The Martyred Caliph: Uthman (ra)
Uthman (r.a) was born in Mecca 47 years before the Hijra (Migration to Medina). His father Affan b. Abi’l-As was one of the leading men of the Banu Umayya clan of the Quraysh tribe, and he also counted among the wealthiest men of the city. A merchant by profession like his father, Uthman (r.a.) became one of the wealthy men of his tribe at a young age. Uthman (r.a.) became Muslim thanks to the s...

Umar (r.a) : A Leader Crowned with Truth and Justice
The caliphate of Umar (r.a), which spanned the ten years between 634 AD (12 Hijri) and 644 AD (22 Hijri), is regarded as one of the most exemplary, exceptional and idealized periods in Islamic history. His most important quality, which also made him so dear to everyone’s hearts, was doubtless his understanding of leadership and his exacting sense of justice. When he had just assumed the title of...

The Young Martyr of Uhud: The Companion Mus’ab bin Umayr (ra)
When he saw Mus’ab walking around in Medina in patched clothes, The Prophet (saw) said: “Glory be to God, this is the young man who used to live in luxury in Mecca, but whose love for God and His Messenger and whose love for piety made him turn his back on all worldly comfort.” Mus’ab bin Umayr (ra) came from the Abd ad-Daar branch of the Quraysh tribe, and his family was among the most prominen...

The Lion of God, the Martyr of Uhud: Hamza (ra)
With his public acceptance of Islam, the few Muslims who were left behind in Mecca after the Ethiopian immigration became heartened and empowered. Hamza’s entrance into the ranks of the Muslims also frustrated the polytheists’ hostile schemes and ambitions against the believers to a certain extent. Hamza (ra) was born in 570, one year before the Prophet (saw), in Mecca. His father is Abd al-Mutt...

Anas bin Malik (ra): The Devoted Servant of the Prophet (saw)
Anas bin Malik (ra) was born in Medina ten years before the Hijra (Immigration). His family belonged to the Najjar clan of the tribe of Hazraj, which was one of the two leading tribes of Medina. Known with the nickname Abu Hamza, he also gained fame as “the Servant of the Prophet,” since he was a close personal attendant to the Messenger of God (saw) for around ten years. The sources narrate tha...

Abu Hurairah
He is affiliated with the Daws branch of Azd tribe, yet his date of birth is not known. During the period of Ignorance, his name was recorded in various forms as Abd Shams, Abd Amr, Sukain, Amr b. Abd Ghanm. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) changed his name to Abdurrahman or Abdullah. The most common account as to how he acquired the name "Abu Hurairah" was that he would put kittens in his shirttail g...

The Relationship of the Companions and Prophet Muhammad in the Q
The Companions, who were the first to receive the Quran when it was revealed in the 7th century, were examples, like the Prophet, both in behavior and practice for those who would come after them due to their sincere affiliation with him. However, this becoming an "example" occurred after a period of education that ran parallel with the gradual revelation of Quranic verses. When the relationship...

Dihya Bin Khalifa al Kalbi
  Prior to entering Islam, Dihya bin Khalifa had a special place in his heart for the Messenger of Allah, presenting him with a gift each time he came to visit him. There is not enough information about the post hijra life of Dihya bin Khalifa (r.a.), who is originally from Southern Arabia and later made a home for himself around the region of D...

Ali in Sufi Culture
Ali in Terms of His Historical Personality Ali wholeheartedly believed in Allah and His Messenger and embraced Islam, and he was praised by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Ali fulfilled all the duties of Islam, performing the salah (daily prayers) five times a day, fasting in the months of Ramadan, carrying out the pilgrimage and the other principles of Islam; he was a worshipper; he was a zahid (as...

The Companions
Who is considered a Companion? The Arabic word of Sahabi literally means a companion or a friend. As a religious term it means, “a person who saw Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), believed in him, acted along with him, and retained his belief until the moment of his death”. The plural form can be given as “sahaba” or “ashab”. Hence a companion is anyone, male or female, who saw the Prophet, believed in h...

Ashab Al-Suffa
What does Ashab al-Suffa mean?Ashab al-Suffa is a term, composed of the words ashab meaning “masters, friends” and suffa meaning “veranda, shed, porch” in Arabic. The term is a generic name given to the Companions who stayed in the arbour next to the mosque of the Prophet, upon him be peace, in Madina after the Emigration and studied religious sciences there.The establ...

Mukthirun
Mukthir is a word derived from the word “kathrat” in Arabic which means “to be abundant in number” and its plural is ‘mukthirun.’ As a term in the science of hadith, Mukthirun refers to the seven companions of the Prophet (pbuh) who narrated more than one thousand hadiths. Even though there were around 114,000 companions when the Prophet (pbuh) passed away, onl...