The Companions' Unprecedented Love and Respect for the Prophet

The Sahaba's Love and Reverence for the Prophet

How can you make such a statement? How can you even make such a claim? How can you even think that we, the Sahaba رضي الله عنهم, would forsake the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم? Nonetheless, Urwa ibn Mas'ud, he tries to negotiate whatever he could with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Eventually, he returns. When he comes back to the Quraish, he gives them a report about what he saw when he was with Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم.

Urwa ibn Mas'ud's Report to the Quraish

He tells them:

He says, "Oh my people" — they are all listening to him because he is a person of prominence, they respect him, they look up to him. He says, "Oh my people, let me tell you something. I have traveled the world. I have met with Kisra, the Persian emperor. I have met with Qaysar, the Roman emperor. I have met with Najashi — these leaders of the world at the time. I have met with all of them. I have interacted with them. I have seen their interactions with their people."

He said, "I swear by Allah, I have never ever seen anyone love another individual like how the Sahaba رضي الله عنهم love the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. I swear by Allah, I have never seen anyone show respect to another human like how the Sahaba رضي الله عنهم show respect to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. This is unprecedented. This is the first time in my life I am seeing anything like this."

And then he goes on to describe what he saw when he was there in Hudaybiyyah. How did the companions رضي الله عنهم love and respect Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم?

First: The Blessed Saliva of the Prophet

He says, "If the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had to spit, the companions رضي الله عنهم would come — they would race with one another to try and catch the spit of Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم — and then they would rub it over their bodies."

Understand that the saliva of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was not like our saliva. Imam al-Nawawi رحمه الله states in his al-Majmu':

(Imam al-Nawawi, al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhdhab)

"Everything that came out of the mubarak body of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was pure." So hence even the saliva of Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم was a means of shifa — it was a means of cure.

At the time of Khaybar, when Ali رضي الله عنه's eye was injured, Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم called him. People said his eye is injured, he is in pain. He said, "No, call him, bring him here." When he came and he was complaining of the pain in his eye:

Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم spat in the eye of Ali رضي الله عنه:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 4210; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2406)

The narration mentions that he was completely cured by the saliva of Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم — it was as if there was no pain in that eye, as if he didn't even suffer that injury at all.

At the time of Hijrah, when Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه and Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم were in the cave of Thawr, a scorpion had bit the foot of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه. At that time, as he was crying in pain, Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم applied some of his saliva to the foot of Abu Bakr رضي الله تعالى عنه, and immediately he was cured.

You look at even the blood which came from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. You look at the sweat which came from Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم. These were things that the Sahaba رضي الله عنهمspan> would cherish.

Once Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم was taking a nap at the house of Anas رضي الله عنه, and as he was sleeping, he began to sweat a little bit. So Umm Sulaym رضي الله عنها, the mother of Anas رضي الله عنه, she came with a little jar and started collecting the mubarak sweat of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, putting it in this little bottle of hers. So Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم, when he woke up, he asked her:

"What are you doing?" She replied:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2331)

"We take your sweat and we put it into our perfume." Your sweat, صلى الله عليه وسلم, was so mubarak, it had such a good smell, that she says when they would mix it with their perfume, they would realize that the sweat of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم smelled far better than any perfume they had.

So this is the first thing that he mentions:

If Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم had to spit, the Sahaba رضي الله عنهم would take it and they would apply it upon their bodies.

Second: Immediate Obedience to His Commands

The second thing he says: if Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم was to give them any command, immediately they would follow suit. There was no "if," "what," "but," "why," "maybe" — no. If my Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم told me to do something, immediately I will do it. So many examples that we can give of this — time does not permit.

Allah mentions:

When Allah and Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم give any command, then it is not befitting for a person to start asking questions — "But why? Why should I do it like this?" We may not be able to understand the hikmah, the wisdom behind it. But it is sufficient to say that the fact that Allah has told us, the fact that Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم has told us, means there is some benefit for us.

Third: Vying for the Water of His Wudu

When the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would make wudu, whatever leftover water there was, whatever water would be dripping off of the mubarak body of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم — he says, "I see the companions رضي الله عنهم and they would be vying with one another to try and get those droplets of water and apply it to their bodies." The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was not making wudu from a tap like how we have — he was making wudu from a small container, maybe a cup or two in our times, equivalent to that. So it was not a lot of water. So whatever droplets they could get, they would take that, and they would apply it to their bodies.

Fourth: Lowering Their Voices in His Presence

And then he says: when the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would speak, he said, "I see the companions رضي الله عنهم — immediately they would become silent." Nobody had to quiet them down, no one had to remind them that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is speaking. No. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would speak, immediately they would become quiet.

Once Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه and Umar رضي الله عنه got into a little bit of an argument, and in the middle of that they raised their voices a little bit in front of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Allah immediately corrected them:

"O you who believe, do not raise your voices above the voice of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم."

Fifth: Lowering Their Gaze Out of Awe

And then the last thing he mentions: the companions رضي الله عنهم would not look at the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم out of respect for him. They had so much awe, so much respect — they did not have the nerve, they did not have the courage to look up at the face of Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم.

Amr ibn al-'As رضي الله عنه says:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 121)

"I swear by Allah, there is no one who is more beloved to me than Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم. But if you were to ask me to describe the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, I would have to kindly excuse myself. For in my entire life, I never had the courage to lift my eyes and look up at the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم."

One narration mentions, when Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم:

— when he would enter into the masjid, all of the companions رضي الله عنهم would immediately drop their gaze. None of them had the courage to look up at Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم.

With the two exceptions of Abu Bakr and Umar رضي الله عنهما — they would look up, and they would smile at Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم, and Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم would look back at them, and he would smile at them also.

What Inspired This Love?

This is a beautiful description that Urwa ibn Mas'ud al-Thaqafi gives us — of the interaction between Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم and between his companions رضي الله عنهم.

One point that I want to conclude on: if you look at this description, and you look at the love which Sahaba رضي الله تعالى عنهم had for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, it was not because of wealth. It was not because of fame, or any worldly thing. It is not that they loved the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم because of his wealth, or because of his fame.

What instilled that love, that muhabba, within their hearts for Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم — that respect in their hearts for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم — was the beautiful character of Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم. The sifat, the qualities, the way the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم dealt with each and every single one of them. The kindness, the softness, the generosity that Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم showed them. It was these characteristics of Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم that instilled that love and that respect in the hearts of the Sahaba رضي الله عنهم for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.

Likewise, if we want people around us to love us — we want our families to love us, we want our friends to love us, we want our neighbors to love us, we want our co-workers to love us — then we also have to adopt the akhlaq, the characteristics, the qualities of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم. When we walk, when we speak, with the character, with the qualities of Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم, insha'Allah everyone around us will also begin to love us.

May Allah grant us the tawfiq. May Allah unite us with our beloved Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم in Jannatul Firdaus. Ameen, Ya Rabbal Alameen.

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