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The Quranic Truth about the Prophet’s Sahaba (Companions
We, at submission.org, receive many inquiries about the companions of the prophets (Sahaba). Most of them represent infatuation with them to the point of idolatry. They have been made Saints by the ignorant and traditional Muslims alike. They have been ascribed qualities that they never had or possessed and made sinless and more righteous than any other human being. While paying the due respect to all the great Sahabas who carried the banner of Islam (Submission) at its birth we cannot agree with the what the traditional Muslims teach about all the sahabas being good. We will set the record straight here on these pages. Our judge will be the book of God, thatGod called the BEST HADITH. Sahaba is the Arabic word for ”Companions”. In Islam (Submission in English), the term ”Sahaba” is used often to refer to the companions of the Prophet Muhammed. The companions are the people who lived and witnessed the Prophet Muhammed. As we will see later the definition of the word ”Sahaby” the singular form of ”Sahaba”, differs a great deal among the different scholars. While some scholars consider ”Sahaby”, any one who just witnessed the Prophet, even once, and irrespective of his age others insist that such a person should be of adult age and should have at least two years of companionship of the Prophet. As any intelligent person can realize, some of these people were good and some were bad. However, most of the traditionalists forgot conveniently that there is any bad ”Sahaba” and only talk about how righteous and good they used to be, ALL of the Sahabas. While this reflects their uncalled for attachment to human beings like them, it also exposes a disbelief in the Quran that taught us that some of the Prophet’s companions were good and some were bad. These traditionalists ignore the teaching of God in the Quran in favor of the teachings of several scholars, Imams or Mullas. Quran has told us enough about the so called ”Sahaba”, how they disagreed with each other after the death of the Prophet Muhammed, divided themselves into sects, cursed each other, and fought each other until thousands of innocent Muslims died in their battles. Since the Quran is the ULTIMATE TRUTH, then we have to believe what God is teaching us in the Quran. His teaching should be taken over any teaching of any scholar, Imam or Mulla. God in the Quran is teaching us, as we will show you, that SOME, actually the majority, of those so called ”SAHABAS”, as defined by people like Bukhary, were liars, hypocrites, wicked, transgressors, idol-worshipers, disobedient of God and His messenger, interested in trade and fun than their religion, disregarders of Salat…etc., just like any generation of people. It is even more interesting to know that even the hadiths books (for the people who do not accept the Quran ALONE) described some of the ”SAHABAS” the same way and told of them going to Hell. QURAN ON SAHABA: The Quran which is the ultimate truth described some of those who witnessed the Prophet Muhammed, i.e. ”Sahaba” in a very clear way, that leaves no doubt about how they were, and how they behaved. While some (minority) of the ”Sahaba” were honored in the Quran for their stand beside the Prophet Muhammed and their supporting of him, the majority were not that fortunate, and they were given the right description by God Almighty in the Quran. In the following part we will see how God, who knows all the secrets and declarations described some of these ”Sahaba”. GOOD ”SAHABAS”, the minority: [48:18] ”GOD is pleased with the believers who pledged allegiance to you under the tree. He knew what was in their hearts and, consequently, He blessed them with contentment, and rewarded them with an immediate victory.” And in 48:29 [48:29]”Muhammad – the messenger of GOD – and those with him are harsh and stern against the disbelievers, but kind and compassionate amongst themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating, as they seek GOD’s blessings and approval. Their marks are on their faces, because of prostrating. This is the same example as in the Torah. Their example in the Gospel is like plants that grow taller and stronger, and please the farmers. He thus enrages the disbelievers. GOD promises THOSE AMONG THEM who believe, and lead a righteous life, forgiveness and a great recompense.” As we can see, God was pleased with these ”Sahabas” for what they did at that