We have already posted two articles on this topic, in this article we will give true interpretation of those verses of holy Quran which our Sunni brothers mention about Sahaba. Our Sunni fellows try to make a conclusion from these verses that all Sahaba are righteous and all will go to heaven.
Question 1: Quran 48:29
“Muhammad is the messenger of Allah; and those who are (ideologically) with him are strong against Unbelievers, (but) compassionate amongst each other. Thou wilt see them bow and prostrate themselves (in prayer), seeking Grace from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure. On their faces are their marks, (being) the traces of their prostration. This is their similitude in the Taurat; and their similitude in the Gospel is: like a seed which sends forth its blade, then makes it strong; it then becomes thick, and it stands on its own stem, (filling) the sowers with wonder and delight. As a result, it fills the Unbelievers with rage at them. Allah has promised those among them who believe and do righteous deeds forgiveness and a great Reward.”
Our Sunni brothers claim that in this verse Quran praises all the companions of the Prophet. That those people are with him, they are having all those virtues mentioned in this verse. In this verse word ma’ahu is used which means those people with the Prophet, So all companions are praised by Allah(swt). How come Shias have different point of view about the companions?
Answer: Yes in this verse the great companions (may Allah bless them) of the holy Prophet (pbuh) are praised by Allah(swt). But it does not mean everybody who was physically in the company of Prophet is being praised. In this verse those companions who were praised were not the one that were only physically with the Prophet but they were those who were physically and at the same time ideologically with him.
We know that there were lots of hypocrites in the company of Prophet. They accepted Islam and in the society they were having the status as companion. We mentioned many verses about them; did those hypocrites have all these virtues mentioned in above verse?
This verse also tells that those people with the Prophet are tough (strong) against pagans but compassionate amongst each other. We already mentioned in our articles, we gave the verses and Hadith from Bukhari: In Uhad only 12 people remained with The Holy Prophet, everybody else run away. We mentioned about the battle of Hunain only few people remained with the Prophet everybody else run away including Umar bin Khattab.
Are these all virtues of true faithful companions of the holy Prophet? Quran says those companions are strong against pagans but here many companions run away.
Please read these verses about the battle of Ah zab. Quran mentions the situation of battle of AH-ZAB
“Eyes became dull and hearts almost reached the throat when they attacked you from above and below and you started to think of God with suspicion. There the believers were tested and shaken with a severe shaking. And when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is disease said, “Allah and His Messenger did not promise us except delusion,"
– Quran 33:10-12
When the pagans surrounded them, their eyes became dull and hearts reached to throats with fear. They said the messenger of Allah(swt) made false promises.
We definitely find that those companions who used to run away from pagans, those they get so much fear from Pagans, those who blamed the holy Prophet at the time of fear that Allah(swt) made with us false promise, these are not the characteristics of those faithful companions who are mentioned in 48:29.
We also find the virtue of faithful companions who are mentioned in the verse 48:29 that they are compassionate amongst each other.
We already declared above that the verse 48:29 is not about all companions. We can see wars between companions. In the battle of JAMAL which was started by Ayesha, Talha and Zubair, only in one battle 70,000 people were killed, the battle of Saffin between Imam Ali and Moawiya killed thousands of companions.
We would like to mention here a hadith from Sahih Muslim which clearly says that some Companions who remained in the Company of the Prophet were involved in innovations after the Prophet.
We need to make true interpretation of the verse 48:29 that those companions who are also ideologically with the holy Prophet (pbuh) are strong against pagans and compassionate amongst each other. It does not prove that all companions are righteous.
Question 2: Quran 9:100
“And the first forerunners [in the faith] among the Muhajireen and the Ansar and those who followed them with good conduct - Allah(swt) is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment.”
Sunni says this verse proves that Allah(swt) is pleased with Muhajireen and Ansar and those people who followed them with good conduct. Allah(s) is happy with all of them . How come Shias are not happy with all of them? How come Shias have different point of view?
Answer: As we have already said in our articles that there is not a single verse in the Quran that says all companions are righteous and all of the companions will go to heaven.
If we will pay attention in the Arabic words وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنصَارِ We find the word MIN مِنَ ( Waalssabiqoona alawwaloona mina almuhajireena waalansari ) which means among or from Mohajreen and Ansar. It does not mean all Mohajreen and Ansar.
Yes, Shia believe that there were righteous and faithful companions among Muhajreen and Ansar, but not all. This verse does not mean to say all the companions.
This verse also explains that those (companions) who followed SABQOON AL AWWA LOON among Muhajreen and Ansar in good conduct. This verse shows the condition for other companions that followed them in good conduct. Allah(swt) pleased with them.
It’s a condition following the goodness, without following the condition Allah(swt) is not please. It is not enough only to enter in Islam but it needs true following on Sunnah of the Prophet as his righteous companions followed.
We hope that our point is clear, this holy verse does not testify for all of the companions.
We also want to give an example like in teh case of the ex-husband of Umme Habiba (rz),( the wife of the holy Prophet), Ubaidullah bin Jahash .He entered in Islam. He became the first Moahajr even before those companions who left Mecca and went to Medina.
