The Praise of Imam Jafar al Sadiq and Imam al Baqir

Once Imam Jafar al Sadiq praised the Sahabah saying:

كان أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله اثني عشر ألفا ثمانية آلاف من المدينة و ألفان من مكة وألفان من الطلقاء ولم ير فيهم قدري ولا مرجي ولا حروري ولا معتزلي ولا صاحب رأي كانوا يبكون الليل والنهار ويقولون اقبض أرواحنا من قبل أن نأكل خبز الخمير

The Sahabah of the Rasul of Allah were twelve thousand. Eight thousand from Madinah, two thousand from Makkah, and two thousand from the Tulaqa’[1]. Not a single Qadari[2], Murjiʾi[3], Haruri (Khariji[4]), or Mu’tazili[5], or person of vain desire, was seen amongst them. They cried during the night and day; and would say, “Take our souls before we eat the leavened bread.”[6]

So if the Sahabah did not have any Qadari, Murji’i, Haruri, Mu’tazili, or a person of vain desire in their midst, then how can they have a person who is worse than all of the aforementioned (i.e. a munafiq) in their midst; as is the claim of people who follow their desires?

The very same point which Imam Jafar al Sadiq has mentioned here attesting to the honourable record of the Sahabah has been mentioned in the Qur’an which praises the Sahabah and gives them glad tidings of the Pleasure of Allah and everlasting Gardens of Paradise. What credibility do those weak narrations which accuse all the Sahabah of turning apostate (besides a few whose numbers do not exceed the count of the fingers) have in front of narrations such as these?

Once Mansur ibn Hazim asked Imam Jafar:

ما بالي أسألك عن المسألة فتجيبني فيها بالجواب ثم يجيئك غيري فتجيبه فيها بجواب آخر؟ فقال إنا نجيب الناس على الزيادة والنقصان قال قلت فأخبرني عن أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله صدقوا على محمد صلى الله عليه وآله أم كذبوا؟ قال بل صدقوا قال قلت فما بالهم اختلفوا؟ فقال أما تعلم أن الرجل كان يأتي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله فيسأله عن المسألة فيجيبه فيها بالجواب ثم يجيبه بعد ذلك ما ينسخ ذلك الجواب فنسخت الأحاديث بعضها بعضا.

“Why is it that when I ask you a question and you reply, and thereafter someone else asks you the very same question, you give him a different answer?”

He replied, “I sometimes give a lengthy answer and sometimes I shorten it.”

I asked, “Then tell me about the Sahabah of the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, were they truthful or dishonest?”

He said, “They were truthful.”

I asked, “Why did they have differences amongst themselves?”

He replied, “Do you not know that sometimes someone would come to the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and ask him a question to which the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would reply. Later the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam changed his stance because of it being abrogated. So some Ahadith abrogate others.”[7]

This is a testimony from Imam Jafar al Sadiq regarding the truthfulness of the Sahabah of the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

Why would he not attest to the truthfulness of the Sahabah radiya Llahu ‘anhum whereas he has narrated that his grandfather Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam delivered a sermon in Hajjat al Wada’ in Masjid of Khayf, wherein he said after praising and glorifying Allah:

نضر الله عبدا سمع مقالتي فوعاها ثم بلغها الى من لم يسمعها فرب حامل فقه غير فقيه ورب حامل فقه إلى من هو أفقه منه ثلاث لا يغل عليهن قلب امرئ مسلم: إخلاص العمل لله والنصيحة لأئمة المسلمين واللزوم لجماعتهم فإن دعوتهم محيطة من ورائهم المسلمون إخوة تتكافأ دماؤهم يسعى بذمتهم أدناهم وهم يد على من سواهم

May Allah be rejoiced with a person who hears my words and memorises it and thereafter passes it on to those that have not heard it. There are those who have knowledge but no understanding, and there may be those who convey knowledge to those who may have more understanding of it than they do. There are three things which are such that the heart of a Muslim will not despise them: Doing actions solely for the pleasure of Allah, well wishing for the leaders of the Muslims, and adhering to the major assembly of the Muslims for their call surrounds them. Muslims are like brothers. There blood is all equal. The one with the lowest of status amongst them may hold the responsibility of all. They are united against their enemies.[8]

The confidence the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam had in the Sahabah propagating his word is a clear proof of their truthfulness and integrity in the eyes of the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

This is the reason why one of the bequests which Imam Jafar retained from his forefather ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu was:

أوصيكم بأصحاب نبيكم لا تسبوهم الذين لم يحدثوا بعده حدثا ولم يؤوا محدثا فإن رسول الله أوصى بهم

My advice to you regarding the Sahabah of the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is that do not curse them. They did not innovate anything in this Din nor did they given shelter to an innovator. The Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam had urged that they be taken care of.[9]

It has been narrated from Bassam al Sayrafi:

سألت أبا جعفر عن ابي بكر وعمر فقال والله لأتولاهما وأستغفرلهما وما أدركت أحدا من اهل بيتي إلا وهو يتولاهما.

I asked Abu Jafar about Abu Bakr and ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhuma and he replied, “By Allah, I associate myself with them and seek forgiveness for them. I have not found anyone from my Ahlul Bayt who dissociates from them.”[10]

It is narrated from Jafar ibn Muhammad who narrated from his forefathers radiya Llahu ‘anhum that the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:

أثبتكم على الصراط أشدكم حبا لأهل بيتي ولأصحابي

The one who has the most love for my Ahlul Bayt and my Sahabah will be the most confident on the bridge of Sirat.[11][12]

O Allah, Most Merciful, make us from those servants of yours who have the most love for them and resurrect us with them.

NEXT⇒ The Praise of Imam Musa al Kazim

[1] Those Sahabah who accepted Islam after the Conquest of Makkah.

[2] A sect that broke away from the Ahlus Sunnah who believe that all humans possess free will justifying divine punishment.

[3] A sect that broke away from the Ahlus Sunnah who believe that Islam is only about attesting to the faith and actions will not have any consequences.

[4] A sect that broke away from the Ahlus Sunnah who believe that a person who commits a major sin leaves the fold of Islam.

[5] A sect that broke away from the Ahlus Sunnah who negated anything that conflicted their reasoning.

[6] Al Khisal, pg. 638 Hadith no. 15 (The Sahabah were twelve thousand) and Bihar al Anwar, vol. 22 pg. 305

[7] Al Kafi (al Usul), Kitab Fadl al ‘Ilm, vol. 1 pg. 52. During the life of the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam sometimes certain laws would be revealed for a particular time or circumstance and then later abrogated. This is mentioned in the Qur’an:

مَا نَنْسَخْ مِنْ اٰيَةٍ أَوْ نُنْسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِنْهَا

We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten except that We bring forth

better than it. (Surah al Baqarah: 106)

Sometimes a certain Sahabi would know the abrogated law and not the one that had come after it; and each Sahabi would narrate according to his knowledge.

[8] Al Khisal, pg. 149-150 Hadith no. 182 (Three things which are such that the heart of a Muslim will not despise them)

[9]Bihar al Anwar, vol. 22 pg. 306

[10]Siyar A’lam al Nubala’, vol. 4 pg. 403

[11] Sirat: A bridge which all of Mankind will cross on the Day of Judgement.

[12] Bihar al Anwar, vol. 27 pg. 133

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