time, supporting the Prophet and standing with him against the aggressors. There is no guarantee or promise by God in these verses that these ”Sahabas” would not make any mistakes, turn back on their heels or stay on the right path. Notice the expression in 48:29, ”THOSE AMONG THEM”, which tells you, it is not ALL of them. God in the Quran told us about those who believe, then disbelieve then believe again then disbelieve, see 4:137, which reminds us that once you blessed with becoming a believer, there is not a guarantee that you stay a believer. What happened to some of these ”Sahabas” as we know from history confirms such that. NOT SO GOOD ”SAHABAS”, the majority: [9:101] ”Among the Aarabs around you, there are hypocrites. Also, among the city dwellers, there are those who are accustomed to hypocrisy. You do not know them, but we know them. We will double the retribution for them, then they end up committed to a terrible retribution.” [9:73]”O you prophet, strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be stern in dealing with them. Their destiny is Hell; what a miserable abode!” [9:74]”They swear by GOD that they never said it, although they have uttered the word of disbelief; they have disbelieved after becoming submitters. In fact, they gave up what they never had. They have rebelled even though GOD and His messenger have showered them with His grace and provisions. If they repent, it would be best for them. But if they turn away, GOD will commit them to painful retribution in this life and in the Hereafter. They will find no one on earth to be their lord and master.” [9:75]”Some of them even pledged: ”If GOD showered us with His grace, we would be charitable, and would lead a righteous life.” [9:76]”But when He did shower them with His provisions, they became stingy, and turned away in aversion.” [9:77]”Consequently, He plagued them with hypocrisy in their hearts, till the day they meet Him. This is because they broke their promises to GOD, and because of their lying.” [9:78]”Do they not realize that GOD knows their secrets, and their conspiracies, and that GOD is the Knower of all secrets?” [9:79]”Those who criticize the generous believers for giving too much, and ridicule the poor believers for giving too little, GOD despises them. They have incurred a painful retribution.” [9:80]”Whether you ask forgiveness for them, or do not ask forgiveness for them – even if you ask forgiveness for them seventy times – GOD will not forgive them. This is because they disbelieve in GOD and His messenger. GOD does not guide the wicked people.” [9:97]”The Aarabs are the worst in disbelief and hypocrisy, and the most likely to ignore the laws that GOD has revealed to His messenger. GOD is Omniscient, Most Wise.” [2:8-15]”Then there are those who say, ”We believe in GOD and the Last Day,” while they are not believers. In trying to deceive GOD and those who believe, they only deceive themselves without perceiving. In their minds there is a disease. Consequently, GOD augments their disease. They have incurred a painful retribution for their lying. When they are told, ”Do not commit evil,” they say, ”But we are righteous!” In fact, they are evildoers, but they do not perceive. When they are told, ”Believe like the people who believed,” they say, ”Shall we believe like the fools who believed?” In fact, it is they who are fools, but they do not know. When they meet the believers, they say, ”We believe,” but when alone with their devils, they say, ”We are with you; we were only mocking.” GOD mocks them, and leads them on in their transgressions, blundering.” [63:1]”When the hypocrites come to you they say, ”We bear witness that you are the messenger of GOD.”* GOD knows that you are His messenger, and GOD bears witness that the hypocrites are liars.” [4:60-63]”Have you noted those who claim that they believe in what was revealed to you, and in what was revealed before you, then uphold the unjust laws of their idols? They were commanded to reject such laws. Indeed, it is the devil’s wish to lead them far astray. When they are told, ”Come to what GOD has revealed, and to the messenger,” you see the hypocrites shunning you completely. How will it be when a disaster hits them, as a consequence of their own works? They will come to you then and swear by GOD: ”Our intentions were good and righteous!” GOD is fully aware of their innermost intentions. You shall ignore them, enlighten them, and give them good advice that may save their souls.” [4:141]”They