Tafsir of Surah Al-Hadid - Verse 10

Ordering Faith and encouraging spending

Allah the Exalted and Blessed orders having perfect faith in Him and in His Messenger, and that one should persist on this path adhereing firmly to it. Allah encourages spending from what He has made mankind trustees of, the wealth that you - mankind - have, that He has lent you. This wealth was in the hands of those before you and was later transferred to you. Therefore, O mankind, spend as Allah commanded you from the wealth that He entrusted to you for His obedience. Otherwise, He will hold you accountable and punish you for your ignoring what He ordained on you in this regard. Allah's statement,

مِمَّا جَعَلَكُم مُّسْتَخْلَفِينَ فِيهِ

(of that whereof He has made you trustees.), indicates that you - mankind -- will surrender this wealth to someone else. In this case, those who will inherit from you might obey Allah with their wealth, and thus acquire more happiness than you on account of what Allah has granted them. They might disobey Allah, and in this case you will have helped them commit evil and transgression. Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah bin Ash-Shikhkhir said, "I came to Allah's Messenger ﷺ as he was reciting and saying,

أَلْهَـكُمُ التَّكَّاثُرُ

يَقُولُ ابْنُ آدَمَ: مَالِي مَالِي، وَهَلْ لَكَ مِن مَالِكَ إِلَّا مَاأَكَلْتَ فَأَفْنَيْتَ، أَوْ لَبِسْتَ فَأَبْلَيْتَ، أَوْ تَصَدَّقْتَ فَأَمْضَيْتَ؟»

((abundance diverts you.)( The Son of `Adam claims, "My wealth, my wealth." But is there anything belonging to you, except that which you consumed, which you used, or which you wore and then it became worn or you gave as charity and sent it forward) Muslim also collected with the addition:

«وَمَا سِوَى ذلِكَ، فَذَاهِبٌ وَتَارِكُهُ لِلنَّاس»

(Other than that, you will go away from it and leave it behind for other people.) Allah's statement,

فَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مِنكُمْ وَأَنفَقُواْ لَهُمْ أَجْرٌ كَبِيرٌ

(And such of you as believe and spend, theirs will be a great reward.) encourages having faith and spending in acts of obedience. Allah the Exalted said,

وَمَا لَكُمْ لاَ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولُ يَدْعُوكُمْ لِتُؤْمِنُواْ بِرَبِّكُمْ

(And what is the matter with you that you believe not in Allah! While the Messenger invites you to believe in your Lord;) meaning, "what prevents you from believing, while the Messenger is among you calling you to faith and bringing forward clear proofs and evidences that affirm the truth of what he brought you" And we have reported the Hadith through different routes in the beginning of the explanation on the chapter on Faith in Sahih Al-Bukhari, wherein one day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to his Companions,

«أَيُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعْجَبُ إِلَيْكُمْ إِيمَانًا؟»

(Who do you consider among the believers as having the most amazing faith) They said, "The angels." He said,

«وَمَا لَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ وَهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ؟»

(And what prevents them from believing when they are with their Lord) They said, "Then the Prophets." He said,

«وَمَالَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْوَحْيُ يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِمْ؟»

(What prevents them from believing when the revelation comes down to them) They said, "Then us." He said,

«وَمَالَكُمْ لَا تُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَنَا بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِكُمْ؟ وَلكِنْ أَعْجَبُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِيمَانًا، قَوْمٌ يَجِيئُونَ بَعْدَكُمْ، يَجِدُونَ صُحُفًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا فِيهَا»

(What prevents you from believing, when I am amongst you Actually, the believers who have the most amazing faith, are some people who will come after you; they will find pages that they will believe in.) We mentioned a part of this Hadith when explaining Allah's statement in Surat Al-Baqarah,

الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ

(who believe in the Ghayb (unseen).)(2:3) Allah's statement,

وَقَدْ أَخَذَ مِيثَـقَكُمْ

(and He has indeed taken your covenant,) is similar to another of His statements,

وَاذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَمِيثَـقَهُ الَّذِى وَاثَقَكُم بِهِ إِذْ قُلْتُمْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا

(And remember Allah's favor to you and His covenant with which He bound you when you said: "We hear and we obey.")(5:7), which refers to giving the pledge of allegiance to the Prophet . Ibn Jarir said that the covenant mentioned here, is that taken from mankind, when they were still in Adam's loin. This is also the opinion of Mujahid, and Allah knows best. Allah said,

