Abdessalam Yassine
July 11, 2016
Translated from Arabic by: Abdelhak Bzioui [July 11, 2016]
Extract from the book “Islam Tomorrow” Written by Abdessalam Yassine (1972), Pp 198-99.
Aisha (mother of believers and wife of Prophet Muhammad), May God be pleased with her, related on the authority of at-Tabarani that a man came to the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace, and said: “O Messenger of God! You are indeed dearer to me than my own self and my own kids. When I am home and I remember you, I cannot wait to come to see you. When I think of my death and your death, I learn that after entering heaven, you will be raised therein with the Prophets; whereas if I enter heaven, I dread that I will not be able to see you.” The Prophet did not say anything in reply until the angel, Gabriel, came down with this verse (of revelation): And whoever obeys God and the Messenger (Muhammad)- those will be with the ones upon whom God has bestowed favor of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions. Quran, 4: 69.
The companions of the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace, would fight their own polytheistic parents and brothers out of love for him and for their Lord. In war, they would shield him with their own bodies, receiving deadly arrows enemy shot at him. Theirs was an overt love to a live model. It was the love steadfast believers would show to a Prophet, Messenger and a friend of God. It is a different kind of love from leadership-driven paganism where love is as pretended and hollow as all pagan rituals.
Alongside faith and love, the companions honored, revered, and supported the Prophet. Anas, may God be pleased with him, narrated on the authority of at-Tirmidhi that “the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace, would come out to meet his companions while they were sitting together, among them Abu Bakr and Omar (his closest companions who became caliphs after his death). No one would lift his eyes to look straight at him (out of respect) except these two who would look at him as he also looked at them and exchanged smiles with them”. They loved him and stood in awe of him. They would sit together with him as serene as if birds rested on their heads. In turn, he was very humble and approachable to them.
Urwa Ibn Mas‘ud described to his own folks how the companions got along with the Prophet, God bless him and grant him peace, by saying: “I swear by God that no sooner does he order something than they hasten to implement it. Whenever he speaks in them, they lower their voices, and never do they cast sharp looks at him out of respect, what folks! I swear by God that I have paid visits to kings; to Caesar of Rome, Chosroes of Persia and Negus of Ethiopia, but I have never seen a king as revered by his companions as Muhammad!” This was narrated by al-Miswar Ibn Makhrama on the authority of Al Bukhari.