watch you and wait; if you attain victory from GOD, they say (to you), ”Were we not with you?” But if the disbelievers get a turn, they say (to them), ”Did we not side with you, and protect you from the believers?” GOD will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection. GOD will never permit the disbelievers to prevail over the believers.” [4:142]”The hypocrites think that they are deceiving GOD, but He is the One who leads them on. When they get up for the Contact Prayer (Salat), they get up lazily. That is because they only show off in front of the people, and rarely do they think of GOD.” [63:4-5]”When you see them, you may be impressed by their looks. And when they speak, you may listen to their eloquence. They are like standing logs. They think that every call is intended against them. These are the real enemies; beware of them. GOD condemns them; they have deviated. When they are told, ”Come let the messenger of GOD pray for your forgiveness,” they mockingly turn their heads, and you see them repel others and act arrogantly.” [33:18-19]”GOD is fully aware of the hinderers among you, and those who say to their comrades, ”Let us all stay behind.” Rarely do they mobilize for defense. Also, they are too stingy when dealing with you. If anything threatens the community, you see their eyes rolling with fear, as if death had already come to them. Once the crisis is over, they whip you with sharp tongues. They are too stingy with their wealth. These are not believers, and, consequently, GOD has nullified their works. This is easy for GOD to do.” [47:16]”Some of them listen to you, then as soon as they leave they ask those who were enlightened, ”What did he just say?” GOD thus seals their hearts and, consequently, they follow only their opinions.” [47:29-30]”Did those who harbor doubts in their hearts think that GOD will not bring out their evil thoughts? If we will, we can expose them for you, so that you can recognize them just by looking at them. However, you can recognize them by the way they talk. GOD is fully aware of all your works.” [48:11]”The sedentary Aarabs who stay behind will say, ”We have been preoccupied with our money and our families, so ask forgiveness for us!” They utter with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Say, ”Who can protect you from GOD, if He willed any adversity for you, or if He willed any blessing for you?” GOD is fully Cognizant of everything you do.” It is interesting to know that the Quran has told Muhammed that he (Muhammed) does not know these hypocrites among his ”Sahaba”, because they look the same like everyone else. ONLY GOD knew them. See 9:101 MORE QURANIC VERSES about what some of the believers do, this includes all the ”Sahabas”: [9:38-39] ”O you who believe, when you are told, ”Mobilize in the cause of GOD,” why do you become heavily attached to the ground? Have you chosen this worldly life in place of the Hereafter? The materials of this world, compared to the Hereafter, are nil. Unless you mobilize, He will commit you to painful retribution and substitute other people in your place; you can never hurt Him in the least. GOD is Omnipotent.” [5:54]”O you who believe, if you revert from your religion, then GOD will substitute in your place people whom He loves and who love Him. They will be kind with the believers, stern with the disbelievers, and will strive in the cause of GOD without fear of any blame. Such is GOD’s blessing; He bestows it upon whomever He wills. GOD is Bounteous, Omniscient.” [8:27-28]”O you who believe, do not betray GOD and the messenger, and do not betray those who trust you, now that you know. You should know that your money and your children are a test, and that GOD possesses a great recompense.” [8:25]”Beware of a retribution that may not be limited to the evildoers among you.