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

Abu Burda reported on the authority of his father that when Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) had been free from the Battle of Hunain, he sent Abu 'Amir as the head of the army of Autas. He had an encounter with Duraid b. as_Simma. Duraid was killed and Allah gave defeat to his friends. Abu Musa said: He (the Holy Prophet) sent me along with Abu 'Amir and Abu 'Amir received a wound in his knee from the arrow, (shot by) a person of Bani Jusham. It stuck in his knee. I went to him and said: Uncle, who shot an arrow upon you? Abu 'Amir pointed out to Abu Musa and said: Verily that one who shot an arrow upon me in fact killed me. Abu Musa said: I followed him with the determination to kill him and overtook him and when he saw me he turned upon his heels. I followed him and I said to him: Don't you feel ashamed (that you run), aren't you an Arab? Why don't you stop? He stopped and I had an encounter with him and we exchanged the strokes of (swords). I struck him with the sword and killed him. Then I came back to Abu Amir and said: Verily Allah has killed the one who killed you. And he said: Now draw out this arrow. I drew out the arrow and there came out from that (wound) water. Abu 'Amir said: My nephew, go to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and convey my greetings to him and tell him that Abu Amir begs you to ask forgiveness for him. And Abu Amir appointed me as the chief of the people and he died after a short time. When I came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) I visited him and he had been lying on the cot woven by strings and there was (no) bed over it and so there had been marks of the strings on the back of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and on his sides. I narrated to him what had happened to us and narrated to him about Abu Amir and said to him that he had made a request to the effect that forgiveness should be sought for him (from Allah). Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be. upon him) called for water and performed ablution with it. He then lifted his hands and said. O Allah, grant pardon to Thy servant Abu Amir. (The Holy Prophet had raised his hands so high for supplication) that I saw the whiteness of his armpits. He again said: O Allah, grant him distinction amongst the majority of Thine created beings or from amongst the people. I said: Allah's Messenger, ask forgiveness for me too. Thereupon Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: Allah, forgive the sins of Abdullah b. Qais (Abu Musa Ash'ari) and admit him to an elevated place on the Day of Resurrection. Abu Burda said: One prayer is for abu 'Amir and the other is tor Abu Musa.

Abu Musa reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: I recognise the voice of the Ash'arites while they recite the Qur'an as they arrive during the night and I also recognise their station from the recital of the Qur'an during the night time, although I have not seen their encampments as they encamp during the day time. And there is a person amongst them, Hakim; when he encounters the horsemen or the enemies he says to them: My friends command you to wait for them.

Abu Musa reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: When the Ash'arites run short of provisions in the campaigns or run short of food for their children in Medina they collect whatever is with them in the cloth and then partake equally from one vessel. They are from me and I am from them.

Ibn Abbas reported that the Muslims neither looked to Abu Sufyan (with respect) nor did they sit in his company. he (Abu Sufyan) said to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him): Allah's Apostle, confer upon me three things. He replied in the affirmative. He (further) said: I have with me the most handsome and the best (woman) Umm Habiba, daughter of Abu Sufyan; marry her, whereupon he said: Yes. And he again said: Accept Mu'awiya to serve as your scribe. He said: Yes. He again said: Make me the commander (of the Muslim army) so that I should fight against the unbelievers as I fought against the Muslims. He said: Yes. Abu Zumnail said: If he had not asked for these three things from Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him), he would have never conferred them upon him, for it was (his habit) to accede to everybody's (earnest) request.

