The Companions of the Prophet are the Muslims who joined with mUhammad (d. 632) in medina during the seventh century to form the first Islamic community. They are highly esteemed by Sunni Muslims not only because of the roles they played in early Islamic history but also because of their involvement in the preservation and transmission of the qUran after Muhammad’s death and in the definition and consolidation of the Sunna itself. In fact, the hadith upon which the sunna is based include lists of transmitters that invariably give the names of companions who had witnessed what Muhammad said or did or who are themselves considered to have been virtuous exemplars of authentic Islamic practice. Sunni tradition recognizes several groups among the companions, with some overlap among them. They are the first four “Rightly Guided Caliphs” (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali); the emigrants (muhajirun) from mecca; the Helpers (ansar) from Medina, veterans of Badr, Uhud, and other early battles against Muhammad’s enemies; and the People of the Bench. The last-named was a group of poor and pious Muslims who gathered at a bench (suffa) in Muhammad’s mosqUe in Medina. They are highly respected in Sufi tradition. The companions also included Women, especially the “Mothers of the Believers,” among whom Muhammad’s wife, Aisha, was foremost. On the other hand, the companions whom Sunnis revere (except Ali) are reviled by many Shii Muslims. The Shia contend that individuals such as Abu Bakr, Umar, and Aisha actually corrupted the pristine Islamic community by preventing Ali, the first Shii Imam, from becoming Muhammad’s successor after his death in 632 (Source: Encyclopedia of Islam).
Global Relevance of Islam: Civilizational Potentiality of Islamic Faith
