Brief Account of Muhajireen, Ansar and Companions

Hayat Al-Qulub Vol. 1,
By: Allamah Muhammad Baqir Al-Majlisi
Ibn Babawayh has narrated through authentic chains of narrators from Abi Imamah that the Messenger of Allah (S) said, “Cheers for one who sees me and brings faith.” And he repeated this statement seven times.
Through good chains of narrators it is narrated from Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) that he said: “The Messenger of Allah (S) had 12000 companions; 8000 from Medina, 2000 from Mecca and 2000 emancipated persons. None of them was Qadariya who believe in the divine compulsion and neither was there any Murjia who say that the faith of every person is distinct.
And neither was there any Hururia who talk ill of Amirul Momineen (a.s.) and neither was there any Mutazali who say that the Almighty Allah cannot interfere in the actions of people and those who did not say anything regarding the religion of Allah and they used to weep and wail day and night and say: O Allah, please capture our souls before we receive the news of the martyrdom of Imam Husain (a.s.). According to another report they used to say: Give us death before we eat bread prepared from Maidah.[554]
Through another chains of narrators it is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (S) that he said, “Cheers be for one who saw me and what to say about one who meets one who has met me. And what can be said about one who has seen one who has seen me!”[555]
Shaykh Tusi has narrated through authentic chains of narrators from Amirul Momineen (a.s.) that he said: “I advise you about companions of the Prophet that you must not abuse them. And the companions of your Prophet are those who have not created innovations in religion after the Prophet and neither have they given shelter to anyone who has created innovations. Indeed the Messenger of Allah (S) requested me about them.”
Moreover it has been narrated through correct chains of narrators from Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) that Amirul Momineen (a.s.) performed the Morning Prayer in Iraq with the people and after that addressed the gathering, himself wept and made other people also weep of the fear of Allah.
Then he said: “I swear by Allah, that I saw a group of people during the period of my friends, the Prophet who spend their days in night in such a condition that their hair were in disarray, smeared with dust, empty stomachs, their foreheads like knees of goats due to excessive prostrations. They spent the nights in remembrance of God. Sometimes they were in Qiyam, sometimes in Ruku and sometimes in Sujood. And they used to tire their foreheads and legs. They always beseeched their Lord in whispered prayers, and weeping, plead to Him to free them from the punishment of Hellfire. And by Allah, I always found them terrified of divine chastisement.
Through another chain of narrators, it is narrated from Abdur Rahman Jehni that he said: “One day I was in the company of the Messenger of Allah (S); suddenly we decried two riders.
When the Messenger of Allah (S) saw them, he said: These two are from the tribe of Madhij tribe. When they came near, it was known that they were indeed from the Madhij tribe. One of them came to the Prophet to pay allegiance. When the Holy Prophet (S) held his hand for allegiance, he said: O Messenger of Allah (S), inform me of the reward of one who visits you, brings faith on you, testifies to your prophethood and follows you.” His Eminence replied: “There is Tooba for him.” So the man paid the oath of allegiance and went away.
Then the second approached the Prophet and held his hand to pay the oath of allegiance and he said: “O Messenger of Allah (S), inform me of the reward of one who brings faith in you, believes in your statements and follows you, but who has not met you.” His Eminence replied: “There is Tooba for him also.” That man also paid the allegiance and went away.
Through another chain of narrators it is narrated from some companions of the Prophet that: One day we were having breakfast in the company of the Prophet when we asked: O Messenger of Allah (S), is there anyone better than us? Because we accepted Islam and performed Jihad in your service. His Eminence replied: “Yes, better than you are those from my Ummah who will be born after me and have faith in me.”
Through authentic chains of narrators, it is narrated by Kulaini that Abu Amr Zubairi asked Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) if there were different grades of faith due to which believers have excellence over each other in the view of Allah. His Eminence replied: “Yes.” Amr said, “Please explain so that I may also understand.” The Imam said, “The Almighty Allah has kept competition between believers like horses are raced after laying bets. And the believers are made to compete with each other in good deeds and no one has precedence on one who precedes him. And no inferior one has any precedence on one who is superior to him.
Therefore those who accepted faith at the end of this Ummah and if those who had precedence in faith had no excellence, everyone who brought faith later, the last of the Ummah would have joined the first. Rather due to good deeds he would have even achieved excellence over him. Therefore there is no excellence of those who have believed first. But due to the different grades of faith, the Almighty Allah has considered foremost those who accepted faith before.
Because we see some believers who brought faith later, that their prayer, fasting, Hajj and Zakat, Jihad and charity etc. is more than the ones who came later. If there had been no excellence of precedence of faith, those who accepted faith later, would have gained precedence over the former ones due to their excessive good deeds. Thus one who is given precedence by Allah cannot be considered less than the one who is kept behind.” Abu Amr said, “Please tell me about those matters that the Almighty Allah has encouraged in order to increase the grades of faith.” Imam (a.s.) said, “The Almighty says:

سَابِقُوا إِلٰى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا كَعَرْضِ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ أُعِدَّتْ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهٖ

وَالسَّابِقُونَ السَّابِقُونَ. أُولٰئِكَ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ

وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ

تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۘ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ ۖ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَاتٍ

وَلَقَدْ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَ النَّبِيِّينَ عَلٰى بَعْضٍ

انْظُرْ كَيْفَ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۚ وَلَلْآخِرَةُ أَكْبَرُ دَرَجَاتٍ وَأَكْبَرُ تَفْضِيلًا

هُمْ دَرَجَاتٌ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ

وَيُؤْتِ كُلَّ ذِي فَضْلٍ فَضْلَهٗ

الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَهَاجَرُوا وَجَاهَدُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةً عِنْدَ اللَّهِ

فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ عَلَى الْقَاعِدِينَ دَرَجَةً ۚ وَكُلًّا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ وَفَضَّلَ اللَّهُ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ عَلَى الْقَاعِدِينَ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا. دَرَجَاتٍ مِنْهُ وَمَغْفِرَةً وَرَحْمَةً...

لَا يَسْتَوِي مِنْكُمْ مَنْ أَنْفَقَ مِنْ قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ وَقَاتَلَ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةً مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ بَعْدُ وَقَاتَلُوا