In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Echoes from the pulpit.
The virtue of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them.
A sermon by the honorable Sheikh,
Khalid Ibn 'Abdullah al-Hammudi, may Allah preserve him.
Praise be to Allah, who created and fashioned,
Who ordained and guided,
Who caused laughter and weeping,
Who granted happiness and misery.
To Him belongs all praise,
And to Him belongs all gratitude.
Praise be to Allah in the Hereafter and in this first life.
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner.
To Him belong the most beautiful names and the most sublime attributes.
He is powerful over all things.
When He wills a thing, He merely says to it, "Be," and it is.
If the doors of the earth seem closed to you,
The door of Allah never closes.
So rise to that door and beseech Him in your distress,
With the sincerity of one who is drowning.
And rejoice, for His bounties will pour forth,
For the One you call upon is the Bountiful, the Gentle.
I bear witness that our master, our prophet, and our beloved, Muhammad,
Is the servant of Allah and His messenger,
His chosen one and His intimate friend.
We all bear witness that he delivered the clear message,
Until the inevitable (death) came to him.
O you who are the most noble of creation in status before Allah,
And upon whose heart the revelation was sent down.
May the One who elevated your rank send blessings upon you,
As long as the remembrance is adorned with order and recitation.
O Allah, send blessings, peace, and increase in honor,
Upon Your servant, messenger, prophet, and beloved, Muhammad,
And upon his family and his Companions,
And those who follow his guidance,
And adhere to his Sunnah, and tread his path,
And grant them abundant peace until the Day of Judgment.
Now then, servants of Allah,
I advise you and myself to fear Allah.
O you who have believed, fear Allah,
And speak a word that is right.
He will amend for you your deeds,
And forgive you your sins.
And whoever obeys Allah and His messenger,
“He will adjust your works for you and will forgive you your sins. Whosoever obeyeth Allah and His messenger, he verily hath gained a signal victory.” (33:71)
O community of believers,
Reading the Prophetic biography of the heroes,
And knowing the best of men,
And the best of generations,
Increases one in faith,
And inspires steadfastness and security,
And pleases the Most Merciful.
For the souls, through this hadith,
And because of this hadith, yearn,
And they long for its sweetness and delight.
We shall speak today, O servants of Allah,
About glimpses and flashes,
And selected virtues,
Of the male and female Companions,
May Allah be pleased with them all.
These virtuous ones,
The great ones,
The noble, the saintly, the pious,
And the pure Companions,
Possessors of every beautiful quality,
And noble character.
Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyyah), may Allah have mercy on him, says:
"Whoever looks into the biography of these people,
With knowledge and insight,
And the virtues with which Allah has favored them,
Will know with certainty,
That they are the best of the generations after the prophets,
There was not,
And there will not be, anyone like them.
And that they are the elite of the centuries of this Ummah."
Imam al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
"They are above us in every knowledge, intellect, religion, and virtue."
There is no one in the Ummah like the Companions,
In virtue, goodness, and correctness.
For they witnessed the Chosen One (the Prophet),
And they beheld the secrets and the lights,
And they strove in the cause of Allah until the,
Religion of guidance became manifest and surpassed all religions.
And it has come in the perfect revelation (the Qur'an),
Regarding their virtue, that which heals the thirst of the soul.
And in the hadiths and the reports,
And in the words of the people and the poetry:
Loving the Companions is faith,
And hating them is hypocrisy.
Loving them is religion, belief, and compassion.
It is mandatory to keep our tongues and hearts safe from insulting them,
Or disparaging them,
Or attacking them,
Or mocking or ridiculing them.
Among the foundations of the Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah,
Is the soundness of their hearts,
And their tongues toward the Companions of the Messenger of Allah,
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Therefore, the heart must be free from malice and hatred,
And resentment and enmity,
And the tongue must be free from slander and insult,
And cursing and backbiting.
It is mandatory to believe in their virtue,
To acknowledge their precedence,
To mention their good qualities,
To pray for mercy upon them,
To be pleased with them,
And to refrain from discussing what occurred between them.
For there is no station after the station of Prophethood,
Greater than the station of a people,
Whom Allah chose for the companionship of His Prophet,
And for the support of His religion.
They are the foremost, the first.
The most fortunate of the Ummah in hitting the mark,
And understanding the Sunnah and the Book.
They are the most learned of people and the most understanding,
They cannot be surpassed in their understanding,
Nor can they be rivaled in their knowledge.
Loving all the Companions is my creed,
And through the love of the Prophet's kin, I seek nearness to Allah.
Imam al-Awza'i, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
"If you see a man,
Criticizing any of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah,
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Then know that he is a heretic (zindiq).
This is because the Messenger, peace be upon him,
Is true to us,
And the Qur'an is true,
And it was only the Companions of the Messenger of Allah,
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Who conveyed this Qur'an and the Sunnah to us.
