Through gesture, he said, ‘Take this water to him.’ When I reached him, he had passed away. Then I came back to Sayyiduna Hishaam Bin ‘Aas, but he too had passed away. Then I came back to my [paternal] cousin and saw that he had passed away too. (‘Uyoon-ul-Hikayaat, vol. 1, pp. 73)

سُـبْحٰـنَ الـلّٰـه عَزَّوَجَلَّ! What great eminence and dignity the blessed companions
رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُم possessed. Despite having their bodies covered with wounds and severity of thirst being at its peak, may we be sacrificed upon the passion of sacrifice of these blessed individuals that even in these testing times, they cared about the groaning of other companions رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُم so much that they prioritised them over their own thirst. Just ponder that when one faces such calamitous situation when even intellect stops working and every person just thinks about himself, even then these individuals are worrying for others rather than saving their own lives thinking that if I drink the water, then my Muslim brother will remain thirsty. Undoubtedly, this was the result of their excellent education and upbringing, highly exalted courage and accomplished devotion towards Allah Almighty and His Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Due to these very illustrious traits of theirs, talking about these shining stars of guidance even after centuries provide tranquillity and solace to the hearts of Muslims. Moreover, their dignity and eminence has prevailed all around. Let’s now hear that who is a ‘Sahabi’ [companion].

Definition of Sahabi [companion]

‘Allamah Haafiz Ibn-e-Hajar ‘Asqalani رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه states: Those fortunate individuals who saw the Holy Nabi صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم in the state of Iman and also passed away in the state of Iman are called ‘Sahabi’ [companion].

(Fath-ul-Baari, vol. 8, pp. 3 - 4)

The number of these companions is more than 1,00,000. It is narrated that approximately 1,14,000 companions رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُم gathered in Makkah Mukarramah on the occasion of Hijja-tul-Wada’ with the Beloved Rasool           صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم for Hajj. From some other narrations, we find out that the number of blessed companions رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُم on the occasion of Hijja-tul-Wada’ was approximately 1,24,000.

(Zurqaani, vol. 3, pp. 106; Madarij, vol. 2, pp. 387; Karamaat-e-Sahabah, pp. 51)

Names of all the blessed companions رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُم are not known. Number of those companions whose names are known are 7,000.

(Malfuzaat-e-A’la Hadrat, pp. 400)

(Among all the companions رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُم), Khulafa-e-Arba’ah (i.e. Sayyiduna Siddeeq-e-Akbar, Sayyiduna Farooq-e-A’zam, Sayyiduna ‘Usman-e-Ghani and