* You should know that GOD’s retribution is severe.” [33:12]”The hypocrites and those with doubts in their hearts said, ”What GOD and His messenger promised us was no more than an illusion!” [61:2-3]”O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do? Most abominable in the sight of GOD is that you say what you do not do.” [57:16]”Is it not time for those who believed to open up their hearts for GOD’s message, and the truth that is revealed herein? They should not be like the followers of previous scriptures whose hearts became hardened with time and, consequently, many of them turned wicked.” [49:17]”They act as if they are doing you a favor by embracing Submission! Say, ”You are not doing me any favors by embracing Submission. GOD is the One who is doing you a great favor by guiding you to the faith, if you are sincere.” [9:24]”Proclaim: ”If your parents, your children, your siblings, your spouses, your family, the money you have earned, a business you worry about, and the homes you cherish are more beloved to you than GOD and His messenger, and the striving in His cause, then just wait until GOD brings His judgment.” GOD does not guide the wicked people.” [49:14]”The Aarabs said, ”We are Mu’mens (believers).” Say, ”You have not believed; what you should say is, `We are Muslims (submitters),’ until belief is established in your hearts.” If you obey GOD and His messenger, He will not put any of your works to waste. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.” [9:45]”The only people who wish to be excused are those who do not really believe in GOD and the Last Day. Their hearts are full of doubt, and their doubts cause them to waver.” [9:47]”Had they mobilized with you, they would have created confusion, and would have caused disputes and divisions among you. Some of you were apt to listen to them. GOD is fully aware of the transgressors.” [9:81]”The sedentary rejoiced in their staying behind the messenger of GOD, and hated to strive with their money and their lives in the cause of GOD. They said, ”Let us not mobilize in this heat!” Say, ”The fire of Hell is much hotter,” if they could only comprehend.” [47:29-30]”Did those who harbor doubts in their hearts think that GOD will not bring out their evil thoughts? If we will, we can expose them for you, so that you can recognize them just by looking at them. However, you can recognize them by the way they talk. GOD is fully aware of all your works.” [8:6]”They argued with you against the truth, even after everything was explained to them. They acted as if they were being driven to certain death.” [47:38]”You are invited to spend in the cause of GOD, but some of you turn stingy. The stingy are stingy towards their own souls. GOD is Rich, while you are poor. If you turn away, He will substitute other people in your place, and they will not be like you.” [9:58]”Some of them criticize your distribution of the charities; if they are given therefrom, they become satisfied, but if they are not given therefrom, they become objectors.” [47:16]”Some of them listen to you, then as soon as they leave they ask those who were enlightened, ”What did he just say?” GOD thus seals their hearts and, consequently, they follow only their opinions.” [9:61]”Some of them hurt the prophet by saying, ”He is all ears!” Say, ”It is better for you that he listens to you. He believes in GOD, and trusts the believers. He is a mercy for those among you who believe.” Those who hurt GOD’s messenger have incurred a painful retribution.” From the above Quranic verses we can see that the ”Sahabas” like all the people of all generations were either good or bad. Some followed the Prophet and the message he brought them, the QURAN, and these were the MINORITY as God tells us in the Quran. see 43:78 The others could not get over their idol-worship and stayed with the hypocrites and these were the majority, as God told us in 43:78. ”We have given you the truth, but most of you hate the truth.” [43:78] If these were the conditions of the people who lived and witnessed the Prophet Muhammed and learned their Islam (Submission) first hand from him, how can we expect the conditions of those who lived after his death ?! The biggest test that faced those companions after the death of the Prophet Muhammed was the matter of ”Who rules the Muslims after the Prophet’s death ?” Because of this, many of the companions forgot God and looked after their personal gains and fought God and his messenger and the other good companions who uphold the message of the Prophet , the Quran. QURAN IS VERY CLEAR about what happened to these ”Sahaba” after Muhammed’s death: [3:144] ”Muhammad was no more than a messenger like the messengers before him. Should he die or get killed, would you turn back on your heels? Anyone who turns back on his heels, does not hurt GOD in the least. GOD rewards those who are appreciative.” HADITHS AND THE SAHABAS: As expected form the hypocrites and the disbelievers, they were very disturbed by what the Quran revealed about them. To counteract, many hadiths were invented to raise the status of the ”Sahabas” and defend them and make ALL of them good and righteous