The Companions' Love for the Prophet ﷺ
The degree of a person’s Imān depends upon the degree of his love for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. No love means no iman, while the upper levels of iman – its kamal/ its fullness and perfection, can only be reached by giving him precedence over all other things in creation, even your own parents and your own children. The Prophet ﷺ said,
لا يؤمن أحدكم حتى أكون أحب إليه من أهله وماله والناس أجمعين
“None of you believes until I am more beloved to him than his family, his wealth and all people.”
This is the form of love the Companions had for their Prophet ﷺ. They lived to please him and wanted to remove anything that displeased him ﷺ.
An example is found in the story of the sahabiyya, Sumayra’ bint Qays (ra). She lost five members of her family at the battle of Uhud – her two sons, her father, her husband and her brother, and yet the only question that was on her lips, the only concern that was in her heart was, “What has happened to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?” When she was told he was well, she said, “Let me see him!” And then when she saw him, she said,
كل مصيبه بعدك جلل يارسول الله
“Every affliction is as nothing now that you are safe, Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”
Her love for him and joy at his well-being made all of the tremendous loss she had suffered seem slight in comparison and unworthy of attention. And he was not just more beloved to them than their nearest and dearest, but also than themselves. Allah says,
النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ
“The Prophet is preferable to the believers than themselves”
And the Prophet ﷺ said,
لا يؤمن أحدكم حتى أكون أحب إليه من نفسه
“None of you believes until I am more beloved to him than himself.”
The Companions thought nothing of putting their own lives in danger so long as it meant that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was saved.
Take the example of Talha ibn Ubaydillah – he used his own body as a shield at Uhud to protect the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, suffering more than 70 wounds in the process and losing the use of one of his arms. And he continued to stand between him and the enemy until he knew he was safe.
Or take the example of Zayd ibn ad-Dathina, who was captured by Quraysh and was threatened with execution. “Would you not prefer that you were now home with your family, and Muhammad was here in your place?” they asked him. He replied, “By Allah, I would not wish the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to be so much as pricked by a thorn in exchange for me being safe at home with my family."
Abu Sufyan said, “I have never seen a people have such love for their companion as the Companions of Muhammad have for him.” And then they executed him.
We ask Allah to grant us that level of love for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
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