The Book Pertaining to the Merits of the Companions (Allah Be Pleased With Them) of the Holy Prophet

Anas b. Malik said: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) passed (by our house) that my mother Umm Sulaim listened to his voice and said: Allah's Messenger, let my father and mother be sacrificed for thee, here is Unais (and requested him to invoke blessings upon me). So Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) invoked three blessings upon me. I have seen (the results) of the two in this very world (in regard to wealth and progeny) and I hope to see (the result) of the third one in the Hereafter.

Anas reported: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came to me as I was playing with playmates. He greeted and sent me on an errand and I made delay in going to my mother. When I came to her she said: What detained you? I said: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) sent me on an errand. She said: What was the purpose? I said: It is something secret. Therupon she said: Do not then divulge the secret of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) to anyone. Anas said: By Allah, if I were to divulge it to anyone, then, O Thabit, I would have divulged it to you.

Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) told me something secretly. I informed none about that and Umm Sulaim asked me about it, but I did not tell her even.

'Amir b. Sa'd reported that he heard his father (Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas) say: never heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) say unto one living and moving about that he was in Paradise except to 'Abdullah b. Salim.

Qais b. 'Ubada reported: I was in the company of some persons, amongst whom some were the Companions of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) in Medina, that there came a person whose face depicted the fear (of Allah). Some people said: He is a person from amongst the people of Paradise; he is a person from amongst the people of Paradise. He observed two short rak'ahs of prayer and then went out. I followed him and he got into his house and I also got in and we began to converse with each other. And when he became familiar (with me) I said to Him: When you entered (the mosque) before (your entrance in the house) a person said so and so (that you are amongst the people of Paradise), whereupon he said: It is not meet for anyone to say anything which he does not know. I shall (now) tell you why they (say) this. I saw a dream during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and narrated it to him. I seemed to be in a garden [he described its vastness, its rich fructification and its verdure]; in the midst of it, there stood an iron pillar, with its base in the earth and its summit in the sky: and upon its summit there was a handhold. It was said to me: Climb up this (pillar). I said to him (visitant in the dream): I am unable to do it. Thereupon a helper came to me, and he (supported) me (by catching hold of my) garment from behind and thus helped me with his hand and so I climbed up till I was at the summit of the pillar, and grasped the handhold. It was said to me: Ho d it tightly. It was at this that I woke up when (the handhold) was in fthe grip) of my hand. I narrated it (the dream) to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him), whereupon he said: That garden implies al-Islam and that pillar implies the pillar of Islam. And that handhold is the firmest faith (as refered to in the Qur'an). And you will remain attached to Islam until you shall die. And that man was 'Abdullah b. Salim.

Qais b. 'Ubaida reported: I was (sitting) in a company in which there were (besides others) Sa'd b. Malik and Ibn 'Umar that 'Abdullah b. Saliim happened to pass (by that side). They (the people sitting in that company) said: He is a person from amongst the dwellers of Paradise. I stood up and said to him: They say such and such (thing about you), whereupon he said: Hallowed be Allah, it is not meet for them to say (anything) of which They have no knowledge. Verily I saw as if a pillar had been raised in a green garden and there had been fixed at its (upper) end a handhold and there was a helper at its base. It was said to me: Climb up. So I climbed up and caught hold of the haildhold. I narrated (the contents of this dream) to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), whereupon he said: 'Abdullah would die in a state that he would be catching hold of the firmest handhold (he would die holding fast to the faith).

Kharasha b. Hurr reported: I was sitting in a circle in the mosque of Medina and there was an old man, quite handsome. He was 'Abdullah b. Salim. He was telling good things to them (to the people sitting in that company). As he stood up (to depart) the people said: He who is desirous of looking at a person from amongst the people of Paradise should see him. I said: By Allah, I will follow him, and would try to know his residence. So I followed him and he walked on until he reached the outskirts of Medina. He then entered his house. I sought permission from him to get in, and he granted me the permission, saying: My nephew, what is the need (that has brought you here)? I said to him: As you stood up, I heard people say about you: He who is desirous of seeing a person from among the people of Paradise should look at him. So I became desirous of accompanying you. He ('Abdullah b. Salim) said: It is Allah Who knows best about the people of Paradise. I would, however, narrate to you as to why they said like it. (The story is) that while I was asleep (one night) there came to me a person (in the dream) who asked me to stand up. (So I stood up) and he caught hold of my hand and I walked along with him, and, lo, I found some paths on my left and I was about to set out upon them. Thereupon he said to me Do not set yourself on (them) for these are the paths of the leftists (denizens of Hell-fire). Then there were paths leading to the right side, whereupon he said: Set yourself on these paths. We came across a hill and he said to me: Climb up, and I attempted to climb up that I fell upon my buttocks. I made several attempts (but failed to succeed). He led until he came to a pillar (so high) that its upper end touched the sky and its base was in the earth. And there was a handhold at its upper end. He said to me Climb over it. I said: How can I climb upon it, as its upper end touches the sky? He cought hold of my hand and pushed me up and I found myself suspended with the handhold. He then struck the pillar and it fell down, but I remained attached to that handhold until it was morning (and the dream was thus over). I came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) and narrated it to him. He said: So far as the paths which you saw on your left are concerned, these are paths of the leftists (denizens of Hell) and the paths which you saw on your right, these are the paths of the rightists (the dwellers of Paradise) and the mountain represents the destination of the martyrs which you would not be able to attain. The pillar implies the pillar of Islam. and so far as the handhold is concerned, it implies the handhold of Islam, and you would hold to it fastly until you would meet death.

