Dought & clear, - The virtue of the Sahaabah (may Allaah bepleased with them).

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I hope that you can explain the virtue of the Sahaabah and what distinguishes them from others?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Belief in the good character and virtue of the Sahaabah is the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah. That is because Allaah has praised them in His Book and they were also praised by the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as is narrated in the books of Sunnah. These texts reach the level of mutawaatir in many cases, which clearly indicates that Allaah gave them special virtues and noble characteristics, by means of which they attained that great honour and high status with Him. As Allaah chose for His message the most pure-hearted of His slaves (i.e., the Prophets), so too He chose as the heirs of the Prophets those who would be grateful for this blessing and who were fit for this honour (of conveying the message), as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allaah knows best with whom to place His Message”
[al-An’aam 6:124]
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Allaah knows best where to place His Message, both with regard to the original recipient and those who inherit it from him. He knows best who is fit to receive His Message and convey it to His slaves in a trustworthy and sincere manner, respecting the Sender and fulfilling his duties towards Him, patiently following His commands and showing gratitude for His blessings and drawing close to Him, and He knows who is not fit for that. Similarly, He knows best who among the nations is fit to be the heirs of His Messengers and to succeed them and convey the Message that they received from their Lord.
Tareeq al-Hijratayn, p. 171
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Thus We have tried some of them with others, that they might say: ‘Is it these (poor believers) whom Allaah has favoured from amongst us?’ Does not Allaah know best those who are grateful?”
[al-An’aam 6:53]
Shaykh al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Those who acknowledge the blessing and affirm it, and who do what it requires of righteous deeds, are the ones on whom Allaah bestows His blessing, to the exclusion of those who are not grateful, for Allaah is wise and He does not place His bounty with one who is not qualified to receive it.
Just as there are many verses and ahaadeeth which speak of their virtue and high status, so too there are texts which state the reasons why they deserved this high status, such as the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah. And those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and falling down prostrate (in prayer), seeking Bounty from Allaah and (His) Good Pleasure. The mark of them (i.e. of their Faith) is on their faces (foreheads) from the traces of prostration (during prayers). This is their description in the Tawraat (Torah). But their description in the Injeel (Gospel) is like a (sown) seed which sends forth its shoot, then makes it strong, and becomes thick and it stands straight on its stem, delighting the sowers, that He may enrage the disbelievers with them. Allaah has promised those among them who believe (i.e. all those who follow Islamic Monotheism, the religion of Prophet Muhammad till the Day of Resurrection) and do righteous good deeds, forgiveness and a mighty reward (i.e. Paradise)”
[al-Fath 48:29]
Among the greatest reasons for the high status of the Sahaabah is that to which Allaah bore witness of their purity of heart and sincere faith. That, by Allaah, is a mighty testimony from the Lord of mankind, which no human being can attain after the cessation of the Revelation.
Listen to the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
“Indeed, Allaah was pleased with the believers when they gave the Bay‘ah (pledge) to you (O Muhammad) under the tree, He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down As‑Sakeenah (calmness and tranquillity) upon them, and He rewarded them with a near victory”
[al-Fath 48:18]
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inTafseer al-Qur’aan al-‘Azeem(4/243):
“He knew what was in their hearts” i.e., of sincerity and loyalty, and the willingness to hear and obey. End quote.
How beautiful are the words of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him): “Whoever among you wishes to follow (someone), let him follow one who has died, for the one who is still alive is not safe from fitnah. The companions of Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) were the best of this ummah, the most righteous of heart and the deepest in knowledge and the most straightforward, people whom Allaah chose to accompany His Prophet and establish His religion. So acknowledge their virtue and follow in their footsteps, and adhere as much as you can to their morals and religion, for they were following right guidance.
Narrated by Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr inal-Jaami’, no. 1810.
Allaah promised Paradise and eternal bliss to the Muhaajireen and Ansaar, and He stated that He is pleased with them in verses that will be recited until the Day of Resurrection. Can anyone think that this would be given to one who does not deserve that bounty?
Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhaajiroon and the Ansaar and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allaah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success”
[al-Tawbah 9:100]
