Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,

The Companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (the Sahabah) are the best generation of this Ummah. Allah praised them in the Qur’an, and the Prophet ﷺ affirmed their excellence in many authentic hadith. Love for them is part of faith, while hatred towards them is hypocrisy. In this post, we will explore Quranic verses and authentic narrations highlighting their rank and why they remain role models for all Muslims.

Allah the Most High declared His pleasure with the earliest Muslims who sacrificed everything for His cause:

“And the first forerunners among the Muhajirun and the Ansar and those who followed them with good conduct – Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him.” (Qur’an 9:100, Quran.com)

This verse establishes their lofty status and guarantees Allah’s pleasure for the sincere followers of their path.

Similarly, Allah commands the later generations of believers:
“And those who came after them say: Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and put not in our hearts any resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful.” (Qur’an 59:10, Quran.com)

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ explicitly confirmed the superiority of his Companions:

“The best of my nation is my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 3650, Sahih Muslim 2533, Sunnah.com)

This hadith establishes that the Sahabah are the best of people after the Prophets. Following their way is guidance, while opposing them is misguidance.

It was reported that Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked: “Who are the best people after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?” He replied: “Abu Bakr.” They asked: “Then who?” He said: “Umar.” They asked: “Then who?” He said: “Uthman.” When asked about himself, he said: “I am only a man among the Muslims.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 3671, Sunnah.com)

Furthermore, Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) said: “During the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, we used to consider the best of people to be Abu Bakr, then Umar, then Uthman.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 3697, Sunnah.com)

The Prophet ﷺ gave glad tidings of Jannah to ten companions by name:

“Abu Bakr is in Paradise, Umar is in Paradise, Uthman is in Paradise, Ali is in Paradise, Talhah is in Paradise, al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwam is in Paradise, Abdur Rahman ibn Awf is in Paradise, Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas is in Paradise, Sa’id ibn Zayd is in Paradise, and Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah is in Paradise.” (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 3747, Sunnah.com)

This authentic narration highlights their guaranteed success with Allah’s mercy.

The Prophet ﷺ warned against belittling or insulting the Sahabah:

“Do not revile my Companions, for if one of you were to spend gold equal to Mount Uhud, it would not equal a handful of what they spent, nor even half of it.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 3673, Sahih Muslim 2540, Sunnah.com)

This hadith affirms their incomparable rank.

The Prophet ﷺ advised the Ummah to stick to the guidance of the rightly guided Caliphs:

Narrated Al-'Irbad bin Sariyah: "One day after the morning Salat, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) exhorted us to the extent that the eyes wept and the hearts shuddered with fear. A man said: 'Indeed this is a farewell exhortation. [So what] do you order us O Messenger of Allah?' He said: 'I order you to have Taqwa of Allah, and to listen and obey, even in the case of an Ethiopian slave. Indeed, whomever among you lives, he will see much difference. Beware of the newly invented matters, for indeed they are astray. Whoever among you sees that, then he must stick to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafa', cling to it with the molars.'"

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2676

https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:2676

The Sahabah were the best of this Ummah, chosen by Allah to support His Messenger ﷺ.

As seekers of knowledge, we must honor their legacy, study their lives, and follow their path sincerely, as Allah and His Messenger have commanded.