Abu Musa reported: We were in Yemen when we heard of the migration of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). We also set out as immigrants to him. And I was accompanied by two brothers of mine, I being the youngest of them; one of them was Abu Burda and the other one was Abu Ruhm, and there were some other persons with them. Some say they were fifty-three or fifty-two persons of my tribe. We embarked upon a boat, and the boat sailed away to the Negus of Abyssinia. There we met Ja'far b. Abu Talib and his companions. Ja'far said: Allall's Messenger (may peace be upon him) has sent us here and has commanded us to stay here and you should also stay with us. So we stayed with him and we came back (to Medina) and met Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) when Khaibar had been conquered. He (the Holy Prophet) allocated a share to us and in the ordinary course he did not allocate the share to one who had been absent on the occasion of the conquest of Khaibar but conferred (a share) upon him only who had been present there with him. He, however, made an exception for the people of the boat, viz. for Ja'far and his companions. He allocated a share to them, and some persons from amongst the people said to us, viz. the people of the boat: We have preceded you in migration. Asma' bint 'Umais who had migrated to Abyssinia and had come back along with them (along with immigrants) visited Hafsa, the wife of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him). (Accordingly), Umar had been sitting with her (Hafsa). As 'Umar saw Asma, he said: Who is she? She (Hafsa) said: She is Asma, daughter of 'Umais. He said: She is an Abyssinian and a sea-woman. Asma said: Yes, it is so. Thereupon 'Umar said: We preceded you in migration and so we have more right to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as compared with you. At this she felt annoyed and said: 'Umar, you are not stating the fact; by Allah, you had the privilege of being in the company of the Messenger (may peace be upon him) who fed the hungry among you and instructed the ignorant amongst you, whereas we had been far (from here) in the land of Abyssinia amongst the enemies and that was all for Allah and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and, by Allah, I would never take food nor take water unless I make a mention to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) of what you have said. We remained in that country in constant trouble and dread and I shall talk about it to Allah's Messenger (way peace be upon him) and ask him (about it). By Allah, I shall not tell a lie and deviate (from the truth) and add anything to that. So, when Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) came, she said: Allah's Apostle, 'Umar says so and so. Upon this Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: His right is not more than yours, for him and his companions there is one migration, but for you, i. e. for the people of the boat, there are two migrations. She said: I saw Abu Musa and the people of the boat coming to me in groups and asking me about this hadith, because there was nothing more pleasing and more significant for them than this. Abu Burda reported that Asma said: I saw Abu Musa, asking me to repeat this hadith to him again and again.

'A'idh b. Amr reported that Abu Sufyan came to Salman, Suhaib and Bilal in the presence of a group of persons. They said: By Allah, the sword of Allah did not reach the neck of the enemy of Allah as it was required to reach. Thereupon Abu Bakr said: Do you say this to the old man of the Quraish and their chief? Then he came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon'him) and informed him of this. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Abu Bakr, you have perhaps annoyed them and if you annoyed them you have in fact annoyed your Lord. So Abu Bakr came to them and said: O my brothers, I have annoyed you. They said: No, our brother, may Allah forgive you

Jabir b. Abdullah reported that it was concerning them (the Ansar) that this verse was revealed, that when the two groups amongst you were about to lose heart and Allah was the Guardian of them both. This concerned Banu Salama and Banu Haritha and we did not like that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, should not have revealed this verse for the fact that Allah (gave an assurance) of being the Guardian of both.

Zaid b. Arqam reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: O Allah,, grant forgiveness to the Ansar, the offspring of the Ansar and the offspring of the offspring of the Ansar. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shulba with the same chain of transmitters.

Anas reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) sought forgiveness for the Ansar and he said: I think (he also sought forgiveness) for the children of the Ansar and the slaves and the freed men of the Ansar. I have no doubt about it.

Anas reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) saw children and women of the Ansar coming back from a wedding feast. Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) stood up motionless (as a mark of respect) and said: O Allah, (bear witness) (and addressing the Ansar), said: You are dearest to me amongst people, (and said: O Allah (bear witness) (and addressing the Ansar), said: You are dearest to me amongst people. And he meant Ansar.

Anas b. Malik reported that a woman from the Ansar came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) stood aside with her and said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, you are dearest to me amongst the people. He repeated it thrice. This hadith has been reported on the authority of Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters.

Anas b. Malik reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The Ansar are my family and my trusted friends. and the people would increase in number whereas they (the Ansar) would become less and less, so appreciate the deeds of those from amongst them who do good and overlook their failings.

