Documents of the Right Word

were spiritually educated by the best and the highest of mankind,
Muhammad ‘alaihis-salâm’, and who were the highest members of
the best of all Ummats? The As-hâb-i-kirâm ‘alaihim-ur-ridwân’
are ahead of all these people (Muslims), who, in their turn, have
replaced all (past) peoples. The century in which they lived is the
best of all times. Their educator is the highest of Prophets ‘sall-
Allâhu ta’âlâ alaihi wa sallam’. The lowest individual in this
Islamic Ummat would be disgusted with these bad habits. If the
As-hâb-i-kirâm had had these bad habits, could they have been
the best of this Ummat, and then could this Ummat be said to be
the best of Ummats? Could such merits as having been the
earliest Believers, the earliest alms-givers, having made Jihâd and
sacrificing their own lives for the sake of Allah be said to be
honours and superiorities? How could their time have been the
best of times? And what would be the significance, the value of
having been educated by the Messenger of Allah? While a person
educated by a Walî or by a scholar of this Ummat gets rid of bad
habits and becomes extremely clean, could it ever be possible for
these bad habits to have remained on those people who spent all
their lives in Rasûlullah’s company, serving him, sacrificing their
property and lives for helping and supporting him and his religion,
and who were always ready to dive into death upon a signal he
would give? To believe it would mean to deny the greatness of the
Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’. [May Allâhu
ta’âlâ protect us from such denial]. It would mean to hold his
educating inferior to the educating of a Walî or any other
educator. On the other hand, it is stated unanimously by scholars
that no Walî in an Ummat can be as high as any of the Sahâbîs of
that Ummat. Then, how could they ever be as high as the Prophet
of that Ummat? Abû Bekr-i-Shiblî states that a person who does
not respect a Prophet’s ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ As-hâb has
not become a Believer of that Prophet.
Many people think that Rasûlullah’s ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa
sallam’ As-hâb parted into two groups. They say that one group
were against hadrat Alî while the others sided with him.
According to these people, “These two groups were nursing a
grudge against each other. Most of them withheld their inimical
feelings for worldly interests. They were doing Taqiyya, which
means hypocrisy. These atrocities continued for a hundred years.”
Because of this bad opinion, they vilify those Sahâbîs who they
think were against hadrat Alî, and accuse them of atrocities quite
incompatible with their high honour. It would take only a little
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