هُوَ الَّذِى يُنَزِّلُ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ ءَايَـتٍ بَيِّنَـتٍ

(It is He Who sends down manifest Ayat to His servant) clear proofs, unequivocal evidences and plain attestations,

لِيُخْرِجَكُمْ مِّنَ الظُّلُمَـتِ إِلَى النُّورِ

(that He may bring you out from darkness into light.) from the darkness of ignorance, disbelief and contradictory statements to the light of guidance, certainty and faith,

وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُمْ لَرَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ

(And verily, Allah is to you full of kindness, Most Merciful.) by revealing the Divine Books and sending the Messengers to guide mankind, eradicating doubts and removing confusion. After Allah commanded mankind to first believe and spend, He again encouraged them to acquire faith and stated that He has removed all barriers between them and the acquisition of faith. Allah again encouraged them to spend,

وَمَا لَكُمْ أَلاَّ تُنفِقُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلِلَّهِ مِيرَاثُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ

(And what is the matter with you that you spend not in the cause of Allah And to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth.) means, spend and do not fear poverty or scarcity. Surely, He in Whose cause you spent is the King and Owner of the heavens and earth and has perfect control over their every affair, including their treasuries. He is the Owner of the Throne, with all the might that it contains, and He is the One Who said,

وَمَآ أَنفَقْتُمْ مِّن شَىْءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ

(And whatsoever you spend of anything, He will replace it. And He is the best of providers.)(34:39), and,

مَا عِندَكُمْ يَنفَدُ وَمَا عِندَ اللَّهِ بَاقٍ

(whatever is with you, will be exhausted, and whatever is with Allah will remain.)(16:96) Therefore, those who trust in and depend on Allah will spend, and they will not fear poverty or destitution coming to them from the Owner of the Throne. They know that Allah will surely compensate them for whatever they spend.

The Virtues of spending and fighting before the Conquest of Makkah

Allah's statement,

لاَ يَسْتَوِى مِنكُم مَّنْ أَنفَقَ مِن قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ وَقَـتَلَ

(Not equal among you are those who spent before the conquering and fought.) meaning those who did not fight and spend before the Conquest are not equal to those who spent and fought. Before Makkah was conquered, things were difficult for Muslims and only the righteous ones embraced Islam. After Makkah was conquered, Islam spread tremendously throughout the known world and people embraced the religion of Allah en masse. Similarly He said:

أُوْلَـئِكَ أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةً مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أَنفَقُواْ مِن بَعْدُ وَقَـتَلُواْ وَكُلاًّ وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَى

(Such are higher in degree than those who spent and fought afterwards. But to all Allah has promised the best (reward).) The majority considers the Conquest here to be the conquest of Makkah. Ash-Sha`bi and several others said that the Ayah refers to the treaty at Al-Hudaybiyyah. There is proof for this opinion found in a Hadith from Anas, collected by Imam Ahmad. Anas said, "Khalid bin Al-Walid and `Abdur-Rahman bin `Awf had a dispute. Khalid said to `Abdur-Rahman, `You boast about days (battles) that you participated in before us.' When the news of this statement reached the Prophet he said,

«دَعُوا لِي أَصْحَابِي، فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ أَنْفَقْتُمْ مِثْلَ أُحُدٍ أَوْ مِثْلَ الْجِبَالِ ذَهَبًا، مَا بَلَغْتُمْ أَعْمَالَهُم»

(Do not bother my Companions, for by He in Whose Hand is my soul! If you spend an amount of gold equal to (Mount) Uhud, (or equal to the mountains), you will not reach the level of their actions.)" It is a known fact that Khalid bin Al-Walid, whom the Prophet addressed this statement to, embraced Islam during the period between the treaty of Al-Hudaybiyyah and the conquering of Makkah. The dispute between Khalid and `Abdur-Rahman occurred because of the battle of Bani Jadhimah. The Prophet sent Khalid bin Al-Walid to them after the conquest of Makkah, and they said, "Saba'na," instead of saying, "Aslamna" (we embraced Islam). So Khalid ordered their execution and the execution of their prisoners (of war); `Abdur-Rahman bin `Awf and `Abdullah bin `Umar opposed him. This is the reason behind the dispute that occurred between Khalid and `Abdur-Rahman. But in the Sahih, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«لَا تَسُبُّوا أَصْحَابِي، فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ أَنْفَقَ أَحَدُكُمْ مِثْلَ أُحُدٍ ذَهَبًا، مَا بَلَغَ مُدَّ أَحَدِهِمْ وَلَا نَصِيفَه»

