Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Amongst the companions Hadhrath Abu Bakr is viewed as the most superior on account of his closeness to the Holy Prophet (saaws). If this is indeed the case then why did the Holy Prophet (saaws) not select him to be his brother when he (saaws) divided the companions in to pairs on the Day of Brotherhood? Rather, the Prophet (saaws) chose Hadhrath Ali (as) saying "You are my brother in this world and the next", so on what basis is Hadhrath Abu Bakr closer?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Who is the closest Companion?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The truth of the matter is that it is not upto us to decide who is the most superior amongst the noble companions of the Messenger of Allah (saws). We cannot judge their imaan, their love for Allah and His Messenger (saws), their love for Islam, and the amount of sacrifices these noble souls gave in the Cause of Allah. This is neither our duty, nor is Allah going to ask us to decide, nor are we going to be questioned about their deeds on the Day of Judgment!

Allah Subhanah has honored the companions of the Prophet (saws) in the Quran, and it is our duty to believe in every word of the Quran. At the time of the Treaty of Hudaibiyya, the Messenger of Allah (saws) took the allegiance from the believers under a tree, and this allegiance came to be known in History as the ‘bayt-ur-Ridhwaan’. After this allegiance, Allah revealed the following aayah in the Holy Quran:

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 48 Surah Fath verses 18-19:Allah was well pleased with the believers when they were swearing allegiance to you under the tree. He knew what was in their hearts: therefore, He sent down tranquility upon them and rewarded them with a victory near at hand, and much war-booty, which they will (soon) take. Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.

Among the believers who took this allegiance were most of the noble companions of the Messenger (saws), including, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Saad ibn Abi Waqqas, Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah, Abdur Rahman ibn Auf, Talha, Zubair, Ammar bin Yasser, etc. Allah Himself says in the Holy Quran that He is well pleased with them!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 100:Allah was well pleased with those Muhajirs and Ansaars who were the first to respond to the invitation to the Faith, and with those also, who followed them in their righteous conduct; and they too were well pleased with (the reward from) Allah. He has got ready for them Gardens underneath which canals flow and they will abide therein for ever. This is the Greatest Success.

Again, among the early reverts to Islam were such noble companions as Ali, Abu Bakr, Uthman, Abdur Rahman bin Auf, Saad ibn Abi Waqqas, Umar, Talha, Zubair, Bilaal, etc. Allah Himself says that He is well pleased with them and has prepared for them Gardens in Paradise underneath which canals will be flowing and they will abide therein for ever!

It is indeed a pity that there are some sects in Islam who have the audacity and courage to curse and revile some of the noble companions of the Messenger of Allah (saws), whom Allah Himself has honored collectively in the Holy Quran. It matters very little if some mis-guided people love them or not, because the ones whom Allah is pleased with, are indeed the successful. And Allah has specifically mentioned that He is pleased with the early Muhajirs and the Ansaars, and especially those who took the allegiance with the Prophet under the tree (Bayt-ar-Ridhwaan).

Thus, today, when we love one companion, we should be careful as true believers, not to belittle the others. Each of these noble people were close companions of the Messenger of Allah (saws), and if we indeed love the Messenger of Allah (saws), we should love all those whom he(saws) loved. It is not for us to choose who was the most superior amongst them. Allah is a witness to their deeds, and He Alone is the One Who bestows Honor. And who can be more honored than those whom Allah Himself says He is pleased with them?

It is indeed a pity and cause of grief for the believers, that some mis-guided muslims today revile and abuse some of the noble companions, and even the chaste wives of the Messenger of Allah (saws). The All-Mighty Allah, and his beloved Messenger (saws) are pleased with these noble companions, but some misguided muslims today have the audacity and the courage to revile and abuse them! Maybe they should read and understand this aayah from the Holy Quran:

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verse 36:It does not behove a believing man and a believing woman that when Allah and His Messenger have given their decision in a matter, they should exercise an option in that matter of theirs. For whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, has indeed strayed into manifest error.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “Do not revile my companions! If one amongst you were to spend gold as much as (the mountain) of Uhud (in the cause of Allah), it would not be equivalent in the sight of Allah, to a ‘mudd’ (a measure of grain) spent by my companions.”

May Allah have Mercy on the Ummah of Islam and unite them and guide them all to the Siraat al Mustaqeem.

The deen of Islam was completed, the Quran revealed, and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) was established at the time of the death of the Prophet (saws). Whatever happened after the death of the Prophet (saws) is the History of the Muslims, and this is in the knowledge of Allah Alone. Allah will not hold us accountable for the deeds of these people, nor ask us about them on the Day of Judgment. We will be asked about our deeds and what did we do for the cause of Islam.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 134: They were a people who passed away. They shall receive the reward of what they earned, and you shall have the reward of what you will earn. And you will not be questioned as to what they did.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother in Islam,

Burhan