The leader of mankind, the foremost among the Messengers and Prophets, also testified to their virtue. He was a witness over them during his lifetime; he saw their sacrifices and their sincere resolve, and he(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) spoke immortal words of the honour of his companions and his love for them.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not revile my companions, for by the One in Whose hand is my soul, if one of you were to spend the equivalent of Uhud in gold, it would not amount to a mudd of one of them, or half of that.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3673) and Muslim (2540).
It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best of the people are my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (2652) and Muslim (2533).
Al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inal-Kifaayah(49):
Even if there was nothing narrated from Allaah or His Messenger about them, the things that they did such as migrating (hijrah), engaging in jihad, supporting (the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and Islam), expending their lives and their wealth, killing their fathers and sons (in jihad), sincerely following the deen, believing strongly and with certainty, is definitive proof of their good character and sincerity, and shows that they are superior to all those sincere people of good character who come after them, for all time. This is the view of all the scholars, and of the fuqaha’ whose opinion counts. End quote.
If we were to list the attitudes with which they supported the deen and the righteous deeds by means of which they deserved that high status, we would fill volumes. Their whole lives were spent for the sake of Allaah and what book is big enough to contain the lives of hundreds of the Sahaabah who filled the world with goodness and righteousness?
Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
Allaah looked into the hearts of His slaves, and He saw that the heart of Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was the best of people’s hearts, so He chose him for Himself and sent him with His message. Then He looked into the hearts of His slaves after the heart of Muhammad, and He found that the hearts of his companions were the best of people’s hearts, so He made them the supporters of His Prophet, who fought for His religion. So whatever the Muslims think is good, is good before Allaah, and whatever they think is bad, is bad before Allaah. End quote.
Narrated by Ahmad inal-Musnad(1/379). The scholars of hadeeth said: Its isnaad is hasan.
That is also discussed in detail in the answers to questions no. 13713and 45563.
Secondly:
It is essential to understand that the Sahaabah were not infallible. This is the view of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah. Rather they were human beings like any others.
Whatever sins or mistakes any of them may have made maybe overlooked in comparison to the honour of accompanying the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and they were forgiven and pardoned. Good deeds take away bad deeds. The support that the Sahaabah gave to the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) at any given moment for the sake of this religion cannot be matched.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Ahl al-Sunnah speak well of them, and pray for mercy and forgiveness for them, but they do not believe that anyone is infallible or that anyone is protected from making mistakes in their ijtihaad except the Messenger of Allaah; it is possible for anyone else to commit sins or make mistakes, but they are as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“They are those from whom We shall accept the best of their deeds and overlook their evil deeds. (They shall be) among the dwellers of Paradise ___ a promise of truth, which they have been promised”
[al-Ahqaaf 46:16].
The virtue of any deeds is to be judged by the results and consequences.Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 4/434.
This is confirmed in the Qur'aan and Sunnah, in more than one place.
Allaah forgave those of the Sahaabah who turned back on the day of Uhud, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Those of you who turned back on the day the two hosts met (i.e. the battle of Uhud), it was Shaytaan (Satan) who caused them to backslide (run away from the battlefield) because of some (sins) they had earned. But Allaah, indeed, has forgiven them. Surely, Allaah is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Forbearing”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:155]
When one of the Sahaabah sinned by telling Quraysh that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was coming with the army during the year of the Conquest, and ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab wanted to execute him, the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “He was present at Badr, and you do not know, perhaps Allaah looked upon the people of Badr and said: ‘Do what you wish, for I have forgiven you.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim (2494).
And there are other cases in which some of the Sahaabah committed sins, then Allaah, may He be exalted, pardoned them and forgave them, which is indicative of their virtue and honour and that cannot be undermined by any mistake that they made during the time of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or after he died. The verses quoted above, which speak of their virtue and give them the glad tidings of Paradise, cannot been abrogated by anything.
And Allaah knows best.