(None should revile my Companions, for by He in Whose Hand is my soul! If one of you were to spend as much gold as Uhud, it would not reach the level of them equal to an amount as much as one Mudd of one of them or half of it.) Allah said,

وَكُلاًّ وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَى

(But to all Allah has promised the best (reward).) meaning, those who spent before and after the conquest of Makkah; they all will gain a reward for their good deeds, even though some of them vary in rank and earn a better reward than others as Allah said,

لاَّ يَسْتَوِى الْقَـعِدُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ غَيْرُ أُوْلِى الضَّرَرِ وَالْمُجَـهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ الْمُجَـهِدِينَ بِأَمْوَلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ عَلَى الْقَـعِدِينَ دَرَجَةً وَكُـلاًّ وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَى وَفَضَّلَ اللَّهُ الْمُجَـهِدِينَ عَلَى الْقَـعِدِينَ أَجْراً عَظِيماً

(Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home), except those who are disabled, and those who strive hard and fight in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has preferred in grades those who strive hard and fight with their wealth and their lives above those who sit (at home). Unto each, Allah has promised good, but Allah has preferred by a great reward those who strive hard and fight, above those who sit (at home).)(4:95) There is a Hadith in the Sahih that states,

«الْمُؤْمِنُ الْقَوِيُّ خَيْرٌ وَأَحَبُّ إِلَى اللهِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِ الضَّعِيفِ، وَفِي كُلَ خَيْر»

(The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer; both have goodness in them.) The Prophet ended his statement this way to draw attention to the second type of believer, so that their own qualities are not forgotten in the midst of preferring the former type. In this way, the latter is not dismissed as being degraded in the Hadith. Therefore, the Prophet ended his statement by praising the second type -- the weak believers -- after giving preference to the first type. Allah said:

وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ

(And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.) meaning, since Allah is perfectly aware of all things, He made distinctions between the rewards of the believers who spent and fought before the Conquest and those who spent and fought afterwards. Surely, Allah does this by His knowledge of the intention of the former type and their perfect sincerity to Him, all the while spending in times of hardship, poverty and dire straits. This is found in the Hadith,

«سَبَقَ دِرْهَمٌ مِائَةَ أَلْف»

(Spending one Dirham is preceded over a hundred thousand.) There is no doubt that the people of faith consider Abu Bakr As-Siddiq to be the person who has the best share according to the meaning of this Ayah. He was the chief of those who implemented it, among all followers of all Prophets. He spent all of his wealth seeking the Face of Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored. He did it voluntarily too, not to repay a debt or a favor that anyone from mankind had on him. May Allah be pleased with him.

The Encouragement to make a Handsome Loan in the Cause of Allah

Allah said,

مَّن ذَا الَّذِى يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا

(Who is he that will lend Allah a handsome loan:) `Umar bin Al-Khattab said that this Ayah refers to spending in Allah's cause. It was also said that it pertains to spending on children. What is correct is that it is more general than that. So all those who spend in the cause of Allah with good intentions and a sincere heart, then they fall under the generality of this Ayah. This is why Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah:

مَّن ذَا الَّذِى يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ

(Who is he that will lend Allah handsome loan: then (Allah) will increase it manifold to his credit (in repaying),) and in another Ayah,

أَضْعَافًا كَثِيرَةً

(many times) (2:245), meaning, being handsome reward and tremendous provisions: Paradise on the Day of Resurrection. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "When this Ayah,

مَّن ذَا الَّذِى يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ

(Who is he that will lend Allah handsome loan: then (Allah) will increase it manifold to his credit (in repaying),) was revealed, Abu Ad-Dahdah Al-Ansari said, `O Allah's Messenger! Does Allah ask us for a loan' The Prophet said,

«نَعَمْ، يَاأَبَا الدَّحْدَاح»

