Nasb-and-the-Nawasib

“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
This ḥadīth also contains a great merit of the Ṣaḥābah M of Nabī H, for
by virtue of their presence the armies which they are in will gain victory.
The Integrity of the Ṣaḥābah M
The scholars have unanimously deemed all the Ṣaḥābah M, without any
exception, to have been people of integrity, before the internal strife and after it.
This is the viewpoint of all the early scholars and majority of the later scholars;
only a very few people, who hold an innovatory status, have differed, but their
difference does not really matter.
However, it is important to note that deeming the Ṣaḥābah M to be people of
integrity does not necessitate their infallibility from all types of sins, and purity
from every type of mistake. Instead, they were like those besides them in their
anatomy and temperaments; temperaments in the entire human race are the
same. Hence the weakness which one among them is prone to others are prone
to as well:
وَ‏ خُ‏ لِقَ‏ اإلْ‏ ‏ِنْسَ‏ انُ‏ ضَ‏ عِيْفاً‏ ا
And mankind was created weak. 2
Likewise the instinctive inclination toward evil is equal in all:
إِناَّ‏ الناَّفْ‏ سَ‏ لَ‏ ‏َماَّ‏ ارَ‏ ةٌ‏ ۢ بِالسُّ‏ وٓءِ‏
1 The reference has passed already on p. 26. (Add page number)
2 Sūrah al-Nisāʾ: 28.
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