Editing Companions of the Prophet (section)

==Definitions==
===Sunni===
The most widespread definition of a companion is someone who met Muhammad, believed in him, and died a [[Muslim]]. The Sunni scholar [[ibn Hajar al-Asqalani]] (d. 852 H) said,
{{blockquote|The most correct of what I have come across is that a Sahâbî (Companion) is one who met the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, whilst believing in him, and died as a Muslim. So, that includes the one who remained with him for a long or a short time, and those who narrated from him and those who did not, and those who saw him but did not sit with him and those who could not see him due to blindness.<ref>Source: Al-Isâbah (1/4-5) of al-Hâfidh lbn Hajar.</ref>}}

Anyone who died after [[apostasy in Islam|rejecting Islam]] and becoming an apostate is not considered as a companion. Those who saw him but held off believing in him until after his death are not considered ṣahābah, only tābiʻūn (if they saw the companions).

According to Sunni scholars, Muslims of the past should be considered companions if they had any contact with Muhammad, and they were not liars or opposed to him and his teachings. If they saw him, heard him, or were in his presence even briefly, they are companions. All companions are assumed to be just (''ʻudul'') unless they are proven otherwise; that is, Sunni scholars do not believe that companions would lie or fabricate hadith unless they are proven liars, untrustworthy or opposed to Islam.<ref>[[Muhammad ibn Ahmad]] (died 1622), also known as "Nişancızâde", ''Mir'ât-i kâinât'' (in [[Turkish language|Turkish]]):{{blockquote|Once a male or female Muslim has seen Muhammad only for a short time, no matter whether he/she is a child or an adult, he/she is called a Sahaba with the proviso of dying with as a believer; the same rule applies to blind Muslims who have talked with the Prophet at least once. If a disbeliever sees Muhammad and then joins the Believers after the demise of Muhammad, he is not a Sahaba; nor is a person called a Sahaba if he converted to Islam afterward although he had seen Muhammad as a Muslim. A person who converts to Islam after being a Sahaba and then becomes a Believer again after the demise of Muhammad is a Sahaba.}}</ref>

Some Quranic references are important to Sunni Muslim views of the reverence due to all companions;<ref>"Sharh al-`Aqeedah at-Tahaawiyyah", by [[al-Tahawi]], pp. 526–528.</ref><ref>"Al-I`tiqad `ala Madhhab al-Salaf Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama`a", by [[Al-Bayhaqi]], pp. 109–113.</ref><ref>"Al-Tajrid fi Asma' al-Sahaba", by [[Al-Dhahabi]], p. 57.</ref><ref>[http://www.ahlelbayt.com/articles/ahlel-bayt/word-games Word Games With Verse 33:33] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307081940/http://www.ahlelbayt.com/articles/ahlel-bayt/word-games |date=2021-03-07 }}, By: Ibn al-Hashimi.</ref><ref>[http://www.ahlelbayt.com/articles/ahlel-bayt/mother Mothers of the Believers], By: Ibn al-Hashimi.</ref><ref>[http://www.ahlelbayt.com/articles/ahlel-bayt/ifq Al-Ifk: Quran Defends Aisha], By: Ibn al-Hashimi.</ref>{{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#48:10 Qur'an, 48:10]}}{{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#8:74 Qur'an, 8:74]}}{{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#8:75 Qur'an, 8:75]}}{{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#57:10 Qur'an, 57:10]}} It sometimes admonishes them, as when [[Aisha]], wife of Muhammad and daughter of the first Sunni [[caliph]] [[Abu Bakr]], was accused of infidelity.{{Efn|[http://tanzil.net/#24:11 Qur'an, 24:11–16]..."Indeed, those who came with falsehood are a group among you. Do not think it bad for you; rather it is good for you. For every person among them is what [punishment] he has earned from the sin, and he who took upon himself the greater portion thereof – for him is a great punishment. Why, when you heard it ..."}}{{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#9:101 Qur'an, 9:101] "And among those around you of the bedouins are hypocrites, and [also] from the people of Madinah. They have become accustomed to hypocrisy. You, [O Muhammad], do not know them, [but] We know them. We will punish them twice [in this world]; then they will be returned to a great punishment"}}