They (the critics) only want to discredit our witnesses,
To invalidate the Book and the Sunnah.
So whoever disparages the Companions,
Disparages the Book of Allah,
And the Sunnah of His Messenger,
May Allah bless him and grant him peace."
He said: "The disparagement falls upon those critics,
And they are the heretics,
By what they used to disparage the Companions of the Messenger of Allah,
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him."
Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
"It is not permissible for anyone to mention any of their faults,
Nor to attack any one of them,
Nor to belittle them."
Imam Abu Nu'aym, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
"No one follows the slips of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah,
Except one whose heart is corrupted in his religion."
The Companions of Muhammad,
Are like the stars in the darkness,
And like the full moon on a dark night.
Through them, Allah strengthened the religion,
And raised the sanctuary of firm monotheism.
And through their patience and jihad,
Allah spread the nation,
And united the Ummah.
A people who strove for Allah as He ought to be striven for,
And opposed the enemies,
They endured hardships,
And bore difficulties,
And abandoned their homelands,
And parted from their spouses and brothers,
And fathers and children.
They are the banners of the nation,
And the best of the Ummah,
And the pillars of the Shari'ah for the Imams.
They attained honor and elevation,
And truthfulness and sacrifice,
And devotion and sincerity,
And speaking the truth.
They preferred the everlasting things,
Over the fleeting pleasures.
Those are a people,
Whose pride Allah has built,
So there is no pride above theirs,
Even if the pride were great.
They are the people who, if they spoke,
They were correct; if they called,
They were answered; if they gave,
They were generous and bountiful.
So the doers cannot match,
Their deeds,
Even if they tried in times of calamity,
And did their best.
Their virtues are high,
And their stances are precious,
And their history is fragrant,
And their precedence in good deeds is early.
Among them is he for whom shook,
The Throne of the Most Merciful.
And among them is he who was washed,
By the angels of the Bountiful.
And among them is he who flew with his wings (in Paradise).
And among them is he who spent all that he possessed.
And among them is the Trustworthy (al-Amin).
And among them is the scholar,
Of the clear revelation.
And among them is he to whom the Most Merciful sent greetings.
And among them is he to whom were sent greetings,
The angels of the Bestower.
And among them is the martyr.
Among them is the Lion of Allah.
Among them is the drawn sword of Allah.
Among them is the righteous, devout worshiper.
Among them were those who possessed piety and asceticism.
Among them is the one who possesses knowledge of the laws of inheritance.
Among them is the pioneering jurist.
Among them is the one who possesses knowledge of the lawful and the prohibited.
Among them are those who are in need and those who provide service.
Among them is the keeper of the secret.
Among them is the reciter who is also a warrior.
And among them is he whom the angels are shy of.
And among them are those from whom the Shaytan flees.
Among them was the brave and valiant warrior.
And the militant poet
The Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
The most intellectually complete among the Ummah.
And in terms of knowledge, religious commitment, and action.
Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, says:
Whoever among you seeks to follow a path, let him follow the path of those who have already passed away, for the living are not safe from fitnah.
Let him follow the example of those who have already passed away.
For as long as one is alive, one is never safe from the trials of fitnah.
Those are the Companions of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Those are the Companions of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
By Allah, they were the best of this Ummah.
And they were the most righteous of them in heart.
And the deepest of them in knowledge.
And it is the least burdensome of them.
A people whom Allah chose for the companionship of His Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
and the establishment of His religion.
Thus, they recognized their merit.
And follow in their footsteps.
And hold fast, as much as you are able, to their character and their religion.
For they were indeed upon the straight path of guidance.
A people among whom have appeared
Their love for the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
In times of hardship and ease.
and in times of both ease and hardship.
So they raced to defend him.
And they supported him, honored him, and defended him.
And honor him and revere him.
And they protected him with their own bodies.
and their blood.
They have many illustrious moments.
and honorable sacrifices.
They are monks by night.
And they recite the verses of the Qur'an with melodic beauty.
And their eyes flowed with tears.
And by day, they are knights.
They engage in battles.
And they descend into the field of action.
Their hearts are tender.
Their hearts are deeply rooted in tradition.
Their reliance upon Allah is a true and genuine reality.
They are a people who attained the honor of the Companionship of the Prophet.
They attained the honor of the Companionship.
And they attained the honor of that rank.
Upon their creed, my own creed was built.
And regarding their epistles, you have sought to understand them from me.
Follow their path, for their way is my way.
I always declare my innocence of my brother’s act of declaring me a disbeliever.
A people who are the most just of all mankind.
And the most truthful of people
And the most knowledgeable of people
And the most trustworthy of people
This is a matter upon which there is consensus among the people.
Some of the salaf said:
Dust
He entered into the matter concerning Mu'awiyah.
with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him
More excellent than the deeds of 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz.