people. The corrupted scholars and their blind followers disregarded what God said in the Quran and uphold these fabricated hadiths. While the true believers will be happy with the QURAN ALONE and the assurance of God in the Quran, the others will try to find an escape in the books that were never authorized by God, the books of Hadiths and Suuna. BUT, GOD NEVER let them have it. God put in their way the truth, even in these books, so they have no excuse on the Last Day. There are tens of Hadiths listed in the books of Bukhary and Muslim, that show how some of these ”Sahabas” were rebellious against God commandments and the Prophet. I will only list few of these and leave the rest for you to investigate, if you are not happy with the Quran and God ALONE. Sahih Bukhary; and Sahih Muslim, both reported that same Hadith: The messenger of God, talking to his companions, said, ”On the Day of Judgment, some of my Umma (community) will be taken to the left, and I will say; ”to where?”. I will be told ”to the Hell fire” I will say; ”God, these were my (Sahaba) companions.” I will be told that ”You do not know what they invented after you. They turn back on their heel since you left them.” I will say’ ” To destruction, destruction to those who changed things after me” Sahih Bukhary: Al-Aala Ibn Al Musayeb said his father said, ”I met Al Baraa Ibn Azib and told him, ”Good for you that you accompanied the Prophet and declared allegiance to him under the tree.” He said, ”Listen, the son of my brother, You do not know what we invented after him.” Sahih Muslim: Huthyfa said the Prophet said, ” Among my companions twelve hypocrites, of these, eight will not enter paradise until the camel pass through the eye of a needle.” Bukhary: Saeed Ibn Al Musayeb said his father said, the Prophet said, ”Some of my companions (Sahaba) will go to a river in Paradise, but they will be taken away, so I will call on God, ”My companions (Sahaba),” but I will be told, ”You do not know what they did after you. They turned back on their heel” The same Hadith was given few more times with different narrators. While these hadiths DO NOTHING to prove that the words of God in the Quran are correct, the idol-worshipers who cherish hadiths more than the word of God would be looking for them. It is interesting that they will never learn from it as God will block them from knowing the truth since they rejected the words of the Quran to start with. We are only listring them to give them no excuse, using their own language. THE INTELLIGENT CONCLUSION: As simple as it seems, we can conclude that the ”Sahaba”, companions of the Prophet Muhammed, were regular people like all the generations before or after them, some of them were good and some were bad. Their good or bad deed will not benefit any of us but will only benefit or harm them. The idolatry with these ”Sahabas” that we witness among the traditional Muslims is just another reflection of their distance from the book of God, the ultimate truth, the Quran. The Messenger of God will complain to God on the Last Day, that the Muslims DESERTED THE QURAN (not the hadith and sunna). See 25:30. REFLECTIONS ON THE DEFINITION OF ”SAHABA”: In general the Muslim scholars disagreed on the definition of : who should be counted as one of the Sahaba (companions) of the Prophet ?!! Studying these definitions will clarify for us the position of many people like Imam Al-Bukhary who used his definition of the word Sahaba to accept many of the false and fabricated Hadiths that were included in his book, Sahih Al-Bukhary. Here are the definitions considered by the Muslim Scholars: (1) The definition of Imam Al-Bukhary: Bukhary defined the Sahaby (single of Sahaba) as the one who was in the company of the prophet Muhammed or just SEEN him. Ibn Hanbal who also has a book of his own collecting more Hadiths than Bukhary accepted this definition and clarified it by saying: ”The Sahaby is anyone who accompanied the Prophet for a year, a month, a day or even an hour or even just seen him.” (2) The definition by Abdullah Ibn Omar Ibn Al-Khattab ”anyone who has seen the Prophet Muhammed even for one hour as long as he reached the puberty, and is a known Muslim who understood his religion and accepted it.” According to this definition all the children (who had not reached puberty) who witnessed the Prophet cannot be counted as Sahaba. (3) The definition of Al-Tabaey Saeed Ibn Al-Musayeb; ”Only those who accompanied the Prophet Muhammed for a year or two