Nasb-and-the-Nawasib

2. It goes against the following ḥadīth of Nabī H:
يأتي زمان يغزو فئام من الناس فيقال:‏ فيكم من صحب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم؟ فيقال:‏ نعم.‏ فيفتح
عليه.‏ ثم يأتي زمان فيقال:‏ فيكم من صحب أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم؟ فيقال:‏ نعم.‏ فيفتح.‏ ثم
يأتي زمان فيقال:‏ فيكم من صحب صاحب أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم؟ فيقال:‏ نعم.‏ فيفتح.‏
A time will come when a group of people will fight. It will be asked, “Is
there amongst you a person who accompanied Nabī H?” It will be
said, “Yes,” and victory will be granted to him. Then a time will come
and it will be asked, “Is there anyone amongst you who accompanied the
Companions of Nabī H?” It will be said, “Yes,” and victory will be
granted. Thereafter a time will come and it will be asked, “Is there anyone
amongst you who accompanied a companion of the Companions of Nabī
H?” It will be said, “Yes,” and victory will be granted. 1
The point of evidence in the ḥadīth is that Nabī H has considered
seeing his blessed countenance to be a merit by virtue of which victory
will be attained. Hence those who did not see him are not included.
Consequently considering both groups, those who saw him and those who
did not, to be equal is invalid.
In conclusion, it is crucial to note that giving preference to the first position does
not entail that all the Ṣaḥābah M who were privileged with the companionship
of Nabī H were of the same stature and standing. Rather each ones merit
and stature is proportionate to the extent of his companionship of Nabī H,
as stated by Imām Aḥmad and others. 2
Ibn Taymiyah mentions:
1 Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: chapter of Jihād and Siyar: sub-chapter regarding seeking help by virtue of the
weak and the pious in battle: ḥadīth no. 2740 (narrated by Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī)’; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: chapter
of the merits of the Ṣaḥābah: sub-chapter regarding the merit of the Ṣaḥābah, those who succeeded
them and those who succeeded them: ḥadīth no. 2532.
2 Al-Kifāyah p. 192; Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanābilah 1/243; al-Kalūdhānī: al-Tamhīd 3/173; Majmūʿ Fatāwā Shaykh
al-Islām 4/464.
26