The companions and their zeal in following the Sunnah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Allah Almighty says: “But no, by your Rabb, they cannot be believers until they make you (O Prophet ﷺ) judge in all disputes between them, then find within themselves no resistance against your decisions and submit with full submission.” [4:65]

In this noble verse, Allah Almighty has sworn an oath and described three characteristics of a believer:

1. In the event of any dispute, one should not go to anyone for judgment except Allah’s messenger ﷺ
2. Whatever decision the Prophet ﷺ makes, they should not feel any kind of resistance regarding it.
3. They should act upon this decision while submitting to it completely.

In this brief article, our objective is to describe the third characteristic. The Ṣaḥābah رضي الله عنهم bowed their heads in submission before every decision of the Prophet ﷺ. Whenever they heard anything from the Prophet ﷺ, they would immediately submit to it and act upon it.

“O Painter! Draw that scene in which there is such clarity,
On one side is the command of Muṣṭafā and on the other the neck is bowed.”

There are countless such examples present in the books of Ḥadīth; a few are presented for the readers:

1) Sayyidunā ʿUmar bin al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه

Sayyidunā ʿUmar رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: “Indeed, Allah forbids you from swearing by your fathers.” ʿUmar رضي الله عنه said: “By Allah! I have not sworn by them since I heard the Prophet ﷺ (forbid it) neither myself nor quoting it.” [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 6647, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1646]

Sayyidunā ʿUmar رضي الله عنه bowed his head in submission before the command of the Noble Prophet ﷺ such that once he heard the word of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he then acted upon it for his entire life; and that from which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade him, he did not even go near for the rest of his life.

2) Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh bin ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما

Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh bin ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما narrates: “While we were performing ṣalāh with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, a man from among the people said: Allah is the Greatest, Most Great; and praise be to Allah, much praise; and glory be to Allah, morning and evening. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked: ‘Who is the speaker of such and such words?’ A man from among the people said: ‘I, O Messenger of Allah.’ He ﷺ said: ‘I was amazed by them; the gates of heaven were opened for them.’ Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh bin ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما says: ‘Since I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ (speak) about the excellence of these (words), I have never abandoned them.'” [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 601]

Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh bin ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما was a great follower of the Sunnah. When he heard the Ḥadīth of the Noble Prophet ﷺ, he immediately acted upon it and then never deviated from it.

Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh bin ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “It is not the right of a Muslim man, who has something regarding which a will (wasiyyah) should be made, to let three nights pass without having his will written with him.” Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh bin ʿUmar says: “Not a single night has passed over me since I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say that, except that my will is with me.” [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1627]

3) Sayyidunā Jābir bin ʿAbdullāh رضي الله عنه

Ṭalḥah bin Nāfiʿ narrates that he heard Sayyidunā Jābir bin ʿAbdullāh رضي الله عنه saying: “One day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ took my hand and led me to his home. Then some pieces of bread were brought to him, so the Prophet ﷺ asked: ‘Is there any condiment?’ They said: ‘No, there is nothing except some vinegar.’ He ﷺ said: ‘Indeed, vinegar is an excellent condiment.'” Sayyidunā Jābir bin ʿAbdullāh رضي الله عنه says: “Since I heard (this) from the Prophet of Allah ﷺ, I have never ceased to like vinegar.” And Ṭalḥah said: “Since I heard it from Jābir, I have never ceased to like vinegar.” [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2052]

In this Ḥadīth, the Noble Prophet ﷺ has declared vinegar to be an excellent condiment. Consequently, when Sayyidunā Jābir رضي الله عنه heard this from the Noble Prophet ﷺ, he developed a love and liking for vinegar because of the Ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ. Similarly, when Ṭalḥah bin Nāfiʿ رحمه الله heard this Ḥadīth from Sayyidunā Jābir رضي الله عنه , he too liked vinegar solely out of love for the Ḥadīth. Such was the spirit among the Ṣaḥābah and Tābiʿīn that whenever they heard the Aḥādīth of the Noble Prophet ﷺ, they would immediately bow their heads in submission before those Aḥādīth.

4) Sayyidunā Jarīr bin ʿAbdullāh رضي الله عنه

Sayyidunā Jarīr bin ʿAbdullāh رضي الله عنه narrates that some Bedouins came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: “Some zakāh collectors come to us and treat us unjustly.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Be pleased with your zakāh collectors.” Sayyidunā Jarīr رضي الله عنه says: “Since I heard this Ḥadīth from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, whenever a zakāh collector came to me, he went away satisfied.” [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 989]

Ziyād bin ʿIlāqah narrates that I heard Sayyidunā Jarīr bin ʿAbdullāh رضي الله عنه: On the day Sayyidunā al-Mughīrah bin Shuʿbah رضي الله عنه passed away, he (Jarīr) stood up for a sermon, praised and did Ḥamd of Allah Almighty, and said: “Make taqwā of Allah, One without partner, obligatory upon yourselves, and (maintain) dignity and tranquility until a leader comes to you, for he is about to arrive.” Then he said: “Seek forgiveness for your (deceased) leader, for indeed he loved forgiveness.” Then he said: “After this, you should know that I once came to the Noble Prophet ﷺ and submitted: ‘I pledge allegiance (bayʿah) to you on Islam.’ He ﷺ stipulated a condition for me: ‘And sincere advice for every Muslim.’ So I pledged allegiance to him upon this condition. By the Lord of this masjid! I am indeed a well-wisher for you.” Then he sought forgiveness and descended from the pulpit. [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 58]

In this narration, the spirit of following of Sayyidunā Jarīr bin ʿAbdullāh رضي الله عنه is clear; that the condition required by the Noble Prophet ﷺ, he remained steadfast upon it and always preferred well-wishing for the people.

[Al-Hadith Hazro Magazine, 135-136, page 88; Shaykh Ḥabīb Al-Rahmān Hazārvī حفظه الله]

Translated Muḥammad ‘Abdul Wahhāb al-Balushi وفقه الله

5) ʿAlī bin Abī Ṭālib  رضي الله عنه

ʿAlī bin Abī Ṭālib reported that Fāṭimah (peace be upon her) came to the Prophet ﷺ asking him for a servant. So he said: “Shall I not inform you of what is better for you than that? You glorify Allāh (Subḥān Allāh) thirty-three times when you go to your bed, and you praise Allāh (Alḥamdulillāh) thirty-three times, and you magnify Allāh (Allāhu Akbar) thirty-four times.” (ʿAlī) said: “I have not abandoned them since.” It was said: “Not even on the night of Ṣiffīn?” He said: “Not even on the night of Ṣiffīn.” [al-Bukhārī 5362 & Muslim 2727]

6) Umm Ḥabībah رضي الله عنها

Reported al-Nuʿmān bin Sālim from ʿAmr bin Aws from ʿAnbasah bin Abī Sufyān who narrated to me during his illness in which he died, a Ḥadīth which he disclosed to me. He said: I heard Umm Ḥabībah say: I heard the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ say: “Whoever prays twelve Rakʿahs in a day and night, a house will be built for him in Paradise because of them.”
Umm Ḥabībah said: “So I have not abandoned them since I heard them from the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ.”
And ʿAnbasah said: “So I have not abandoned them since I heard them from Umm Ḥabībah.”
And ʿAmr bin Aws said: “I have not abandoned them since I heard them from ʿAnbasah.”
And Al-Nuʿmān bin Sālim said: “I have not abandoned them since I heard them from ʿAmr bin Aws.” [Muslim 728]

Abū al-Ḥasan Muzammil al-Balūshī

Student of Shaykh Ḥabīb al-Raḥman Hazārvī