PUBLISHER Najimudeen M

Dought & clear, - Saying that specific people are going to Paradise or Hell.

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I have heard in certain lectures given by the shaikhs here in America who consider themselves Salafee, say things like this: My mother is a kafira and I KNOW she is going to hell.
Saying that they know for sure that a certain person is going to hell.
Is this permissible in Islam? Can we say that a certain person is going to Jahannam because of their religion?
Praise be to Allaah.
According to Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, the basic principle is that the issue of who will go to Paradise and who will go to Hell is the matter of ‘aqeedah based on what is said in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and there is no room for reasoning or ijtihaad in this matter.
If the Qur’aan or Sunnah says that a specific person will be in Paradise or Hell, we bear witness to that. At the same time we hope that those who do good will go to Paradise and fear that those who do bad will go to Hell, but Allaah knows best how people will end up.
The issue of saying who will go to Paradise or Hell may be divided into two categories:
General statements, which have to do with people’s qualities, such as saying, “Whoever associates anything with Allaah in an act of major shirk is a kaafir who is beyond the pale of Islam, and will be in Hell.”
Similarly we say that whoever fasts Ramadaan out of faith and in the hope of receiving reward will be forgiven his previous and future sins, and that an acceptable Hajj has no other reward but
Specific statements referring to people by name, stating that a particular person will be in Paradise or in Hell. This is not permissible except in cases where Allaah or His Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
Whoever Allaah or His Messenger have mentioned by name and stated that they will be in Paradise are definitely among the people of Paradise, such as the ten who were given the good news of Paradise (al-‘asharah al-mubashsharah), foremost among whom are the four Khulafa’, Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmaan and ‘Ali, may Allaah be pleased with them.
Those who the Qur’aan and Sunnah mention by name and state that they will be in Hell are definitely among the people of Hell, such as Abu Lahab and his wife, Abu Taalib, ‘Amr ibn Lahiy, and others.
We ask Allaah to make us among the people of Paradise by His Grace and Mercy. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

PUBLISHER Najimudeen M

For children, - Positive Pride in Islam: Do you want Honor, Power and Glory in this World and in the Hereafter?

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Verily, then to Allah belongs all honour, power and glory. Noble Qur'an (4:139)
Therefore, whoever desires (Al-Izzah) honor, power and glory in this world and the next, let him be obedient towards Allah (SWT).
Imam Ali (as) says, that he is proud that Allah (SWT) is his lord and that he is Allah's servant.
As Muslims we are proud of our identity, heritage and tradition. Because we Muslims take pride in keeping our homes, gardens clean, our places of worship appealing both to the young and old. We Muslims take pride in respecting parents, elders, assisting neighbors, helping poor by giving charity. We Muslim Women take pride in observing Hijab (Islamic dress).
"Pride, the result of not remembering our status in relationship to our Creator, can take various forms. In each of these it is an attempt to be god."
The main push behind pride and prejudice is nothing other than the human being thinking himself to be "god" and that he feels he is better than others; however, if we keep the relationship between ourselves and our Creator in mind, and that He is the only one "entitled" to 'pride', then we bring ourselves back "down to earth" and appreciate that we are all from the same source, and that even though we have differences mostly based on incidental issues, the only source of being "better" than one another (which too cannot be fully judged) is our awareness, consciousness, and acceptance of God and all that He gives to us.
Imam Ali (as) says: I wonder at the arrogance of a haughty and vain person. Yesterday he was only a drop of semen and tomorrow he will turn into a corpse. Also, it is astonishing if son of Adam is proud, when his beginning is a sperm and his end is a decaying corpse (dead body).
The arrogant and proud should recognize and realize his reality: his origin is a dirty sperm and his end is stinky carrion. Between these two, man is weak and feeble. Hunger and thirst exhaust him, ailment and sickness overcome him, poverty and harm afflict him, and death and wear will inevitably befall him. Man cannot provide benefits and cannot save himself from misfortunes.
Overconfidence is a bad thing:
Confidence is a great thing. It allows us to get past our doubts and take action. So why is slightly too much of it so bad? Take a look at the example of Azazeel.
His name was Azazeel. He is also known as Iblees. He used to pray a lot and even used to give lectures to the angels. One day there was a notice in the heavens which said that someone was going to be ordered out of the heavens. All the angels were worried because they thought it might be one of them. They all went to Jibreel (Gabriel) who was one of the most important angels to ask him, whether he could do anything. Jibreel (Gabriel) said he too was worried because it might be himself. Jibreel (Gabriel) suggested that they go to Azazeel because he was very clever.
Azazeel told them not to worry at all, he would pray to Allah (SWT) for all of them. He forgot himself thinking he was the best and it could never be him. As a result of overconfidence, he became the cursed Satan and he was ordered out of heaven.
Imam Moosa Kazim (as)says: "O Son! Don't delay in offering your prayers. Nor should you be overconfident of the acceptance of your prayers and feel proud of your efforts at piety. We cannot offer prayers and obedience to Allah commensurate with His Blessings."
Summary, as human beings and believers, we need to ensure that we do not repeat the sin which resulted in the fall of Satan - we need to treat all of the children of Adam as human beings and not be judgmental of things such as skin color, tribal affiliations, language, place of birth, economic worth, social status, or even religion, as these are all merely ways for us to "know the another" rather than being means of shunning one another. After all, did Imam Ali (as) not say that, "People are of two types - they are either your brothers in faith or your equals in humanity."

PUBLISHER Najimudeen M