Excrepted from the book: The Messenger of God: Muhammad by Fethullah Gulen

1. The Companions and The Tabi’un Excrepted from the book: The Messenger of God: Muhammad by Fethullah Gulen

2. The Companions • The first pure and blessed channel through which the Qur'an and the Sunna were transmitted Who is Companion – Sahaba: • "a believer who saw and heard the Messenger at least once and died as a believer." [1] • the Companions are not equal to each other in rank or greatness

3. Ranks of Companions: • The four Rightly Guided Caliphs • Those who believed prior to 'Umar's conversion • Those who migrated to Abyssinia • The Helpers (Ansar) who swore at al-'Aqaba. • The Helpers who swore at al-'Aqaba the following year. • The Emigrants who joined the Messenger during the hijra before his arrival in Madina

4. Ranks of Companions(Cont.) • The Companions who fought at Badr • Those who emigrated to Madina between the Battle of Badr and the Treaty of Hudaybiya • Those who swore allegiance under a tree during the expedition of Hudaybiya • Those who converted and emigrated to Madina after the Treaty of Hudaybiya • Those who became Muslims after the conquest of Makka. • Children who saw the Messenger after the conquest of Makka

5. Factors in Their Greatness • Relation to Messengership • The benefits of company • Truthfulness • The atmosphere created by Revelation • The difficulty of the circumstances.

6. The Companions in the Qur'an: • Muhammad is the Messenger of God. Those who are with him are • hard toward the unbelievers, • merciful one to another. [They kept so long vigils that] • you see them bowing, prostrating, seeking blessing, bounty (of forgiveness and Paradise) and good pleasure (of God). • Their mark is on their faces, the trace of prostration. This is their likeness in the Torah and

7. Continue… • in the Gospel: as a seed that puts forth its shoot, and strengthens it, and it grows strong and rises straight upon its stalk, pleasing the sowers, that through them it may enrage the unbelievers. • (Conclusion of the Verse) God has promised those of them who believe and do deeds of righteousness forgiveness and a mighty wage [He will reward them in Paradise with the things that neither eyes will ever have seen nor ears heard]. (48:29)

8. The Companions in Hadith • The Prophet praised his Companions and warned Muslims not to attack or insult them • The Companions have such a high value because they accepted, preached, and protected Islam in the severest circumstances Prayer of Prophet Muhammed • “Oh God, Oh God! Refrain from using bad language about my Companions!... Don't make them the target of your attacks after me! Whoever loves them loves them on account of his love of me; whoever hates them hates them on account of his hatred of me. Whoever hurts them hurts me; whoever hurts me "hurts" God.“ Tirmidhi and Ibni Hibban

9. The companions who excelled narrating Traditions • Ebu Hurayra "While my Emigrant brothers were busy in the bazaar and my Helper brothers with farming, I tried to keep my soul and body together to keep company with the Messenger." • 800 people who received Traditions from him • 'Abd Allah Ibn 'Abbas • 'Abd Allah Ibn 'Umar • 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud • A’isha (Wife of The Prophet)

10. The Tabi'un • Definition: Muslim generation came after Sahaba and saw them. • followed in the Companions' footsteps and showed them due respect. • This generation came at a time when conspiracies and hypocrisy caused great internal dissension. At this critical juncture, they protected, defended, and practiced Islam in deep consciousness and devotion

11. Some Tabi’un • Uways al-Qarani, • Masruq ibn al-Ajda', • Ata' ibn Abi Rabah, • Hasan al-Basri, • Muhammad ibn Sirin, • 'Ali Zayn al-'Abidin, • Qasim ibn Muhammad, and • Muhammad ibn Munkadir