Abu Usaid reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The worthiest clans of the Ansar are Banu Najjar, thereafter Banu al-Ashhal; thereafter Banu Harith b. Banu Khazraj; thereafter Banu Sa'idah and there is goodness in all clans of the Ansar. Sa'd said: I see that he (the Holy Prophet) has placed others above us. It was said to (him): He has placed you above many others.

Abu Usaid Ansari has reported this hadith through another chain of transmitters. When the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) was marching towards Badr in order

Anas reported a hadith like this from Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) but he has made no mention in the hadith of the words of Sa'd.

Ibrahim b. Muhammad b. Talha reported: I heard Abu Sa'ld delivering an address in the presence of Abu 'Utba that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: The worthiest settlements of the Ansar are those of Banu Najjar, then of Banu 'Abu al-Ashhal and then of Banu Harith and then of Banu Khazraj and then of the clan of Banu Sa'idah, and if I were to give preference to anyone besides them I would have given preference to my relatives.

Abu Usaid Ansar reported: I bear witness to the fact that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: The best settlements of the Ansar are of those of Banu Najjar, then of Banu 'Abu al-Aslihal and then of Banu Harith b. Khazraj, then of Banu Sa'ida and there is in every settlement of the Ansar good. Abu Salama reported that Abu Usaid said: Can I tell a Iie about Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)? And if I were a liar, I would have started with my tribe Banu Sa'ida. This was conveyed to Sa'd b. 'Ubida and he found (rankling) in his mind and said: We have been left behind (in the sense) that we have been (mentioned) last of the four. He (Sa'd) sid: Saddle my pony so that I should go to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). His nephew saw him and said: Are you going to contradict (the order of) precedence set by Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), whereas Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) has the best knowledge of it? Is it not sufficient for you that you are the fourth amongst the four (best tribes of the Ansar)? So he returned and said: Allah and His Messenger know best, and he commanded that his pony should be unsaddled.

Abu Usaid Ansari reported that he heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The worthiest of the Ansar or the worthiest of the settlements and the clans of Ansar; the rest of the hadith is the same, but there is no mention of the story of Sa'd b. 'Ubida (Allah be pleased with him).

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying in a large gathering of the Muslims: Should I not tell you of the best clans of the Ansar? They said: Allah's Messenger, (kindly) do this. Thereupon Allah's Messenger said: That is Banu Abd al-Ashhal. They said: Allah's Messenger, then next? He said: Banu Najjar. They again said: Allah's Messenger, then next? He said: Then of Banu Harith b. Khazraj. They then said: Allah's Messenger, then next? He said. Then of Banu Sa'ida. They said: Allah's Messenger, then next? He said: There is good in all the clans of the Ansar. It was upon this that Sa'd b. Ubida stood up in annoyance and said: Are we the last of the four as Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) has determined (the order of precedence) of their clans? He decided to talk with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) on this issue, but the people Of his tribe said to him: Be seated, are you not happy with this that Allah's Messenger' (may peace be upon him) has mentioned your clan as one of the four (best) clans and those whom he left and did not mention (the order of their precedence) are more than those whom he mentioned? And Sa'd b. 'Ubada dropped the idea of talking to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) (on this issue).

Anas b. Malik reported: I set out along with Jabrir b. 'Abdullah al-Bajali on a journey and he used to serve me. I said to him: Don't do that. Thereupon he said: I have seen Ansar doing this with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). I swore by Allah whenever I accompany any one of the Ansar, I would serve him and Ibn Muthanni, and Ibn Bashshir made this addition in their narrations: Jarir was older than Anas, and Ibn Bashshir said: He was of a more advanced age as compared with Anas. Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) invoked blessings for the tribes of Ghifar and Aslam.

Abu Dharr reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Go to your people and say that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) says: Ghifar (is a tribe) to whom Allah granted pardon, and Aslam (is the tribe) to whom Allah granted safety.

Abu Dharr reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: To the tribe of Aslam Allah has granted safety and to the tribe of Ghifar Allah has granted pardon.

This hadith has been reported on the authority of Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters.

This hadith has been narrated through other chains of transmitters but all of them narrated on the authority of Jabir that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: To the tribe of Aslam Allah has granted safety and to the tribe of Ghifar Allah has granted pardon.