STORIES OF THE SAHABA BY SHAYKH AL-HADITH MUHAMMAD ZAKARIYYA

He rode into the magnificently decorated court of the Persian commander Rustam. A tattered scabbard was strapped around his chest and a spear hung from a scorched leather strap. Big, circular patches patterned his shield of cowhide. Rustam's sentries rushed to his mount and tugged at the reins. "Alight", they said. He ignored them and rode onto the gold embroidered rug. Grabbing the thick cushions, he impaled them on to his spear, fed the reins into the holes and tied his mount. Then, he struck his spear into the rug and lowered himself to the ground. Rustam was awed by the bedouin's defiance. "What brings you here", Rustam asked. "Allah sent us to take mankind from servitude to the creation to servitude to Allah", Rabi (رضي الله عنه)  replied, "and to bring mankind out from the smoke and mirrors of this world toward the truth of Islam".

This anthology features the stories of the illustrious Sahaba, the chosen companions of the greatest of all creation Muhammad ﷺ. These dwellers of paradise who received the divine approval of "Allah is pleased with them and they with Allah" came to this world to teach us the meaning of submission to Allah and noble character and to cultivate the seed of iman and taqwa that flourished and filled the entire world with its light. Today, this light continues to spread embracing more and more people from diverse backgrounds, faiths, and countries into its folds. We are permanently indebted to the Sahaba who gave up their lives for the preservation and propagation of this faith and must imbibe their qualities and embrace their struggles to achieve their successes in this life and the Hereafter.

 

About the Author

Shaykh Al-Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya was one of the greatest muhaddithun of his era and the author of over a hundred titles including the 19 volume commentary on the Muwatta, Aujaz al-Masalik.He was born in Kandhela, India in 1898 to a family of erudite scholars and went on to become a teacher of Bukhari and Abu Dawud for over 30 years in the prestigious Mazahir al-Uloom Saharanpur seminary. he passed away in Madina in 1982 and is buried in Jannat al-Baqi near the graves of the Ahl Bayt.