Further Clarifying Hadith Of; O My Lord They Are My Companions.

[MuhammedAli]

Introduction:

Earlier a explanation of the phrase; “O My Lord They Are My Companions.” was given in order to refute the Rawafiz. It was alleged this phrase indicates; companions of Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) will be prevented from meeting Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) by the angels and when Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) learns the apostasy of his companions he will disown them. In response it was argued and established with evidence the word ‘companions’ was used in linguistic meaning and not in technical meaning. Implication of which is; those who are being referred as companions are just associates without bond of friendship and Eman. Therefore, those who will be prevented from meeting Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) will not be companions in technical sense but people who did not believe in Islam as they should have and after the death of Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) apostacised or became heretics. With the background mentioned, now the purpose of this article. Objective is to explain; heretics and apostates of entire Ummah will attend Hawd Al Kawthar as a Ummah. Then Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) will remonstrate with Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) on behalf of those who were his associates in his life time and those who will be born after him. Saying; “O my Lord they are my companions!” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H480] “My Lord, they are my followers and people of my Ummah.” [Ref: Muslim, B30, H5685] and in reality they will be apostates and heretics.[1]

Heretics And Apostates Collectively Will Be Referred As Companions:

Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) visited grave yard with companions and he offered salutation to the deceased. Then said: “If God so wills we are about to join you. I love to see my brothers.” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H482] The companions said: “Aren't we your brothers Messenger of Allah?” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H482] Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) replied: “You are my companions and our brothers are those who have so far not come into the world.” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H482] Then the companions enquired how Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) will recognize those who will be born after him: “Messenger of Allah, how would you recognise those persons of your Ummah who have not yet been born?” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H482] Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) explained he will recognize the Muslim Ummah due to signs of Noor emitting from faces, arms and legs: “You would come to me with a white blaze on your foreheads and white marks on your feet because of the traces of ablution.” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H480] And in the context of the hadith Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) said about those brothers who are not born yet: “They would come with white faces and arms and legs owing to ablution, and I would arrive at the Cistern before them.” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H482] When he will see these Muslim brothers coming from distance Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) will call them out: “I would call out. Come! Come!” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H482] Then goes on to say: “A group among you would be prevented from coming to me, and they would not meet me.” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H480] Some from the Muslim Ummah will be driven away: “Some people would be driven away from my Cistern as the stray camel is driven away.” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H482] Then Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) will remonstrate with Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) on behalf of heretics and apostates of his Ummah: “My Lord, they from me and my Ummah. And He would say: …” [Ref: Muslim, B30, H5685] “O my Lord, they are my companions. Upon this an angel would reply to me saying: Do you know what these people did after you!” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H480] Then Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) will say: “These people changed themselves after you and I would say: Be off! Be off!” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H482]

All Apostates & Heretics Will Go To Lake Al-Kawthar At Once:

Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) stated:“Some people would be driven away from my Cistern as the stray camel is driven away.” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H482] This will be the same group which will be prevented from meeting Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam): “A group among you would be prevented from coming to me and they would not meet me.” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H480] This entire group will consist of heretics and apostates. There will be those whom Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) will recognize from the Noor being emitted by their limbs: “They would come with white faces and arms and legs owing to ablution, and I would arrive at the Cistern before them.” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H482] Amongst these people there will be some whom Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) will recognize by their faces and they will recognize him by his face: "There will come to me some people whom I will recognize,and they will recognize me,…” Between these apostates/heretics and Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) a barrier will be placed: “… but a barrier will be placed between me and them." [Ref: Bukhari, B76, H585] The apostates and the heretics will be driven toward toward the left:“Some people would be driven away from my Cistern as the stray camel is driven away.” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H482] “… and  some of my companions will be taken towards the left side…” When this happens Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) will say regarding the ones whom he recognized: “… and I will say: 'My companions!’ ‘My companions!'” [Ref: Bukhari, B55, H568] Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) will reply: “Then it will be said that those people (relegated from Islam, that is) kept on turning on their heels (deserted Islam).” [Ref: Bukhari, B76, H533] “They renegade from Islam after you left them.” [Ref: Bukhari, B55, H568] Regarding the innovations of heretics it will be said: “You do not know what they did after you left, they introduced new things into the religion after you.”  [Ref: Bukhari, B88, H173] Then Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) disown these heretics and apostates:“These people changed themselves after you and I would say: Be off! Be off!” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H482]

Harmonization Contradicts Explicit Text Of Hadith:

A logical objection would be; Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) said those born after him are brothers and those who are with him are companions. Yet in the explanation, those whom Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) termed as brothers have been mentioned as ‘companions’. It is worth pointing out that nothing was inferred from the text of Hadith which it did not indicate or allowed interpretation of.

