Love for the Prophet's Family and the Companions - A sign of the Ahle Sunnah
This world is but a temporary residence. This life is a journey and the hereafter is the ultimate destination. A believer has to traverse difficult paths and reach his/her ultimate destination. For this journey, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has not only give a safe conveyance but has also given us guides. The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has declared His Family to be similar to the ark of Prophet Nooh (May peace be upon him). There is a Hadith:
Translation: Indeed! Among you, my Family is like the ark of Hadhrat Nooh (May peace be upon him). The one who boards it will be delivered and the one who stays away from it will be destroyed. (Mustadrak ‘Alas Sahihain, Hadith No. 3270)
About His Companions, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has said:
Translation: My Companions are like the guiding stars. Whomever you follow, you will be guided. (Al Ibanatul Kubra by Ibn Battah, Hadith No. 709)
The stars guide others. They themselves are radiant and they illuminate others as well.
To traverse the seas of this world a means of conveyance is also needed and a means of guidance is also needed. The Prophet’s Family is the safe means of conveyance and the Companions are the stars of guidance.
The authority of Imam Raazi (May Allah shower His mercy on him) that the Ahle Sunnah are successful because they are in the ark, i.e. Prophet’s Family and they are drawing guidance from the Companions as well.
Almighty Allah has kept the Prophet’s Family safe from each of every kind of defect/flaw. The Holy Quran mentions their purity and brilliance. Allah Most High has promised paradise to all Companions and has given them the glad tidings of His pleasure and approval. It is mentioned in the Holy Quran:
Surah Hadeed (10)
The Mufti said that when a jurisprudent (Mujtahid) deduces or extracts a ruling correctly, that person is given double the reward and if he (or she) errs in this, he will get one-fold reward. When people can’t point fingers at a common jurisprudent who errs in extraction/deduction of rules, then no one has the authority to poke into the differences of opinion among the Companions. Our Imams and scholars have taught the Ummah the same thing that we should respect all the Companions and make their mention with respect in a good manner.
The Ahle Sunnah has a consensus that between Hadhrat ‘Ali and Hadhrat Mua’wiyah (May Allah be well pleased with him), Hadhrat ‘Ali (May Allah be well pleased with him) was correct.
Hadhrat Ameer Mua’wiyah were wrong, then Imam Hasan (May Allah be well pleased with him) would never have given up his caliphate in his favor. Imam Hussain (May Allah be well pleased with him) was also present then and he also held his peace. If he didn’t consider Hadhrat Ameer Mua’wiyah (May Allah be well pleased with him) correct, he would have definitely objected to this.
There is a Hadith in Musnad Abu Ya’ala that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:
Translation: The affairs of my Ummah will continue with justice. The first person to cast a crack into this will be a person from Banu Ummayya who will be called Yazid. (Hadith No. 873)
As per this Hadith, the first person to disturb the Ummah will be Yazid and the caliphate of Hadhrat Ameer Mua’wiyah (May Allah be well pleased with him) was before this. The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said about this: The affairs of my Ummah will continue with justice. Apart from this the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) made a special supplication for Hadhrat Ameer Mua’awiyah (May Allah be well pleased with him):
Translation: O Allah! Make Mua’wiyah one who grants guidance, one who is guided and grant guidance to people through him. (Jame’ Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 4213)
There is another Hadith in Musnad Imam Ahmed bin Hambal:
Translation: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Irbaaz bin Sariya (May Allah be well pleased with him), he says: I heard the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) say when He was calling others for the pre-dawn meal in Ramadhan: Come to the blessed food! Then I heard the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) say: O Lord Almighty! Grant Mua’wiyah the knowledge of the book and the knowledge of Hisaab (meaning the knowledge of the obligations and/or the knowledge of the laws of inheritance) and save him from torment!
(Musnad Imam Ahmed bin Hambal, Hadith No. 17616; Mo’jam Kabeer, Hadith No. 1503; Sahih Ibn Hibbaan, Hadith No. 7333; Sahih Ibn Khuzaima, Hadith No. 1831; Ma’arifatis Sahabah Li Abi Nua’im, Hadith No. 1952; Musnad Shamiyeen Lit Tabarani, Hadith No. 1981; Jame’ Ul Ahadeeth, Hadith No. 5114; Al Jame’ Ul Kabeer, Hadith No. 421; Majma Uz Zawaaid, Hadith No. 15917)
Abul Hasanaat Islamic Research Center 