Ubaidullah bin Jahash became Mohajr with his wife Umme Habiba and went to Africa with the first group of Mohajreen under the leadership of Ja'afar bin Abu Talib. There Ubaidullah bin Jahash mingled with Christians and converted to Christianity. He died as a Christian. This story is proven between Shia and Sunni. Here we are giving link from Wikipedia about Ubaidullah bin Jahash.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubayd- Allah_ibn_Jahsh
Islam does not give blank cheque to somebody that just accept Islam and do whatever you want. It’s a continuous struggle to remain on true faith by following the message of Islam. Satan tries his best on everyone to drag that person in to hell fire until his last moment. We want to share the verses of Surah Al an- kaboot (29).
“Do the people think that they will be left alone on saying, "We believe", and that they will not be tested? We did test those before them, and Allah will certainly know those who are true from those who are false.
– Quran 29:2-4
Question 3: Quran 48:18
“Certainly Allah was well pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance to you under the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquility on them and rewarded them with a near victory.”
Sunnis believe that this verse says that Allah pleased with all companions who gave oath of allegiance to the holy Prophet at the time of Hudaibiyah. Why not Shias agree that Allah(swt) is pleased with all the companions of the holy Prophet?
Answer: Shias are certainly agreed that Allah (saw) is pleased with the faithful companions of Prophet (momneen) who fulfilled their oath of allegiance with the Prophet.
If we pay attention on this Holy verse, it says لَّقَدْ رَضِيَ اللَّـهُ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ The verse says Momneen. We know it well that there is difference between Muslimeen and Momneen. Muslimeen were those who became Muslim but the faith was not deeply penetrated in to their hearts. Momneen are those faithful true believers that the faith of Islam got deeply penetrated in to their hearts.
Please read the verse of Holy Quran 49:14
"The bedouins say, "We have believed." Say, "You have not [yet] believed; but say [instead], 'We have submitted,' for faith has not yet entered your hearts. And if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not deprive you from your deeds of anything. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."
We want to give example from Sahih Muslim, Please read the narration from Sahih Muslim.
The above verse is about Hadaibiyah when The Holy Prophet again got the oath of allegiance under the tree from the companions that they will fight against pagans and will remain under the obedience of messenger of Allah (swt).
We want to mention the verse before this verse about oath of allegiance at Hudaibiyah.
“Verily those who plight their fealty to thee do no less than plight their fealty to Allah: the Hand of Allah is over their hands: then anyone who violates his oath, does so to the harm of his own soul, and anyone who fulfills what he has covenanted with Allah, - Allah will soon grant him a great Reward.”
– Quran 48:10
This verse clearly says that anybody who will break his promise with Allah(swt) and his Messenger, he will harm to himself. This is the condition to remain constantly under the obedience of messenger of Allah(swt) and not to break the oath of allegiance. Allah(swt) only promised with those that they will be granted as great reward those who will fulfill their oath of allegiance.
When somebody enters in Islam or gives his oath of allegiance to the messenger of Allah(swt), Surely Allah(swt) becomes happy, but the main thing is who fulfills his promise in his life and remains faithful with the holy Prophet.
We see after Hudaibiyah those people who gave oath to the Prophet they run away in Hunain (8th hijari). Quran talks about the battle of Hunain
“God has helped you on many occasions including the day of Hunayn (name of a place near Mecca). When you were happy with the number of your men who proved to be of no help to you and the whole vast earth seemed to have no place to hide you (from your enemies) and you turned back in retreat.”
– Quran 9:25
Please read the narration in Bukhari about Hunain.
We have also shared one hadith in our articles from Bukhari by Bara bin Aazib, who admits that "it’s true we gave oath of allegiance under the tree but we did innovations after the Prophet."
We also want to share an interesting thing that there is a famous name among companions Abdul Rahman bin Udais. Sunni sources testify that this companion was among those who gave oath of allegiance to the Prophet under tree at Hudaibiyah.
This is also proven in Sunni sources that Abdul Rahman bin Udais Balvi led those people who killed third caliph Othman. Please check ALASABA FI TAMIZUL SAHABA vol 4 and ALISTAAYAB by ibn e Abdul BAr vol 2, page 411 and others. Abdul Rahman that he led those people who killed Uthman.
We failed to understand the sunni conclusion that all companions are righteous. Those who killed they are also righteous and those who got killed, they are also righteous? If Abdul rahman Balvi was also righteous companion then what was the point that JAMAL AND SAFEEN wars were fought against Imam Ali?
Question 4: In the holy Quran 49:7
“And know that among you is Allah's Messenger; should he obey you in many a matter, you would surely fall into distress, but Allah hath endeared the faith to you and hath beautified it in your hearts, and hath made disbelief and lewdness and rebellion hateful unto you. Such are they who are the rightly guided”.
About the above verse not all Sunnis but some Sunnis claimed that the middle part of the verse says to the companions that Allah(swt) has endeared the faith to you and has made it seemly in your hearts, and He has made hateful to you unbelief and transgression and disobedience. Sunni says it means Allah(swt) has purified all the companions, their hearts were fulfilled with faith, the hatefulness, unbelief, transgression and disobedience all these bad things were taken away from them, but Shias do not believe in it?
