Translation: Ishaaq bn AbdirRaheem Aboo Aamir
Shaykhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah was asked regarding a person who curses the Sahabah.
He said: ‘Whoever curses any of the Companions of the Prophet (salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam ) such as Mu’aawiyyah bn Abee Sufyaan, ‘Amr bn al-Aas and other similar to them; or he curses those higher than them [in honour] such as Aboo Moosa al-Ash’aree, Aboo Hurairah and those similar to them; or he curses those above the latter such as Talhah [bn Ubaydillaah], Az-Zubayr [bn al-Awwaam], ‘Uthmaan [bn Affaan], ‘Alee bn Abee Taalib, Aboo Bakr as-Siddeeq, ‘Umar [bn al-Khattaab], or Aaisha, the Mother of the Believers, and others apart from these Companions of the Prophet (salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam ), such is entitled to a strong punishment according to the consensus of the scholars.
There is however a difference of opinions among the scholars regarding: should he be punished by death or what is less? We have explained that in other than this place.
It is however established in the Two Saheeh on the authority of Aboo Sa’eed al-Khudree (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam ) said:
لَا تَسÙبّÙوا أَصْØَابÙÙŠ ØŒ ÙَوَاَلَّذÙÙŠ Ù†ÙŽÙْسÙÙŠ بÙيَدÙه٠لَوْ أَنْÙÙŽÙ‚ÙŽ Ø£ÙŽØَدÙÙƒÙمْ Ù…Ùثْلَ Ø£ÙØÙد٠ذَهَبًا مَا بَلَغَ Ù…Ùدَّ Ø£ÙŽØَدÙÙ‡Ùمْ وَلَا نَصÙÙŠÙÙŽÙ‡Ù
‘Do not revile my Companions, I swear by He in Whose Hands is my soul, if any of you were to spend the like of mount Uhud in gold [as charity], it will not reach the measure of any of them or its half.’
Cursing [al-La’nah] is worse than abusing [as-Sabb]. It has come authentically in the Saheeh from the Prophet (salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam ) that he said:
لَعْن٠الْمÙؤْمÙن٠كَقَتْلÙÙ‡Ù
‘Cursing a believer is like murdering him.’
The Prophet (salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam ) did liken cursing a believer to killing him.
There is no doubt that the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam ) were the best of the believers as it has come authentically from him that he said:
خَيْر٠الْقÙرÙون٠الْقَرْن٠الَّذÙÙŠ بÙعÙثْت ÙÙيهÙمْ ØŒ Ø«Ùمَّ الَّذÙينَ ÙŠÙŽÙ„ÙونَهÙمْ . Ø«Ùمَّ الَّذÙينَ ÙŠÙŽÙ„ÙونَهÙ
‘The best of the generations is that generation wherein I was raised then the one that follows then the one that follows.’
Whoever did see the Messenger of Allaah (salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam ) and believed in him had the privilege of being referred to as a Sahabi to the extent of [his stay with the Prophet] as it has been recorded in the Saheeh from the Prophet (salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam ) that he said:
‘An army will fight a war, someone will say: ‘Is there someone among you who were with the Messenger of Allaah [in his life time], the people will reply, ‘yes,’ then the gate will be opened for them. Also an army will fight a war, and someone will say, ‘Is there among you someone who saw the Messenger of Allaah?’, they will reply, ‘yes,’ the gate will be opened for them.’ He also mentioned the third stage and he tied the ruling to seeing the Messenger of Allaah (salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam ) as he did to being with him…’
So how would these people become hypocrites while the Prophet (salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam ) entrusted the affairs of the Muslims to them in knowledge and actions?
It is known that there were issues between Mu’aawiya, Amr bn Al-Aas and others yet none accused them from among their comrades, neither did those who fought against them or those that were with them; none of them accused them of lying against the Prophet rather all the Sahaabah and the Taabioon after them all agreed that all those people were truthful to the Messenger of Allaah (salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam ), were trustworthy in the reports they had from him, unlike the hypocrites who were regarded as not being trustworthy with regards to the Prophet (salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam ), in fact, they lied against and for him.
So if those Sahaaba were believers in the Prophet (salaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam ), and loved Allaah and His Messenger, whoever curses them has disobeyed Allaah and His Messenger…’
Vol 25, pp. 55-60
