليل والنهار إلا طارقا يطرق بخير , وتبعثهم بها على اعتقاد حسن الرجاء لك , والطمع فيما عندك , وترك النهمة فيما تحويه أيدي العباد لتردهم إلى الرغبة إليك والرهبة منك , وتزهدهم في سعة العاجل وتحبب إليهم العمل للاجل , والاستعداد لما بعد الموت وتهون عليهم كل كرب يحل بهم يوم خروج الانفس من أبدانها , وتعافيهم مما تقع به الفتنة من محذوراتها , وكبة النار وطول الخلود فيها , وتصيرهم إلى أمن من مقيل المتقين