Differing views on the definition of a companion were also influenced by the debate between the [[Traditionalist theology (Islam)|Traditionalists]] and the [[Muʿtazila]] with the traditionalists preferring to extend the definition to as many people as possible and the Mu'tazilites preferring to restrict it.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://brill.com/view/title/8258 |title=The Companions of the Prophet - A Study of Geographical Distribution and Political Alignments |last=Jabali |first=Fu'ad |publisher=Brill |year=2003 |isbn=978-90-04-12923-8 |pages=46}}</ref>

===Shia===
The Shia<ref name="Jabali">{{cite web |last1=Jabali |first1=Fu'ad |title=A STUDY OF THE COMPANIONS OF THE PROPHET: GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRlBUTION AND POLITICAL ALIGNMENTS (1999) |url=http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape9/PQDD_0018/NQ55342.pdf |website=nlc-bnc.ca}}</ref><ref name="noormags">{{cite web |last1=Taqi poor |first1=Hussain |title=reviewing of the article "Companions of the Prophet" authored by linda L. Kim |url=https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/692830/%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%B1%D8%B3%DB%8C-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A7%D8%B5%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D9%BE%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D8%B5?q=%D8%B5%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%87%20%D8%A7%D8%B2%20%D9%86%D8%B8%D8%B1%20%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%20%D9%88%20%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%84%20%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%AA%20%D8%B9%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%87%D9%85%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85&score=39.710552&rownumber=10 |website=noormags}}</ref> as well as some Sunni scholars like [[Javed Ahmad Ghamidi]] and [[Amin Ahsan Islahi]] follow a stricter definition, believing that not every Muslim who met Muhammad should be considered a companion. In their view, the Qurʻan requires companions to demonstrate a high level of faith; thus, only those individuals who had substantial contact with Muhammad should be considered, e.g., those that lived with him, took part in military campaigns, or proselytized.<ref>''Fundamentals of Hadith Interpretation'' by Amin Ahsan Islahi.</ref> 
 
This stricter definition means that the Shia consider each ṣaḥābiyy differently, depending on what they accomplished. They do not accept that the testimony of nearly all ṣaḥābah are an authentic part of the chain of narrators for a hadith. The Shia further argue that the righteousness of ṣaḥābah can be assessed by their loyalty towards Muhammad's family after his death, and they accept hadith from the [[Imamate in Shia doctrine|Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt]], believing them to be cleansed from sin through their interpretation of the Qurʻan{{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#33:33 Qur'an, 33:33]}} and the [[Ahl al-Kisa#Hadith of Kisa|hadith of the Cloak]].

Shia Muslims believe that some of the companions are accountable for the loss of the caliphate by [[Ali]]'s family.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica"/> As verses 30-33 from [[Al-Aḥzāb]], Shias believe their argument {{where|date=July 2018}} that one must discriminate between the virtues of the companions by verses relating to Muhammad's wives.{{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#33:30 Qur'an, 33:30–33]}} Therefore they believe Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Muawiya, Hafsa, Ayesha and Umm Habiba were all hypocrites.

=== Baháʼí Faith ===
The [[Baháʼí Faith]] recognizes the companions of Muhammad. They are mentioned in the [[Kitáb-i-Íqán]], the primary theological book of the Baháʼí religion.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/KI/ki-1.html |title=The Kitáb-i-Íqán |author=Bahá'u'lláh |author-link=Bahá'u'lláh |date=189x |publisher=US Baháʼí Publishing Trust |edition=1989 pocket-size |access-date=2014-12-29 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150108183525/http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/KI/ki-1.html |archive-date=2015-01-08 |via=Bahá'í Reference Library}}</ref>