Doubting The Character And Sincerity of The Sahaaba
Why wouldn’t you doubt the sayings, character and sincerity of the Sahaabah? And if you doubt them, what’s the reason for doubt?
Then how could you (as a Muslim) trust the soundness of the Hadiths that explains the virtues of the Sahaabah – while there are thousands of similar reports?
What’s the reason you trust them when a Sahaabi narrates his virtues? What if the person is telling a lie?
That said if there is no proof that will guide your belief, that Sahaabah are of good character and do not tell lies. There will be much negativity doubt the way you will accept the verification of Hadiths.
You may also think the hadith that one Sahaabi narrates about the virtues of others, could come under trying to flatter the other, or fear of authority, or seeking wealth and power especially when the narration is about one of the caliphs.
In the same vein, you may raise concern that the Quranic verses that speak of the character and sincerity of the Sahaabah could all be lies, all because they have conspired and agreed to fabricate and insert the verses to prove the virtue of their generation.
“Praise and Glory be to Allah who sent the prophet Muhammad SAW and assign the pins Sahaaba to his regime to spread and reinforce the teaching of one god to worship except Allah, and may He guide our mind and whole body to His right part”
My dear brother/sister, Islam is based upon total belief in Allah and His Prophet, and you have to protect yourself (mind and body) from the distraction that Shaytaan has been pushing you.
How to Stop Doubting The Character And Sincerity of The Sahaabah
That said, to train your mind to fight you have to know how to stop doubting the sincerity of Sahaabah so that you don’t miss the part which the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) have lied down.
Praise be to Allah.
The Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them all) are people whom Allah chose especially to be the companions of His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
Their virtues that are present in the Qur’an and Sunnah, history testifies and those who loved them and those who opposed them also testified.
It’s too many to count.
According to the questions above, which outlined that everything that is trusted and definitive may be subjected to baseless doubts and illusions and that no man with sound reasoning could accept.
Keep in mind, that if you develop doubts about the sound character of the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) you will also develop doubts about the religion of Allah, the Holy Book of Allah, the laws of Allah, and about the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
Some questions on why believing the sincerity of Sahaabah
- Who taught people the Qur’an? And who taught them their religious obligations, their duties according to shari’ah? Who doesn’t care dying for the rulings of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger to remain on the land?
- Just who are those people? Are they not the Sahaabah?
- How did you learn how to pray, fast and perform the rituals of Hajj? How did you learn the rulings on business interactions, marriage, divorce and how to judge between themselves and others?
- Where did you learn the description of Paradise and its bliss, and the description of Hell and its punishment?
- Yes, the prophet Muhammad SAW taught all those, but who did the prophet teach – the direct students of the prophet Muhammad SAW?
- Is it not the Sahaabah?
- Who was it that taught people about the Oneness of Allah, and taught them sound belief?
- How did people learn about the names and attributes of Allah? And follow the right path concerning these matters – unlike the followers of innovation?
- Similarly, Who is it that taught people good manners and virtuous deeds?
- Do you ever think Allah, (may He be exalted) could choose for the leader of Muslims, who are liars? Who will fabricate lies against Allah and His Messenger?
- If they could fabricate verses of the Qur’an and fabricate hadiths that speak of their virtues, then how could we trust anything that they narrated about the religion of Allah?
- Could people with such characteristics be entrusted with the laws of Allah? And the rulings of Islam and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)?
If that’s the case there would be no Islam, no faith and no ihsaan; there would be nothing but lies, fabrication and selfishness.
“Glory be to You (O Allah) this is a great lie” [An-Noor 24:16]
Proof That Support The Sincerity of The Sahaaba
Imam Ahmad (3589) narrated with a jayyid isnaad from ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood that he said: Verily Allah looked at people’s hearts, and He found that the heart of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the best of all people’s hearts, so He chose him for Himself and sent him with His message. Then he looked at the hearts of people after the heart of Muhammad, and He found that the hearts of his companions were the best of people’s hearts, so he made them the helpers of His Prophet, who fought alongside him to support his religion.
Al-Maymooni said:
Ahmad ibn Hanbal said to me: O Abu’l-Hasan, if you see a man speaking ill of any of the Sahaabah, then have doubts about his Islam. – from al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah (8/148)
Abu Zar‘ah az-Raazi said:
If you see a man criticising any of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then know that he is a heretic, because the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), in our view, is true and the Qur’an is true. The only ones who conveyed this Qur’an, and the Sunnah, to us, are the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). All they [i.e., those who cast aspersions upon the Sahaabah] are trying to do is undermine our witnesses [i.e., the Sahaabah], to invalidate the Qur’an and Sunnah. Those people are more deserving of having their character doubted, and they are heretics. – from al-Kifaayah fi ‘Ilm ar-Riwaayah by al-Khateeb al-Baghdadi (p. 49)
In summary, as a Muslim who is to meet Allah with a clear mind, you should not doubt the character and sincerity of the Sahaabah for they are chosen by Allah SWT to serve and protect Islam.
Only Allah knows best and may He guide our soul to the right part.