Abu Huraira reported that 'Umar happened to pass by Hassan as he was reciting verses in the mosque. He (Hadrat 'Umar) looked towards him (meaningfully), whereupon he (gassin) said: I used to recite (verses) when one better than you (the Holy Prophet) had been present (here). He then looked towards Abu Huraira and said to him: I adjure you by Allah (to tell) if you had not heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: (Hassan), give a reply on my behalf; Allah I help him with Ruh-ul-Qudus. He (Abu Huraira) said: By Allah, it is so (i. e. the Holy Prophet actually said these words).

Ibn Musayyib reported that Hassan said to a circle in which there was also Abu Huraira: Abu Huraira, I adjure you by Allah (to tell) whether you-had not heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) saying like this.

'Abd al-Rahman reported that he heard Hassin b. Thabit al-Ansari call Abu Huraira to bear witness by saying: I adjure you by Allah if you had not heard Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) saying: Hassin, give a reply on behalf of the Messenger of Allah. O Allah, help him with Ruh-ul-Qudus. Abu Huraira said: Yes, it is so.

Al-Bari' b. 'Azib reported: I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Hassan b. Thibit, write satire (against the non-believers) ; Gabriel is with you. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters.

Hisham reported on the authority of his father that Hassan b. Thabit talked much about 'A'isha. I scolded him, whereupon she said: My nephew, leave him for he defended Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him).

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Hishim with the same chain of transmitters.

Masruq reported: I visited 'A'isha when Hassin was sitting there and reciting verses from his compilation: She is chaste and prudent. There is no calumny against her and she rises up early in the morning without eating the meat of the un- mindful. 'A'isha said: But you are not so. Masruq said: I said to her: Why do you permit him to visit you, whereas Allah has said:" And as for him among them who took upon himself the main part thereof, he shall have a grievous punishment" (XXIV. ll)? Thereupon she said: What tornient can be more severe than this that he has become blind? He used to write satire as a rebuttal on behalf of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him).

This hadith has been reported on the authority of Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording.

'A'isha reported that Hassin said: Allah's Messenger, permit me to write satire against Abu Sufyan, whereupon he said: How can it be because I am also related to him? Thereupon he (Hassan) said: By Him Who has honoured you. I shall draw you out from them (their family) just as hair is drawn out from the fermented (flour). Thereupon Hassan said: The dignity and greatness belongs to the tribe of Bint Makhzum from amongst the tribe of Hisham, whereas your father was a slave.

'Urwa reported on the same chain of transmitters that Hassan b. Thabit sought permission from Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) to satirise against the polytheists, but he did not mention Abu Sufyan. And instead of the word al- Khamir, the word al-'Ajin was used.