Hadith On Which The Position Based On:

The Hadith begins with Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) saying that his Ummah will come to him and the heretical eliments from Ummah will be driven away: “My Ummah would come to me on the Cistern and I would drive away persons (from it) just as a person drives away other people's camels from his camels.” The companions enquired: “Apostle of Allah, would you recognize us?” Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) explained: “Yea, you would have a mark which other people will not have. You would come to me with a white blaze on your foreheads and white marks on your feet because of the traces of ablution.” Then Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) goes on to state: “A group among you would be prevented from coming to me, and they would not meet me, and I would say: “O my Lord, they are my companions.” Allah (subhanhu wa ta’ala) will reply via angel: “Upon this an angel would reply to me saying: Do you know what these people did after you!”[2] [Ref: Muslim, B2, H480]

Prophet Said My Ummah & My Companions:

In the Hadith Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) talked about the entire Ummah [Companions, Awliyah, Muslims]. Also states that heretical elements from the Ummah will be driven away toward the left. Those Muslims who were born after him are part of his Ummah therefore the latter-day heretical and apostate elements of the Ummah will be with the early elements. The early elements will be ones whom Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) will recognize by the face and they will recognize him by his face: "There will come to me some people whom I will recognize,and they will recognize me,…” [Ref: Bukhari, B76, H585] Seeing the ones whom Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) recognizes being driven away [along those who were not born yet] Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) would say: “O my Lord, they are my companions. Upon this an angel would reply to me saying: Do you know what these people did after you!” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H480] “My Lord, they are from me and my Ummah.” [Ref: Muslim, B30, H5685]

Iblees Counted Amongst The Angels:

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) instructed the angels to prostrate to Prophet Adam (alayhis salam): “And (remember) when We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourselves before Adam.” Iblees was present in the gathering of angels he did not prostrate to Prophet Adam (alayhis salam):   And they prostrated except Iblis (Satan), he refused and was proud and was one of the disbelievers.” [Ref: 2:34] Even though he was not a angel he the instruction to prostrate to Adam (alayhis salam) was for him because he was counted amongst the angels. In reality he was a Jinn which the following verse establishes: “Behold! We said to the angels, "Bow down to Adam." They bowed down except Iblis. He was one of the Jinns and he broke the Command of his Lord. Will ye then take him and his progeny …” [Ref: 18:50]

How ‘Brothers’ Were Counted Amongst ‘Companions’:

The differing narrations refer to one event that will take place on the day of Judgment. Those heretics/apostates  born afterProphet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) will be amongst those heretics/apostates whom Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) knew in his life time as Muslims. Seeing all these heretics/apostates being taken toward the left side (i.e. hellfire) Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) will remonstrate with Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala). He will say, referring to those heretics/apostates whom he knew were Muslims when he was alive: “O my Lord, they are my companions.” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H480] “My Lord, they are from me and my Ummah.” [Ref: Muslim, B30, H5685] Just as Iblees was counted amongst the angels by Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) that is why no separate command was given to him to prostrate to Prophet Adam (alayhis salam). The command to prostrate to Prophet Adam (alayhis salam) was explicitly given to angels but due to his presence amongst angels he was counted as being one of them. Similarly, those heretics, apostates who were born after the death of Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam), are being counted amongst the ‘my ashabi’ and ‘my Ummati’ by virtue of their presence amongst those heretics/apostates whom Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) knew as Muslims.

Conclusion:

It is evident from this explanation that actual companions of Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) are not intended by these Ahadith. In fact those people whom Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) never met in his life time will be counted amongst his companions due to their presence amongst those whom Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) knew in his own life time as Muslims. But they became apostates and heretics after the death of Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam). It has been clearly documented in Ahadith who deviated from deen of Islam and who fought to establish the deen of Islam after the death of Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam). Those who fought for the deen with Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) and spent their wealth in the way of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) continued to fight against the enemies of deen after the death of Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam). The first and the foremost was Hadhrat Abu Bakr as-Sadeeq (radiallah ta’ala anhu). As a Khalif of Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) he mobilized the army against the apostates and launched wars in defence of Islam. The companions of Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) responded to the call of Jihad and gave their lives for cause of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) in their thousands. Considering all this information to argue that, real companions of Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) deviated on basis of a Hadith which has been isolated from his generic context is foolishness. Only a jahil mutlaq with blackened and dead heart will entertain such ill notions against companions of Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam).

Wama Alayna ilal balaghul mubeen.
Muhammed Ali Razavi.

Footnote:

- [1] Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) states: “And if you ask them, they will surely say, "We were only conversing and playing." Say, "Is it Allah and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking?" [Ref: 9:65] The next verse of the Quran states: “Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after your belief. If We pardon one faction of you - We will punish another faction because they were criminals.” [Ref: 9:66] This indicates that there were people in the life time of Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) who had become disbelievers for mocking verses of Quran. After the death of Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) whole tribes openly disbelieved in Islam.

- [2] Holistic understanding of the Hadith in discussion derived from all the available Ahadith on this topic is; the heretical elements from Ummah will be prevented from meeting Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) while the Saliheen will be allowed to meet Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam). If the Hadith is understood in isolation then the Ummah being discussed in the Hadith is heretical Ummah: “My Ummah would come to me on the Cistern and I would drive away persons (from it) just as a person drives away other people's camels from his camels.” [Ref: Muslim, B2, H480] Both these understandings are valid because holistic understanding establishes; the entire Muslim Ummah will approach Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) at al-Kawthar and a Ummah from amongst them will be prevented from meeting Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam). The isolationist interpretation establishes that all the heretical and apostate elements will approach Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam) at once as a separate Ummah. These heretical and apostate elements Ummah will be prevented from meeting Prophet (sallallahu alayhi was’sallam). [Note: Part of this footnote supports position of; ‘All Apostates & Heretics Will Go To Lake Al-Kawthar At Once.’]