The Companions and the Prophet's family
Who the Sahabah are, the four Rightly Guided Caliphs in their order, and the honour owed to the Prophet's ﷺ household.
After the prophets, the people Allah honoured most are the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ companions, called the Sahabah. A Sahabi is someone who met the Prophet ﷺ, believed in Islam, and died still believing. The Sahabah are greater than every other Muslim, and they deserve our respect and admiration.
The Prophet's ﷺ family is also very special and deserves great respect: his children and his wives. Among his children, his daughter Fatimah Zahra holds the highest honour. Among his wives, Khadijah al-Kubra and Aisha Siddiqa hold the highest respect. His grandsons, Imam Hasan and Imam Husain, are deeply honoured too, and are called the leaders of the youth of Paradise.
After the prophets, the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ companions (Sahabah) are the most honoured people. The Sahabah are those who met the Prophet ﷺ while having faith in Islam, and who passed away as believers. They are greater than all other Muslims and saints, hold high ranks of honour, and deserve respect and admiration.
| Caliph | Note on rank |
|---|---|
| Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (RA) | First caliph; the highest-ranking of all the companions; after the prophets, his rank is the greatest. |
| Hazrat Umar Farooq (RA) | Second caliph; holds the highest rank after Abu Bakr. |
| Hazrat Uthman Dhun-Nurayn (RA) | Third caliph; holds the highest rank after Abu Bakr and Umar. |
| Hazrat Ali Murtaza (RA) | Fourth caliph; holds the highest rank after the first three. |
These four hold honour in the same order in which they became caliph. Together with six other companions, they were promised Paradise by the Prophet ﷺ; the ten together are known as the Asharah Mubasharah ("The Ten Blessed Companions").
The family of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, his children and his wives, is likewise special and deserving of respect. Among his children, Hazrat Fatimah Zahra (RA) holds the highest honour; among his wives, Hazrat Khadijah al-Kubra and Hazrat Aisha Siddiqa (RA) hold the highest respect. His grandsons, Hazrat Imam Hasan and Hazrat Imam Husain (RA), are also deeply honoured and are called the leaders of the youth of Paradise.
After the anbiyāʾ, the Ṣaḥābah of the Prophet ﷺ hold the highest honour among people. A Ṣaḥābī is one who met the Prophet ﷺ believing in Islam and died upon that belief. The Ṣaḥābah surpass in rank every other Muslim and every walī, and are owed reverence and admiration.
| Caliph | Rank |
|---|---|
| Abū Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddīq (RA) | First caliph and the highest-ranking Ṣaḥābī; after the prophets his rank surpasses all creation. |
| ʿUmar al-Fārūq (RA) | Second caliph; ranks highest after Abū Bakr. |
| ʿUthmān Dhū'n-Nūrayn (RA) | Third caliph; ranks highest after Abū Bakr and ʿUmar. |
| ʿAlī al-Murtaḍā (RA) | Fourth caliph; ranks highest after the preceding three. |
Their mutual precedence follows the order of their caliphate. Together with six further Ṣaḥābah they are al-ʿAsharah al-Mubashsharah, the ten given the specific glad tiding of Paradise by name.
The Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet ﷺ, his offspring and his spouses, likewise command singular honour. Among his children, Fāṭimah az-Zahrāʾ (RA) holds the foremost rank; among his wives, Khadījah al-Kubrā and ʿĀʾishah aṣ-Ṣiddīqah (RA) hold the foremost rank. His grandsons, al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn (RA), are honoured as sayyidā shabāb ahl al-Jannah, the leaders of the youth of Paradise.
Terms on this page
Related
- Belief in the angels What a Muslim believes about the angels, their nature, and the four angels of the highest rank.
- Belief in the prophets, and the life of the Prophet ﷺ What a Muslim believes about the prophets and their miracles, and a brief account of the life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
- Jannat al-Baqi, Masjid Quba, and other places to visit in Madinah The graves in the Baqi graveyard, the martyrs of Uhud, and the historic mosques of Madinah, including Masjid Quba.
- Saints, jinn, and further matters of belief Wilayah and karamat, seeking wasilah, why no one is exempt from Shariah, the jinn, why we exist, and following a madhhab and a Sufi teacher.