'A'isha reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be uport him) said. Satirise against the (non-believing amongst the) Quraish, for (the satire) is more grievous to them than the hurt of an arrow. So he (the Holy Prophet) sent (someone) to Ibn Rawiha and asked him to satirise against them, and he composed a satire, but it did not appeal to him (to the Holy Prophet). He then sent (someone) to Ka'b b. Malik (to do the same, but what he composed did not appeal to the Holy Prophet). He then sent one to Hassan b. Thabit. As he got into his presence, Hassan said: Now you have called for this lion who strikes (the enemies) with his tail. He then brought out his tongue and began to move it and said: By Him Who has sent you with Truth, I shall tear them with my tongue as the leather is torn. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Don't be hasty; (let) Abu Bakr who has the best know- ledge of the lineage of the Quraish draw a distinction for you in regard to my lineage, as my lineage is thesame as theirs. Hassan then came to him (Abu Bakr) and after making inquiry (in regard to the lineage of the Holy Prophet) came back to him (the holy Prophet) and said: Allah's Messenger, he (Abu Bakr) has drawn a distinction in vour lineage (and that of the Quraish) By Him Who has sent you with Truth, I shall draw out from them (your name) as hair is drawn out from the flour. 'A'isha said: I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying to Hassin: Verily Ruh-ul- Qudus would continue to help you so long as you put up a defence on behalf of Allah and His Messenger. And she said: I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) saying: Hassan satirised against them and gave satisfaction to the (Muslims) and disquieted (the non-Muslims). You satirised Muhammad, but I replied on his behalf, And there is reward with Allah for this. You satirised Muhammad. virtuous, righteous, The Apostle of Allah, whose nature is truthfulness. So verily my father and his father and my honour Are a protection to the honour of Muhammad; May I lose my dear daughter, if you don't see her, Wiping away the dust from the two sides of Kada', They pull at the rein, going upward; On their shoulders are spears thirsting (for the blood of the enemy) ; our steeds are sweating-our women wipe them with their mantles. If you had not interfered with us, we would have performed the 'Umra, And (then) there was the Victory, and the darkness cleared away. Otherwise wait for the fighting on the day in which Allah will honour whom He pleases. And Allah said: I have sent a servant who says the Truth in which there is no ambiguity; And Allah said: I have prepared an army-they are the Ansar whose object is fighting (the enemy), There reaches every day from Ma'add abuse, or fighting or satire; Whoever satirises the Apostle from amongst you, or praises him and helps it is all the same, And Gabriel, the Apostle of Allah is among us, and the Holy Spirit who has no match.

Abu Huraira reported: I invited my mother, who was a polytlieist, to Islam. I invited her one day and she said to me something about Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) which I hated. I came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) weeping and said: Allah's Messenger, I invited my mother to Islam but she did not accept (my invitation). I invited her today but she said to me something which I did not like. (Kindly) supplicate Allah that He may set the mother of Abu Huraira right. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: O Allah, set the mother of Abu Huraira on the right path. I came out quite pleased with the supplication of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) and when I came near the door it was closed from within. My mother heard the noise of my footsteps and she said: Abu Huraira, just wait, and I heard the noiee of falling of water. She took a bath and put on the shirt and quickly covered her head with a headdress and opened the door and then said: Abu Huraira, I bear witness to the fact that there is no god but Allah and Mubammad is His bondsman and His Messenger. He (Abu Huraira) said: I went back to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and (this time) I was shedding the tears of joy. I said: Allah's Messenger, be happy, for Allah has responded to your supplication and He has set on the right path the mother of Abu Huraira. He (the Holy Prophet) praised Allah, and extolled Him and uttered good words. I said: Allah's Messenger, supplicate to Allah so that He may instil love of mine and that of my mother too in the believing servants and let our hearts be filled with their love, whereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: O Allah, let there be love of these servants of yours, i. e. Abu Huraira and his mother, in the hearts of the believing servants and let their hearts be filled with the love of the believing servants. (Abu Huraira said: This prayer) was so well granted by Allah that no believer was ever born who heard of me and who saw me but did not love me.

Al-A'raj reported that he heard Abu Huraira as saying: You are under the impression that Abu Huraira transmits so many ahadith from Allah's Messenger (may peace up upon him) ; (bear in mind) Allah is the great Reckoner. I was a poor man and I served Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) being satisfied with bare subsistence, whereas the immigrants remained busy with transactions in the bazar; while the Ansar had been engaged in looking after their properties. (He further reported) that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: He who spreads the cloth would not forget anything that he would hear from me. I spread my cloth until he narrated something. I then pressed it against my (chest), so I never forgot anything that I heard from him.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Abu Huraira but with the variation that the hadith transmitted on the authority of Malik conclude with the words of Abu Huraira and there is no mention of a transmission of these from Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him): " who spreads his cloth," to the end.