(Yes, O Abu Ad-Dahdah.) He said, `Give me your hand, O Allah's Messenger,' and the Prophet placed his hand in his hand. Abu Ad-Dahdah said, `Verily, I have given my garden as a loan to my Lord.' He had a garden that contained six hundred date trees; his wife and children were living in that garden too. Abu Ad-Dahdah went to his wife and called her, `Umm Ad-Dahdah!' She said, `Here I am.' He said, `Leave the garden, because I have given it as a loan to my Lord, the Exalted and Most Honored.' She said, `That is a successful trade, O Abu Ad-Dahdah!' She then transferred her goods and children. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«كَمْ مِنْ عَذْقٍ رَدَاحٍ فِي الْجَنَّةِ لِأَبِي الدَّحْدَاح»

(How plentiful are the sweet date clusters that Abu Ad-Dahdah has in Paradise!)" In another narration, the Prophet said,

«رُبَّ نَخْلَةٍ مُدَلَّاةٍ، عُرُوقُهَا دُرٌّ وَيَاقُوتٌ، لِأَبِي الدَّحْدَاحِ فِي الْجَنَّة»

(How many a date tree that has lowered down its clusters, which are full of pearls and gems in Paradise for Abu Ad-Dahdah!)

وَلِلَّـهِ مِيرَ‌اثُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْ‌ضِ (...while to Allah belongs the inheritance of the heavens and the earth?....57:10) The word mirath [ inheritance, heritage ] is the process by which the assets of a deceased person pass to the living heirs and beneficiaries. This transfer of ownership takes place automatically by virtue of the law of Shari` ah; the deceased has no choice in the matter. On this occasion, Allah has described the ownership of heaven and earth by the expression mirath [ inheritance, heritage ] presumably because all those assets deemed to be owned by men will ultimately return to Allah, no matter whether men like it or not. Although the Real Owner and Master of the heavens and the earth is Allah, He transferred part-ownership of things to man by His grace, but on the Day of Judgment, even this outward and partial ownership will no longer remain in the hands of anyone. At that stage, all sorts of ownership, apparent and real, outward and inward, will belong to none but Allah. Therefore, if those who are apparently owners of some wealth today spend it in Allah's way, they will receive its compensation in the Hereafter, and thus anything spent in the way of Allah will become the eternal property of the spender.

It is recorded in Tirmidhi on the authority of Sayyidah 'A'ishah ؓ that one day a goat was slaughtered. Most of it was distributed among other people, except for a foreleg. The Holy Prophet ﷺ wanted to know from her whether any part of it was spared from distribution. She said 'yes, a foreleg'. The Holy Prophet ﷺ said, "The entire goat is spared, except this foreleg." He meant that the entire goat was spent in the way of Allah and thus it was spared for their benefit in the Hereafter, because it would remain with Allah for compensation. On the contrary, there would be no compensation for the foreleg that had been kept for later use, because that would perish here. [ Mazhari ]

لَا يَسْتَوِي مِنكُم مَّنْ أَنفَقَ مِن قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ وَقَاتَلَ (...Those who spent before the Conquest [ of Makkah ], and fought [ in Allah's way ], are not at par [ with others ]…10) It means that there are two types of people who spend wealth in the way of Allah: [ 1] those who embraced Islam before the victory of Makkah and, being believers, spent their wealth in the cause of Allah; [ 2] those who participated in jihad after the conquest of Makkah and spent their wealth in Allah's way. The two types are not equal in the sight of Allah. They differ in status and reward. The first category is described as higher in status and reward than the second category who will receive reward commensurate with their status.

Conquest of Makkah: The Dividing Line in Determining the Status of the noble Companions ؓ

The verse declares the Conquest of Makkah as the dividing line in determining the status of the two categories of the noble Companions ؓ ، presumably because the political conditions of Makkah before the Conquest were very bleak and difficult for Muslims. In terms of extrinsic causes, the survival of Muslims was threatened and their progress was doubted. The people at large could not rule out the possibility that, like other movements, Islam would soon erode and suffer a natural attrition or death. Wise men of the world would not join a movement where there was a fear of defeat or annihilation. They wait for results. When the movement shows signs of success, they join it. Some people, though think that it is the truth, do not pluck courage to join it for fear of persecution and on account of their own weaknesses. But when the courageous and determined people are convinced about the veracity of a theory or belief system, they accept it instantly. They do not bother about victory or defeat, and smaller or larger membership of the movement does not concern them.

