The State of the Companions

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The following is extracted from “The Purification of the Soul”, compiled from the works of Imam Zayn ad-Din Abu al-Faraj ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Ahmad ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (r.a.), Imam Shams ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (r.a.), and Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali (r.a.). 

If we consider the state of the companions of the Prophet (s.a.w.), and the righteous men of this ummah who succeeded them, we find that they were fully involved in doing the best of deeds while, at the same time, they were full of awe of Allah (s.w.t.).  We, on the other hand, all do things which fall far short of this example, and yet feel quite secure. 

Sayyidina Abu Bakr ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utsman asw-Swiddiq (r.a.) said, “I wish I were no more than a hair on the side of a believing servant.”  Whenever he got up to do the prayer, he would be trembling like a leaf out of awe of Allah (s.w.t.). 

Sayyidina Abu Hafsw ‘Umar ibn al-Khaththab al-Faruq (r.a.) was once reading Surah ath-Thur, and when he came to this ayah: 

سُوۡرَةُ الطُّور

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ لَوَٲقِعٌ۬ (٧) 

Verily, the Doom of your Lord will indeed come to pass ― (Surah ath-Thur:7) 

He wept so intensely that he fell ill, so that people came to see how he was.  When he was on his death bed, he told his son, "Put my cheek next to the earth so that Allah (s.w.t.) may Forgive me.  I am doomed if He does not Forgive me.” He repeated the same words three times and then he died.  When he used to recite the Qur’an at night, and read an ayah that filled him with awe, he would stay indoors for days on end so that people would come to visit him, thinking that he was ill.  His frequent weeping etched two dark lines on his face. 

Sayyidina ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (r.a.) once told him, “Allah (s.w.t.) has brought many countries into the Muslim ummah through you, and through you many a victory has been won.” 

Sayyidina ‘Umar (r.a.) replied, “All I hope for is to be Saved.  I desire neither Reward nor Punishment.” 

Sayyidina Abu ‘Amr ‘Utsman ibn ‘Affan (r.a.) used to cry until his beard was soaked each time that he stood at a grave.  He used to say, “If I were standing between the Garden and the Fire, not knowing in which one of the two I would end up, I would rather be turned into ashes before I learned of my fate.” 

Sayyidina Abu Darda’ Uwaymir ibn Zayd (r.a.) used to say, “If you knew what you will encounter after your death, you would never eat with any appetite, nor drink thirstily, nor enter houses to shelter, but you would go out into open spaces and beat your breast and weep at your lot.  I wish I were a tree to be cut up and destroyed.” 

Sayyidina ibn ‘Abbas (r.a.) had skin under his eyes which looked like worn out sandal leather, due to his frequent weeping. 

Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib (k.w.) was once overwhelmed with sadness after completing the dawn prayer; he said, “Never before did I see anything like the companions of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.).  Their hair was dishevelled, their faces were pale, they were covered in dust, and the space between their eyes looked like the knees of goats.  They had spent the night in prayer and recitation of the Qur’an, either on their feet or in prostration.  When the dawn came, they would spend it in remembrance of Allah (s.w.t.), swaying like trees on a stormy day, with tears streaming from their eyes until their clothes were soaked.  By Allah, it seems to me that the people who are around me now have passed the night fast asleep.”  Then he got up and was never seen laughing again, until he was stabbed to death by ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muljam al-Muradiyy.