It is no secret that the world is in need of people with characters mirroring those of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ’s companion. The ummah is in need of people whose hearts drip with the love for Allah (SWT) and their faces beam with noor. Men and women who were not just lucky enough to breath the same air as Prophet Muhammad ﷺ but were ready to sacrifice all they had for the sake of Islam (quite literally!)
It is now, more than ever, that the world needs another Abu Bakar (RA) and another Umar (RA), but the real question is; what makes them so special? Undoubtedly, they were the companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and flag bearers of Islam, but what characteristics made them worthy of this?
Well, let’s read on and find out!
As Siddiq (RA)
First and foremostly, I refuse to believe that it is possible for one to talk about the companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ without mentioning what an inspiration Hazrat Abu Bakar (RA) was. I mean, the perfect man doesn’t exi- (after the Prophet ﷺ ofc).
Out of all the qualities that he possessed, his truthfulness stood out of them all. Such is apparent from several incidents including the fact that he was given the title of As-Siddiq (The Truthful) by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ after the event of Mairaj. After the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ travelled to Mosque Al – Aqsa in one night, upon hearing it, people made a joke out of it and called it something to only have happened in fantasy. But when they approached Abu Bakar (RA) about it, he refused to consider anything other than the truth if Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had said it happened.
Abu Bakar (RA) was a man who not only spoke the truth, but stood with the truth regardless of the hardships it brought. It was this ability to know the truth that brought him to recognise the rightness of the Quran when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ invited him to Islam.
In a hadith, he ﷺ mentioned about Abu Bakar (RA) and said,
“If I were to take a Khalil, I would have taken Abu Bakr, but he is my brother and my companion (in Islam).” [Bukhari – 3656]
Imagine having a character so magnificent that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the only perfect man on earth, finds it good enough to praise. Goosebumps moment!
In today’s time, we see a similar spark in our generation; the urge to know the truth and stand by it. We don’t want to be fooled and fed with the lies of YOLO. Instead, like truthseekers, we seek a purpose in this life, beautifully told to us by Islam. We know, deep down in our hearts, that La ilaha illa Allah is the only truth worth living our lives by. What we need is to embrace it wholeheartedly, along with all other principles of our faith and stand by it like the best friend of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stood with truth.
Al – Faruq (RA)
As you read on, I want you to imagine a man oozing out courageousness. A man who the devil himself used to avoid. According to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ he was the man who would have been a prophet, had prophethood continued after Prophet Muhammad ﷺ . What sort of a charismatic personality (or should I say rizz?) would this man be the possessor of? Umar ibn Al – Khattab (RA) was truly one in a million. Since the day of his martyrdom, no man of the same might has walked.
His courageousness and just nature paved a new road for Islam, one that we, as the Muslim ummah, need to own and deserve by our actions. According to an authentic hadith, it is reported that;
Abu Dhar (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw Umar and said,
“You shall not be afflicted with tribulation as long as he is amongst you.” [Al Tabarani]
Today, we see the people of Gaza desperately wishing to have someone like Umar (RA) who would stand up and be their saviour. The question we need to ask ourselves is had Umar Ibn Al Khattab (RA) been here, would this still be the scenario?
Needless to say the duty falls on us, the youth of the ummah, to stand fiercely tall and declare haq without being afraid of any backlash. Be it a global boycott, speaking against the LGBTQ+ filth or fighting against our own nafs (self), it is Al Faruq’s example that we need to follow.
Nu‘aymaan ibn ‘Amr al-Ansaari (RA)
As a young Muslim, everytime I thought of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ’s time, I would picture it quite similar to the setting of an 80’s film. Mostly grey, a colourless sun and no trace of humour. Nonetheless, that was only up until I got to know about Nuaymaan ibn ‘Amr Al Ansaari, the Sahabi who always used to make the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ laugh.
According to a hadith, It was narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab that…
“There was a man at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) whose name was ‘Abdullah, but his nickname was Himaar (donkey), and he used to make the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) laugh. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had him flogged for drinking, then he was brought one day and he commanded that he be flogged, and a man who was there said, “O Allah, curse him, how often he is brought [for this reason]!” But the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not curse him, for by Allah what I know about him is that he loves Allah and His Messenger.” [Bukhaari – 6780]
Healthy humour, that does not hurt the sentiments of other people and is not based on lies (even as a joke) was a trait that our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ not only possessed but also appreciated. After all, making someone smile is a sunnah.
Islam, by no means, sets unrealistic standards for us to follow. As a matter of fact, it understands our human needs and for this purpose, Allah (SWT) has given us human examples to follow and perfect our character.Undoubtedly, if we turn away from the western influence and follow the best of the best, we might as well have a shot at heaven (Yes, really heaven. The one that inhabits the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his sahaba)
