Akwai ma'anoni biyu na Sahabi:

There are two definitions of a Sahabi:

1. Musulmi wanda ya ga Annabi ﷺ.

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

2. Musulmi wanda ya zauna tare da Annabi ﷺ shekara ɗaya ko biyu, ko ya halarci Ghazwaat (yaƙe-yaƙen da Annabi ﷺ ya jagoranta) guda ɗaya ko biyu.

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]).

Ta'ريfin na biyu da ya fi karfi shi ne wanda malamin Tabi'un nan sanannen, Sa'id bin al-Musayyab, ya ruwaito, kuma ya ce: "Wajibi ne mutum ya zauna tare da Manzon Allah ﷺ shekara daya ko biyu, ko kuma ya fita yaki tare da shi daya ko biyu." Shu'ba ya ruwaito daga Musa al-Sibillani - wanda ya yi magana da yabo a kansa - cewa ya ce: "Na ce wa Anas bin Malik (ra): Shin akwai wasu sahabban Manzon Allah ﷺ da suka rage banda kai? Ya ce: Har yanzu akwai Larabawa da yawa da suka gan shi. Amma sahabbansa, a'a!" Imam al-Mazini ya ce a cikin littafinsa Sharh ul-Burhan: "Ba ma nufin da Sahaba wadanda suka hadu da shi yini ko biyu, ko wadanda suka yi masa hidima don wata harka sannan suka tafi. Muna nufin wadanda suka bi shi, suka taimake shi, kuma suka shiryu da hasken da Allah (swt) ya saukar masa ﷺ, wadannan su ne wadanda za su samu rabauta."

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.”