Answer: We have checked the commentary of this verse from Tafseer ibn e Kathir and Tafheemul Quran. They did not even mention such meanings which are mentioned above.
If we will take these meanings that Allah(swt) had purified the companion’s hearts and took away the evil things from all of them. It will mean all the companions were infallibles.
It also indicates the ideology of JABAR that Allah(swt) forcefully planted all those things to them, there is no free will. (When there is no free will there should not be any reward and/or punishment).
What was the fault of other Prophet’s companions that Allah(swt) did not planted faith in to their hearts and did not take away the evils from their hearts and did not make them infallibles?
What is the fault of the rest of followers of Islam that Allah(swt) did not take bad things from them? Why other Muslims are not infallible?
If we make this theory that the hearts of all companions were filled with faith and evil things were taken away from them by Allah(swt) it contradicts with the other verses of Quran and other facts. (We have already mentioned all those verses and facts in our articles that not all companions were righteous).
If we pay attention on the first part of the above verse which is mentioned in question. It says if the messenger of Allah(swt) obey you in many a matter, you would surely fall into trouble. It clearly says that not all of the companions were at this status that following them leads to success and peace.
If we read the verse no. 6 before this verse mentioned in this question. The verse no.6 says “O you who believe! If an (FASIQ) evil-doer comes to you with a report, look carefully into it, lest you harm a people in ignorance, then be sorry for what you have done.”
We know that in the verse no.6 word FASIQ is used which is the opposite of righteous one.
All Shia and Sunni agree that this verse was revealed about the companion named Walid bin Uqba. Please check the proof from this link.
All Shia and Sunni agree that Walid is the same person who was the governor of third caliph Othman. He came in the mosque as drunk and led the Morning Prayer. He recited 4 raka’at instead of two. The third caliph Uthman, announced punishment for him 40 lashes (Bukhari). This is a blind faith about the companions, twisting the meanings of verses of Quran and making such theories that all companions were righteous.
Now we want to give our interpretation of the verse (49:7).
The verse talks about the natural guidance provided by Allah(swt). We will explain furthermore about it, there is a famous hadith in Sahih Muslim (Sunni book of Hadith) that all babies born on the nature of Islam, it’s their parents who make them in to different religions.
It means that human being is compatible with the ideology of Islam. That’s why we call Islam, the religion of human nature. It is in human nature that a person wants to worship his true God. Those people who get attached with the divine guidance, their hearts get pleased with it and grow up spiritually very fast.
Sometimes there are things in nature but get changed due to environmental factors. For example telling lies, human being naturally dislike it. People of all nations hate lies. But sometimes due to the environmental factor example people who grown up in those environments, they got the habbit of telling lies. They even get proud of telling lies.
Now we come to the conclusion of verse 49:7. It says Allah(swt) made an arrangement of guidance for you that he sent his Prophet among you, Allah(swt) made your hearts compatible for the guidance which become pleased with the guidance and hateful for evil things, (that human nature is compatible with the message of Islam and hates bad things) Those people attached with divine guidance, having such abilities are the righty-guided people.
There is also one good interpretation that when human hearts get true divine guidance by Prophethood, they get pleased with it and naturally avoid sins and bad things.
These are all blessings of Allah(swt) that human nature is compatible with the message of Islam. The hearts get delighted with true faith and hate wrong doing.
Please read the narartion about the Companions of The Holy Prophet from Bukhari and also from Sahih Muslim to get answer of above question of this question with the different angle.
Question 5: Quran 2:13
“And when it is said to them, "Believe as the people have believed," they say, "Should we believe as the foolish have believed?" Unquestionably, it is they who are the foolish, but they know [it] not.”
In the above verse Allah(swt) is giving example to hypocrites to accept Islam like people (companions) who accepted Islam but Shias have different point of view about companions.
Answer: these verses of Surah Baqarah are talking about different types of Hypocrites. They are being asked to enter in Islam as other people entered in Islam but the hypocrites had different stories
If we will take the general meanings that hypocrites should enter in Islam as generally other people accepted Islam. We have already proved that generally those people accepted Islam; we can easily divide them in to different categories according to the verses of holy Quran.
If we will take the meaning that hypocrites are being asked in this verse that they should accept Islam like faithful and righteous companions. Shias do not deny that there were some very faithful companions. They are the best example for other followers of Islam.
The debate starts between Shia and Sunni on the issues of companions when our Sunni fellows claim that all companions are righteous. Shia point of view claims that there were very righteous companions but not all.
Please read our article Shia point of view about Sahaba (the companions). We mentioned there the verses of holy Quran about different categories of companions to prove that not all of the companions were righteous and guiding stars.
We tried to make commentaries in this article about the famous verses which our Sunni fellows mention about the companions. There is not a single verse in Quran which proves that all companions are righteous.
In next article, part-2 , we will answer some more question on Shia point of view regarding the companions of the holy Prophet.
May Allah (swt) guide those who seek for truth and send blessings to Prophet Mohammad(pbuh) and his Ahlalbait