Virtues of the Sahaba

Definition of Sahaba: Anybody who met the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), believed in him and died a believer.

“Allah looked into the hearts of His slaves, and He saw that the heart of Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the best of people’s hearts, so He chose him for Himself and sent him with His message. Then He looked into the hearts of His slaves after the heart of Muhammad, and He found that the hearts of his Sahaba (companions) were the best of people’s hearts, so He made them the supporters of His Prophet, who fought for His religion. So whatever they think is good, is good before Allah, and whatever they think is bad, is bad before Allah.” (Abdullah Ibn Masood)

The Sahaba were the first and best generation of Muslims. We need to learn about them, love them, and emulate them. To help you learn more about the Sahaba, here is a short list of 70 amazing facts about 70 Sahaba.

NOTE: I did not write (RA) after each Sahabi’s name, as it is recommended to say it but not obligatory to write it. (RA) is short for Radi Allahu Anhu/haa/hum which means ‘May Allah be pleased with him/her/them’.

The Rightly Guided Caliphs: (The four Great Sahaba who ruled after the Prophet)

1. Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq – He was the Prophet’s (pbuh) chosen companion for the Hijrah. (Migration To Madinah)
2. Umar Ibn Al-Khattab – During his reign, Iraq, Syria, Palestine and Egypt all became part of the Muslim Empire.
3. Uthman Ibn Affan – He was considered the most modest of the Sahaba and even the angels would feel shy around him.
4. Ali Ibn Abi Talib – He grew up in the Prophet’s (pbuh) home and accepted Islam when he was ten years old.

The Early Converts: (Those who converted before the Hijrah)

1. Zaid Ibn Haritha – He chose to live with the Prophet (pbuh) over his own father.
2. Khadija Bint Khuwailid – She was the Prophet’s first wife and the first believer too.
3. Fathima Bint Asad – She was the wife of Abu Talib and raised the Prophet (pbuh) after his grandfather passed away.
4. Safiyya Bint Abdul Mutallib – She was the Prophet’s (pbuh) aunt and mother of Zubair Ibn Al-Awwam
5. Abu Ubaidah Ibn Al-Jarrah – He was known as the trustworthy man of this ummah and was chosen to lead the Muslim armies by Umar Ibn Al-Khattab.
6. Abu Dharr Al-Ghifaari – He was not from Makkah but went to Makkah in search of the Prophet (pbuh) and became an early convert.
7. Zubair Ibn Al-Awwam – He was the first person to draw his sword in defense of Islam.
8. Bilal Ibn Rabaa – He was an African slave who was freed and became the first Mu’addhin.
9. Talha Ibn Ubaidullah – He was known as the living martyr due the number of injuries he sustained at Uhud.
10. Sad Ibn Abi Waqqas – He was one of the blessed ten and the last of them to pass away.
11. Fathima Bint Al-Khattab – She was the sister of Umar and converted to Islam before him.
12. Zaid Ibn Al-Khattab – He was the elder brother of Umar, converted to Islam before him, and was martyred at Yamama.
13. Abdur Rahman Ibn Awf – He was the wealthiest Sahabi and was extremely generous. He was also one of the blessed ten.
14. Khabbab Ibnt Arrat – He was an early convert who endured the worst torture for the sake of Islam.
15. Saeed Ibn Zaid – He was one of the blessed ten, husband of Fathima Bint Khattab and the son of the famous Zaid Ibn Amr Ibn Nufail. (look him up)
16. Sumayya bint Khayyat – She was the first martyr to die for Islam. She was killed by Abu Jahl.
17. Yasir Ibn Amir – Husband of Sumayya, he was the first male martyr to die for Islam. Also killed by Abu Jahl.
18. Ammar Ibn Yasir – The son of Yasir Ibn Amir. He lived a long life and died during the civil war.
19. Mus’ab Ibn Umair – He was the first person to be sent out of Makkah on an official mission of Dawah, and was responsible for the Dawah spreading through Madinah.
20. Abu Hudhaifah Ibn Utbah – He was an early convert to Islam who was martyred at Yamama.
21. Salim Mawla Abi Hudhaifah – He was the slave of Abu Hudhaifa, who freed him and adopted him. They died together in Yamama,
22. Hamza Ibn Abdul Mutallib -He was the uncle of the Prophet (pbuh). He was martyred at Uhud.

