Virtues of the Blessed Companions

Muslims across the world, should seriously reflect on the lives and habits of the Companions of Prophet (Pbuh) and apply them in their own lives.

The blessed companions of Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) were gifted with understanding, wisdom and inner knowledge. Often, their lips were dry. They discarded the comfort of this world, and gave up the company of its advocates, and they mostly rested over their own forearms. They laboured hard and renounced most of the worldly pleasures, and in fact, they truly emulated the lives of God’s prophets and messengers, their deputies and the blessed ones who abide in the safety and nearness of their Lord. Furthermore, the blessed companions of God’s messenger gave away everything they had, and the material wealth was the cheapest offering they happily distributed to comfort the need of others. To their wisdom and perception, material comfort was a burden that they had to constantly unload. The journey of this life bewildered them. Seldom did they sleep, and so little did they eat.

Talha bin Ubaidullah
Generous and Magnanimous

Among such examples, we find Talha bin Ubaidullah, may God bless his soul and be eternally pleased with him. He was generous, magnanimous, and a radiant star among the blessed companions who distanced themselves from personal satisfaction with their own deeds, and thus lightened their burdens.

Abdullah bin Ja’far narrated that ‘Aisha, God be pleased with her, used to say: “Whenever the day of the Battle of Mount Uhud was mentioned, Abu Bakr (RA) referred to it as ‘The day of Talha bin ‘Ubaidullah’.”

Abu Bakr, once said: “On the day of Uhud, Abi Ubaida al-Jarrah and myself took shelter in the shade near God’s messenger who turned to us and said: ‘Hasten to your friend!’ He meant Talha bin Ubaidullah, who was bleeding profusely, but we first took care of God’s messenger’s condition, and then we sought Talha who was lying wounded in one of the groves. When we found him, he had sustained near seventy wounds and blows, and he had lost his fingers during the battle, hence, we attended to him and nursed him the best we could.” “After the battle, when God’s messenger returned to Madinah, he stood upon the pulpit, praised God Almighty and thanked Him for His countless blessings, and he then recited: Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah. Some have fulfilled their vows, while others await their end, yielding to no changes. (Qur’an 33:23). Someone stood up and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, who are such people?’”

Abu Bakr continued: “At that moment, Talha had just arrived in the mosque, and he was wearing a green robe under a green cloak, when God’s messenger saw him, he said, ‘O questioner, here is one of them.’
“Muhammad bin Imran narrated that Sa’dah, daughter of Awf, and wife of Talha, said: “In one day, Talha distributed one hundred thousand Dirham in charity. Some money was still left in the house, so I tied it up in his robe, and he carried it to the mosque where he distributed it in charity.”

Al-Hassan, God be pleased with him, narrated that Talha once sold a piece of land he owned for seven hundred thousand Dirhams. Talha kept the money in his house for a long sleepless night, and at sunrise, he distributed everything in charity.”

Al-Zubair bin Al-Awwam
Courageous and Loyal

The peer and companion of Talha bin Ubaidullah was Al-Zubair bin al-Awwam, God be pleased with both of them. Besides his spiritual distinctions, al-Zubair was a stern challenger, as well as a resolute and prudent warrior, however, he was submissive to his Master, and he was totally dependent on Him. Al-Zubair was loyal, steadfast, forgiving, and generous. At the age of 16, when he embraced Islam, his uncle used to tie him up to a metal pole and kindle a fire around him, nearly suffocating him with its smoke, and his uncle used to scream at him: “Renounce your faith,” and al-Zubair would keep on avowing: “I will never ever go back to denying the truth.”

Ali bin Zaid reported that those who were close to al-Zubair narrated that his chest was filled with open cuts and wounds he sustained while defending God’s messenger. The poet Hassan bin Thabit once lauded al-Zubair bin al-Awwam, saying: “He unsheathed his sword during scores of stressful moments to defend God’s chosen Messenger, and God surely gives His munificent blessings to whomever He wills. In his time, no one matched his courage, nor before that did anyone meet his calibre. Moreover, time will pass and no one can come even near his uprightness. To praise you, O lion of the jungle, is surely better than many immaculate deeds, and yet, O son of al-Hashimiyya, your actions are a much greater deed.”

Al-Walid bin Muslim narrated that Said bin ‘Abdul ‘Aziz said: “At one time, al-Zubair bin al-Awwam was extremely rich, and he had one thousand servants who collected his daily revenues from a variety of businesses and properties he owned. Each night, he divided the entire income they brought him, and he distributed the same in full before he entered his house.”

The same was confirmed in the narration of Mughith bin Sama, who said: “Al-Awwam had one thousand workers who collected his land revenues, and not a Dirham (i.e., a dime) of that money ever entered his house.”

Abi Salma narrated that upon the revelation of the Quranic verse: Then, on the Day of Resurrection, you will settle your disputes in the presence of your Lord, (Qur’an 39:31) al-Zubair asked: “O Messenger of Allah, will we have to face each other again and re-enact the arguments we had in this world?” God’s messenger replied: “Indeed you will surely do that.” Al-Zubair pondered for a moment and then said: “I swear by Almighty Allah that this is a most serious matter.”

Abdullah bin Al-Zubair also narrated that on the day of the Battle of the Camel, his father al-Zubair instructed him concerning his debts, and he added: “My dear son, when sometimes you find it difficult to manage, then call for the help of my Master.”

Abdullah added: “I did not understand what he meant by ‘My Master’ until I once asked him, ‘Father! Who is your master?’ He replied, ‘Allah.’ Later on, ‘Abdullah said, ‘By God, whenever I felt any anxiety about his business, I prayed, ‘O Master of al-Zubair, satisfy his debt and surely Allah fulfilled his wish.”

Hisham bin Urwa narrated, that upon his martyrdom, al-Zubair bin al-Awwam did not leave a single Dinar or Dirham in cash, except for two estates and some houses he owned. He incurred his debts from his practice of not accepting to keep anything on consignment, for during the pilgrimage season, and whenever a travelling merchant brought him his remaining goods to sell for him and to keep the money until the next season, al-Zubair bin al-’Awwam would reply: “I do not accept anything on consignment, but I will take the goods as a loan, for I fear to mix them with other merchandise.”

Later on, after he died, and when his son counted his debts, they added up to two million. To satisfy his father’s debts, Abdullah bin al-Zubair used to attend the pilgrimage season annually, and he called the pilgrims to come forward to claim the money they loaned to his father. Abdullah did that for four consecutive years until everything was repaid. Only after the four years passed, that Abdullah divided the remaining balance between the heirs. Al-Zubair had four wives, and each one of them inherited one million and two hundred thousand Dirhams.

(Source: The Beauty of the Righteous & Ranks of the Elite)

A Collection of Over 1000 Rare Accounts of the Blessed Companions of God’s Messenger Muhammad (Pbuh). Based on the classic 10th century work of Imam Abu Naim al Asfahani- Hilyat-ul Awliya Wa Tabaqat al-Asfiya. Translated from the Original Arabic and Edited by Shaykh Muhammad Al-Akili)