The people, who embraced Islam before conquest of Makkah, were witnessing the small number and political weakness of the Muslims and the consequent hardships. Muslims were very small in number and they were weak, on account of which the pagans persecuted them. Especially in the early days of Islam, disclosing one's faith in Islam would amount to losing his life, hearth and home. It is obvious that those who put their lives at stake by embracing Islam in such circumstances, and offered their lives and wealth for the help of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and for the service of Islam had such a high level of sincerity in their faith and practice that no other people can be compared to them.

Gradually, conditions changed. Muslims grew in power, so much so that eventually Makkah was conquered, after which Islam spread tremendously throughout the Arab world, people embraced the religion of Allah en masse [ as the Qur'an says: يَدْخُلُونَ فِي دِينِ اللَّـهِ أَفْوَاجًا (...people entering Allah's [ approved ] religion in multitudes) [ 110:2] This happened because many people were convinced of the veracity of Islam, but reluctant to embrace it publicly on account of their own weaknesses, owing to the might and power of the opposition and for fear of their persecution. These hurdles were now out of their way, and they started entering the fold of Islam in multitudes.

Although such people too are shown respect and honour by this verse, and forgiveness and mercy is promised to them, it has been made clear that their status cannot be equal to those who, due to their unshaken faith and resolute courage, declared their Islam despite all apprehensions of extreme hardships and persecution, and offered themselves to Islam in very difficult times.

Allah promises Paradise and Forgiveness to all Noble Sahabah ؓ

In the current set of verses, a distinction is drawn between the different categories of the noble Sahabah (Companions ؓ of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، but towards the end of verse 10 it is declared that وَكُلًّا وَعَدَ اللَّـهُ الْحُسْنَىٰ (...though Allah has promised the good [ reward ] for each ....57:10). The word husna [ good reward ] means that the promise of Paradise and forgiveness extends to all the noble Companions ؓ ، whether they spent and fought before or after the Conquest. This includes almost the entire concourse of Companions ؓ ، because it is hardly conceivable that, despite being Muslims, some of them might have not spent anything in Allah's way or not participated against the hostile foes of Islam. Thus the Qur'anic proclamation of Paradise and forgiveness is for the general body of Companions ؓ .

Ibn Hazm (رح) says that the meaning of verse [ 10] becomes even clearer when we append to it verses [ 101-102] of Surah Al-Anbiya': إِنَّ الَّذِينَ سَبَقَتْ لَهُم مِّنَّا الْحُسْنَىٰ أُولَـٰئِكَ عَنْهَا مُبْعَدُونَ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ حَسِيسَهَا ۖ وَهُمْ فِي مَا اشْتَهَتْ أَنفُسُهُمْ خَالِدُونَ (Surely, those for whom the good (news) from Us has come earlier shall be kept far away from it (i.e. from the Hell). They will not hear the slightest of its sound, and they will remain forever in what their selves desire.) [ 21:101-102].

The verses under comment contain the phrase كُلًّا وَعَدَ اللَّـهُ الْحُسْنَىٰ (..though Allah has promised the good (reward) for each ...[ 57:10] In verses [ 21:101-102], Allah Ta’ ala proclaims that those who have received the good news of reward [ al-husna ] will be kept far away from Hell. The Qur'an thus guarantees that all the Companions ؓ ، whether from the first category or from the second one, are immune from Hell. Even if someone from them would commit a sin, he will not persist in it, but he will either repent from it, or will be forgiven for it because of the blessed company of the Holy Prophet ﷺ he enjoyed, his help offered to him, the good deeds he performed and many services he rendered to Islam. Therefore, he would not leave this world unless his sins would be forgiven and his account of deeds would have been clear. It is also possible that worldly calamities would serve as an expiation to wipe out his shortcomings or painful experience in the grave or ` Alam-ul-barzakh will expiate his faults.

There are Traditions that report torment for some of the noble Companions, but that does not refer to the torture of the Hereafter or punishment of the Hell. It refers to the chastisement of the grave or ` Alam-ul-barzakh. It would not be far-fetched to assume that if a Companion committed a sin and did not find an opportunity to repent and cleanse himself, he would be purified by infliction of the grave, so that no chastisement will be inflicted on him in the Hereafter.