'A'isha reported: Don't you feel surprised at Abu Huraira? He came (one day) and sat beside the nook of my apartment and began to narrate (the hadith of Allah's Apostle). I was hearing while I was engaged in extolling Allah (reciting Subhan Allah) constantly. He stood up before I finished my repetition of Subhan Allah. if I were to meet him I would have warned him in stern words that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) did not speak so quickly as you talk. Ibn Shihab transmitted on the authority of Ibn Musayyib that Abu Huraira said: People say that Abu Huraira transmits so many ahadith, whereas Allah is the Reckoner, and they say: How is it with Muhajirs and the Ansar that they do not narrate ahadith like him (like Abu Huraira)? Abu Huraira said: I tell you that my brothers from Ansar remained busy with their lands and my brothers Muhajirs were busy in transactions in the bazars, but I always kept myself attached to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) with bare subsistence. I remained present (in the company of the Holy Prophet), whereas they had been absent. I retained in my mind (what the Holy Prophet said), whereas they forgot it. One day Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: He who amongst you spreads the cloth and listens to my talk and would then press it against his chest would never forget anything heard from me. So I spread my mantle and when he had concluded his talk I then pressed it against my chest and so I never forgot after that day anything that he (the Holy Prophet) said. And if these two verses would not have been revealed in the Book I would have never transmitted anything (to anybody):" Those who conceal the clear evidence and the guidance that We revealed" (ii. 159) tip to the last verse.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Abu Huraira (and the words are): You say that Abu Huraira narrates so many ahadith from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) ; the rest of the hadith is the same.

Ubaidullah b. Rafi', who was the scribe of 'All, reported: I heard 'Ali (Allah be pleased with him) as saying: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) sent me and Zubair and Miqdad saying: Go to the garden of, Khakh [it is a place between Medina and Mecca at a distance of twelve miles from Medina] and there you will find a woman riding a camel. She would be in possession of a letter, which you must get from her. So we rushed on horses and when we met that woman, we asked her to deliver that letter to us. She said: There is no letter with me. We said: Either bring out that letter or we would take off your clothes. She brought out that letter from (the plaited hair of) her head. We delivered that letter to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) in which Hatib b. Abu Balta'a had informed some people amongst the polytheists of Mecca about the affairs of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Hatib, what is this? He said: Allah's messenger, do not be hasty in judging my intention. I was a person attached to the Quraish. Sufyan said: He was their ally but had no relationship with them. (Hatib further said): Those who are with you amongst the emigrants have blood-relationship with them (the Quraish) and thus they would protect their families. I wished that when I had no blood-relationship with them I should find some supporters from (amongst them) who would help my family. I have not done this because of any unbelief or apostasy and I have no liking for the unbelief after I have (accepted) Islam. Thereupon Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: You have told the truth. 'Umar said: Allah's Messenger, permit me to strike the neck of this hypocrite. But he (the Holy Prophet) said: He was a participant in Badr and you little know that Allah revealed about the people of Badr: Do what you like for there is forgiveness for you. And Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said:" O you who believe, do not take My enemy and your enemy for friends" (lx. 1). And there is no mention of this verse in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Abu Bakr and Zubair and Ishaq has in his narration made a mention of the recitation of this verse by Sufyan.

'Ali reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) sent me and Abu Marthad al-Ghitnavi and Zubair b. 'Awwam and we were all riders, and he said: Ride on until you reach the garden of Khakh for there is a woman amongst the polytheists and there is a letter with her sent by Hatib to the polytheists; the rest of the hadith is the same.

Jabir reported that a slave of Hatib came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) complaining against Hatib and said: Hatib will definitely go to Hell. (But) Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: You tell a lie; he would not get into that for he had taken part in Badr and in (the expedition of) Hudaibiya.

Umm Mubashshir reported that she heard Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying in presence of Hafsa: God willing, the people of the Tree would never enter the fire of Hell one amongst those who owed allegiance under that. She said: Allah's Messenger, why not? He scolded her. Hafsa said: And there is none amongst you but shall have to pass over that (narrow Bridge). Thereupon Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has said: We would rescue those persons who are God-conscious and we would leave the tyrants to their fate there (xix. 72).

Abu Musa reported: I was in the company of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as he had been sitting in Ji'rana (a place) between Mecca and Medina and Bilal was also there, that there came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) a desert Arab, and he said: Muhammad, fulfill your promise that you made with me. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said to him: Accept glad tidings. Thereupon the desert Arab said: You shower glad tidings upon me very much; then Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) turned towards Abu Musa and Bilal seemingly in a state of annoyance and said: Verily he has rejected glad tidings but you two should accept them. We said: Allah's Messenger, we have readily accepted them. Then Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) called for a cup of water and washed his hands in that and face too and put the saliva in it and then said: Drink out of it and pour it over your faces and over your chest and gladden yourselves. They took hold of the cup and did as Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had commanded them to do. Thereupon Umm Salama called from behind the veil: Spare some water in your vessel for your mother also, and they also gave some water which had been spared for her.