The Best of the Best to take our Deen from first-most !

The Prophet Muhammad (saws) said in a famous Hadith narrated by 'Imraan bin Husayn (ra):

"Verily the best among you (to follow) is my generation (the Messenger Muhammad (saws) and his Companions (ra)), then those who follow, and then those who follow them…" [Sahih Muslim, Book: the Virtues of the Sahaabah, chapter 52 #2535]

From this Hadith we can understand the following - undoubtedly, the best people to understand Islaam, the Qur'aan, Sunnah, and Shari'ah terminology etc. is the first generation in Islam – the Messenger Muhammad (saws) and His Companions (ra). The Messenger Muhammad (saws) also praised those who follow this first generation, and then those who follow the followers of the first generation. In other words, the best generations in Islam are:

The first generation – the Messenger Muhammad (saws) and His Companion

The second generation – those who followed the first generation (known as the Taabi'een)

The third generation (ended 240-260 AH) – those who followed the Taabi'een (known as Taabi' ut-Taabi'een)

This is the order in which the Messenger Muhammad (saws) praised them; therefore as his followers we must also praise them in the same order. Anybody who disagrees with this is following someone or something other than the best people who ever walked the face of this earth, and his only destiny will be the Hellfire as Allah says:

"And whosoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (saws) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the Believers' (the Nabi (saws) and his Companions) way, we shall keep him in the path he has chosen and burn him in Hell – what an evil destination!" [an-Nisaa, 4:115]

Therefore, it is very foolish for people nowadays to follow those who are not from the first generation in Islam.

Today, people follow the likes of Imaam Abu Hanifah or Imaam ash-Shafi'ee instead of following the Messenger Muhammad (saws) and his Companions. If you tell them "Abu Bakr said…" they say "…yes, BUT Abu Hanifah said…" This is exactly what the above verse is speaking about – following a path other than that of the Believers (the Messenger Muhammad (saws) and his Companions).

We do not deny that scholars such as Abu Hanifah, Imaam ash-Shafi'ee, Ahmad bin Hanbal etc. were great 'Ulamaa and followers of Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah – May Allah be pleased with them all. Rather, the problem arises when people choose to follow them instead of the first generation, which is clearly contradicting what Allah and His Messenger (saws) ordered us to do; and this is manifested in a person who says, for example, "I am Hanafi" or "I am Shafi'ee", which is clearly implying that they only follow the opinion of Imaam Abu Hanifah or Imaam ash-Shafi'ee.

Therefore it is vital for us to understand that our Islaamic Standard is the first generation in Islam; those who follow this generation are followers of Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah.

However, there is also a system of ranking, in terms of virtues, amongst the first generation. Imaam al-Haafiz adh-Dhahabi (a follower of Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah and a student of Sheikh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah) said in his Kitaab ul-Kabaa-ir (the Book of Major Sins), in the chapter of The Seventieth Major Sin: Cursing any of the Companions of Allah's Messenger (saws): "The noble qualities and merits of the Companions (ra) are too numerous to be mentioned here. However, the scholars of the Sunnah agree that the noblest among the Companions are ten, and among the ten, four are ranked as highest. These are, in order of their rank: Abu Bakr, then 'Umar bin al-Khattaab, then 'Uthmaan bin 'Affaan, and then 'Ali bin Abi Taalib. There is no doubt concerning this, and whoever doubts it is an innovator (Mubtadi') and a malicious hypocrite (Munaafiq Khabeeth)."

Hence, the scholars of Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah unanimously agree that Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq was the greatest companion of RasoolUllah (saws); then 'Umar, then 'Uthmaan, and then 'Ali. This is how Allah has destined for it to be, and those who favour the Companions in any other order have gone far astray from as-Salaf as-Saalih, such as the apostate Shi'ah Raafidah. Furthermore, the Messenger Muhammad (saws) said:

"Abu Bakr will be in Paradise, 'Umar will be in Paradise, 'Uthmaan will be in Paradise, 'Ali will be in Paradise, Talhah will be in Paradise, az-Zubayr will be in Paradise, 'Abdur-Rahmaan bin 'Awf will be in Paradise, Sa'd bin Abi Waqqaas will be in Paradise, Sa'eed bin Zayd will be in Paradise and Abu 'Ubaydah bin al-Jarraah will be in Paradise." [Sahih al-Jaami' as-Sagheer, 1/70, no. 50]

The Companions named above were famously known as "al-'Asharah fil-Jannah (the Ten in Paradise)". They were the greatest companions of Rasool-Ullaah and this is their order.

We can therefore come to the conclusion that the best Companions were (in order - the ten promised Paradise):

-Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq
-'Umar bin al-Khattaab
-'Uthmaan bin 'Affaan
-'Ali bin Abi Taalib
-Talhah
-Az-Zubayr
-'Abdur-Rahmaan bin 'Awf
-Sa'd bin Abi Waqqaas
-Sa'eed bin Zayd
-Abu 'Ubaydah bin al-Jarraah

-The People of Badr (those who participated in the battle)

Messenger Muhammad (saws) said: "Allah looked to the people of Badr (and said): 'Do whatever you wish, Allah has forgiven you.'" [Sahih Muslim #2494]

-Those who gave al-Bay’atu tahtash-Shajarah (the Pledge Beneath the Tree)

Allah says in the Qur'aan: "…Allah was well-pleased with the Believers when they swore allegiance unto thee beneath the tree…" [al-Fath, 48:18]

-Al-Ansaar

Allah says: "And the first to embrace Islam of the Muhajiroun (those who migrated from Makkah to al-Madinah) and the Ansaar (the citizens of al-Madinah who helped and gave aid to the Muhajiroun) and also those who followed them exactly (in faith). Allah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him…" [at-Tawbah, 9:100]

Therefore dear Muslims, know that these men were the best people to understand the Deen – not Ibn Taymiyyah (ra) or even Abu Haneefah (ra) etc. despite the fact that they were great scholars who followed Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah.

If there was any dispute between the Companions, we will refer to and favour the most virtuous from amongst them in this order.