May Allah be pleased with them all.
Servants of Allah
Reflect deeply upon these situations.
which he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, experienced.
in the company of his noble Companions.
In times of ease and in times of hardship.
In times of hardship and ease.
Reflect upon those with whom he spent it.
Among them were his students who acquired knowledge from him.
And among them is his army.
Those through whom He fought against His enemies.
Among them were those who sat in his company.
And those whom he consulted.
And among them are those who
Among them are those who eat and drink with them.
He travels and departs.
He finds comfort in them and rejoices in their company.
He loves them, and they love Him.
He visits them, and they visit him.
They bore the message and conveyed it.
And they sacrificed their own selves.
And they deemed it of little value.
In short, they are men of stature.
“Of the believers are men who are true to that which they covenanted with Allah. Some of them have paid their vow by death (in battle), and some of them still are waiting; and they have not altered in the least;” (33:23)
O Allah, reward them on our behalf.
May He grant the best of rewards.
May He unite us with them in the abode of eternity.
O Allah, answer our prayer.
May Allah bless me and you through the Magnificent Qur'an.
And may He grant benefit to me and to you.
containing within it the verses and the Wise Reminder.
I say what you have heard.
And seek the forgiveness of Allah for me and for yourselves.
And for all the rest of the Muslims.
So seek His forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance.
Indeed, He is the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah.
And I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.
And I bear witness that Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is His servant and messenger.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
To proceed, O servants of Allah:
Their Companions
The unique generation.
They are the only generation.
Their eyes were graced with kohl.
by seeing the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Their eyes were anointed with kohl.
By seeing him, and [his soul] was purified.
their souls through his call
And their character was refined.
And their deeds were virtuous.
And their ranks were elevated.
So humble yourselves before Him.
And their wealth, their lives, and their homes.
The Companions embodied all the noble characteristics.
And the lofty virtues.
They were the forerunners.
For every good.
In the arena of jihad and calling people to Allah.
And generosity and giving.
And charity, as well as supererogatory acts of worship.
Thus, they recognized their true worth and their excellence.
May Allah be pleased with them and grant them contentment.
They are the elite among all peoples.
He recognized their true worth.
And may you be guided upon their path, O seeker of success.
So I am guided.
For Allah has purified them and elevated their status.
And He elevated them to the highest station through the religion.
They are like the eyes.
And touching it constitutes its destruction.
Beware of causing eyes to weep.
By my standard.
Who else among them witnessed all the battles?
Rather, whoever resembles them.
through the excellence of my worship.
May Allah unite us with them in Paradise.
In a seat
Abiding eternally in the presence of the Sovereign.
O Allah, be pleased with them.
O Allah, reward them on our behalf with the best of rewards.
O Allah, unite us with them.
In the Gardens of Delight.
With our Prophet and our beloved.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
And our parents, and those whom we love.
O Allah, gather us together with them.
In the highest level of Paradise.
O Ali, O most exalted.
O Allah, forgive our sins.
And conceal our faults.
And accept our repentance.
And may Allah make our deeds among the righteous works.
O Allah, grant us security in our homelands.
O Allah, grant victory to our soldiers at the borders.
O Allah, grant victory to our soldiers.
They are all within the prescribed limits.
As a supporter and a helper.
And as a supporter and a defender.
O Allah, grant victory to our oppressed brothers.
In every place.
O Allah, O Possessor of Majesty and Honor.
May Allah rectify the conditions of the Muslims everywhere.
O Allah, rectify their affairs.
O Allah, rectify their affairs.
O Allah, adorn us with Your beautiful veil of protection.
And ensure that you perform deeds in private, hidden from the sight of others.
a righteous deed that You are pleased with.
[Grant us] through Your lawful provisions freedom from Your prohibitions, and enrich us by Your grace, independent of anyone other than You; O Allah, grant us provision before
Death is a repentance, at the moment of death is the testimony of faith, and after death is Paradise and bliss; O Allah, [grant us these].
May Allah rectify our intentions and our offspring; our Lord, grant us from among our spouses and offspring [the comfort of our eyes].
...a comfort to our eyes, and make us leaders for the righteous. O Allah, just as You have gathered us here upon...
May Allah gather us together under His Throne as brothers, loving one another, upon thrones of honor.
Facing one another; O Allah, lift this epidemic from us; O Allah, lift this from us.
[Protect us] from the epidemic and from all the lands of the Muslims and from the entire world; place us in
You are our protection, our security, and our guarantee; preserve us with Your preservation and encompass us with Your care.
O Allah, O Possessor of Majesty and Honor, we love You, so do not withhold from us.
Through our sins, grant us what we have hoped for, and even more than what we have hoped for, from Your bounty.
The good of this world and the Hereafter. Exalted is your Lord, the Lord of Might, above what they describe.
And peace be upon the messengers, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.