هناك تعريفان للصحابي:

There are two definitions of a Sahabi:

١. مسلمٌ رأى النبيَّ ﷺ.

1. A Muslim who saw the Prophet (saw).

٢۔ مسلمٌ عاش مع النبيِّ ﷺ سنةً أو سنتين، أو شارك في غزوةٍ أو غزوتين من الغزوات التي قادها النبيُّ ﷺ.

2. A Muslim who lived with the Prophet (saw) for one or two years or participated in one or two Ghazwaat (military expeditions led by the Prophet [saw]).

وَالتَّعْرِيفُ الْأَخِيرُ رَوَاهُ الْإِمَامُ الْكَبِيرُ مِنْ عُلَمَاءِ التَّابِعِينَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ، وَهُوَ أَقْوَى. وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «لَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِلْمَرْءِ صُحْبَةٌ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ سَنَةً أَوْ سَنَتَيْنِ، أَوْ أَنْ يَكُونَ قَدْ غَزَا مَعَهُ غَزْوَةً أَوْ غَزْوَتَيْنِ». وَرَوَى شُعْبَةُ عَنْ مُوسَى السِّبِّيلَانِيِّ – وَكَانَ يُثْنِي عَلَيْهِ – أَنَّهُ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ: هَلْ بَقِيَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ أَحَدٌ غَيْرُكَ؟ قَالَ: «بَقِيَ نَاسٌ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ قَدْ رَأَوْهُ، أَمَّا أَصْحَابُهُ فَلَا!». وَقَالَ الْإِمَامُ الْمَازِرِيُّ فِي كِتَابِهِ «شَرْحُ الْبُرْهَانِ»: «لَسْنَا نَعْنِي بِالصَّحَابَةِ مَنْ لَقِيَهُ يَوْمًا أَوْ يَوْمَيْنِ، أَوْ مَنْ شَهِدَهُ لِبَعْضِ الشَّأْنِ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ، بَلْ نَعْنِي مَنِ اتَّبَعَهُ وَنَصَرَهُ وَاهْتَدَى بِالنُّورِ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ مَعَهُ، أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ﷺ».

The latter definition was reported by the famous scholar of the Tabi‟een, Said bin al-Musayeb and is stronger. It has been narrated he said, “It is essential that someone has companionship with the Prophet (saw) for one or two years, or has gone out with him on one or two battles.” Shu'ba reported from Musa al-Sibillani - whom he spoke appreciatively about - that he said: “I said to Anas bin Malik (ra). Are there any companions of the Messenger of Allah (saw) left other than you? He said: There are still many Arabs who saw him. As for his companions, no!” Imam al-Mazini said in his book Sharh ul-Burhan, “We do not mean by Sahabah those who met him for a day or two, or those who attended him for some business and then left, we mean those who followed him, helped him and were guided by the light that Allah (swt) revealed to him (saaw), those are the ones to attain felicity.”