The Status of the Noble Sahabah ؓ in the light of Qur’ an and Sunnah, not in terms of Historical Narratives

The Noble Sahabah are not like the general body of the Muslim Community. They are a medium between the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the general body of the Muslim Community. Without them neither the Qur'an nor its meaning or the teachings of the Holy Prophet ﷺ can reach the Ummah. Therefore, they enjoy a special status in Islam. The status of the blessed Companions ؓ cannot be recognized by the historical narrations that are a mixture of right and wrong. It is rather recognized in the light of Qur'an and Sunnah.

If any of them slips up, in most cases it would not exceed a khata' ijtihadi or error in judgment, not a sin or willful transgression of law. In fact, according to the clear text of a Prophetic Tradition, if a mujtahid were to slip up or err in his judgment, he still receives one reward. Even if they committed a sin, it would be counted as nil in view of their life-long righteous deeds, and supporting the Holy Prophet ﷺ and Islam. The reverence and awe of Allah was engrossed in their hearts to such a high degree that they would shudder at the very thought of ordinary sins and would repent forthwith. As a result, they would inflict punishment on themselves. Some would tie themselves to the column of the mosque, and as long as they are not certain that their sins would be forgiven they would remain tied.

In addition, each one of them performed so many righteous deeds that they could expiate for their sins. Moreover, Allah has announced a general amnesty for their sins in this and other verses. He not only pardoned their sins, but also proclaimed رَّ‌ضِيَ اللَّـهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَ‌ضُوا عَنْهُ (Allah is well-pleased with them, and they are well-pleased with Him. 98:8). It is absolutely forbidden to speak ill of them or taunt them or revile them because of their mutual differences and disagreements. According to a Prophetic Tradition, doing so is incurring Allah's curse and putting one's own faith in jeopardy.

Nowadays, on the basis of false and weak historical narratives some writers have made the noble and blessed Companions the target of taunts and reproach. First of all, the basis on which the historical narratives are founded are unreliable and questionable. Even if it is taken for granted that they have some historical substance, they are clearly in conflict with Qur'an and Sunnah. Hence, they must be refuted in the strongest terms possible. The original statement stands: The noble and blessed Companions ؓ are forgiven and pardoned.

Unanimous Belief of the Ummah regarding the Noble Sahabah ؓ

It is obligatory on Muslims to show respect and honour to all the Companions ؓ ، to love them and praise them. It is likewise imperative to observe silence regarding their mutual differences and disagreements. It is compulsory to abstain from making any of them the target of accusations and reproach. All texts of Islamic beliefs make plain this consensual belief of the Ummah. Imam Ahmad (رح) has written a monograph on the subject which reached us on the authority of Istakhri. A section of it partly reads:

لَا یَجُوزُ لِاَحَدٍ ان یَّذکُرَ شَیٔاً مِّن مَّسَاویھم وَلَا یَطعَنُ عَلٰی اَحَدٍ مَّنھُم بِعَیبٍ وَلَا نَقصٍ فَمَن فَعَلَ ذٰلِکَ وَجَبَ تَادِیبُہ،۔

"It is not lawful for anyone to speak ill of the Companions, or cast aspersions against them, or find fault with them. Whoever does so should be punished." [ Shark-ul-` Aqidah Al-Wasitiyyah, known as Ad-Durrah A1-Mudi'ah ]

Ibn Taimiyyah in his As-Sam-ul-Maslul has cited many verses of the Qur'an and Prophetic Traditions regarding the virtues and characteristics of the noble Companions ؓ ، after which he concludes:

وَھٰذَا مِمَّا لَا نَعلَمُ فِیہِ خِلَافاً بَینَ اَھلِ الفِقہِ وَالعِلمِ مِن اَصحَابِ رَسُولِ اللہ ﷺ وَالتَّابِعِینَ لَھُم بِاِحسَانٍ وَسَایٔرِ اَھلِ السُّنَّۃِ وِالجَمَاعَۃِ فَاِنَّھُم مُجمِعُون عَلٰی اَنَّ الوَاجِبَ الثَّنَاُء علَیھِم وَالاِستِغفَار لَھُم وَ التَّرحُّمُ عَلَیھِم وَ التَّرَتضِّی عَنھُم وَ اعتِقَادُ مَحَبَتَّھِم وَ مَوالَاتِھِم وَ عَقُوبَۃُ مَن اَسَاَء فِیھِمُ القُول۔

"As far as we know, there is no difference of opinion in this issue among the scholars and the jurists from Companions and their followers, and the Ahl-us-sunnah wal-jama'ah. There is consensus of the Ummah that it is imperative to praise the Companions, to seek forgiveness for them, to remember them with compassion and pleasure, and to express love and friendship for them. Anyone who dishonours them should be punished."