and fought with him in a battle or two should be considered Sahaba” This is a definition accepted and encouraged by people like Imam Al-Ghazali From the above three definitions, any sincere and guided Muslim can sense the corruption and confusion of Bukhary, a reason for him to get all these corrupted hadiths included in his book. With these corrupted Hadiths, the Muslims after Bukhary changed their religion from the religion of the Prophet Muhammed (the Quran), to the religion of Bukhary and his likes (the fabricated hadiths and Sunna). Let us look at the definition by Bukhary; and reflect on its corruption; (1) His definition that anyone who seen the Prophet is a Sahaby has no support from the Quran or even from the Islamic history given by other Muslims of the early life of the Prophet and his companions. The Quran is full of the stories of the hypocrites and the wicked people of Medina where the Prophet lived who seen the prophet and listened to his message and his ceremonies and they cannot be considered his Sahaba (Companions) as Bukhary did; ”Among the Arabs around you, there are hypocrites. Also among the city dwellers, there are those who are accustomed to hypocrisy…” 9:101 And in 63:1 ”When the HYPOCRITES come to you they say, ”We bear witness that you are the messenger of God.” God knows that you are His messenger, and God bears witness that the hypocrites are liars,” And in 33:60 ”Unless the hypocrites, and those with disease in their hearts and the vicious liars of the city (Medina) refrain (from persecuting you) we will surely grant you the upper hand, then they would not be your neighbors within a short while.” All these hypocrites and wicked people witnessed the Prophet Muhammed and listened to him. They are according to Imam AL-Bukhary’s definition, SAHABA. His corrupted definition of the word Sahaba definitely played a role in the collection of Hadiths form such FAKED Sahaba. (2) Again the corruption of Bukhary appears in his acceptance of children who witnessed the Prophet as Sahaba, and he accepted their narration of Hadiths despite the fact that they were too young to realize what was going on at the time. Bukhary had many hadiths narrated by Abdullah Ibn Abbas who was a young child during the Prophet’s life. He was never documented to accompany the Prophet as one of the Sahaba, but Bukhary made him one. Other children who narrated hadiths and accepted by Bukhary are Al-Nuaman Ibn Basheer (8 years old), Mahmoud Ibn Al-Rabee (5 years), Abdullah Ibn Al-Zubeer (9 years), Al-Hussein Ibn Ali (7 years), Al-Hassan Ibn Ali ( 8 years), Omar Ibn Aby Muslima ( 9 years)……etc. Who would accept to take his religion from these children ??!!!!! (3) Because Bukhary identified himself with the Abbasyeen and politically was against the Talibeen (followers of Ali Ibn Abu-Talib), he gave in his book many pages to the hadiths of Abdullah Ibn Abbas, the grandfather of the Abbasyeens with whom Bukhary identified. Here we witness politics influencing what hadiths to report and what to omit (those praising Ali Ibn Abu Talib). Some of the Hadiths narrated by Ibn Abbas contradict the laws of the Quran , e.g. the laws of inheritance. To witness the political corruption of Bukhary in reporting hadiths that would serve his views and please his masters (Abbasyeen then) is to witness the corruption that God described 6:112-113 in action. (4) The position that Bukhary took in elevating people who were hypocrites and wicked to the level of Sahaba by his corrupted definition helped nothing but to corrupt the book that he called SAHIH (Authentic). His personal disregard to the TRUE SAHABY (Companion) of the Prophet, Ali Ibn Abu Talib only reflects his misguidance and underachievements. ONE MORE CONCLUSION: Those who refuse to believe God and accept His assertion that the Quran is COMPLETE, PERFECT AND FULLY DETAILED will only fall to the false lords of religion who decided to improve on God’s book and add to it by collecting all kinds of lies and fabrications and put them in a book and claim them to be the Prophet’s. Those who seek to ”obey the messenger” and follow the steps of the Prophet can do such that by following the book that was never fabricated and was definitely given to us by God through His Prophet, the Quran. Those who seek to follow the Prophet by following Bukhary and his likes are just following Bukhary and his likes and the messenger will complain to God from them on the day of Judgment that they deserted the Q U R A N. See 25:30 |