The Ansar of Madinah: (The helpers, the Sahaba from Madinah)

1. Sa’d Ibn Muadh – He was the leader of the Aus tribe, and was martyred after the Battle of the Trench.
2. Sa’d Ibn Ubadah – He was the leader of the Khazraj tribe, and was appointed as the leader of the Ansaar.
3. Abdullah Ibn Rawaaha – He was the poet who defended Islam with his words. He was martyred at Mut’ah.
4. Umm Sulaim Ar-Rumaysa – When Abu Talha wanted to marry her, she asked him to convert to Islam and his conversion would suffice as her Mahr (wedding gift).
5. Anas Ibn Malik – The son of Umm Sulaim, he served the Prophet (pbuh) for ten years and never encountered a bad word from him.
6. Al-Baraa Ibn Malik – Another son of Umm Sulaim, he was a brave warrior responsible for the victory at Yamama.
7. Abdullah Ibn Salaam – He was a Jewish Rabbi who converted to Islam.
8. Salmaan Al-Farsee – He was a Persian who traveled in search of the truth. His travels brought him to Madinah and Islam.
9. Abu Darda – He was known for his dislike for this world and love of the late night prayer.
10. Abu Dujana – He was a brave warrior who was given the Prophet’s (pbuh) sword.
11. Umm Haram Bint Milhan – The Prophet (pbuh) prophecized that she would sail with the first Muslim navy. She did so and was buried in Cyprus.

The Late Converts: (Those who converted in the last five years of the Prophet’s life)

1. Khalid Ibn Waleed – He was known as the sword of Allah and was undefeated in battle.
2. Amr Ibn Al-Aas – He was a well-spoken diplomat and was responsible for the conquest of Egypt.
3. Abu Sufyan – He fought against Islam most of his life, eventually converted and from his progeny came the first Muslim dynasty.
4. Hind Bint Utbah – The wife of Abu Sufyan, and the mother of the first Muslim King, Muawiyah.
5. Wahshi – He was a freed slave who was responsible for killing Hamza before becoming a Muslim, and accredited with killing the false prophet Musaylama after converting.
6. Uthman Ibn Talha – He was responsible for the keys of the Kabah and this responsibility remains with his descendants until today.
7. Ikrimah Ibn Abi Hakam – He was the son of Abu Jahl, and died a martyr at Yarmook.
8. Safwan Ibn Umayyah – He was the son of Umayyah Ibn Khalaf and only converted to Islam after the battle of Hunayn.
9. Suhail Ibn Amr – He was a dynamic speaker and initially a staunch enemy of Islam. He expressed great regret at accepting Islam so late, and made up for it in Jihad.
10. Abu Hurairah – He converted to Islam three years before the Prophet (pbuh) passed away, yet narrated more Hadiths than any other Sahabi.
11. Muawiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan – He was the first Muslim king and founder of the Umayyad Dynasty.
12. Yazeed Ibn Abi Sufyan – He was the elder brother of Muawiyah and considered more righteous than him.
13. Abbas Ibn Abdul Mutallib – He was the uncle of the Prophet (pbuh) and is considered the last person to make Hijrah to Madinah.

The Prophet’s Wives: (Khadija was already mentioned earlier)

1. Aisha Bint Abi Bakr – She narrated more Hadiths than any other woman and was a great scholar of Islam.
2. Sauda Bint Zam’ah – She was the second woman that the Prophet (pbuh) married and helped raise his daughters.
3. Hafsa Bint Umar – She was the daughter of Umar Ibn Al-Khattab and the custodian of the Qur’an.
4. Zainab Bint Jahsh – She was the Prophet’s cousin and married to him through Surah Al-Ahzaab. She was known for her generosity.
5. Safiyyah Bint Huyay – She was the daughter of a Jewish Chief, and a descendant of Prophet Harun (AS).
6. Juwairiyyah Bint Al-Harith – She was known for spending most of her time in Salah and Dhikr.
7. Zainab Bint Khuzayma – She was known for her generosity and passed away two years after marrying the Prophet (pbuh).
8. Maymuna Bint Al-Harith – She was the last woman that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) married.
9. Umm Habiba Bint Abi Sufyan – She was one of those who migrated to both Abyssinia and later Madinah.
10. Umm Salama – She was known for her wisdom and knowledge. She narrated many important Hadiths.

The Prophet’s Family and Relatives:

1. Fathima – She is the leader of the women of Paradise.
2. Zainab – She was the Prophet’s eldest daughter and passed away during his lifetime.
3. Ruqayya – She was married to Uthman Ibn Affan and passed away around the same time as the Battle of Badr.
4. Umm Khulthoom – She married Uthman Ibn Affan after her sister passed away. She also passed away during the Prophet’s lifetime.
5. Hassan Ibn Ali – He was responsible for ending the first civil war and reuniting the ummah.
6. Hussain Ibn Ali – He was known for his courage in standing up for what he believed in. He was martyred at Karbala.
7. Fadhl Ibn Abbas – He was the Prophet’s (pbuh) cousin and assisted in his burial.
8. Abdullah Ibn Abbas – He was the younger brother of Fadhl and is known as the greatest authority on Tafseer.
9. Jafar Ibn Abi Talib -He was the Prophet’s (pbuh) cousin, and represented the immigrants to Abyssinia in the court of the King of Abyssinia.
10. Usamah Ibn Zaid – He was the son of Zaid Ibn Haritha and the Prophet (pbuh) appointed him as a leader when he was still a teenager.