Major Sins by Imam Shamsu ed-Deen Dhahabi

The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Allah most high says: he who is hostile to a friend (Waliyy) of Mine, I declare war against" "Do not revile my companions, for by Him in Whose Hand is my soul, were one of you to spend gold equal to mount Uhud, you would not attain the reward of the handful of one of them or even half of it.”1

(Because what they spent benefited Islam more)

"Allah! Allah! (Keep the thought of Allah) concerning my companions. "Do not take them as a target" (for your obscenity or charges) after me, He who loves them, loves me but he who hate them, hates Me, and he who offends them, offends me and in turn offends Allah and he who offends Allah, Allah almost takes him”2

"The sign of faith is love of the helpers (Ansar), and the sign of hypocrisy is hatred of the helpers.”3

This is because they were the first believers who fought the enemies of Islam fiercely at the lifetime of the Prophet (pbuh). Likewise, the love of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is of faith and the hatred of him is hypocrisy" The excellence of the Prophet's companions can be recognized by studying their biography and their traces during the Prophet's lifetime and thereafter. This excellence is represented in their sincere faith, fighting against the disbelievers, disseminating the belief, declaring the Islamic rites, raising high the word of Allah and His Messenger and teaching others the obligatory and Sunna worshiping. Were not they, we would not receive anything concerning the religion. Hence, whoever disparages them is beyond the pale of Islam.

Such disparaging is undoubtedly out of the belief that they were wicked people and thus denying the sayings of Allah and His Messenger when praising them and indicating their virtues. They are also the intermediaries between the source and the target of sacred knowledge. Doubting the intermediary necessarily affects the source.

The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Allah has selected me and picked out my companions. From among my Companions, I have ministers, helpers, and relatives by marriage. Thereby, whoever disparages them entails the curse of Allah, His angels and all the people. Allah will not accept their deeds on the Day of Judgment.”4

Anas Ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) related, once the Prophetic Companions said, "The curse of Allah the angels and the whole people is upon whoever reviles my companions.” 5

"Allah has selected me and picked out my companions. He also granted me friends, brothers and relatives by marriage. There will be another generation thereafter who will revile and disparage them. Therefore, you should not interact with them in food, drink marriage, prayer over them or prayer with them.” 1

Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Hold your tongue whenever you hear the mentioning of my Companions, stars and destiny.”2

Scholars argued that, holding one's tongue is a sign of complete submission to Allah.

It is obligatory for a Muslim to love Allah and his Messenger. Of the Prophet's love is to love all what He was sent with, those who take after him, those who apply his tradition and guidance, household, companions, wives, progeny, servants, and to love whoever loves them and hate whoever hates them.

Abu Ayyub As-Sakhtiyyani (may Allah be pleased with him) said, whoever loves Abu Bakr raises the minaret of the religion higher, whoever loves 'Umar clarifies the way, whoever loves 'Uthman, is enlightened by Allah's light, whoever loves Ali adheres to the clearest principle and whoever says, the Prophet's companions are good and right is free from hypocrisy.

As for the virtues of the Prophetic companions, they are countless. The best of the companions are the ten whom the Prophet promised to enter paradise. The best four of them are Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman and' Ali (may Allah be pleased with them all). Whoever doubts them, is a hypocrite.

In the hadith narrated by AI-'Irbad Ibn Sariyyah, the Prophet said, "You must follow my deeds (Sunna) and that of the rightly guided caliphs. Hold it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties (in religious matters), for every novelty is an innovation and every innovation is an error and every error is in hell.” 3

The Rightly-Guided Caliphs are: Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman and , Ali. The former was mentioned in the Qur'an several times.

"Let not those among you who are endued with grace and amplitude of means resolve by oath against helping their kinsmen, those in want, and those who have left their homes in Allah's cause" (An-Nur: 22)

{ Being the second of the two, they two were in the care.} (At- Tawbah: 40)

{And he who brings the truth and who confirms (and supports) it.} (Az-Zummar: 33)