Sahaba in the Quran

Some of the Sahaba (lit. Companions of the Prophet) are referred to in the Islamic holy book of the Quran. Among the Sahaba, one of Muhammad's earliest followers and an adopted son, Zayd ibn Haritha, is the only one to be mentioned by name.

Abu Bakr

Verse 3:158

Some Sunni scholars have maintained that this verse of the ninety-second chapter al-Layl refers to Abu Bakr. He was popular for his manumission of slaves, and he also used to give a lot of charity. In this verse, the word ṣadaq (lit. Testifier) is linked to Abu Bakr's testifying of the Night Journey, a miracle attributed to the Islamic prophet, after which Muhammad gave the honorific epithet ṣiddīq (lit. Testifier of Truth) to Abu Bakr.^[1]

He who gives (charity) and fears (God), And testifies (ṣadaqa) in the Best, We will indeed make smooth for him the path to ease

Verse 9:40

Muhammad's closest advisor, childhood friend and later first caliph Abu Bakr (r. 632–634) is referred to in at least two times in one verse. The Quran's ninth chapter at-Tawba's fortieth verse calls Abu Bakr the 'Second of the Two' (thānīya ithnayn), in reference to his and Muhammad's stay at the cave of Mount Thawr. In this same verse, Abu Bakr is mentioned the al-ṣāhib (lit. the Companion) of Muhammad.^[2] These two Arabic titles thānīya ithnayn and al-ṣāhib later became honorific epithets for the caliph.^[3] The verse of at-Tawba is:

If you help him not, for God did indeed help him when the disbelievers drove him out, the second of two (thānīya ithnayn) when they were in the cave, and he said to his companion (al-ṣāhib): Be not sad (or afraid), surely God is with us.

Ali

Main page: Religion:Ali in the Quran

Verse 2:207

The fourth caliph Ali (r. 656–661) being referred to in the Quran is not unanimously accepted by all Muslims.^[4] In July 622, Muhammad left Mecca and began his migration to Medina. Before leaving for Medina with Abu Bakr, the Islamic prophet appointed Ali to sleep in his house. When the Mushrikun went to Muhammad's room with the aim of killing him, they instead found Ali in his bed. The Iranian Shia scholar Husayn Tabatabai (c. 1903–1981) interpreted the 207th verse of al-Baqara referring to Ali.^[5] The verse of al-Baqara is:

Of the people (an-nās) is he who sells his self (nafs), seeking the (marḍātillāh), approval of God). And God is Kind to the servants (Raʾūfum-bil-ʿibād).

Verse 3:61

In October 631, a group of Christian envoys from Najran came to Muhammad to debate doctrines regarding Jesus. Islamic sources report that Muhammad was instructed to call them to Mubahala where each party should ask God to destroy the false party and their families.^[6] The sixty-first verse of Al Imran says:

Whoever disputes with you O Prophet concerning Jesus after full knowledge has come to you, say, “Come! Let us gather our sons (al-'abnā) and your children, our women (an-nisā) and your women, ourselves (an-fūsanā) and yourselves.”

Almost all early sources agree that Muhammad brought his only surviving daughter and Ali's wife Fatimah and grandsons Hasan and Husayn. Additional sources state that Ali also came to the Mubahala event.^[6] Some scholars believe that the phrase al-'abnā ('our sons') refers to Hasan and Husayn, an-nisā ('our women') refers to Fatimah, and that an-fūsanā ('ourselves') refers Muhammad and Ali.^[6]

Verse 5:67

Shia sources state that God commanded Muhammad to announce Ali as his successor on his way from his last pilgrimage to Mecca.^[7] Shia exegeses suggest that, fearing the reaction of some of his companions, Muhammad was concerned about implementing his divine instructions to announce Ali as his successor. According to the these sources, it was after the revelation of this verse that Muhammad gave his sermon at Ghadir Khumm.^[8] Sunni scholars instead associate this verse with Muhammad's precarious conditions in Mecca during the early years of Islam, and the prophet's interactions the People of the Book (ahl al-kitāb).^[9] The verse is:

O Messenger! deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and God will protect you from the people; surely God will not guide the unbelieving people.