Ibn Taimiyyah confirms, in Sharh-ul-` Aqidah Al-Wasitiyyah, the consensual belief of the Ahl-us-sunnah wal-jama'ah of the entire Ummah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ relating to the mutual disagreement of the Companions ؓ :

وَیُمسِکُونَ عَمَّا شَجَرَ بَینَ الصَّحَابَۃِ وَیَقُولُونَ ھٰذِہِ الاٰثَارُ المَروِیَّۃُ فِی مَسَاوِیھِم مَنھَا مَا ھُوَ کِذبٌ وَّ مَنھِا مَازِیدَ فِیھَا وَ نُقِصَ وَغُیِّرَ وَجھُہ وَ الصَّحِیحُ مِنہُ ھُم فِیہِ مَعذورُونَ اَمَّا مُجتَھِدُونَ مُصِیبُونَ وَ اما مُجتَھِدُونَ مُخَطِٔؤنَ ، وَھُم مَعَ ذلِکَ لَا یَعتَقِدُونَ اَنَّ کُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مَّنَ الصَّحَابَۃِ مَعصُومٌ مِّن کَبَایٔرِ الاِثمِ وَصَغَایٔرِہٖ بَل یَجُوزُ عَلَیھِمُ الذُّنُوبُ فِی الجُملَۃِ وَلَھُم مِّنَ الفَضَایٔلِ وَالسَّوَابِقِ مَا یُوجِبُ مَغفِرَۃً مَا یَصدُرُ مِنھُم حَتّٰی اَنَّھُم یُغفَرُلَھُم مِّنَ السَّیِّٔاتِ مَالَا یُغفِرُ لِمَن م بَعدَھُم۔

'Ahl-us-sunnah wal jama` ah observe silence relating to matters in which the noble Companions ؓ mutually disagreed. According to them, the position of the narratives that find fault with them may be summarized as follows: Some of them are absolutely false whilst others have been distorted or perverted. Reports that are authentic have a plausible explanation, (because they did what they did on the basis of 'ijtihad' which Shari'ah recognizes). If they reached the right conclusion (by exercising reasoning), they would be rewarded doubly; and if they arrived at an incorrect conclusion (by exerting effort to derive the law on an issue by expending all the available means of interpreting at the jurist's disposal and by taking into account all the legal evidences related to the issue,) they are still excused (and deserve a single reward). Despite this situation, the Ummah does not believe that every Companion is innocent, infallible or sinless. In fact, it is possible for them to commit sins - major or minor, but their virtues and great services to Islam are such that they demand forgiveness. The scope of their forgiveness and pardon would be so wide that the later members of the Ummah would not have such a wide scope."

A detailed account of the status of the sahabah is given in Surah Al-Fath under verse [ 29]. I have written a book entitled maqam-e-sahabah in which I have collected relevant Qur'anic verses and Prophetic Traditions pertaining to the status of the Companions. This book has already been published. The Ummah is unanimous on the point that all the blessed Companions ؓ are impartial, unbiased, reliable and worthy of confidence. The book deals elaborately with their disagreements and the civil wars that took place among them. It deals with the status of the historical narratives and their true place in critical study. Some of these issues to the degree necessary have been included in the commentary of Surah Muhammad and Surah Al-Fath. Please refer to the relevant sections there. Allah's help is sought and on Him is our reliance!

When the call of Islam is given, it is based on clear reasoning in its preliminary stages. The second stage is marked by victory in its immediate surroundings. In the first stage, only those who have the capacity to see the inherent greatness of a thing solely on the level of reasoning are courageous enough to make sacrifices for Islam. But when Islam has already been crowned by success, every individual is able to see its greatness and everybody feels proud of coming forward and offering his life and property for its sake. One who spends for the cause of Islam in the early stages has to do it without thought of reward, while in the latter stage, whatever a man spends is redoubled in this world itself, as a reward in various forms. That explains why, in the eyes of God, each group has a different status.