Verse 5:3

In March 632, Muhammad delivered a sermon at Ghadir Khumm about Ali, reportedly uttering the words 'He whose mawlā I am, Ali is his mawlā'. Shia Muslims believe this to be the appointment of Ali as Muhammad's successor.^[10] Some Shia scholars claim that Islam was fulfilled as a religion on this day of Ghadir Khumm. They interpret that Al-Ma'idah's third verse was revealed following this sermon:

This day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion

This interpretation is highly debated by the early Sunni scholars, who report that this verse was revealed after the Farewell Pilgrimage.^[11] Sunni comm3entators argue that the perfection of Islam in this verse refers to either the establishment of the rites for hajj during the Farewell Pilgrimage or the closure of Islamic legislation in connection with the dietary instructions in the remainder of verse.^[11]

Verse 33:33

The phrase ahl al-bayt (lit. people of the house) appears three times in the Quran and in relation to Abraham, Moses, and Muhammad. It refers to the family of the prophets, though Muhammad's ahl al-bayt is disputed among Muslims. The Shia scholars record that the ahl al-bayt are the ahl al-kisāʾ (lit. people of the mantle), which include Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husayn.^[12] These traditions are also found in the early historian exegesis of al-Tabari (c. 839–923). The Sunni scholars Ahmad ibn Hanbal (c. 780–855) and al-Suyuti (c. 1445–1505) agree with these Shia accounts of the ahl al-bayt. However, most Sunni scholars, including al-Waqidi (c. 747–823) and Ibn Kathir (c. 1300–1373) believe Muhammad's wives to be the ahl al-bayt.^[13]

God only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, People of the House (ahl al-bayt), and purify you a purifying.

Zayd ibn Haritha

Muhammad's adopted son Zayd ibn Haritha is mentioned by name in the thirty-third chapter al-Ahzab's thirty-seventh verse.^[14] Islamic sources report that the Islamic prophet was in love to his cousin Zaynab, though he kept his feelings private. Zaynab's husband Zayd came to Muhammad and said that he could divorce Zaynab if Muhammad wanted, but the latter refused, saying that "Keep your wife and fear God".^[14] Afterwards, Zaynab and Zayd had differences and eventually Zayd divorced her.^[14]

When you said to the one on whom God bestowed favor and you bestowed favor, "Keep your wife and fear God" while you concealed within yourself that which God is to disclose. And you feared the people, while God has more right that you fear Him. So when Zayd had no longer any need for her, We married her to you in order that there not be upon the believers any discomfort concerning the wives of their claimed (adopted) sons when they no longer have need of them.

References

Bibliography

• Abbas, Hassan (2021). The Prophet's Heir: The Life of Ali ibn Abi Talib. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300252057. 
• "ĀL-E ʿABĀ". Encyclopædia Iranica. I. 2011. p. 742. https://iranicaonline.org/articles/al-e-aba-the-family-of-the-cloak-i. 
• Kenny, Joseph (1992). Muhammad and the Rise of Islam: A Critical Presentation of the Background and Major Muslim Sources. Verlag Nicht Ermittelbar. 
• Daneshgar, Majid; Saleh, Walid (2016). Islamic Studies Today: Essays in Honor of Andrew Rippin. Brill. ISBN 9789004337121. 
• Fitzpatrick, Coeli; Walker, Adam Hani (2014). Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Prophet of God. ISBN 9781610691789. 
• "AHL-E BAYT". Encyclopædia Iranica. I. 2011. https://iranicaonline.org/articles/ahl-e-bayt. 
• Lalani, Arzina (2011). "Ghadir Khumm". Oxford Bibliographies. https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780195390155/obo-9780195390155-0105.xml. 
• Madelung, Wilferd (1997). The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-64696-3. 
• Modarressi, Hossein (1993). "Early Debates on the Integrity of the Qur'ān: A Brief Survey". Studia Islamica. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1595789. 
• Muir, William (1878). The Life of Muhammad from Original Sources. Princeton University. 
• Nasr, Seyyed Hossein (2015). The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary. Harper Collins. ISBN 9780062227621. 
• Tabatabai, Husayn (2020). Al-Mizan: Exegesis of the Qur'an: English Volume 2. Tawheed Institute Australia Limited. ISBN 9780648421238. 

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